This is a fun read, light and entertaining! It was a great buffer amidst all the thrillers I typically read. I cared about the characters and loved watching their development!

Good Morning, Love by Ashley Coleman is a must-read for anyone looking for a heartwarming and uplifting story. This novel is a perfect blend of humor, romance, and inspiration that will have you laughing out loud and smiling from ear to ear. Ashley Coleman's writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making it a quick and enjoyable read. The characters are relatable and their interactions are filled with fun and excitement. The story takes you on a journey of self-discovery, love, and friendship, reminding us to appreciate the small things in life and to never give up on our dreams.

I really, really wanted to like this one! The fact it was set in the music industry intrigued me and drew me in. But, it just was bleh. The characters were strong at first, but then it just became repetitive. Her accolades were spouted about numerous times that I just began to skip those scenes… hate that! The premise of the story is what captured me because the music industry is not necessarily something often written about. Add diverse characters and you had me SOLD. I really tried to get into it and just… struggled. Loved the idea, just wish the execution was different. Thanks for the ARC opportunity!

This book took me a while to get through, which is typically not a great sign for me and I almost DNF. The story revolves around Carli, a who works in the music industry but has dreams of being a singer/songwriter. She meets pop star Tau Anderson and they have undeniable chemistry. As he is persistent with pursuing her, she's reminded that it would be really unprofessional to be involved with him.

I thought this book would be more of a romance than it was, and I think that's why I struggled to get through it. It felt a little bit more like women's fiction, which I appreciate and there is a time and place for, but I think I was just expecting it to be more like a contemporary workplace romance.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. There were aspects that I enjoyed but overall it felt a little flat to me. I listened to this on audio and thought the narrator was great! I also thought the representation in this book was great! Tao the love interest grew on me a little as the story went on but he was a generic alpha male especially at the beginning. The romance felt lack luster to me. It didn’t have much build up or tension and felt very insta-lovey when they finally got together. I felt like Carli the protagonist could have been developed better. I think this author potential though!

Overall this was a 3.5 for me. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the plot and setting of New York City and the music industry, I also really liked how this focused on other aspects of the character's lives, and how we really got to know them. I think the deeper aspects of character's lives is really important in romance. I wish there was a little more tension between the main characters though and more build up within their relationship.

This book did not work for me. At all. I think I just really was not the target audience, but I found the romance to be unbearable, the characters to be unlikable, and the plot to be far-fetched. Really disappointed, but maybe I should just know my own tastes better.

I love a good love story. This book has a good amount of drama and great characters. I'm excited to see what else this author writes in the future. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Carli is a musician and songwriter, pursuing her art in her spare time while she works for a company that represents big-name talent. When she meets R&B star Tau Anderson, she is thrown for a loop when he pursues her–and her strictly drawn lines between her personal and professional lives become blurred.

There was a lot thrown into this modern romance, and what worked best was Carli’s creative pursuits. Tau, unfortunately, fell a little flat as a reason for Carli to risk it all–and despite her concerns about getting caught in a forbidden relationship, her actions didn’t seem to match her worries. I enjoyed the music industry angle, but this was just okay.

Set in the New York music scene I was transported into the scene. Carli is trying to make a name for herself and follow in her dad's footsteps but she hasn't made it big yet. She has a carefully calculated life working as a junior account manager until Tau Anderson comes into her life. Tau is a rising star and throws her life out of her carefully calculated plan. This book allows the reader to question what choices you would make.

Thank you #simonandschuster and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @10% - this book was just not for me. So far, it seems to be pretty light & breezy, but I am just not enjoying it at all

This one was cute but fell a bit flat for me. I think I have read too many pop-star themed romances recently.


Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question.

A smart, timely, energizing romance, Good Morning, Love shows us what the glamorous New York’s music scene is really like and takes us into the lives of a rising but somewhat troubled R&B star and a promising protégé who knows her job better than she knows herself.

With fresh and honest prose, Good Morning, Love examines the uncertainty of being a new professional looking to chase a dream while also trying to survive in a world that’s not always kind to ambitious women.

What I expected when I picked up this book was a typical romance read, but I got so much more than that. Touching on several genres, Good Morning, Love is a great read. It focuses on the music industry and paying your dues, hoping for your big break. Along the way, we get a coming-of-age story that is heartwarming and lovely. I think there is something in this book for everyone. It wasn't a book full of twists and turns or excitement, but it was like a slice of life.

Love and music just radiate through this adorable sweet and heartwarming book. Thank you S&S for the ARC for my honest review.

1 star. This book was not for me.
Thank you to Ashley M. Coleman, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those scenarios where I hadn't read the blurb in quite some time when I picked up the book to start reading, meaning that I was more in the dark about where it was headed than I might have been. The will they/won't they vibe worked a little too well on me. I couldn't tell if the R&B star chasing after Carli was a scumbag or a love interest, in large part due to the conflicting cues that she gets from him. More on that later, but let's back up. Carli's an aspiring songwriter with a day job, trying to balance security with chasing her dreams in New York City. When her 9-5 (that definitely goes past 5 most nights) has her crossing paths with the famous Tau Anderson, she's wary of his aggressive flirting. He's got a reputation for running through women, and she has no illusions about men in the music industry-- the boundaries they'll cross and the way they'll take down women's careers if spurned. As they work together on an ad campaign and Tau starts DMing her on Twitter, jealousy outs the secret love Carli's long-term friend and collaborator has been harboring for her. Enter the love triangle.

There's a lot to like about Carli as a protagonist. She's dedicated to her job even if she doesn't want to be there long-term, she stands up for herself, and she makes music as often as she can. I appreciated the Afro-Latina representation in her character, but I've read reviews that the author's portrayal of Colombian culture may not be well-informed, so keep that in mind. The book discusses sexual harassment in the music industry. Be aware that there is an on-page assault that is interrupted. Through Carli's experiences, the book explores the extra burdens on women of ensuring their own personal safety and emotional well-being in addition to following their ambitions in music.

One thing I liked about the story is that a big part of the conflict isn't even romantic. The story deals with some important choices Carli must make in terms of who to pursue romantically (if anyone), how to move forward in her relationships with her parents, how to chase the career she wants, and how to accept new directions in her life even if they are unexpected and don't fit her plan. Instead of orchestrated drama, it feels like real-life inner turmoil surrounding a big turning point.

I did have a few concerns with the story. The first is about personal preference. There's a strong religious component concerning Carli's Christian identity and her church community. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not my cup of tea, so know what you're getting into there. On a deeper level, I was bothered by Carli's fixation on weight and body image at the beginning of the book. She has a vision board of her dream body which she would supposedly only achieve if she tried harder, and she often perceives other women as skinny, even calling her best friend "skinny minnie" as a compliment. This mindset thankfully disappeared later in the novel, but not because of a shift in Carli's point of view. It just gets left behind in favor of other stress. Finally, the single POV means Tau didn't have to experience any seismic growth, and I would have preferred he did. Since he isn't a protagonist, his iffy behaviors that had me questioning his status at the beginning of the book also just fade away once Carli decides to give him a chance. He has plenty of positive qualities like an interest in social justice, loyalty to his friends, and a hidden thoughtful side, but when Carli reminds him that he hit on her even after she said "no" on professional grounds, touching her hair and reaching out to her on social media, it doesn't develop into further conversation. And that seems like a major missed opportunity. Also, he only takes action against Carli's harasser once he sees her being physically assaulted, not earlier when she shared her past experience with him, something that could be construed as a reaction based on his ego rather than Carli's safety. Carli even has a thought to that effect which she doesn't pursue further. Also, while the harasser is taken off their current project, there isn't a sense that Tau intends to take any broader stance against him by using his industry clout, something that would protect other women from a known serial sleazebag.

As a parting note, the happily ever after is present, as expected in the genre, but it feels a bit unfinished or open-ended. It's also closed door. Depending on what you like in a love story, that might impact your reading, as well. I wish I could recommend this book based on its positive attributes, but they were outweighed for me by red flags.

I really struggled through this book and should have DNF. Although it was a romance I just didn’t buy their love for each other. I really wanted to like this book but it just fell flat for me.





Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me an ARC copy of this book.

Carli and Tau had very little chemistry. Tau just seemed very pushy and like he didn't care or respect Carli job or life. I didn't enjoy how one-sided their relationship seemed.

Love the representation. Love the premise. But didn't end up feeling like the book connected with me on a personal level. I just can't get into workplace romances 99% of the time. I wanted to love this so much, but it just didn't happen. Writing was good though.

Amazing story! The story started off slow and I though it would be a hard novel to finish but the author definitely came through. Love, art, and ambition, and Carli was so relatable. We see her soar and stumble as she realizes that achieving her dreams will be more complicated than she ever imagined. I love how the music industry is a background character in the book and how that dynamic shaped the story. Most of all, Carli and Tau's love story made me remember young, unexpected love and the choices we make.