'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.

I chose this as it was part of BookSparks Summer Camp. I did finish it but raced over so many of the pages. I like romance but not romantic books and this was way too predictable for me. Instant attraction, can't seem to stop their emotions and desires for each other even when their supposedly logical brains are telling them it is only going to end in tears. The author had a great idea with the Incident but then told us all about it straight away, leaving no tension or plot twists. From then on I felt that the characters were stuck in a personality loop to fill the pre-requisite pages before the OH! moment at the end and the everyone lives happily ever after.
The big, Latina families and the Puerto Rican references were the only things that kept me reading. It wasn't badly written at all but it was just too romance driven and I am not a huge fan of sex scenes and there were quite a few in this one,
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, this is my honest review.

Thanks to @netgalley, @avonbooks and the author for my review copy! This book took me back to the times I would see telenovelas, oh the drama and romance! Haha. Popular Spanish telenovelas such as Marimar and Maria Del Barrio were mentioned throughout the book and so were soap operas like Days of our Lives and General Hospital.
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The main character, Jasmine, has been a star in soap operas and after a bad break up she ends up in the tabloids. I mean if it’s in a magazine it must be true right? Anyway, she wants to breakout into something new and she ends up casted on a new show that will be streaming. Ashton, a telenovela star that is well known in that community is casted last minute as her opposite. Ashton wants to break out of the telenovela scene and catch go into the Hollywood scene. Both Ashton and Jasmine have roots in Puerto Rico and Jasmines grandma happens to be a huge fan of Ashton.
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Anyway, I loved the Spanglish and Spanish throughout the book. Jasmine understands Spanish but does not speak it perfectly so for her character, Carmen, she has to practice it. On the other hand, Ashton speaks Spanish fluently and tries to work on bettering his English. Jasmine and Ashton definitely have chemistry from the first time they meet but they both hold back for different reasons. I enjoyed the fun moments we saw between them and family members.
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“But now, she understood that being whole and happy on her own was the only way the other two things - getting recognition for positive reasons and making jefa moves- could happen.” Alexis Daria, You had me at Hola
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I loved how we got chapters that were part of the script for the show they were starring in, Carmen in Charge. Those chapters were unique because we got to read what they were acting out. What I loved most about this book was the diversity and the family dynamic. I love when a book has a great group of friends and family and this book had that.

This is one of the moments in my life where the cover 100% brought me to the story. This cover is so stunning that I wouldn’t have cared if the story wasn’t good. But don’t worry, the story is just as good as the cover. This is my first Alexis Daria but it won’t be my last. You Had Me at Hola is sweet, sexy, funny, and heartwarming. 

Characters are the most important part of a book for me. Even if the plot is not good or the writing might not be either, if the characters are lovable I will love this book. And all of the characters in this book are such wonderful beings. They’re obviously not as developed as Jasmine and Ashton, but they each have personalities that are easy to read about. I loved how much this book focuses on family and friends. In so many books, people aren’t always close to their families but that is not the case for Jasmine and Ashton. There are so many moments Jasmine has with her cousins and I would love to read more about them. It also gave both Jasmine and Ashton a drive that I think many of us can connect to: our decisions aren't always made just for our benefits. 

I loved seeing the cultural connections that they both have in a way that is really well done. Even though Jasmine is a Latina, her Spanish isn’t the best versus Ashton who speaks fluent Spanish. This doesn’t mean that jasmine is less Latinx than Ashton; they’re still valid. As someone who is an immigrant and English isn’t my first language, this is such a big part of how I navigate this world. Aahton’s acceptance and kindness made me so happy. 

And of course, we need to talk about the romance which was perfect. Ashton is such a sweetie and I loved the little moment of hesitation he had when it came to his career and his connection to Jasmine. Jasmine and Ashton didn't begin their romance on the best foot and it led to a lot of hilarity between the two. I appreciate that both of their careers were important to them and so was their budding romance. They didn’t want to forsake one for the other. I think this is a very valid concern people who are dating right now have. As it’s made clear in this story, you can date and have a successful career but you have to make sacrifices. 

I don’t know if my review makes any sense but I really love this book. I was laughing and I was rooting for both Jasmine and Ashton from the beginning. If you had any hesitation about picking up this book, I would highly suggest you do so. This is my first Alexis Daria but it won't be my last. Not only is her ability to write great family dynamics, her characters are wonderful and the romance made my heart happy.

“𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐞𝐟𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬”

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘦 𝘈𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘢 is a fun rom-com that takes place on a Telenovela set. 

Growing up with Mexican parents we had telenovelas on everyday. It was a ritual. We didn’t miss a single day! 

So obviously when I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to read it! And it did not disappoint. 

Alexis Daria gives us two Latinx characters Ashton and Jasmine who fall in love while filming a telenovela. I absolutely loved that we actually got to read the scenes from 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦. It was like reading two stories in one book. 

This is my first book by @alexisdaria but it definitely won’t be my last. She does a fantastic job portraying a Latin household. I really enjoyed her writing, it was an easy read.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘏𝘢𝘥 𝘔𝘦 𝘈𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘢 did not disappoint and I highly recommend it!

Alexis Daria writes an amazing romcom that immerses her readers into the glamorous telenovela world, and the sizzling hot chemistry on and off screen between Ashton Suarez and Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, the two LatinX stars of a brand new telenovela CARMEN IN CHARGE.

Jasmine who identifies as a Nuyorican, part Puerto Rican from New York, and whose grandmother is from the Philippines, is casted as the leading lady by ScreenFlix, the number one streaming service in the country. Ashton, whose character was just killed off in another telenovela, was added last minute, and he has much to prove to make sure his career isn’t dead. He is older and wants to realize his Hollywood dreams.

I found Daria’s writing fun, sexy and sizzling hot! I love both Jasmine and Ashton’s chemistry and their backstories. I enjoyed the creativity of getting two stories, one on screen with Carmen and Victor, and off screen with Jasmine and Ashton. It was swoon worthy and I just loved binging on this.

I also had the opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook and was beautifully narrated by #seraphinevalentine Thank you to @librofm and @harperaudio

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria invites readers to make jefa moves and find completeness in themselves, not relationships.

Jasmine Lin Rodriguez is the star of You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. She’s a 30-year-old soap-opera star who’s known both for her acting and her relationship drama which keeps getting splashed across the glossy pages of the tabloids.

Determined to reclaim the narrative of her life after another break-up, Jasmine–along with her Primas of Power, Ava and Michelle–comes up with a Leading Lady Plan to help her focus on her goals as she steps into the lead role of Carmen in the Screenflix adaptation of the Venezuelan telenovela, La patrona Carmen.

According to the Leading Lady  Plan:

    Leading Ladies only end up on magazine covers with good reason

    Leading Ladies are whole and happy on their own.

    Leading Ladies are badass queens making jefa moves

Jasmine’s co-star, Ashton Suarez, is an established telenovela star, but he’s looking to make his break into the American entertainment industry. Ashton is approaching 40. His career isn’t fizzling, but he’s worried that if he doesn’t transition, he’ll slowly be pushed out of the spotlight.

Like Jasmine, Ashton isn’t concerned about falling in love, but romance rarely cares about its players’ carefully laid plans. Between a coffee spill anti-meet cute and Ashton’s anxiety, the two don’t hit it off on the best of terms but the more time they spend together, the more they begin to open up and melt in each other’s presence.

However, it wouldn’t be a romance without some drama and Daria delivers hers in spoonfuls as You Had Me at Hola progresses toward its inevitable explosion between its two leads. Jasmine’s ever enfolding life in the gossip rags and Ashton’s overprotective tendency toward his family thanks to a traumatic event simmer in the narrative until Daria slowly increases the heat chapter by chapter.

The chemistry between Jasmine and Ashton sizzles on and off-screen even if their love scenes are a bit rote. Daria’s talent lies within her ability to create a sense of family and belonging among the characters that bring her story to life. From the cast and crew of Carmen in Charge who embrace each others’ differences in gender and sexual orientation while bonding over their shared latinidad to Jasmine’s supportive relationship with her Primas of Power and Ashton’s loving family who take care of one another.

Identity is a huge part of You Had Me at Hola, both personal and communal. As Latinx actors in a predominately white American industry, Jasmine and Ashton are very aware of what their show means to their community and what it could mean for their careers.

However, that gets lost briefly, and admittedly in an upsetting way, when Jasmine makes a rash decision that completely throws her Leading Lady Plan out the window and sends her cast family up a creek without a paddle. The decision is swiftly dealt with but it was a sour note in an otherwise decent romance whose best moments take place in the first half of the book.

You Had Me at Hola could have benefited from more space for its leads to grow. The novel splits its time between Jasmine and Ashton and the characters they play on Carmen. At first, the insertion of the scripts for the show was a fresh and interesting way of using the fictional relationship of Carmen and Victor as a means of our leads analyzing their own feelings and desire for one another, but after awhile it seemed to get in the way of the narrative.

Part of the problem has to do with Carmen and Victor’s romance being second chance, and Jasmine and Ashton being a fledgling love. The Carmen couple pulled focus to the point that the narrative basically requires the reader to be invested in their love story, too, in order to keep moving through Jasmine and Ashton’s romance.

What makes Daria’s You Had Me at Hola a jefa move in its own right is the space it helps carve out for Latinx characters, families, and stories in the romance genre.

It furthers the conversation by centering on a biracial Puerto Rican Filipina who loves and trusts easily because she feels inadequate in her own family. Despite being a mess, she’s successful, surrounded by love, career-oriented, and working to open doors for herself and the actresses who will follow behind her.

Ashton is a family man who puts too much on his shoulders and often lets fear get in the way of living. He’s a single father and a provider for three generations of his family. His anxiety and PTSD aren’t belittled in the narrative, and he’s allowed not to have it all together even though he’s trying.

Through them, and the plethora of Latinx characters in You Had Me at Hola, Daria weaves a story that depicts how multifaceted the Latinx experience is even between those who share a community like Jasmine and Ashton do as Puerto Ricans. It should be a given that people understand this but, unfortunately, it is not.

You Had Me at Hola is a good late summer read for those looking to delve into the world of television, experience a couple navigating the waters of romance in the workplace, and watch a leading lady come into her own.

"Leading Ladies don't need a man to be happy."

I have been seeing You Had Me At Hola all over bookstagram lately, and I can finally say that I understand the hype. The book was soo good. 

Firstly, the plot of the book was perfectly crafted.  I’ve obviously read books about characters who are famous in real life, but You Had Me At Hola added a new dimension to this particular trope. The book features scenes that happen on screen, as well as behind the scenes stuff too. It was really fascinating to see Jasmine and Ashton, our male and female lead, play their respective roles on the show that they’re working on together. The chemistry that they shared won my heart. I love it when we get to see couples in books grow together, and I am so happy that this was the case in You Had Me At Hola. 

I loved Jasmine so, so much. Her friendly nature, along with her passion towards building a stable career was really admirable. I loved how she worked hard to show that she was more that someone who appeared on tabloid covers for the wrong reasons. Her character flourished throughout the storyline – she went from being someone who needed validation from others to be happy, to being a strong woman perfectly capable to feel happy on her own terms. 

I needed a little more time to warm up to Ashton though. It was mainly because of his closed off-nature, but I got used to it when the background story got revealed. I read somewhere that there aren’t a lot of contemporary books that deal with anxiety from the male lead’s side, and I realized how true that was. This made me appreciate how the author chose to represent anxiety through Ashton’s life. 

Alexis Daria’s writing style is very captivating as well, and that really helped me connect to Ashton and Jasmine easily. The emotions that both of them felt were so realistically expressed through their respective POVs.  The Latinx representation in the book was spot-on as well. I loved reading about their culture, it was such a lovely bonus!

This book gave me romcom, telenovela, heart, and fire! It came out earlier this month and I definitely recommend it to any romance fans.
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CW: Sexually Explicit Scenes, Home Invasion, Slut Shaming, Alcohol Use, Grief

the absolute pleasure of reading this delight of a story cannot be overstated. you had me at hola finds a secretive telenovela star crossing paths with an up-and-coming soap star and all the fireworks happening. 

their meet-cute is a total meet-disaster, but there's something between them from first bump. of course jasmine is coming off a bad break-up, and she's also a bit of a insta-relationship kind of girl. while ashton (or angel luis) is cautious about letting people in, having dealt with a violent stalker he's very cagey about his personal life. 

so cagey that basically no one in the world knows about his secret son. a revelation that might not be handled well by jasmine. partly because in jasmine's world, everything is about familia. she would be lost without her primas. 

bur once jasmine and ashton figure out how to communicate it's all magic. everything about this book was magic. i'm just obsessed with it. 

**you had me at hola will publish on august 4, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/harper collins (avon) in exchange for my honest review.

There are romances with celebrities that emphasize the fame and the fortune — and then there are the (better) ones that emphasize the work. Like Anna Zabo’s Twisted Wishes series or Lucy Parker’s London Celebrities, Alexis Daria’s YOU HAD ME AT HOLA (Avon, paper, $15.99) is a story of two working actors who pour themselves into their craft: drilling lines and choreography, fine-tuning emotions, doing 17 full takes of the kissing scene.

Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, reeling from a breakup, has landed the lead in a new Latinx series for a major streaming service. Her co-star Ashton Suarez is trying to make the leap from telenovelas to Hollywood while keeping quiet the fact that he has an 8-year-old son. The hero’s secret baby (nice twist!) is a wonderful source of tension: Ashton is a busy actor but a loving father, and protecting his son gives him a reason to be wary and closed-off that’s more engaging than garden-variety alpha arrogance.

The buildup here is exquisite. Jasmine and Ashton slowly grow closer until the reader is aching for them to just go for it already. “In her, he recognized a loneliness that resonated with his own.” Swoon. A solid 7.5 on the angst scale, and an absolutely pitch-perfect summer escape.

You Had Me At Hola is a book that will draw you in just like your favorite Netflix drama! Jasmine is excited to get the lead role on a new bilingual series on the most popular streaming service (think Netflix). She’s less excited that her breakup with a rockstar is all over the front of the tabloids. 

Jasmine gets together with her cousins and they make a list of how a Leading Lady would live her life - which does not include public breakups. She’s determined not to fall into the same romantic mistakes she’s made in the past.

Ashton is cast as the leading man and he’s determined to have this role be his jump from telenovellas to being a household name. He needs this to be a hit though. He also has a secret he’s been keeping from the media for years. 

There were many things I loved about this book - the way scenes from the show were handled in the book, the portrayal of both of their relationships with their families and their chemistry. There was a trope involved that I normally don’t like but I felt like it was handled really well. I miss Jasmine and Ashton already and can’t wait to read the next books in the series.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for the free advance reading copy.

Loved it! A fresh romance with interesting characters, compelling story lines, and great love scenes.  I already know which library patrons I will be recommending this book to.  More please!

The characters in this book, main characters of Jasmine and Ashton and including Jasmine and Ashton's family were so intricate and beautifully written that right from the first page, they just sucked me into their story. I also love the story within the story which in turn made Ashton and Jasmine's story seem richer and sexier. The love making scenes between the both of them are straight up fire. I really enjoyed this story about two working actors, especially as we got a chance to get a small peek in their lives rather than just watch them on TV or in theaters. I would highly recommend this book. 

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*