ARC Review: ‘I’ll Get Back to You’ by Becca Grischow
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I'll Get Back to You
by Becca GrischowPublished by Penguin Books on September 17, 2024
SubGenres: LGBT Romance, Sapphic Romance, New Adult and College Romance, New Adult Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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A charming home run of a queer holiday romance where two former classmates’ plan to fake-date their way to freedom goes immediately awry—but, perhaps, exactly the way they need it to
Murphy was supposed to be settling into her junior year at the University of Illinois with her best friend, Kat. Instead, she’s stuck in a hellish suburban holding pattern: living with her parents, failing the same class that kept her from graduating the first time around, and making minimum wage at the same coffee shop she’s worked at since she was sixteen. It doesn't help that the dating pool for a twenty-one-year-old lesbian in the tiny town of Geneva, Illinois, is anemic at best.
When her and Kat’s long-awaited reunion is plagued by stuttering conversation and uninvited guests, Murphy’s resentment threatens to boil over. That is, until a miracle appears in the form of Ellie Meyers, a former classmate who is way cuter and not nearly as straight as Murphy remembers. Their heavy flirting holds the promise of something more… until Murphy learns that Ellie’s mom is the very professor preparing to flunk Murphy for a second semester in a row. Talk about killing the vibe.
Romance might be off the table, but Ellie could be Murphy’s key to getting into Professor Meyers’ good graces and finally getting out of Geneva. And Murphy—well-versed in defying parental expectations—might be Ellie’s chance to get her mother onboard with her own dreams. Together, they hatch a plot: fake a relationship for a holiday weekend at the Meyers’ house. If everything goes according to plan, Ellie will be living her dream halfway across the country, and Murphy will finally be able to graduate community college and start her life in earnest. So, the fact that Murphy can’t stop thinking about Ellie’s lips on hers isn't relevant. It’s just a part played well.
Right?
A story about opening your heart to possibility, I'll Get Back To You is a giddy love letter to anyone in need of a bit of bravery to step up to the plate—and to the unending process of finding yourself.
It may be October, and Halloween is around the corner, but it’s never too early to read a holiday romance novel set during Thanksgiving. I’ll Get Back to You is the first book I’ve read from author Becca Grischow, and I’ll be checking out other books she writes in the future. I enjoyed this book and loved getting to know the main character, Murphy, which the book is told solely from her point of view.
As a mother of a college-aged daughter who is now living independently, I definitely sympathize with Murphy and everything she experiences in this book. She is trying to navigate her future while coming to terms with the changes in her life that are happening around her. Murphy is having to adjust to friendship dynamic changes with her best friend, who is now in a relationship, while also dealing with her family, making adjustments that will impact her life too. It’s a chaotic time for poor Murphy, especially since everything is happening all at once. She encounters Ellie, a former high school acquaintance, who is also facing her own struggles. A new friendship leads to a fake relationship between the two who aim to help each other with their challenges. Ellie’s mom is Murphy’s accounting professor, and her approval is crucial for Murphy to pass the class. Meanwhile, Murphy can assist Ellie in convincing her parents about the art graduate program she wants to attend at NYU. But what if their fake relationship ends up developing into something more in the meantime?
I love a fake dating/relationship story, even if it’s a predictable storyline. I could read this trope forever due to knowing that one or both characters are eventually going to realize they like one another and that was the case with Murphy and Ellie. They just needed to work on some things, especially if they had their futures to plan that were different from one another. I loved how Ellie saw potential in Murphy when it came to her graphic design and what she was already doing with her current job and used that to get her to pursue it, even if Murphy didn’t think that was what she wanted. Murphy even helped Ellie with her life struggles, especially after what happened to Ellie in her past relationship. It was like these two were always meant to meet up with one another and be together since they complimented each other so well. Even Ellie’s family noticed how happy they were together, even when their relationship grew pretty quickly.
This is a sweet, romantic, sapphic story about Murphy and Ellie, who support each other as they navigate their adult lives. The author, Becca Grischow, manages to unfold their love story in a span of a few days over Thanksgiving break. Although it develops quickly, it feels as if Murphy and Ellie are always destined to meet and be together, which makes it believable.
The only complaint is that at first, I didn’t like how Kat, Murphy’s best friend, treated Murphy because poor Murphy felt like she was losing her best friend. I understood what was happening, though, because I had experienced my friendships changing when I was the same age. It’s still hard to read, and I felt for Murpy and what she was experiencing. It’s also hard when you feel like she’ll never find someone who will love her, and I’m so glad she found Ellie.
Overall, it’s a great story, and I give it four stars. This is a book I will recommend to both of my daughters, especially the one in college right now. She will certainly relate to the experiences of both characters in the story. Becca Grischow is definitely an author I’ll keep an eye on for her future works.
Single/Dual POV: Single POV (Murphy’s POV only)
Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Coming-of-Age stories with a sweet and romantic Sapphic storyline.
What to Expect:
✓Sweet & Romantic Sapphic Romance
✓Holiday Romance (Thanksgiving)
✓Coming of Age
✓Fake Dating/Relationship
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