Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Plot Twist.

I really enjoyed that this book delved into a lot of heavier topics. Dash’s sobriety was handled really well and I liked that they didn’t try to make him too perfect. I thought that the background information on his family dynamic helped to further flesh out his character.

Sophie was also a complicated character. Her sister Nina was such a big influence on her. I enjoyed watching her growth through the book during her. “Ex journey”.

I would definitely recommend this book

Loved this sweet and spicy romance, just like the author's last book. Dealt with heavy stuff like alcoholism and family drama, while nailing the friends-to-lovers and forced proximity angles.

Meet Sophie, a romance writer battling writer's block. She spices things up by reconnecting with her exes on TikTok, helped by her landlord Dash, a former teen heartthrob. Friends with benefits turns into something more, but they've got their own issues. Can they overcome them for a happy ending?

Sophie is a hopeless romantic and author whose never been in love. After drunkenly ranting about that, she begins to unravel her past relationship challenges to find out why she never fell in love. Meanwhile, her and her neighbor/best friends brother learn to trust one another as she falls in love and he gets comfortable with his sobriety being able to be part of his relationship. This book got me deep in the feelings. A heartwarming tale of learning to love and trust someone fully while accepting that you are enough just as you are.

I remembered the first time I heard about "Plot Twist" on Twitter and I immediately went, "I want to read that!" The cover intrigued me too like that looks like it's gonna be hot, and it was! It was hot and cute at the same time. Their chemistry was through the roof! "Plot Twist" is about Nina's (from "For Butter or Worse) sister's, Sophie, love story. I love interconnected standalones. The Nina and Leo cameos were great. As for Sophie, she's a romance author. I love the romance author trope because you just know it's gonna be a fun one. This is also a best friend's brother trope so yeah iy was good. It was good but not that great, ergo the three stars. Would still recommend. I love the discussion about sobriety and how realistic when it came to Dash's character. Erin La Rosa didn't give him a "perfect" sobriety story because for one, that doesn't exist, and two, it just made Dash more real.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is perfectly serviceable. I didn't fall in love with Sophie or Dash. It could've done with a bit more editing--there was a LOT packed into the plot. I might recommend to our 20Something book Club.

It was a cute rom com that had moments of cringe. The sexy talk walk alittle over the top at times. But overall I really love how this book handled some serious issue like addiction and recovery. I felt like both characters really wanted to learn from their past and you could see a relationship last. This story was not about finding the right person but being able to decide what was right for you. I appreciate that this felt more like a story about loving insecurities instead of just falling in love with someone else.

About the book :

Sophie Lyon is a Romance author who is trying to finish her second book after a very successful launch with her first book. She has never been in love.

Dash Montrose is a former heartthrob who has secrets.

What happens when Sophie and Dash grow closer as they spend time together.

Review :

I really like the cute cartoon cover! I love the added tattoos on Dash's arm. I know cartoon covers you either hate them or love them, I love them.

I couldn't connect with the main characters. I felt like I needed more out of both the female and male lead characters to pull me into the story. The banter between them was lacking in my opinion, I wanted so much more tension. I felt like it was a bit cringy, but there were spots where I was able to look past that. So I don't think it prevented me from enjoying the book. I mostly just didn't connect with the characters and that's a huge part of why I love to read. I think the storyline/plot has great potential it just wasn't there for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I don't like to write this but this was a huge disappointment :(
I loved "For Butter or Worse" but this one was not for me. I don't know if I'm getting too old but all this "everything-awful-always-happens-to-me-and-it-goes-viral crap is definitely old now. I requested the arc because I saw the authors name and didn't read enough about the story. My bad! I put it down.

Sophie is a romance author who is in a current writing slump. Dash is a former teen heart throb who spends his time making anonymous cooking videos on TikTok. They happen to live next door to each other. After Sophie has an embarrassing video of herself blowing up on TikTok, she decides to go in search for answers. Why has she not fallen in love? This story is well written but just didn’t do it for me. The plot was decent but it was missing the witty banter and sexy angst that make me fall for a romance book. I also didn’t care for all the TikTok, social media content. I would’ve preferred this book in dual POV. Dash is short, blonde and covered in tribal tattoos. That is not sexy to me. I wanted to love the characters but to me it didn’t happen. I would definitely still offer this up as a suggestion for romance lovers to read because I think there’s an audience for it. I’m just not the one. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this and share my opinion.

I read this because of Helen Hoang's review and she can do no wrong. This rom com was refreshing. The narrative just flew trough my eyes. It had pinned to my couch waiting to see what was going to happen.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for generously gifting me this e-ARC.

I will be DNFing at 39%. I can see where this cute family friends to lovers romance is going to work for so many people, but it was just a little too over the top meta and cheesy for me.

It felt like the author was trying to write as many tropes into the plot and lost the characters for me.

I appreciated the representation and handling of deeper issues so it was not a total loss.

I think this one will be liked by many, especially if you love cute and fun romances. I am just learning I want more angst and tension.

I’m giving this a 3 star because I don’t want to tank the author’s rating for something I wasn’t in the mood for/didn’t like.
I have never DNFed an ARC, but right now, I am protecting my peace and DNFing at 46%. I tried to give it a fair shot, but it was not for me.

I think people who like a really simple Wattpad-esque steamy Romcom might like this, but it was not for me.

I will give this book props because of the representation. The main character has a pacemaker, and she is pansexual.

The book does a lot of showing and not telling (just a lot of info dumping and excess background information). The characters already like each other at the beginning, but it doesn’t really say much about why they like each other (besides physical attraction), they just do. The dialogue and language used is just really cringy and informal, and it felt like they tried a little bit too hard to be relatable and use internet lingo. The conflicts were so easy, and what I mean, is that a lot of the “problems” that appeared were solved within a few pages. The characters just felt really flat for me, and I didn’t connect to them at all. I just found myself really not caring what happened next.

Absolutely NO HATE to this author, or anyone who liked this book, it was just not what I expected, and not something that I wanted to read right now.

Thank you Netgalley for this ebook Advanced Reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

You know those series where they're not that good and you wouldn't really recommend them to anyone else, but you've started reading them and they're fine and so you'll keep reading them even though they're aggressively fine? That's what the Hollywood series is for me. I read For Butter Or For Worse last year, and it was such a 3-star read. The whole book was one big miscommunication trope, and it was frustrating to read. But it wasn't... bad, so I still wanted to read Plot Twist. And this one is also such a 3-star read.

Sophie, a romance author who just had a viral night where she proclaimed loudly and drunkenly that she's never been in love, rents her apartment from Dash, who is not only her sister's best friend, but also a former hunky child actor (and current hunk). The day after her rant goes viral where she is extremely hungover, Dash takes care of her (in a kind of icky scene with content warnings for vomit). He gives her the idea to document on TikTok her reaching out to her exes to figure out what went wrong and how she can have better relationships moving forward. And he knows anything about TikTok because he has a secret crafting account (tokcraftytome, which, A+) where he documents his pottery making as a way to focus and maintain his sobriety. (Side note, but if you're into the "romance author who has never been in love" trope, read The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren, which is a 5-star version of that storyline.)

There was also so much not communication in this book, not only between Sophie and Dash (in the vein of I'm definitely not catching feelings and I'm sure not going to tell you that), but also between basically all of the characters, including Sophie and her best friend (Poppy, Dash's sister) and her sister (Nina, of For Butter or Worse). Which was annoying to read, because you as the reader know it's going to blow up, and the amount of withholding information was just so extreme.

In addition to extreme amounts of miscommunication, there are also extreme amounts of anger, mostly at Sophie, but also just in general. While some of what she does justifies being angry at her, multiple people were mad at her at the same time, and it just kept happening chapter after chapter, which is not the vibe I wanted to read! Also, one character holds on to anger from a decade ago (that IMO is not justified in the first place) and then lashes out, which... just felt so unnecessary for Sophie.

On the plus side, you could see Sophie and Dash's relationship grow, and I did end up rooting for them as the book went on. Particularly Dash, who struggles with sobriety and the pressure his family puts on him and being a former child actor and everything that comes with that. And I obviously hated the third act breakup, but I think this is actually one instance where the plot is genuinely served by it. And it makes their reunion that much sweeter and more meaningful.

Will I keep reading books by Erin La Rosa, like Poppy's story? Yes. Would I recommend these books? ...No.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for providing me with an eARC of Plot Twist in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, I've tried to give this book a chance multiple times over the past month and some change, and I can't seem to get past 30-something percent through. It's just not holding my attention. The writing is fun and holds potential, but the storyline is just messy and uninteresting. I could be persuaded to try another work from this author but this just isn't for me. I also don't see this book aging well and not feeling dated within a year or two with the specific pop-culture references included.

Sophie has never been in love, and after a drunken karaoke night, the whole world knows it. The pressure is on her to finish her second book, and as the weeks count down, she decides to revisit her exes to see what may have gone wrong in her relationships. Dash is 18 months sober and is determined to not let his famous family and his previous lifestyle ruin it. If Los Angeles were to be a quirky Rom-Com, Plot Twist would be it.

Living in California, I absolutely adored the references to local bookstores and the feeling that stands out as purely Southern California. Oftentimes, Los Angeles is portrayed as Hollywood, but Plot Twist touched on something more and made it feel almost small.

Sophie and Dash are loveable characters. Sophie is sweet and genuine. The uncomfortable moments with exes are silly, yet embarrassingly relatable. Dash is strong and caring without the need to stand out in a crowd. I specifically love how the characters are strong and unique people who have personal challenges that are normalized in the story. It is a gentle reminder to the reader that it is okay, and seeking support is a big step.

Plot twist was a trope lover’s dream and has everything that a Rom-Com reader would be looking for. At times it felt like there were so many tropes that it made the story too wide-ranging, and I would have enjoyed if some of these moments went deeper. I felt like the story would touch on one aspect of the plot and then quickly move onto the next. If you enjoy being involved in social media, then this book is for you. Overall, it was a lighthearted story with a deeper meaning and quirky commentary.

Sophie Lyon, is a romance writer suffering from writer's block with only six weeks left to finish her new book for her contract. Her lack of love life has killed her passion, so she decides to face her past by meeting with her exes to understand what went wrong in her relationships. She plans to document her meetings on social media, which helps her become a TikTok sensation.

Her landlord, Dash Montrose, offers to help her during her romance journey. he intends to stay out of scandals, but he can't help being attracted to Sophie, leading them to become friends with benefits. Their chemistry is palpable, but they both like each other more than they can admit. Sophie has never fallen for someone before and is confused about her feelings, while Dash deals with heavier issues and feels he's not good enough for her. The cover is dreamy, and the love story is appealing.

Imperfect people, imperfect (vomitous) beginnings, and an adorable love story!!

THOUGHTS:
- I love that our heroine has a pacemaker! I have a friend who's having twins, and one of her babies will have to have a pacemaker right from the jump. I think we need more off-the-cuff inclusion of these kinds of elements in romance novels 🖤

- The idea of talking to my exes makes me want to cringe - but I enjoyed the journey that Sophie goes on. Very rarely are any of us willing to face our pasts, so I think her character shows an incredible amount of courage!!

- If you've got a lot of family drama and it's made you the skittish type - you'll love Plot Twist!! All about finding love in a way that works for you while healing from your past, I think La Rosa did a great job creating characters who have the capacity to be great partners but need to do a little work on themselves first.

NOTES:
- CWs: alcoholism
- LGBTQ+ themes
- Would be a great audiobook pick! I think the story flowed well with laughable moments perfect for that morning commute and will transport you to the sunny streets of LA just long enough to get you home in the afternoons!

**Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

This is a charming story of a romance author who has never been in love and has terrible writer's block. She lives in the guest house of her best friend's brother, recluse, and former teen heartthrob Dash. Both are stuck in a rut, and decide to help each other.
This book is filled with tropey goodness, including best friend's brother, forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine and friends with benefits.
It was lovely to see Dash and Sophie's love story play out and form such a wonderful bond.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine, friends/lovers, tenant/leaser Romance. Dash is a former movie star who is secretly 18 months into his sobriety journey. He's really nervous about slipping, so he isn't interested in a lot of commitment. But his sister's best friend, Sophie, draws him in. Sophie is a struggling Romance writer who needs to finish her second novel, but the problem is that she actually has never been in love. So, of course, Dash and Sophie end up spending time together and their chemistry is undeniable. I really like the way their friendship is explored deeply, and that they step back from getting into anything serious until they are both ready, There's great communication in this book. Lots of the usual Romance tropes, and steamy scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and admired its sensitive representation of a man's journey towards self-improvement and sobriety.

I love a grumpy sunshine romance and I think the concept for the one was really fun. There's a good amount of spice while not being over the top, and the side characters had such fun side adventures to Sophie and Dash.