While the storyline of this romance is rather cute, the narration is not good.

I struggled to listen as I sat in traffic. The female narrator is pretty good but the male narrator is excruciating! I am not a fan and had to switch from the audio to the e-book because I could not listen to another word from him.

He has a certain amount of vocal fry and a nasal bit to his voice that was just hard to listen to.

I hate writing negative reviews like this but it really was not what I expected.

1 star for the audio, 3 stars for the story, averaging out to 2 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Audio for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely enjoyed this audiobook. Jo is such a relatable, layered character who is ambitious and successful but she is also quietly struggling with anxiety and burnout. The mental health rep was so well done and did not feel forced. I loved the banter, the slowburn tension, the emotional connection it all just worked. It’s a rom-com that’s fun and swoony, but also hits deeper than expected. (Rounded up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jo De La Cruz is Haven’s famous fitness sweetheart in New York City, coaching in-person and online cycling classes streamed and loved by thousands of people. Silas Anders is a grumpy journalist for a popular newspaper who specializes in writing unpopular opinions. There is plenty of good press about Haven and Jo but Silas wants the undercover scoop on her and the cult world of Haven fitness and uses his personal connections to get to her. As they get closer and Silas begins to feel the magic that is Jo and Haven, will he choose her or a juicy story that ruins her?

This story features important messages of self love, forgiveness, and growth. It also has fantastic anxiety representation, something I don’t see a whole lot in books.

As a Peloton enthusiast and someone who suffers from severe anxiety, I was really excited to read this book because of the plot and it did not disappoint! I loved the characters and their flaws and obstacles that lead to a beautiful ending. The dual POVs, which I love in my romance, and narrators were great.

Thank you so much to Forever, Hachette Audio, Ana, and NetGalley for the advance audiobook!

This book gave me ANXIETY!!!!!! (in a good way). It took me a bit longer than usual, but this book was full of heart and love. The conversation about mental health was so well done. My only critique is that I hate the miscommunication trope. I loved this book, loved this narrator. And LOVED THE REPRESENTATION!!!! Panic attacks and anxiety SUCK but reading about others experience, even fictionally, helps me feel less alone.

4 stars.

I liked "Up Close & Personal" by Ana Holguin a lot! It is quite an interesting, delightful read. I usually don't love books about fitness influencers as I find them to be too judgmental towards "other" types of bodies, but this one felt fine and not super judgmental. I found the story to be well-paced, well-written, and even a little emotional at times. The banter between characters is excellent. Their romance was a little slow-moving, but it all culminated in a solid courtship. I like how Silas starts the book being an insufferable jerk, but comes around and learns not to judge a book by its cover. I enjoyed Jo's journey as well. This story has some good anxiety representation where he character is concerned. I hated the miscommunication, though, but that's just me. Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle do a spectacular job narrating this book. I don't believe I have heard an audiobook narrated by either of them before, but they are both on my radar now. Their voices complement each other extremely well and kept me engaged throughout the entire story. Their pacing is fabulous, their diction is perfect, and their inflection is great! Loved them! All in all, this is a great book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ana Holguin, Hachette Audio, and Forever for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Although I really enjoyed the narration of this book, it did fall a little bit flat for me. I thought it had lots of promise, but I just didn’t get into it as much as I had expected.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful, charming, poignant and laugh out loud contemporary romance. I really enjoyed every moment of Silas and Jo’s unfurling romance, peaking behind the camera into the fitness world and its impact on mental health. Read by dual narrators Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle, I thought the production was really fantastic and both voice actors brought the characters to life in an authentic way. I will say I thought both of their voices sounded a little young for the ages of the characters but nevertheless, I got swept up into the drama and romance and throughly enjoyed the audio book.

Such a great book!
I couldn't obtain a physical copy of this book, so I opted for the audiobook instead. I was a little bit scared because I'm very particular with audiobooks, but I was not wrong with this one.

I hope the author and the narrators work together again, they make a great team.

This was ... fine. Honestly, this was very much a "It's not you, it's me" type book situation. There's nothing inherently wrong with it. It's fun and cute and super sweet. However, I am a person who would rather die than attend a spin class and have someone yell inspirational crap at me, so I just could not get excited about the execution. Will read more from this author though!

3 stars: ★★★☆☆
Thanks to Hachette Audio | Forever & Netgalley for the ALC 💌

Okay sooo... this one’s kinda hard to sum up. Like, I wanted to love it. I really did. The vibes were right: fitness girl vs. grumpy journalist? Yes pls. Mental health rep? We love. But even though it technically checked the boxes, the feels just didn’t land like I hoped.

It’s good. Just not romance good.

Tropes:
🌿 Opposites Attract
🖋️ Slow Burn Romance
🌿 Mental Health Representation
🖋️ Workplace/Industry Critique
🌿 Character Growth/Emotional Healing

The blurb had me expecting chemistry, tension, that “omg they’re falling for each other” energy... but honestly? It read more like an introspective coming-of-age journey—with a sprinkle of flirtation—than an actual swoony love story.

Jo? Loved her.
She’s a powerhouse spin instructor with anxiety, burnout, and a whole lot of pressure on her shoulders. She felt real. Her moments of vulnerability? So well written. And I adored how the book normalized mental health struggles in high-functioning adults. It didn’t feel forced, it felt lived in.

But Silas... I have thoughts.
He starts off pretty insufferable. Like, the kind of guy who writes think-pieces about why yoga's a scam and why matcha is a cult. 🙄 His whole “I’m just here to expose the fitness industry” vibe grated on me. And while he does grow—slowly—I still wasn’t fully convinced. His emotional development felt half-baked. Like bro, if you’re gonna fall for her, I need more than just sad-boy looks and diner chats. GIVE ME DEPTH. Not vibes.

Also... where was the chemistry??
There were cute moments. Some genuine laughs. But the romance? Felt lukewarm. It never built to anything. No tension. No "oh crap they’re gonna kiss" butterflies. Just a gentle slow burn that fizzled out before it ever really caught fire.

And can we talk about that third-act conflict ?
So unnecessary. So predictable. So… flat. I honestly rolled my eyes. It felt like it was added just because rom-coms are "supposed" to have a breakup. Not because it made actual sense in their arc.

That said—Ana Holguin can write.
Her voice is fresh. Jo’s POV felt authentic. The banter was fun. I liked the spin (lol) on influencer burnout and toxic internet culture. And her commentary on reclaiming your narrative? Solid.

Would I recommend it?
Yeah—as a contemporary fiction with romance elements.
Not as a romance. Because if you go in expecting swoons, pining, and butterflies... you might leave feeling underwhelmed.

But for a debut? A respectable start.
I'm still curious to see what Ana does next—because the bones of something really special are there. She just needs to lean harder into the heart stuff next time.

CW: anxiety disorder, mental health crisis (described), recovery process, online trolling, sexism, sexual content

Final verdict:
A soft, mental-health-forward story with a cool concept, a lovable heroine, and a romance that just needed more fire. Not bad. Not amazing. But a decent ride.

This was just fine. I was sadly a little bored though to be honest.
The audiobook narrators were great though and their inflection was engaging!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced audio copy!

This was an absolute love f0r me- I couldn't stop listening!
Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle were amazing narrators. I so appreciate the way that Ana Holguin handled Jo's anxiety - it was done with such care and love. I also love the concept of going behind the scenes of a Pelaton type company and how early employees grow with the company.

Up Close and Personal follows Haven Bike trainer Jo as she's thinking about making a change in her professional career and Silas a journalist who is known as a part-time hater who is tasked with interviewing her.

Both Jo and Silas were pretty complex characters, although I think Silas had a slightly less developed past which was fine but I think led to me being a lot more frustrated with him and the secrets he hid. The secrets he was hiding, were also pretty annoying and major. If you don't like miscommunication kinds of tropes, I do not recommend this book haha! I ultimately did enjoy the story, I'm not usually super bothered by the trope itself and could kinda see things coming but I was getting frustrated with how long it really went along. Jo felt super real, I think Holguin did a great job making her a complex character with how her anxieties were portrayed.

Overall, I did really enjoy Ana Holguin's debut! I think it was really good and I think the dual narration was also pretty good! No major complaints over it but it also wasn't anything spectacular. Dual narration is a great way to handle dual POV romances so I do applaud the audiobook on that! As I mentioned earlier, I don't think this would be a good read for anyone that doesn't like miscommunication.

This was really enjoyable as an audiobook. I found their pacing to be pretty fast and made for an easy listen. The slow burn was so good and had the perfect amount of build up and tension. Overall I will definitely be reading from googling again!

the narration was pretty good. no complaints. but the story itself was not for me. i kept wanting a little more from both Jo and Silas but they were honestly jsut not giving. i picked it up because i saw someone compare it to Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez which is one of my favorite books of all time. this was not that. at all.

I’d like to start this review off by saying a huge thank you to Net Galley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Hachette Audio for this advanced reader copy. This book gave me major “how to lose a guy in 10 days” vibes in all the best ways. The setup of having Silas initially having negative ideas about Jo (writing the early draft of the paper), to Jo finding the paper and them falling in love in between. I really enjoyed the depth of Jo, and how it can help give some perspective on real life “influencers”. However, Silas really gave me the from his lying to just avoiding telling her the truth I found it hard to like him. The line “sexual Sistine Chapel” really through me. I did feel that this book really did capture the NYC charm. Overall, this was a very cute story with a 90’s romcom feeling!

This was a solid debut novel and an enjoyable romcom overall! I appreciated the thoughtful mental health representation, especially how the author handled the FMC’s anxiety. It felt honest and relatable, adding real depth to her character and making her journey more meaningful.

The audiobook itself was a mixed experience. I really enjoyed the female narrator. She did a great job bringing the main character to life and kept me engaged throughout her chapters. The male narrator didn’t quite land the same way for me, and it made parts of the story hard to focus on.

That said, I still had a good time with this story. It had heart, some sweet moments, and a strong emotional core. For a debut, it shows a lot of promise, and I’d definitely check out more from this author in the future!

📚 Up Close & Personal by Ana Holguin
🎧 Format: Audiobook
🎙️ Narrated by: Maria Liatis & Kellen Boyle
📕 Genre: Contemporary Romance
📖 Read: May 2025
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦—𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.”

‧₊˚✧ 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬 ✧˚₊‧
ꕥ Grumpy/Sunshine
ꕥ Forced Proximity
ꕥ Slow Burn
ꕥ Mental Health Representation

I would have never guessed that this was Ana Holguin's debut novel. It was so well written and engaging. Her portrayal of Jo's struggles with anxiety and the nuances of living in the public eye adds depth to the narrative.The slow-burn romance between Jo and Silas is both tender and compelling, with moments that resonate long after the book is closed. Fans of slow-burn romances with emotional depth will find this book both enjoyable and thought-provoking.

𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴: 𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮.𝘤𝘰𝘮/𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥.𝘢𝘯𝘥.𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨/

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Ana Holguin for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was not impressed with this book. I mean the story sound promising, but I just could get into this one,

Oh my God this narration was NOT good. I think I would've liked this book a lot better if I had actually read it with my eyeballs rather than listening to it. It was cheesy, all the voices sounded the same and I don't think the narrator did the story or characters justice. I'm giving it 3 stars solely because the plot and story was interesting, but the narration really lowered my enjoyment