Terribly sorry this is incredibly late, I've had an interesting last couple of years, and I just found a bunch of untyped up reviews and notes. A thousand apologies.

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, forced proximity, slow burn,
CW: alcoholism,

Sophie is an author under a deadline, scratch that, Sophie is a romance author who just went viral for saying she's never been in love. Following the wave of new followers and the circumstances, Sophie decides to meet with her ex's and see why they never fell in love. Her landlord, and brother's best friend, former Hollywood star decides to help her.

Dash is an imperfect mmc who is working on himself. We, the reader, are privy to his insecurities and fears. Dash is a recovering alcoholic. He has demons from his child star past that he is actively trying to heal from. Its refreshing to see that love can be found in the dark. Love can be found when you least expect it. Healing from the past in order to embrace the future is a whole journey. Dash makes it a point to attend therapy so that he can be a better person for Sophie. This! This is what the girlies want! Please figure yourself out so that way we can be great!

Sophie and Dash felt real. They seemed touchable likely due to them being "flawed" characters. (Sophie has a pacemaker, not that that makes her flawed cuz it absolutely doesn't, but she does have insecurities about it.)

Overall, cute, quick read. Dash def carried the book but it was likely because I felt like we got to know him more. The TikTok bits got a bit repetitive at times, but it wasn't unbearable.

2.5! Plot Twist was a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it had some cute and heartfelt moments, and I appreciated the representation—especially Sophie’s pansexuality and the inclusion of a character with a pacemaker. It also tackled deeper topics like alcoholism and family dysfunction, which gave the story more weight. The dual POV and the friends-to-lovers dynamic had potential, and I liked the idea of Sophie confronting her past relationships in order to finish her novel.

That said, the story didn’t fully click for me. The constant pop culture references felt excessive and pulled me out of the narrative rather than adding charm. I also struggled to connect with the main characters at times—especially Dash—and the banter occasionally felt forced. While I can see why others might enjoy this book, it wasn’t entirely my vibe. Still, a solid effort with meaningful themes and some sweet moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute romance. It was a bit slow to start and I probably would have DNF'd it but I liked the narrator's voice so much that I kept listening.

Very very cute and fun! I love a solid, cutesy read and this definitely checked my boxes. A perfect mix of adorable and spicy!!

I couldn’t get into this one and DNF it. I tried to read it when I first got a copy. Maybe one day I’ll come back and try again.

Free e-book review is my own.

This was cute and had a ton of potential. I just felt like the author wanted to hit all the buzz topics. There were a lot of things that did nothing for the story but the key word search would make this a book a lot of people would pick up.

I personally found this a little boring and could not wait to finish it. I loved for butter or worse by this author. This was very trope driven instead of plot and character driven and that kind of annoyed me. Also the many references to TikTok. I could not stand Sophie or Dash and probably should have DNF

What a fun, yet emotional romance. I devoured this and it made me want to read more from this author. 💕

3.5/5 stars. This was cute. A little cheesy at times but still cute. I liked Dash’s story. I liked the relationship between Dash and Sophie.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this title.

I enjoyed portions of this title, and I did not enjoy portions of this title.

The MMC was great. I thoroughly enjoyed his story and growth as the story continued. I was so happy that he was not suddenly "cured" of his addiction, and we got to see the struggle that addicts do have to live with every day. I also enjoyed the family aspect of his story, and how business and family needed to be dissected and separated. Overall it was compelling and truthful to the experiences the people around me have had with similar situations, and I was happy to see it written with such care.

The FMC was lacking in comparison. Her growth journey did not meet the same impact and I honestly ended up not caring about her whatsoever. She was too simple in comparison to the complexity of his story, and she had the base bones to be a compelling character in her own right. The execution was just lacking in my opinion.

Plot Twist by Erin La Rose was an entertaining, twisty read that kept me hooked. The unexpected turns in the plot had me on edge, and I loved the blend of humor and suspense. While some moments felt a little predictable, it was still a fun, engaging story overall.

This is a book; why are there so many TikTok references???? From the beginning, you could tell that this was written based on tropes rather than characters. #NotAFan #SkipThisBook

Also, is the plot twist supposed to be in the room with us?

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Sorry for the delay in reviewing.

This had a fun premise- a romance author revisiting exes for 'research' while falling for her reclusive landlord- its a great setup! Sophie and Dash had solid banter, and I enjoyed the humor. But the plot felt a bit too ridiculous at times, the pacing dragged, and some emotional beats fell flat. The friends-with-benefits angle didn’t add much, and I wanted more depth from side characters.

Overall, a decent, light romcom with some fun moments but not a standout. 3 stars.

I wasn't in the right headspace when I received an ARC but I am extremely grateful. I've read the book since, and others by Erin La Rosa, it was cute.. 4⭐

I definitely read this when it came out and forgot to review on here...this was a fun read! I really like this author and this is my favorite by her. It was a little too written-to-trope though and I found the alcoholism/sobriety representation to be pretty irresponsible.

This book took me on a bit of a rollercoaster. It was sweet, a little spicy, full of heart, and just a good vibe. It's about a romance writer who has never been in love and a retired actor with an alcohol addiction. They are both struggling and the way they lean on each other for comfort and support is beautiful. Now there are some things I didn't love about the book. I hate miscommunication more than anything and there was a lot of it in this book. It wasn't to the point where I couldn't enjoy it but man it frustrated me at times. All in all I really enjoyed this book and it's a fun and sweet read.

This has opposites attract, forced proximity, friends to lovers, sworn off relationship, and sister's best friend / best friend's brother! This was a quick read!

Listen I really tried to like this book, but it was so hard. I felt like it needed to be re-edited because none of it makes sense and I had not a great time.

3 stars, this book was good read and listened to it as an audiobook. I think the plot of going to talk to your exes was interesting and the fact that Sophie has a pacemaker is definitely a new thing that I haven't seen represented in books yet which is awesome! Plot Twist is a sweet yet spicy book although I don't love a ton of books that reference pop culture and the fact that this was a lot to do with the plot was a little rough. I still think this was a lovely story about overcoming/facing your past.

Romance author Sophie Lyon’s biggest secret is out—despite writing swoon-worthy love stories, she’s never actually been in love. Struggling with writer’s block and an upcoming deadline, she hatches a plan to reconnect with her exes (including the one who got away) to figure out why. Meanwhile, her reclusive landlord, former teen heartthrob Dash Montrose, offers to help her navigate the online chaos—without revealing his own struggles with sobriety and anonymity. As sparks fly, Sophie suggests a casual arrangement, but their growing connection proves that love doesn’t always follow the script.

Plot Twist has a fun premise, and the chemistry between Sophie and Dash is solid, but parts of the story felt underdeveloped. The emphasis on social media trends (especially TikTok) made it feel a little cringy/awkward. The romance had cute moments, but the emotional depth sometimes got lost in the banter. While the book is enjoyable for a light read, it doesn’t quite deliver the punch of a truly memorable rom-com.