A review by bookcheshirecat
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

3.0

“Maybe there's no such thing as soulmates. Maybe there are only people who trust each other enough to begin something without being assured of the end.” 

➽ You, Again seemed like the perfect Romance to read in Autumn! It's a story inspired by the movie When Harry Met Sally, but you don't have to watch it. I've never seen it myself and I could still appreciate the book. You, Again follows Ari and Josh, two New Yorkers who have gotten off on the wrong foot and meet again over the course of 8 years. In the present day, they've both been disappointed when it comes to their love lives and decide to form an unlikely friendship. I liked the premise of the book and how it discussed different types of relationships and intimacy. There were some elements I wasn't the biggest fan of, so I had some mixed feelings in the end. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the messy characters and their odd friendship!

➽ The female main character, Ari, is an aspiring comedian and commitment phobe. She's a bit of a disaster and just trying to make it through life by taking on different gigs. I liked reading about her journey to make it in comedy, especially as the story showed the less glamorous side. Ari doesn't have any money or privileges to fall back on, so she's always taking on odd jobs and desperately hoping to get her breakthrough. She's also struggling with committing to relationships and prefers casual sex. Ari's fear of being abandoned and opening up to others is what drives her. She has been badly burned by her ex-wife, who left her for someone else and is taking away everything from their shared life. My only issue with Ari's character was that she acted so immature. Her constant talk about sex, threesomes and sex toys got on my nerves at some point. I feel like the author was trying too hard to make her quirky and the attempts to include feminism were so awkward they made me cringe.

➽ The male protagonist Josh, is a chef who believes in soulmates, but can never find someone who's good enough. He was a fascinating character to me because, by all means, I should have despised him. He starts out as a smug know-it-all character who refuses to acknowledge his own privilege due to his father's famous bodega. Josh is one of these people who prides himself on never apologizing and in the beginning, he makes a lot of questionable decisions.
Such as firing Ari's best friend and blaming her for a mistake, even though it's implied he only got the position instead of her due to nepotism.
I wish he'd had a better character arc, as later developments in the story didn't feel earned. Josh's obsession with finding The One was interesting though and he's got a bad habit of setting up impossible standards. He also used to clash with his father about his dreams of becoming a chef and moving away from the family bodega. Even after his passing, he isn't on the same page as his family about their legacy.

➽ I actually liked the unlikely friendship between Ari and Josh. Obviously, I knew going into this book that it's a Romance so both characters were bound to end up in a romantic relationship. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel like Ari and Josh worked much better as friends and should have stayed platonic! In that case, I would have even given a higher rating, as I liked both of them becoming friends when they desperately needed someone. Ari and Josh never got along, but quickly get invested in each other's lives despite their differences. Both of them have been burned by romance, so becoming friends who support each other is their priority at first.

➽ I don't think they worked together as a romantic couple because they had such different attitudes toward romance. The second half of the book was filled with romantic drama and I wasn't surprised that Josh's intense commitment to a soulmates-like romance was too much for Ari. As someone struggling with commitment and fear of abandonment, Ari's obviously not dealing well with someone who immediately goes from 0 to 100. Josh should have known her better, especially in the end.
I think he just wanted her to be his ideal partner without considering her baggage. Asking her to move in together after she spent the night and was already struggling with it, was such a horrible idea. How could he have thought, this wouldn't scare her off? It was also offputting how he talked to EVERYONE in their friend group about the conflict, it further pressured Ari to face something she wasn't ready for. I don't blame her for taking off and didn't like that she had to come back with a grand gesture for Josh. It didn't really change her underlying issues.
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