3.5 ⭐️
Thank you @readforeverpub for this ARC.

I think I’m still trying to sort through my feelings for this book.

A few thoughts:
- There were many laugh out loud moments which is always a win for me in books.
- I have mixed feelings about Ana’s character because on one hand I completely understand that feeling of needing to be in control, I always found myself frustrated with what to me appeared to be her inability to be happy and she seemed difficult to please.
- I hated Gia. That friendship was terribly one sided and honestly Ana didn’t need that in her life. Sometimes, people are only meant to be in your life for a season, and I think Gia’s time came and left. There’s no use in keeping a friend around simply because of the length of time in which you know one another.
- I didn’t mind that Ana was dating several people at one time, but I do wish that there was more time with the person she ended up choosing. I felt like that bit was rushed and I didn’t get the chance to fall in love with them as a couple.

Overall it was a solid read.

I hated this book. I found Ana to be insufferable and incredibly immature. Her best friend was worse than she was and that's saying something because Ana was so awful. Maybe I don't remember being in my 20s and lost but Ana really takes the cake for one of my least favorite female characters ever.

What a fun, quirky, quick and inspiring little story! I read it in one sitting, which is a big plus. Also, I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard, so more bonus points for that!

I loved all the production show behind the scenes moments, they were fun and extremely realistic, and considering Lissette's background, that totally makes sense. Why make research for a book when you have your own experience to draw from? Everything feels more realistic and upbeat. The New York experiences, the career and personal life struggles, the ups and downs, everything points to a story we can relate to.

It has a very light feel to it and there is no spice, but sometimes we need one of those clean stories to bring life and the real message across.

Ana's voice and personality are a delight, following her on her journey of adventure, discovery and acceptance was so easy and understantable. I wasn't a fan of some of her choices, but she learned something in the end and it all worked out. I would have liked more of her and the (real!) love interest at the end, but I'll just have to hope they got their HEA. (and the proposal - I hope we get a bonus scene or epilogue of that!!)

*review copy provided by the publisher and netgalley, thank you!

Ana Takes Manhattan brings you Ana, a single woman working as a TV producer for a proposal reality TV show. She has an epiphany at her stepsister's wedding that she needs to take a chance on her dating life and say yes to more date instead of waiting for the *perfect* guy.

Ana was a little chaotic to me. I didn't feel like I got to know her enough at the beginning to understand why she was hiding in her bedroom instead of actively participating in her stepsister's wedding wallowing. Her best friend was also a train wreck and I didn't feel like Ana owed her all that loyalty.

Ana enjoys making lists and while I appreciated them to help move the story along they got a little repetitive for me. Overall this one was okay for a working woman finding love in NYC and I'd read something else from this author for sure.

content warning: death of a parent (off page)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm obsessed! I lOVE the bachelor and didn't realize that this was another fun take on The Bachelor franchise, but from the POV of a producer.

Ana was so relatable and I am really loving this recent trend in romance of older (30s) FMC"s! I love how Ana really committed to her dating journey (and her list for traits in a partner) and the self realization journey along the way.

Couple this with an NYC backdrop and a really enjoyable sense of humor, I will definitely be picking up more form Lissette Decors in the future!

The description of this book sounded really amazing but Ana kind of treats all of the men she starts dating like crap. She’s either less serious than they are but plays along, or she’s way more serious than they are but ignores all the red flags. I did appreciate her growth at the end and definitely liked the ending.

Ana is a reality tv producer for a marriage proposal show. She's used to things going as planned because she has a list for everything. Right now, the thing that is not going to plan is her love life. That's nonexistent. Ana has a list of four qualities the guy that she dates must possess. Instead of finding one guy with all four qualities, she decides to date four guys who each have one of the qualities. In her quest to find the perfect man, Ana ends up finding something better. Herself.

Ana Takes Manhattan is marketed as a romance and women's fiction book but reads like a women's fiction book. This one was both hit and miss for me. There were parts of this that I really enjoyed, but also parts that I found really distasteful. I didn't like how Ana was dating four men at the same time for her own personal gain. She was leading them on, not letting any of them know she was seeing other people. Plus, her best friend, Gia, was getting married, yet still flirting with multiple other men. I really liked Richard. He was the reality check that Ana needed. I really wish there was more of Richard and Ana in the book. They were like the grumpy/sunshine part of the book. A heads up, if you are not a fan of lists, you might want to skip this book. This book is full of lists. Even my list making self was getting tired of all the lists at one point. All in all. The first part of the book, didn't like. The second part of the book, loved. Would I read it now knowing then what I know now? Probably not.

Ana orchestrates extravagant marriage proposals for a reality TV show she produces in New York City.

She’s told she’s too picky about potential romantic partners (and she’s got the lists of required qualities to prove it), so she throws caution to the wind and begins dating four men.
Chaos ensues.

I guess I was expecting more romance, but I would call this one women’s fiction. Even though there were half-baked romances throughout, they seemed very surface level.
I think the story had too much going on and would've been better with more of the actual love interest, more of her family and Cuban culture, and without the toxic best friend.
I hoped for more personal growth within the characters by the end. They all felt underdeveloped and were hard to connect to.

However, I did enjoy the humorous and heartwarming moments; there were definitely a few times I laughed out loud.

The writing was great, and for that reason I'd definitely check out more by this author.

This is quite the rollercoaster of a story AKA there is a lot going on. Ana is a list person which I can appreciate, but even she let the lists get in the way of real life. Lower your expectations woman! It felt like a step in the right direction when Ana decides to throw caution to the wind and date multiple guys, including her bff’s brother. IMO the brother was not a good option, actually none of her options were a good idea but I guess you never know until you try. Everything that happened with the four guys was a tad predictable.

While this was an entertaining read at times the guy Ana chose came from left field, and the ending felt rushed. Just because this didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!

This book was cute. I love a good romcom but this one didn’t stand out. It wasn’t my favorite storyline but I usually do love the reality show storylines.

This book was a huge lesson in how you shouldn't judge a book by its ratings. I personally really, really liked & enjoyed it.

Ana's love life (or the lack of it) was entertaining as hell. I loved how she made a list that had 4 points of how her dream man should be, when she was young. That list took a whole new level, but that's another story.

And might I say, how much I loved the love interest? He was a playful grump who wore fashionable, indoor scarves & was terrific at his job. The banter he & Ana shared was priceless.
I appreciated the quirky lists that were there in every other chapter and, well, not to forget the doorman!! He was a piece of art.

This was more on the women's fiction side with valuable lessons & morals in the end. Fans of Lizzy Dent & Katy Birchall, you'll like this one!

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

In Ana Takes Manhattan, our heroine is a reality television producer in New York City who decides she's fed up with looking for one man to check off every item on her list, and will instead date four--one fulfilling each item. She begins dating a hotter-than-hell 21 year old lighting technician, a decades-older famous artist, her BFF's romantic poet brother, and her comedian college ex-boyfriend. Everyone but Ana can see this is a spectacularly terrible plan, which is why she keeps it to herself--including from her BFF and then men. But when things blow up in her face, she realizes maybe her list wasn't the best approach, and there's someone else who is right for her...

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. In some ways it's fun and frothy and a Sex and the City Style romp (but without the sex, because despite dating four men, there isn't any). On the other hand, it drags a bit, and you're left waiting for Ana to finally realize her plan is absolutely terrible. My favorite parts of this book were actually the bits involving Ana's job, perhaps because I'm a reality television show junkie. I didn't dislike this book but it didn't blow my socks off either. I think folks looking for (a) a love story to Manhattan, (b) a heroine with an interesting job, and (c) lots of characters to keep things interesting rather than simply dual leads would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Forever for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Ana is one of the most chaotic characters I've seen in a while. The story starts off with her coming to the realization that she's very unhappy with her life. She is a reality tv show producer, but hasn't been able to produce any of her show ideas. She's in her mid-30s and single. She isn't very close to her father anymore since he remarried after her mother's death. She stumbles across a list she wrote in college, which has a list of qualities she wants her dream guy to have, and decides she will date a guy that matches each other the qualities on her list. This is where all the chaos ensues. This one had its funny, weird moments. I did enjoy reading this one, especially when it got into the deeper stuff that she was going through and never confronted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

-3.5 stars, rounded down-

Ana is a reality TV producer for a show about marriage proposals. Her best friend is getting married. But she’s stuck with her list - the characteristics of her perfect man. She decides that if she can’t find one guy to check all the boxes, maybe she should just start dating multiple guys that each check a box. But when that still isn’t perfect, she’s forced to face the idea that maybe nothing is perfect after all.

I loved Ana, especially her internal monologue. Her antics with the chandelier, and her variety of clothing predicaments, made me laugh. I didn’t really love the parts about her job…they seemingly spent weeks editing the season premiere episode, but hadn’t filmed anything for the rest of the season by the time it premiered? And her relationship with Gia was romanticized in some parts, but sounded really toxic in other parts.

Overall, I loved the way the ending came together, and the lessons that were learned.

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos is a fun read! This is very light-hearted book and I enjoyed laughing out loud at times. Ana Karina is a producer for a reality TV show and creates marriage proposals making every woman swoon. Ana hasn't been lucky in love herself and sets 4 main qualities she is looking for in a man. She decides to date 4 men at one time each with one of the qualities she is looking for. Let the games begin! This is a great for those of us who have watched more than our fair share of reality tv and looking for love.

Ana Takes Manhattan was a cute read that follows the story of Cuban American, Ana Karina, who’s a bit of a perfectionist. She’s big on to-do lists and if it’s not on her list or not to a certain standard level, she cuts it out. Which with her being a TV Producer, is very easy for her. On Ana’s current to-do list she has to plan her best friends wedding and come up for a new tv show pitch to continue furthering her career. Ana’s got one “list” in particular which sticks out amongst the rest which is her ideal man list. She’s so picky when it comes to dating that she just doesn’t. After being influenced by her gorgeous Brazilian best friend, she takes a leap of faith and begins dating 3 men at the same time that all possess a different quality she’s looking for. Will it blow up in her face? Quite possibly. I mean let’s face it… when does dating 3 men at once actually work?

All-in-all this was definitely a cute read. At some points I do have to say, Ana’s dialog or thoughts frustrated me personally with how OCD she was (lol). But it was fun to follow her along for the ride and see how her perfect match was unsuspectingly in front of her the whole time. I felt like the book could’ve ended differently and highlighted a first date or something more with this unsuspecting match (not trying to give away spoilers!) but the writing style was simple and easy and the book is definitely a good pallet cleanser if you’re coming off something heavy!

Ana Karina is a producer for a reality TV show that creates swoon-worthy marriage proposals. While an expert in love on the job, she hasn't found her own Mr. Right. As her best friend Gia's wedding approaches, she analyzes her list of the four qualities she is looking for in a man. Since she can't find anyone who checks off all the boxes, she decides to date four different men who each possess one of these qualities. Ana is also juggling pressure at work while having to deal with Richard, a new editor assigned to her.

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos was enjoyable. However, I never fully connected with Ana feeling like her decision to date four men at the same time was a bit excessive and ill advised. There were some funny elements which enhanced the story, and it was entertaining to read about the making of such silly reality shows.

It's a cute book that will surely find its audience.

Rated 3.25 stars.

Ana lives by her lists. She loves making lists. Ana will make lists of her daily life, to lists of her love life, and everything in between.


She is a TV reality producer for a marriage proposal show. The show is going into its 10th and final season. With the show ending Ana thinks she needs to make a change. Her first change will be her love life, so she starts by using her dream guy list, and then goes out to find him.

By taking more risks she starts dating four very different guys at once. I was getting anxious for her at times trying to keep up with her dates. Each man held a quality that she was looking for. Seeing Ana taking a chance and going on some exciting dates was really fun.

It had the perfect unexpecting ending that I was so happy to see! It was a fun journey following Ana and watching her take more chances.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is appropriately labeled General (Women’s) Fiction as wanting a romance and having one are two different things. Ana Karin is a successful RV producer. The show she produces is beginning its ninth season and follows real people through dating to an over the top perfect marriage proposal. Much of the story takes place while she is fulfilling maid of honor duties for her best friend since college Gia. She has her perfect guy lists and no one is ticking all the boxes and so she tries to date a few men that meet some of her requirements.

This is a hit and miss kind of book. There are some genuinely funny lines and moments and some tender things too. But it is all packaged with a character that can be immature and one dimensional. There are glimpses of depth when she describes growing up in a Cuban community, her moms death and her dad remarrying a year later. I wanted her to talk to her dad about that or connect with her half sister. But the sisters wedding is played for laughs instead.

The men she chooses to date also are part of the roller coaster story. This is not a cheating book as she is not exclusive (nor being intimate) with the men. But it all seems chaotic to juggle them. I do get that she learns something from each relationship. But I didn’t feel a connection to any including the person that she actually who may end up the real deal.

And I was sad that the main friendship with Gia also takes a hit, making her more a bridezilla. I love best friends that support each other. And I wanted their issue resolved because it is a big part of the story. Otherwise Gia is shallow and not worthy of the friendship.

I like the cover and the guy she eventually chooses. The author has worked in tv so the show pitches and focus on editing and such all comes with authority. I get the idea of the story but I wish there was more depth or that when it is over that I cared more. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Iloved the premise of this book. A mature woman who is ready to find a love to last only finding Prince Charming is as easy as finding needle in a hay stack which seems to be the perfect analogy for finding the perfect man in Manhattan. Through her job as a producer on a reality TV show she helps plan and carry out elaborate proposals so she is surrounded by beautiful love stories but for some reason haven’t found one of her own. Through past relationships she has learned what she wants in a man, a mere 4 qualities. Why is this man so hard to find? One day decides to throw caution to the wind and date four men who each possess one of these qualities to see where it leads her.

I went into this book thinking it was a romance, however I would say it is more of a women’s fiction and a story of self-discovery. Ana might be an expert in romance at work but in her personal life things are a bit more messy. I thought the book was funny and I enjoyed reading it but it didn’t have much depth. I think Ana did learn something about herself in each of her 4 relationships but I would have liked to dive into that a bit further. We never really got to know the men very well and it was obvious from the start non of them were going to be a match for Ana.

I really didn’t like Anas best friend Gia, she is like a female version of a womanizer. She was a very fun and flirty character but I found her behaviour highly inappropriate considering she was engaged and it continued right up until her wedding day and was never addressed. On the flip side Gia had an issue with Ana dating multiple people though the relationships were all casual.

I would have loved to see more of the relationship with Richard. While we saw glimpses of his feelings starting to develop it felt like for Ana it came on very suddenly and for the most part she was oblivious to the signs he was giving off. I really didn’t see them being a match, he didn’t seem to check off many things on her lists of must haves and when they did finally get together the book was over. I really needed a bit more to buy into their relationship.

Overall a fun and enjoyable read but for me it was lacking in some areas, mostly because the subject matter screamed for this book to be a romance but really wasn’t.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.