Title: With or Without You
Author: Eric Smith
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Publication date: November 7, 2023
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Summary
It’s common knowledge that Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz hate each other. They’ve gone viral many times with their shouting matches between their families’ food trucks. The food truck rivalry between their two families has been well-established the entire time they’ve been in high school.
However, what everyone doesn’t know is that it’s all a front: Jordan and Cindy are actually dating. When they get approached by a TV studio to do a reality show, they have to pretend that they aren’t. Otherwise, everything their families have built could come tumbling down around them.
Review: With or Without You
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyward Press for an advanced copy of With or Without You by Eric Smith to review! Eric Smith is always a good time for a rom-com, and making it food truck themed just upped the fun. And it might make you hungry!
We don’t often get YA romances where the relationship is already established from page 1; it’s kind of fun to get to see the relationship play out without all of the (kind of awkward) beginning stuff. Jordan and Cindy have chemistry from the beginning, and the way they play up the rivalry between their families has a fun spin to it.
This book does read like reality TV, with little scenes sprinkled throughout that are confessionals for the characters. These add a fun element to the story, and really put you in the reality TV zone. While this works for the story, I’m not a huge fan of reality TV; I think that’s part of the reason this didn’t resonate with me like Smith’s other books.
However, if you like food themed romances, this is definitely the book for you!
3.5/5 stars