This was a fun and entertaining read. A complicated meeting leads to a slow serendipitous romance. Cute, uplifting and well worth the full day binge read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for providing me with this arc in exchange of an honest review.

A pet peeve of mine is when books are described as ‘romantic comedies’ and they are not in the least bit funny. Believe me, there’s quite a few out there. Thankfully, this is not one of them. The humour that Olivia Lara uses in this book is mostly a dry, sarcastic humour between the two main characters of Maya and Ethan and I really enjoyed this element of the book.

The romantic scenario itself I felt started off very original and engaging but I found the “mystery” quite predictable. Having said that, Maya’s character development is top notch so the romance is organically developed and believable.

Another aspect of the story I really enjoyed is the theme of friendship which runs throughout the book. It is clear that Maya struggles to make decisions and work through problems without the help and support of her friends, and I could really relate to this friendly and vulnerable side to her character.

The ending of the book is also uplifting and satisfying. This has been a quick and fun read that I would recommend to fans of Samantha Tonge and Donna Ashcroft.

Maya is a master people watcher, observing and then writing love stories for the people she encounters on the streets of NYC. But she continues to face rejection after rejection creatively. When a lift driver answers her boyfriend's phone as Maya lands for a surprise getaway with him, she soon finds out he's cheating on her. This leads Maya to take off to the scenic Carmel community and with the help of her lift driver, she finds herself and potentially love. But the fairytale ends when her mystery man doesn't show up to meet her, and a year later, Maya is shocked to learn that the book about their magical day is being published by another author. In an attempt to find her man's real identity, Maya goes back to the scene of the crime on a wild goose chase, but just might find herself along the way.

I was super excited to read this one, because so many of my friends loved it. While it was an enjoyable read, it didn't live up to the hype for me. I found myself setting it down and picking it back up again multiple times. Normally I will speed through a book that grabs my attention and unfortunately, this one didn't do it for me.

What worked for me:
The chapters were short and kept me breezing through the story. There was an air of mystery throughout, even though you could tell where some of the twists were going to come. I absolutely LOVED the idyllic Carmel, CA setting and could picture it vividly in my head. It was definitely an unexpected and fresh take on instalove, which is not my favorite when it comes to tropes. Maya's love of people and drawing inspiration from real life was super fun.

What didn't work for me:
I had a hard time getting invested into Ethan and Maya as a couple. The texting back and forth was believable, but also worried me a little bit. I found myself really having to suspend disbelief during the first part of the book due to this. It just didn't sit right with me. In the second part of the book, I wasn't a huge fan of the back and forth between Ethan and Maya. They were both extremely indecisive with their feelings and it got frustrating at times reading.

Thanks to Aria and NetGalley for the advanced copy. The Meeting Point publishes September 2.

What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone has all the direction to true love?

YA'LL!!!!! This was one of the most unique written plots I have ever experienced in my life! The Meeting Point had me in all my feels and even made my eyes leak! Ah-Mazing!

I loved Maya's self-discovery journey and trying to figure out what she wants in life. The ending was predictable, but it was worth it!

This was my first book I've read by Olivia Lara and I will seek out her other books!

If you love an enemies to lovers trope, this is a book you do NOT want to miss!

Thank you to Olivia Lara, Netgalley, Aria & Aries for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was my first time reading a book by Olivia Lara and I was instantly drawn to it by the title and blurb! It was definitely an interesting read and just what I needed, though I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long because it ended up being a 5 star read for me!

To start off, I really enjoyed the writing style and how the main character, Maya, is very 3d and has lots of feelings and an internal struggle at the start that stretches throughout the book.

I really enjoyed the adventure the character goes on and how important the supporting characters were to the plot. The ‘meet cute’ and start of something really appeals to teen and ya readers and I loved seeing it in a book!

Some noteable quotes I really liked were “Love, because it is the only true adventure.” and “Like a hamster who never gets anywhere despite running ion the spinning wheel incessantly.”

I would describe this book as adventurous, healing, investigative and slow burn. It shows that you should take a shot at happiness, even if it is a big leap.

There were points after the half way mark where the reader gets to see things from a different perspective and you really start cheering on the characters, which I thought was a really nice touch, especially as it wasn’t through character to character dialogue!

Overall I found this book really enjoyable and read this book in two sittings, I really should’ve read it earlier! I am giving it 5 stars and I hope to read Olivia Lara’s other book too!

Kindle: Time left in the book 7 hours
Me: Finishing the book for less than 5 hours
Yes, it is that addictive!

It's almost her birthday and Maya is on her way to California to surprise her long-time boyfriend. When she dropped him a message to let him know that she is there, the response she received isn't the one she expected. Her oblivious boyfriend forgot his phone in the taxi, but why the driver thinks that she is blond when she is clearly a brunette?
It's not the best birthday surprise to find out from lift driver that your boyfriend is cheating on you.

All by herself in the place in California she's never been to, she is doubting to board the next available plane home. But then the lift driver messaged back. He offered her to catch the bus to a lovely seaside town called Carmel. He becomes her over-text guide of that charming little town, leading her through its sights. And just like that he gives her the most magical experience she's ever had and the best birthday present. At the end of the day she is dying to meet him and when they finally agreed to meet. Can you imagine how shocked she is when the guy waiting for her, at the meeting point, is not anyone but her boyfriend?

A year later, she feels that something is missing but she can't quite put her fingers on it. When her best friend (who happens to work for big publishing house in London) calls her, everything changes. A well-known author is going to publish his 4th romance novel, a novel, that tells Maya and the lift driver's story. Now she know that she has to go back to Carmel and find the guy who gifted her the best birthday present ever.

I've read the book in no time. It is sweet and you will be dying to find out how this situation will evolve. And the topic of two strangers, who has never met, but fall in love in each other, only set off my curiosity. In combination with beautiful setting and a free tour around this beautiful town - a tourist attraction and a gem in the eyes of the native residents. Author descriptions of the setting - houses and the tourist attractions Maya visits, are so vivid and the whole vision of this little town is so picturesque, it made me want to go end explore it! However, the story is a bit outstretched at times, but that definitely don't have a huge impact on the book and the story.

If you are up for a light, summer rom-com that will bring smell of the sea and warmth of the sun to you while captivating you hearth with a warm story of love and self-discovery. A story about taking risks and leaving your comfort zone and let great things to happen. So this is your book!

Maya lives at n New York with her boyfriend in a journalist job she doesn’t enjoy.
She aspires to be an author of romantic fiction but her manuscripts are being rejected so gives up sending them.
Unhappy in her job and her relationship becoming stale, she decides to fly to the West Coast to surprise her boyfriend who is working there on her birthday.
When she arrives in Sam Francisco, she rings her boyfriend only to have his phone answered by a lift driver who assumes she was the blond who had been making out with her boyfriend in the back of his car.
The lift driver, being a nice guy, takes pity on her and guides her on a day out in nearby Carmel via Text. Falling in love over text immediately after her boyfriend cheats on her isn’t what she was expecting. Not her mystery guide.
I was initially disappointed to find that this was set in the USA. I generally like to read British authors set in Britain as I find I can relate to them. However, this book has left me wanting to visit San Francisco and especially Carmel.
I enjoyed the short chapters, easy to put down at a convenient point.
It’s a slightly predictable romance but it’s not the end point that’s important, it’s definitely the journey.
Thank you to #netgalley and Aria and Aries for the preview read.
.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. This was a fun read. I love that the place is set in Carmel by the Sea which is a place I always love. I just adored the texts between Max and Maya and their instant connection. I love how Maya was able to start over and look for her misconnection with Max. The story is a bit predictable but fun read none the rest.

What an awesome take on a modern love story!

This book was tons of fun! I loved the idea of the story and the whole insta-love second chance tropes that were the main aspects of this story. I know not everyone loves insta-love (it's even mentioned in the book!) but I'm a fan! I think it's super cute and very romancy.

This book will take you on an adventure and a half, have you fall in love and find it again and will just bring a plain old smile to your face!

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the earc in return for an honest review.

I struggled with this book in the beginning. Full transparency, if I hadn’t been a part of the Blog Tour, I likely would have DNF’d. However, I am glad that I did continue the book, it was just took me a while to get in to the novel.

So, after the first 20%, I felt indifferent about the whole book, I wasn’t connected with any of the characters and I just kind of felt a bit ‘meh’ about the whole thing. I’m going to start off with the things I struggled about the novel first, but I first I want to say that once I hit the 40-45% of the novel I couldn’t stop reading.

The biggest reason that I struggled to get into this book was the writing style. It was not my favourite. I felt like Maya had far too many internal monologues that made the story drag in a really odd and jarring way. The rest of the story, especially the first 25%, was really fast paced but the monologues would pull me away from the plot. I wanted more of a focus on the setting and how beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea is; and I wanted more from the other characters in the novel too.

Part of the writing style that I struggled with was that we, as the reader, were being told a lot rather than being shown. What I mean by this is that right from the start we were told how much her relationship sucked and we were told how horrible her boss was; but we just weren’t shown it all too much. Sure, we got a short chapter about how her boss made her go on this job that turned out to be a set up for a disaster; and sure, we the whole reason she has this interaction with the Lift driver is because her boyfriend was cheating on her in the back of his cab. But I just did not feel like I was really on the journey with Maya.

When I am reading a book, a key thing for me is to be able to connect to the characters. And unfortunately, I wasn’t able to with this novel. Even with the minor characters they didn’t feel fleshed out – or a better way to put it actually, is that I felt like they were too distanced. They all kind of ended up blurring together for me which then made me become disconnected from the novel and the characters.

One thing that I could relate to Maya about, and did enjoy about her character, was how she was a writer and liked to write down little stories that she would make up about them. I liked seeing the snippets of the stories that she would create for them. And contradicting my earlier point about the writing style favouring telling and not showing – I really liked that when Maya returned to her regular life after the magical 24 hours, she stopped writing down her little tales about the strangers that she would pass by. Then, later on in the novel when she is in Carmel again, she randomly starts writing down her characters again. I just thought that was a lovely way of showing that she was improving and getting to a better situation.

What did keep me interested however, and was a huge reason why I continued reading, was the mystery of the identity of the Lift driver. It was the thing that really kept me reading. Sometimes, I think it is okay to not enjoy all aspects of a book, and really hone in on the thing that did. I needed to know who the stranger was that had captivated Maya’s attention for the last year, despite them only having interacted for less than 24 hours.

I am not a fan of the insta-love trope, so I found it really difficult to connect with the relationship in the beginning.

When Maya started working at the café was when I really started to get invested in the story. I liked getting to know the regulars in vague ways, like who was getting divorced for the third time or who was running a chaotic household – it felt like I was a part of the village gossip which was a nice touch. I enjoyed Maya’s friendship with Celine, and in particular how their friendship seemed to be a buffer for Ethan and Maya.

Ethan is a writer, like Maya, but what is different to Maya is that he is a published author. They meet because Ethan is publishing Max’s (the name the lift driver was given by Maya) version of them 24 hours. Maya is mad about this, and feels like Ethan is stealing from her, but she sees him as a way to get closer to Max. When Maya gets a hold of a copy of the new book that is due to published soon, she learns some more details about them 24 hours, Max and also her horrible ex-boyfriend.

I really liked how the chapters from Ethan’s novel were intertwined with the story. It felt like we were discovering all of this new information alongside Maya. It was also nice to have another perspective, and part of me wishes that the whole novel had been dual perspective because I really enjoyed switching it out.

I really liked Ethan. The only thing that I found slightly annoying was how much Maya hated him to begin with. It was one of those instances where I couldn’t understand where all of this hatred was coming from, so those sections irritated me. However, I did enjoy their banter and their interactions. For me, the story improved greatly once Ethan was introduced and on the pages.

The novel was predictable, but I was honestly okay with that. Even though I could predict what was going to happen, I still needed to continue reading so that it could be confirmed that I was right. It didn’t take away from my reading experience at all.

So, even though I struggled with the first 40% of the novel, I am glad that I pushed through because it was a light and funny novel. If you are a fan of the insta-love trope, and are craving a nice story to round off summer with, I would recommend The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara.

4,5 ⭐️

I had never heard about this book or author until Lisa from TLC Book Tours offered me an eARC and a spot in “The Meeting Point” Blog Tour, and I’m so glad she did. This was exactly what I needed right now! I LOVED IT! It was so darn cute that I still haven’t wiped off the smile from my face three days after finishing it.

I was completely in from the get go. If there’s a writer character or a book subplot involved I will probably love it and that was the case here. I loved Maya so much that when the first half finished I actually yelled at my Kindle so against her decision I was.

I’m not usually a fan of insta-love stories but I adored this one. The fact they hadn’t even met made it even cuter. Let’s be honest, that was a better “first date” than many real life face to face ones we’ve all had, so I can’t fault her for falling in love with Max (I would have too!).

Once she went back to Carmel-by-the-Sea she met lots of fantastic characters that added to the level of adorableness of the story.

I loved Maya’s journey of self-discovery, taking risks to try and find out what she really wanted in life. The love story was predictable (which rom-com isn’t?) but I still enjoyed the journey there.

Who went and googled Carmel-by-the-Sea the minute he finished the book and it’s ready to book some flights there to go and visit? What a gorgeous place! All the vivid descriptions of the streets, the ocean, the cottages…made the town another character in the story.

Fun and heartwarming story with a great cast of characters and a love story that had one of the most enchanting first dates I’ve ever read. Absolutely recommended it! Now I can’t wait to read the author’s first book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Aria & Aries, TLC Book Tours and the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

The Meeting Point is a sweet, heartwarming romance about a lift driver and a woman in a new city. After Maya is fired, she decides to surprise her boyfriend in San Fransisco, only to discover he is cheating on her. How does she find out? Her lift driver. Alone in a new city, her lift driver becomes her unofficial tour guide by text and the two begin to fall in love.

I loved the setting of this story and the build up of the romance via text. It had a bit of a slow start, but when it hit it’s stride, I enjoyed this adorable story. I want to go to Carmel-by-the-Sea NOW. What a magical, whimsical place.

Fans of Kerry Winfrey should check out this romance!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The beginning of this book has me hooked, I loved how it started it was a different format from what I used to and that was enjoyable. I loved the romance and how it was a little mysterious. However it was very obvious so the best mystery element was lost, and it annoyed me how oblivious maya was. She never figured out who max was even with so many clues right under her nose. It did seem a little rushed at times, stuff was happening too fast or reactions to certain things were off. There is also a trigger warning for cheating. But overall I did really enjoy this book.

Fun summer read!

This was a lovely and light read perfect for some summer or holiday reading! Main character Maya ends up in a text rally with a taxi driver after her cheating boyfriend leaves his phone in the car... leading to a classic will they/wont they story of missed opportunities.
Although no surprises as to the plot of the storyline which was fairly easily guessable, this was a light-hearted read with some feel good moments. I enjoyed the descriptions of beautiful places - especially at a time when travel is a little out of reach for lots of us!

Cute romantic story

Maya is having a really crummy birthday. She just got fired, and when she flies to San Francisco from NYC to surprise her longtime boyfriend, she finds out from his Lift driver that he's fooling around on her.

The Lift driver takes it upon himself to save the day and texts her an itinerary (he found her boyfriend's phone in his car) for an adventure in Carmel by the Sea and Maya spends a wonderful day exploring Carmel plus learning more about the Lift driver she calls Max.

I loved this story. Light, fun and I read it straight through in one day. It reminded me in some ways of I'VE GOT MAIL but definitely can stand on its own.

I received this book from Atria Fiction through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

5 stars

I'm so happy I got the chance to read this book because as soon as I started I knew I was going to loved it.
It sucked me into the plot from page one until the last page.
I loved everything about this. The romance was the sweetest kind. The mystery was fabulous, enthralling and very entertaining. Even if you find out what the mystery is before our heroine, you still wanna go through her journey to find out.
Maya was such a likeable main character. She was the perfect balance of everything I love in a female lead.
I even loved and was very into the side characters plots! I was rooting for everyone in this story, every single side plot/romance and that's super weird for me!
Overall this was a fantastic book and I can't wait to read more of this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

❝ Our glasses clink together, mellow music in the background, the light slightly dimmed. This is playing out like a scene from one of my stories, isn’t it? The main characters look into each other’s eyes and realize what they really feel. There are violins and fireworks. Nope. Not going to happen... we’re the wrong characters. ❞


What would you do if somebody publishes a book detailing your birthday trip and heartbreak from a year ago?


The premise and the trope of The Meeting Point was everything I wanted. I loved the setting, a coast-village in California, which is just as stunning in pictures as it was described in the book.


Maya, the female lead, is in love with the idea of love. She is a dreamer, a storyteller and she loves to make up love stories about people she passes by on a daily basis.
However, for all her optimism, Maya does come off as complacent. There is a part of her that is stuck in a cycle and she is scared to remove herself from the rut— the daily rut of the job she doesn't like and a relationship where it feels like she is the only one is making an effort and is present.


Luckily, when she finds out that a book is being published, with the setting and events exactly on how her birthday trip panned out, she finally gets the push she was wanting. She goes back to Carmel-by-Sea — the place where she experienced exhilaration, freedom and dare I say, a taste of love — in search of the author and the mystery man who was responsible for one of the happiest days of her life.



❝ I smile and thank him again, turn around and leave. I leave this man standing there, a man I’m painfully attracted to, both physically and mentally, and a man I connect to on all possible and impossible levels. But I leave him like that and I’m incapable of saying what I wish I could because somewhere there’s this other man I’ve been looking for. A man I’ve never seen, I’ve never held hands with, kissed, laughed with, watched a sunrise or sunset with. Alisa is right; I have a talent for complicating my life like it’s nobody’s business. ❞


The Meeting Point has everything that I love in a romance. The narrative, which is predominantly in Maya's point of view, gives us moments with the love interest's point of view come forth and I love the insight from the "other" point of view.

The angst is love and the fluff is high but what really didn't work for me was:

1) The reader is made aware of who the love interest is within a few chapters. Ms Lara tries to confuse the reader for a moment, but it is plain-as-a-day as to who is Maya's mystery man.

2) Initially, the plot drags quite a bit, going in circles over the same thing. It takes a while to pick up, but because the writing is simple and flowing, I found myself going through the pages rather quickly.

3) I wish there was more romantic development. As I mentioned in the previous point, the plot circles over the same thing. I would have loved it if the author would have rather, had Maya and her mystery man find each other a little earlier.


Overall, The Meeting Point is a fun and light read with a guaranteed Happily Ever After.




3 Stars!

The Meeting Point- a light hearted easy read. Does what it says on the tin.

It is a story of chance when Maya flies to San Fran to surprise her boyfriend David. David leaves his phone in the cab and the story develops from there.

The ending was abit too predictable and I love it when stories keep me guessing. It was a good read though. Likeable characters, plenty of storyline and a happy feel good ending.

Thanks Net Galley and Aria for giving me the chance to read this book

Filled with cuteness, an amazing local, tons of romance cliches, and an insta-love story that is unforgettable, this upcoming release is everything you need for your last minute comfort read at the beach. Throw all your stereotypic innuendos aside and just immerse yourself into a story that will just warm your heart and remind you why you fell in love with the romance genre in the first place. It’s got everything you need to make it one of your favorite reads of the year. I know I love it!

I guarantee you’re going to love this one, so throw away all your hangups, grab this book on 9/2 , and enjoy the end of summer with a delightful read!

The premise of this felt cute - a phone forgotten in a rideshare car causes a chain of events that expose her boyfriend cheating, lead to an unexpected text-message friendship, and a birthday experience Maya will never forget. It's cute. Maya is all about the HEA as an aspiring romance writer and this is a saccharinely sweet "happens-in-the-movies" moment. And now she needs to find out who this mystery man she fell in love with (in a day, over text) is. I'd watch the shit out of this Hallmark movie, maybe give it some Christmas vibes. It is cheesy but, ya know, that is what I want to read right now. I also really enjoyed the side characters and female friendships in this book!

What got me stuck on this book was the writing. It was not bad and, to some degree, I think really matched up to Maya's personality. But some sections felt too casual like it was written how I would send a text message to a friend about my day. I few lines went like "and we had a super-tasty meal" which I just couldn't get past. I found myself skimming large sections to just get the high-level plot information than dive too deep into Maya's musings.

Also the ending was so glaringly obvious I just wanted "oh honey" Maya. But I was still entertained!