This was a really enjoyable read that made me realize I need to be more intentional about reading from perspectives different than my own, including from BIPOC voices. I liked how Carli came into her own throughout the book, and the detailed look into the music industry was really fascinating. This only took me a few days to read because I didn’t want to put it down. I do think Carli came across as both a powerhouse and someone who was oblivious at times, and it was hard for me to understand how both aspects could exist in tandem. But overall really loved this.

What a cute and refreshing story! I usually tend towards thrillers, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this very much. While the beginning was slow, I felt that it picked up pretty well towards the middle and end. Overall, a solid read.

thanks Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adult romance is not my favorite genre, so I wanted to try this story. This definitely has a slow start and I am glad I stayed persistent and finished. It will not be for everyone but if you like music and NYC give it a try.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a bit of a hit-or-miss one for me. There were parts that I really enjoyed and thought were written well—the building of the music industry felt thorough and well researched. But there were also a number of parts that I felt could've been edited out entirely, and didn't necessarily do anything to move the story forward, but rather just felt like filler. There were a number of situations that arose and then seemingly immediately forgotten/never resolved.

The writing style was very colloquial and served for a quick read, which I enjoyed.

Music industry professional Coleman draws on her expertise in her debut novel, which brims with authentic details about how musicians are discovered, how records are produced, and how megastars live.

Full review on Booklist, April 15 issue.

A great new adult story about young love set in the music industry. I am older but I am a person who loves music, who is familiar with the slang, and who can appreciate the hustle of the main characters. Tau learns to be less of an and alpha male and Carli learns to find her voice.

Clearly the people in the reviews saying they didn't "connect" because of the slang or that they weren't the target audience clearly didn't look beyond it to the theme of the story. If you want diversity, then read with an open mind..

ALso, the title made me wanna throw on the John Legend song of the same title. It def gave me the same feelings.

This was an enjoyable enough book, a solid 3.5 stars. The story was a fun ride through the music industry. I was rooting for the main character and her love interest. The plot was predictable, though the will they/won't they guesses kept up right to the end.

The sister plot line was introduced kind of late which didn't add too much to the story, though nor did it distract. I got the impression that it was a personal story line. And even if it wasn't, it still helped me feel connected to the author or like she was sharing a part of her in the novel.

I enjoyed how positive the book was. It's nice in today's society to be reminded that people can continue to surprise you in a good way.

This was the right book to read to be able to read a book. It kept me interested enough to want to keep reading, though I'm not sure I'd run out and tell everyone I know that they need to read it. However, I did not waste any time by reading this book either.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story was more than I expected. It doesn't just envelope one genre, it covers romance as well as finding your place in the world. I found it to be very entertaining. and it held my attention from start to finish. The different genres mixed together made this book very satisfying and made the pace wonderful.
This is the story of a musician and songwriter who is working in the music industry during the day, but going on musical engagements for herself (performing) at night. I really enjoyed that this story had the main character finding themselves and their place in life.
I enjoyed following Carli through her experiences. I enjoyed following her as she discovers herself, finds out what she truly desires most. Seeing her follow her hopes, and dreams along with finding her voice. Taking the ride with Carli as she goes through the ups and downs through the music industry and her romance.
I really liked Cali. She wasn't perfect, she was charming and very likeable. I found myself cheering that she would succeed and that all her dreams would come true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Good Morning, Love
Ashley M. Coleman

If you are into the world of professional music – most notably rap/hiphop – you will probably like this book. This is a subject which only mildly interested me. This is the story of a young black/Latina would be song writer who hooks up with a star and eventually must decide whether she wants to "have it all" – love, success as a song writer/singer, all her dreams come true – or stay in a somewhat safer life in New York City.

The writing here is okay, but the intermittent use of idiomatic speech (or dialect if you will) felt like the author was narrowing the reader base she is writing for to those who share her experience. That is not an issue as long as that is the author's intention.

I think this had some great parts...and some parts that dragged. It had several romcom tropes which made it fun but it slowed down the plot at points where it really did not require more detail. Cute story.


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I came to this novel because I've been enjoying contemporary romance since the beginning of the pandemic and was excited about the comparison to Jasmine Guillory. A more apt "read alike" author, to me, is Leesa Cross-Smith rather than Jasmine Guillory. Like Cross-Smith, this book deals more with the development of the main character placed in very specific circumstances than a straight up romance (which a reader of Guillory would expect). Unlike other readers, I enjoyed the urban vernacular used in the book, which I think anchored this story in a tangible and contemporary setting. But, I agree that the primary male character had flaws that I would not like in a straight up romance, but, in a more "comtemporary fiction" read appreciate as "we're all human and flawed and need to work through that". I think that the cover and blurb do this novel no favors to find it's appropriate audience.

Really enjoyed the overall theme of this book which seems to be leaning into and being open to where life leads you. I thought that Carli was an easy protagonist to root for and Tau made for a perfect love interest. The story flowed well and felt like a dream and a real possibility all at the same time. My only complaint would be the story was almost too perfect. It almost reads like a fairy tale which takes away from the depth a little bit. But sometimes life does fall together that way.

Final rating 3.5/5

Good Morning, Love is a book about both romance and self discovery.

There were parts of the book that I did enjoy however, the majority of the book fell flat. I enjoyed the parts where we get to learn about Carli and her finding her way, but I wished it was touched upon more. On the other end, the amount of slang used ruined the flow for me and seemed excessive at times and I didn't really enjoy the romance between Carli and Tau. When we were first introduced to him at the concert, I didn’t immediately like how he was portrayed but continued reading in hopes that the more I read, I would grow to love him. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Instead, I felt a disconnect to the MMC and sometimes Carli too.

I would have also loved to see Carli be more independent and if the story leaned more towards the self-discovery side, the book would have been right up my alley.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC

Love can be hard to trust. Especially when it comes hard, fast, forbidden and inconvenient.

That’s the kind love superstar Tau and aspiring song writer Carli are thrust into. The odds are stacked against them. Careers, reputation, and ghosts of their past threaten to stop them before they even get started. And can it be love so soon?

What risks are you willing to take for a relationship that’s not promised to last? Are you risking more by never taking a chance at love? What risks will you take to become who you’re meant to be?

I was routing for Carli and Tai to keep becoming. Together or not. Is it love? Will they make it? Y’all should read it!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the review copy of Good Morning Love on NetGalley. I enjoyed this book and appreciated the representation of Black identities and voices, this matters to me and was one reason I wanted to support this book. Overall I enjoyed the story of Carli and her engagement with music and navigation of early adulthood and appreciated some of the ways Carli was written, Ms. Coleman did the character justice in many ways by allowing her to explore her goals while remaining true to herself.

The book though fell a bit flat for me, remaining at the liked it but not loved it level, as I wanted more depth to Carli's experiences and to her growth, perhaps some more conflict or mistakes/challenges that forced some reconsideration of self. I also was perhaps outside the target demographic as I truly did struggle to understand generational slang and phrasing (that's me, that's a plus for another reader perhaps!). Language and wording/phrasing can engaged or distance a reader and for me the slang created distance and disconnection.

I would though recommend this for readers who are in Gen Z or readers who simply are looking for representation and young adult lives in a fun, light read. I do appreciate the book in some ways and know that this book as an audience waiting for it.

(2.5 stars) The description of this book seemed like something that would be right up my ally. A songwriter who’s world collides with a charming R&B Popstar. Unfortunately the book seemed to fall a little flat for me and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I wouldn’t say I disliked it though. The story was cute but I found it to be more of a self discovery novel then a romance. I didn’t really connect to the main characters of Tau or Carli. There was nothing that really stood out about them to me and I found them both a little self centered and egotistic at times. I also didn’t really feel much chemistry between the two of them. I did enjoy the character of Talia, Carli’s roommate. She was sweet, fun and a really good friend to Carli.

I guess this book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I wouldn’t consider it a romance. It seemed to be a more of a follow your dreams story. If you are looking for a self discovery novel or are interested in the music industry you may enjoy this one more then I did.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This beautiful novel is much more than a simple rom com.
it explores the world of contemporary black artists, musicians, song writers and the people who have their backs
A celebration of friends and family and an impressive display of all the details of a life lived in the public eye.
Well realized non-streotyped characters whom readers will understand and root for.
A thoroughly delightful, hope-filled slice of modern life for the very young and not-so-young.
Would LOVE to have it with music accompanying it....perhaps when it is recorded.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the temporary loan of GOOD MORNING LOVE by a new to me author Ashley M. Coleman.

Good Morning, Love, was a solid, light hearted read. While the slang takes a bit to get used to (I work with teenagers so that helped), once the novel started, I loved how it was an appreciation of Black artists in music and culture. I can picture a lot of my readers loving this book- the fashion, the music, the romance. The prose isn't the smoothest, I didn't learn any satisfying life lessons, but I did appreciate that Coleman stayed true to Carli through the end of the title. She was indecisive and trying to figure her life out which is a lesson that will resonate with the young adult crowd.

I wasn’t the right reader for this book, I found it slow paced and I found the mmc to be an alpha male who wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer.

This one wasn’t for me.