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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was really sweet but just a little too fluffy for me. I need my romances to dig a little deeper and hurt a little more for the payoff to work in the end. That was missing a little bit for me here but I still enjoyed the book overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Stalking
Alexis Daria is a new-to-me author, recommended by one of you. My apologies, but I have forgotten who.
Jasmine and Ashton are both scared. Scared of fame, scared of not being in control, and scared of their feelings for each other. Their journey on the way to an HEA is beautiful and special, and I loved it!
Why didn’t I read this book earlier?! YOU HAD ME AT HOLA was a fantastic romance novel with a telenovela twist, and it was unapologetically Puerto Rican. The mixing of these two concepts made it a big favorite for me, and I binge-read it in two days, completely ignoring my TBR.
Jasmine Lin is a soap opera Nuyorican actress that gets her big break when she is cast to be the main character of a romcom TV show for a big streaming service. However, at the same time, her rockstar boyfriend breaks up with her, forming a scandal that hits tabloids. On the other hand, Ashton Suarez is a telenovela actor that worries his career is dying after he is killed off in his last telenovela, and that gets called to join Jasmine’s romcom as her love interest and costar. Their first encounter was rather chaotic, and I felt so bad for laughing. But it also shows us how much chemistry they had from the beginning, whether they noticed it or not. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed, from the stolen glances to the sweet moments but also the vulnerable ones. That being said though, something that annoyed me a bit was how they talked about communication but forgot to apply it to themselves when things got rough. They eventually got a reality check and stopped acting irrationally, but it really bothered me, especially after I was so engaged with their romance. But oh well, it’s part of the angst! Also, the spicy in this book was really good. I think I blushed a few times and that barely ever happens. So be ready for the steamy scenes!
One of my favorite parts of this book was Jasmine’s cousins; Ava and Michelle, and I’m so excited to know we get to see their stories in two upcoming books!! They were a force of nature but a great support team and grounding force for Jasmine. I hope to see more of the Primas of Power making jefa moves.
Another part that I really, really loved was all the Puertorrican details, from the curse words (never thought I’d see puñeta in a piece of literature <3) to the visits to the island (for secret reasons you will discover when you read) and the family traditions we see from both main characters. Also, the commentary on the island’s sociopolitical issues was on point, and I especially appreciated it since I started reading this book after another major blackout left half of the island in darkness.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and with the exception of the lack of communication from both MCs at the end, it was a perfect Puerto Rican romance. We also get to see queer rep and Latinx rep from other countries from the Caribbean and Latin America. I cannot wait to read the second installment in this trilogy!
Jasmine Lin is a soap opera Nuyorican actress that gets her big break when she is cast to be the main character of a romcom TV show for a big streaming service. However, at the same time, her rockstar boyfriend breaks up with her, forming a scandal that hits tabloids. On the other hand, Ashton Suarez is a telenovela actor that worries his career is dying after he is killed off in his last telenovela, and that gets called to join Jasmine’s romcom as her love interest and costar. Their first encounter was rather chaotic, and I felt so bad for laughing. But it also shows us how much chemistry they had from the beginning, whether they noticed it or not. I really enjoyed how their relationship developed, from the stolen glances to the sweet moments but also the vulnerable ones. That being said though, something that annoyed me a bit was how they talked about communication but forgot to apply it to themselves when things got rough. They eventually got a reality check and stopped acting irrationally, but it really bothered me, especially after I was so engaged with their romance. But oh well, it’s part of the angst! Also, the spicy in this book was really good. I think I blushed a few times and that barely ever happens. So be ready for the steamy scenes!
One of my favorite parts of this book was Jasmine’s cousins; Ava and Michelle, and I’m so excited to know we get to see their stories in two upcoming books!! They were a force of nature but a great support team and grounding force for Jasmine. I hope to see more of the Primas of Power making jefa moves.
Another part that I really, really loved was all the Puertorrican details, from the curse words (never thought I’d see puñeta in a piece of literature <3) to the visits to the island (for secret reasons you will discover when you read) and the family traditions we see from both main characters. Also, the commentary on the island’s sociopolitical issues was on point, and I especially appreciated it since I started reading this book after another major blackout left half of the island in darkness.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and with the exception of the lack of communication from both MCs at the end, it was a perfect Puerto Rican romance. We also get to see queer rep and Latinx rep from other countries from the Caribbean and Latin America. I cannot wait to read the second installment in this trilogy!
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was cute! I think similar to another Alexis Daria book I’ve read, I was just confused at how fast they folded when they made a big deal about it, but nevertheless, Jasmine and Ashton are so cute, and I loved the acting storyline so it was interesting to be involved in that process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking
Minor: Infidelity
I was so annoyed by our leading man. I HATE miscommunication tropes.
But if you can tell me you've never gotten accidentally sucked into a telenovela over a visit with your grandmother, you're lying.
I'll give the next prima a shot.
But if you can tell me you've never gotten accidentally sucked into a telenovela over a visit with your grandmother, you're lying.
I'll give the next prima a shot.
3.25 i'd have given this a higher rating because it was good! and fun!! (and checked off a lot of my guilty pleasure tropes) but that epilogue... threw off all the good vibes and made me remember all the parts i didnt like
*3.5*
I was really looking forward to this and it was honesty a fun story to read. It was cute and endearing for sure. It was kind of odd because it kept giving me YA vibes even though the scenes and explicitly of the book clearly made it adult. Also, the tv show scenes inclusion didn’t bother me nearly as much as how they were written because I couldn’t remain in either world completely at all. I also think the characters internal issues were tied up too easily and quickly at the end which felt weird.
I was really looking forward to this and it was honesty a fun story to read. It was cute and endearing for sure. It was kind of odd because it kept giving me YA vibes even though the scenes and explicitly of the book clearly made it adult. Also, the tv show scenes inclusion didn’t bother me nearly as much as how they were written because I couldn’t remain in either world completely at all. I also think the characters internal issues were tied up too easily and quickly at the end which felt weird.
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Literally the last book I had to read to complete the Diversity Across Genres challenge, I had put off picking up You Had Me at Hola for pretty much the entire year. This book originally came on my radar upon recommendation from a friend who enjoys romances, but as I've discovered they're not my go-to, I've been tending to avoid them. In this case, I was super happy the challenge encouraged me to pick it up, as it is one of the best romances I've ever read. We follow Jasmine and Ashton, two co-stars on a new TV show. For both of them, this is a chance to break through barriers, but will their love get in the way? I thought both the romance and the B-plots were well done and engrossing, and their fights were about more than simple miscommunication. For an easy end-of-year read, this hit the mark really well, and I'd actually recommend it to anyone who enjoys these spicy tales!
So I’m not sure if it’s my love for telenovelas but this was a cute story. I really love the idea of women empowerment behind the whole thing and the romance that takes place. It was very close to home with the Mexican culture and family dynamic.