Ana is a reality show producer who really doesn't click with the guy who she has to work with to wrap up an episode. Hijinks ensue! I enjoyed this cute story. The reality show aspect was especially fun. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Discovering and being true oneself, and finding the love you deserve where you least expect it

Ana is a producer on a Reality TV show where couples propose to their love ones in extravagant and unexpected ways. Although she is surrounded by love at work she can't seem to find it for herself. She has lists with who her perfect man is and everything he isn't and is holding out for Mr. Right. When her best friend who is soon to be married convinces her to just put herself out there and maybe be surprised, she ends up dating a few guys who are all wrong for her. She learns a lot, makes a few changes and maybe figures out that her guy has been there all along she just didn't realize it.

There are very few things about this book that worked for me, and while it was mildly entertaining, it felt more like a train wreck you cannot look away from, or in this case put down. The characters were all very immature and awful for the most part, there is also way too much infidelity for my liking. It was cliche and cringy in many places, and overall there was not enough humour, chemistry, and overall fun. I really wanted to enjoy myself, I love reality tv, and latinx women being unapologetically themselves and finding love, but this one was a huge miss for me.

This book was pretty good. Ana was an OK FMC. I found her to be a little judgemental but I was also rooting for her. I would recommend it.

4.5 stars

I don't know that I have ever laughed this much reading a book. Back in college, Ana made a list of 4 must-have qualities that she needed in a man. Now, 10+ years later, she can't seem to find a man who has all of them. So, she dates 4 guys, each of which has one of the desired traits. Much hilarity for the reader ensues. For Ana, not so much. Maybe that list is holding her back instead of helping her find her path.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I had a little trouble getting into the story at first. Also, the Jimmy Buffett-themed wedding of her stepsister seemed incongruous. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this women's fiction.

Thank you Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I must admit, I was not a super fan of the man juggling or the best friend, but there were many parts of this story I enjoyed.

Once I realized who the REAL love interest would be, I was excited. I liked him so much, and the banter between Ana and the LI was fantastic. I would have loved more of them, or to spend more time with them as a couple.

The reality TV portion of the story was fun. It's always interesting to get a peek behind the curtain, and Decos took me there. I wasn't sure where that part of the story was going, but I rather enjoyed where it ended up.

I also appreciated Ana's personal journey. She was a master of list, but all her requirements had been holding her back. She went to extremes in trying to combat that, but she did learn a lot about herself along the way.

Overall: A fun and entertaining read.

this was an entertaining story. The main character, Ana, is trying to take control of her life and starts dating three people at once, while also trying to date her best friend's fiance's best man. There's a work subplot and an eventual office romance. It could have been a little more developed.

*Spoilers ahead*
I have to be honest, I did not finish this book. I made it a little over 50% through and had to put it down. I will say that there were plenty of witty exchanges that made me laugh, but the plot was just too slow for me. I also feel that none of the characters are likeable. The main character Ana barely has a personality. I'm not invested in her finding her happily ever after. Especially after she asked her cheating ex-boyfriend out on a date. After listening to the things he did to her in the run up, as soon as it was revealed that he was the 4th date, I noped out. She says she wants a love story and a true love, yet she wastes time on an ex and pining after a man she A) has met only once and he didn't pay her any attention and B) her best friend tells her he's not a man she wants. That is another thing. Her best friend is the absolute worst. I don't think that she is Ana's true friend. And why the hell is Ana basically planning the best friend's wedding for her? All while the best friend is sexting other guys? No, absolutely not. I don't care what happens to her. Combine that and a slow plot, the book was dead in the water for me.

Okkkkk new author who is now on my top list! I recently came across this title but I'm so glad I did because it was right up my alley. This book is too cute and it will be one of those that I will recommend to most people in 2023! It was such a fun read and I think most people who read it will enjoy it as well. I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you for the chance to read this one early!

This book was too cute!!! Ana Karina makes the TV I love the most. Behind the scenes marriage proposals, done in the most extravagant way! Anything reality is something I'm into!

The story highlights her job as a reality TV producer, her dating life, and the life of her crazy best friend. Ana is stuck with a chandelier that she can't hang, a crazy best friend, a crotchety boss, and a strained relationship with her family, Ana just wants to catch a break.

Throwing everything into the wind, including her list of what makes a perfect man, Ana sets out on a life she's never imagined. Date after date, man after man, her life starts to devolve. What Ana needs to learn most of all is that to follow her heart, she can't always follow the script...

The premise for this story is very cute. Ana, a reality tv producer who works on shows about over the top romantic proposals, is struggling to find love herself. After a proposal gone wrong occurs on her show, Ana is forced to take stock of her life and decides she needs to make some changes. There is an interesting cast of side characters in this story, some more likable than others. I did take one star off because I found it hard to relate to Ana for a large part of the story, and because a lot of time was spent on her dating mishaps, and very little on developing the relationship with the right one. Overall, still a very cute story and I would read a book by this author again. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Witty and fresh! I enjoyed the characters and the NY setting. I literally laughed out loud many, many times. The writing is fun and authentic. I had a hard time with the female friendship and that particular character but overall, this was fun. 3.5 stars.

🚕 Ana Takes Manhattan is exactly the book I needed to close out 2022. A fun read that had me laughing out loud!

Ana Karina is a reality TV producer for a marriage proposal show and is very career driven, so much so that she’s failed to focus on her own love life. Realizing this, she finds a list she made when she was young of what her perfect man looks like and sets out to find him. Turns out, her list equates to her dating four guys. This is where the fun begins!

This is an easy read, full of funny moments with likable characters. I especially loved the references to the Cuban culture sprinkled throughout the book. You better believe I’ll be eating twelve grapes tomorrow night 😉

➜ Ana Takes Manhattan is out on 2/28/23

Thank you @readforeverpub and @lissettedecos for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this would be a romance, but it turned out to be more of an inside look at a TV producer's work and life, working with editors and putting together a reality tv show about marriage proposals. The romance was slow to arrive and painful for the reader, who wanted something quicker and less realistic.

Ana, a reality tv producer of surprise marriage proposals, is looking for love. She ends up dating four very different men in her quest to find the one.

Sadly, this wasn't the book for me. While I liked Ana’s list-making (I'm a huge list-maker), it got repetitive. I also didn't find the characters to be that likable. I particularly didn't understand the actions of Gia, Ana’s best friend. And finally, I would consider this to be more of a women’s fiction book with romance elements than the romance that I thought it would be.

Overall, this easy read has potential. Those who enjoy stories about self-discovery and knowing your worth with some romance should check this out.

I received an early copy of this book. This voluntary review reflects my honest opinion.

Thanks to Forever for the copy of this book!

I was highly anticipating this read with it being set in New York City with reality TV… Sounded super cute! However, I just couldn’t connect with the book or the writing and decided to put it down.

A fun story about Ana, who produces a reality TV show about wedding proposals. Ana is having problems with her own love life. She knows what she doesn’t want in a man and finds that she may need to lower her standards. As a mature (almost senior) I couldn’t really relate to the book. It seems to be written for a younger age group than mine. I was honored to receive a digital ARC from Forever Publishing and NetGalley. This opinion is my own.

You'd have to be Type A to run a very successful and detailed reality show about proposals, right? Ana definitely fits that bill. She's got a list for everything, like what to bring to her sister's wedding, her responsibilities as MOH for her friend Gia's wedding, a 30+ point list of what her dream man won't have, and a simple 4 point list of what he will be. When Ana gets a reality check, she decides to start saying "Yes" to dates. Hi-jinks ensue as she begins dating several men at once.

I liked reading about Ana, and I could definitely see this as a longer series! The central lesson / theme was in learning to let go of some of the pressure we put on ourselves and rely on others sometimes. I love that!

There were a lot of competing plot lines in this story, and I don't think any of them had enough room to flourish. This book should have been about 30% longer to do all of them justice. Ana goes on a journey of discovering and respecting herself. The ending love interest felt tacked-on to me. I was not invested in that storyline at all and would have preferred for him to stay a friend, and have Ana's story be that she learned about herself and how to stand up for herself at work and let friends / family in more.

Overall, I'd recommend if you like romance stories, quick chapters, and a few belly laughs sprinkled in.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Publishing for sharing an eARC of this book for my honest review. All opinions above are my own.

I adore the cover of this book, but the story was a miss for me. I really was hoping I would love it, I had a very hard time rooting for Ana and enjoying her journey in this book.

Ana loves what she does...producing the best marriage proposals where the girls are always bound to say yes. These proposals are crazy fancy and typically go exactly as planned. When a few problems are thrown her way, she ends up with a new editor who does not believe in the show and it seems as if everything is going wrong. She ends up dating multiple guys at once and when that backfires, she has no idea where to turn. Her best friend gets upset with her over her dating issue, but somehow, Ana still finds the guy that is best for here.

I thought the story was cute, but I was not overly in love with it. It just seemed very surface level and unrealistic.

While the premise of Ana Takes Manhattan grasped my attention right away, and I loved the reality show and NYC pieces, I felt like the story itself was a bit too chaotic. There were so many moving parts that allowed zero time for the romance to develop and there were lot of loose ties at the end of the book (I hope the final copy has an epilogue). Also, I didn’t connect with Ana as much as I wanted to. While I loved her life lists and to see her struggles with dating, her inner monologues were all over the place, which distracted from the flow of the story. Of note, I did love the supporting characters and found that they added a fun amount of comedy in the plot and dialogue!

Read if you like:
-NYC setting
-Reality shows
-Dating
-Supportive coworkers and best friends
-Lists

Thank you Forever for the ARC. Pub date 2/28/23