Up Close & Personal had all the ingredients for a charming romance—dual narration, a cute premise, and a solid performance by Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle. But for me, something was missing.

The story felt predictable and a little too polished, like it was checking all the romance boxes without ever really digging deep. It wasn’t bad—far from it. It was cute, easy to follow, and had some sweet moments. But it just didn’t have that spark or soul that makes a romance truly memorable.

If you’re looking for a light, low-stakes listen that won’t break your heart or your brain, this one might hit the spot.

It was cute, it was fun. I could see the third-act break-up coming from miles away as Silas dug his own grave, but it still hurt when it happened. I kept thinking that our girl Jo just wants to be loved 🥺 and I almost felt like she would have accepted any love. Jo's development and realizations were relatable.

All in all, it was enjoyable and fun and an easy 4 stars. The narrators did a good job. I really liked the female narrator!

Thank you so much Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

From the moment I saw the cover on this book I expected a lot but not what I got! It was way better.
I was very excited from the moment the plot started to develop, it felt a bit how to lose a guy in 10 days to me, but in this case he's the journalist and she is a cycling instructor.

I love romcoms and this felt like a classic. This story really had it all! The ups and downs, how they built trust and got to know each other, the gestures, the backstory and my personal favorite the third act breakup.
This book has a very refreshing take on career burnout but also anxiety and mental health in general, but I think the most important to me was how real the story felt and how easy it was to relate to Jo.

I believe some parts were a bit longer than needed but in the end it all worked out.
Maria's voice was perfect for Jo, I really think she brought up her personality. And even though I liked Kellen's voice, I'm not sure he's Silas. But overall this was a great audiobook!

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and Ana Holguin for this ALC!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3.5 stars rounded up

This had so many pieces of a rom com that I really really enjoy! It’s a bit of a slow burn but I found myself really enjoying getting to know each of the main characters even outside the romance aspect of the book. Will absolutely be keeping this author on my radar!

Up Close & Personal by Ana Holguin is undeniably a sweet and tender romance. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and the author does an excellent job of building an emotional connection between them. The slow burn of their relationship is heartwarming and makes for an overall enjoyable read.

However, the book does rely heavily on a plot point involving a minor secret that the characters treat as a major turning point. While the secret adds some tension to the narrative, I personally felt that it wasn’t as big of a deal as the characters made it out to be. The way it was handled seemed somewhat exaggerated for the sake of drama.

The book then concludes with a miscommunication trope, which felt a bit contrived. The misunderstandings between the characters were a bit too forced for my liking, and the resolution didn't feel as satisfying as it could have been. While the emotional moments were still touching, the climax of the story didn't fully land for me.

It's a cute read and I'm not sorry to have spent my time with the book, but I'm also not going to shout about it from the rooftops. It's mostly forgettable.

I love the nineties vibes on the cover, it looks like a scene straight out of Saved By the Bell. I love the concept of this one, with a journalist and a spin instructor, and they have such a sweet, slow-burn romance. I could’ve done without the miscommunication trope, but I don’t think it hindered the story too much.

This is what I like to call a low stakes romance. It’s cute and sexy, from the meet-cute to the HEA, and gives me all the feel-good vibes without causing my brain to experience too much trauma, angst, or tension. That being said, Up Close and Personal is not without its commentary on anxiety and performance in the workplace. Jo is theoretically at the top of her game; a spin-cycle instructor reaching into millions of homes with a cult-like following. But instructing isn’t doing for Jo what it did years ago. Silas is a magazine journalist who (much like myself) sees the popularity behind cycling as trendy nonsense and he’s a bit of a hater. So when the opportunity for Silas to interview Jo for his magazine arrives, it’s a chance he can’t refuse.

I liked that this romance took place in a different setting and actually felt like I understood why cycling has become such a hit—Jo is clearly good at her job and has a magnetic personality. The chemistry is believable and I actually found Silas and Jo to be a good fit, but beyond Jo’s mass of hair, I don’t think I’ll remember much about either of them. The third act breakup is a bit expected, but resolves as any romance should—Silas’s article on Jo saves his neck from the miscommunication trope. I feel like this is a romance I could easily recommend to someone new to the genre as it’s easily palatable as an afternoon read.

I listened to this and appreciated the dual narration. I would definitely listen to both narrators again. while the dialogue didn’t push them in any way, their performance was perfect for the characters. I received an early copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟.5
Steam: 🪭

I really enjoyed listening to this book! Jo and Silas were fun characters to get to know and root for—I found myself smiling through many of their moments. As a Peloton user, I especially appreciated the humorous nods to the cult-like following of certain instructors and the wild scramble to get into live classes. II also loved how the story normalized mental health and self-care in a genuine, refreshing way. Overall, this was a heartfelt and entertaining read that I’d recommend!

Great narration!

This book was an overall great read. I ended up really believing in the couple's HEA. There were lots of great conversations on mental health, anxiety, and people's relationship with social media that I truly do admire and am happy to come across in the book.

I think that there was some longing, and a little angst needed to make it feel like a romance book more. There was a change in the author's tone towards the end that captivated my attention the most. Where as the first 70% that was a slow build and slow moving parts that I really had to power through to finish.

I do love the big sweeping love declaration by the FMC at the end. It was def swoony!

I did read somewhere the the FMC is Mexican but there is ZERO references to culture so I would not feel comfortable categorizing this book as a Latinx Romance.

Peloton fans will love this one! This story is all about a cycle instructor, Jo and her experience in the growing cycling world and social media fandom. I loved the way this story brought in many very realistic struggles with mental & physical health. I thought the approach to these harder topics such as anxiety and depression were handled well and felt so realistic. This was a story that was so much more than a romance. I loved the character growth in both Jo and Sila’s. The way Jo slowly found she could trust and open up to Sila’s as their friendship formed during the process of each getting to know one another. It’s a slow burn but such a great story with many layers.

The audiobook was wonderfully narrated by Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle. These two were such great voices for Jo and Sila’s characters in this story. I felt all the longing, emotion, anxiety and love the characters experience.

Up Close and Personal by Ana Holguin
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
1.5🌶

Up Close and Personal was a beautiful slow burn romance. Our FMC, Jo is a famous fitness instructor who specializes in teaching both live and streamed spin classes. Our MMC, Silas, is a journalist for a major NY magazine who finds himself tasked with writing a story about Jo, and the Jo he meets is nothing like what he expected. Silas has a very jaded view of both Jo and the overall fitness industry, but finds there's so much more than meets the eye. As Jo and Silas spend more time together while working on Silas' magazine story the find a companionship that neither of them realized they needed.

This debut romcom hit all of the feel goods for me while still touching on more sensitive subjects like trauma and anxiety. I look forward to reading more work from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not really big on audiobooks but that was actually so good! I especially LOVED Jo’s narrator (Maria), but as for Silas’s…well, it could’ve been better, ngl.
Ana Holguin did an incredible job by writing this debut novel, the representation of anxiety and mental health were fully captured in the RIGHT way without making a big deal of it. Another thing that really got me into this book is how the slow-burn was absolutely well-written, and the yearning is just there.
It felt sweet and short for me that I’m surprised I’ve read something, like, 70% in one day! Not that I’ve never done it before but it just I didn’t feel bored or that there was 5+ hours to complete (listened to it 2x).
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, for the ALC in exchange of an honest review.

This was such a charming story! I read along with the audiobook, and it was beautifully done. The narrator was fantastic and really brought the characters to life. This book sneaks up on you in the best way, it's a slow-burn rom-com with an emotional buildup that ultimately proves to be far more meaningful than you initially expect

Ana Holguin’s debut follows a Peloton-style spin instructor and a skeptical journalist assigned to write a feature on her cult-like following. I really appreciated the way mental health, particularly anxiety, was portrayed. Jo and Silas were both complex characters with a lot of depth, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop as they slowly built trust.

This book addresses some weighty themes: mental health, career burnout, and fame, while remaining genuine and true to life. What stood out to me the most was how Jo's anxiety wasn't treated as something that needs to be "cured," but as a continuous part of her life that she learns to navigate with care and self-compassion. It really resonated with me, especially as someone who also struggles with anxiety. It’s not something that can be "fixed" or controlled, but something we learn to deal with daily. Seeing that experience represented in such a realistic way was incredibly meaningful, and it touched me deeply.

If you enjoyed this, Tropes: you definitely need to add this one to your TBR.

Dual POV
FMC Latinx Rep
Set in NYC
Forced Proximity
Mental Health Rep / Anxiety
Fitness Instructor / Journalist
Slow Burn/ Open Door

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Forever, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced copy.! You can pick up Up Close & Personal on April 29, 2025.

Given that 27 Dresses is one of my favorite rom coms, I went into this book with slightly high expectations. And, crazily enough, this book surpassed all of them! Ana Holguin deserves so much credit for taking an inkling of inspiration from the original story and really making it her own.

In Up Close & Personal, we follow spin celebrity Jo, an instructor who's slightly burnt out on her fame and doesn't know what to do about it. Enter Silas, a jaded journalist determined to prove that workout influencers and programs like Jo's spin class are "cults" full of "modeling agency rejects." But once he actually takes a class and grows closer to Jo, we see him confront his own prejudice about it and witness the sides of Jo that don't come across on screen.

The character work in this book was actually so phenomenal. I loved being in both Jo and Silas' heads, seeing the love grow for each of them (even if they weren't ready to acknowledge it). There were hints of forbidden romance and tension as Silas tried to keep things professional with an interview subject, and Jo tried not to stir waves before a big acquisition at her spin company. Both of them showed so much love through their actions in various scenes, and I just love a romance that emphasizes time spent together and organic moments of chemistry rather than being told they did something!!

Was the third-act breakup expected? Absolutely. Was it still slightly frustrating? Of course. But it ended up fitting in well with each character's growth and what they needed to overcome (together and separately).

All in all, this is one of my fave romances I've picked up in a while, and I bet you all will love it too!

Jo is a Haven instructor and Silas thinks he knows what they are all about. he is tasked with writing and article about Jo and the Haven team, but he isn't prepared for how much his perspective will change when he meets her. From her social media, Jo looks like she is a sparkly sunny personality, but when he gets closer to her, he realizes she is so much more than he bargained for. Silas has a job to do and his code of ethics is getting blurred each minute he spends with Jo and learning more about her.
I grabbed this because of the plot. I use my at home bike and love my classes too and I thought that it would be fun seeing the possibility that my instructors were so much more behind the front they put up. There was a lot of emotion in this read and I loved the diversity and mental health rep. The one thing that annoyed me was the conflict was easy to see (basically as soon as it was written I knew where it was going) and that one conversation could have avoided it all together. Even the press of a delete button. It was looming there the whole time I was reading and I was yelling at him to just say something, but he never did. I really loved Jo's best friends and how they were there for her no matter what. I also loved her Haven family too. I know this book was mostly about found family, but I would have also liked to see a bit more from her real family as well. 3.5 stars.
Thanks to Hachette, Netgalley and Ana Holguin for an ALC.

This peloton fanfic was solidly fine! I didn’t really feel much of a connection between the main characters, and the “conflict” was a little weak. The narrators were both pretty good, although the male narrator sounded much older than the character.

This story has such a fun setup—a "fitness-cult" averse writer paired with an instructor from the hottest “Peloton-like” fitness brand. The contrast is delightful, and watching him fall hard for her is where the book truly shines. Sure, the twist with Jo finding the draft is something you can spot from a mile away, but it doesn’t take away from the satisfying emotional journey.

The slow build between the two main characters feels genuine, and by the time you hit the final chapters, you’re fully invested in seeing them find their way to each other. Bonus points for thoughtful mental health representation woven in with care. A charming, feel-good romance worth reading—even if you prefer the couch over cardio.

[Thank you to Forever, Hachette Audio, and Netgalley for the eARC in exchance for my honest opinion.]

While this book is a romcom, it tackles complex subjects like mental health representation and online harassment. Holguin was able to shine a light on these topics while being respectful. 

In particular, Jo's anxiety made her extremely relatable. While her life feels stagnant, she's paralyzed by the idea of making a change. She presents a happy face to the public but she struggles with the attention she receives. It's a reminder that the image people present to the world (especially through social media) may not be the whole truth.

Silas initially comes across as condescending, but he does have the ability to look at a topic from all sides before reporting on it. As someone who also suffers with his mental health, he was able to be respectful of Jo's hesitancy to being interviewed. Later in the story, he's just so tender when he takes care of her.

Jo and Silas start off as strangers who then become friends and eventually lovers. It's a slow burn and the dual POV makes it easy to connect with both characters (I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook narrated by Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle!)

The story really picks up in the second half. I will say that the third act conflict was very predictable AND preventable (what were you thinking, Silas?!). Thankfully, the characters were able to handle it in a mature way (a plus side of MCs in their 30's!).

Overall, really enjoyed Holguin’s writing style and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

Up Close & Personal by Ana Holguin features Silas, a magazine journalist and self proclaimed part time hater, in his quest to interview (and expose) celebrity spin instructor Jo De La Cruz. When he orchestrates a “chance encounter” with Jo he can’t believe his luck that SHE suggests he interview her for the magazine! The more he gets to know her, the more he realizes how wrong he was about everything, but especially about her.

This book had a lot of things going for it! I really loved the dynamic between interviewer and interviewee, it had great anxiety/depression rep, all the characters were in their 30’s, dual POV done well, the conflict and subsequent resolution were believable and made sense within the story, and the slow burn was so good!! We got to watch both characters let their guards down and see their feelings toward each other changing in real time.

I do think it was too long and that parts of the story were a bit draw out or unnecessary, but it wasn’t boring at least. Lots of the plot points were predictable, but that’s definitely not a deal breaker for me. Overall, I really did enjoy this one!!

4⭐️

This debut was a delight!

I wasn’t sure how this concept would play out — and every bit of it was really skillfully explored and kept me compelled! I loved how Ana Holguin layered in important discussions around identity, familial expectations, EXCELLENT mental health representation (plus major bonus points for great examples of TREATMENT!!!), importance of community, ethical behavior, and self-exploration. This being Ana’s debut really shows her immense talent she’s honed already and I imagine I will continue enjoying any future books she pens — she’s officially an author on my add to TBR list!!!

I did have some distress about the implications of Silas’s decisions and I was glad to see it resolved. I felt like it was so fun to watch them build their connection and genuinely exchange vulnerabilities. Also the epilogue? So sweet

I received a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and Hachette Audio! The narrators did exceptional work - their inflections, tone, pacing all brought these characters to life in a delightful way. Maria and Kellen were excellent complements and the natural transition between the dual POVs demonstrates what a good fit they were for this production. I loved the listen!!