Not only is The Truth According to Ember is the first Native American rom-com to be published by a major publisher, but it sets the bar high for rom-coms as a whole genre! Ember is one of the most relatable, honest, and authentic FMCs I've read in so long and she truly feels like someone I'd want to be friends with. This book captures what it's like to be young and trying to find your footing in the world so damn well. Ember and Danuowoa have fantastic chemistry and banter together that makes them pop off the page. I am so excited for readers to get this in their hands in August and devour it like I did! Danica Nava is a new author to absolutely have your eyes on.

I was giggling and kicking my feet this entire book! it was also laugh out loud funny I can't wait to read more books by Danica!

A true laugh out loud forbidden-coworkers romance with Native American representation!!!!
This not only had me giggling but grinning from ear to ear!
Ember our fmc who loves her white little lies was just so entertaining to read about and her personality was just so charismatic, I adored her even if she fibbed a little too much.The story was funny and witty but also touched on really important societal issues and experiences that indigenous people go through.
The romance within had me blushing and Danuwoa had me swooning, he is such a sweetheart! The side characters were all so lovable and the family aspect within this was tender and real.
The very first Native American rom com being published by a large publishing house that should absolutely make its way onto your TBR!!! As a native woman, this was such an incredibly special read to me, to be able to see glimpses of myself and my upbringing reflected on page and I’m just so proud of Danica and absolutely can’t wait to see more from her!!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the advance review copy--all opinions are my own!

Fresh, funny, and full of heart, THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER delivers a romantic comedy delight. Ember is lovable and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and her journey as she learns to lean into the support of her community, discovers unconditional love, and embraces the power of telling her truth, is wonderfully touching. This is a romance I won’t soon forget.

How to describe this book…it’s like when you’re playing a game of Jenga—one wrong move and the whole thing collapses. The Truth According to Ember is a whole steamy, swoony, bantery disaster with Ember barely holding it all together. She sells a few lies about her identity and experience to land a job so she can have the life she wants but they just keep piling on. The last thing she expected was to meet her super hot coworker Danuwoa only to find out there is a strict no-dating policy at her new fancy job. Danica Nava also tackles topics of racism, cultural appropriation and sexism head on. This romance is at once designed to make you fall in love with Ember and Danuwoa while also digging through and confronting deeply rooted issues of oppression. I truly hope this opens the door to more Indigenous voices in the romance genre and I’m already looking forward to Danica’s next story!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ember Lee Cardinal, a Native aspiring accountant facing constant rejection, resorts to embellishing her qualifications and fabricating her ethnicity to secure a coveted accounting position in Oklahoma City. Thriving in her new corporate role, Ember also finds romance with Danuwoa Colson, a fellow Native coworker. Despite their workplace's no-dating policy, they engage in a clandestine relationship, which intensifies under the secrecy. Their affair is soon jeopardized when caught by a colleague during a work trip. Ember faces increasing pressure as she becomes entangled in a web of lies to protect her job and relationship. Ultimately, she must confront the choice between maintaining her silence or risking everything by revealing the truth.

ROMANCE IS THE MOST INCLUSIVE LITERARY GENRE and that is one of the many hills that I will die on. I was so excited to see a romance novel featuring Native characters and this book did not disappoint. A sweet story peppered with some darker elements, The Truth According to Ember is surprisingly relatable. Ember’s relationship with her brother, the loss of her parents, and the discrimination that she faces due to her ethnicity, are all obstacles that many readers will identify with. A lovely debut for Danica Nava!

The story follows Ember Lee Cardinal, a young woman who is struggling to find a job in her field and decides to lie on her resumé to get ahead. As her lies snowball, she finds herself caught in a web of deceit and must make a difficult decision between revealing the truth or losing everything. The character of Ember is relatable and well-developed, with her struggles and insecurities making her a sympathetic protagonist. The author does an excellent job of exploring the complexities of identity and the pressure to conform to societal expectations. Ember's internal conflict of wanting to be accepted for her true self while also wanting to succeed in her career is realistically portrayed and adds depth to the story.
One of the strongest aspects of this novel is the exploration of Native American identity and culture. The author weaves in elements of Ember's heritage and the struggles faced by Native Americans in modern society. This adds a unique and important perspective to the story and sheds light on important issues.
The romance between Ember and Danuwoa is a central part of the plot, and their chemistry is palpable. Their relationship is portrayed with sensitivity and tackles the challenges of navigating a workplace romance with a no-dating policy. It also highlights the complexities of interracial relationships and the prejudices that can still exist in today's society.
The tension and suspense build as Ember's lies catch up to her, and the consequences of her actions become more severe. The supporting characters, especially Ember's scheming colleague, add depth and contribute to the conflict in the story.
Overall, this book is a well-written and thought-provoking story that tackles important themes of identity, acceptance, and the consequences of lying. I highly recommend this book!

The Truth According to Ember is a totally charming romp of a workplace romance with a smooth-talking, swoony hero, a smart, engaging heroine, and a rogue’s gallery of corporate villains to boo. I loved this story.

UGH ARE YOU KIDDING ME. Screaming crying throwing up with this novel. I loved the premise and every bad choice that Ember made, made me giggle and gave me a pit in my stomach at the same time. This is a one of a kind! 10/10

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ (a couple of spicy scenes)
This was so…..genuine.

This was a cute and funny (with hidden little pop culture references) romance, but what made it special was how relatable the main character was. And also…Danuwoa. He’s a perfect new book boyfriend addition!

Ember, the FMC, is very relatable and I found myself connecting with so many things that she was experiencing.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book and really and truly felt like every “scene” or experience could actually happen in real life. I’m not just talking about fantasy (and the fact that men don’t actually have giant wings, etc…) But just experiencing a book that feels entirely relatable, and almost being able to smell and feel the scenes playing out on the page.

I cannot wait to read more from Danica!!!

I stayed up all night reading this cute yet self discovery of a story with Ember. Ember is Native American and identifies as another race with a name change to land her dream job. I, enjoyed Ember outlook on her culture, navigating and understanding the little "white lies" that she believe she had to tell. The chemistry between Ember and Danuwoa was so strong. Danuwoa was so sweet and just wanted the best for Ember. I, thought the pacing, development of the characters was done beautifully. I, LOVE seeing Native American representation in romance books. I, highly recommend.

I’m calling this right now. This is my #1 read of 2024! This book had me laughing at/with Ember and swooning over Danuwoa, while also discussing larger issues like, racism, poverty, and cooperate corruption. I’m so happy to have read the first traditionally published Native romance by a Native author. Danica Nava thank you for bestowing this AMAZING novel upon us peasants.🧎‍♀️I can’t wait to read the next book you publish and hope that this paves the way for more Native authors! 💗

I very much loved everything about this. I loved the representation and desperately wish more books would do it like this.

The Truth According to Ember is a romp of a romcom about Ember Lee Cardinal, a struggling woman who turns to a few omissions and half truths to get a job she deserves, only to find that teeny tiny lies add up to much bigger ones, and that everything is complicated further when her new relationship with the dreamy Danuwoa, who works in IT at her new company, threatens her carefully woven web of lies. Ember is relatable and captivating; I both smiled at her antics and shook my head at the moments of desperation that ring so true for anyone who knows what it is like to have to scrape to get by without enough money. It was lovely to read a romcom that humanizes what it is like to grow up poor.

It's a book that yes, is sexy and funny (hello I am looking at you, Danuwoa, and also at Ember’s best friend and resident hottie Joanna; I’d read a whole book about her, too), but also gives readers an opportunity to examine some of the damaging racism pervasive in literature depicting Indigenous characters from the vantage point of white authors. We need more authentic voices like Nava’s in romcoms!

Thank you so much to Danica Nava, to NetGalley, and to Berkley Romance for the eARC of this book!

Danica Nava has given us a groundbreaking, soul warming, belly aching romcom full of Indigenous love! She tackles the complexities of being a mixed-race Native in the corporate world, Ember's struggles to find a place she belongs, and keeping her web of lies together with ease. Ember and Danuwoa are such vibrant characters that jump off the pages, and you can't help but to love them. Her voice is fresh, bringing a familiarity and warmth to the genre in this feel-good novel. It's a beacon of sunlight! Perfect summer 2024 reading material. Highly recommend!

Perfect. This book is just perfect. Every line and word is seamless and believable; it flows so damn well. And, Nava seems to have a rare gift for evoking strong emotion while crafting beautiful images with her words. I was swooning and smiling the whole time.