Review: "Alone Together" by Lindsey Jesionowski

Alone Together by Lindsey Jesionowski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Web designer Max Robertson has had a tough time since his longtime girlfriend, Courtney, passed away on his birthday three years ago. This year, he resolves to start getting back out there and spending time with friends, but he's sure love isn't in the cards for him. He's therefore surprised to feel a spark of interest when he sees Hannah Jenkins for the first time. Hannah, a fitness instructor and social media director for the gym where Max's best friend Johnny works, went through a bad breakup shortly before her recent move to West Virginia. She's been focusing on herself instead of dating ever since, but can't help being drawn to Max too. Just as Max finally gets up the courage to ask Hannah out, the country goes into lockdown at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and he figures he's lost his chance with her. That is, until he ventures out onto the balcony of his new apartment and realizes that she's his next-door neighbor. Maybe all isn't lost after all...

Max and Hannah were incredibly likeable, relatable protagonists and I loved rooting for them both individually and as a couple. It was adorable how nervous and awkward they both were in their first few interactions! The pacing of their relationship development was absolutely perfect. Given the circumstances of being stuck together in lockdown, they easily could have rushed into something they weren't ready for, but instead, they took their time, got to know each other and became friends first. That's not to say that everything went smoothly for them from the start; they each had more than their fair share of emotional baggage to sort through in order to make the relationship work. I particularly empathized with Hannah's struggles with anxiety and admired her determination to overcome them.

The book's secondary characters were a ton of fun and added a great deal of depth and humor to the story. I especially enjoyed Max's funny, sweet niece Quinn, who seemed mature for her age but still brought some silliness when needed. I also enjoyed Hannah's best friend Angie and Max's best friend Johnny. I can't wait for their story in the next book! Johnny was kind of a goofball, but he was a really good friend to Max, and I think he and Angie will be a whole lot of fun together.

Overall, I loved this funny, sweet, and heartwarming story and highly recommend it for all fans of sweet contemporary romance and romantic comedy. It was a fantastic debut for author Lindsey Jesionowski and I look forward to more from her and this series.

*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews