Overall this was a fun book and I liked it...but I didn't love it. Essentially the MC, Ana, a reality TV producer of a show that films perfect proposals, is looking for her own special romance. She can't find anyone that meets all the criteria on her "list" of qualities in perfect partners so she ends up dating four different men each with one of the qualities.
The audiobook was hilarious so I highly recommend listening to this one to get the full benefit of the fun sound effects! But I found the romance took too long to get to, the best friend, Gia, was not my favourite, and I found the friendship between them toxic.

Many others loved this book and gave it a 5 star rating so it sounds like I just didn't connect with it. I'm grateful to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was such a refreshing read for me. Very light hearted romance. Something I really needed! Ana was super relatable and a breath of fresh air. I literally love the list she makes. Very likeable protagonist . I love the Latina representation in this book and it’s even better that it’s written by a Latina. I’ve come across so many authors that are not of Latina background trying to write about characters they have no ties to, annd it never works. Ana’s inner dialogue was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud several times. It took a minute to get into, BUT please be patient, it’s so worth it! I had seen some said the characters were bleh, but I think that opinion is easy to form in the beginning, the start is slow, just hang on!

I will say that I could not stand Gia at all. Worst friend and person ever. Just selfish and dishonest imo. But she didn’t ruin the book for me!

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.

This book lured me in with the promise of “fans of Abby Jimenez… will love this novel.” I am a HUGE fan of that author, so I was expecting this book to be similar. Unfortunately, it was not. It took me a LONG time to finish it because I just did not LIKE the main character, Ana. Some books with a main character who is a hot mess are actually enjoyable and funny, because we see character growth and development along the way. Sadly, Ana never seemed to grow or mature throughout the book. Her approaches to dating (hello, juggling 4 men at once!) and her friendship with Gia just left me feeling disgusted at her personality and choices instead of laughing with hilarity. Even though it had a romantic ending, it just seemed very sudden. This book is solidly “women’s fiction” but not enjoyable women’s fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

|| 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗛𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗡
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

|| 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒
Ana is a career woman, and her career is finding those happily ever afters and making dream proposals happen on TV. When one doesn’t go as planned it leaves Ana is some trouble at work, and also with a new video editor that really gets under her skin. Will Ana find that her idea of a perfect man is really that perfect?

|| 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄
🎥 Reality TV
💃 Women’s Fiction
👫 Dating Mishaps

|| 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
While I feel this was marketed as a romance, it read more like a women’s fiction to me. It is about romance, but I think the better parts of the story were about Ana and her growth as a person. Honestly this one was just okay to me. It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t connect well to Ana and her dating life. I read reviews about funny dates and honestly all the boys felt rather blah to me. The very ending was nice, but honestly it felt a little off still with the little we found out about Richard. And the best friend Gia seemed like a toxic relationship and maybe that part of the story is what stopped me from enjoying it.

While this book was just mid-level enjoyment for me, others may like it! So thank you to @readforeverpub always for the opportunity to give an honest review!

This was a fun read about romance in NYC and taking your chance on love. When Ana decides to date different guys at the same time in hopes of finding her person, we all know it's going to end in disaster. Working on a proposal show for 8 years with the mix of being the maid of honor for her best friend's wedding and attending her step-sister's wedding all at around the same time, drove her to decide it was time to put herself out there regardless of whether she really liked the guy or not. It was a learning experience for Ana and was interesting read.

Cute story with a fun premise, I read it in one night!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

What an absolute delight! I loved this book! First of all, it's hilarious. I lost track of the number of times I laughed out loud. The situations Ana finds herself in - or puts herself in - are ones to which many of us will be able to relate. I found myself thinking back to my younger (dating and work) years, nodding my head, and having many "oh, yeah" moments while tagging along on her journey.

While this book is filled with humorous moments it's not all laughter, no substance. Decos does an admirable job of layering the story with sub-plots, such as Ana's complicated relationship with her Cuban American family, that bring a poignant depth of emotion to the process. Then there's her work life which affords many opportunities for personal growth as she navigates the shark-infested corporate waters of reality television. As a fan of reality TV, I loved the authenticity of the behind-the-curtain perspective of producer (Ana) and crew as told by an actual reality TV producer (Decos). And, finally, there's romance. Again, I found myself catapulted back to my dating years and the guys who checked one - or two - of my HEA boxes but not the whole bouquet. Maybe Ana has the right idea. Opening herself up to saying yes to all of them has her experiencing some amazing dates while at the same time learning what it is she actually wants. And doesn't want. No spoilers but let me say I was 100% on board with the final outcome.

If you're in the mood for a hilarious romcom with poignant undertones, complicated family dynamics, long-lasting female friendships, reality TV shenanigans, discovering love in unexpected places, and finding yourself in the process, this is the book for you. It has my very enthusiastic recommendation!

4.5 stars
ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Ana Takes Manhattan is a fun, lighthearted rom-com that will make you laugh out loud and think about your life choices.
Ana is a reality TV producer who loves, loves her job but is worried to lose it since something went wrong in one of the episodes of her reality show.
She decides to find a man since she is tired of being single. She makes lists for everything she wants to do or accomplish and one of these lists is a set of four requirements. She finds herself stringing along four men who each posses one of his requirements. Don't want to spoil it but you will laugh with some of Ana's occurrences.
I truly enjoyed it!.

This is a quick beach read and based on other reviews I've seen it sounds like the audiobook is not to be missed. Cute with some laugh-out-loud moments and a few cringe-worthy ones too.

I thought I'd love this book because it was set in Manahattan and focused around the televsion industry. I WAS SO WRONG! So wrong that I couldn't even finish the book. I just didn't like the main female character. I kept reading until about half way and I had to stop. This book wasn't for me. Thanks NEtGalley for the advanced copy. #NetGalley #AnaTakesManhattan

2.5⭐️

I think the cover of this book is really fun and when I read the description I was really excited to read it but ultimately, it was a let down. I thought the majority of the characters were a bit too immature for their age (30s I think), especially Ana and I didn't feel particularly invested in which of the guys she chose and how the story ended. I did appreciate how accurate it felt that the reality tv show was portrayed which I think is from the author's own background, but unfortunately that was the highlight of the book for me rather than any of the actual plot/characters.

I loved everything about the chaos that Ana who's seemingly so organized with her lists created throughout this whole book only to find that sometimes you have to throw the list and your expectations out the window (or burn them in your kitchen sink) to find happiness. Gia was a lot and reminded me of one of my oldest friends so I could understand Ana wanting to be in her life but good luck to Matt is all I could keep thinking. This story was well rounded and I loved Ana's idea for her own show and how Richard was involved with it to wrap things up perfectly.

✨New Release✨

Another great debut novel!! These authors really know what us romance readers want!

All the characters are messy and funny, and had me swooning in different ways. I couldn’t put this one down, and just needed to know who Ana was going to end up with! I laughed out loud quite a few times 😆

Thank you to #netgalley for another opportunity to read a brand new release!

Liked the premise but it felt YA at times. Also, wanted more Cuban American culture as it is talked about only once in the story. I felt main character was immature at times.

This was a really fun book! I have not been motivated to read anything recently and this book pulled me out of the little slump I was in. This book was an extremely quick and easy read.

This book is, above all things, very funny. Ana is a woman in her thirties who feels like nothing is really working out the way she wants. She is not appreciated at her job, she has a rocky relationship with her step-mom, and most importantly, she feels like she is never going to find a man who meets her expectations. Ana's resolution? Date multiple men, each one with a characteristic that she is looking for. In this book, we get to watch Ana struggle to juggle her many men, her job, and her friendship with her best friend.

Many thanks to you Forever Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for this ARC!!

Ana Karina works as a producer for a marriage proposal reality show. She has produced eight seasons, but Ana’s life isn’t like the show she produces. She’s a single girl in New York City who hasn’t met her Mr. Right or Right Now. Ana rarely rarely takes risks, but she stages risky situations for unforgettable wedding proposals on her tv show. And she lives her life based on a series of lists.

Her perfect man list has been around almost a decade, since a bad breakup in college. Every time she comes across a man with an annoying habit… she adds that to her list of things she doesn’t want in a man.
When her stepsister and her best friend begin celebrating their weddings, she starts to reevaluate her lists. Ana decides to throw caution to the wind and say yes to dates with men (whether or not they’re going to be the one).

So, who is the right man for Ana?

Ana Takes Manhattan is a delightful journey of dating and self-discovery. This is a quirky romcom with a Cuban American representation. While a little predictable, I enjoyed this book. It reminded me a of What’s Your Number. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romcoms.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the ARC of Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos.

So cute! Loved it! Ana Karina dreams up over the top marriage proposals for the reality TV shoe she produces. When one bride doesn’t say “yes” to the perfect proposal, it sends Ana down a different path professionally and personally.
She decides to start living with no regrets. She’s going to start living life with no regrets and go out with guys who don’t check the boxes on her list. Some really bad dates, funny banter and a precious story make up this book that would be a really great movie. Thank you Net Galley!

Ana Karina is a reality TV producer who loves her job and arranges marriage proposals. Part of her job is to cut, copy and paste scenes to make it better for TV viewership. However, Ana’s love life isn’t as simple and she can’t edit those out. To make things difficult, Ana has a list of things her Mr. Right shouldn’t have and decides to date four different men each embodying one list item to find her Mr. Right.

I feel like this is going to be a hit or miss story with many readers. Personally, I didn’t like Ana after one third of the book and I absolutely didn’t like her best friend Gia. Ana was a likable character in the beginning but later on, I felt she was more immature and judgemental, although she did learn something from each relationship. Also to me, Gia was not a supportive friendship. Maybe it was because Gia was getting married or they had some unresolved bad blood, but some of the things Gia said and did didn’t sit well with me.

The writing is simple yet sometimes vague making this a quick read if one is interested in the story. It has funny dialogues and instances which makes it somewhat entertaining. The romantic chemistry is lacking likely because there are too many men causing multiple subplots. Also, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters mainly because of their choices and spoken words.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. This isn’t a romance focused book but a story focused on Ana’s journey to finding her Mr. Right while trying to grow as an individual. There is a lot going on with Ana dating, with her job, with her family and with her friend, which ultimately ends very abruptly.

I have to say that this was a book I had to push myself to stick with but I'm glad I did. You see, I didn't care for the main character, Ana....at all initially. But as the book progressed, I'm happy to say, so did Ana.

In the beginning, it seemed that Ana was frozen in time from a maturity level standpoint and really didn't get "real life." Everything seemed like a "production" to her. So, I guess it made sense that she made her living working on reality television. Unfortunately, when you expect real life to be like television, it's always going to fall short. Through her experiences in this book, Ana learns and grows. Eventually she discovers that the things you thought you had absolutely no interest in might just be what you actually wanted all along.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Ana Takes Manhattan is a cute rom com read. Ana works on producing a reality television show about marriage proposals, yet she’s been having trouble finding her own love of her life. She’s obsessed with making lists and comes across one she wrote with her best friend Gia of the four things she needs to have in her dream man. The growth Ana goes through while trying to be spontaneous is at times a bit unbelievable, and while I found the last 25% to be a bit rushed, I did enjoy the overall story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.