Overall this was a middle of the road romance novel for me.

What I liked: I found the concept of the book interesting. Watching the FMC and MMC get to know each other and fall for each other through the interviews was fun and cute. I also liked that the FMC had two best friends and coworkers who truly had her back and loved her no matter what. Plus I always love a duel POV romance! Finally, I liked the anxiety and depression rep in this book.

What I didn’t like: The male narrator’s voice. He just sounded arrogant. It made it hard for me to like him even while he was supposed to be growing on us. I also thought the way Derek was written at the beginning was weird. He literally only cared about baseball and then all the sudden he was a normal guy. Another thing that irked me was the way the third act breakup went down. It was too predictable. Finally, maybe I had a hard time understanding the timeline but it felt like they fell in love a little too fast.

Jo and Silas were so cute! The narrators did a good job with the two main characters especially when they were bantering. I love a romance with good banter! In this book we follow Jo De La Cruz a popular spin instructor who is going to be interviewed by journalist Silas Anders. Silas is skeptical about the pretty instructor, he believes people who say she's changed their lives need to touch grass and at first he thinks she's nothing but a modeling reject. But when Silas signs up for one of her classes he realizes she's down to earth and very encouraging. I liked how the author touched on subjects like anxiety, panic attacks, and depression in a tactful and thought provoking way. This story does a great job of expressing how we never truly know what someone is going through no matter how their life may seem from the outside. I loved the inside jokes the two main characters had with each other, it added to the cuteness factor. Also, the ending was super cute! "When you're here you're family". 🥖 Iykyk. Overall, really loved this one and am so excited to get myself a physical copy to add to my library.


✨Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in return for an honest review.

This book was a cute, fun debut book. I loved that mental health was a huge focus in the story. We need more of that in novels. I also loved the character growth in this story—especially for the FMC. The writing was solid. I wasn’t a huge fan of the MMC, Silas. I get that he needs to have change for his character arc to work but I just never really liked his character from start to finish. There wasn’t anything exceptional or different about this story that made it memorable. I found myself getting a bit bored while listening. I loved the narration voice of the female character. The male voice wasn’t my favorite, but I got used to it. I would definitely read another book by this author. I received this book from Hachette audio and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book! It was funny, hopeful, and light-hearted. I was stressed waiting for his secret to come to light but enjoyed the relationship building immensely..

Up Close and Personal by Ana Holguin is a cute contemporary romance between a fitness instructor and journalist that touches on some deeper topics. Jo, a famous fitness instructor who teaches in-person and online spin classes, meets Silas, a journalist who is very skeptical of her career. Silas is writing an article about Jo, and Jo challenges him to get out of his comfort zone and try her spin classes with an open mind. The author includes anxiety representation, and I felt this was very well done. I found the main characters relatable, even though my life is much different than theirs--I am definitely not an insta-famous spin instructor! The book was a bit of a slower burn, but I find that I enjoyed this, as the book also goes into the issues the main characters are dealing with. The characters felt well-rounded and had lives outside of each other, especially Jo, and the career issues she was facing were fully explored on the page. They don't trust each other at first, and it takes time for them to build that trust. I listened to the audiobook. Both narrators were excellent and brought the story to life with plenty of personality. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a fun contemporary romance that explores mental health. Thank you to Hachette Audio for providing this audiobook for review via netgalley. All opinions are my own.

i did not love this one and i really wish i did. i don't know if it was because i listened to it as an audiobook but the boy narrator did not do a good job and it felt like it took away from the story for me. but i do enjoy a good anxiety and mental health rep in a book i really wish i loved this and am going to totally borrow it on libby to give it a try with physically reading it!

3.75 ⭐️

I really like this. It was fun and so cute. If you like stories where the characters really find themselves then this is for you. It was inspiring and showed really fun and real characters.

This was a true slow burn romance 🧡 I loved that Silas was so absolutely wrong about Jo. They connected on such a deep level. It was so much more than physical attraction. The more they opened up and got to know each other - the harder they fell. The mental health representation was one of my favorite elements to the book. Jo had extreme anxiety and Silas has dealt with depression since he was a kid. Jo was a popular spin instructor with a company that can compared to Peloton. Silas is writing an article about Jo and her success. I enjoyed the character development with both of the MCs. The secondary characters were also great. I loved reading about her friendship with Amber and Serena. They were the best! A great debut! I even feel inspired to prioritize working out more.

Going into this book, I knew very little apart from the blurb. It sounded interesting so I dived in. It's hard to believe that this is Ana Holguin's debut. She writes with such a degree of empathy and understanding. Crafting not only a story that is engaging but characters that have depth and that you want to spend time with. The narrators were also new to me. Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle really embodied these characters. Jo and Silas have their own distinct voices from both of them and it was always easy to ascertain whose dialogue and POV we were in. The way they captured the emotions of what was happening, specifically during the mental health representation was brilliant. Speaking of the mental health rep, it was handled so beautifully. Not only inviting the reader/ listener into what was happening in the scene but the feelings and impact too. I also feel that this book has a great commentary on parasocial relationships with celebrities and influences and how pressure and social media can negatively impact someone. I also really enjoyed the chronic pain representation, as someone with chronic pain, I could relate to how Jo tried to deal with it herself and how she was feeling. This is a slow burn, anyone wanting things to happen at a fast pace, especially in the romance department is going to be disappointed. I do think it worked for the story. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ALC!

This book centers Jo, who is a popular cycling instructor, and Silas, a journalist/reporter for Metropolitan magazine. They live and work in NYC. Jo works at Haven Home; the concept reminded me of Peloton and/or Beachbody, as she taught both in-person classes with highly sought-after spots, and streaming classes where thousands of people tuned in for her rides from the comfort of their homes. At his job, Silas is known as a “part-time hater,” writing about local culture and arts with a critical eye. When he is tasked with digging deeper into Haven Home and what makes their instructors so popular that they are at the level of influencer celebrities, he expects to hate Jo and everything he stands for.

Suffice is to say, Jo is nothing like Silas expects, and as they grow closer during their interview sessions, a spark between them is difficult to ignore.

Right from the beginning, there were a couple things Silas did that I just knew would bite him in the ass, and boy was I right 😅 however, the angst didn’t draw out for too long and the resolution was satisfying. There were also just a few comments he made as the MMC that made me roll my eyes a little.

This book probably could have critiqued the fitness industry in general a tad more, but it sounds like Haven Home actually did serve a diverse population in terms of race/body size (though the cost for classes/the bike was another thing entirely, definitely not accessible to everyone), and the instructors didn’t seem to harp on weight-loss in their classes, which I appreciated as someone who’s been burned by diet culture and trying to heal that relationship with eating and exercise for myself. I appreciated the discussions on mental health throughout the story, including GAD and depression, using therapy, medication, breathing techniques, and support from friends. I also liked that this was an Own Voices story and that the characters were a diverse group of people.

In terms of audiobook narration, I liked the female narrator more than the male narrator, but he did grow on me over time. It’s dual POV which I always love, but I definitely liked Jo’s POV more!

AAHhhhhhgg I finally finished!!!! It took me soo long as you can see…
I loved how cute Silas and Joes relationship was and I was screaming at my phone telling them to “fucking kiss already”
I ADORED joes and her friends Friendship, im jealous as fuck, guys I can’t barley keep one friend lmao
Theres was a lot of miscommunication and it took like 60-70% for them to finally kiss/for the romance to kick in.
It was also super predictable (as expected).
But overall it was such a fun read, I laughed, got pissed at the characters, giggle, screamed and cried.

Thankyou so much netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Okay sooo this is like a 2.5 rounded up because I really could’ve DNFd the last several chapters and not have missed anything. Honestly started hate reading at the end cause I had already gotten too far to quit.

This wasn’t a BAD book by any means, it just didn’t hit right for me. I really loved the mental health discussions and the open topics around it. Definitely the best part of the book. And as a newbie peloton user I enjoyed the focus of the peloton-esq classes and the ins and outs of their New York studio.

What didn’t work for me was the relationship. Started off on somewhat of a lie and could’ve been easily fixed/rectified/communicated. I just need fictional men to think with the head in their brain before anything else!!! I also don’t really believe this couple will last past the epilogue. I didn’t get the chemistry/connection like I do in so many other romances.

So, five stars for the mental health rep and one star for the romance.

Read if you like:
🧠 mental health rep
🌶️ medium spice (2/5)
🚲 cycling classes
🫂 found family
🫶🏼 strong female friendships

This was a great debut novel, the anxiety representation was well done & the dynamic between the two main characters was nice to read and see developed.
The narration was good, both narrators did a great job portraying these characters, and their representation kept me wanting to continue listening to this book & will look forward to other books narrated by them.

Book content: At first I thought there were too many characters and got confused a bit (but that's a me thing) and it got better as the book progressed. The premise was interesting, Jo was a good FMC and I loved how her struggles relfected her personality, her wants and needs. Silas felt a bit short for me, I didn't like him so much at the beggining, and didn't see his character develop as much as for Jo. Also, the pacing on the book took me off for a while and the third act conflict felt a bit unnecesary.

Overall I did have a good time listenning to this audiobook and will reccomend it.

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and NetGalley for the ecopy and audio version of Up Close and Personal.  I thought the premise of the book was very interesting, however I wasn't really sold on the relationship between Silas and Jo. I just didn't feel a lot of chemistry personally :( 
I think selling Silas as a "hater" rather than a skeptic automatically out up a roadblock for me. He walked in and instantly was gaga over Jo, and we didn't really get the backstory as to why he *hates* classes like these other than the fact that they make his coworkers late to the office. 
I did really like the commentary on parasocial relationships and how internet trolls do have an impact on the lives of those they troll. We think we know someone based on the miniscule parts of their lives that they show us when genuinely, we know nothing about them. Jo is such a great character to follow being that she not only had anxiety before she became a fitness influencer, but that she also was so heavily impacted by the things that people said to her, she no longer runs her own channels. I also thought that the mental health representation was super important and well done. 
I thought a romance following a fitness instructor was such a cool concept, I just felt a little disappointment on the execution and lack of chemistry. 3.5/5
*** Notes on the audio I liked the narrators chosen for the reading, nothing against them or the author, I just couldn't see these people together.

4⭐️ And now I want Olive Garden 🥰😂

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ALC! This audiobook was really well done, the male narrator was not my favorite at first but I grew to love him in the end. I loved how each chapter switched between each characters POV, it kept me really engaged in the story.

This story is one I would love to see on the big screen, I think it would make a great movie. I really appreciated the focus on mental health, how real it is and how it affects real people. I’ve had my own mental health struggles in my life and could really relate in that way.

The relationship and how the characters fell in love felt so real. I could really imagine this happening in real life, which doesn’t often happen for me with romance books. It was beautiful and sweet and I enjoyed every minute.

This book made me wanna work out! 😂 I’ve never read a book like this before, but I was so impressed! It was such an amazing debut novel, so unique and well written, I look forward to reading more from Ana Holgun!

I want to start by thanking NetGalley, Ana Holguin, and Hachette Audio | Forever for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was a cute read with some really great moments. I enjoyed the FMC and the pacing of the book. The audiobook narrators really brought the characters to life and helped me get through this book fairly quickly, once I got into the story. It was easy to feel like I was in the middle of this cycling instructor's life and the things she's feeling throughout the book.

Let's start off with what was really great! This book creates a great conversation around society's parasocial relationships with well-known/public figures and the intersection of the removal of their humanity by way of criticizing them without care/concern for the person on the other end. I really liked the way that Jo struggled with her happiness and the idea of what people believe to be a successful career.

The author also did a great job with addressing the FMC's anxiety and mental health struggles, and showing what support looks like in the personal and professional aspects of life. I think that even with the heavy topics that the FMC is dealing with, the book still manages to feel light.

I do wish that we got a bit more from Jo's family or background. There didn't seem to be any friction between her and her family but there was a lack of connection there (although I'm aware there are only so many pages), but her friend group was crafted well and I really enjoyed their dynamic.

I did not love Silas the MMC of this book, mostly because his hate of Jo after seeing a picture of here. albeit before meeting her, really threw me off. He is a white man and she is a Latine woman (not too much about her identity is given to us the reader) so his hate felt a little heavy. Being a Latine woman, there were moments that gave me pause, he just felt a bit stereotypical in his hate and in the assumptions he made about her.

This didn't scratch the itch that I look for in a romance novel, mainly bc the MMC felt like a red flag. I think that this is a good debut novel for Ana Holguin, and I do hope to see more from her in the future.

Really fun read! A peloton type instructor meets a reporter and sparks fly. Really fun romcom with some deeper themes.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audio ARC!

“Nothing good ever comes from staying in your comfort zone,” and in her comfort zone is exactly where Jo has been lately.

She has worked the same job as a cycling instructor for the last ten years. Though this job has made Jo a fitness celebrity with a massive online presence boasting over 1 million followers, her life has felt stagnant and in desperate need of change.

Along comes Silas, a journalist who’s been assigned to Jo’s story. He is tasked with finding out how she gained such a cult following.
Is her brand all a scam? Is Jo just another influencer with a pretty face? Or is she more than meets the eye?

After using a less than conventional method to meet, Silas gets to know the real Jo. As his story comes together he sees the side of her that she hides from the world, and Jo is much more than he could have imagined. Keeping their work and personal life separate is about to get very difficult as real emotions start to form.

I loved this story, just like Silas with Jo, it was not what I was expecting. Up Close & Personal touches on topics like anxiety and depression, which makes the characters believable and relatable and I really appreciated that.

The narrators were very well chosen, they both did splendid with their assigned characters and the voices had a great pace that made this book even more enjoyable. They made it easy to really picture yourself in the characters shoes.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

🚴‍♀️Forced Proximity 🚴‍♀️
🏃‍♀️ Workplace Romance 🏃
📝 He falls first 📝
🚲 Slow Burn 🚲

“It’s easy for people to pass judgement on how they think other people should live their lives. It requires more effort to remove yourself from the center of your own thoughts.”

“When the two of us locked eyes, the rest of the world fell away, just long enough for something bright, something electric to pass between us.”

“Because love is a choice, even when it’s difficult.”

Thanks so much NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever Publishers for this Audiobook ARC / ALC .

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

This story is filled with vulnerability. It teaches readers how to open up to others to tell your own story for yourself, so that everyone has the same facts. I kind of felt empowered during this book, particularly during the spin classes scenes. I think this aspect of the book was the best part.

I did not enjoy Silas’ character at first. He was pessimistic, a cynic, or a “part time hater.” I honestly don’t know if I have feelings regarding Jo as my dislike for Silas was so strong.

I thought the journalist that was ready to diss on something popular was overdone. Silas thought he knew what these spin classes were all about. A new fad and something for people to spend their money on. When he inserted himself into Jo’s life and classes, he began to understand why people seem to enjoy the classes and community that comes along with it. His character did grow on me a little bit, but not much. Although, if he was a spice I think he would be flour.

This book was interesting and made me think. It explored what being an influential person is like including the darker sides. How people having the ability to pick you apart behind a screen can effect a real person. This aspect of the book, and reading how Jo navigates it, really gave the book some depth.

The first half of this book, despite my dislike for Silas, I was really enjoying the story. The second half, however, I was slowly growing more irritated with the length. I was waiting for the third act drama to finally drop as it was frequently brought up.

The narrators, Maria Liatis and Kellen Boyle, did a great job! Overall, despite my feelings about the book, I did enjoy their narration. With the parts that I did enjoy, I could really empathize with the characters/situation. Love when narrators make me feel included in the story.

Tropes:
- grumpy x sunshine
- found family
- slow burn
- journalist x fitness instructor
- anxiety rep

This was a great debut! I really did enjoy listening to the audiobook. I think if i wasn't listening to the audiobook i wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I would definitely listen to the narrators again. I did at some parts start to lose a little interest, this really was a slow burn.