This was cute in some ways, but also felt a little all over the place.

Sophie is a romance author with writer’s block, and while she’s facing down a deadline, goes viral with a TikTok video drunkenly confessing that she’s never been in love. While she attempts damage control, she starts spending time with her sexy tattooed landlord Dash (who also happens to be her best friend’s brother?) who has his own secret TikTok account that’s very successful. He agrees to coach her in building her social media following in exchange for her writing a speech for him to give for his dad (who happens to be a huge famous actor?)

Dash is a recovering alcoholic, and struggles with how to relate to his famous family members. I enjoyed his character a lot but we didn’t get to understand much background. Sophie also has a famous sister, and I had trouble keeping track of who everyone was and why they were famous.

Both Dash and Sophie were at career crossroads, and it was lovely to see how they supported each other. However I felt their love story was overshadowed by a ton of excess drama - Dash had a stalker, Sophie decided to try again with an ex, and both of them independently faced severe betrayal from people they trusted. I was also uncomfortable with Sophie’s writing process, as she explicitly took details from her friends and family to use in books and couldn’t imagine a happy ending for her characters unless she had someone else’s to copy.

All in all this was a worthwhile read, very romance-genre oriented and I liked the Hollywood setting, but mixed feelings overall.

While this book has similar tropes to others, I loved that Sophie is pansexual. It is great to see a character who explores love from different angles. It was also wonderful to see a character give up fame and fortune for what really matters the most in their life.

There were definitely some interesting topics brought out. Along with Sophie’s sexuality and whether or not she has ever been in love, there were the many problems Dash had to face. He gave up fame and fortune to face his alcoholism. This leads to him dealing with his dysfunctional family, being forced into the public eye and relapsing.

I’ll be adding more books from Erin La Rosa to my TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital preview to read

The Plot Twist was a cute and enjoyable romance! Down on her luck with love, Sophie a romance author sets out on a series of get togethers with her past ex’s to figure out why she’s never said “I love you”. Dash is struggling with inner demons of staying sober and figuring out how to get out of acting without upsetting his parents. Together they help each-other but sparks fly along the way. I enjoyed enjoyed the humor and definitely got butterflies a time or two! Love Dash and Sophie!

I gave this 3.5 ⭐️

I really wanted to love this one, but I just liked it. I found I liked the second half of the book much more than I did rh first part. It had so many tropes that I love, but I just had trouble connecting with this book. I found myself more browsing than reading. I am glad both character gained perspective and grew through the story, but I was just hoping for more I guess.

as always, thank you netgalley + publisher for the arc

y'all, how are romances where the main character is a AUTHOR always so good??

the characters were so interesting to read about. they weren't some perfect people who just met and decided to stay together. they both had their.. issues and flaws, and that is what kept this book entertaining and interesting. Sophia, a romance author and a hopeless romantic and Dash, a used to be actor and now does crafting? and they're just all on tiktok? i just loved it.

i am a sucker for cliche tropes and this had it all, from friends with benefits, grumpy x sunshine, the girl next door. i would have enjoyed the book a little more if they were both struggling with their pinning for each other a lot longer buttttt this was okay.

this book also dealt with a lot more personal issues, such as one of the characters struggling with sobriety, mental health and dysfunctional families.

all in all, i was invested from the start and really enjoyed this.

This was a unique read for me. I love romantic comedies; however, this one tugged at my heart strings more than normal for the genre. The MMC deals with alcoholism, and his journey in healing and recovery was different from what I have read in other books. I loved how openly emotional he was with his support system. It's not often readers see a male character be emotionally vulnerable, and not just to the FMC, but with his friends and family as well. This was refreshing to read.

Also, something I say with all romantic comedies is that I need to laugh out loud while reading for it to be successfully comedic. Right from the beginning I was holding in my laughter while reading in the library. I had to cover up my snorts with a fake cough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of Plot Twist.

This was a sweet romance touching on deeper topics around addiction, dysfunctional families and self-love.

Sophie is a romance writer struggling to write the HEA for her sophomore novel seeing as she’s never been in love herself. Dash, a former actor and her best friend’s brother, is struggling with his issues and hiding them from his family—including running a popular crafting TikTok account. After Sophie accidentally goes viral, he ends up giving her video advice while she helps him with a speech he has to write for his famous father. With circumstances and a few romance tropes (one bed/forced proximity anyone?) throwing them together, sparks fly.

While I do feel like there were almost too many tropes/topics thrown in, I still enjoyed the core romance between Soph & Dash and their relationship/character progression.

Also, loved the shout out to a certain pink bookstore that exists irl (iykyk)!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

This book was so good! The perfect mix of sweet and spice. It lived up to its name in that there were plenty of plot twists. This book really explore relationships and their effect on us, while telling a fun and flirty story. There was some miscommunication and exes involved, but overall, I thought it was cute and something that's worth reading.

This *mega-cute* book should have been called "Trope Twist." I, myself, am a huge fan of multiple tropes, so this really hit the spot for me.

The Pros:

* LGBTQ+
* Inclusivity
* Rehab/recovery
* One bed
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Best friend's brother
* Forced proximity
* Friends to lovers
* Former Hollywood heartthrob x "normal" person
* Major conflict involves an ex
* Chemistry + spice
* Dysfunctional families and how to deal with them
* HEA

The Cons:
* Too Meta (I didn't realize this could be a thing, but trust me on this one)
* Miscommunication (I loathe this trope)
* Cringey (think Scott's Tots)

I feel like you might need to be in the perfect mood for this one. I wouldn't turn to this as a palate cleanser or a feel-good quick read. This is in a genre all its own in my opinion (which isn't a bad thing at all).

I loved how so much of this book revolved around books. loved the chemistry between the main characters. the plot and writing was interesting as well.

Cute best friend's brother romance. Includes a dysfunctional family and substance abuse. It kept me wanting to read one more chapter.

This is a book I deeply struggled with in getting into. There were a lot of troupes going on that I normally like, but just seemed very in your face. I could not connect with Sophie the main female character. Dash, the main male character, I appreciated, but he was not enough to save the book. I admired Dash in focusing on his sobriety and not wanting to mess that up. Sophie on the other hand was too wrapped up in what everyone else thinks as apposed to doing what she wanted.

The base of the story sounded promising but really fell short. I am still trying to figure out why the name Plot Twist, when there really wasn't anything of the sort.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me early access in exchange for my honest review

This was ok for me. It tackles some of the tropes I love the most: close proximity (landlord / tenant), forbidden romance (best friend's brother), and even a friends-with-benefits to more angle. I love that the female lead is a writer who can't quite get her groove back: that was magical.
But I struggled a ton with this at the same time: the tropes felt very forced. More like box checking on tropes than ones that really made sense for the characters. I also detested all the TikTok attention: just not my speed. So while this was ok: I don't know that I'd recommend it.

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT a romance reader. I am trying my hardest to expand my boundaries, but this book didn’t do it for me. In all honesty I only picked up this book because the guy on the cover looks like my husband…so I can’t be too harsh on it. Too many individual things happening (love, tiktok, book, a squirrel, best friends, drinking, acting, difficult families, ceramics, a pacemaker, DMs, press leaks, etc.) and none of them made the female love interest more palatable. I like to have something serious on the line when I read, and there is nothing like that in this book, which may be exactly what other readers are looking for!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes with contemporary romance novels it takes me a bit to understand or even like the characters. With this book however I loved the characters from the start. I relate to Sophie and Dash on different levels so that’s why it was so easy to read and root for them from the start. Dash’s secret crafty side is so cute and I’m glad that in all of the rest of the things he has to deal with he had that the whole time.
A romance writer that has never loved someone and doesn’t know if they can while having a manuscript’s due date is fast approaching.
A retired actor that wants out of the spotlight while his family is pressuring him to stay in it.
They never expected to be friends let alone fall for one another.
Super cute but also deals with real life issues such as alcoholism so make sure you’re comfortable with that before reading.

3.5 stars, it had so much potential to be so good, but didn't reach it. I liked both characters at first but was hoping that Sophie would be a little more self-aware and stick up for herself more! I know she was trying to find out why things didn't work out with her exes but everyone was just kinda mean to her?? lol. But I did appreciate the part of story surrounding Dash's sobriety and thought that was well written. Overall, cute-ish read but would not pick up again to re-read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC, all thoughts on this review are my own.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “Plot Twist” by Erin La Rosa

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

Struggling with writer's block on her latest romance novel and deadline for said novel while reflecting on why she's never found love, author Sophie Lyon has a lot on her plate! Dash Montrose, a former child star, is struggling with trying to dissociate from his toxic celebrity mom-ager, his recent online stalker, and his former alcohol addiction so he can focus on his true passions: crafting and social media content!
When Sophie's secret about her love life goes viral and Dash is pressured by his family to present a speech at an upcoming event, the two friends make a deal; If Dash could use his social media skills to help Sophie reconnect with her exes, she could help him come up with a speech for the event. Will Sophie and Dash be able to confront their personal obstacles..and the suppressed tension between them?

Wow, where to begin? A sequel to the "Hollywood" series, this exciting contemporary romance pulls all of the fun tropes from Best Friend's Brother to Only One Bed! This narrative not only felt like a love letter to contemporary romance novels with strong LGBT representation, but the book also incorporated pacemaker representation, something I haven't seen in a lot of contemporary romance books before! This book also thoughtfully addresses the following issues:

Alcohol Addiction: I appreciate that the book discusses the struggles that come with addiction. It doesn't try to villainize Dash's obstacles with addiction, but sympathizes with and respects him. The book is realistic in understanding that that journey to recovery is hard and the process will take time, but one is brave simply by doing their best and taking steps everyday just to care for themselves and their mental health.

Stalking: While women have been victims of stalking and harassment, it's not often discussed that there are men who have been victims of this situation as well! Men, women, anyone in general can be a victim of stalking, and I appreciate that this book tackles the issue of stalking in a serious and respectful manner.

Child Stars and Dysfunctional Families: As of this decade, we have become more aware of the traumatic and stressful situations some child stars have gone through when they've been pressured into the spotlight by either their parents or certain companies. The debate on a child's place in the media industry and how it affects their mental health is still a discussion in today's climate, and a much needed one at that!

Sophie and Dash had wholesome, grounded chemistry! While they both struggled to open up to each other about their feelings and their needs, the journey they went on together throughout the narrative allowed them to learn about the importance of trust, communication, and understanding in one another before they could eventually build a strong foundation that is their relationship. If you're looking for a contemporary romance that gives you all the feels and will-they-won’t-they spice, but doesn't shy away from angst, you can check out this book when it hits online shelves and bookstores on November 14th, 2023.

Spice Meter: 5/5🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Tropes to Expect: Celebrity Romance, One Bed, Brother's Best Friend, Friends-with-Benefits, Self-Discovery Narrative, and Friends-to-Lovers!

- Trigger Warnings: Discussions of Alcohol Addiction, Stalking, Family Conflicts, Relationship Anxiety, Gaslighting (Not By MC), Trauma, Burn-Out, and Brief Panic Attack.

I found this new romance by Erin La Rosa to be absolutely adorable. It has all the fan favorite tropes like friends-to-lovers and forced proximity, both executed well. Where normally I could get easily bored with friends-to-lovers I actually found that it was well executed in this novel. I also really enjoyed seeing some diversity in this novel. It definitely isn’t your stereotypical contemporary romance. I also was super enthused to see some darker topics discussed like alcohol abuse. It added a certain realism to the storyline.

Our main character Sophie is stubborn when it comes to love. She’s found herself in quite the rut when it comes to writing and has attributed it to her lack of experiencing love. So Sophie becomes brave and decides to go through her entire relationship history and track down her exes to find out if she’s the problem and how to improve. While reading I found this to be rather admirable. I loved watching Sophie not only humble herself but really learn how to help herself and those around her. The character growth she expresses is immense.

Now we have Dash Montrose. He’s a Hollywood bad boy with a few secrets of his own. Despite all the tattoos and harsh looks he’s a total golden retriever. He is secretly super crafty and harboring a slight obsession with Sophie. It was so fun watching them interact. These two characters start off just helping each other but really end up healing each other in the end. They both have their own demons they are battling but we see how they are exactly what each other needs to overcome them.

I will say I didn’t give this book 5/5 stars but I do believe it is worthy of every good rating. For me I personally wasn’t in a friends-to-lovers mindset and didn’t connect to certain parts of the novel but I just know so many readers will thoroughly enjoy this read. It is worth every laugh and swoon worthy moment. I definitely recommend this to all my avid romance readers.

It was a fun read, but definitely not my favorite. I didn't read the first book in the series so when I started this one I felt like I was getting dumped with information. I obviously wouldn't have had this issue if I had read the first book so thats partially on me.

In this dumping of information I was told that Dash is Sophie's Neighbor, Landlord, Best Friends Brother, and Childhood Crush. For me this is a few too many connections. It felt a little too convenient. I think the amount of connections they had added to the info dumping feelings.

The rest of the book was fine, but I honestly had to double check the FMC's name when writing this review because I already forgot it. So the book wasn't super memorable.

This book sucked me in from the minute I picked it up. The book was so swoon worthy and provided me with the romantic fix I needed. The beautiful cover pulled me into wanting to read it, but the well written story kept me entertained from beginning to end. The main characters each had their own problems to sort out throughout the story and each character was developed fully and made me feel I really connected to the characters. The feelings of the love story could be felt throughout the entire read and I enjoyed every moment I was reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me early access in exchange for my honest review.