This book was overall enjoyable to read. Jo De La Cruz is a super popular spin instructor who feels like her life is becoming lackluster from the repetitive cycle. Silas Anders is a journalist who walks into her life randomly it seems. However, of course Silas has a plan. I found Silas a bit creepy in the beginning and almost gave off stalker vibes. He seemed so desperate to take as many classes of Jo's as he could. At first it was from a journalist perspective and then as he started to develop feelings it became from a romantic perspective.

One thing I did really like about this book was its focus on mental health. More specifically, anxiety and depression. It is something that so many people can relate to, myself included. It was relatable to watch Jo struggle as she felt stuck in the world and like her career wasn't enjoyable anymore.

The conflict between the couple was predictable and I am rather surprised that Jo was quick to forgive. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two so for me the spicy scenes were also a bit lackluster just because of that. Thank you Netgalley, Hachette Audio, and Ana Holguin for an ARC of this audiobook. This review is my own honest opinion.

Thank you @NetGalley and @HachetteAudio for the ALC!

4 ⭐️. Super fun rom com set in a hot NYC summer! After finishing this book I did in fact go to the Olive Garden- because when you're here, you're family.

The hook:
This story follows Jo, a semi-famous spin class instructor (think: peleton influencer) who streams her classes to thousands of people across the country. However, her life is not as glamorous as it appears as she struggles from moderate to severe general anxiety. Then we meet Silas, a jaded journalist who is a (mostly) self-proclaimed hater who writes for a local magazine. Silas pursues Jo for a story to discover if these fitness influencers are a scam and the instructors are all just superficial and fake. Instead, he finds himself enjoying these classes and builds a connection to Jo herself.

My thoughts:
I think the standard for rom-coms are really high for me personally. It's a very saturated market and so hooking me is tough! I was super impressed with how much I truly enjoyed this story. It has all the bones and feels of a 2000s rom-com, but make it 2025 and a more realistic plot and bam, we've got something! The writing was great but in a simple way - no frills, easy to follow, and not much need to suspend belief in the way it just felt like a normal coupling of two ~~real~~ people. I love ANY book with the following: mental health awareness & discussion, diversity in characters (MMC is Mexican-American), a NYC setting, and good banter. And this story had it all!

There is a third act breakup, which I really don't mind at all. I think when done well it adds to the story. I did feel like the conflict was a bit predictable and I was just waiting for it to happen. I think the resolution was a bit rushed and I think pacing wise would have been done better a bit earlier and had it be slightly more drawn out. But I know third act breakups are controversial! I just live for the drama.

🎧Audiobook specific notes🎧:
-This was done in dual narration and dual POV.
-Both of these narrators were new to me. However, they both were excellent performances!!
-A thought I have on most dual narrated books is "this really would've been better duet". And while that's almost always true for me - I still REALLY enjoyed this dual performance!!! Which was such a pleasant surprise! That speaks volumes to me in an audiobook.
-The production felt polished, and both narrators were very easy to follow.
-I was a bit hesitant on the male narrator at first, but as you get to know Silas I found that his voice truly was a great fit. The female narrator was a near perfect fit for how I pictured Jo.

This novel brings a fresh setup to the romance genre: Jo, a spin cycle trainer in New York City, and Silas, a journalist at a major publication, are thrown together in a client-agent dynamic that quickly turns personal. At its heart, it’s a story about two people navigating hidden struggles—Jo with her mental health and Silas with pressures and romance from his editorial team—all while trying to maintain boundaries in a city that never stops moving.

The premise instantly grabbed my attention. The pairing of a fitness trainer and a journalist is something I haven’t encountered before, and I appreciated the originality of that. However, as someone who works in journalism, I found the professional boundary-blurring a bit hard to root for. That may be more of a me thing than a story flaw, but it did affect how I connected with the romance.

The middle section introduced themes around disability, anxiety, and therapy, which are undeniably important, but the way they were woven into the narrative felt somewhat formulaic. Rather than adding emotional depth, they felt like expected plot beats for the characters’ respective roles, rather than something that deepened the characters uniquely.

By the end of the book, the pacing and tone shift noticeably. The romance took a steamier turn, which some readers may enjoy, but for me, it felt like a departure from the emotional buildup that had been developing. The conflict and climax didn’t hit quite as hard, likely because I’m already familiar with journalistic ethics and how confidentiality plays out in real-life situations—so the stakes didn’t feel as high as they were likely intended to be.

Overall, while I admired the initial setup and the attempt to explore heavier topics, I would have loved to see the story take more risks with its tropes and consequences—especially in the workplace aspect. I think it had the potential to be more impactful with a bolder ending, maybe even leaving a company or getting fired.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio & Ana Holguin for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes, men can be so dense, can't they!? So many chances dear Silas could have come clean from the jump. So many chances he had to delete the file! But alas, as Celine Dion sings "That's the way it is..".

I loved Jo's friend group. I felt the connection and chemistry build with Jo & Silas as the story went on. I appreciated the SoulCycle/Peloton storyline and value of the community. I do wish there was more of a conclusive moral to the story of Jo physically overworking her body. It feels odd to wish a physical breakdown on someone, but I think it would have been a good takeaway about the fitness industry's hustle culture.

Narration was very well done. I would definitely listen to these narrators again.

Up Close & Personal is a standout debut novel by Ana Holguin, I had the opportunity to listen to this as an audiobook from NetGalley. This book is a must read for every Peloton reader. Being a die hard member of the Peloton community. I loved this storyline as this is the first book I have read/listened to. It is a breath of fresh air with a new scenario. This is a slow burn romance, but it is so much more. It goes through Jo's struggle with mental illness difficulties. Enter Silas a journalist looking for a "spin" on the bike community. You really don't understand it, until you are in it. Silas manages to get an introduction in a not so honest way. What starts out as an assignment for Silas becomes so much more. His initial doubt softens into admiration. Their relationship unfolds with tenderness and authenticity, highlighting the importance of mental health care and the strength in seeking support.

With its mix of romance, emotional depth, and a peek behind the curtain of influencer culture, Up Close & Personal is an empowering and engaging read that reminds us healing often starts when we let someone in.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. The narrators were intriguing. Silas fluctuates between sounding annoyed and sounding bubbly- for the most part following the storyline except when he was chastising his own actions. Jo’s narration was able to connect with her anxiety with a good feeling when necessary. It’s a slow burn romance -reporter interviewing a famous cycle instructor. I did enjoy the perspective from the instructor that she takes everyone’s reason for being there to heart. There’s nothing more annoying than an instructor throwing out reasons they believe you are there with no knowledge why you are there. I feel this part of the story was so well done with Jo being truly genuine. Also the way the author addresses mental health/ anxiety and Jo’s OCD. Her self awareness and her support group are explained so well as well as directly addressing the need for physical movement to help mental health. Yes the ending was predictable and I feel the bikes no longer in their apartment was a bit of a miss but the overall openness of mental health gives this one a 5⭐️ good read.

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!