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A review by haleymfischer
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
2.0
Despite the beautiful cover, charming plot and fun cast of diverse characters, this romance fell a bit flat for me.
We’ve got Jasmine and Ashton. Both Latinx actors. Both looking to break into mainstream entertainment. When they're cast as the leads on a bilingual rom-com for a popular Netflix-esque streaming platform, they are both desperate to make it work. But each resolves to repress the attraction they have for the other and end up finding it difficult to create a believable romance on screen. For the sake of the show, they agree to rehearse in private and build their connection, but trying to keep work and life separate proves to be even more difficult than expected.
I do have to mention: this was the first romance I'd ever "read" in audiobook format, and I wasn't all that impressed by the voice acting. So I think that may have had some effect on my opinion.
But my main gripe is that I was pretty unconvinced by the romance between Jasmine and Ashton. It was a shallow insta-love, primarily based on physical attraction, which seemed out of place for two seasoned soap opera & telenovela actors. On top of that, the emotional backstories they share lacked depth and, for me, didn't justify the behaviors that drove the story.
The dialogue also fell flat for me. I was fine with the overall cheesiness of the story but, at times, the way they spoke to each other came across unnatural and was a little uncomfortable to listen to.
I did love Jasmine's cousins, Michelle & Ava, as well as both Jasmine and Ashton's relationships with their families though. So, although this book may not have been my favorite, I do look forward to seeing how Alexis Daria tackles Michelle's story in the sequel.
We’ve got Jasmine and Ashton. Both Latinx actors. Both looking to break into mainstream entertainment. When they're cast as the leads on a bilingual rom-com for a popular Netflix-esque streaming platform, they are both desperate to make it work. But each resolves to repress the attraction they have for the other and end up finding it difficult to create a believable romance on screen. For the sake of the show, they agree to rehearse in private and build their connection, but trying to keep work and life separate proves to be even more difficult than expected.
I do have to mention: this was the first romance I'd ever "read" in audiobook format, and I wasn't all that impressed by the voice acting. So I think that may have had some effect on my opinion.
But my main gripe is that I was pretty unconvinced by the romance between Jasmine and Ashton. It was a shallow insta-love, primarily based on physical attraction, which seemed out of place for two seasoned soap opera & telenovela actors. On top of that, the emotional backstories they share lacked depth and, for me, didn't justify the behaviors that drove the story.
The dialogue also fell flat for me. I was fine with the overall cheesiness of the story but, at times, the way they spoke to each other came across unnatural and was a little uncomfortable to listen to.
I did love Jasmine's cousins, Michelle & Ava, as well as both Jasmine and Ashton's relationships with their families though. So, although this book may not have been my favorite, I do look forward to seeing how Alexis Daria tackles Michelle's story in the sequel.