So cute! I love when the characters actually have some life under their belts, and some back story. Set in NYC, a cycle instructor meets a journalist at a page turn in her life. The mentions of anxiety, depression, and therapy serve to help normalize these common issues, and flow effortlessly in the story. The writing was sublime and comfortable, and so easy to read you felt like you were friends with the characters. Perfection.

“Up Close and Personal” was better at executing a (moderately effective) SoulCycle propaganda campaign than a compelling romance.

Its focus on the mental health of public figures—like Jo and her methods of managing it—werehandled with care. Although at times, the article Silas wrote had a flavour of “corporate-approved Dove advert”: uplifting and weirdly sanitised. It was dated, yet packaged itself as a brand-new concept. Which isn’t always bad, but the moments that should’ve packed an emotional punch—like Jo opening up during the interviews—were muted.

The Sex and the City-style friend group and the main characters were likeable. There were moments of flirty banter between the two, but their romance felt manufactured. Silas and Jo got together “because the book said so”, which I was content to follow along ,until the third act breakup. It was cliché and irritated me beyond belief because I’d hoped it would go in a different direction.

So, while I liked Up Close and Personal, it was too safe ,presenting stakes --like critiquing the fitness industry-- it was never going to commit to. Holguin kept the reader at an arms length from her characters and thesis, ultimately disservicing its title. Hey ,at least the propaganda worked, ’cause now I’m in the mood for a spin class.

Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC. the narrators were fine, but I wouldn’t urge regular (or new) audiobook listeners to prioritise it on their TBR

This was a great romcom!!! the depth and growth of the main characters was perfection. The Author gave us a beautiful written story and with characters with great individual growth and instant chemistry you cant help but root for them. I had such a great time reading this story Jo & Silas loved the story and them as characters! Also love a story where you find ways to love yourself above anything and doing things to better yourself!

Thank you NetGalley for this Audio Arc in Exchange for my honest thoughts
This book comes out April 29th 2025

There is a lot to recommend this book and audiobook--solid writing, good mental health rep, an original concept that was intriguing. However, I didn't quite fall in love with these characters, which is my primary reason for reading romance. I'm certain other people will be obsessed, but I just never quite connected with the relationship. Still, the writing and pacing are good, and I'm excited to see what this author does in the future.

I really enjoyed this audiobook!

The fitness instructor aspect was done really well and the author did a good job at including people of all body types and abilities without putting people down that don’t have the ability to work out as hard as others. The author also did an excellent job at portraying mental health issues, mainly anxiety.

I do wish that Silas told Jo earlier that it was his plan in the beginning to interview her. But I understand that for the sake of the third act breakup, it needed to come about that way.

I also really enjoyed the narrators and am looking forward to listening to more audiobooks by them in the future. BUT I feel like Silas’ narration felt too.. bubbly? In the beginning his character is pitched as a part-time hater (which, same and I love that for him) which makes me think he should’ve sounded more grumpy-ish? But the narrator just felt very light and bubbly the entire time. Besides that I still loved their voices.

Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC!

Ana Holguin wrote a raw, beautiful and genuine romance. This is one of the best slow burns I have read in a long time. We see their relationship grow and build in a genuine way. The conflicts and trauma do not come out of nowhere, it is a part of who the characters are and their stories. And to top it all off, for it to be a dual POV is just the cherry on top. These characters take you on a journey of their feelings and yearning for each other and so much more.

Ana captured so many emotions and struggles in a beautiful way. The way a person is affected by anxiety, social media, the pressures we put on our selves and the pressures that others put on us. How we balance live and work. How our convictions may change. The things we need to face. And how a connection with someone else isn't just a meet-cute, but how it can be real and imperfect while still being beautiful and worthy of us kicking our feet and giggling.

I cannot put into words how obsessed I am with these characters. Not to mention that so many elements of the book like the setting, their jobs, etc really made this a refreshing read. And getting to listen to the audiobooks, the narrators really brought what this story needed for it to be taken to the next level.

Truly a favorite read for 2025.

This was a solid 4 stars until the third act conflict, unfortunately I didn’t like how the third act played out (one of my least favorite tropes was present) so I’m dropping -.5 stars. But this is still a great debut novel and I will be looking out for works from this author in the future.

Besides the third act, I really enjoyed this book. I honestly felt seen; and can relate to the fmc in how she experienced and handled her anxiety. I saw a lot of myself in Jo in that way, and this heavily influenced my rating. I also respect that the mmc was struggling with his own depression, as male mental health tends to be discredited and not taken as seriously.

I received an audiobook copy of this book and I loved the voice actors. They brought the characters to life with just the right amount of theatrical flare.

I think some of the slang used will date the book in a few years like “big Midwest energy” and “this meal slaps” but it’s fun in the present time.

I don’t think it’s worth lowering a star rating over this because it technically doesn’t impact the overall story, BUT I would just like to point out, it’s mentioned multiple times that the fmc grew up in central Texas and had a hard time because she was Mexican. As someone who grew up just outside of Austin (literally a small town in central tx) and now lives in Austin, it’s such an inclusive area and I love living in Austin, why did the author have to diss on it ☹️. gig em and horns down (iykyk). from a quick google search it says the author is from NM so I don’t believe I am going against personal experiences she may have had.

Tropes
👩🏻Adult characters 30+ y/o
👥Dual pov and narration
☀️Grumpy + sunshine
🏙️Present day New York setting
❤️‍🩹Mental health depiction - Anxiety and depression
❤️‍🔥Open-door romance

I am going to start off with the positives because I did love the story itself! I am not usually the most drawn to influencer stories in books it just doesn't do it for me but this was fun! A really well done debut and good thought into the characters stories. I love a slow burn honestly, so I think that was also done well. It never really felt stagnant or too slow, it moved throughout the book at a good place and the chemistry was believable and cute!!

That all being said, I wasn't the biggest fan of these narrators. I don't run into that often honestly, but for me they both were missing something. I also could listen at like 2.5x speed and it still felt like 1.7 which is my sweet spot personally. Really great for people that are looking for a slower speaker possibly but for me it really just threw me off sometimes.

Thank you Hachette and NetGalley for this ALC as always, I appreciate y'all the most <3

I've loved listening to this. The narrators sounded unique and did such a great job. The story felt a little slow in places but I equally appreciated that their romance wasn't rushed. The storyline itself wasn't something I've read before which was nice as a lot of plots are very similar, and the mental health reps was done in such a great way. Would definitely read more from this author

Influencer/fitness plots could go either way for me and I’m glad to say I enjoyed this one! It was a good debut novel that had its fun moments with some character depth in there. The slow burn had just amount of movement where I wasn’t bored and the chemistry build-up was believable as these two got to know each other on and off record.

Because this is an audiobook review I will add that I wasn’t the biggest fan of these two narrators for this book. I don’t know what it was but they both sounded a little too.. young for how old these characters are supposed to be and the female didn’t give a lot of emotion which I like to hear in an audiobook, especially when there’s some depth!

**Review will be posted on my book instagram account (caitlinscomfybookcorner) on release date**

I usually am a huuuuge fan of dual pov. Dual narrator. So it surprised me how much I wished this was just from the fmcs perspective.

The male narrator gave humorous scifi narrator and did not feel romance lead at all. Which didn’t help how annoying the mmc was. (Note: the female narrator was very good)

I think another big issue I had with this was the pacing. It took until like 64% until they even admitted to themselves they were attracted to each other and then immediately they were in love. It was really weird.

Thanks to netgalley and hachette audio for an alc.

Actually floored that this is Ana’s debut novel!

What an absolute warm hug of a book.

I related to Jo & Silas in different ways. Jo because she wanted to switch directions in life after falling out of love with her job & Silas because unfortunately I too was sceptical of anyone who joins spin studios like Haven (don’t worry I’ve tried a class myself & man I have so much respect for anyone who takes that challenge on now - it is so hard).

Jo was an absolute motivational badass and yet vulnerable queen & Silas was actually a big softy with enough self awareness to realise he needed to be more open and suspend judgement. Both gentle & passionate characters. Their relationship developed from tentative friendship & respect and I loved that aspect - they slowly unpeeled each other’s layers. And it certainly didn’t hurt being set in NYC.

Jo’s friendships with Amber & Serena was such a highlight. I felt myself tearing up over small things they did for each other that reminded me of my own wonderful friends.

I was so impressed with the narrators & felt they complemented each other and the story very nicely.

Ana’s going to go from strength to strength after this debut I can just feel it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, the narrators & of course the author for this special fresh new read.

The audiobook was set in 1st person duel pov. This was a sweet and heartfelt read/listen. I really enjoyed it. Up Close & Personal gave me some banter and slow-burn romance I was hoping for, with a good dose of emotional depth mixed in.

Jo and Silas have great chemistry, and I loved how their relationship developed naturally. I also really appreciated how the book explored mental health with both characters dealing with their own stuff (anxiety, depression), and it was handled with a lot of care.

It did feel like the pacing slowed down a bit in the middle, but overall I was super invested in the story and the characters. The audiobook narration was great too and they really brought the characters to life.

5 stars

So often slow burns are more enemies to lovers focused so getting one that was somewhat friends to lovers was such a nice change. I was giggling and kicking my feet from the MCs early interactions and it just continued that way throughout. Both were so soft and kind to the other which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also felt there was a lot of foreshadowing to the 3rd act breakup so that wasn’t a surprise but still hurt my heart for the both of them. The mental health rep and conversation around it felt very real and thoughtful as well.

Regarding the audiobook, I really felt both narrators embodied the MCs well and fit to how I imagine them. I did listen to it faster than normal (usually I’m at 1.75x but I listened to this at 2x) but I did feel both narrators had matching speeds. Great production as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

I will be the first to say that I judge a book by it’s description ,and I was fully anticipating for this to be a cheesy escapist rom-com. And I would say it is 2 of those things, but not all three.

This book has heart and soul. I empathized, sympathized and related to Jo consistently through this book. Same with Silas. I love the girl group dynamic Jo has with her friends. I loved seeing healthy male friendships, and how Silas deals with the more unhealthy moments. I love that these people celebrated and cried and loved each other.

Jo and Silas are a warm-hug couple in a sea of smile and nod couples. They are so multi-faceted. I loved to listen as they unfolded to each other through this book.

This also didn’t seem like an unrealistic timeline either. Honestly, I am struggling to put into words just how much I loved this book and these characters.

I was fully preparing myself for a very predictable third act break up, and while there is one, it absolutely did not come about the way I had thought it would. I read enough rom coms that I can predict them, but I am so thankful that this one through me for a loop because I think if it happened the way I thought it would, it would have ruined the book for me.

As far as the audiobook is specifically, I ALWAYS love when there are two narrators, and this book was no exception. It was a beautiful way to listen to the story.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a ALC of this book

This book had me rethinking my entire relationship with spin class. I mean, I don’t go to spin class, but after this? I briefly considered it… before resuming my usual hobby of lying down and listening to audiobooks.

This story had a really fun vibe. It was fast-paced, flirty, and just emotional enough to tug a little without wrecking your whole day. The chemistry was on point, the characters had some depth behind their sass, and I really liked that it didn’t lean too hard into drama for the sake of it. It felt real but still totally entertaining. The audiobook, narrated by Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle, added a nice touch. Maria captured Jo's strength and vulnerability perfectly. Kellen’s narration was polished and clear—and while he sounded a touch more mature than I’d imagined for the character, he brought confidence and warmth that matched the tone of the story.

Tropes I gobbled up like post-spin protein bars:
🚲 Grumpy x Sunshine
🎥 Workplace proximity (but make it influencer vs. investigator)
🛋️ Forced closeness
💬 Witty banter as foreplay
🧡 Two people challenging each other's worldview and actually growing from it

There was a little bit of miscommunication trope, which is not my favorite, but I was able to look past that and enjoy the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

Drop the book you are currently reading and pick this one up. It was funny, heartfelt and had great mental health rep. The pacing was perfection! My insides were warm and fuzzy, I was smiling so hard I could not contain myself.

A great behind-the-scenes look at what goes on outside those screens! It was a predictable trope, but I love those, so WIN! It was nice to see a character with flaws and doubts...contrary to her outward appearance. What a great friend group! I enjoyed this quick and fun read - and recommend it!

Loved this one! Very cute romance and really enjoying both of the MCs. Perfect to listen to as an audiobook.

Disclaimer: I received this as an ALC in exchange for an honest review— thank you! 🤗

I loved Jo so much. And I felt overwhelmed for her. The narrator for Jo did a wonderful job pulling emotions out of the page. Anxiety is monster that can come in all shapes and sizes for individuals dealing with it. I really appreciated the mental health representation with Jo’s anxiety and Silas’ depression. But also how it gets tied back in for a bigger purpose later in the book.

Hear me out— I immediately was put off by Silas due to his seemingly snobby personality. And the narrator did a wonderful job and getting that personality to show, let me tell ya. LOL. But as we learn more about Silas and his job as a journalist… he is a good writer because of his candor and impartiality. The slow burn of his attraction to Jo and the ways he shows he cares for her (a little more than he would a subject he’s writing about) was super sweet. And when he takes an online class with her just to see her… MY HEART. 💔

I’m quite surprised that I ended up liking this as much as I did! I would maybe go 4.5⭐️ if I could. There was just something about the story and the characters that was so captivating. Maybe the slowwww burn? The yearning? I just really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend!