A big thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review


3.5/5 ⭐


What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone holds the directions to true love?

'Who are you and why do you have my boyfriend's phone?'
'He left it in my car. You must be the blonde in the red dress? I'm the Lift driver who dropped you two off earlier.'

And with these words, the life of the brunette and t-shirt wearing Maya Maas is turned upside down. Having planned to surprise her boyfriend, she finds herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday.

So when the mystery driver rescues Maya with the suggestion that she cheers herself up at a nearby beach town, she jumps at the chance to get things back on track. She wasn't expecting a personalised itinerary or the easy companionship that comes from opening up to a stranger via text, let alone the possibility it might grow into something more...


The concept of the book was really interesting and I was really excited to start reading it! I enjoyed the wrting style and the plot a lot :) My only complaint is that it was too predictable. I personally figured out the plot twist immediately!

~The setting of the book was incredible!! I just found out Carmel by theh sea is a real place and it is as beautiful as described in the book 💖

~I loved the friendship between Maya and Celine! She was honestly such a sweet person and i liked her a lot for letting Maya stay with her.

~The romance was cute, ever though it felt a bit like insta-love!! However, i really liked the person "Max" turned out to be and i loved what he did for Maya in the end ❤

~I loved how both main characters were writers 😂

I recommend reading this book when it's published, especially if you don't mind insta-love and predictable plot-twists and you just want a fun, uplifting contemporary romance!!

It only took two seconds to convince me to sign up for the tour for The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara but I forgot I had signed up not long after. So when it showed up on my Netgalley shelf I was delighted. After I finished my current read at the time, I immediately dove into this one and finished it in one go. I loved it.

Ok, that was the short version of the review. Here’s the longer one. The Meeting Point is a contemporary romance with a lot of things I love. A mystery, a small town on the coast, lovely architecture, books, and a cafe. Maya, our leading lady, has the worst day of her life turned into the best one by a mysterious stranger and she falls in love with him without knowing what he looks like or what his name is. She calls him Max. The danger of falling in love with a figment of the imagination is that reality can disappoint. And when Max turns out to be someone unexpected, her whole life is turned upside down again.

I absolutely love the characters. They’re flawed and emotional. They fight, argue, and love. And they’re all incredibly stubborn. Although miscommunication is one of the biggest sources of conflict, it didn’t annoy me as much as in other stories. The reason why they’re keeping secrets is self-protection instead of trying to protect the other. The ups and downs they experience only heighten the tension and make the climax only more emotional. Yes, I shed a few tears.

I’d also like to add that Carmel, the town this story takes place in, is almost like its own character. It has character, you become familiar with it, and because of the guided tour in the first few chapters, I feel like I’ve been there. I haven’t, but maybe if we ever go in that direction, I want to.

I give The Meeting Point five stars. A lovely summer read you won’t be able to put down.

Maya adores writing stories, watching people, and imagining a magical story is what she loves to do. But her own story is far from romantic. Because she needs to earn money before publishing her stories she works as a journalist. But the gigs are unsatisfying. And to give her now boring relationship with her boyfriend a revival push, she decides to give him a surprise by landing unexpectedly in California, on her birthday.

But as if destiny had other plans for Maya, she learns about her boyfriend’s cheating ways through a Lyft driver(she calls him Max) in whose car David forgot his phone. Angry, disappointed, and with nothing to do but go back by the next flight which is 24 hours away she begins a conversation with the cab driver over text. And in 24 hours they fall in love with each other, without having seen each other.

Is this true love or a passing fancy? Will Maya have the courage to her tell her boyfriend what she wants?
After a very long time, I read a book that kept me up all night. The will she won’t she dilemma just had me turning page after page and I was lost in Carmel by the sea.

The mystery element about who the driver might turn out to be and who will Maya choose kept the story extremely interesting. The characters were all super cute and delivered without the need for any villainy. Short chapters kept the pace of the novel pretty great. I just breezed the 80 chapters.

Although falling in love with a stranger without ever having met him and only in 24 hours seems a little over the top, but so what? That’s what books are meant for right? To imagine the unimagined, to believe the unbelievable.

I’ve decided. Once in a while, I’m going to seek out Rom-Coms just to remind myself of the fun and love, and sweetness still possible in this world.

Maya is a journalist with not so good boss. On her birthday she plans to go to San Francisco to surprise her boyfriend after having a terrible day at work.
As soon as she reaches the airport and tries to contact her Boyfriend David, she comes to know that David has been cheating her from a lift driver.
Stranded on an airport for a day, Maya starts texting with the Lift driver Max where he helps her with an itinerary for a day to enjoy on her birthday.
I loved the town Carmel-by-the-sea and the nice spots on the list. The only thing I disliked was how predictable this book was.

I don't give books 1 star lightly - I just personally couldn't find much to enjoy about this book despite being very intrigued by the synopsis.

+
• The fast pace
• The setting

-
• The characterisation is very flat - the heroine is oblivious in a not entertaining way, the hero frequently comes across as creepy
• The relationship is very shallow and there's little chemistry. The dynamic was too sickly-sweet and lacking any depth - the same goes for the friendships.
• The big reveal that isn't a big reveal

An fun, feel good read. I breezed through this in one sitting. A few parts in the middle felt a bit too convenient but it didnt bothetr me. The romance had me swooning and I couldn't stop smiling. Need to find my own rideshare now. :)

This heartwarming book was such a refreshing read. Maya was such a sweet person and I love that she chose to take a risk on happiness when she could have wallowed in her own misery.

I loved the location of Carmel- By-the Sea. The author did a wonderful job of describing the beautiful scenery and quickly landscape. I do think Maya maybe put a little too much into trust Max so quickly, but that’s where to have to trust it will all work out!

Thank you so much to @tlcbookstours and @olivelara.writes for my gifted copy. This book is on sale Sept 2!

An enjoyable read with a very sweet love story but may be the premise was better than what was actually delievered. A sweet and cute story but it won't blow you away.

How sweet it is!!! 😍

Maya is on her way from NYC to San Francisco to surprise her boyfriend that is there on business. It's her birthday, their relationship has been a bit rocky, and she's hoping that this will be just the thing they need to bring them back together again.

She arrives and texts him. No answer. Texts again. No answer. Where is he?

Finally a text arrives asking who she is. Apparently her boyfriend left his cell phone in the back of a Lyft drivers car. The texter asks if she's the blonde that had been with her boyfriend when he dropped them off at a restaurant. Maya can't believe it. She is definitely not blonde and now not only is her birthday ruined but her entire life.

The mystery texter feels terrible at delivering this horrible news. He had no idea. He never would have said anything otherwise. In an effort to make both himself and her feel better he hatches a plan that takes Maya on an adventure through the lovely town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. For the next twenty four hours he texts her places to go and things to do and Maya ends up having the time of her life. If only she could meet this mystery man. They agree, finally, to meet and watch the sunrise together before she leaves on her flight but circumstances get in their way and she finds herself back in NYC wondering what happened. Where did he go and better yet WHO is he?

This was so darn cute but I will admit that it took me a little time to warm to the story but once I did this book took off and I could hardly put it down. Many people are turned off by insta-love stories. I questioned it at first then told my inner cynic to shut the f up. Just enjoy what's happening. So that's what I did and I was rewarded with an adorable and heartwarming story. I loved ALL of the characters except for the cheating boyfriend of course. How often does that happen? But my most favorite part may have been the locale itself: Carmel-by-the-Sea. OMG. Have you all seen pictures of this place? If you haven't then you should hit up google for a look see. Needless to say I was checking out how much round trip tickets are while I was reading this. Some day I will visit mark my words on that! Is this a little predictable? Yeah, it is but it in no way hindered my reading experience. I was too enthralled, too attached to the characters, too invested to give a hoot if my predictions were right. Olivia Lara you have made a fan out of me! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria and Aries for my copy.

Maya is having the worst day ever. Her mean boss has sent her on a wild goose chase to interview an author with a bad reputation and when she’s unable to fulfill the interview, her boss fires her. It’s her birthday weekend and she thinks, what the hell, why not carry through on her plan to surprise her boyfriend, David, in San Francisco? Except when Maya arrives after texting her boyfriend multiple times, she discovers he’s been cheating on her. What does she do next? That is the subject of Olivia Lara’s wonderful novel, The Meeting Point.

Fortunately for Maya, the Lyft driver who has her boyfriend’s cell (and who’s told her David’s currently in the company of a blonde when Maya is a brunette), suggests a wonderful alternative: spend the day in Carmel by the Sea. He even provides places for her to go, where to eat, what to do. As her day evolves, she kind of falls in love with this person who is texting her all of these wonderful things. Caught up in the magic of it all, she even agrees to meet him at sunrise the next morning, after a completely magical day, but he never shows. Her boyfriend does though and he convinces her that the Lyft driver was a psycho and he’d never cheat on her.

A year goes by and Maya realizes when David proposes to her that she doesn’t love him, that somehow her heart is in California with a Lyft driver whose name she doesn’t even know, except that she’s jokingly called him Max. But then her best friend tells her that a famous writer is publishing Maya and Max’ story. Her ire raises and she’s off to Carmel to find Max and face Ethan, the famous writer who has stolen her story.

Most of us readers will know what’s happening far beyond Maya, but that was okay as far as I was concerned because I was thoroughly enjoying this story in which Maya finds herself attracted to the famous writer Ethan. Despite the fact that she wants to be angry with him, Maya finds herself immersed in Ethan, and I don’t blame her because he is wonderful. He definitely knows how to orchestrate dates…and be sweet and charming!

The Meeting Point is just the book you want to read when you just want to be happy, relax, and not have to deal with angst and, well, just, whatever. The characters are all wonderful from the main characters to the secondary ones.

This is one meeting you don’t want to miss out on. I’m glad I didn’t.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I am writing this with a face that looks like the heart eye emoji. I am absolutely in love with this book. I already miss the characters. This is just the hit of serotonin I needed right now.

A really cute premise, let down by an overly simplistic execution and writing style.

I had such high hopes for this story after seeing the reviews already on Goodreads, but I just couldn't get past the simplistic writing style. There are scenes so implausible that they left me reeling. The dialogue feels inauthentic and I guessed who the mystery man was so early that I just got frustrated with Maya's obliviousness. As a tour guide for Carmel? Great. As a romcom? Not for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to give an honest review*

(I will upload my review to Amazon UK on publication day)

This was such a cute story! The kind where you get upset with the characters because they are being stubborn and won't put aside their differences and just get together. Loved it!

The ARC of this book was provided by NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange of an honest review

I just wish i enjoyed it more. I skimmed a lot. Yet didn't really miss anything important. Just felt this book was kinda dragged unnecessarily at some point. The writing style was alright. The plot had so much potential. And the characters were simply not interesting. Overall, it was just an okay read.

First, I want to thank TLC book tours, Aria, Netgalley, & Olivia Lara for allowing me to read and review this adorable one. This was such a sweet story! I most definitely have a book hangover after finishing this.

This was the kind of book that you close afterwards, hug, and keep it close to your heart. I loved Maya & Ethan’s dynamic throughout the book. At times, I wanted to shake Maya, because I guessed what was happening/going to happen long before. But I loved reading how it all unfolded. And Ethan, major swoon! This one definitely gave my heart the flutters and I loved it so much.

Ugh, this just was NOT it for me, which is such a bummer because the premise of this book was SO CUTE and pretty unique. However, the execution of this story was just not there. The twist/revelation was very obvious from early on in the book and the it was annoying that the heroine was the only one who didn't see it. She freaking drove me insane. Also, I even hesitate calling this book a romance... I mean there is a HEA, but there is just no real romance (like maybe 1 or 2 kisses?) - it's veryyy slow burn and without the payoff, it was just very lackluster for me. Maybe if I had gone in with that expectation, I wouldn't feel this let down, but we are where we are! I will say the ending was cute (very You've Got Mail, which is probably the only thing that saved this for me).

Rating: 2 ⭐️s

This book was a great read, and although you could guess the outcome quite early on, it was fun seeing how the story would unfold.

Maya flies out to surprise her boyfriend she gets a shock when she discovers that he is cheating on her. She then spends the day in a beach town in the company of the Lift driver, via text message. Maya has the perfect day and she and the mystery man on the end of the phone agree to meet but before they have the chance Maya’s boyfriend turns up and she returns to her normal life. Except this day plays on her mind until she finally stands up to the cheating boyfriend and her boss and leaves to return to Carmel to unearth who it was she ‘met’ a year ago.

This book is a typical romance and one that brings a smile to your face, especially when Maya starts standing up for herself and chasing the things she believes in.

The characters I found great and the relationships that Maya builds in Carmel, especially with twins Celine and Ethan. Carmel, where the majority of the book is set, sounds such a gorgeous place and this books makes you want to head straight there.

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by Olivia.

The Meeting Point is a feel-good romance perfect for the summer.

Can a story be fast-paced and drag at the same time?🤔 Not sure, but this one was like that to me.🤷🏻‍♀️

It is an adorable story about Mayas' self-discovery. After experiencing a meet-cute moment with a stranger on her birthday, while finding out that her boyfriend might be cheating on her, she embraces the day and wonders of the unknown. What starts as a hunt for adventure ends up with a yearning for change. It takes another year and a disastrous proposal from her cheating boyfriend for her to finally realize that she is not living the life she is supposed to. Can she go back in time and change the decisions she made on her last birthday?

The beginning of the book was very fast-paced, moving from one thing to the next. The storyline was captivating, and I absolutely bought this meet-cute scenario. 😍 Once the first part was over, it started to slow down significantly. There was still a lot happening but, compared with the beginning, at a much slower pace and less exciting. I got a little bit bored. I started to sense where the story is going and figuring the twist expected at the end (I was not wrong in my guess).

I do not know whether it was my mood or the overall setting of the book, but the story made me feel sad. I have not been in a mood for a while now. Romance novels usually help me cheer up, but for some reason, this did not. I think all of it together - the lying, the not knowing, the characters bad luck, the desperation of the situation, made it too depressing and complex for the read I was looking after. Probably just bad timing on my part.😑

This was a super quick read and a SUPER clean romance.

There was something (I won't specify to avoid spoilers) that is revealed later in the book that did come off a bit creepy. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of a character knowingly keeping their identity a secret from another character.

All that being said the writing was good, the plot was interesting, and the characters were good too. I loved the little snippets that the MC wrote throughout the book, they were super great to write.

In my opinion, the hero's attitude changed a bit too quickly for me but I might be being knit picky.

Overall though not a bad read! Super quick and light!

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own!

Review will be posted on my instagram sometime between August 28th and September 2nd

A very cute romcom! I loved the different take on the meeting and it had surprising depth, well written story. I will look for more by this author!