You Had Me at Hola - What a sweet romance!! This one was juicy and I loved the main characters. This was fun and lighthearted

I enjoyed You Had Me at Hola. Jasmine and Ashton are well developed as is their blooming relationship.

This was a perfect mix of spicy and sweet. I found Ashton sooo endearing, and his and Jasmine's chemistry was palpable.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars!

I enjoyed this so much! It was really cute, and I love the setting of the tv set and Jasmine's relationship with her family and the relationship she builds with Ashton. It did frustrate me a bit towards the end because of the climax and both of them putting their own issues onto each other etc but it didn't bother me like it does in most books because Alexis Daria actually had them WORK through it instead of apologizing and moving on from it. I really appreciated it and wish more books would have their love interests work through their own trauma and anxieties vs apologizing and forgetting it exists.

I think the only issue I had was the pacing of the book. It went a bit too slow in my opinion and I wish it had been more fast paced in the beginning when building everything and slower paced at the end with Jasmine and Ashton's relationship.

Other than that, I really did enjoy this, and I can't wait to pick up the sequel.

Fizzy and funny! Great for lovers of Jane the Virgin and contemporary rom-coms...strong read-alike for Mia Sosa's books.

I absolutely loved this book! From the main characters to their family relationships to the steamy scenes. The dynamic between Jasmine and Ashton was everything. Each character had sufficient backstory to make them extremely well rounded. The novel has dual POV and each of the characters' voice was distinct. It gave me great insight into their motivations, struggles, and anxieties. One thing I loved about both characters' backstory was how close to their families they were. I found this relatable and true to my own experience. Also, I grew up in the same town as Ashton and absolutely loved how it wasn't just the capital of Puerto Rico that was mentioned. Daria crafts her characters with such care, which will be apparent to readers. The novel also does not hold back on the spice! The intimate scenes were breathtaking and enthralling. Honestly, to be expected from two telenovela stars. I am not typically not a Romance reader, but read anything by authors who share my identity. I have to say, though, that "You Had Me at Hola" made me want to pick up more and I cannot wait to read the next installment in the series. If you're looking for a fun and steamy work-place Romance with complex exploration of family then this one is for you!

As a latina, I had really high hopes for You Had Me at Hola and Alexis more than delivered. I was absolutely swept away by this romance story. Seeing our MC and FMC come together and overcome the obstacles placed in both their lives was a truly magical moment. I fell hard for Ashton. He's a swoon-worthy hero and Jasmine is a really relatable heroine. I couldn't get enough of these two and when the sparks fly, man do they fly. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Again, I don’t enjoy books that have to do with social media, celebrities, or dating shows. They just don’t suite my taste. I will give this an average rating of 3 stars though since I did not get to the 50% mark. DNF.

Beautifully written, beautiful story, beautiful characters. A must-read for any romance lover! I also loved the idea of two industry cross-overs, telenovela and soap opera. These two characters must band together to help their careers, but of course, helping each other leads to kissing and kissing leads to love!

Jasmine is a soap opera actress who has just moved back to NYC to work on the US version of a popular telenovela. Ashton is a popular telenovela star from Puerto Rico, who is trying to expand his resume to Hollywood. While Jasmine is very outgoing, Ashton is extremely private. Opposites attract as they work together on this new show, however can Ashton let Jasmin into his personal life that he has spent years hiding from everyone. This novel was fun, cute, and a love letter to telenovela. It shows what representation of our stories should look like and how diverse our community is.

I listened to the audio book of this and I loved it. It felt like I was listening to a movie and the characters was fun and descriptive. I loved the vibe and the story.

First of all, major props to the cover artist because it slays!! Gorgeous.

This New York Latinx telenovela-inspired novel is exactly what I was looking for in a sweet romance to read this summer. It was entertaining and surprisingly steamier than expected. I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamics because they were realistic and relatable, and they reminded me of parties and banter with the Hispanic side of my family. I also really appreciated that the author incorporated Spanish text with English. I'm not fluent in Spanish, but I understand enough to comprehend what I'm reading. However, I didn't feel like I missed a beat while reading this because Daria does an excellent job of translating Spanish on the page without losing any context or taking the reader out of the story. On another note, I loved that the readers could experience POVs from both Jasmine and Ashton. I thought that the contrasting points of view worked well in this story. The chapters with the Carmen in Charge script were a fun addition too. Although, I found that the Carmen in Charge story was not as strong as the main character's focus.

As steamy as the novel was, I found some of the details more distracting than "hot" for the sexier parts of the story. For example, describing sex as "feeling her heat" and "unsheathing" himself made me think teehee more so than oh yeahhhh. Don't get me wrong, the sex scenes in the story are scandalous and satisfying in the way of, "yes, they are finally getting to the meat!" (all puns intended). But, I found myself distracted with some of the specific wording. Still, it wasn't distracting to the point where I didn't find the scenes unbelievable because the readers will definitely get a sense of the romance. I was also having a hard time remembering that Ashton is in his late thirties. I kept thinking that he was an older gentleman from his many experiences with telenovela productions and Jasmine pining over him since she was a young girl.

Regardless, the story was delightful overall, and I couldn't put the book down once I found myself invested in la pasión. This was my first time reading an Alexis Daria novel, and I wasn't disappointed! She's on my radar now, and I'm excited to check out the following books in the Primas of Power series.

This book was just WOW!! I really loved this book. Thus is a new author to me and now she is a must read author for me!! Can not wait for her next book.

Do you love novellas? I do. This one was it good. It had everything you could want. I love this book. My first read from this author. You had me at Hola.

This book was basically perfect. The characters are rich and multi-faceted. Alexis Daria shows the reader how varied and beautiful the Latinx world is. The soap opera within the romance was delightful. My only nitpick is I wish the reveal Ashton's son had come earlier so Jasmine would have more time to get over the betrayal she felt.

3.5
This book would have been a solid 4 , if it weren’t for the incredibly bad script scenes. I wish those scenes had either been cut altogether, or rewritten in actual script format.

This book, though. Putting aside the romance part for a moment, this book was so refreshing.

Jasmine’s relationship with her cousins is warm and friendly. I love her family- they remind me of my extended family. Abuela’s teasing about Jasmine’s Spanish hurting her ears reminded me of my own grandmother’s and cousins. Within 10 minutes of starting the audiobook, I redownloaded duolingo.

I didn’t grow up watching soaps or telenovellas, but I’m still familiar with that world. Listening to this book made me want to get into them and maybe rewatch Sense8. Also made me crave coffee.

I loved the section with Vera, the intimacy coordinator. I’ve never worked with one, but I have worked with stage combat choreographers, and it’s similar. Consent is crucial. I love that consent was highlighted in a romance novel, in a non sexual setting.

There were moments that just hit you right in the gut. How wearing makeup, nice clothes is a kind of armor that Jasmine wears to be avoided being treated less than. The same way her Abuela never goes anywhere without earrings or lipstick. How Ashton struggles alone with anxiety, striving for privacy and perfection.

The romance was... meh. Jasmine and Ashton spent a lot of the book avoiding each other, then they were having sex, then avoiding each other again. They got ish to figure out I guess

CW: breakup, infidelity, profanity, death of parent mention, cancer mention, anxiety, stalking, PTSD, explicit sexual content, alcoholism, lying, injury of a child

What an adorable couple! The setting was unique and interesting. the characters were all well developed. Family ties were both sweet and complicated. I loved that both the hero and heroine had support systems and interests outside their relationship. The intersectional depiction of latinx culture was wonderful. The seamless way Alexis Daria wove the on-screen romance with the characters' real-life drama was impressive. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys soapy television and stories surrounding family.

DELICIOUS. I ate this book up in a single sitting, it was such a fun read. Not only are Jasmine and Ashton a steamy, lovable pair, but the writing and storytelling here is really excellent. The weaving in of their telenovela - and how the story within the story complements the couple's journey - is skillful and smart. The world of film/tv and celebrityhood is also meaningfully important to the plot, not just a fun background (the intimacy coordinator! loved it). A romance I'll be recommending for a long time, for sure!

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Jasmine returns to New York shamed after being fired from her last job. Her agent calls her to tell her she's been cast in a telenovela with steamy actor Ashton - her grandma's favorite telenovela star. As her and her cousins plan her grandma's birthday party, they plan how they can surprise her grandma with a visit from Ashton. But Jasmine is the one surprised at the steamy connection with Ashton that develops past the small screen. #YouHadMeatHola #netgalley #alexisDaria

Daria's book was very engaging. I am excited to see greater diversity in romance with strong feisty heroines. Looking forward to her next book!