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!

Erin La Rosa is a new author for me, and I was intrigued by this book the minute I read the synopsis. Plot Twist follows unlucky in love author, Sophie. She writes about love but has never actually been in love. After a video of Sophie goes viral, she decides to meet up with her exes to find out what went wrong in her past relationships. Hopefully she’ll gain some insight on why she’s yet to fall in love and finish her next novel before the deadline.

Dash is Sophie’s best friend’s brother. He’s also Sophie’s neighbor and landlord. He’s dealing with a few personal struggles, while also being forced to write a speech to honor his father. After watching Sophie struggle with her new social media “fame”, the two decide to help each other. Dash will help her navigate Tik Tok and her exes if Sophie helps him write the speech. As they spend time together, their chemistry is undeniable. Sparks fly, but neither one of them knows how to deal with their feelings. After experiencing the plot twists life throws in their way, can they learn to listen to the desires of the heart?

I really enjoyed Sophie and Dash’s story. Erin La Rosa kept me enthralled in her writing. Each twist in the book had me in suspense, and I was rooting for Dash and Sophie to get over their issues and fall in love. Plot twist has some of my favorite tropes including forced proximity (neighbors and one bed trope) and best friend’s brother. We see both characters grow and mature as they search to heal the hurt inside them. Add Plot Twist to your TBR list if you’re looking for a fun love story with a lot of spice!

I really enjoyed this book. The adorable cover is what drew me in, but the story kept me reading. Sophie is a romance writer who has never been in love and is struggling to write her next book. She ends up renting a house from her best friend’s brother, Dash, who she had a crush on when she was younger. With Dash’s help and encouragement, Sophie decides to meet up with all of her exes to get a better idea about what went wrong in her past relationships, in hope of getting inspiration for her next book.

It doesn’t take long for Sophie and Dash to realize that there is chemistry between them. However, they have some obstacles to overcome. Dash is a recovering alcoholic and has family issues that he is dealing with. Poppy is also Dash’s sister and Sophie’s best friend and they don’t want to ruin those relationships. It was easy to fall in love with Dash and I was rooting for him to find his happy ending.

I really liked that this book was not a typical romance and had other elements that were represented throughout. There was pansexual representation through Sophie’s character and addiction was addressed through Dash’s character. Sophie also had a pacemaker, which added something different to the story. If you are looking for a good friends to lovers romance read with some “plot twists” then definitely give this book a try!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for this ARC.

This book get's a bonus star because it made me cry.

I've never read anything by Erin La Rosa before, but I'm so glad that I picked this one up. I was intrigued by the disability representation (the main character has a pacemaker, which I loved to see because I have a few close friends with serious heart conditions), but everything else about the book really hooked me.

It's a love story between two hot messes working through serious life stresses and finding out that the connection they needed was right in front of them the whole time.

Sophie is a romance author (and a bit of a disaster pansexual) on a serious deadline - if she doesn't turn in her second book within the next two months, she'll lose her advance, her contract, her financial stability and, maybe, her dream. Her writer's block just won't crack, so when her drunken breakdown about how she can't write a happy ending because she's never fallen in love goes viral on TikTok, she's pretty sure that's the end for her.

Unexpected help comes from her landlord (and best friend's brother) Dash, who helps her to make the most of her new TikTok fame and starts her on a journey of self reflection that just might break her writer's block. While Sophie touches base with all her exes to figure out where they went wrong, recounting each meeting on TikTok, Dash is dealing with his own issues. He comes from a family of Hollywood royalty, but none of his folks know that he is done with showbiz, a recovering alcoholic, and secretly building a name for himself on crafting TikTok with his handmade pottery.

They're sure that getting together is a bad idea, but their chemistry is undeniable. Even though Dash's economic privilege is pretty astounding, the problems that he and Sophie deal with feel authentic and relatable.

I loved watching the two come to terms with their own deeply rooted insecurities, learning how to care for themselves while supporting each other.

If you're an avid romance reader, the tropes are also delicious: best friend's brother; only one bed; he falls first; just getting it out of our system; friends to lovers. All done in a way that feels like a love letter to the genre.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who finds their happy place in the pages of a good romance.

"For the first time in her life, she trusted everything she was doing."

Summary
Sophie is a romance author who, ironically, has never been in love. The deadline for her next book is approaching and she cannot figure out how to finish it, since she clearly can't base it on any of her own relationships. She decides to meet up with her exes to figure out what went wrong, and post about it on TikTok to garner interest for her upcoming release. Along for the journey is her landlord/childhood celebrity crush/best friend's hot brother, who is totally off limits but tempting Sophie left and right.

Why did I pick up this book?
I was gifted an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and now cannot wait to go back and read La Rosa's first book, For Butter or Worse!

What did I enjoy about it?
I experienced an entire spectrum of emotions when reading this book – joy, sadness, shock, and so many more. True to its title, there were plot twists left and right that I truly did not see coming and was so impressed by!! For me, this book touched on the struggle with addiction and recovery in a way that was so raw and I don’t feel I have read before. There was deep, meaningful self-discovery from both characters, a perfect balance between the main characters on their own adventures and time spent together, plus some A+ spice!

What did I not enjoy about it?
Sophie was a romance writer, so I get wanting to include tropes throughout, but there was one device specifically that felt inserted just for the sake of inclusion and was not seen to fruition, but I won't spoil which one. I also felt that the conflicts Sophie encountered with both her sister and best friend were overcome rather quickly/easily, for as big as they were made out to be. But these small pieces were clearly not annoying enough to deter me from loving this book.

This book was so stinking cute. It had all the feels and the spice that I love. Erin’s first book was good, however I felt this one was even better. I loved watching a struggling author trying to overcome writers block. And I also loved watching the MMC work through his issues. It felt authentic and real and I cannot wait to read more of her books

A sweet and sexy book, Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa also delivers on the emotional swoon as two imperfect people figure each other out and fix themselves in the process. Thanks to @harlequinbooks, @canarystreetpress and @netgalley for the ebook. This one comes out tomorrow! 🥳

✔️ Best Friend's Brother
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ Secret Identity

I love the setup of a romance author who can't write about love. The twist is here, Sophie doesn't think she's actually ever been in love and wonders if there's something wrong with her. She's also on deadline and is worried this block will hurt her fledgling career.

Dash, her bff's brother, has the opposite problem: he used to be a successful actor (it's the family business) but his issue is that he wants out as it doesn't put him in the healthiest space (he's trying to stay sober). I love whenever a book covers a character whose life seems super great on the outside, and shows that they are also sad and confused and have lots to worry about too.

I loved how supportive and tender they both were to each other and so quick to assure that they are both lovable even when not at their best.

My main critique is that the last third felt a little rushed, but that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

Sophie is a romance author, and a clip of her drunkenly shouting that she has never been in love goes viral. To reclaim her image and try to get past writer's block, she announces on TikTok that she'll be revisiting all of her exes.

Dash is both her best friend's brother and her celebrity childhood crush. And now he is now her landlord. He wants to be there for Sophie but knows he's not ready for a relationship.

This book brings together so many tropes and scenes from romances (both books and movies). It includes everything from the steamy massage to learning how to throw clay on a pottery wheel like in Ghost. And Sophie even organizes her romance novels by trope. It feels like there are all sort of little winks to make the reader smile.

I also really enjoyed the comments on Sophie's video and the fact that I recognized some BookTok handles from the real world.

But I found the actual romance a bit rough. It felt like so much was smashed into the book that I didn't see enough of two characters actually coming to love each other. And the ending felt way too rushed to be authentic.

Thank you to Harlequin Publishing for the widgets for the Joyful Chaos Book Club. These opinions are my own.

CW: alcoholism