3.5 - Such a great diverse book.

I thought the characters were okay, just not fleshed out enough. The main character, Jasmine was great and I was really happy with how confident she was unabashedly. The male lead Ashton was a little immature and some of his fears were realistic. I'm glad that it showed him as insecure, since we don't get that a lot in fiction but I didn't really like reading his perspective all that much since he was whiny often.

The story was decent, just not paced well. I felt like the climax and resolution was too short. The climax wasn't thrilling or scary enough since it couldn't be fleshed out. The resolution was just a few pages and didn't feel fulfilling enough.

I absolutely loved this book! The author’s decision to incorporate scenes from the show was amazing, allowing readers to follow the love stories of the characters on and off screen. Definite recommend!

You Had Me At Hola was a very sweet read that still managed to bring the heat when the two finally make it to the bedroom. I very much enjoyed seeing these two work together on set and then grow a relationship. I very much look forward to reading more from Daria in the future.

"You Had Me at Hola" was a super sweet and lighthearted romance. I loved the chemistry that Alexis Daria built between soap star Jasmine and telenovela star Ashton. The two were the exact kind of fun couple that readers love to root for, and their pairing definitely did not disappoint! I really enjoyed this fun story, and watching Jasmine and Ashton navigate their time together both on and off the screen. I'll be keeping my eye out for more of Daria's novels!

You Had Me at Hola was really enjoyable! I'd love to see it adapted for the screen.

Our romantic leads (Jasmine and Ashton) are costars - in a bilingual romantic comedy - about to meet and work together. Jasmine is off a bad break-up and not looking to get involved with anyone, especially her costar. Ashton is protective of his privacy, and wary of doing anything that might attract the tabloids. But, you know what happens... sparks fly.

Be advised, the first half is a bit of a slow burn - but then it gets steamy!

The premise is such a sell with this book. Their being on set, with a Boricua showrunner, a Latinx cast, and an intimacy coordinator? Awesome.

Admittedly, the romance itself wasn't my favorite - it relied on some tropes that I could do without. Which is a true testament to Alexis Daria's writing and the rest of the book, that I enjoyed it despite not loving some of the plot points. I'd definitely try another book by this author and recommend this one!

I was sold when I read the blurb and saw there was a telenovela background. I knew it would bring on the drama and the secrets, and it did! However, much like a telenovela the reader knew all the secrets and we were just waiting for it to all unfold. This is an indulgent romance between two people that are trying to keep the trajectory of their careers going. Another strong point for the book is the forthrightness between the two characters, they share their stories dealing with the stereotypes of the latinx community in Hollywood.

I am a big fan of the author and was so excited for this book! It is mostly enjoyable though the TV show 'story within the story' felt tedious and unnecessary. It felt like filler when I would rather just read about the hero and heroine instead of reading plotlines of their characters. The characters they played in the show weren't different enough from their real personas, so that it sort of felt confusing in a way that didn't help the story along. It also felt strangely repetitive and did a lot of 'showing' rather than 'telling' which made certain parts feel like they dragged. I enjoyed the dynamics between the heroine and her supportive cousins -- they were great and hilarious.

This book had me at Hola! I am so excited about all the new voices and cultures being represented in the world of romance. It's so fun to have an experience different than my own. And this was especially true in You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. Alexis brought to life for me not only the experience of TV stars, but also Telenovelas and Latinx culture. The cast of characters in the book were so interesting. I especially loved Jasmine and Ashton and their families. Their relationship was captivating and there was so many layers to their stories. You Had Me at Hola was a fun, fast paced read with plenty of steam. Highly recommended!

An incredibly fun rom-com about the two leads on a new Netflix-style show, whose on-screen romance begins to seep into their real lives, despite all the reasons they should keep things professional. Jasmine, coming off of a bad tabloid breakup, is determined to become the Leading Lady she was always meant to be. Ashton has every reason to want to stay out of the limelight between his anxiety over a stalker who broke into his house years ago and a son he is determined to keep secret and safe from the paparazzi. But the chemistry between them is impossible to resist.

I really enjoyed this showbiz-centric romance novel. Daria's writing style was so voicey and immersive and the exploration of Latinx culture / identity were so wonderfully integral to the story. I also loved that the conflict was resolved by both characters realizing their own mistakes as well as overreactions to the other's mistakes, which I feel isn't something we always see dealt with in romance novels. Just an all-around great book!

I connected with You Had Me at Hola on a deeply personal level in a way that I haven’t with a book in a long time. Jasmine has gotten her first leading lady role on a streaming show that’s an adaptation of a telenovela, and her co-star is Ashton, a telenovela star trying to break into mainstream Hollywood. The two fall in love despite Jasmine having a recent bad breakup and Ashton hiding his son in Puerto Rico. I was obsessed with this story from the beginning and really connected with Jasmine. As a half Puerto Rican reader, I felt very seen reading a heroine who wasn’t fluent in Spanish and feels insecure because of it. I also really loved seeing all of these Puerto Rican and Latinx characters on the page. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one as the characters speak Spanish quite frequently and the narrator performs the hero Ashton’s accent. It helps set the tone and also aids with the switches between the book’s narrative and the TV scenes that depict the characters playing their on-screen roles.

I am usually not a big fan of romance novels, but this was a great read. The two main characters were well developed, the situations they were in were fun, and the novel kept my attention throughout. The story focuses on two co-stars cast in a Netflix type remake of a telenovela. We see their off-camera relationship develop as the characters they play also get closer. This is a quick, light read that is thoroughly enjoyable. One area I would have liked to see improved is adding more depth to the minor characters, but that is a small quibble. I will be looking forward to future books by Alexis Daria!

(DNFed at the 52% mark)

I had heard so many good things about this book, so I had high hopes going in. I don't read a lot of romance, but figured I'd give this one a try. While I enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and the idea driving the romance (two telenovela stars with somewhat troubled pasts fall madly in love), I didn't enjoy much else. From the beginning, I found myself struggling to connect or care about Jasmine or Ashton. There was just something missing in their descriptions? It was like we were thrust into their world of celebrity much too suddenly without really getting a feel for them as people instead of actors. I also didn't enjoy the episodes being played out between chapters. They felt very forced and inauthentic. It was like they were supposed to be immersive but yet impossibly so at the same time because the audience was reading inner thoughts that couldn't possibly translate on TV. This was just not the book for me. I'm glad I gave it a try, but sad and disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more.

Jasmine went through a terrible breakup that was highlighted in the tabloids. She then went back to her hometown when she accepted a role to star in a bilingual comedy. The surprising part was she wasn't fluent in Spanish.

Ashton was to play Jasmine's ex-husband in the comedy. The day they met, their initial greeting did not go so well. Ashton's past caused him to be very guarded. Protecting his privacy was his main focus.

Jasmine did not understand Ashton. He would open up only to withdraw again. The attraction was always there between them. Things began to get better once secrets were revealed.

This book was not my typical style of reading, but it was okay. The transitioning from scene to scene or each character did not flow easily. However, things prevailed towards the end.

'Leading Ladies are whole and happy on their own."

I absolutely loved You Had Me at Hola, its at the top of the list for me for 2020! The sparks and chemistry between Jasmine and Ashton did NOT disappoint. I was immediately drawn in by the cover... and this book definitely lived up to all the STEAM that that cover promised! It was not your average romance, in the best way. Alexis Daria created the perfect mix of complex characters and steam, cultural representation, and consent; all wrapped up with a telenovela bow!

Jasmine finds herself in the middle of a media sh*t storm after her well known boyfriend ends their relationship very publicly. She decides that she is done with relationships for the time being and comes up with her own 'Leading Lady Plan' to guide her in conquering her goals. I loved how this plan was reiterated through out the book! She has a big break with starring in Carmen in Charge and she is ready to make her own jefa moves.

Ashton is so much more than the closed off guy that he has come off as in his years working the scene of telenovelas. He has his reasons for being that way, and watching Jasmine slide in thru his defenses was perfection.

The dual point of view built a wonderful story. All of characters in the book were so rich and added to the story in some way, big or small. Jasmine and Ashton had depth, I couldn't help but fall in love with each of them. The both had their own reasons for fighting the attraction to the other... and fighting it created some spicy tension.

The chapters that were scenes from Carmen in Charge totally enhanced the book. I would definitely watch it in real life if I could!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Collins for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly should have known this book wasn't for me, but I had heard good things and I was just looking for something light and happy and thought this might do the trick. I did not really enjoy this book at all; I found the whole book to be very shallow, predictable and full of cliches. Everything just seemed dramatic and kind of silly to me. I thought the choice for Jasmine to make a list of objectives with the primary goal to "be whole on her own," is admirable but somewhat misplaced in a romance novel. I struggled with Jasmine's character because she seems really shallow and what really rubbed me wrong is being judgmental with little to no empathy. The saving grace is the character development at the end. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot to lead to the change. The main characters both had eureka moments in which they completely broke with character to reach the goal of the HEA.

This was a fast read, and I admit that I stayed up late reading because I needed to know what happened. But to me, it felt entirely forgettable - even a day later, I'm left wondering what I actually read.

An absolute showstopper from contemporary romance favorite Alexis Daria, YOU HAD ME AT HOLA is a sexy story within a story handled with extraordinary deftness. Daria continues to be a master of characterization and pacing, weaving believable heroes and heroines into a naturally dramatic world. A great entry point for new-to-Daria readers, and another hit for existing fans.

I’ve been trying to figure out why this didn’t work for me and I think it’s because the two leads don’t have any chemistry. They barely spend any time talking to each other. The author tries to manufacture chemistry during the scene in the show where they kiss but it’s more technical than anything.

I loved the idea of the Asian/Latina rep but it didn’t pan out. I thought a book about telenovelas would have more high stakes drama too. Also not into the single dad thing.

This one is an overall good romance story. I liked the actors turned to lovers part. I found that sweet. They were instantly attracted to each other but didn’t want to ruin what they had going on with the show they are creating. Respect.

I also liked how their acting scenes kind of mirrored or propelled their relationship.

I think what keeps this from being a 5 star review is after the drama comes out, I felt like it dragged on a bit to resolve the issue. I felt like it could have been condensed down and it would have been wonderful romance novel. It wasn’t cheesy, he didn’t call her weird names and there was respect by both characters towards each other.

Favorite Quote:

"1. Leading Ladies only end up on magazine covers with good reason.

2. Leading Ladies are whole and happy on their own.

3. Leading Ladies are badass queens making jefa moves.

And then there was the fourth mental item she hadn’t dared write down: Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars."

If you are desperately looking for a fun, fresh, romantic time-out from the craziness of 2020, this book is for you. It was everything I didn’t know I needed until I opened up my Kindle and started to read.

First off, who can resist that cover? Certainly not me, a self-professed cover addict. The art department at Avon outdid themselves and set a new bar for cartoony covers. I fell in love at first sight and never looked back.

Secondly, Alexis Daria gives her readers two gorgeous, talented Latinx protagonists in Jasmine Lin and Ashton Suarez. Jasmine is a soap opera regular looking to make her big break and change the narrative after a bad break up with a douchebag pop star. Ashton is the king of telenovelas but is still looking for his big Hollywood break. They both get their chance with Carmen in Charge, Screenflix’s (a huge streaming service) newest project, and one could possibly boost their careers.

You just can’t help but like these characters. Jasmine loves what she does and is so very talented, but she tends to fall for the wrong men. She craves attention, mainly because she’s the classic middle child who is overlooked and a bit understood. Especially because of her choice of career. But she’s so easy to relate to and you can see yourself befriending her and her cousin girl gang.

Ashton has many, many secrets. This biggest is that he has a son and in order to protect him (something happened in his past to make him super wary) he keeps him out of the limelight and his existence hidden. This leads him to appear standoffish, but he is super professional and determined to make it to Hollywood and the A-list roles.

And last, but certainly not least, the romance. I ADORED this couple. They start out on the wrong foot, but it doesn’t take them too long before they begin a friendship of sorts. They are insanely attracted to each other, and despite both knowing they shouldn’t start something, they just can’t help themselves. Their romance had so much sexual tension. The LUST. The angst. The hot as hell love scenes. So. Damn. Sexy. And of course, there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING, but I knew it was coming and I knew what it would be about and to be honest, it was handled in a way that made sense. It allllll worked for me.

I loved the secondary characters, which were mostly the big, loving families of both Jasmine and Ashton. You will love them too. I enjoyed meeting the crew of Carmen in Charge and seeing how they worked together. I can’t wait to see them all again in the future.

One last thing, this book follows Jasmine and Ashton’s romance, but also leads readers through each of the Carmen in Charge episodes as they are filmed. I looked forward to these little breaks and seeing them immerse themselves in their onscreen characters. It was fun to follow along as their characters (who are divorced) slowly move closer together, especially knowing Jasmine and Ashton are also falling in love.

You Had Me at Hola is a lovely treat for romance lovers and I highly recommend. I predict we will see it on many a best-of list at the end of the year.

Final grade- A-

Jasmine and Ashton had me hooked at the beginning of this book. The setting of this story against the backdrop of a steamy show gives the characters so many opportunities to build chemistry together and I think many readers will enjoy it. Would definitely recommend to readers that love contemporary romance and complex stories behind the hero and heroine.