Exes and O's was a love letter to Bookstagrammers, and such an absolute joy to read. I loved Set On You and was so excited to read this continuation of the Influencers series. While I force myself to work out, I didn't quite share Crystal's passion. With Tara, though, I was fully with her for every messy book stack that got left out on her living room floor.

I loved the snippets of Tara's vlogs in between chapters, and how her whole ex-boyfriend search was based on romance tropes. Any romance book lover will fully appreciate these scenes.

I loved Trevor, his backstory, and his patience with Tara. Tara got a little OTT at times with her insistence on completing the ex-boyfriend project, but Trevor was always there for her. I also LOVED Trevor's niece!

Amy Lea has solidified her position as an auto-buy author for me. I'm looking forward to Mel's book next!

Ever since I read SET ON YOU in the spring, I've been waiting for Tara’s story. I mean... she’s a book influencer!! Like what a fun and relatable nod to this space! But aside from that little tidbit, I was excited because I loved getting glimpses of Tara previously and genuinely just enjoyed this author’s writing.

As mentioned, this story follows Tara— a NICU nurse/ book influencer who has had her heart broken by guys over the years, but is still on the hunt for her happily ever after. Enter Trevor. Tatted member of the Boston Fire Department and Tara’s new roommate who has some baggage of his won. The result? Forced proximity romance with lots of tension, laughable scenes, and sweet moments!

Some things I really enjoyed was all the fun book/ trope references. If you didn’t know, prior to becoming a published author, Amy Lea was a bookstagrammer herself! So seeing those behind the scenes of Tara and diving into the bookish world through from another perspective was a blast!

I also liked how this book didn’t shy away from some deeper topics. For example, part of the premise is that Tara goes back to reconnect with her exes, hoping that one could be her second chance. Along the way it’s revealed that some of her exes saw her as “crazy”. Tara and the author vehemently argue against the use of this word to break that stigma of “crazy” women and I loved that so much! There were also other meaningful topics, particularly when it came to Trevor’s background too.

As for Trevor, he did take a bit to grow on me because he is a more complex love interest than what appears on the surface. (Plus it’s really hard to live up to Scott!) Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of how he handled the third act breakup, he still has his fair share of redeeming qualities (even with the Crocs!) and was the perfect complement to Tara.

Overall, I had fun reading this! The events of the story also lead up to a Valentine’s Day Gala, so its a great read with February fast approaching! So basically you’re going to want to check it out when it officially releases tomorrow!

I thought this was such a cute romcom perfect for Valentine’s Day, for romance readers, and for bookstagrammers alike! I loved that the female main character, Tara, was a romance book blogger on social media-what a perfect booksta read! This is also part of the Influencer series, so those of you that have read Set On You, will be so pleased to recognize some familiar characters, my favorite being Grandma Flo!

As for the plot- Tara, after finally mending her broken heart after a failed engagement, decides to take a page out of Grandma Flo’s second chance romance love story, and starts tracking down her exes in hopes of rekindling what was lost. Through her journey, she becomes increasingly aware of the potential right in front of her-her grumpy yet cinnamon roll roommate, Trevor.

I adored Tara and Trevor’s banter even before it turned romantic! This entire book was so humorous and had so many witty and laugh out loud moments. I felt the tension between the two was believable and really rooted for them as a couple given their past relationships/fears. Both characters were well written with relatable fears stemming from their pasts which led to a more emotional connection. There was some spice but it was well balanced and placed within the story. There was some miscommunication that felt a bit out of context and more so for the sake of having a tension filled fight right behind the inevitable make up and conclusion. I also found Tara to be a little extreme at times and immature but at the same time appreciated that she was unique to the typical female rom com Mc regarding her emotional feelings and pursuit of love!

Overall I highly recommend and can’t wait to read more in this series! Thank you so much to Netgalley. Berkley Romance for this gifted ARC!

Synpoisis:
Using her grandma as an example of getting a second chance romance with an ex, Tara is now determined to find The One from a list of all her exes that had potential. But she is going to need some help and that’s where her new roommate, Trevor, come into play. Not only has Trevor proven to be an excellent roommate, but he is a great wingman. But the more time they spend time together, Tara finds it harder to focus on her exes. Trevor does not hold the qualities Tara is looking for in a partner, but continuing to deny the attraction is becoming an impossibility.

Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this one!! Who would ever think that trying to reconnect with your exes would be a good idea?! I definitely would not. But it was so entertaining to step into Tara’s journey as she tries to have her own second chance romance from a list of her exes. Tara is such a joy. She wears her heart on her sleeve and isn’t afraid to admit it. When she finds a guy she likes, she goes head first and I can definitely relate to that. And Trevor **swoon** He isn’t your typical cinnamon roll nice guy. He’s grumpy and rough around the edges. But there is so much more to him than meets the eye. When he finally starts to open up, I was totally fangirling.

Only thing that I wish the book would have is a dual POV so we can get in the head of Trevor. But nonetheless, still a great read. If you love forced proximity trope then I recommend for you. Cute read for month of February.

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this arc!

This was such a good romance, honestly one of the best I've read in a long time! I loved that Tara was a book influencer, and her obsessive love with romance novels was a little too relatable haha! Watching her and Trevor's friendship develop into romantic feelings was so cute, and it was obvious to me that he liked her so early on, IT WAS SO CUTE this is absolutely going to be going on my Valentine's reread list for next year. I have Amy Lea's next book already on my TBR list! I just loved this.

I thought this was a fun rom-com that made me smile and swoon! Tara was funny and sweet, and Trevor a sexy player with a hidden thoughtful side. My biggest critiques for this book was I found the romance to be slow for my liking, and thought multiple times how much I wished it was dual POV. But it was fun reading about Tara’s bookstagrammer life, her Ex List, and her and Trevor’s roommate turned friendship turned relationship develop. It is a great book to pick up before Valentine’s Day if you want a steamy slow burn romance!

Tropes:
💗 Slow burn
💗 Friends to lovers
💗 Forced proximity
💗 Bad boy/player

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free copy — all opinions are my own

Rating 5/5
Plot 5/5
Writing 5/5
Spice 3.5/5
Character Development 5/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“Exes and O’s” is the second book in Amy Lea’s Influencer series. This book tells the story of Tara Chen and Trevor Metcalfe. Tara is a book influencer who has been in many relationships; however, they all ended with her partner being unable to handle her “clinginess.” Tara believes she can find a second-chance romance by revisiting a past relationship. Trevor is a firefighter and a new roommate to Tara. When Tara asks Trevor to help her reconnect with her exes, he hesitantly agrees. The more time the two spend together, the more they realize they have feelings for one another.

This was such a cute book!!! I really enjoyed the plot, and I love how relatable Tara is (she’s a book influencer, a hopeless romantic, and hella clingy like me LOL). The spice was really good, and there are so many memorable scenes! Trevor may be one of my new book boyfriends, I love how he treated Tara, and the way he spoke was chef’s kisses. I can’t wait to read more of Amy’s work!

Loved it just as much as the first one. Crystal will always be my favorite but this was def adorable and I loved reading about a fellow bookstagrammer.

I was grinning the whole time I was reading this book!

Tara and Trevor are just adorable together, and I love Amy Lea's writing. More from Amy Lea asap, pleeeeeeeeeeease!

Highlights:
- firefighter fantasies for all
- Bookstagrammer with a day job
- Strong women everywhere you look
- Pointed battle against the use of "crazy"
- Asian-America representation

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- sunshine x grumpy

Tara is a NICU nurse by day (and sometimes night) shift while also pouring time into her Bookstagram, followers, and love of reading. She's a hopeless romantic with her heart wide open, even though it's been battered and bruised. Trevor is the firefighter of my dreams with a rotating door of women and the opposite, closed-off heart from Tara. Shortly after needing to move in with Trevor (a friend of her soon to be brother-in-law), Tara decides to find a date for her hospital's Valentine's gala. When evaluating her favorite tropes, Tara realizes that second-chance romance is her favorite and decides to hunt through her exes for a match.

The entire story is like catnip for book lovers. With Grandma Flo making a reappearance and discussing her real-life romance tropes as well as her favorite book tropes, Trevor's compulsion to alphabetize Tara's books in opposition to her aesthetic choices, and the multitude of tropes that exist in and around the main characters, I loved every second! Trevor and Tara's banter throughout is witty, supportive, and never-ending in the best way. The women in the novel, even in Tara's weakest moments, are so strong while also being honest in their struggles and flaws. This is a must read for any romance and book lover!

OH how I love a forced proximity/opposite attract romance. Exes and O's gave us that for sure. Amy Lea's sophomore novel was a delight. I loved the cameos of Scotty and Crystal.

In this story we get stage five clinger Tara and firefighter hottie Trevor. He is a lover of a one night stan, and she loves a good love story. She loves love stories so much that she is a romance book blogger. Hello twin!

This book lacked something that I have yet to discover. We did get a bit of depth in the characters here. We also have a good back story.

Overall, this was fun. I would recommend it with a glass of wine on a rainy night.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy!

5 Stars:  
Book: Exes & O's
Rating: 5/5
Author:  Amy Lea
Genre: Romance
🗏 Pages: 400
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Warnings: Fatphobia, Cyberbullying, Racism, Cancer
Readability: 4/5 italic font is used
First Line: The Gym is suppose to be my safe place. 

Things to expect:
Body Positivity
Boston Firefighter
Taylor Swift Vibes
Reformed Player


Amy Lea.... what have you done to me.  A romance novel-obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love. Addictive, steamy, humorous. Amy lea does it again with the follow-up to the brilliant first book in the influencers series. This is the slow burn we all have been waiting for. The Heroine of this one is not only a BOOK INFLUENCER but a hopeless Romanic, but this hit in all the right places. This is the follow-up to her first book, Set on You, and honestly, I loved this just as much as the first but probably more. I loved the pacing of this book and all the modern references. It's really like a Taylor Swift song that you can repeatedly play but read instead. I can't wait to see what Amy Lea comes up with next. Run for this one and get your library requests in now. 


Thanks to Berkley & Amy Lea for the advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun read! Roommates/friends to lovers and a sweet slow burn. All the tropes I love and enjoy. Great weekend read!

This book was fun! I loved the nods to romance tropes throughout the book, and the tension and dynamic between the main characters was sweet and playful.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and #NetGalley for the arc!

Amy Lea has a gift for crafting relatable heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. This is the perfect book for the hopeless romantic in all of us.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely adored Exes and O's by Amy Lea. This book gave me all the classic rom-com vibes. I loved the slow burn between Tara and Trevor. And forced proximity, roommates to lovers is my cat nip. Tara's journey to find love was so relatable, as she revisited her exes to see if a spark was there -- and obviously those relationships had not worked out for a reason. These guys were quite the cast of characters. But when Tara and Trevor finally begin to notice one another, the sparks are ELECTRIC!! I mean who doesn't love a firefighter??

A romance novel-obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

I reallyEnjoyed this book. I felt I flowed super well and the characters are incredibly engaging. I can’t wait to purchase a copy.

This was literally To All the Boys I've Loved Before for adults! So cute and sweet.
Real quick I wanna get this out but Brandon needs his own love story because he is way too sweet and deserves to find a lady wiling to travel the world with him! Also, Cory can go fux himself! We don't stan him over here 😤

Tara and Trevor are so perfect for each other it's crazy! Tara reads like a high school boy crazy girl perpetually stuck in a grown adult body but she's honestly so cute and sweet. Trevor is a big fluff ball you can tell from their first meeting which unfortunately wasn't a very cute meet cute.
This book reminds me of something I did when I first started dating my husband (ten years ago now!) and I realized he was the one for me. I wrote letters to all my exes basically thanking them for not being the right one for me and all the circumstances that lead me to my other half. And then i burned them in a fire pit!
Anyways, that last chapter preview! I can't wait to read Mel's book!

I truly don’t even want to write this review. I just don’t think I vibe with Amy’s characters or writing and THAT’S OKAY! Not everyone is going to love every book and every author’s style!

I really seem to be in the minority here, but I didn’t buy the romance between the two main characters at all. The whole book Tara is pining for her exes, then suddenly is trying to force down her feelings for Trevor - but still looking for her one true love in her ex boyfriends? I’m going to avoid spoilers, but I just didn’t buy it at all and I didn’t feel any chemistry. As much as I thought I’d love a book about a romance bookstagrammer, I found so much of it cringey. Trevor was a gem. I’m very, very sad this book was such a miss for me.

I finally received my very first ARC from Berkely. I can’t believe it as I have probably have been declined over 10 times! So I was really excited to read and provide my honest opinion.

Tara is a NICU nurse and living with her friend Mel who is getting married to Scott. Tara is single and is a bookworm with a Bookstagram account and as a lover of romance books she has a few favourite tropes and loves featuring her opinions on books online on her IG page. Tara moves into Scott’s old place with his roommate Trevor and she walks in on Trevor having a moment with one of his hookups.

Tara finds the trope of dating your exes to find your love really appealing and has decided that she is truly ready to start dating again and is eager to fulfill her dream by reconnecting with an ex. She compiles a list of her ex-boyfriends she dated and slowly goes through the list in the search of her own romance.

This was a fun read about the different types of romance themes out there. At times this book had me giggling there were some really funny quotes “expecting to to be the exception to the rule is like eating Taco Bell and being shocked when you get mad diarrhea”. The story is adorable and relatable in many ways. I felt like dating some of my exes would have been similar scenarios. If you enjoy reading romcoms you would enjoy reading this. It is a quick read that you can read in one sitting or over a few days like I did. I would rate this 4.25 as would recommend it as a fun read to give you a distraction.

The actual trope in this book is one I haven’t read before and enjoyed it more than I expected to.