Set in NYC, this debut romance features a popular pelaton esque spin instructor influencer who gets vulnerable with the journalist that is writing a feature article on her life. Full of excellent mental health rep (the FMC has anxiety and panic attacks and manages them with therapy and exercise) and some great swoony moments, I really enjoyed this one aside from the deceptive way their relationship begins. Good on audio and highly recommended for fans of authors like Kate Goldbeck or Rachel Lynn Solomon. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: anxiety, panic attacks and depression plus a parent who dies from MS

Silas is well-known as a journalist for being a “part-time hater.” He’s critical, and doesn’t just like popular things because they’re trendy. When his boss assigns him an article about the near-celebrity fitness instructor at Haven, Jo, he already knows his angle: expose the cult-like following and how vain and unqualified she is.

It’s giving a nod to How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days when what starts as an assignment with a known ending turns into something entirely different once the writer gets to know their subject. Silas soon finds that Jo is not only beautiful and charismatic, but an extremely hard worker and someone with so much depth beyond the bike. If only she could work through her anxiety to share her story with the world.

Both characters show a tremendous amount of growth by the end of the book, but Jo’s story resonated the most with me. It can be hard to step outside of what’s comfortable, put yourself first and ask for help when you need it. Anxiety can be debilitating, but you don’t have to go through it alone and there are tools that can help. While the slow burn romance worked well for me, this conversation surrounding mental health was even better.

It is an open door romance, but only one chapter that’s easy to skip if it’s not your thing 🌶️ And the only thing I didn’t love was that you could see the third act conflict coming from a mile away, and good communication would’ve easily resolved it. But all’s well that ends well.

Definitely recommend checking out Holguin’s debut when it publishes 4/29! It was so easy to root for these two 🧡

A solid, thoughtful debut from Ana Holguin with a lot of heart.

I really appreciated the deep dive into the realities of Jo’s seemingly glamorous job and what it looks like to live with anxiety in the face of such public attention. Her character was complex and inspiring, and showed real bravery in the way she worked to put herself out there and pull out of both a personal and professional funk.

The way Silas cared for her was beautiful and tender. Their relationship developed in a very natural and believable way.

For me, I wish the end had played out in a less predictable way. Yes, stories can absolutely still work when you know exactly the conflict that’s coming, but the way this developed from the very beginning made me hope there would at least be a curveball or two. It just felt toward the end like I was just waiting and waiting for something that had already been written in my head since the first third of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed it, though, and I will absolutely read Ana Holguin’s next book!

Thank you to Forever for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an ARC and to Hachette Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

As a Peloton person, I was sold immediately on this concept. Spin instructor paired with a cynical journalist searching for his next story? Sign me up. The depiction of Jo's anxiety hit home for me and I enjoyed the plot in general. I do wish that we got to focus a bit more on Jo's job though! It was one of the selling points of the premise, but I felt like we spent most of the time out of the studio. The dual narration was good, but I enjoyed Jo's chapters much more. But this was a debut, so I'm not counting Ana Holguin out just yet.

I have been excited about this book since it was announced what feels like decades ago and it did not disappoint. I LOVED IT. First of all, I am a fan of spin classes and do Peloton at home so it was so easy to imagine Jo as one of my favorite instructors. I also love a good slow burn and this one promised and delivered in equal measure. I really felt the development of Jo and Silas's relationship as if I was right there with them. And the friendships were done so well too. Lastly, the New York City vibes were SO on point...this coming from a lifelong New Yorker. I moved out to a nearby smaller city, what I like to think of as temporarily, a couple of years ago and this book made me SO homesick!!! I wanna move back. I was shocked to not see that the author was or had been a New Yorker at some point because it felt like it was written by a true Manhattanite. Kudos!! Can't wait to see what Holguin brings us next!!

This was such a fun, heartwarming rom-com! Jo is a famous spin instructor who seems to have it all, but behind the scenes, she’s dealing with anxiety and the pressures of being in the spotlight. I loved how real and relatable she felt. Silas, the journalist who comes in skeptical, was a great surprise. Their friendship-to-romance journey was slow, sweet, and full of cute banter and adventures around NYC. I appreciated how the story showed their emotional connection and growth. Jo’s mental health was portrayed with care, and I liked how Silas supported her. The peek into the fitness influencer world was super interesting too. While some parts felt predictable and the side characters didn’t stand out much, I still enjoyed the story. It was a solid debut with lots of charm and a believable romance. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more books from Ana Holguin! 💕

I really enjoyed this book! Jo is a founding instructor of Haven, a Peloton-like streaming fitness platform. She has become a celebrity through the platform and she struggles with anxiety, especially the “what if” type. Jo was so relatable and I loved her character, as well as how her anxiety was portrayed. Silas is a journalist who is working on a story about Haven, and he ends up surprising Jo with his authenticity. There is an aspect of Silas withholding some information from Jo in the beginning. I am usually very bothered by the MMC being untruthful to the FMC, but it wasn’t a problem for me in this book. I loved that Jo and Silas developed a true friendship before feelings ever even emerged. Their slow burn was full of great banter, cute adventures around NYC, and true connection.

The audiobook is narrated by Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle. Both of these narrators were new to me, and they were great! Their voices matched what I imagined for the characters, and they each voiced all of the characters so well. As I read and loved this book with a combination of e-book and audiobook, I recommend it in any format you typically prefer!

Thank you to Ana Holguin, Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC and gifted ALC; all opinions are my own.

Read if you like:
💕 Celebrity fitness instructor FMC x journalist MMC
💕 Group fitness classes
💕 Anxiety rep
💕 Supportive female friendships
💕 Slow burn
💕 Dual POV

A trope-y and fun rom com that's enhanced by its sensitive and realistic portrayal of dealing with anxiety. Jo is a top spin cycle coach, a job that doesn't impress Silas a journalist until he takes a few of her classes. They meet when she agrees to be interviewed. Of course they are opposites but they become friends and then, well, more. I liked the way Holguin uses the spin culture and atmospherics, the dual perspective, and the way that the relationship grows. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This was such a fun romance that started with an interview of Jo by Silas about being a fitness instructor but turned into so much more. I loved their relationship here. The reader really gets to see these characters go from strangers to friends to lovers in a way that felt authentic and so supportive. I really loved how Silas showed his caring nature throughout this story. I thought the behind the scenes view of being a famous fitness instructor was fascinating. Jo had so many complex layers due to her job and I liked the pace at which she slowly opened up about her journey with her job and mental health. This was a stellar debut, and I look forward reading this author again in the future.

Jo is a famous spin instructor, riding both in the Haven studio in NYC and streaming into thousands of people's homes everyday - she's an inspiration to many. Silas, a slightly grumpy journalist, is assigned to write an article about her for his magazine and goes into it assuming that he will be unimpressed with both the culture at Haven and Jo herself. However, like the good reporter he is, he begins taking the classes and getting to know Jo better. Very soon he realizes that there is more to Jo than just amazing hair and high energy, and Jo begins to fall for Silas as well.

I get the spin culture, I'm in it -- I go to Soulcycle way too much and my instructors know me so I was intrigued by this one. It's cute and it fully kept me entertained, especially the audio which was great with dual POVs; but it wasn't anything super special. I get that romances are comfortably predictable, but this one was just too predictable. One of the things I like most about rom coms/romances are the fun ancillary characters - they add humor and that extra element to the story; except I didn't love the friends here and the relationships felt a little flat. Cute and entertaining but not memorable.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Thank you to Forever for this e-ARC! This was a really good debut. I started reading this with zero expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised! I loved how Silas and Jo went from strangers to friends to lovers. It was refreshing to read a romance that wasn't solely based on looks, and I loved watching their relationship bloom.

Mental health was also an important aspect of the story. They both had their struggles with anxiety and depression. I appreciated that these topics were handled with care. If you like the mental health rep in Abby Jiminez's books, I think there is a good chance you would enjoy this one as well.

The third act breakup was predictable and could have been avoided. Overall, I still enjoyed this book and definitely would read more from this author. Read if you enjoy:

-Slow burns
-Strangers to friends to lovers
-Dual POV
-He falls first trope
-Mental health rep

I can't believe this is the author's debut novel because she did an astounding job!

Jo is one of the in demand spin instructors with a huge online following. When cynical journalist Silas is assigned to write a profile piece on her, he’s ready expose the cracks in the fitness industry and the rise of the fitness influencers. As they spend more time together, neither expect their friendship to turn into something more.

I loved the mental health rep in this book and how realistically it was portrayed. I related to Jo so much in terms of her battle with anxiety. The toll this job takes on Jo's mental health meant she had make sacrifices in her personal and professional life. This book illustrates how things are portrayed on social media are not always accurate. In of my favorite books by Abby Jimenez is "Yours Truly", Briana was supportive and understanding of Jacob's anxiety. Similarly I appreciated how Silas recognize what she needs and takes her of her.

I can't wait to read whatever Ana writes next!

Thank you Ana Holguin, Forever Publishing and Netgalley for this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Hachette Audio and Forever Pub for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one as the main character is an instructor at a studio similar to Peloton. I’m a relatively new Peloton member (joined within the last year) and haven’t been to a class in studio.

Jo seems like she’s on top of the world at their studio and they’re on about to be part of a major merger. However she’s feeling unhappy and looking for change. She meets Silas, a journalist, through a mutual friend and agrees to be interviewed by him for his magazine. They start a tenuous friendship that slowly turns into more. I loved seeing Silas take her classes and realize not only how challenging they can be but how they can make you feel. For me at least, Peloton and the community has a similar sort of magic! I don’t want to say too much or give anything away, but overall I really enjoyed this. The narration by Maria Liatis was fantastic! I will definitely check out future books from Ana Holguin!

This book was the definition of a slow burn romance and I loved it!

Jo is a beloved celebrity spin instructor at Haven, the renowned fitness center known for it's in-home streaming service and live classes. Silas is a skeptical journalist who doesn't get the appeal of spin. When he decides to write an article featuring Jo, he doesn't expect his whole attitude to shift. And neither of them expect their blossoming friendship to turn into more.

I loved both Silas and Jo. They had so much depth to their characters, and watching their friendship develop was very sweet. The chemistry took a little time to build, but when it did, I was waiting on the edge of my seat for something to happen.

It was a lot of fun for me to see the inner workings of Haven, and the relationship between Jo and her co-workers made me smile. She also had a solid friend group, and between work and personal friends, she had so much love and support surrounding her.

The author did a fantastic job with the mental health rep in this book. That can be such a delicate and sensitive topic to handle, and she did it so well. I think a lot of people will appreciate seeing the work that both Jo and Silas have done as they continue to cope with their mental health struggles.

There was a third act conflict that could have been resolved before it even became an issue. But it served to move the story in a good direction, so even though miscommunication can often be seen as a negative in romances, I didn't mind it at all.

If you're a fan of dual-pov romance, with amazing mental health rep, strangers-to-friends-to-lovers and strong friend groups, you have to check this one out! And if you happen to be a Pelaton fan, you will love it even more, but it's also enjoyable even if that doesn't apply to you!

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆, 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒏𝒐𝒏-𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑨𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒎, 𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔—𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓.

Nothing like a journalist getting assigned to write a profile on a woman he thought he could stereotype… only to be incredibly wrong in the best way 💞 SWOOON

This is the story of how Silas is sent to cover a piece on Haven Studio, a company focused on fitness classes, especially spinning. That’s where he meets Jo, one of the most well-known spin instructors at the studio. When she finally agrees to the interview, Silas quickly realizes she’s nothing like he expected 👏

This book has a big focus on mental health, particularly anxiety and depression, and I loved how the author crafted Jo’s character as someone who deeply loves what she does but still struggles with her own inner battles. She wants to tell her real story, and Silas is the one who listens.

𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉—𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉, 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆.

You get both POVs, and of course, the slow burn as they start to realize their attraction to each other outside of the interview is REAL it was such a beautiful and heartfelt combination. I truly enjoyed this book since I do have my own inner struggles and it was nice to see that from a relatable character.

AGH I ALSO LOVE THE VULNERABILITY not only from her but from him!!! MEN CAN CRY TOO AND WE LOVE IT!

tropes
💛 journalist x spin instructor
💛 strangers to lovers
💛 slow burn
💛 forced proximity (the interviews)

Thank you Forever Publishing for this eARC!

What do you get when you pair a journalist with a fitness instructor/influencer? An love story that just works. Silas is assigned a story covering the spin classes, fitness influencers, and Jo. Unfamiliar with the quote unquote cult of spin classes and their accessibility from one's own home, Silas goes in with pretty low expectations of Jo. I loved how Silas got to know who Jo was through unconventional interviews over hangouts and realized that he was all wrong about her and that they had quite a bit in common. You could tell that when Silas was beginning to learn that Jo was multifaceted and not just obsessed with her looks and fitness, he really cared for her as a friend. I saw a lot of myself in Jo and her journey with mental health and striving to be the best you can be. It was a fun and easy read that I would recommend to any looking for a rom-com to dive into as we head into Spring and Summer. I did a combination eyeball read and audio for this book and really enjoyed the narrators. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted eARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram review will be live week of 21-Apr-2025.

What a stellar debut💕 Jo and Silas were so sweet together and I love how we got to see them open up to each other and grow through their skepticism. I know this is a romance (it’s such a realistic slow burn🤌🏻) but I have to talk about the mental health rep in this book!

The way I wanted to pull Jo into a full chest hug the whole time-my strong, vulnerable queen🥹 Up Close & Personal tackles some heavy anxiety and depression themes in such a gentle way, but what I think it does so well is how it shows that from the outside everything looks fine, but the invisible monsters are very much there. It shines a light on healthy coping skills, a strong support system, and putting in the work to pull yourself out.

Highlights:
•lantinx FMC
•mental health rep
•dual POV
•slow burn
•spin instructor x writer

💜 Your fellow monster fighter

Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me an ARC of Up Close & Personal.

This was such a sweet story. Jo is a popular spin instructor at a trendy place in NYC called Haven. Silas is a journalist who gets assigned to write about Jo, the fitness industry, and why some instructors become so huge. Silas is the type to instinctively hate everything others find popular, but upon meeting Jo he can’t help but be drawn to her. This was such a great story about learning to love and accept yourself, and learning how to think critically and admit when you are wrong. I loved the main characters, and their growth in this story. And I especially appreciated the treatment of anxiety, depression, and mental health in this book. A fun quick read that covered some surprisingly tough topics with care. I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, and Hachette Book Group for this ARC. I love a slow burn romance, and this was an amazing one. I loved the pacing of the book, but the pacing of the romance ratcheted that up. No insta-love here. I did see the 3rd act ordeal coming and felt like it could be avoided, but the plot needs to plot.

I absolutely loved this book. So much so that I finished it in a day. It had everything that I love: really strong and well written main characters that I could relate to, a main couple you actually rooted for the whole way through who had really great chemistry, both romantic and as friends (which isn’t always done well), dual POV, humor, great pacing, just the right amount of heat, and a really strong message and relatable themes. (among other things)

Jo and Silas are everything you want in main characters. They have so much depth and you understand why they make every choice that they do because you feel like you really know them as characters.

I had no idea that this was Ana Holguin’s debut novel, what a talented human! Clearly meant to do this for a living. Immediately moved to the top of my must-read authors, I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next, I’ll be first in line to read it!