Author: Alexis Daria
Publisher: Avon
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Paperback, 320 Pages
Publication Date: August 4th, 2020
Paperback, 320 Pages
Publication Date: August 4th, 2020
Summary: Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy. After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars. With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so before I start, I just wanted to thank Avon for their generosity!
And now...onto the gushing.
Anyone that knows me IRL knows that I am a *huge* fan of Jane the Virgin. Like, huge. I've seen every episode and watched it a million times and I could cite any episode without a second thought. Not only am I a huge rom-com junkie and I lived for the telenovela-style drama of the show, but the fact that Jane herself was an aspiring romance writer added another layer to the story that just hooked me from the beginning. So, as soon as I found out about YOU HAD ME AT HOLA and saw that it was being comped as the perfect book for fans of Jane the Virgin, I was immediately hooked and couldn't wait to get an ARC into my hands. And let me tell you, I'm SO glad that Avon was awesome enough to send an ARC over to me, because this book was INCREDIBLE.
As the summary explains, Jasmine is trying to break out of her soap opera career by nailing the leading role in a new ScreenFlix (aka the fictionalized Netflix) romantic comedy series that's bound to change the game for the Latinx arts community. But she's still reeling from a previous breakup that ended up splashed across all of the tabloids, so all she wants to do is lay low and succeed on her own, without dealing with any more romantic drama. But when she finds out that her co-star is not only super attractive, but also super sweet, her resolve starts to crumble. One thing leads to another, and Jasmine and Ashton eventually find themselves with just as much chemistry off-screen as on, but there are complications -- including some secrets that someone's doing their best to avoid bringing them to light. But how long can their whirlwind romance last if not everyone's being entirely honest -- and before the outside pressure of fame and media attention starts to weigh in?
This book made me feel ALL OF THE THINGS. Not only was the budding romance between Jasmine and Ashton super swoon-worthy (and yes, it had me blushing more than a few times), but seeing Jasmine's close relationship with her family and especially her girl-gang group of cousins was really empowering. I truly loved this book so much and I tore through the entire thing so quickly because it was just so addictive that I couldn't put it down. It made for the perfect poolside read that I dove into while sitting out in the sunshine with a glass of wine -- and by the time I finished reading, I was filled with SO many emotions -- swooning, gasping, laughing out loud, and even a little shocked at the way some things worked out! Without spoiling anything, all I'll say is that this book is truly so fantastic and reading it made me feel like *I* was a movie star dealing with my own behind-the-scenes romance right alongside Jasmine. Alexis Daria certainly takes her readers for a ride with this one!
In terms of comparison, I think it's definitely safe to say that this book is the perfect fit for Jane the Virgin fans. There are so many twists and turns, shocking surprises, and secrets that come to life. The entire time that I was tearing through this book, I kept picturing scenes from the show and the atmosphere just felt super similar and so amazing. This honestly could've been a spinoff series from the TV show itself because so much of the vibe was so similar, and having loved JTV for as long as I have, it felt really sweet and comforting to fall back into that world and that feeling so easily.
Overall, I absolutely *loved* YOU HAD ME AT HOLA and I will be recommending it to all of my fellow Jane the Virgin fans for the near future (and definitely beyond). If you're looking for a hot, swoon-worthy romance book to read poolside this summer, filled with secrets and hookups and passion and the chasing of dreams (and the drama that comes along with it), then definitely look no further -- this book is the one for you! Alexis Daria has officially received a fan for life after I finished this spectacular novel.
So what are you waiting for??? Go add it to your TBR right now!! *heart eyes*
And now...onto the gushing.
Anyone that knows me IRL knows that I am a *huge* fan of Jane the Virgin. Like, huge. I've seen every episode and watched it a million times and I could cite any episode without a second thought. Not only am I a huge rom-com junkie and I lived for the telenovela-style drama of the show, but the fact that Jane herself was an aspiring romance writer added another layer to the story that just hooked me from the beginning. So, as soon as I found out about YOU HAD ME AT HOLA and saw that it was being comped as the perfect book for fans of Jane the Virgin, I was immediately hooked and couldn't wait to get an ARC into my hands. And let me tell you, I'm SO glad that Avon was awesome enough to send an ARC over to me, because this book was INCREDIBLE.
As the summary explains, Jasmine is trying to break out of her soap opera career by nailing the leading role in a new ScreenFlix (aka the fictionalized Netflix) romantic comedy series that's bound to change the game for the Latinx arts community. But she's still reeling from a previous breakup that ended up splashed across all of the tabloids, so all she wants to do is lay low and succeed on her own, without dealing with any more romantic drama. But when she finds out that her co-star is not only super attractive, but also super sweet, her resolve starts to crumble. One thing leads to another, and Jasmine and Ashton eventually find themselves with just as much chemistry off-screen as on, but there are complications -- including some secrets that someone's doing their best to avoid bringing them to light. But how long can their whirlwind romance last if not everyone's being entirely honest -- and before the outside pressure of fame and media attention starts to weigh in?
This book made me feel ALL OF THE THINGS. Not only was the budding romance between Jasmine and Ashton super swoon-worthy (and yes, it had me blushing more than a few times), but seeing Jasmine's close relationship with her family and especially her girl-gang group of cousins was really empowering. I truly loved this book so much and I tore through the entire thing so quickly because it was just so addictive that I couldn't put it down. It made for the perfect poolside read that I dove into while sitting out in the sunshine with a glass of wine -- and by the time I finished reading, I was filled with SO many emotions -- swooning, gasping, laughing out loud, and even a little shocked at the way some things worked out! Without spoiling anything, all I'll say is that this book is truly so fantastic and reading it made me feel like *I* was a movie star dealing with my own behind-the-scenes romance right alongside Jasmine. Alexis Daria certainly takes her readers for a ride with this one!
In terms of comparison, I think it's definitely safe to say that this book is the perfect fit for Jane the Virgin fans. There are so many twists and turns, shocking surprises, and secrets that come to life. The entire time that I was tearing through this book, I kept picturing scenes from the show and the atmosphere just felt super similar and so amazing. This honestly could've been a spinoff series from the TV show itself because so much of the vibe was so similar, and having loved JTV for as long as I have, it felt really sweet and comforting to fall back into that world and that feeling so easily.
Overall, I absolutely *loved* YOU HAD ME AT HOLA and I will be recommending it to all of my fellow Jane the Virgin fans for the near future (and definitely beyond). If you're looking for a hot, swoon-worthy romance book to read poolside this summer, filled with secrets and hookups and passion and the chasing of dreams (and the drama that comes along with it), then definitely look no further -- this book is the one for you! Alexis Daria has officially received a fan for life after I finished this spectacular novel.
So what are you waiting for??? Go add it to your TBR right now!! *heart eyes*
No comments
Please note that if your comment doesn’t appear right away, it’s because we have to approve it. Make sure to click the Notify Me box so you can check back once your comment has been approved! ❤️