Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I think if someone is looking for a cute romance/romcom this would be a good pick. The plot was an intriguing one, though I wish there were less tropes if that makes sense. I want a book to feel like a story that happens to contain tropes, and not to feel like a bunch of tropes in a trench coat masquerading as a story. I would also say as someone who doesn't have or use TikTok, parts of this book sort of lost my interest because they did revolve around going viral on TIkTok. That's just something that doesn't work for me personally. I think it's something that a lot of other people might really enjoy though. There were some serious topics I did think were handled well and the characters were overall pretty enjoyable, though I wouldn't say I felt strongly connected to either Sophie or Dash. If you like Erin La Rosa's previous work, specifically I'm thinking of For Butter or Worse the first book in the series Plot Twist belongs to, you'll probably enjoy this as well. Or if you like a lot of common romance novel tropes this should definitely be a book you're interested in reading!

Sophie is a romance author, and never expected to go viral…for never being in love. She decides in order to find love, she will document herself talking to her old exes for TikTok. She is facing a deadline for a book she hasn’t even started writing and is hoping this will help. Since she’s never used social media, she’s lucky her landlord, and best friends’ brother, Dash, has it all figured out.

As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover heat between them that they can’t ignore. Sophie tries to temper things so she can discover herself, but maybe Dash is what she’s been missing all along.

This book was very good and a lot of fun. I loved the tropes that were present, one bed is one of my favorites, as is grumpy/sunshine. I enjoyed how addiction was dealt with in this book. It was handled with grace and care despite being a heavy topic. I really enjoyed the TikTok element. Even though I’m not on TikTok myself, it was a lot of fun to read about. Sophie was quirky, and although a little annoying at times, I enjoyed her character and how she was a romance author who has never experienced love. The romance between Dash and Sophie was done wonderfully and I could feel the chemistry. I loved how they both had flaws and they worked on them together.

If you are looking for a fun book with a little spice, then check this one out.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I adored this book. I didn't read the first one but I didn't want to put this book down. I loved the importance of teaching about sobriety and family relationships.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I think this may be my favorite romance that I have read so far this year.

Sophie is a romance author struggling with a deadline and the fact she's never been in love. Dash is a retired teen movie star working on his sobriety while also dealing with his over the top family. This unlikely pair teams up to help the other, striking up some complicated feelings in the process.

I loved that this book had a few twists and turns and characters that had some complex issues to deal with. Plus, I love a good one bed trope. The only thing I didn't love was Sophie's tattoo, but significant other tattoos give me the ick.

Overall, this was a fun read for anyone looking for a rom-com vibe.

I was hooked on this author's writing from the first page. The characters were loveable and the story and problems that they had were real. I liked that it was not a picture perfect life and they were each trying to grow. Told from Sophie and Dash's viewpoints it was interesting to see both sides of the story. Which was good because then you got to hear the deeper thoughts into the multifaceted characters. There was laughing, heart pains, a good amount of spice thrown in and a generally good time. I will be reading more of this author for sure!

Honestly, the premise of the book was okay. I couldn't really get into the TikTok/social media competition. It just felt very forced. Also, instalove on the main characters. Personally just not for me, but I can see other readers enjoying this book

It’s cute. I enjoy when authors write about authors. It has an interesting dialogue about social media and writers/the book industry.

But the amount of focus on TikTok, how often it was mentioned and even going into the analytics of the app, was too much for me and became quite repetitive.

I enjoyed the quips between the characters. Mira’s line about cats made her an instant fave.

She’s a romance writer who’s never been in love, and he’s a recovering alcoholic with family issues from a life of childhood acting.
-1 bed
-best friends brother

This book was good! I feel like I understood their daily struggles and fear of not being enough for each other.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the wonderful author Erin La Rosa for this eARC in exchange for my review

This book had the potential to be exceptional, and there were aspects I genuinely enjoyed. However, it fell a bit short for me.

I truly admired the author's sensitive portrayal of a character in recovery from substance abuse. It was handled with great care, which I found commendable. The initial setup of Sophie and Dash's friends-with-benefits relationship was delightful, filled with flirtation and endearing moments.

Regrettably, there were numerous cringe-worthy moments that overwhelmed the story for me. I don't mind social media in books since it's a part of our daily lives, but Sophie's attempt to document her journey with Dash for her TikTok followers felt forced, and I couldn't help but feel second-hand embarrassment for her.

I hope that critique doesn't come across as too harsh. Perhaps TikTok is too new and prevalent for it to seamlessly fit into a romance novel without feeling like an attempt to stay trendy.

I would recommend this book if you can overlook the TikTok element and Sophie's quirky yet occasionally grating personality. Another reviewer compared her to Bridget Jones, which makes sense because, like those movies, this book wasn't bad but didn't become a personal favorite.

This was a fun read, but it took me a lot longer than usual to form any emotional connection with the characters. I didn't realize that this was the second in a series from author Erin La Rosa, and I think that might have been why! I really enjoyed the spotlights on alcoholism/recovery, as well as the bi/pansexual representation in the main character. Both I feel like were handled well, although I can only speak to the experience of queerness directly. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title!

This book gave all of the cute, contemporary vibes you want and need.

It explored addiction in a way that felt serious and approachable. Dash went through very real struggles with his addiction and there were heart breaking moments that made you want to cry for him. Sophie's relationship problems brought a lightness while also forcing you to look at your own relationships and maybe see where you might be failing. I loved the balance between Sophie and Dash and the way they both had to come into themselves before they fell in love. I thought the message of letting go of perfect and just embracing where you are was so important.

This book was fun and light hearted for the most part with a little bit of spice. I think the incorporation of Tiktok didn't feel out of place, but really made the book as good as it was.

Definitely recommend if you want a book that feels good while also making you think.

An imperfectly perfect romance filled with heart, realistic relationship drama, and spice!

The description of a romance author who has never experienced love drew me in. The idea that he's a previous teen movie star she had a crush on alongside the forced proximity had me in for the reading long haul. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this love story full of chemistry as well as messy characters that need to fall in love with who they are just as much as they need to fall in love with eachother by the end.

I think that this was not a great follow up to the first book, I didn’t real feel much chemistry and felt weird about their backtracking on the rules regarding relationships and recovery

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the arc

Very cute romance about a romance author who has never been in love. Would recommend if you like mild spice!

Dnf at 35%. I’ve been trying to read this for actually months but what a drag. I cannot get into these characters.
Thank you net galley for a chance at reading this book

I really want to like this book. I love Dash and Sophie as characters and I think they had a fun storyline. The romance author who has never been in love- and the ex actor trying to start over out of the spotlight- mix in best friends brother and land lord and it had some fun moments. That being said, there was something about the inner dialog of Sophie and how she was on the internet that I struggled with. She was either too overly clueless or everything was laid out for you a little too much in my face. Some better dialogue and narration and I could have been more sold- but the writing style wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and harlequin for letting me read this book early!

I will admit, me and this book got off to a rocky start. I loved the main character, Sophie, and how mess she is, but the book was so deeply set in the current times that I worried about the longevity of it. It spends quite a bit of time explaining TikTok and how it works and it was a bit of a red flag for me. HOWEVER, this book truly delivers.

This book follows Sophie, a romance author who’s never been in love, has writers block, and her book is due in two short months. What’s a girl to do? Go viral on TikTok for crying about never being in love at a particularly messy karaoke night. While recovering from the embarrassment of the night before, enter Dash, her landlord and best friends brother. Dash is the strong silent time and totally hunky. Dash, who’s fighting his own demons, suggests that Sophie makes a reply video on TikTok and the idea blooms that she’ll interview her ex’s to find out why she never fell in love.

In this wonderful adventure both Sophie and Dash learn a lot about themselves and how to be vulnerable and how to be loved. I adored their relationship and how much they worked on it together. It is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, with chemistry that literally jumps off the page. I would highly recommend this book.

Got an ARC on NetGalley. For me this one was a little slow to start. Really enjoyed the last 50 or so pages. Felt a little bromance book club-ish with the intervention. I felt that the characters were a bit superficial- did not feel connected to any of them.

This book was so cute, I couldn't bring myself to put it down! I simply adored Dash and Sophie, and how relatable they are as human beings. We all feel a little lost and alone at times, and this Erin La Rosa captures this feeling beautifully. Watching these two learn about themselves and each other over the course of the book was a truly joyful experience.

Definitely would recommend if you're looking for something to remind you that not everyone is as perfect as they appear, but everyone deserves to be loved where they are at regardless.

Romance writer Sophie has never been in love and finds herself with a severe case of writers block and a looming final deadline. I’m an effort to get the creative juices flowing (and maybe even find love), she decides to go back and interview her exes to find out what went wrong. A helping hand in her journey? Dash Montrose. Former teen actor. Landlord. Best friends brother….and Sophie’s crush.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, For Butter Or Worse, which featured Sophie’s sister Nina’s story. That being said when I knew I would definitely be picking up this next book in the series.

The cover art of this one is just gorgeous- such a cute vibe and I was super intrigued by the premise of the story. And a best friends brother trope never hurts.

That being said, I’m sad to say that this book and I didn’t quite click. I think it had a great foundation but unfortunately did not work for me in how it all came together.

I liked that the story was one that tried to tie in some serious topics as well - family dynamics, alcoholism, sobriety, and the struggles to share and move forward in life.

While I liked the idea for the story, the execution didn’t quite come together for me. There was a lot going on and I felt like it kind of took away from staying in the story itself. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be reading a story about exactly given some of the seemingly competing plot lines. That combined with the fact that I didn’t feel any real investment in the MCs made it an imperfect fit for me personally.

I’m also not a huge fan of the tiktok references, it just takes me out of the story and honestly trendy things like that set a timeframe of reference of the story (unintentionally) so hard to read them again later for me.

The author is definitely one that writes well, and having enjoyed her other book I’ll definitely continue to try more reads from her. I think given some of the trendy bits, perhaps I’m not the target audience and it might land better with a younger reading crowd too.

Thank you to Canary Street Press, HTP Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.