I went into this expecting it to be perfectly satisfactory and that's exactly what it was. A solid three stars, this would be a great palate cleanser. The main character was a bit grating at first, and I was hoping to see some character growth but unfortunately that didn't happen. This one was entertaining enough, but not one that will stick with me.

Umm, so I struggled with this book. Quiet a bit. 3/5 stars overall.

I found the blurb of the story really intriguing, especially because of the Reality TV theme. The first 30 percent of the story progressed in a really charming manner ~ until Ana started acting really immature for her age. I need to connect with the main characters to properly enjoy a book, but sadly with Ana Takes Manhattan, that didn't happen. Both Ana and the supporting characters did unlikable stuffs that made me feel so... sad. I lost interest multiple times throughout the story, but I kept reading just because I wanted to see how the author wrapped things up + who Ana ended up with. The main friendship in the book felt really toxic to me as well. Women need to lift each other up... but Ana and Gia didn't, even though their story had so much potential!

The romance could have been developed and outlined better, but it was good nevertheless. The main love interest (the one who Ana ended up with) was thankfully a likable (enough) character, so that's a win!

Ana is great at what she does - producing reality shows about love. But in real life, she's married to her job with no prospective suitors in sight. While Ana is planning her best friend's wedding, she decides to change her own life too and start dating, rather than waiting for the one who would check all the boxes on her list.

I am in love with this book!! It's sweet, heartwarming, just with the right amount of 🌶️. This read is laugh-out-loud hilarious! I laughed so much, I never wanted the story to end. Ana is a lister! Anyone else is obsessed with lists? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Ana's lists are fun and she runs her life on them - loved it!! New York setting was absolutely charming. This is a great book that would make you fall in love with New York if you aren't a fan yet. The premise was fresh and exciting: Ana has a list of top four features she's looking for in a man, and she ends up dating four different guys (simultaneously 😂), each guy checking off one box on her list. Reality TV production scene was also fun to get a glimpse into. And if you're wondering how that dating plan worked out for Ana, you just must read this book!

I hope you fall in love with this fresh read the way I did! I would say it's a perfect spring romcom. I would definitely want to see more from this author.

This was so cute and funny! It had me laughing during most parts. I also really loved Ana’s character and how she grew throughout the book. Loved how this was a book version of The Bachelor! Can’t wait for her next book.

RATING: ⭐⭐

This book was not quite what I had expected.

TV producer Ana Karina is a master of romance-for-TV. She is a genius when it comes to the super-extra and super-romantic marriage proposals for the TV show she works for.

Unfortunately, the only romance in her life is the one she crafts for TV. And with everyone else around her walking down the aisle, time is definitely ticking for Ana and her love life. She takes her list of qualities for the perfect man and decides to enter the dating scene with said list. No, she's not picky. Not at all, as she is willing to compromise on her list, leaving her with more frogs than princes.

The premise is great; I would read these kinds of plots and tropes all day any day. Unfortunately, the execution did not quite hit the mark. The characters, including Ana, were hard to relate to, and even some of the supporting characters were not likable.

For me, it was hard to keep pushing through because of the characters, but if you want to give this standalone book a shot, it is a quick light read with decent pacing.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Lissette Decos, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Super cute romance. At times I was annoyed with Gia, and wished there was more about the friend conflict. I think the twist with Richard editing her treatment was nice. I was hoping for a little bit more at the end, maybe a prologue for what happened with the mc.

The reality TV producer main character is feeling stuck in her life. With family and friends getting married, and her coworkers getting promoted, the main character decides to live with no regrets. Thus, the main character pitches her ideas at work and begins to date all kinds of guys. Along the way, the main character learns more about herself and how the right guy may not be too far away.

This is the debut book by Lissette Decos. It has romance but feels more like women's fiction to me. I did enjoy the work setting aspects of the story, and the Cuban American culture was interesting to read about. I enjoyed reading the journey that the main character went through, but there were times that it did get tedious. There were certain secondary characters that were likable and dislikable, especially when the relationships between the main character and them needed more work to get a better resolution at the end of the story. I really liked the main character's love interest and feel that the progression of that particular relationship needed more details for better transition within the book. Overall, this is a nice debut story by Lissette Decos.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

Thank you to Netgalley and to Forever publishing for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Ana Takes Manhattan was a fun read with multiple laugh out loud moments. The book is about Ana, a reality TV show producer who, despite producing a TV about love and marriage, cannot seem to find success in her own love life. The situations that Ana found herself in while trying to create this perfect love life felt like staged moments in a reality TV show, but that worked for me!

I liked Ana a lot as our main character. She made some VERY questionable decisions throughout the book, including a lot of deceit, but I understood her motives and still enjoyed her perspective. Despite Ana taking some turns that I didn't agree with, I was still rooting for her to find her happy ending. I liked the role that each love interest played and pretty much liked every character except for her best friend, who I also thought made questionable decisions.

The story is considered a rom-com, but it honestly felt more women's fiction. The story centered more around Ana's struggles than it did romance, but once I understood that, I stopped looking for romance cues and enjoyed the plot more. If you are looking for spice, this is not the book for you.

Overall, I would rate this 3.5/5 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, fast-paced women's comedy. I found myself audibly laughing throughout the entirety of this book. This is a debut book by Lissette Decos and I'm excited to see what she comes out with next!

The premise of this sounded so fun, but I found the characters to be a little annoying, and some of the plot points a bit far fetched. Ana is a producer on a reality TV show where she helps couples with their dream proposal, even though she's far from an engagement of her own. She finally decides to take her dating life seriously, and starts dating four separate men. They each embody a specific trait from the list of qualities she wants her dream man to have. Despite thinking she's closer than ever to having what she truly wants, Ana is left feeling unfulfilled.

I thought this book had so much potential! I loved the dating show angle and thought the idea of dating the four men to find her one true love was sweet. Ana was very likeable from the start, but halfway through the book, I began to find her insufferable. Some of the actions of her friends (and the men) were frankly bizarre. I liked the message behind this book, and the ending romance was cute, albeit a little rushed and underdeveloped. A sweet story that I read quickly, but not my fave. I think more focus should have been put on developing the real love interest, instead of giving us the odd hijinks that made up 75% of the book.

While Ana's job focuses on people in love taking the next step, her love life is anything but reflective of that path forward. After an event goes awry at work, she takes a chance on trying to see if dating a few guys, at the same time, will get her any closer to her soul mate checklist.

What follows is all over - cringe, chaos, some romance and fun - and sets Ana up to make a choice about her path forward. This was a quick fun read with some "I cannot believe (s)he..." moments. I would have liked to have seen some more build in certain points. This equates to me a bit like a spin on Sex and the City.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Forever publishing for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I love to discover new authors! Ana Takes Manhattan was a great read. While it took just a bit to get into the story, once I got going it was smooth sailing to the end. I fell in love with Ana. Her love of lists and lack of luck in the relationship game resonated with me. There were times when I didn't like her bestie Gia (hypocrite much?) As a lover of lists, Ana had many of them, even the requisite characteristics you want in a partner. Instead of checking all of them off with one guy, she was juggling four. While I felt that was a bit much to handle, Ana had the right attitude looking for right now. And then finding the right one in the most unlikely of people? He was right in front of her the entire time.

I really enjoyed this story. It was interesting to get a glimpse into Ana's head via her lists and her internal dialogue. I hope to see more books from Lissette Decos.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley at my request and voluntarily left this review.

I’m glad I stuck with this book. It did not start with a bang. No! The first few chapters started off boring and monotonous. It took a while to settle into.

After the lethargic start, it picks up pace and suddenly the page turning becomes easier and faster as I am eager to find out more about Ana’s shenanigans.

Told from Ana’s point of view, the book takes us on a journey into her life, work and relationships.

It is about a woman growing into herself, appreciating who she is and finding love.

I love the accurate description of New York and the subtle Manhattan vs Other Boroughs war. I also enjoy how the author has portrayed Anna- it was very canny to read about her struggles and vulnerability.

I love all of the characters from TJ to Philip and even Bianca and Edith. All of them brought their A-game.

There were a few laugh out loud moments which contributed to the richness of the book.

I will recommend this book to lovers of fiction and women’s fiction.

As a big romance reader, I have seen promo for Ana Takes Mahattan everywhere! I was quite excited to get an ARC from #netgalley and Forever Publishing.

While there was a lot I enjoyed here, it fell a little flat to me. I was really drawn to Ana - I love a list! I struggle with dating! I have a really hard time saying no to anyone and as a result, have planned so many bachelorettes/weddings/etc.

I think it is because I enjoyed her so much that I wanted more for her. I liked the idea of her dating a number of guys, each of whom ticked one, but not all of her boxes. What I didn't like though is how most of those relationships (and her crush on the best man in her bestie's wedding!) included some type of infidelity, and ultimately very few consequences and resolution.

I LOVED the relationship between Ana and her editor and honestly wanted more and that to be explored even more.

Ana is searching for Mr right, but he needs to tick all the boxes on her list. Will she be so focussed on her list that she misses the person right in front of her? A great read, looking forward to more books from this author.

Read if you like:
💕 Romances
🗽 Books set in NYC
😂 Laugh out Loud Narrative

The area that a I struggled the most with this one is with her best friend Gia, she seemed really problematic and I guess that was nice to see because we have all had those friends in our lives but they aren’t often written into the books we read.

This one also had a really abrupt ending so if you are one that likes a longer lasting ending and wrap up that is something to be aware of going into this one.

Other than these two issues I really enjoyed the dating and romance in this story and enjoyed the growth of the MC during the book.

Thank you to the Forever Pub for my ARC of this one in exchange for my review!

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos is a lighthearted women's fiction/romance story about a reality tv producer.

Story Recap:
Ana Karina is a reality TV producer and she loves her job. She produces a show that arranges elaborate and over-the-top marriage proposals. She’s been doing the show for years and the proposals always go as planned. Until one doesn’t and Ana finds herself worried about her job.

Ana decides it’s time to find the right guy. She’s tired of the single life and tired of men who don’t meet her four requirements. Since she can’t find a man who meets them all, she goes on a series of dates with a man who each meets one of her requirements. Between the four men, she should be able to find someone compatible.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this cute story very much. Although there is a romance, this is more of a women’s fiction story and the romance takes a back seat. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at a fictional reality TV show. The setting in New York City was fun too. I love books set there, and the author made me feel like I was in the city.

I liked Ana very much but didn’t like her friend Gia very much and I didn’t think it was a supportive friendship. Although Ana has some growth in the story, it’s not as much as I thought she needed.

There are some very funny moments in this story, and I enjoyed the humor.

Recommendation:


I recommend Ana Takes Manhattan to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First, I adore this bright cover!
Second, this book will sweep you away to NYC for a few hours.
Ana is very intense and listy. I thought I was a list person, but she has me beat. I thought Ana needed to loosen her grip a lot. She dates four guys simultaneously, but I knew instantly which one was for her.
There are a couple of scenes that made me roar with laughter and plenty that made me cringe.
I disliked Gia. I thought she was self absorbed and then had the audacity to treat Ana, who had basically put together her entire wedding like dirt and didn’t bother to apologize.
Ana finds that there is a lot to discover outside of Manhattan.

I wanted more romance! The lead character was a bit to juvenile considering her age and profession. And the lists, they were a distraction as they were constantly repeated.

Ana Take Manhattan has a gorgeous cover, but the story lacks depth. I only wished I enjoyed this read more when it was over. Thank you Forever for the complimentary copy.

Ana Takes Manhattan is a refreshing breath of fresh air that provides a much-needed escape. With its witty dialogue, accurate depiction of Manhattan's unique atmosphere, and a protagonist that you can't help but cheer for, Lisette Decoss' debut novel is a must-read for any time of the year.

This is a fun book. I liked the reality TV aspect and her dating 4 different people. Overall this was a fun and entertaining read.