[Copy sent to me by the author as part of her review team. This doesn’t affect my opinions/review.]

Although this was a fun read, I can’t honestly say that it was anything more. I wasn’t attached to either of the protagonists, nor was I invested in their relationship. I found myself more interested in some of the side characters—specifically, the heroine’s best friend, said friend’s girlfriend, and the hero’s younger sister.

I’ve gotta say, both protagonists felt very one-dimensional. Anneke kept mentioning that she was a supermodel in unrelated conversations, making me wonder if she had any other personality traits. As for Jonah, he was very mopey, but all we knew in that department was that it had something to do with an ex-girlfriend. Only when the book is nearly over do we find out that said ex didn’t do anything wrong except get swept up in newfound fame and briefly lose sight of what really mattered. There was even a scene where Jonah and Maggie (his ex) saw each other for the first time since their breakup, and honestly, Maggie seemed really sweet. So personally, I kind of think Jonah was overreacting. I feel a bit bad typing that, because I know different people respond to things in different ways, but my opinion remains the same.

I don’t know what else to say. I liked the focus on Mardi Gras, as that’s not a holiday I knew much about and it does kind of seem fun, but that’s about it. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with Here for It… I’m just not here for it. (Sorry not sorry lmao I couldn’t resist.)

Also, one more tidbit because I couldn’t stop thinking about it and I found it amusing: Jonah’s early chapters talked a lot about how his late father always warned him to watch out for fake people. The specific term used was “phonies.” The thing is, I can’t see that word without thinking of a scene in Despicable Me 2, where Gru is wearing an awful wig while out on a blind date with a rather odd woman, who has an indescribably weird voice, because she says “phonies” like ten times. XD

I probably won’t read anything else from Jacobson, but if you’re interested, definitely give this a try. Just because it wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean it won’t be yours. :)

Representation