Well - I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than the first (about her sister Nina)! I recall an internal debate with myself about whether or not I was going to pick up a copy of book 2, and I am glad that I did (I got the copy a long time ago). I found the writing to be a lot better, the characters far more believable and the storyline definitely more engaging.

Sophie and Dash are neighbors and his sister Poppy is her long-time bestie, so they’ve known each other forever… she’s always had that little sister crush on him but he just sees her as another little sister, until one fateful interaction turns it around. The plot twist is that she’s a romance author who has the worst case of writer’s block caused by having never been in love, a fact which gets blasted in a viral video and she’s suddenly in a world of trouble.

Dash is there to help out with TikTok and suddenly she’s testing his boundaries and sobriety in the worst ways. Sophie needs help by visiting all her exes (maybe even attempting to date her most recent ex girlfriend?) to find out how and where she always gets it wrong to never fall in love, so she can turn her writing around. A little bit of a special friendship between them (a spicy one) seems to cause a world of trouble for everyone - literally everyone - but might be helping the writer’s block if nothing else … so that’s ok, right?

A joy to read and the characters from the first books do make an appearance. Trigger warnings about alcoholism and recovery issues, stalkers and meddling family trying to get in the way of recovery, and social media woes making them worse. Definitely a recommendation but heed the warning if alcoholism and a shakey recovery is something you can’t read about.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin (Canary Street Press), and this is my honest opinion.

Plot twist was a really interesting story that I wanted to like more than I did. Now this is a series and I jumped in at book two so I may just have been missing context that would have made me like the book more.

I love books about romance authors and so I really loved the premise but I had trouble connecting to the heroine. I felt like Sophie did a lot of flip-flopping and feeling bad for herself even in moments where other people were struggling more. I wish she had been a little more consistently supportive of Dash.

I did really like that this book talked about Dash's struggle with addiction and Sophie had a pacemaker. I like seeing that kind of representation in books. I did think that Dash's struggle with addiction was unusual in that he was more aware of it than the people around him. Usually with addiction family members are very aware and the person is in denial.

Overall, I won't read this one again but I think it had some really interesting elements. I think this book may just not have been for me.

I ATE THIS UP!!!!!!!! the tatted man and the spice and just all of it ugh yes!!! will re read for sure

***Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin/Canary Street Press for sending me an advanced reader copy of Plot Twist by Erin LaRosa! All thoughts are my own!***

Sophie Lyon is a romance author who ironically has never been in love. Her debut novel made readers fall in love, but it left her wondering why she hasn't fallen in love. She goes on a journey meeting up with her exes and documenting on TikTok to find out why they broke up and why she never said I love you so she can meet her looming deadline and finish her manuscript for her upcoming romance novel and give her characters the happily ever after they deserve.

Sophie’s landlord, Dash Montrose is a former teen heartthrob and knows his way around social media and offers to help. But he doesn't mention that he’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. He keeps his recoverya secret since his family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.

As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside of her relationships, and Dash isn’t sure he’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement, cause how bad could that be?

I really enjoyed For Butter or Worse last year, so I was so excited for Erin LaRosa's next book was about Nina's sister, Sophie. Literally from chapter one, I was smiling (especially for the 10 Things I Hate About You reference she threw in the first chapter.) I liked Sophie and Dash getting to know each other and how much they both helped each other throughout the book. They developed such a great friendship over the course of the book that it made it even better with them ending up together. It was great delving into both characters' pasts and what lead them to where they are now and they were both very relatable characters. It was refreshing to have two characters focused on working on themselves.

I wasn't blown away by this book, but I had a great time reading it. And let me just say Erin knows how to write some spice and tension 🌶.

Plot Twist is on sale November 14th!

I really, truly wanted to love this book, but it just fell flat for me. It started off strong and I was totally into it, but there was next to no buildup for the character’s relationship and the way the more intimate scenes were written felt really cringey to me. I also felt like the second half of the book felt so rushed that it just lost all plausibility in my eyes. Ultimately, the premise of this book was fun, but I would have liked a bit more fleshing out of the bond between the two main characters and maybe a few less side characters as it got a little muddled for me.

2/5 stars.

I will be honest and say that I am not in the right headspace to read and review this book right now. It's the second book in a companion series and I feel like I'm missing some context (which is fault of my own, not the book), and I feel like I want to revisit it when I've finished the first book. I got about 50% of the way through before deciding to put it down, and there are still aspects that I do find well done, including the love interest's sobriety and the MC's journey to learning to love herself even when she's "failed at love." I'm not completely sold on the romance, which is best friend's brother / landlord and former child star meets failing romance author. There wasn't enough tension for me, and I can tell that I know where it's going to lead, minus a few "plot twists" thrown in.

This is not a bad book by any means, and it's one I hope I can come back to in the future. I'm sure it'll find its perfect audience of readers who will love it's strong female character and the damaged child star next who have to keep some things secret. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We reviewed this novel for our podcast. Unfortunately, this was not for us. The lack of trigger warnings for unsuspecting readers was a bit disappointing. Just a warning, you do witness the hero go through a complete relapse.

Additionally, the hero's journey to sobriety was not handled well and his relationship with Sophie was not necessarily the healthiest for someone working through the same issue.

What we did enjoy was Dash's character overall - you will root for him to find his self confidence and autonomy throughout the novel. Additionally, the activity he has utilized to work through his new found sobriety was delightful. Additionally, he does not attend ONE AA meeting throughout the book, even after his sponsor/best friend (big nope on that) pushed him.

Lastly, the other aspect of the novel that we did enjoy was the representation of LGBTQIA+; there was such normalcy to the various characters of varying genders and sexualities. It was refreshing that no one questioned anyone's sexuality or their status. You love to see it!

rating: 4.25⭐️
spice: 1.5🌶️

tropes:
- friends to lovers
- forced proximity
- best friends brother
- he falls first

***please check content warnings, there are themes discussed such as alcoholism, fertility issues and dysfunctional family issues

thoughts:
first off, Erin did such an amazing job talking through these tough themes and giving her characters very real and relatable situations. I also love the LGBTQ+ rep with Sophie, our heroine! She is pansexual and i don’t see that represented a lot!

this story was so fun! there were lots of laughs, lots of swoony moments and some surprisingly steamy scenes too! Dash and Sophie were the unexpected half they each needed to feel whole ❤️ I am never going to think of richard gere the same again 😂

If you love quick paced, friends to lovers, neighbors/forced proximity… you should definitely pick this up! I am certainly going to pick up “for butter or worse” which is the first book and follows Sophies sister!

Thank you to netgalley and Erin La Rosa for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is a nice and easy quick rom-com and perfect for anyone looking to escape our crazy world for a couple of hours. The story has a great balance of light, funny moments and moments with surprising depth. I enjoyed those hidden layers and complex background stories, especially Dash's journey. I feel like I should warn bookworms that there are some triggers around addictions and anxiety. These issues are front and center in Dash's own story. Erin did an excellent job at thoughtfully approaching these issues.

I loved Sophie, and it was fun going on this journey of connecting with her exes to see what went wrong. Each interaction was engaging and sometimes highly entertaining, and I loved how Sophie grew as her journey went on.

The romance in this book is nice and spicy. I loved, loved, loved Sophie and Dash's interactions. There was just something about their chemistry that just drew me in. But of course, even though both characters can feel those sparks flying between them, they are both reluctant to act upon those feelings (especially Dash). It was enjoyable watching their relationship unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley and HTP for the ARC in excahnge for an honest review

The second book in the series it can be enjoyed entirely as a standalone.

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-best friend's brother
-get it out of our systems
-messy
-close proximity

Gosh this book was just messy in such a real way. Sophie is a romance author experiencing writer's block and a bit of crash after going viral for admitting she's never been in love. Dash is a recovering alcoholic dealing with his own toxic family, and Sophie's landlord. Both of them are trying to figure out their lives and what they want.

With a To All The Boys I've Loved Before twist, Sophie decides to connect with her exes to figure out where she's gone wrong in the past to try to fall in love once and for all and also write her book and Dash somehow ends up along for the ride. These two were in such denial and such chemistry. I really enjoyed the oh I am definitely not falling in love with you vibes and how these two were just what the other needed at really difficult times and just didn't shy away.

DNF @ 25%

Don't get me wrong the writing wasn't bad and I didn't mind the characters. My issue came from how annoying the constant mentioning of TikTok was. The basic plot, the point of the book, even what one of the characters does as a career (maybe idk if he get's paid) all revolve around TikTok and each time it brought me out of the book. When BookTok was brought up I actually had to put the book down and scroll through Instagram for a bit instead. That mixed with the almost meta book trope thing going on just left me annoyed and I knew this wasn't going to be anything above 3⭐. That being said, I can see myself reading something by the author again.

This book made me realize I need more romantic comedies in my life. I wasn't aware this was the second book in a series, which was a happy surprise. I will have to pick up book one (and hopefully book three) because I enjoyed Plot Twist so much. It was really cute and sweet.
I love the use of internal conflicts as the source of tension in the relationship. It makes the story feel more grounded and keeps the attention on the character development.

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa, and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read this book early.

Romance writer, Sophie Lyon, is on a quest to explore her failed relationships in an effort to complete her overdue manuscript. Former actor, Dash Montrose, is on a craft-filled break from Hollywood while he tries to stay sane and sober. Their road from friends with benefits to full-time lovers is rough, but it will be worth all the thorns to get their happy ending.

Recommended for: fans of the following tropes: only one bed, friends to lovers, neighbors to lovers, best friend’s brother, grumpy vs sunshine

Content warning: alcoholic main character; explicit sex scenes; profanity

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley, Erin La Rosa and Canary Street Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of Plot Twist, this is my honest and unpaid review.
This was a really sweet book balanced with a bit of sour. Like a good piece of citrus fruit or a perfect sour gummy worm. Romance books shouldn't be all blue skies and no conflict, they need a bit of something to keep the story moving forward and help the characters evolve, otherwise, what's the point? Plot Twist lives up to it's name. Just when you think you have an idea of who the character is or what's going to happen next, the author turns you around and you're left wondering where the story will go next. The main characters certainly don't have an easy time of things as they start their friends to something more journey but it makes them stronger and has the reader rooting for them. I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to other romance readers!

This romance had a fun premise to it! I always enjoy reading a book that features some sort of bookish character at the forefront! I love a main character who is previously unlucky in love. The book tropes are top tier too!

Warning: More spoilers than usual.

While I loved this book, it has to be said- this is a lot heavier than your run-of-the-mill romance gets. We are dealing with self image issues, trust issues, family disfunction, the dark side of social media and alchoholism. I usually put my adult content warnings toward the end, but it looks like that’s coming first. There is also language and some fairly explicit sex scenes (level three spice). I would say this one is for ages 18 and older.


Now, let’s unpack. Because this is the era where you can’t have a bad day without it ending up online, romance writer Sophie Lyons finds her drunken confession of having never fallen in love has become a viral video. Fighting writer’s block and struggling to save her career, she decides to take her landlord’s advice and start doing videos to tell her side of the story. To help her with her writing (and work on herself) she decides to do a series of videos where she meets up with her exes. Hilarity ensues, because of coarse it does.


Dash, recovering alchoholic and one time actor, knows he can’t get too involved with Sophie- he isn’t in a place where he can be in a relationship… but he can’t stay away. As the two get closer, and start revealing more of themselves, their lives become more entangled. Full honesty, I love Dash with all his scars. He made a lot of mistakes, but he did a lot of growing here and I just found him super charming, flaws and all. His all-out war with Dick the squirrel over avacadoes was priceless. I am actually hoping for more books in this series where I will get to see this couple as side characters. Maybe Poppy or Rhyse next?

Dash’s family is extremely messy- some of which I found unnecessary. He had decided in his head that he wasn’t good enough because his momager (seriously, she never turns it off) has convinced him of it. He alienated his father, brother, and in some ways his sister. They need better communication. Mom’s toxic, but he could have opened up a little- still this is part of his character, and the things he’s working on.

As you can tell, these characters became very real, and very special to me. I love them. The book hit me hard, and I was crying as often as I was laughing… but it is still going to be one of the top ten romances I have read this year. Their chemistry is off the charts, there’s a lot of personal growth (basically catnip for me) and the plot was amazing. For me, this is a five star book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC from Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review. My thanks! I am, in fact, considering sending eBooks to two of my best book-buds because I loved it so much that I want to share.

This was a bit of a miss for me. I really struggled with the characters - it was tough to watch our main character make questionable choices time after time. It also felt like the author made a list of tropes they wanted to include in this book and tried to include them all, but instead of feeling cohesive, they all just sort of felt forced.

Sophie Lyon is a romance writer. Her first book was hugely popular but she is having a hard time finishing up her second book because she cannot figure out how to end it. On top of that, Sophie has never been in love....kind of ironic for a romance writer! One night Sophie comes homes really drunk as passes out. When her best friend, Poppy Montrose cannot get a hold of her the next morning, she calls her brother Dash to go and check on her. Sophie rents her house from Dash, who also lives on the same property. Sophie has always had a crush on Dash and is mortified that is seeing her like this. When Sophie finally breaks down and explains to Dash what her problem is, he agrees to help her find the answers she is looking for. Sophie will need to contact all of her previous relationships and discuss what went wrong. She will then put little snippets of these discussions on her TikTok app.

What starts out as spending some fun time together, soon turns into a strong attraction with each other. Sophie is not ready for a relationship and neither is Dash. No one knows but Dash has a drinking problem and he now has been sober for 18 months. He is not sure he could handle a relationship along with trying to be sober so instead the two agree to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. As things start to get serious between Dash and Sophie, the world around them starts to unravel. Secrets come out and lives are in an upheaval. Once everything settles, they finally decide that they are better off together and Sophie realizes she has finally fallen in love.

I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine, best friend's brother romance. I really liked Dash. He came from a very wealthy, famous family but that type of world was screwing up his life. I loved how he found his happiness with Sophie. She calmed him in a way no one has ever had. Together they made for a great couple. Overall this was a fun read with entertaining characters.

Oh my GOSH what a fun story! Her plan to reunite with her ex's to see where it all went wrong? OBSESSED. Then for the hottest book boyfriend ever, Dash, to come dashing right in and sweep her off her feet through some lovely chemistry? SO MANY WINS.

[ RATING: 3.5 stars ] After a public meltdown goes viral, Sophie, a romance writer who’s never been in love, tries to break her writer’s block before her next novel’s deadline by documenting her reunions with her exes to ask why she’s never fallen in love. She’s helped by her reclusive landlord and best friend’s brother, Dash, who’s struggling to stay sober amid familial pressure to return to acting, in exchange for help with writing a speech for his dad.

I liked both Sophie and Dash’s characters and how their relationship developed as they grew closer. However, I had a difficult time getting into the story and at times wondered if I was going to end up liking it.

Sophie is a hopeless romantic who has always dreamed of being a writer. I totally understand her frustration with trying to beat writer’s block. I liked her sunny personality and how kind and accepting of others she is. Sophie’s also really funny at the most random but much-needed of times. I would love to have a friend like her.

I wish I could give Dash a hug and a big bag of sour gummy worms because he deserves them and to be happy and loved and accepted for who he is. His experiences throughout the story - messy, complicated, rocky, challenging, but possible/hopeful - felt very real and were heartrending. I liked that he finds some sense of balance through secretly posting crafting videos online (anonymously making pottery as @tokcrafty2me) while he works on taking care of his health.

"Plot Twist" is told through alternating POVs, prose, texts/DMs/comments, and video - I always like it when authors use different mediums to tell a story. Social media in books I’m still trying to get used to it. It was somewhat…bothersome? how much TikTok was at the forefront. It was mentioned so much to the point where I would have preferred Sophie use a different platform to chronicle her reunions. Even so, she had fun with this experiment and it did seem to help her come to terms with why her past relationships never worked out and realize what kind of relationships she wants for herself in the future.

Erin La Rosa does a good job working in a variety of tropes, such as best friend’s brother, road trip, forced proximity, only one bed, friends with benefits, and grumpy x sunshine. All of which fueled some very steamy scenes.

"Plot Twist" was a good story overall, but it felt like something was missing for a large portion of it. The last 25%-ish of the story was the most interesting and engaging to me. I liked the story’s overall messages of knowing your worth, being your own best advocate, living life on your own terms, and staying true to who you are.

Thanks again Canary Street Press, HTP Books, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!