There was steam, and lots of attraction and chemistry between the couple. BUT the beginning between them was bit awkward and slow. The love story between Jasmine and Ashton wasn’t sure what it wanted to be and that prevented me from really enjoying it. And it was very sweet and cute – not necessarily my kind of romance.

The characters were complex, and also easy to relate to them. They were amazing, funny, charming and real. Since Ashton and Jasmine first meet, and work together, because they're both actors in the remake of a Venezuelan telenovela, it stands to reason that parts of this story would take place on set while they film. What I did not expect—but was delighted by—was to actually be able to follow along with the script. It was very immersive to feel like I was behind the camera while Victor and Carmen—the two characters that Ashton and Jasmine portray—flourish in their own stories. And through them, our own novel's protagonists start to grow closer to each other. It was a great addition to the book, and made it that much more unique. I really enjoyed this book and read it within 24 hours, I loved it that much. This book has the story within a story trope, which I really love. I loved the characters, particularly Jasmine, I felt I could relate to her and how she was actively trying to achieve her goals. Ashton, the main male character, was also very developed for me, as he had so many layers and walls around him and it made him seem very real. The romance between the two was also great and I loved how it began, as it’s something you hear happen so often in the media.

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It was entertaining, soft, sweet reading. I got some points because our hero earned so many slapping points from me. So I’m giving 3.5 stars and eventually I’m rounding them up to 4! I really liked the tv show chapters, they were really funny and I truly felt that I was watching a telenovela. I felt like I was 10 years again and me and my mom were watching telenovelas in our living room while I was trying to do my homework. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author. Her self-proclaimed moniker reinforces Hola's themes of diversity, consent, and agency because it reimagines who a Leading Lady can be, and in turn, rebels against our cultural restrictions. Jasmine fights for herself but she also has the space to take risks and push the boundaries of her identity. The gist is that the two main actors on an Americanized telenovela fall in love for real while filming for a Netflix ish streaming service. They've got insecurities, baggage, and one of them even has a secret love child.

Have you ever read a book that you know you didn't give a fair shot, because you were in a bad enough mood that you could have read the greatest story ever told and still not liked it, but also simultaneously known that even if you had read that book when life itself was nothing but sunshine and rainbows and every day was a new delight you still wouldn't have liked it? After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. This really did not work for me. I have given it 2 stars based on the rep and book cover alone but I'm leaning more towards 1 star. Personally, I found the male MC, Ashton, to be too closed off. I had a much harder time connecting to him, and I found him to be not vulnerable enough, even within his own head. I thought the romance felt a bit... strained? It didn't quite feel natural to me. In fact, I found the romance of their character that they were playing to be more organic. I also thought that the Ashton withheld too much information from the female MC, Jasmine, even when they were in a tentative relationship, for me to have much sympathy for him.As smooth and easy as the reading was, I also really appreciated the Spanish words that not only added a nice touch to the story itself but let the readers connect with the characters’ roots.

If you’re a fan of the show Jane the Virgin, you’re gonna want to try You Had Me at Hola! There’s Latinx rep, telenovelas, actor main characters, and a ton of on- and off-screen steam. It was my first book from Alexis Daria and I really liked her writing. I loved the telenovela aspect and that we actually get to read the script (which is a dramatic second chance romance I was super into) and see how the actor characters play it out. While I did have my issues with parts of the book, I still would recommend it if you’re looking for a romance with great Latinx characters who are making their way into Hollywood. And the weird thing is that the narrator has a beautiful voice. When she spoke for the characters each voice was distinct and lovely. Literally everything you could hope for in a voice actor! So I probably wouldn't have liked this even if it made me laugh and cry and shake my head in disbelief at its sheer magnificence. Two talented chess players challenge each other on and off the board in bestselling author Hazelwood’s YA debut.By the end of the 1st chapter, if I had had another book available, I would have deleted this thing from my phone. The 'Carmen in Charge' chapters were just boring and used as filler without adding anything substantial to the story- even though characters seemed to interact more on their show than they did off set. 🙃 The secret that came out had me rolling my eyes and I felt the big drama was just boring. 🙈 Ok. Just as an example (not an actual quote!) instead of saying, "She left the room, went outside, and put on a sweater.", she would say, "She left the room (stop) went outside (stop) and put on a swea-ter." We got to know the characters really well. I instantly fell for them. And the more we got to know them, the harder I fell. But I didn't. And by the time I got home I was kind of invested in the story, so I just gritted my teeth and tried to let it go.