"Ana Takes Manhattan" by Lissette Decos is an exhilarating romp through the bustling streets of New York City, filled with charm, wit, and unforgettable characters. From the moment we meet Ana, the spirited protagonist with a penchant for adventure, to her whirlwind encounters with the dashing Alex and the quirky yet endearing best friend, Sarah, this novel is a delightful journey from start to finish.

Decos effortlessly weaves together a tapestry of love, friendship, and self-discovery against the backdrop of the city that never sleeps. The chemistry between Ana and Alex sizzles with undeniable attraction, while the bond between Ana and Sarah is a testament to the power of true friendship.

What truly sets this novel apart is its vibrant cast of characters, each as colorful and multifaceted as the city itself. From the charming street performers to the enigmatic strangers Ana encounters along the way, every interaction is infused with warmth and authenticity.

The pacing is brisk, keeping readers eagerly turning the pages as Ana navigates the ups and downs of life in the Big Apple. Decos has crafted a story that is both heartwarming and irresistibly entertaining, making "Ana Takes Manhattan" a must-read for anyone craving a dose of romance and adventure.

This book was super cute, and a fabulous romantic comedy. I could compare it in a sense to a Hallmark movie. Ana was a very likable main character too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me this book in exchange for my review!

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This was a fun, cute story! Very light hearted romance, which was nice!
I enjoyed Ana's character and found her relatable as she navigated the woes of dating and finding "the one". I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things she said.

Also, as a fan of reality dating shows, it was fun to see (even fictional) behind the scenes of what goes into those shows as a producer. I loved that was a big part of the story.

I was also a big fan of the love interest and the one she ended up with.

Gia, on the other hand, was a very unlikeable character. I found her to be selfish and controlling and not supportive of her friend .

Overall, this was a quick and fun read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for something light!

Ok - I know this took me a bit to get too but being a big fan of Abby Jimenez and recently have read an Alexis Daria book, I loved this! I love reality tv shows and this was a fun read! I laughed and enjoyed this so much and Ana is just great and loved seeing her character development throughout. What a fun read - thank you for the ARC!

Ana is a reality TV producer, mainly working on a series of shows regarding surprise marriage proposals. She finds that, with helping her best friend prepare for her wedding and all the couples she's interviewing for work, Ana herself is lacking in romantic fulfillment. She finds a list she created in college and is determined to check off some boxes to find her ideal man... and she finds 4 men to check these boxes with.

Ana goes through turmoil at work, in her family connections, and in her romantic life. What she ends up learning from it all is more of a life lesson than checking off a bunch of boxes from a list. Ana's character development was profound after dating these men simultaneously and coming out on the other side, not necessarily unscathed; you could say she made a list of all the things she learned about herself as well, just not put down on paper.

This book had all the quips and sarcastic comments that we all love in dialogue and listening to the audio book, with random sound effects, just made the experience more well rounded.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Ana Takes Manhattan is about a reality TV producer, and I unapologetically love the reality TV rom com trope. It's one of my things. If it weren't one of my top tropes, I might find some of the character development a little underdone, but I will make an exception here.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I’m not ashamed to admit I love reality tv and I love books set in the reality tv world. This one was so much fun! This story becomes a bit more about finding yourself on a quest to find love and I was here for it.
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Thank you #readforeverpub and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

While I was able to finish this book, I finish not feeling anything for the FMC. It didn't provide that connection that we seek when reading.

Ana Takes Manhattan puts the com in rom-com. Ana is a Cuban American New Yorker, who works in reality TV, crafting the perfect proposals for a living, but she is still waiting on her happily ever after. Spurred on by her friend Gia's engagement and an old list she found of qualities she was looking for in a man, Ana goes from single to dating four different men at once, looking for one that checks all the boxes. Meanwhile, her new editor, Richard, is infuriating and has terrible fashion sense. Why does one man have so many scarves?

The four men she's seeing couldn't be more different--one is a young guy (who ends up being way too young and immature for her--and has a weird fascination with food), one is her best friend's brother who'd been carrying a torch for her (I honestly felt sorry for him; this one was hard), one is an older, famous painter (who ends up having a wife), and the fourth is her ex who cheated on her years ago (and who, we find out, hasn't changed much). Then Richard--the man she butts heads with at work every day--ends up being the one who really sees her.

I'll be honest. I didn't *LOVE* this one. It was a little too cheesy for me. If I'd read it several years ago, I probably would have loved it. It felt like the Cuban American version of the Shopaholic series, in that it has the same over-the-top, dramatic vibes. Ana is a hot mess, and I spent most of the book just wanting to send her to therapy. Like, girl. This is not a healthy way to deal with your problems. But I did love the representation and how Lisette's real life experience on reality tv shows made that side of the book feel very realistic. I appreciated the glimpse behind the camera.

If you're looking for a snort-chuckle kind of rom-com read, this one might be perfect for you. (For me, the secondhand embarrassment was a little too real.)

I'd give this one maybe 3.5 stars, so I'll round up to four here.

This book was a bit uneven. I really enjoyed the scenes involving Ana's job in production. Decos's skill and passion for production rang true in these scenes and they were the most lively. I also enjoyed the ending and the last 20%, where Ana reflects on her immature behavior and repeated lies and begins to evolve.

However I found the middle of the book to be a bit of a filler rather than anything meaningful. Ana didn't make any meaningful progress or change. She repeatedly messed up in ways that gave me vicarious anxiety without truly understanding her motives.

I wanted to see more of Richard and less of the cast of male characters that mostly fell flat. I did not enjoy how much Ana lied to those she loved. She came off as younger than she was supposed to be. I do not think that her apology to Gia was anywhere near sufficient to be forgiven. I would have liked to see Ana's ARC include therapy or something a bit more meaningful to spur her change of heart and mind.

This was a cute, quick read! I love any book where the MC is a women who’s willing to be bold about their ideas. The romance was a cherry on top!

How can a woman who is stern and powerful in her job be so immature when it comes to love? I didn't see the chemistry at all, but glad Ana learned a lesson from each guy because character development. Duh

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Title: Ana Takes Manhattan

Author: Lisette Decos

My Review:

I have to say up front that romance novels are not my first genre of choice but once in a while a get in the mood for a light, fun romance bordering on women's fiction. Anna Take's Manhattan did the trick. I love humor mixed in with a love story. There was a good number of characters in this story and with a couple of notable exceptions, they are all well developed. Ana is relatable as she often knows the right path to take but make dicey split decisions any way. Without getting into spoiler territory, I will just say that there was a character or two that could be removed from the story and it would have made it better.

I will read from this author again.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Official Blurb:

As a reality TV producer, Ana Karina orchestrates extravagant marriage proposals that always (well, mostly) go as planned. When they don’t, she’s not afraid to cut and paste scenes to make the moment picture-perfect. If only Ana’s own life was as simple to direct. Her colleagues are getting promotions. Her best friend and her younger sister are both getting married. Everyone is moving forward—except Ana.

Sick of feeling stuck, she decides to start living with no regrets. She’s going to pitch all her ideas at work, no matter how unlikely. She’ll take a chance on a guy even if he doesn’t check all her boxes for Mr. Right. Soon, she’s swept up in a roller coaster of exhilarating dates—a comedy show, a Jane Austen reenactment, a rave pool party, and a whirlwind trip to Vienna. With all this excitement, Ana should be on her way to her own happily-ever-after, but instead her life is getting messier by the second.

Yet throwing caution to the wind may still bring Ana more than she hoped for as she begins to listen to her heart and realizes the life—and man—truly meant for her might be the one she never saw coming.

Ana Takes Manhattan is fresh and fun romantic comedy telling the classic tale of a strong-willed, single woman trying to date in the big city.

Ana doesn't like to take risks but her life needs a change so she decides to take some big chances.

1. Find love by dating four very different men all at once.
2. Be more bold at work as a reality show producer and go after the career you want.
3. Figure out how to get along with her father and step family.

The dates brought many fun and exciting moments to this entertaining book. I enjoyed hearing Ana's voice in the telling of her story and how the city was a character in itself.

Her journey was eventful and had a quick, unexpected but perfect ending.

Overall, this was a cute book and I recommend it to fans of women's fiction.

This was a fun read that took me back a little bit to the chick lit stories I grew up on. It’s a coming of age story about a girl who is feeling a little left behind in life and makes a decision to start taking chances. Ana’s dating spree brings lots of humor to the story—if you’ve ever been in the dating trenches, you can relate. The NYC setting was done very well and as I was reading, I felt like I had an inside look at the world of reality T.V. so I wasn’t surprised to learn that the author had worked in the field. Overall, it was a light read with some laugh out loud moments. Just what I needed right now.

3/5. This was a little hit or miss for me.

The premise was good. I like the idea of a story about a woman who goes through the journey of discovering what she likes in a partner, and through trial and error (and a lot of facing her own fears) finds the right guy. I thought the ending tied everything together nicely. Seeing Ana’s growth also impact how she carried herself at work and her producing was a nice bonus. The one thing I didn’t love was Ana herself. She was moody, snotty, selfish and just not my favorite narrator.

A cute women's fiction story that was entertaining enough. I am not sure I would recommend it to others as I don't think it has staying power. I enjoyed the take on the TV producing side of things

Ana is a Reality TV producer who spends her days making marriage proposals look perfect. Feeling stuck in her life, she starts living her life with no regrets - she pitches ideas at work, goes out with men that are wrong for her, etc. Will she find her happily ever after or has it been there all along?

This was fine, but it was missing a little something. I just really didn’t connect with or like Ana. I enjoyed the parts about reality tv, but those pieces couldn’t carry the whole book.

DNF at 23%.

Unfortunately I just couldn't connect with the main character and her actions. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot at the decisions she made and those decisions often pulled me out of the story.

Fun and lighthearted. Not my most adored read, but I did enjoy it. I mean, who doesn’t love a romance set in NYC?
Overall a solid read, I am unsure though if I would read it again.