One thing about Thien-Kim Lam’s books- they’re always going to make you hungry. Yes, this is another rom com, so I won’t spend much time on it; however, what I want to talk about is the Vietnamese representation she continues to weave into her characters and share with the world and I love that! The other note to mention is that the characters are flawed in their own ways and working through their internal struggle of being enough and good enough for their family and in the line of work they do/want to do. It is approached with care and I can appreciate that!

This dual POV, strangers to lovers, interracial romance was beautifully written with great banter between the two lovers. I loved that it was set in New Orleans, a place that I want to visit and in their busiest time Mardi Gras.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital copy.

I was so hype and had high hopes for this book once I saw the cover!

The story takes place in New Orleans and follows a cute quirky Black woman who had a type-A personality. In my mind, she reads like a Virgo. Very meticulous, needs 3 business days before making decisions, and loves a list lol! She’s a photographer with dreams of getting her work shown in a prestigious gallery. Her love interest is a handsome Vietnamese man who’s in between jobs and has strong family ties and wants to honor his heritage.

Now the issue I kept running into was that the sexual tension felt forced. I couldn’t understand the instantaneous lust they were supposed to have for each other after knowing one another for 5 minutes. Also, as I kept reading I found it difficult to care about the main characters. Believe me, I tried.

But if you’re into the insta-love romance trope maybe you’ll enjoy this story.

Much gratitude to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an open, honest, and unbiased review.

This was a meet cute that began in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. It was interesting to read about the 2 main characters journey towards happiness. They are both on a journey to figure out what it is they want in life which is relatable. They were obviously attracted to each other because there was a good amount of spice. I had a hard time believing they were connected and truly in love at the end.

A love letter to New Orleans and the different cultures that live there, Full Exposure is a diverse fast-paced romance that will make your day even sweeter. Josie is a boudoir photographer on a accidental vacation in New Orleans after one of her clients canceled. She decides to take in the Mari Gras parade floats and accidently ends up pelting a handsome stranger in the face with some rather hefty beads.
Listen, I know there are some who don't love the "insta-love" trope, but I am such a sucker for it when the guy is immediately heads over heels for the lovely leading lady, and this is no different. Spencer Pham is mesmerized by Josie, and convinces her to let him be her tour guide while she is New Orleans, in exchange for some filming tips. I personally have been to New Orleans, and this book was spot on with its imagery, and what the locals are like! It made me so hungry reading all the food descriptions!
I wasn't expecting so many *wink wink* spicy scenes in this book, but I am not complaining! Spencer and Josie have sizzling chemistry that comes together *many* times in the book. (In many different positions!) Some of my favorite scenes were learning about Spencer's family, and what they had been through to get where they are today.
That being said this book will not be for everyone, but for those who want a insta love romance that is fast paced, and a love letter to New Orleans, you will love this!
The Cover
I adore this cover, in fact what made me want to read this book in the first place, was the cover! I love all the details on it, from the camera in Josie's hand, to the mask on the telephone pole. The font works perfectly with the cover and the vibe of the book. I also love how Spencer is fully enraptured with Josie, just staring at her as if she is the prettiest thing in the world. In contrast Josie is facing away, but has her head tilted back, almost as if she isn't ready to fully open up and trust him. I also love the use of negative space on the left side, it makes the characters stand out more and creates wonderful movement.
The Cover art is by Andrea Meissner

I thought this book was a fun nod to New Orleans...as much a love story to New Orleans as it is a love story between the couple.
While I did enjoy this book, I think I enjoyed all the New Orleans fun even more than the love story between Spencer and Josie!
Their meeting was hilarious and they were fun to watch...I also enjoyed the photography aspect of the story!

Josie was meant to be in New Orleans for work but when her client cancels at the last minute, she ends up in New Orleans with time to explore. That's how she ends up at a Mardi Gras parade and how she ends up meeting Spencer. After mistakenly hitting Spencer with Mardi Gras beads, she ends up spending time with him to ensure he is okay but also because she was attracted to him. With that they decide to join forces for a contest as well as work on their relationship. It was a fun story and I loved the interweaving of the author's Vietnamese and Southern background into the story.

Full Exposure had all the elements of a low stakes contemporary romance novel, that highlighted the Vietnamese American lifestyle over the course of multiple generations. The author's passion for sharing their Asian heritage came across clearly from beginning to end. The characters felt relatable in such a way that as the reader, I could truly step into Josie's shoes and understand her motivations throughout. The steamy scenes were realistic in a way I don't see often. There was a bit of getting to know each other, a little awkwardness, and just felt generally real, which was rather refreshing. If you're looking for a Mardi Gras themed novel about expanding your horizons and going after your dreams, look no further!

1 ⭐️

I had a very hard time getting myself to pick up this book because I just could not get invested in either Josie or Spencer or their chemistry. They both fell super flat for me and the insta-love was over the top. I felt Josie was very two dimensional - the number of times she mentioned in her inner dialogue almost word for word of her describing how she needs to stick to a list was way too high. I was rolling my eyes every time because she just needs some other personality trait besides that!

I did not finish and stopped at 23% (chapter 10) because I could not push forward and picture myself enjoying the book if I continued. I always try to finish an ARC even if I'm not enjoying the story but I just couldn't this time. I enjoyed the inclusion of Mardi Gras and the knowledge of New Orleans translated well into the text. I also liked the inclusion of diverse main characters and the representation of diverse families and backgrounds, but both of those couldn't make up for the lack of believable chemistry and lack of enjoyment from the story. I also wish we got a bit more backstory for both Josie and Spencer earlier in the book, I think it may have made them more likable. I don't think Lam's writing is for me, unfortunately.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

DC photographer/business owner, Josie, set off to New Orleans for a photography gig. To Josie’s surprise, she gets so much more. Data expert turned aspiring filmmaker, Spencer, is just the distraction Josie needs from her rigid approach to life.

The romance takes off quickly and is full of intensity. When reading romance novels, you expect the unbelievable - like who falls madly in love with a complete stranger in four days?! Interestingly enough, I found myself rooting for this interracial romance despite its far-fetched foundation.

I feel torn about Spencer. He was made out to be both sexy and boyish. One minute I found him to be charming, and the next minute I was wondering what Josie saw in him. The storyline regarding his family dynamics was so simple that I found it hard to believe his issues had yet to be resolved in his thirties. If Spencer was as close to his family as readers are led to believe, why was he incapable of having a simple conversation with family members? Such a loving, emotionally expressive guy would not have a difficult time expressing himself.

The ending was sweet with a little twist. Nothing shocking happens in this romance novel. Instead, it is one for readers to sit back, enjoy, and revel in the sweetness!

I only made it about 30% into this book before I had to give up. I almost gave up after the first chapter. The writing was just not good. There were a few times in the first chapter that I was like, was this even edited? The sentences were weird and there was just no connection to the characters, whatsoever, When it switched to the second chapter and went to the MMC's POV it was better, but overall the story was just not there. I was really excited for this book because I love New Orleans and I was excited for a romance book centered around Mardi Gras, but this one just didn't seem to deliver.

I very much enjoyed this story. It was great to see two people explore their own dreams and goals and find how they can fit together. It was great to see the author want to highlight the beauty in the everyday lives of people in their communities.

Full exposure is a sparkling and steamy diverse romance with Black and Vietnamese Representation. Josie and Spencer are a cute couple. Josie explores Spencer's family relationship, history of arrival of New Orleans and the first Vietnamese Mardi Gras Krewe. Josie and Spencer first meet at a Mardi Gras parade. Josie accidently hits Spencer in the head with beads that she caught.

This romance book tug heartstrings. Outside of their relationship, they are both dealing with real life issues such as burnout and being under pressure. Josie is saving money when her younger sister is in a severe accident, needs physical therapy and long-term hospital care. While Spencer deals with a lack of open communication and pressure from family. Both feel extremely responsible for supporting their families.

If you like the sights, sounds and eats of New Orleans and steamy Romance, I recommend reading Full Exposure!

This is definitely a cute and quick read romcom. I wish there was a little more character development. I'm also not the biggest fan of instant love.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Josie and Spencer were very cute! I really enjoyed this story. I liked the diversity and the steam level! They both had an amazing connection and I loved how this story was set during Mardi Gras! Such a great read!

I was really excited about this book because of the combination of Têt and Mardi Gras. Also I love a good Meet Disaster! Sadly, this book fell a little flat for me. While I’m usually okay with instalove, this one felt a little too unbelievable. I liked that Spencer and Josie had very different personalities while having similar passions, but I feel like their differences wouldn’t have led them to as whirlwind of a romance. Plus every time conflict did arise between them, it was fixed or ignored within a couple of paragraphs.
I really liked learning about Vietnamese culture, New Orleans, and boudoir, but the rest fell a little flat.

This is dual perspective written in third person, which is not my favorite, but I can deal with it. I liked the premise and the setting, an Asian man and Black woman romance set in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Sounds right up my alley, however, it was very insta-love, which is my least favorite trope. The chemistry was lacking. On top of that, I was bored for most of the story. I also felt like we learned more about Spencer than we did about Josie. It was a quick easy read, so if you are looking for that and you don't mind insta-love, then this might be worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Thien-Kim Lam, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

There was a lot that I enjoyed about Full Exposure, mainly how Vietnamese culture and language appeared throughout the story. Bà Bà is a shining character and the care and love that she had for her entire family was so sweet to read. Both Spencer and Josie had close-knit families and I related to their complicated feelings when it comes to being a first-born sibling.

Thien-Kim Lam has a very approachable writing style which makes her characters very human. My main gripe with the story is that it is very insta-love/lust and I wish that Spencer and Josie got to know each other over a longer time.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Congrats to the Union following the end of the Harper Collins strike!

Quick Summary: A beautiful blend romance

My Review: Full Exposure: A Novel by Thien-Kim Lam is a women's fiction/multicultural romance that brings together two artistic souls who are searching for more.

About the Book:

Both Josie Parks and Spencer Pham were searching for something to revive their lives. Could they find what they were looking for in each other?

When a job assignment unexpectedly fell through, Boudoir photographer Josie Parks found herself alone in The Big Easy. All things were going well...until she had an accidental encounter that literally changed her life.

Having to return home to his family was not what former analyst and aspiring filmmaker Spencer Pham envisioned for his life. He had dreams. He had to face some hard truths if he was honest with himself. Could a chance meeting with a stunning beauty alter his life plans for the better?

My Final Say: This contemporary story was so charming. It presented a lovely blend of the Vietnamese-American and African-American cultures. I adored seeing this multicultural couple explore N'awlins. More than that, I loved seeing them become familiar with each other, as well as themselves.

Other: This book was a journey into self-discovery. It was about freeing self and chasing after personal passions. It was more than a romance, truthfully. It presented a beautiful couple who supported each other during the highs and lows of life. Although the couple's relationship came rather quickly, it was still deep and meaningful.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Chemistry: +
Status/Level: 🌶🌶🌶

Appreciation is extended to the author, to Avon and Harper Voyager, and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have been voluntarily submitted.

This was a cute read. Think meet- cute but kinda violent introduction.
Jodie is a boudoir photographer. Spencer is a fledgling filmmaker.
Together they help each other realize their dreams.