This is sort of a way steamier Wall of Winnipeg ex-boss chases former assistant, but make it a driven, bisexual self-sacrificing mamasita bear heroine and the I-didn’t-know-I-needed heady combination of a Greek-Dominican ex-athlete heir to an empire

I absolutely loved this book.

We have a bi afrolatina fmc, who is such a badass. And a greek Dominican, former Olympian (swimmer).

Theo had been pining for Alba for years but being her boss he never made it known. So when she quits and moves away. He goes after her. And now they are working on a show and living together. The way that Theo supported and cared for Alba was beautiful to see.

I love how Adriana writes found family in her stories and the "Dating in Dallas" crew continues to be one of my favorite groups! And of course you can always expect Adriana to write some steamy steamy scenes!!

I cannot recommend this one enough!

If following your dreams meant that your ex boss Theo Ganas would be right behind you out the door, Alba Serena was definitely not ready!

The premise, the chemistry and the follow through with this story made it a delicious summer romance read to remember! All the boxes checked!

Theo and Alba were fire off the pages in this enemies to lovers story. Herrera gave us a romance you couldn't look away from with such palpable chemistry! Alba was employed as Theo's assistant before she decided enough is enough and found the courage to quit and follow her entrepreneurial dreams. Unknowingly to Alba Theo has been holding back all these years of appearing uptight, uninterested, grumpy and very much attracted to his assistant. Alba is uncertain of Theo's intentions and Theo plans do do anything possible to get her, even if it means a whole life change. Theo was determined to treat Alba the way she needed to as she gave so much of herself to her family.
The angst, chemistry and banter between these too was so well written I was hooked from chapter 1. The support from Alba's circle Herrera brought us a fierce character in Alba with many layers to pull away but also a grumpy, sweet and caring Theo turn lover that would do anything for his Alba Serena!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It won't disappoint!

On the Hustle is a sexy, vibrant romance set in Texas about two driven people with opposing personalities who manage to find love. It’s not my favorite Herrera book, but it’s still a very entertaining romance.

Architect Alba Duarte works a number of jobs, including acting as a personal assistant to the grumpy Theo Ganas, a real estate heir and Olympic swimmer. Alba and Theo initially get on like oil and water - his demanding ways drive her to distraction - but she needs the extra cash to take care of her grandmother. Alba gets an offer to move from New York to Dallas and launch her career with a temp job when one of her side hustles – creative bedroom makeovers – leads to a career opportunity.

Theo shows up down in Dallas and shocks Alba with his kindness as they team up for a home renovation show which will require them to renovate a children’s library. They’re both harboring mutual crushes but have no idea how to breach the topic. Can they make their home design show a runaway hit? Will personal feelings interfere? Or are they too different?

Those who don’t like boss/employee romances or grumpy/sunshine romances need not apply to On The Hustle. Alive and lively as its forthright characters, it manages to sing and swing in quite the lively way. It’s hard to like Theo, who’s both spoiled sharp-tongued at first, but Alba does not give him quarter and knows how to push back. His kindness ends up coming through in the end, his attitude simply an attempt at putting up a professional front. He becomes a very giving in the end, and good at taking care of Alba where no one has ever bothered to take care of her before. Her responsive and lively creativity is a joy to behold.

The romance is classic caretaker-is-taken-care-of stuff, sweet and pleasant to watch, until an annoying third-act breakup, which might have been skipped for greener narrative pastures.

Both characters sport lively families who tangle themselves amusingly throughout the narrative, and as always, Herrera does a great job of bringing big-city Texas towns to life. On the Hustle is bright and spicy and filled with joy, even though some of its weaker plot points drag it down a hair.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local bookshop.
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Thank you to Carina and NetGalley for the advance review copy; all opinions are my own!

ON THE HUSTLE is spicy, feisty, and lots of fun. Theo and Alba's chemistry is scorching hot from page one, and the heat only ratchets up when they're reunited in Texas after Alba quits working for Theo in New York. Theo pining for Alba, keeping his feelings to himself while she worked for him, was such a sweet balance to his growly, intense possessiveness that comes out when they finally get together. Alba's unrelenting work ethic, her determination to do everything she can to succeed, wore her down until she was on the verge of burnout, and watching her learn to trust Theo and lean on him to support her was so swoony.

Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren's Beautiful Bastard and Mariana Zapata's Wall of Winnipeg; this definitely has those vibes!

This book simmers! Theo and Alva are both very driven personalities. The plot is as much about a story as it is about their characters; are they going to figure out how to balance the career drive and discovering love?

It felt very real, the way the characters talked and the relationships they had. These two don’t exist in a vacuum, there are friends and family to help them navigate life. I appreciated the perspectives of the children of immigrants, it added depth the story.

Back to the simmering - It’s not even that the scenes aren’t hot, they are. But the chemistry between the characters builds and builds, and it is such a fun read.

Wow I loved this and finished in 2 sittings. I love Adriana Herrera so much and I think this might be my favorite of hers as well as one of my favorite romances of the year! Theo and Alba were such unique and complex characters. I loved the premise that this starts as a workplace romance but the romance doesn't start until after they no longer work together. It kind of had some of the same vibes as the Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Marina Zapata!

This is book 2 in a series (Dating in Dallas) but can be read as a stand-alone! Admittedly, I have not read book 1 yet but didn't feel like I was missing any crucial info. I will be picking it up ASAP after inhaling this one!

Adriana has such a gift in how she writes her romances with do much depth paired with such good steam!

Thank you SO MUCH to the publisher for this advanced copy! Review on my insta to come! On The Hustle is out next Tuesday - 10/11.

Well, hello Alba and Theo!
Earlier this year a friend recommended Here to Stay by Adriana Herrera to me and I simply fell in love with the characters, their chemistry and the way those characters interacted with their family. And now Ms Herrera gives us another book in this world (which it may be set in the "Dating in Dallas" world, but is 100% a complete standalone) and I'm here for it!

Alba comes from a close-knit family and she feels the weight of the responsibility of taking care of them. She puts off her happiness and her success to take care of those around her by working her self to the bone. Be it her siblings, her mother, her grandmother or even her boss, she works her tail off for others. When she finally gets the opportunity to pursue her dreams, she quits her long time job of being an assistant to the very uptight, demanding and successful Theo. With plans to leave New York and head to Dallas to try something new and be with her BFF, Julia (from Here to Stay), Alba takes the first step in doing something for herself and her future.

Meanwhile, we have Theo who is running his dad's business but doesn't feel fully invested in the company he created. It's his dad's business that he had just handed to him. But he's still a character that is cold and demanding. Or is there more to this guy than we first see?? When Alba lets Theo know that she will be leaving as his assistant, he acts indifferent. But once we get his POV, we realize his indifference is happiness because now he can pursue the assistant he has had his eyes on since the first day she walked into his office. But Alba is leaving for Dallas. How can he pursue her if she is in a different state?

Theo is a man of action and he will do anything to get his woman and to make her happy while seeing her flourish and succeed. So what does he do besides create an opportunity for her and makes his way to Dallas to win the woman he's been pining over for THREE years! And what ensues is seeing a whole different Theo with major sexual tension between him and Alba. And Man oh man do these two ignite!!!

I loved seeing Dallas Theo and the way he let it be known why he was there and how much he cared for Alba (and 'dat a$$). When a man shows his vulnerability and opens up while also letting the woman he cares for grow and pursue her dreams, it is damn sexy! These two provide much heat and a lot of support toward one another. But what levels up this story is the friend group and the way they are there for one another to support these two while they go through their ups and down. What I also loved was the different family dynamics between Alba and her immigrant family and Theo and his dad and step-mom. Very different, but both filled with so much love.

If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this story and seeing two people work toward what they want out of love and their futures. It's not easy opening up and allowing someone else into your world. Luckily, Theo was. never giving up when all Alba did was push him away even when she didn't want to. But the icing on the cake of this story? Alba's work as a bookish boudoir creator!!! How perfect to have a character creating things that so much of us romance readers would love to see and have. Adriana Herrera, please make Bookish Living/Bookish Boudoir a thing!

Great book. Great characters and a fun and sexy forced proximity work place romance that I 100% recommend.

Contemporary romance, Book 2 in the Dating in Dallas series. Our overworked and overcommitted heroine finally quits her personal assistant job to pursue her interior design business and gives her boss two weeks after she returns from vacation. He’s totally emotionless about her quitting. However, when she emails him to say that she has an awesome opportunity and isn’t coming back for her last two weeks, he flips out and calls her wondering where she is. When we switch to his POV, we realize he’s been sickeningly pining for her for three years and waiting to make his move until the boss-employee dynamic was no longer an issue (great perspective from an employer, btw). He follows her from NYC to Dallas, where he somehow wrangles them into an interior decorating reality TV show and is suddenly charming and flirtatious. Really great chemistry and you can tell how attracted they are to each other. As a personal assistant, our heroine’s job involves bringing the guy coffee everyday after he comes out of his swim workout, and there’s a very detailed paragraph early on in the book of how he looks climbing out of the pool. *blushes* There’s also family baggage, workplace drama, dealing with diversity in the workplace, racial identity issues and feelings of belonging, etc. Overall, really great book!

This was a really enjoyable read. The author did a great set up to make our enemies-to-lovers plot work, and make the “bad guy”s change of heart believable. Alba was a likeable character, Theo was a dreamboat and the side characters were fun. Great book!

Much like the first book in the series ( Here to Stay ), On The Hustle is a book filled with heart, friendships, found family and some of the best steam ever written. I might not have read a lot of Adriana Herrera’s books, but the ones I have read tell me that I can always expect and enjoy smouldering steam and I am grateful for that. Alba and Theo have incredible chemistry and banter, their sexual tension, the history they share and the relationship that builds from that was absolutely stunning to watch unfold. And the tropes that come together to make this book really added a whole level to the magic of Adriana’s storytelling.

After three years of working for a man who is both frustratingly handsome and sexy and plain frustrating, Alba decides to quit her job and focus on her own passions. I loved just how driven and incredible Alba was and her whole concept of bookish interior designs? Can I enlist her to do up my place too? Alba moves to Dallas to be with her friends and explore a whole new world after being in New York most of her life. Except, her frustrating boss? He wants her back. And not as his assistant. As so much more. Theo has had intense feelings for Alba since the day he met her and now all he wants is to have her in his life, whatever it takes. But it’s proving to be a lot harder than he expected given how things have gone on between them so far. But he’s not one to take ‘no’ for an answer, so he’s found a way to bring them together and really win her over.

“I wanted more than anything to be the resting place for this woman. To be the person she went to when the world outside just got to be too much.”

A bit of idiots to lovers, a workplace romance, some forced proximity all make up this book. Alba and Theo spend so much of this book bantering and let me just say that it was glorious. I loved all of the little quirks that made up their relationship starting with how every time he says her name, Theo tacks on a middle name that is not hers. He uses all of the Greek goddesses he can think of instead of her actual middle name just to find a way to irritate her. And it works. There’s also the sass that Alba carries and uses to drive Theo wild. And let’s not forget all of the pining! This book is heavy on the pining, the feels and the love. The way Theo sees Alba might just be one of my favourite things about the book too.

And my god, the steam. Everything you can think of, Adriana Herrara took and made it better. It’s sexy and naughty, it’s straight up filthy too; but it’s all so fantastically written and done that I might have read a few scenes more than once. Alba and Theo were just so good and outside of the conflict, this book wins all of the points for me.

Alba and Theo!

Alba Duarte had planned to only work for former Olympic swimmer and real estate mogul Theo Ganas for a year but she kept putting it off between taking care of her family and doing her bookish-themed bedroom makeovers. Alba had been asked to design a library for the Sturm Foundation while on vacation so she decided to stay with her friends in Dallas that was going to be filmed for a home improvement show.

Theo Ganas knew asking Alba out while she worked for him was asking for problems but now he had the chance to surprise and ask her out when he helped with renovating the library.

I really liked Here to Stay (Dating in Dallas #1) but On the Hustle blew me away because of the slow burn between Alba and Theo in Dallas while they were filming the reality home improvement show!

Now I want to read more about the other Gotham Exiles!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fantastic tale of resilience and love.
Herrera is a very talented author. She has a way of writing characters that feels authentic and like they are real people. I think Alba is a fantastic character. I could sympathize with her struggles and rooted for her to succeed the whole book. Theo was a grumpy boss who falls head over fancy shoes for Alba. These two reminded me of the couple from The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. They have a similar dynamic that was fun to read about. This may be a niche one, but I also found this very reminiscent of the Korean romcom The Secret Life of Secretary Kim. So fans of that drama will certainly love this too.
The chemistry between these two grumps sizzles off the pages! I loved all the different places they got it on. It certainly made the steamy scenes different and interesting.
Herrera wrote a fantastic romcom filled with steam, wonderful characters and a HEA that makes you smile.

W A R N I N G: this book will take over your life, to the point where all you’ll be able to think about is finishing this book.

TBH I’ve been in a bit of a romance rut, I haven’t been excited by a book in some time. That all changed with @ladriana_herrera and On the Hustle. I made the mistake of starting this book on a Sunday night and read well into Monday morning.

The heroine, Alba Serena, is smart, determined, and unapologetically ambitious. Alba Serena has worked for Theo, an ultra-wealthy and ultra-attractive Manhattan developer (the very antithesis of Don jr. and Eric) for the past three years and finally decides to quit and start her own interior design business. Little does Alba Serena know that Theo has been pining for her for the past three years.

This book does everything right. There is so much romance and passion and I love the fact that Theo is so into Alba Serena and sets out to prove it to her from day one.

This book also celebrates Dominican culture and highlights the difficulties endured when immigrating to a land with a foreign culture and foreign language. I know there will be some readers whose anti-immigration stance will flip 🥩 after reading this book.

Adriana Herrera is a 👑

It is so rare that an author, especially a contemporary romance author, gets all the bits and pieces SO right, SO spot on, that it ends with me pressing that 5 star button. This is the first full-length novel I've read by Adriana Herrera (I was introduced to her writing through the Amor Actually collection that dropped just in time for Christmas last year) and it will not be the last. This is the second of a series but I don't feel like I missed a single thing by not having read #1 ahead of this bombshell of a book.

A few things that really stood out to me: The sex was hot, raunchy, a little bit dirty and yet, just on the "right" side of all of that to keep it believable, in line with the character development AND still make it out with five stars. Herrera also included more of these scenes than I think we normally find in contemporary romance novels, not just the obligatory first time and then maybe an additional, but lots of sexy times that show the progression of the main characters's character ARC and development.

Another thing: Herrera HAD to know she'd been appealing to bookstagramers with her main character's "side" hustle (that becomes her main hustle) of Bookish Boudoir - an interior design company that sees rooms transformed to encapsulate all things bookish. The way Alba explains her products/designs is such a beautiful nod to the world of all things bookish and nerdy and yes I would TOTALLY love my room to be redone like this - now to pick the book would be the big and most important question.

Can I just say, respectful men? Like almost verging on too respectful but Herrera shows us WHY our male lead (Theo) is the way he is and it's a really nice change and it resonates with me as a contemporary reader.

I really enjoyed this book. Alba has such a generous spirit and I’m glad Theo abandoned his attitude of stoicism to reveal his true intentions. The supporting crew of friends is funny and real. And the book is very sexy and honest.

Can Adriana Herrera do any wrong? The correct answer is no, I’ve never not enjoyed one of her romances and this was just as delightful as previous books. Before I read this I was in a bit of a book slump and nothing was getting me out of it, until I met Alba and Theo.

I love a hero who falls first and boy does Theo FALL. He’s the CEO who was once an Olympic swimmer and Alba used to work for him as his assistant. She moves to Texas and he goes down there and they have to work together on a home makeover project FORCED PROXIMITY BABY. Sorry for screaming, but this book just has so many of my favorite tropes I simply cannot contain my excitement! Also this book is so hot and steamy you will not be disappointed!

Highly recommend this incredible romance from and incredible author!

☀️ "On the Hustle" was my first Adriana Herrera book & I didn't know what to expect. It really blew my expectations out of the water! 4⭐

📚 Alba quits her high-stress job as Theo's personal assistant in because it's taken over her life for the past 3 years. She moves to Dallas to pursue her bookish interior design business, making over bedrooms based on clients' favorite books (so cool!). Theo follows her to convince her to be on a design reality show with him (and to win her heart). Alba is shocked by how different "Dallas Theo" is from "NYC Theo," but hesitates to trust him fully.

💃 This book was hard to put down and the snark was top notch. If you love banter and witty comebacks, this book is for you! I kept asking myself, how is Theo such a jerk but also super hot *and* considerate?? I really fell for Alba & Theo and his nicknames for her, and I thought the epilogue was perfect.

I took off 1⭐ because I got a little confused in the first few chapters - a lot happens fast, so hang on for the ride! Also, this book was just one shade too racy for me, but that is a personal preference!

⚠️ difficult childhoods, parental abandonment, racism/sexism in the workplace

Shareability: This book feels like a blend of Farrah Rochon, Jasmine Guillory, & Priscilla Oliveras (but smuttier!). Tropes: grumpy boss, enemies to lovers, MMC falls first

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ that's 6 chili peppers. My scale usually maxes out at 5 🥵 This is an 18+ book, y'all.

Pairs well with: whatever Theo is cooking 🌮

----I was kindly given an early copy of this book via Netgally by Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) in exchange for an honest review----

It took me some time to finally sit and write this review, but here we go.

I love love love Alba and Theo, that's it. This was my first time reading a book by Adriana Herrera, and I became an instant fan of her writing style and her relatable characters.

In this story, we follow Alba Duarte, a book lover and PA who has big dreams and a bigger personality and Theo Ganas, a hot as sin former Olympic swimmer and Alba's current boss. Theo is demanding and a tad bit insufferable, so when Alba is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, she doesn't waste any time and hands in her resignation. Destiny has other plans though, and soon Alba finds herself once again working with her former boss and having to deal with his open flirting and newfound charming personality.

This book gave me all the feels! Alba's struggle as an immigrant child, having to learn a new language at a very early age and later on being the family's problem solver, is something we all can empathize and even relate to.

Theo has other issues to deal with, being wealthy means that he hasn't faced the same difficulties Alba has dealt with in her life, even so, his struggles are not less important, just different.

Trying to live up to family expectations as well as his own and battling to take complete control of his life makes him a really appealing character. His playful and seductive personality is one of the elements that makes him easy to love and root for during the entire story.

Something I really loved about this book is that it isn't only a story about being an Afro-Latina woman and making a space for yourself in an unfair and undermining society. It is also a story about finding joy in books, in following your passion, in finding comfort in family, in friends and in the people you choose to have in your life.

Both main characters come to find and reinforce these things throughout the story, and by the end, you'll have a perfectly satisfactory HEA.

I could say many more things and quote some of my favourite lines from the book, but I believe you'll be doing yourself a favour if you go in with as little information as possible and just enjoy the ride.

Definitely, one of my favourite books of the year!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

TWs: not many I can think of, tbh: discussion of family dynamics and trauma; workplace mistreatment and verbal offence/abuse. (I'm up for a re-read, so if I find more I'll add them here).

5 "Makeover" Stars!

On the Hustle has become another top read of 2022 for me! This book has so many things I love in a romance book. Strong leading lady and a leading man that is completely gone for her.

Alba was my kind of girl and completely relatable. Truly, I want to be her friend. But what really made me love her so much was how much I understood her. Alba is the oldest daughter with all the responsibilities true and imagined that go with that. She was so talented but sometimes had a hard time believing in herself or even believing when things are good, they really are good. As a side note, I absolutely want to see her bookish bedroom makeover portfolio. Like really, really want to see it!!!!

Theo! Whew Weee. I fell so hard for Theo. His elite athlete status. His determination. His work ethic. His desire to get everything he wants. This dude played the long game. But when he was done playing, GAME WAS ON! There was no way Alba could hold off against all that charm and attention. And let's just say, it's hard to resist a man that is obsessed with your... bottom. A man that builds your self confidence, not only with his physical admiration but also by supporting your dream and letting you know how much he admires your work. And work ethic.

I absolutely loved them both. I loved this journey of trust. I loved the friend group and the revelation of each other. The learning to trust. The learning to believe in yourself. I loved it! Happy reading!