Thank you @NetGalley and @Simon&Schuster for the ARC of Good Morning Love in exchange for my honest review.

This book has been on my NetGalley shelf for a while. I hadn't read it because I knew it was heavily written as the music scene/business which is something I don't know much about; so I wasn't sure if I would enjoy reading about it, However, come to find out, you don't need to know anything about the music scene to love this book! The entire book was so well written. The main characters and the side characters were well thought out and intertwined. There was fade to black bedroom scenes but definitely was a steamy read. The only plot hole was a mention of heartache and a name of someone from the male MC's past. That could have been flushed out a bit more or not mention the name and wrap it up as "failed past relationship" or something to that degree.

I really, really enjoyed this romance read and hope to read more from Ashely M. Coleman.

I wanted to love it. With Carli being a businesswoman and focused on her goals, and Tau being Playboy turned potential partner, I wanted to fall in love with them. But as people, they felt two dimensional and all over the place. Which honestly, didn’t do much for the plot.

The plot moved quite slow, and where the characters were here and there. The plot was too. By the end. I just wasn’t sure how to feel, nor how I was meant to feel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. This book was fine, I guess. There was very little tension with the supposed love triangle and I was not a fan of Carli and her decision making. The ending wrapped up so quickly as well and I just did not enjoy it. A lot of slang is used throughout the novel which may turn off some readers but felt authentic to the characters and their background. Getting a look at the behind the scenes of the music industry was unique but not enough to save this book.

This is a great book and really reminded me of Jasmine Guillory (who I LOVE) so I will definitely be reading more of Coleman in the future.

I wanted to like this book but i found myself frustrated the whole time. Tau was not a love interest I can get behind. Though he does push Carlisa to follow her dreams and do what she truly wants and won't allow herself to the way the man just does not listen, respect her boundaries, hear her when she says her career is important to her-was very annoying. it felt like nothing happened the whole story; no steam/romance, no action just LOTS of inner thoughts. I am all for an open ending and pursuing something new but the I didn't enoy the ending either; even in her choice to pursue her music career, take a chnace on herself and Hollywood Carlisa was still doubtful of everytthing. Tau didn't seem matured as they described him, i just didnt believe it. I had high hopes for this one and it fell flat

Good Morning, Love provided a lot of insight within the music making industry and I really appreciate the detail and explanations the author gave to this part of the story. However, for me, I found the characters a little lacking. I wanted more depth with the character development but found this to be more plot oriented. Overall, I did enjoy this book and would definitely read another by this author!

I really wanted to enjoy this book but after trying multiple times to get into it, I DNF around 15%. I believe it was an issue of a great book, wrong time, and will come back to Good Morning, Love again in the future. I also think that others will truly connect with, and enjoy this book.

3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I read this book, I was craving a Black Love Story and I'm glad this book gave that. I do wish that there was a dual perspective aspect to see how the other was feeling. I do also wish that the transitions in the scenes were a little cleaner but they very well may have been edited for the final copy. There were some funny moments and some anger inducing ones as well. I loved the musical elements and I wish I could've heard some of them. This was overall a great story that scratched my Black Love Story itch.

This review is really tough for me to leave, as I generally don’t like to leave negative feedback. The whole “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all,” mindset.

This book was extremely hard for me to get in to. I tried so hard, but it took me months to get through. The lingo was awful. Born and raised right outside of New York and the amount of times I read something was or would be “lit” or “dope” was way over done. Truthfully, all of the lingo, was overdone.

I could not connect with any of the characters, the male protagonist was a pompous, egotistical brat. I understand he’s famous, and this is expected due to what we see/hear in the business but he was unlikable from start to finish. There also was little to no chemistry at all between any of the characters.

I’m giving this a 2 strictly because the writing itself was not bad, just the story.

I do want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I want to thank Simon & Schuster for providing me an ARC for an honest review.

Good Morning Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
What I loved:
- Carli’s songwriting process, throughout the book you get glimpses into her songwriting and I was in awe of all of that.
- Music, I’m the type of person that can’t sit in silence and need music playing all the time. I appreciated the respect to music throughout and the different types of music represented
- Growth, as the story progresses Carli is able to work through some past setbacks and rebuild her confidence in her songwriting
- Carli’s friends, Carli has a great support group around her and I loved the interactions with her roommate and writing/producing partners. They gave a great view into her as a person.

This was not one of my favorite romances because I didn’t really feel much between Carli and Tau. There meeting was pretty normal but their next interaction felt awkward and throughout I constantly felt like the relationship was a bit forced. That took me out of the story overall since it was such a big part but the other characters and Carli’s journey through the book was fun to read.

If you are interested in books about music/songwriting this is a fun book to read.

I had really high hopes for this one. I love a good contemporary romance and rom-com. Carlisa is a budding songwriter and works for a producer. She falls quickly for Tau, a musical artist. Her journey takes her down a path where she has to make decisions about this relationship or her career, family or friends, love or personal growth.

I liked the different characters individually, but at times it felt like there were too many characters and moving pieces. There were numerous work colleagues, music industry personnel, family members, friends. It felt like a lot to take in. I also found it to be more slow paced and I was very bothered by Tau's insistent and persistent behavior. It really bothered me how much of a 'don't take no for an answer' type of person he was. The dialogue was always very simple, but felt too modernized as if trying too hard. Through the multiple characters mini storylines were started, but never went more than a page further it seemed such as with Talia and Red, even Dylan.

I really wanted to love this and it was a good story of a woman trying to fight her own way in the music industry, but it just fell flat for the potential that it could have had.


Some content warnings: child loss, sexual assault, violence, death

Carli Henson is leading a double life. By day, she's an account executive at Garter Media, helping to create cross-promotions between brands and celebrities. When the work day is done, she shifts to her true love - music. She's a songwriter and musician, but she's afraid to make the leap to full-time. Garter pays the bills. Will her music ever do that?

Along comes Tau Anderson, a successful hip-hop artist, selling out the Barclays Center and looking for Garter to get him some promotional deals. Tau takes one look at Carli, and he's intrigued. But, Carli is trying super hard to keep her two lives separate.

Eventually, Tau breaks down the wall. It ends up, that he and Carli have more in common than she thought. He's a kid from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, she's from Severn. They have a connection.

But, of course, that's where the complications begin. While there's a romance interwoven into the storyline, the real plot focuses on Carli learning to trust herself to take a leap of faith to make her own dreams come true. T

My only struggle with this book was the language used. No, it wasn't profanity. Just lots of slang that I'm not familiar with. Ashley M. Coleman herself is a musician as well as an author, so I am sure it's all authentic. But, this middle-aged lady had to google a few terms! lol

Great debut! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Posted to Instagram on 7/5
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfobPmxr0Op/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Good Morning, Love is a look into what it takes to be a songwriter in the competitive market that it is. It's all about who you know and who you work with in order to get your name on an album and have your work explode. Carli is in the middle of all this. She has been burned in the past, but is determined to make it all the way. During the day she works for a media company to support those musician she someday wants to write for. Then at night she plays and writes her own music. When the two worlds collide, she needs to decide where her loyalties lie and where she really wants to be.

This was just okay for me. While I enjoyed the look into the music industry, it didn't feel purely authentic at times. The relationship with Tau was okay, but most times it felt forced. I did appreciate the minority representation, but I wish it was stronger story to go with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in NYC, this is a big-hearted debut that follows Afro-Latina, Carlisa "Carli" Henton as she pursues a career as a songwriter while also working a mid-level job in the music industry trying to pay the bills. When her path crosses professionally with mega-star Tau Anderson, Carli has to fight her feelings to try to keep things platonic, risking losing her job or her heart. Full of sizzling chemistry and a diverse cast of characters and highly recommended for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Farrah Rochon. I'm definitely excited to see what the author writes next! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!

Good Morning, Love is a fantastic work of modern literature by Ashley M. Coleman.

This book's intricate plot and quick pace are the result of its author's deft use of elements from a number of different genres. There is a romantic subplot, but that's not all this novel has to offer. It's about coming into one's own and figuring out where one belongs. It's about zeroing in on what truly brings you joy and pursuing it. It's all about going all in and betting the farm, or returning home empty-handed.

This is what made the novel interesting to me, and what I felt for Carli Henton. We get to see as she establishes her own identity and learns to express her deepest longings, hopes, and goals. Having the chance to ride shotgun with Carli as she took the route less traveled and experienced the highs and lows of love, the music industry, and the darker sides of what she thought she wanted was a unique and rewarding experience.

2.5/3

I really wanted to like this, but I was bored and really not connecting to the characters. I am starting to wonder if I don't like books that have the music business/industry as the theme. However, I also don't love the trope this book follows for the romance so that probably has a lot to do with it.

Good Morning, Love was a fun and cute debut novel. It's the hip hop version of Coyote Ugly, without the bar and dancing. Carli dreams of being a songwriter but also knows she needs a job to support herself. Part of that job puts her in contact with hip hop star, Tau Anderson. She has a strict rule of not dating clients. But Tao pushes those boundaries. Will Carli bend the rules? Will she take the risk to make her dreams happen?
At the beginning of the book there's a blurb about the author working in the music industry and the reader benefits from this insight. You can tell Ashley Coleman knows her stuff. The intertwining of the day to day hustle mixed in with obstacles aspiring musicians face (in particular female artists) laid a great foundation of a novel. The push and pull of the love interest helps move the story. I was highly entertained, and stayed up way to late last night because I had to finish it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

Good Morning, Love grabbed me right away. Carli is working on branching into. Her music career while working for Garter a well know agency for those in the industry. This book is so much more than romance, we see the strength it takes and how much risk is involved to put yourself out there.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.

A cute perspective on the music world! After getting used to the writing style, this turned out to be quite a unique story.

Delightful.
Unique points of view.
Joy and strife.
Just glimpses of real life.
Perfect for lovers of music of all kinds.
I need a playlist.