SO. SWEET. You had me at the cover!

4 darling stars for this celeb romance full of heart and dramaaa:

- I was captivated by the cover. Gorgeous. Those telenovela vibes. That color scheme. The art style. Absolute perfection.

- A wonderful homage to Latinx culture through family, food, and media.
The #ownvoices writing really shines as readers get to see Jasmine's large and loving, diverse family, as well as their events and relationships with one another. I also appreciated the rep of different cousins in the family having different backgrounds in their knowledge of Spanish. For example, Jasmine has a perfect accent but isn't fluent.

- Super sweet romance.
I enjoyed how the conflict came from both characters (not just one) and helped their individual growth. The resolution/epilogue, to me, was so well-written! First and foremost was the fact that despite being in a romantic relationship, the characters also remember to put themselves and their needs first. I think it's so important for this self-love part to happen before expanding to other relationships in life, and Daria writes it in really well.

- I liked the back-stage view of the television show Jasmine and Ashton worked on.
I don't know how authentic it is, but I really enjoyed the workshops with dancing and intimate moments like kissing that the characters had to go through. I thought it brought a lot more depth to the atmosphere of starring in a soap opera, and gave me a new perspective of behind-the-scenes in TV show production.

- Jasmine was amazing!
I loved her family (especially her lovable and fun cousins), and seeing her growth was really beautiful. I especially enjoyed the fact that the growth came from her own inner strength rather than from a romantic interest, and she recognizes that as well. (Powerful boss woman for the win!) She's emotional and tends to fall headfirst into a relationship, but she recognizes that and realizes she's much more than what other people think about her. She just has so much love to give! I do have to say, I was surprised at how little she reacted in the break-up she went through at the beginning of the book. The story definitely isn't centered around this detail, but I was curious to see such a lack of reaction.

- Ashton was a sweet, awkward, guarded hero.
He had a lot of burdens - family being first and foremost - that he struggled to handle, and a past he was scared of. I enjoyed seeing his interactions with his family (four generations of Puerto Ricans!), and his professional goal of making it big on-screen rather than wasting away in telenovelas. At the same time, he wants to keep his private life secret, which causes problems as well. I struggled to connect to him the most since I expected a bit more maturity (he was an older character) but at the end of the day he confronted his problems and showed growth.

- The casual diversity inserted, which includes a colorful Latinx cast with various cultural backgrounds.
I also enjoyed seeing the non-binary and trans characters seen in the entertainment industry. The book talks a little of Jasmine's struggles as a POC actress which was an awesome addition. In general, there were a lot of progressive events and dialogue that really endeared this writing to me. It definitely fit with the wholesome, heart-lifting energy that this book gave off.

Overall, YOU HAD ME AT HOLA is a contemporary romance that you don't want to miss! Personally I don't read celebrity books, but this one has such heart and empowerment that you just don't want to miss.

Trigger/Content Warnings: (mention of) death of a loved one via cancer, sexy times

Thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for the review copy!

It’s refreshing to escape into the world of “You Had Me At Hola”. Jasmine is an up and coming actress, fresh off a surprisingly public break-up, while Ashton is completely the opposite: established as a telenovela star with a carefully guarded private life. Both characters have compelling reasons for approaching their new television show, and each other, the way they do - and the author gives them time to show this before both experience very satisfying personal growth. What really stood out to me was the diversity of Latinx characters and culture in the book. Not just the language choices or food references as can sometimes dominate, but the family interactions, Marquita.s efforts on set with the flags, and other subtle scene inclusions really stood out to me as a reader.

I generally enjoyed the novel, but ‘You Had Me at Hola’ fell flatter than I had hoped. I didn’t feel that Ashton had truly done all he needed to do to re-earn Jasmine’s trust and felt like Jasmine was deserving of a more compassionate, loving partner. I understand that Ashton had been through a lot and had a lot going on in his life, but I, unfortunately, didn’t find him to be a compelling protagonist.

ou Had Me at Hola
A Novel
by Alexis Daria
HarperCollins Publishers
Avon
Multicultural Interest | Romance
Pub Date 04 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 04 Aug 2020

Loved this book! I haven't read any of Alexxis Daria's books but this one was very good. Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC. The cover is an eye-catcher and I will recommend this book.

I just adore this author and title. I love the cover too - this will be easy to sell to all our new and established romance readers.

Jasmine finds herself a recipient of tabloid fodder as the musician she was dating cheats on her and dumps her. She is about to start a new show called Carmen in Charge (imagine a Jane the Virgin-esque show) and the last thing she wants is to be in the tabloids, because of her dating life. Ashton is a last minute addition to the cast of Carmen in Charge. Ashton has had a bad experience with fame in the past, so he keeps his life as private as possible, including hiding his eight year old son. When Jasmine and Ashton meet their chemistry is sizzling. Now they both have to decide if an affair with a coworker is the path they want to take!

Jasmine and Ashton have amazing chemistry from the very start. I felt Jasmine’s character was so relatable and Ashton is a fantastic hero. I think what I loved the most about this book is that this is a romance where I didn’t take a side in the conflict. I understood both characters' viewpoints and motivations due to the backstory Daria provides throughout the book. I also loved Jasmine’s relationships with her two cousins. They know her so well and don’t judge her for her mistakes. They are the perfect support system for her and are a great addition to the book! There are so many great things about this book. The diversity, the nod to therapy at the end of the book, family dynamics, I loved it and it was exactly what I needed to read right now!

Fun and sexy! I loved everything, especially the discussions of consent! Jasmine is a fierce romantic heroine and the relationships between her and Ashton had me cheering for them from the first meeting.

When I say that I love Alexis Daria and her romances, I MEAN I LOVE ALEXIS DARIA AND HER ROMANCE! I've been anticipating this book since the moment she mentioned it in her newsletter over a year ago. I prayed to whoever was up there and willing to listen that I would get an ARC and I was fortunate enough to have my prayers answered.

One of the things I love most about her books are how diverse and inclusive they are. Reading a book where such a diverse cast is seen as the norm and I'm able to relate to each character in little ways, it means a lot to me. I love the way that she writes family and culture!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the romance so much however I do have to say two things bothered me and stopped me from giving this 5 stars:

1. I felt like the romance (swoony, though it was!) was just a tad bit...insta-lovey? It felt like enough hadn't happened for the amount of feelings that these characters had for each other or their expectations from each other. I don't necessarily feel like it was that for Ashton(though it was still a bit question mark for me at times) but it certainly was insta-lovey for Jasmine which leads to me second complaint

2. I loved Jasmine and how real and honest she was about who she was and what she needed to work on to be better but baby girl...

I hate myself for saying this because I loved Jasmine but she's also kinda of a weak heroine. And the thing is, she also kind of knows this about herself and wants to be better, wants to not be the girl who wraps her entire self-worth around whether or not a guy likes her or not but she always seems to fail. Even with Ashton, we see her trying for once to not be the clingy girlfriend who does desperate things to keep his attention but she struggles and often, even when mad at him, gives in very easily. There was some growth in the third quarter of the book but it didn't feel deserved and it didn't really feel legit. It felt too rushed and like the author was trying to wrap up everything in a bow but hadn't spent enough time really building the foundation of this character growth (ex: showing her slowly over time become the girl who can hold her stand in front of the guy she has feelings for instead of quickly giving in) that when it happened, I didn't really believe in it. She said the words about her being good enough on her own without a man, but I didn't see it. I guess it was one of those things where I needed to see it rather than hear the words.

I really did enjoy this book though and I loved that it was about filming a TV show! I feel like that's not something you see often in romance and I was so interested in learning how filming goes and learning about the other actors. I cannot wait to see what Michelle's book will bring; low-key kept thinking I could see her having a great f/f romance but there's no indication of that in the book, it's just wishful thinking on my part I think LOL. Anyway, my point is: READ THIS BOOK! And also all of Alexis Daria's book because they are all really good!

Love the Jane the Virgin vibes from this one! It was a fun, very modern romance and I appreciate that.

4.5 Stars! I found myself missing some of the humor from the beginning of the story as it went on, and I also wanted to like the hero a little earlier than I did, but overall, this was one of the most perfect romances I've read in a while! Such a great read and highly recommended!

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE YEAR! I absolutely adored this book, the representation and the telenovela storyline. I interviewed Alexis for the show and it was a fun conversation. Can't wait to release it.

I have been going back and forth on my rating for this one. First things first, this cover is absolutely stunning! Second, I didn’t love this as I anticipated to. It really sucks when your expectations let you down. I wanted a really cute romance and a look at the background of telenovelas. I got the latter but not the cute romance I wanted.

I had a hard time connecting to the story. Maybe it was the third person POV or the actual flow of the story. I just know that I couldn’t fully emerge myself in it and towards the end, I kept checking my kindle percentage to see how much longer I had.

I enjoyed our main character, Jasmine. She wore her heart on her sleeve and just wanted to be loved. It was relatable because who honestly hasn’t felt like that? No matter how many times she’s been burned, she still opened her heart up to the possibility of love.

"Was it so much to ask for a loving, committed relationship with someone who unconditionally loved and accepted her for who she was?”

Ashton on the other hand never grew on me. He made himself so guarded and unapproachable outside of working. I get that he had a secret that he wanted to protect, but he just came off so distant and it never seemed to change throughout the story. I also didn’t like the way he acted once his secret was revealed. He acted like a little boy who got his feelings hurt rather than a grown man who needed to handle things with a calm head.

With my feelings on Ashton and his actions, you can probably tell that this relationship to me wasn’t a great one. I really kept thinking that Jasmine deserved more. Someone more emotionally available really.

Besides my feelings on the romance and Ashton, I also had issues with the flow of the story. We were switched between Jasmine and Ashton’s story and the show POV that they were shooting. It was hard to really keep up with the change because it was one and the same. What I mean by that is that the show’s storyline seemed to be the same as their story.

All in all, I feel like so many people are going to enjoy this one, it just wasn’t for me.

Oh my God, I’m in love!
The representation alone was enough to make me cry. The story was great and it was a fun read. I can't wait for more from this author.

You Had Me at Hola was a fun romance!
Our main characters had great chemistry, the plot was quick and kept me interested, and the characters themselves were interesting and had their own backstories and personalites.
I personally don't love graphic sex scenes, so I skimmed past those, but other than that I found this very enjoyable!

A sweet and sexy romantic comedy starring two telenovela actors with on and off screen chemistry. Daria balances the two storylines and parallel character arcs of the TV show and actors' lives and makes Jasmine and Ashton interesting, relatable, and very sexy. While the romantic storyline follows a predictable curve of will-they-won't-they tension, the issues of family vs career, trust vs privacy, and love vs insecurity all are handled equitably by the diverse character. I was a bit surprised by how explicit the sex scenes were, while they were well written, I had not expected so much...detail. But overall, an excellent, modern love story.

There are a lot of great things about this book - there are a lot of wonderful (and diverse!) female characters, Ashton and Jasmine have a fun meet cute and good chemistry, and the side characters feel like real people. Despite all that good stuff, this book just fell a little flat for me. The middle tended to drag, and there was often a lot of telling rather than showing. I had liked the interspersed scenes from the TV show between regular plot chapters at first, but they got a bit more muddled farther on as more of Jasmine and Ashton came through instead of just their characters Carmen and Victor. I think it would have been cool and less confusing to have those interludes be script pages rather than the narrative version we got. But overall this was a pretty fun read!

Advertised as a Telenovela Rom Com and, while it is definitely romantic and sweet, I wish the humor from the first scene/meet cute had continued throughout the novel. The main characters are likeable and their chemistry is definitely strong. Overall a good read.

Rating: 3.5

When I first heard about this book I was excited because I really liked Alexis' Dance Off series. Book 1, Take the Lead is my favourite of her books! And then I saw the cover for this one and was blown away and it's gawjusness. So I was truly grateful to get an ARC of this.

It did not disappoint. We have a meet disaster here folks! Ashton runs into Jasmine, spilling coffee all over her clothes on the day of their first table read YIIIKES but i loved that set-up.

I will say though, that I was a bit uncertain of including scenes from the show that Jasmine and Ashton are filming. On the one hand, it was interesting to see certain episodes play out but I felt like it got sort of old really quickly and I just wanted to see Jasmine and Ashton as themselves.

So whenever we got back to Jasmine and Ashton as themselves and not their characters I was invested! I love some good internal turmoil and these two have that in spades! Ashton is uncertain about getting close to his co-stars, especially Jasmine since that hasn't quite worked out for him in the past. i love a vulnerable hero and hes's got a lot of baggage. Worrying about his family and his career, and the anxieties that arise from loving what he does but wanting to keep his personal life private.

And Jasmine's got her own things to deal with. She wants to be a leading lady, and leading ladies do not make headlines for the wrong reason. Especially not where messy breakups are concerned. So she's struggling with her attraction to Ashton, worried about losing herself in him, and he's keeping secrets from her. a recipe for disaster but I love how they eventually get closer, he opens up and their relationship grows.

I used to be suuuch a soap opera fan so it was pretty fun knowing that was Jasmine's background and some of my faves (Y&Y and Passions) were mentioned and that took me back. Some of those storylines are so over the top but i loved them all the same.

I really liked The Primas of Power chat and Jasmine's relationship with his cousins and her family was a perfect juxtaposition to Ashton's lack of friends and while he does visit his fam in Puerto Rico a few times, the distance from them is so palpable. It really sort of added to how much Ashton has shut himself off from people.

the black moment made me sad and I just wanted to scream at both of them to get it together and stop saying hurtful thiiiings but the party happened and it all worked out.

I hope Jasmine's cousins are getting books too, especially since it was mentioned a few times that Michelle does not date so that's a lovely opening for someone to come wreck Michelle's liiife lol

I loved this so much! As a Latinx reader, being able to connect with a books characters because they represent our community is so refreshing and makes the experience more personal. I loved that the book goes also into the area of the soap opera since the Latinx community is all about that entertainment and their telenovelas. Daria's writing is fun and sexy, the chemistry between the two leads is latin hot and I loved it. the quirkie families was such a heartening add because that is how Latin families can be. I did also love the separation between certain chapters being the actual writing of a scene for the show-- that was something fun to read because it focuses on something else. It was a fun juxtaposition to have.

I sincerely wish I was giving this a more positive review. I was really looking forward to this one, as I really enjoy Alexis Daria's book, Take the Lead. Overall, I think this one was just not for me, but I think other people will like it. I'll start with the positives first! I love how many WOMEN there are in this book! Hands down, my absolute favorite scene was when Ashton and Jasmine were working with the intimacy coordinator for the first time. It's a really incredible thing to see a woman director, woman showrunner, woman coordinator, working to make a woman feel comfortable onset with her onscreen love interest. I also think that the overall, the romance worked fine and Ashton and Jasmine had some good chemistry once they got started.
Some of the things that I just didn't enjoy was one of the tropes- this is a light spoiler as it's not in the summary of the book, but it's also something you learn from the beginning about Ashton- he's got a secret child. It totally makes sense for him to have a secret child, as he's famous and a really private person, but as a personal preference, it's just not my favorite trope. There's more to it that I won't spoil, but just know that it only half worked for me. As for Jasmine, I wish she were a little messier! She keeps saying she's a "tabloid magnet" but it's for things she was a victim of and she had no agency in those situations. I wish that Daria had leaned just a little bit more into the tabloid mess that I wanted Jasmine to be, because I think Jasmine would have still be likeable if that was the case- she could have been a true tabloid mess with a heart of gold that men in romance novels are always allowed to be. My last gripe is that the cut scenes just did not work- there were mini chapters that described the episode that Jasmine and Ashton are working on, and they were just so strangely written. They were mixed POVs, and so sometimes they were the thoughts of Jasmine and Ashton and what they were going through, but sometimes it was Carmen and Victor. It just didn't read like a TV show that the author was going for. I think it would have been cool if we had been able to read the script, rather than trying to put it into a narrative form that was really confusing.