What I loved about You Had Me at Hola was how this dual POV novel focused on the main characters, Ashton and Jasmine, but also on their families. There was a fabulous balance of their lives and struggles with ambition and heartbreak, while also being grounded in their roles in their families. Jasmine and Ashton aren't just Telenovella actors, or love interests, they're also their son's father, their mother's middle child, and all of their different roles combine to form their pressures and expectations.

Their personalities jumped off the pages immediately. You Had Me at Hola was so richly steeped in Latinx culture and I loved how it tackled issues of representation, colorism, and racism in Hollywood. While it was a story about Jasmine and Ashton as individuals, it was also very clear how much their roles/representation and their supportive work environment meant to everyone. It enforces the importance of having the roles for Latinx families more accessible and more prominent especially in Hollywood, while also discussing the desire to make it big.

If Jasmine Lin Rodriguez has learned anything from her string of loser exes it's that she’s better off alone. Take her latest breakup from a superstar musician - it’s gotten her splashed across tabloid covers, blown up her social media accounts and left her hounded by paparazzi . None of those things are the hallmark of a serious actor and Jasmine is desperate to make the leap from soap operas to meatier, more meaningful roles. Being cast as the heroine Carmen in a bilingual ScreenFlix (think Netflix) telenovela is just the break she needs.

Ashton Suárez needs this telenovela, too. He’s been playing heartthrob heroes in telenovelas for years but his last gig not only had him playing the villain, they killed him off before the final episode. He has always been in the finale, and his early death in the last show has him wondering if he’s also looking at the death of his employment. Too many people depend on him for him to be a has-been at this point in his life. Fortunately, a last minute cast shakeup has landed him the male lead Victor, a role that could re-launch his career.

The last thing either of them needs is a workplace romance with all its attendant possible problems but sometimes the last thing we need is the one thing we desperately want.

You Had Me at Hola is a steamy showbiz romantic-comedy with a plot worthy of a soap opera.  Brimming with charming, eccentric secondary characters and Latinx culture and pride this is an entertaining tale of love and television which will delight fans of the author.

Reviewers Maggie and Caroline had a socially distanced conversation about the novel and are here to share their thoughts.

Maggie: I’ll admit it - I’m not a fan of soap operas or telenovelas. Do you watch either of them?

Caroline: I don’t watch them, but I love them as a setting. My favorite romance of all time, Again, by Kathleen Gilles Seidel, is set on a soap. I love how the cast is in it together for a long haul, and how the drama the characters go through gives interesting things for the actors to work with.

Maggie: I loved that book! I picked up this one because I’ve heard great things about Alexis Daria and also because I love verbal plays on famous movie lines. What drew you to the novel?

Caroline: I read Daria’s Dance-Off books and loved them. Stone and Gina from Take the Lead are one of my favorite slow-burn couples.

Maggie: If I had to pick one word to describe heroine Jasmine it would be sweet. She struck me as a genuinely nice, friendly, caring person. The meet cute moment (Ashton spills coffee on her!) displayed that so perfectly - she could have been angry at what happened but she handled it with such grace. What did you think of her?

Caroline: I liked Jasmine and her professional competence. I appreciated that she handled the coffee spill rationally, not by flipping out, like a lot of heroines seem to do these days. I felt like the device of a list is overused, though.

Maggie: True - I’ve read two list books in the last month, where the heroine writes a life goals/relationship goals list and then immediately breaks it because of luv.

I kept picturing actor Diego Luna whenever I read about Ashton, even though Diego is Mexican and Ashton is Puerto Rican. Ashton started out as a very strong character. I loved how he could be awkward, the way he wore old man (guayabera) shirts and his love for his family. I was especially impressed with Ashton’s take on life in show business, the way his career had had ups and downs, and his having to balance his need for a steady income with his desire to do this work and his attempts at balancing a personal and private life. What did you think of him?

Caroline: I don’t typically picture people, but I got a very “silver fox” vibe off of Ashton. Maybe like Chilean actor Cristian de la Fuente with his beard? Ashton does start as a strong character, but for me, his concerns about his son’s safety came across as irrational rather than protective. It became deeply frustrating to watch Ashton freak out about his fame endangering his son while simultaneously pursuing prominent roles. Did this bother you?

Maggie: I did feel he overreacted to what the text refers to as The Incident, although I could certainly appreciate his fears. And I’ve certainly read enough interviews with celebrities who aren’t necessarily fearful but who are intensely private and who will often say that they are selling their work, not themselves.

It takes a while for our two leads to move into a romantic relationship. Once they did I would call it more heat than sweet - meaning they were moving more on chemistry than they were on a deep, emotional connection. Would you agree with that?

Caroline: Generally, I love slow burns, but I agree that their slow-burn time wasn’t spent well enough. The author didn’t use that time to build a strong foundation.

Maggie: I’m Puerto Rican and could relate to Jasmine’s experience with her culture a lot. The big family, the way traditional roles are venerated, the part food plays in celebrations and even in everyday life. The cousin relationship tends to be an important one in Hispanic families. In this story, Ava and Michelle, Jasmine’s cousins aka The Primas of Power, are her closest confidants and the primary secondary characters.

I also know people like Ashton and his family, who are all about the Island and the importance being there plays in their lives. While we don’t see as much of Ashton’s family I loved what little we got to know of his father Ignacio. I thought this aspect of the text was handled very well.

Caroline:  I appreciate that Daria transcends the stereotypes of ‘sassy girl squad’ and ‘zany old lady’ with Jasmine’s cousins and grandma, who could easily have been crammed into those niches. His dad’s great! (I’m getting old when the heroes’ dads start doing it for me…)

The most interesting representation element was the language. Recently, bilingual/multicultural authors have advocated for treating non-English words the same as English words, which means not italicizing unless the English word would be italicized, too: “Hola, Ashton,” not “Hola, Ashton,” or the Primas (not Primas) of Power you mentioned.

I liked it. Non-native English speakers play a major role in my life, and I’ve lived as a non-native speaker in other countries, and this felt natural and authentic. Did you like it, or did it bother you?

Maggie: It works fine for me either way.

Ultimately, You Had Me at Hola had charming moments but in spite of its meet-cute start, the romance didn’t work for me. I never felt a strong connection between Ashton and Jasmine, and some of her behaviors at the end of the book - especially those regarding her professional life - had me thinking she wasn’t quite mature enough to be in the kind of relationship Ashton needed. I also felt the resolution was rushed. I’m giving it a B-.

Caroline: I think B- is fair. I actually had fewer concerns about Jasmine than I did about the superficiality of Ashton, who concealed his son from the woman he was in love with and clung for decades to The Incident without introspection. His sudden 'Oh, wait! I could do this differently!’ felt too abrupt. Also, the romance/chemistry aspect wasn’t what it needs to be to warrant a higher grade.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Visit our Amazon Storefront

This was really cute and fun. Liked the main characters and their story. Similarities to Jane the Virgin throughout and you ended up loving the characters in the same way. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

For fans of Jane the Virgin with a side of steam!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved jasmine and her fiery personality. I also loved Ashton and his more reserved nature. During the acting scenes you could see more and more of his personality come out! The two of them were such a great pair!

You Had Me At Hola is very sweet. I appreciate that, and I like the fact that both main characters are so so deeply involved in their families. The author also does an good job with their characters and their chemistry. The love scenes are lovely. But the conflict at the center of the narrative didn't work as well, so I was not as charmed by this book as I expected to be.

Every reader has their pet peeves and for me it's a lack of communication and the exaggeration of obstacles that could be easily dispatched. The male love interest is suffering from some historic trauma and that hampers the relationship quite a bit. His emotional difficulties aren't really dealt with until the very end, however, and the female protagonist is dealing with her own blocks. There's a lot of melodrama as a result but the underlying causes aren't given the attention needed for me to see them as real.

I was so lucky to have gotten an ARC of this on NetGalley. You Had Me at Hola drew me in from the first page. My family are big into telenovellas and this was a such a fun premise for a modern romance. The diverse Latinex cast of characters, the unapologetic Spanish, the humor, the discussions about Hollywood culture, consent, the cost of fame, and representation were *chef's kiss.*

The side characters were just as funny, punchy, and vibrant as the protagonists and I was just as invested in them as I was the main characters. It was such a fun book with substance behind it and a great love letter (and not so subtle hint) as to all of the reasons WHY we need more representation on screens, in books, and (for the love of all that is holy) more Latinex romances and romance writers.

I can't wait to read more by the author. 4.5 well earned stars!

This book is glorious. That’s it. End of review.

Okay, okay. Here’s more…You Had Me at Hola is witty and emotional. It’s full of nuanced characters and vibrant, interconnected families. It’s layered and complex but it’s also bright and fun. Jasmine and Ashton are telenovela/soap opera stars who play love interests in a new series they each hope with launch their careers. The glamour and the drama and the gossip and on-set life…it’s really fun to read. In fact, I was nearly as into the story of Carmen and Victor (their TV roles) as I was the rest of the book. It was like a two-for-one romance within a romance. But the heart of this book in grounded in the emotional work of each MC as they make their way to each other.

Loved this book. The cover is pure, colorful FIRE. And it comes out on August 4th which happens to be my mom’s birthday so *maybe* it’s going to magically arrive on her doorstep that day. Don’t miss this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading about characters that reminded me of myself. I loved visiting the world of Telenovellas. It reminded me of so many afternoons watching them with my grandma!

I didn't really like that the book switched between real life and the script from the show. It was also pretty disappointing that each character only had their issues (PTSD and alcoholism) mentioned in the epilogue. It just felt like throwaway facts.

The book was hilarious though, definitely earned its rom-com description.

My favorite rom-com of 2020 so far!

I grew up watching telenovelas with my family practically on a daily basis, and while I don't watch them anymore since moving to the U.S., I still think back fondly to this often melodramatic but inescapable part of Latinx culture. When I first heard that Alexis Daria was coming out with a telenovela-inspired rom-com, I knew I would love it. Jasmine and Ashton are so great together, and their steamy scenes were HOT (seriously -- some of the best I've read in traditionally published romance). That being said, they also function as solidly individual people with great character development -- I loved both of their arcs equally! Honestly, I can't recommend this book enough. Read it (especially if you enjoy shows like Jane the Virgin)! Also, I'd like to point out that this book wins the award for best cover of the year -- it's gorgeous and I can't take my eyes off it.

I was super duper excited for this because I loved the TV Series Jane the Virgin and Ugly Betty AND I loved Alexis' previous series, Dance Off. She just has a talent for writing compelling characters and addicting romances.

This was a great read for me! Honestly, I couldn't put it down because I got so absorbed in the story. It felt like I was binge-watching a TV show--which is exactly what I wanted out of this.

It is easy to see how this series is inspired by telenovelas and shows like Jane the Virgin. You've got the focus on family roots; highlighting the prejudices Latin Americans face; and those highly entertaining moments of comedy laced throughout a story about love and all the drama it brings about.

It has a steady slow burn romance between Ashton and Jasmine that sucked me in. They take their time to get comfortable with each other. And I really thought their love scenes together were refreshing in the sense that they communicate about what they need intimately from a partner by talking and seeking consent. It isn't just hot and heavy but rather it is sensual and romantic.

My only negative is that I wish they had a few more interactions to really cement that deeper bond at the start. Ashton was maybe a little too aloof at the start? While the attraction is slow burn, those deeper feelings just seemed to happen pretty quickly once these two give into the attraction and I wasn't entirely sure the intensity was warranted.

This reads like a great rom-com movie and it's perfect for fans of contemporary romance looking for diverse, well written reads.

I just finished You Had Me At Hola and what I'm left feeling is the importance of culture, your roots and the strength and love of your family. At the heart of You Had Me At Hola is a love story between two co-stars, Ashton and Jasmine that is intertwined with their respective cultures and background.

Jasmine Lin needs a break from the LA scene. She's in the tabloids (not for a good reason) and wants to get away from working on soap operas. Ashton Suarez has been working on telenovas and is eager to try his hand at something new. When both of them are cast as the main stars - Carmen and Victor - in a new show on a paid service called Carmen In Charge, they both jump at the opportunity.

I really enjoyed learning about the diverse backgrounds of both Jasmine and Ashton. They each had their own challenges that were equally important to both of them. Jasmine faced the challenge of not knowing Spanish as fluently even when she was starring in a mainly Latinx show. Ashton had his own difficulties because English is his second language and he wasn't used to the new environment/set.

I will admit that the relationship between Ashton and Jasmine didn't immediately have me rooting for them as a couple. Ashton was a bit cold towards Jasmine, but as I kept reading I understood his motives. But once these two did decide to take their relationship to the next level - the steamy scenes were so damn hot!

Some of my favorite scenes were the chapters that were dedicated to Carmen In Charge. I loved the way Alexis Daria transformed the book so seamlessly into the show and I found myself really enjoying those scenes between Carmen and Victor.

I really enjoyed You Had Me At Hola! If you're looking for a sweet and sexy romance that is interwoven with family dynamics then pick up this book when it releases August 4th!

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness (shelf-awareness.com). Full review will be posted around release date.

This is an excellent romance. Alexis Daria managed to ramp up the tension and drama without unnecessary miscommunications while creating two characters who are as kind as they are ambitious. Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. It was incredibly hot and sweet all at the same time. I’ve always been a big soap opera fan and I’ve also said that telenovelas always look so good and I need to get into them. Well this book just proved that I know what I’m talking about. The drama, the passion, the love, the emotion, THE FEELS!! This book has it all and a gorgeous cover to boot.

Jasmine is trying to make a fresh start for herself with a new show on a popular streaming network. It’s definitely what she needs after finding out she’s be dumped by her singing sensation boyfriend via a tabloid. Carmen in Charge is her opportunity for a telenovela/soap crossover starring Latinx actors and her opportunity to make a name for herself as a leading lady. She’s determined to stick to her Leading Lady plans which means no love life and all focus. Of course fate has other plans and they show their gorgeous head when she literally runs into her slightly older, but completely hot co-star Ashton. After a disastrous first meeting, Jasmine is convinced that Ashton wants nothing to do with her off set. He’s standoffish and secludes himself from the rest of the cast. That certainly doesn’t stop her from being attracted to him, but she’s not so sure he feels the same.

Jasmine’s got Ashton all wrong. Ashton is a bucket of nerves after being killed off of his last telenovela and he’s getting older and seeing his chance to break into Hollywood slipping away. After a literal run in with Jasmine, Ashton’s convinced that he’s sabotaging himself. He wants nothing more than to make this work, but it’s not just his nerves standing in his way. Ashton has a big secret (which we find out about pretty early on) that he’s been keeping for years. It’s the biggest source of his anxiety because keeping his personal life underwraps is just as important as furthering his career, if not more important. His best bet is to keep his distance like he’s done on every set, but that’s hard when his attraction to Jasmine is out of this world. Will he be able to balance his life or will it all come crashing down?

There was just so much to love about this book. We follow both characters on their journey to figure their lives out, dealing with being in the spotlight, and all of the insecurities that arise because of the media. Not only are they dealing with insecurities from the media, but their families as well. Both Jasmine and Ashton deal with the feelings of not being enough for their families, but for very different reason. Their trials were so relatable, even though I’ve never been famous. Families can bring out the worst of us, whether they mean to or not. There is especially a big emphasis on families and family expectations in this book because both lead characters are Puerto Rican (Jasmine is Puerto Rican and Filipina, but we see her interact mainly with the Puerto Rican side of her family). POC family dynamics are unique in their own way and it was great seeing those dynamics come into play. Jasmine is also dealing with the fallout of her serial monogamy and her eagerness to always be in a relationship, while Ashton is dealing with PTSD and anxiety revolving around an incident in his past. All of this only adds to their dynamics with one another and their families.

The other aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the fact that we got to see the actual show scenes play out. It’s like getting a peek at the script during filming, so we’re not just reading about Jasmine and Ashton interacting as themselves, we’re seeing how their characters influence their actions as well. How did this scene lend itself to their relationship on set? Their chemistry bubbles over into the show and it was so interesting to see.

Oh and we can’t forget the romance. The chemistry jumped off the page and the sex scenes were…..WHEW. Listen nothing is sexier than consent, communication, and hot sex, okay? Okay. Jasmine and Ashton are drawn to one another from day one and after fighting it for awhile, they eventually can’t stay away from one another. They slowly begin to break down each other’s walls, which leaves them vulnerable and we all know how difficult that can be.

I’m so happy that this novel delivered everything the cover promised and I cannot wait to add it to my physical collection when it’s released on August 4th. There also seems to be some wiggle room as far as future books. Jasmine is very close to her cousins and we get a glimpse of them and their personalities in this book, so I really hope we get to see them up close and personal in the future. Okay, let me stop rambling. Go ahead and plan to add it to your shelves when it’s released. You won’t be disappointed. Happy reading!

This book is everything I wanted out of it and more. I can't wait until everyone can fall in love with Alexis Daria's words, characters, and story.

Y'ALL I'M FREAKING OUT. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I WANT TO WRITE MY WHOLE REVIEW IN CAPS SO Y'ALL WOULD KNOW IM YELLING-EXCITED ABOUT IT but also it would get annoying so I won't. You're welcome.

This is everything I've ever wanted in a contemporary romance. Good communication. No cheesy tropes. Logical characters. Perfect chemistry. On point settings. It's that one cool breeze on the most humid, sweltering day. I loved the strength of Jasmine and the vulnerability of Ashton, their ability to be flexible and give each other the benefit of the doubt, and how well they play together as actors and as people.

This is THE contemporary romance book of 2020 and I cannot give it enough praise. Everyone who worked on it should be proud of this.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read and review the book before today’s release date. I will always be appreciative.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A book about Ashton Suarez and Jasmine Lin Rodriguez. Ashton is a well-known telenovela star looking for a way to not only further his career and get out of the shadows of his infamous telenovela characters, but also protect his son whom he has decided to keep secret for his safety. Also, from the preying eyes of the paparazzi and the dangers of fame.
Jasmine, on the other hand lives in the limelight and simply embraces it as something that comes with her job as a Emmy award winning soap actress. In Jasmines case she is most known for her very public being break up with by a rock star. Instead of her years and years of work on soap and her Emmy win.
They come together to work on (what I would consider) a groundbreaking piece of television called “Carmen in Charge”. Making a imprint on Hollywood is everyone’s main goal.
There is discussions peppered throughout the book about the lack of diversity in Hollywood and how the treatment of women varies greatly from their male counterparts. Not just that Alexis Daria weaves in a love story (lets be honest gets really steamy midway through, which was done very well). I think Daria does the sex portions of the book really well while simultaneously raising important questions/discussions of about Hollywood (most of the time in the same chapter).
The only thing about the discussion of Hollywood, in her book, is that it’s very much the surface level and that’s a missed opportunity.
I kind of felt like that about the entire plot. It wasn’t interesting.. it was sometimes confusing and very much repetitive.
It has the potential to be a very good romance with a message, if just fell flat for me.
The whole book was just... okay.
This is due to many different seasons, but this factor is what pulls readers further in the story. If you don’t have chemistry with with the characters how is it supposed to be a romance book? The characters simply didn’t not come together. It was hard to believe they liked each other then it became love. I can’t exactly put my finger on what they are missing to bridge that gap between friends (sort of) and lovers.
Another point about the characters, most notably, Ashton, is that the character at times would be written with a certain amount of of anxiety and neuroticism.This takes away from the fact he may be suffering from some sort of mental issues. In the epilogue it says he has PTSD and is seeking therapy with that. As someone who personally deals with PTSD and knows someone very close to them that has very serious PTSD I don’t think it was written well, at all. His actions weren’t not the actions of someone with PTSD but they are in tune with someone with severe anxiety and okay maybe a twinge of antisocial disorder) Also, in that same epilogue it mentions Jasmines is in therapy for basically using alcohol as form of coping with her surroundings and etc. I didn’t really see that her way of coping and etc was directly tied to alcohol. This was a definite after thought that hadn’t been fully fleshed out yet.
All of these problems are entirely fixable and I’m hoping that it was in the final product. Overall, I gave the arc a low three stars.

This was the ultimate, perfect summer beach rom-com read and I enjoyed devouring every morsel of Jasmine's and Ashton's stories. Here, readers are thrust into Jasmine's fast-paced Hollywood world immediately, and I'm captivated and just want to keep reading. Like, I'm so ready for a fun, telenovela-type romance read. Both Ashton and Jasmine have their own complex backstories, which makes them so much more vulnerable, intriguing, and dynamic. It's a quick, indulgent telenovela-inspired romance read and gives me "Jane the Virgin" vibes, which I loved. In the book, these two scene partners have a lack of chemistry after a mortifying first encounter. To build up their chemistry, the duo starts rehearsing on their own in private, and of course, they both have all the feels that they are desperately trying to ignore because professionalism. All that tension and passion is brewing for a fun romantic read. So, of course, the pair stars kissing and making out even though they know its a bad idea. But, hey, that's what makes it fun, no? They just can't quit each other, so we get the whole secret romance trope. Things do get um very steamy and descriptive, as a heads up if that's not your thing, just a warning. But aside from that, these characters are vulnerable, emotional, and raw, and that's why they make such endearing leads, and an eventual romance so endearing.

I love the representation in the romance industry, and I love to see these romance stories so reflective of today's world and reality. The cute romance, the drama of telenovela, and the representation/diversity will have this al over romance readers' radars this summer. Trust me on that one.

Actress Jasmine Lin has a Leading Lady Plan, and it starts with leaving her long-time soap and taking a starring role on a new, bilingual streaming show based on a telenovela. When her costar drops out at the last minute, she's both pleased and dismayed to learn his replacement for her love interest is the extremely handsome Ashton Suarez, her grandmother's favorite actor. But Jasmine is a professional, and it can't be too hard to separate her personal feelings from her onscreen performance. Right?

Ashton does his best to avoid Jasmine (and everyone else) off-camera. She's tabloid bait and he has no desire to be caught up in any drama. Especially because he has some big secrets of his own. Only in getting to know Jasmine, she proves to be harder to stay away from than he planned.

Alexis Daria excels at writing complicated characters who are trying to pretend like they don't have the hots for each other. There are some telenovela-level plot twists here, but the story itself never veers into melodrama. I am hoping this is the start of a new series, because I'd like to see Jasmine's delightful cousins get their own books.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

This is such a tricky review for me to write. For months, You Had Me At Hola has been on my list of most anticipated books of the year, and I was so excited to get approved for an ARC of it! But unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations at all, and there wasn’t much I liked about it.


The 3 main things I enjoyed about this book were:
• Jasmine, the main character, who was a delight to read about.
• Jasmine’s cousins and best friends. They were such a great little group and their scenes were so funny! I would love to read books about Michelle and Ava.
• the representation and diversity of the cats of characters, as well as how this book talked about the importance of proper representation in the entertainment industry. As a Latina, it’s always amazing to see Latinx representation in books and this one was so perfectly and beautifully done! I loved it.


But you see, no matter how much I loved those 3 points in the book, it doesn’t change the fact that for the most part, I just didn’t find this as enjoyable as I wanted.

Quite honestly, I think I blame that on the hero of the story. He was a jerk, and by the time I finished the book I couldn’t help but feel like Jasmine deserved so much better than Ashton. He lied to her throughout the entire book, he blamed her every time something went wrong. Their fight close to the end of the story made my blood boil. He was several years older than Jasmine, but he acted like a 10 year old most of the times. Even his 8 year old son was more mature than he was.

And quite honestly, the first 50-ish % of the story was just a lot of info dumping and barely provides the reader with any moments between Jasmine and Ashton at all. And then suddenly, they are kissing and having sex and it just feels incredibly rushed. I would’ve liked them to bond more, become friends, but the beginning of the book consists of you getting to know Jasmine and Ashton running every time a scene ends, providing you with little to no movements between them. And when they do become an item, it feels much more about the sex, and their moments don’t feel real. It doesn’t feel like they are getting to know each other, or forming a bond. And when they do realize they are in love, it’s so anticlimactic. I had a hard time connecting to this couple and feeling anything at all aside from annoyance at Ashton and frustration over how I wish their relationship could’ve been better developed.


No one knows how much I wanted to enjoy this book. I wanted to enjoy this book so much, that halfway through it was still in denial over not enjoying it as much as I wanted to. This was a disappointment for me overall, but I would love to read Alexis Daria’s previous books in the future as I really enjoyed her writing, and would also 100% pick up a book about Ava or Michelle if she ever wrote one.

After being trashed all over tabloids for a messy breakup, up-and-coming actress Jasmine Lin Rodriguez is ecstatic to start over on a new soap opera. She’ll be acting opposite Ashton Suárez, seasoned telenovela actor and major cutie--albeit, a slightly cold cutie. But Jasmine has concocted Leading Lady Rules to keep her career on track: leading ladies do not end up on tabloid covers, they don’t need a man to be happy, and they definitely don’t date their new costars. As Jasmine and Ashton settle into their new roles, the heat between them is undeniable, but is it worth Jasmine breaking her new rules? While she tries to answer that question, she might find out that Ashton has some rules of his own--all to guard a very big secret.

You Had Me at Hola is a fun rom-com set in the world of telenovelas. It follows Jasmine and Ashton, two actors trying to keep things professional on set while they really just want to tear each other’s clothes off. Fans of workplace romances will love this tension as the two rehearse together and pretend the attraction isn’t there. I loved that Jasmine and Ashton were completely different characters with shared experiences: Jasmine is a young Puerto Rican & Filipinx woman still trying to build up her career, while Ashton is a Puerto Rican man nearing forty (what he notes is considered “old” in television) and is trying to transition from one area of television to the next. This novel touches perfectly on aging and finding sexiness whether you’re in your twenties, your thirties, your forties, or beyond.

Jasmine was a strong, fierce lady who still struggles with self-doubt, vulnerability, and worrying that she isn’t enough. I found her so relatable, and I loved how passionate she was about her career. You Had Me at Hola deals with gendered and cultured expectations in the television industry, and I loved how the narrative explored how both Jasmine and Ashton navigate this. I also loved that there were excerpts of the television show they’re acting in, “Carmen in Charge,” throughout the book. This was such a fun addition that really pulled the reader into Jasmine and Ashton’s world, and created a new level to the story. Jasmine is not a fluent Spanish speaker, and she often feels like she’s not Latinx enough because of this and worries that this will impact her career in bilingual roles. This novel asserts that she is enough and that her imperfect Spanish does not make her any less Latinx.

Ashton is also a complex character who deals with self-doubt and vulnerability in a unique way. He’s guarding a secret, and without giving away too much, I’ll simply say that You Had Me at Hola deals heavily with family and how far we’re willing to go to protect the ones we love. Ashton also struggles with PTSD from an incident in his past, and I think it’s very important to see complex themes around mental health dealt with in a romance novel.

While it may sound like it’s full of heavy themes, at its core, You Had Me at Hola a sweet, contemporary romance. The chemistry and heat between Ashton and Jasmine is palpable. It definitely has some steamy scenes and I love that consent and safe sex is treated as an important part of each of these scenes. It was also refreshing to see non-penetrative sexual experiences treated as valid and satisfying. This romance novel is perfect for fans of workplace romances like Sarah Smith’s Faker or steamy contemporary romance like The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. It’s also perfect for fans of soap operas & telenovelas, as well as readers who like Mia Sosa, Aisha Rai, and Tessa Bailey. This was my first Alexis Daria read, but it definitely won’t be my last.