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Maya Maas decides to surprise her boyfriend when he goes to California for work on her birthday weekend. She hops on a plane from New York and texts him from the airport. Except he doesn’t reply. And he keeps not replying to texts or calls. Until a stranger finally texts that he’s the Lift driver and David left his phone in the car. Then Maya finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Well, isn’t that just a wonderful birthday present? Stuck in the airport with nowhere to go she opens up to the stranger and he suggests she forget the cheating ass and go enjoy herself at a small charming beach town instead. For once in her life Maya decides to take a leap of faith. But will she stick the landing or break a leg?

I’m going to start off by saying something harsh - Maya is such a wimp. Wow. Talk about someone drifting through life with no real direction and letting people walk all over her. Instead of taking control of her own destiny and writing a love story for herself (instead of for strangers), she just exists. However, you knew there was a however, right? However, Maya is not a hopeless case. She writes love stories for strangers she sees, so there is a spark in her. It just needs the right material and a good wind to get it blazing.

Enter the Lift driver who drops the bomb on her about her boyfriend. For the first time Maya does something crazy. She takes a stranger’s advice and lets him set her itinerary for her birthday. But then, she falls back into her old ways. Except, her old ways don’t really fit her anymore. They aren’t easy and comfortable like before. She’s changed. Thank fuck. And that’s when the book really takes off.

While Maya has me rolling my eyes all the time because maybe she’s a bit too flawed, I can’t help but cheer her on as she tries to find the Lift driver who has changed her life. The Lift driver is a great character, but who is he, really? It’s a mystery! The town sounds so charming I want to visit there right now. Or maybe even live there! I mean, what’s not to love?

If you like flawed characters and a mystery with romantic threads woven into every fiber of this story then you really need to pick this up.

I loved almost everything about this adorable story.
The only blip for me was Maya's over reactions and her naivety.
I found myself yelling at the book when she didn't see what I saw.
Much love to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for my DRC.

The Meeting Point is my new book in which I will compare all other romances against. This was absolutely the cutest story and perfect summer read.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or maybe text? When Maya discovers from a Lift driver that her boyfriend is cheating, she finds herself alone in California. She begins an excursion in a charming sea side town with the help of text from the Lift driver. By the end of the perfect day Maya wonders if love at firsts text is real and if she is the only one who feels this way.

I absolutely loved the setting for this book, a quaint place along the California coast. All the characters were so enjoyable to read about. The angst of our hero and heroine was perfect and they will be a favorite couple of mine for now on. This story has character development, a strong female friendship, and a lot of swooning. I found myself smiling throughout this book, I just loved it.

What a cute story this was. If you're looking for an easy to read, feel good romance which ties neatly with a bow at the end (my fave kind of book!), then this is definitely one you'd like. 

When Maya decides to surprise her boyfriend on her birthday, she is told by a Lift driver that he was in his car cheating on her with another woman and that he also has his phone. Rather than head back home, the driver suggests Maya make a day of it, seeing the town considering it is her birthday. As her tour guide via text messages, the driver becomes somewhat of a friend....and a year on, Maya is still thinking about him and the amount of effort he went to in making her birthday special. With no way to contact him, will they ever get to meet?

This is such a romantic story but one that is so cleverly told. When Maya Maas decides to surprise her boyfriend David with an unexpected visit, little does she know that it will change her life. On trying to call him, she finds that a Lift driver has David’s phone and he unsuspectingly reveals her boyfriend’s cheating ways. Finding herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday, the Lift driver Max, gives her a personalised itinerary via text messages. Their chance to meet is thwarted leaving Maya to wonder ‘what if’.
Without revealing too much of this story, I am so thrilled that I got the chance to read this very cleverly told story. As Maya tries to discover the identity of Max one year later, she finds that her story is being sold as a book, by Ethan, an author friend of Max. Could Ethan be the one to bring her back to Max, or could her friendship with Ethan cloud her feelings for Max. The more time that Maya spends with Ethan, the more confused she becomes.
This romance had me read through to the early hours of the morning as I was so intrigued as to how this would all play out. Both Maya and Ethan have been hurt in the past, so as they struggle with their friendship, it seems as if their past hurts make them so very vulnerable and cautious. I enjoyed the secondary characters of Celine, Ethan’s sister, and many of the other characters in this charming book. This book is destined to keep all readers hooked until the end.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was okay.
Really nothing wrong with it, however the synopsis was misleading.
What I got wasn't what I was expecting going in, which sadly made the experience disappointing.

What the story truly is, is good and if the synopsis reflected it better I probably would've enjoyed it more.

This story pulled me in and kept me wanting more. I was so sad to see it end.

What would you do if you wished you lived in a happily-ever-after world, find out your boyfriend of five years is cheating on you, and then meet someone who gets you, has the same humor, and does his best to make you smile for no reason?

What would you do if you never even met the guy who makes your heart swoon?

Maya tries to surprise her boyfriend on a business trip only to find out from the Lift driver who found the guy’s phone that her boyfriend was last seen with someone who was most definitely not her. While stuck in California for the day, these two strangers text the entire time as he directs her through places in a small town that feel like vacation-land. But it doesn’t end how she wishes it had. And she can’t stop thinking about this day.

So when she finally gets the courage to leave the cheating jerk, she just has to go back to find him. But what starts out as a spontaneous trip of determination quickly turns into one of finding herself, friends, and a life. And turning someone she viewed as an enemy into the last person she expected to meet.

Also, I would love to see this book adapted to a movie (and I rarely say that!).

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara is not your average rom-com. The story is completely original. Yet has those silly misunderstandings that all romance novels have. But, this book didn’t only meet expectations but blasted all the way through to phenomenal.

Maya lives a stunted life. She works at a job with no potential for growth, not to mention the boss is a bully. But, on a birthday whim, Maya heads to California from New York to meet up with her boyfriend. And, he turns out to be the biggest loser on the planet. Though, Maya finds salvation in a Lift driver. This driver accidentally informs Maya that her boyfriend is a cheat. But, he takes her on the most beautiful journey. Unfortunately, real-life beats down Maya’s door, and her dreams shatter. Back in New York, Maya feels lonely and depressed. She realizes that her life is going nowhere. After a year of this, Maya packs up and leaves to find the man who made her fall in love through text. Will Maya’s fairytale come true?

I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of Maya in the beginning. She seemed a bit down in the mouth and weak. She came to grow on me as the book went on, especially her jaunt to Carmel on the Sea for her birthday. She acted strong and brave. It was then that I fell in love with her myself. As her story moved on, I put her back in that coward spot. She makes too many assumptions and does her best to wreck her life. But, this is the same problem I have with most contemporary romances. Why are women of today acting like cowards and why so needy? Can’t we have strong females in the 21st century?

The entire town of Carmel on the Sea knows who Maya is when she returns to find her dream man. Though, not one of them lets the cat out of the bag. The townsfolk let her find out for herself, which made the story a lot more fun. I loved how Maya blindly trusted a stranger who led her on my fantasy vacation. I found it easy to picture myself as the main character of this novel. Maya’s one-day birthday surprise is everything I’ve ever dreamed about having. The perfect man, on the perfect beach, with the perfect cup of hot cocoa as I sat around a bonfire. Yes, this is my ultimate fantasy at play.

I also adored that Maya writes little love stories about people she sees. Her random thoughts made me smile. And, strangely enough, I tend to do the same. There is nothing more fun than people watching and making up stories about them in my head. I’ve never written any down, but it is still fun to think them up. My daughter and I even make up stories about the dogs we see out for a walk in the neighborhood.

I want to take a moment to thank Olivia Lara for bringing this amazing story into my life. Seeing myself in Maya made this book so special for me. I admit to full-on sobbing through the last quarter of the book. Not because the story is sad, but because it is so beautiful and so me. So thank you again, Olivia.

I award The Meeting Point a full 5 out of 5 stars. Contemporary romances are not my thing. I much prefer historical romances, but this lovely tome makes the exception. If you need a little pick me up, I recommend you read this book. I read this book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. If you love romance, this one has the most down-to-earth characters I’ve come across in a long time.

The Meeting Point is a captivating, heart-warming story. The main characters are easy to love and connect with, while the minor characters add richness and depth to the tale. The gorgeous settings around Carmel by the Sea and the Bay area fit beautifully with the plotline.

Everyone can relate to Maya. She’s a bit naive, a little sarcastic, somewhat klutzy, and struggling to get a grip on her life. Will mysterious Max be the catalyst she needs to begin standing up for herself and finally figure out what she whats in her life?

Friendship and caring for those around you is the thread that ties everyone together in this novel. While Maya has a bit of a matchmaker in her, Ethan uses his status and goodwill to make life better for those he cares about. They seem to have incredible chemistry, but this story is about finding Max, the Lift driver who anonymously gave her the best birthday of her life. Or is it?

I highly recommend you read a copy of this delightful book. It captured my attention in the early pages and demanded I read it almost in one sitting. I finished the story hoping for more from this author and her characters.

A great romance very predictable but a good journey on the way,

Maya decides to surprise her boyfriend when he`s on a work trip as it`s her birthday and wants to spend her birthday with him but she found out he had left his phone in a taxi when the taxi driver Max reply's to her text, Max sees Maya`s boyfriend very friendly with another women in his taxi and with Maya stranded Max sends her on a tour of Carmel before she has to return home, after texting each other all day the bond between them spirals and they decide to meet at sunrise and just before they meet up her boyfriend turns up and persuades her to return with him.

I so liked Maya and Max and was cheering them on to a happy ending, loved the visit to Carmel so real you just want to visit. Definitely recommend for a good romance.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Posted on Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

“A romantic and heartfelt Story”

A perfect summer read, which I read in over a day. I wanted to find out how it ends.

The character of Maya was brilliant but I felt some her decisions a bit wary but enjoyed reading how her character change as the story progressed.
Ethan, too was a brilliant character, reading his thoughts on how the story towards the end, having some flaws but his character changed too.
The other characters of Carmel, such as Celine we’re lovely and how they all played a part in Maya's story,

The story was so well written and I loved the route the story took. It had me hooked, as I read from page to page, Maya trying to find out who mysterious Max was.

I love the way Olivia Lara’s style of writing, funny, and serious at the same time.

Absolutely loved reading this.

There are very few things I enjoy more than a unique, cute romance story and I was so happy to be invited on to The WriteReads blog tour for The Meeting Point. I am on a big contemporary romance kick right now and this one had all the ingredients to be a book that I flew through.

When Maya Maas flies to California to spend her birthday with her partner, she is shocked to discover that his phone has been picked up by a Lyft driver who dropped off her boyfriend and a mystery blonde woman earlier that day. Devastated and confused, Maya doesn’t know what to do. But then the texts between her and the Lyft driver begin to fly back and forth. The stranger on the phone gives Maya an itinerary and directions for a magical day in Carmel-by-the-Sea. As the day draws to a close, Maya is desperate to know who this man is and see if the sparks she is feeling are there in real life too.

Maya is a hopeless romantic and she sees love and happiness everywhere. While this seems like a heady, wonderful mentality to have, I imagine it must be exhausting and hard to maintain as regularly as Maya seems to. However, she radiates warmth and hope and that’s a really lovely, intoxicating thing to be around.

The Lyft driver’s identity isn’t revealed until the very end but I guessed who he was quite near the beginning. In fact, I was waiting for him to tell her who he was and there were several points where I thought he would but didn’t. It was almost like that point at the top of a rollercoaster where you’re just waiting for it to tip out and over and this happened time and time again. I think we could have done with the reveal a little earlier on in the book and then had the rest of the pages to see how things developed in light of it.

I had never heard of Carmel-by-the-Sea before but it now feels like a place I’ve visited several times. I am much more familiar with British seaside towns and I think Carmel might actually be my first taste of an American coastal community that resembles a British one. It seems to be basking in a warm glow in a way that is similar to the seaside towns I know but there is still a touch of glitter to it. It doesn’t seem to be as rural and remote as many UK beach towns but it still enjoys serenity and is an escape from the city.

The more time that Maya spends in Carmel, the more she realises that she loves being a part of a small community and getting to know the locals. There is a fantastic sense of togetherness and friendship in small coastal towns, which is something that Maya has been missing from her old life. Her infectious energy and love of romance lends itself perfectly to a town like Carmel and she fits it seamlessly.

Her character growth is very evident and it’s clear that she is much more confident, daring and happy when she’s away from her corporate job and dodgy boyfriend. Although I was frustrated with her for returning to this life after her first spontaneous day in Carmel, I think she needed to do this to realise where she really belonged. Sometimes you have to remove yourself from what you know to find where you’re supposed to be and The Meeting Point is as much a story about that as it is about finding true love.

The Meeting Point is a unique, heartwarming romance bearing similarities to Emily Henry’s Beach Read with a little mystery attached. Cute and very readable, it’s full of great characters to root for and manages to sweep you into a world of sand, flirtation and books. A quick, easy holiday read!

This book has a lot of "telling" instead of "showing" and it bugs me every time because I feel like I'm being told about the story whereas I wanted to read and interpret the story using my own brain. Because of the "telling" aspect of the author's writing style, I'm not able to sympathize with the characters and understand them deeper, thus making me feel disconnected from them and the story.

THE MEETING POINT - OLIVIA LARA
PUBLISHED BY ARIA &ARIES
4.5⭐
PLOT - Maya is a brunette dressed in a T-shirt has planned a surprise for her boyfriend David - but she is in for a shock!!
When the lyft driver answers David's phone and asks if she is the blonde in red dress with David from last night her life turns upside down.
Sensing her sadness on being stuck at the airport on her birthday the mystery driver asks Maya is she is up for some adventure to explore the beach town of Carmel!!
She is in for a treat with a detailed itinerary making it her best day of her life!! But can this text only relationship turn into something more???
MY THOUGHTS -
Fans of instalove check this book out!! The whole detailed itinerary about exploring Carmel is so so beautiful. I had to google check it and it's definitely on my itinerary when I viist the bay area!!
Maya and the other character are writers it's so nice to see them taking inspiration from random people & writing stories about them.
Though it's very predictable there are some really cute , aww moments and it's a perfect feel good romance!!
Am definitely checking out the author's other book too!!
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

The Meeting Point is a clever meet cute that blossoms into a beautiful and sweet love story.

Maya decides to surprise her boyfriend, David, by showing up in California to celebrate her birthday with him....but, she's the one who gets the surprise. When she messages his phone, someone else responds. Apparently, he left it in a Lyft....because he was "occupied" with someone else and Maya is messaging with the Lyft driver. What appears to be the worst day ever may surprise her and become one of her best. Maya just has to step out of her safe zone and go on a small adventure with the Lyft driver as her guide.

Can you fall in love without every seeing or speaking to someone? Is it a truer connection because you've gotten to know one another without the physical aspects coming into play? Will you know that person when you finally meet them? Or were you just caught up in the moment for one day and it really wasn't anything special? These are only a few of the questions that are floating around when she decides to return to Carmel, California a year later to try and find the mysterious Lyft driver that acted as her tour guide. Unfortunately, they opted not to exchange names that day so she only knows him as "Max" which wasn't his real name. How will she find him?

While trying to find Max, Maya is given a chance to "find herself." She's played it safe in life. She stayed in bad relationships and jobs because it was the easier option. She finally starts to realize that she has more to give and deserves more herself. She meets people and makes friends in California that help her to uncover who she wants to be and encourage her to follow her passion for writing. Along the way, she might find love after all - - but will it be with Max? Or someone else that she's met along the way?

The Meeting Point has a lovely storyline and well developed characters. I'll continue to read anything Ms. Lara writes. She's proven that she has a knack for storytelling and connecting the reader to the characters. Most importantly, she always delivers a sweet and swoony romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Even though Maya has been through a bad breakup and made a few questionable decisions, her ability to spin real life into her own HEA makes the book a bit more magical. When she cares for someone, she cares deeply. We see that in her friendship with Celine and her devotion to Max. It was courageous to hop on the plane and head back to Carmel to see if she can find Max. Love can make us do strange and impulsive things, but it’s the right choice for her.

Never has a book made me want to visit a location more than The Meeting Point. Lara has richly described Carmel by the Sea. It’s a town that begs the reader to hop on the next plane for a vacation. Ethan is a great character. His seemingly prickly exterior was hiding a true romantic underneath, which makes him the perfect book boyfriend. I binged this book while sitting next to the ocean on a mini-vacation, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to the publisher and The Write Reads for sending this along!

Maya wants to surprise her boyfriend, she’s the one who gets surprised when she finds out he’s been cheating!
I enjoyed travelling along with Maya on her adventurous journey of discovery, she’s finding herself and growing everyday. It’s wonderful to see Maya make decisions for herself and to look forward in her life!
It’s intriguing to hear Maya’s viewpoint of life and love as she travels searching for her place in the world.
Thank you Olivia Lara for this fabulously well written book, definitely a must read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Aria & Aries

An absolutely perfect summer read! The first thing that drew me in to this book was the setting. Carmel was described so perfectly it almost had me contemplating a flight just so I could see it for myself. Olivia Lara does a great job of painting a picture of exactly what the characters are seeing, and no wonder they fall in love in such an idyllic town! While I found the idea of every single character (including cafe regulars) being given a ‘love story ending’ a little bit unrealistic, I could not help but root for Maya and ‘Max’ and their perfect ending. Overall I really enjoyed this book as a nice summer romance, even though it has made me wish I also lived by the sea!

Olivia Lara’s debut novel Someday in Paris was one of the best and most beautiful books I’ve ever read, that’s why it has a place in my TOP 10 list in the best books I’ve ever read.

On one hand Olivia Lara’s second book The Meeting Point was one of the most anticipated books for me in a long time, on the other hand I was absolutely terrified to read Olivia Lara’s second book because no further increase is possible for me. Before I started reading, I had to say to myself that I can’t compare The Meeting Point to Someday in Paris. It’s a standalone book and it wouldn’t have been fair to the new story either. So I tried to approach the new book very non-introspectively. The Story goes like this 🙂

The story follows Maya when she tries surprising her boyfriend on a trip in San Franciso. She receives a message from David’s phone but it isn’t from David. It’s from Max who was David’s lift driver and he’s trying to return the phone. While texting with the myserious man Maya discovers her longterm boyfriend has been cheating on her. The worst thing about this is that it’s her birthday.

After discovering about the cheating, Max sends Maya on a magical 24 h adventure to a small coastal town called Carmel by the Sea to have a great birthday, enjoy herself and falling for the Lift driving via text message. When Max and Maya were supposed to meet her boyfriends shows up and the opportunity of meeting Max is gone. Maya goes back to real life but regrets it every day. A year later we are following Mayas journey looking for her missed love connection. Will Maya find her happy ever after?

The Meeting Point has a great synopsis, it’s intriguing and promising. The story is a completely unique and creative story that had me captivated from the start. The entire book is genuinely well written, and the dialogue is tangible. Unfortunately, there is a BUT. When I started reading this book, I had high expectations that weren’t achieved. I really wanted to like it, but the breaking of my expectations disappointed me.

I was also enjoying it for the most part but it was predictable from the beginning which was a shame because it had the potential to be something magical. I could also picture it perfectly as a movie in my head. This book had all the elements for a cute romcom but in the end the story and characters feel flat. I felt like the relationship development was very weak. I didn’t feel the chemistry nor the connection between the couple. There were no sparkes flying, nothing. I loved that this book introduced me to a place I haven’t heard before. Carmel by the Sea sounds like a dream and is now on my travel bucket list!

I love the idea of the book and also Maya chasing her dream of becoming a published author. I really enjoyed reading about her big imignation and the little stories she made up while she was watching other people.

Would I be reading more of Olivia Lara’s works? Absolutely. I’m all for another chance because things might change.

The Meeting Point
By: Olivia Lara
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟/5
Quote: “Love because it is the only true adventure”
Thanks NetGalley, Aria & Aries for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the sweetest and cheesiest book ever… hahaha just kidding! The book was so unrealistic, but at the same time I forgot and got immerse on the book. I’ve never heard of Carmel and let me tell you, I want to go sometime! The descriptions in this book where amazing and the setting was my favorite.

Inta-love trope is the only downside of this book. I’m not a fan of those! The character without meeting each other are completely in love. I love how the main character, Maya, leaves everything behind and found herself again and her passion for writing (something she lost along the way).

Friendship is an important theme in this book. Old and new ones. Maya was exposed to new people in an unknown city and manages to invest time in her long-distance friendship. Overall it was cute, fast read. 🥰

This book comes out in September 02,2021