This was an adorable romance about Maya, who finds out and befriends a Lift driver over text. The Lift driver is the one who breaks the news her boyfriend may be cheating, and before long, Maya is seeking a life makeover.

The book has a great cast of characters and a perfect setting for author turned cafe worker Maya.

I adored this book and cannot wait to read others by Lara.

Dnf

I gave up. I dnf'd it at 10 percent. I wanted so much to love this book, but unfortunately the writing style isn't for me. Moreover, I've a pet peeve of heroine who are writers and seeing how the main character started going on in her inner monologue about her being a writer and etc. I couldn't finish the book.

Maya Maas is heading to San Francisco to surprise her long-time boyfriend, David. However, when she arrives and calls his phone another voice answers—the voice of the Lift driver who found her boyfriend’s phone. But the Lift driver is confused—isn’t she the beautiful blonde making out with David in the backseat of his car last night? No job, and no place to go, the driver takes her on an adventure through Carmel in what becomes the most memorable day of her life.

Fast forward and she discovers a book is about to be published about her day with her mysterious Lift driver. She may finally learn his identity. But will he be everything she wanted?

I absolutely love this week and fun romantic journey. The text romance and Lift driver made this a modern tale of romance. Realistic? Probably not, but who cares! Readers of light-hearted romances will love this one as much as I did.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was a cute story with a bit of a different theme to other books I've read of this genre. The book started off with a jump into the plot, then I felt like it slowed down some. A bit of "will she or won't she? Will he or won't he?" that dragged the book down a bit for my liking. It wasn't the page turner that I had expected.

I enjoyed the character development, though, and would be willing to read other books by Ms Lara.

3 stars because I did enjoy the book

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I struggled to get through this. It was slow going and I didn't really relate to any of the characters (although did like Celine). However, Lara writes beautiful descriptions, and I did like the concept, even if I was unconvinced about the execution and resolution.

Maya has been writing for years but her book never seems to be good enough for publication. So she put her writing on the back burner and works a job she hates (a girl has to eat). At least she has a good relationship with her super stable boyfriend who is currently out of town on business. She decides to travel to surprise him on her Birthday only for his phone to be answered by a Lift driver who mistakenly informs her that her boyfriend is cheating on her.

Rather than go back home (which belongs to her boyfriend), she takes the advice of the lift driver and explores the nearby beach town. He tell her places to visit and she had a great day with him showing her around the town without them even meeting or see each other (or she thinks). She is Maya to him and to her he is Max. Unfortunately, her boyfriend shows up and basically gaslights her into going back home with him.

After this, Maya's life is basically on standstill. She no longer loves David, her boyfriend and she has finally written the story of the man she never met at the beach town. So when her friends tells her of a book that is about to be published by a bestselling author that basically is a story of her adventure with the man she never met. She decides to go find the author in hopes that he would tell her the name of the man he heard the story from. 

She quits her job and goes on the journey to find the man she loves but never met. This book will turn you inside out. I mean, I knew who the guy was, I could already guess but the fact that she was standing on pins without knowing she was falling in love with the same guy again was just heartbreakingly funny.

This is both so fast paced but at the same time very long. I felt that some of the scenes where so prolonged that I jumped a few paragraphs just to get the story going. I did enjoy this book a lot. It is NOT a steamy book but there was too much chemistry and intensity that I forgot about them clapping cheeks.

I loved reading about Carmel-by-the-Sea and the wonderful shops and scenery. The primary and secondary characters were intriguing, especially as Maya generates love stories for the people she encounters. As you know from the blurb, Maya shows up unexpectedly in California to surprise her boyfriend but the surprise is on her when she’s notified by the Lyft driver that the boyfriend left his phone in the car and was with another woman. What a way to spend her birthday! Thankfully, ‘Max’, the Lyft driver, texts her throughout her stay with an amazing itinerary. The unfortunate part is that he is using the boyfriends cell phone and they never share names or speak to each other.

One year later, Maya has had enough of her miserable life and employment and decides to return to California to locate ‘Max’. Certain parts were very sweet, others were frustrating with lies and secrets and it got a little tedious waiting to find ‘Max’.

It’s a somewhat predictable story and the ending seemed rushed but was an overall entertaining story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

My reading habits tend to be quite dark and I don't read many romance novels, which is strange because I love romantic films. Every so often, however, I enjoy something more cheerful than my usual fare and The Meeting Point caught my eye.
Maya's life at the start of the book seems to be, if not the stuff dreams are made of, then at least ticking along unremarkably. She once dreamed of being an author but stung by the blunt critiques she received, she became a journalist instead and now lives and works in New York City. Her boss is a dictatorial bully but although her professional life looks less than assured, she has at least planned to surprise her long-term boyfriend, David by flying to meet him in California for her birthday.
Of course, her impromptu trip quickly turns sour and little time is spent bringing her to this point. She discovers David's infidelity through his Lift driver who inadvertently gives the game away when replying to her text. What happens next might be a little far-fetched but if Meg Ryan can fly across the country to meet a man she's just heard on the radio, why shouldn't Maya agree to spend the day following the itinerary texted to her by that same Lift driver?!
He suggests that rather than spending a miserable birthday at the airport, she takes the bus to Carmel-by-the-Sea instead. They continue to text one another, soon developing a comfortable, flirtatious rapport as they fire questions back and forth; even at this stage of the book, it's not hard to see where this is leading. What is also evident is Olivia Lara's love of Carmel and she captivatingly brings it to life. I particularly enjoyed Maya's walking tour of the fairytale cottages there and couldn't resist a quick look at Google Maps which confirmed the excellent sense of place rendered here.
Obviously, the course of true love never did run smooth and so Maya and the man she has named Max have their potential romance put on hold for a year. Maya clearly isn't happy and hasn't been for some time but she is usually an unassertive, circumspect woman and so really needs a push to get her out of the rut she is in. It comes in the form of surprising news from her friend, Alisa and as a consequence, she decides to go back to Carmel.
This part of the story constantly brings to mind the unfailing sentimental charm of Hallmark movies. The truth is obvious to readers far more readily than it is to Maya but although her path to love might be clearly signposted, it's such fun waiting for her to get there. There are the inevitable barriers and misunderstandings before the happy ever after but before that point, Maya makes her presence felt in Carmel. Her romantic daydreams and matchmaking are either saccharine sweet or delightfully endearing, depending on your viewpoint but it does capture the essence of romantic fiction beautifully so I personally quite enjoyed her gentle meddling, even if it is a bit cheesy.
I read The Meeting Point in a few hours and it was a treat to be transported to a place which so epitomises everything that is uplifting and entrancing about romantic fiction. Yes, it's corny and entirely foreseeable but it left this cynical, dark crime fiction reader with a smile on my face and you can't say better than that!

Rating edit: 4.5 stars

It's so wonderful to read a delightful love story. The Meeting Point is a lovely love story that kept me hooked throughout. It's so interesting and very smartly crafted. Although it's a love story, and you somehow know but the author manages to keep the readers curious.

We don't meet the male protagonist for a long time, but he is connected through texts and that's so entertaining, the chats. I love the protagonists and their conversation. Both as a reader and a writer, I felt deeply connected. So much that the book traveled with me to my kitchen, and it doesn't happen often. I love the settings: the lovely locations, the cafe, beach, cottages...

Just the ending seemed a bit rushed. I was expecting something deeper, nevertheless, it's one of my favourites this year.

Overall, a very interesting, engrossing and endearing read. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I received The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara for free in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour organised by The Write Reads and Aria Fiction. Thank you all so much for having me on the tour! This review is also available on Book, Blog & Candle!

In The Meeting Point our main character is Maya Maas and it would be an understatement to say that she is not having a good day! She spends her birthday planning to surprise her boyfriend when she suddenly finds out he is cheating on her. Now she is stuck in a city she doesn't know, texting a mystery driver however what she doesn't know yet is that she could have a better birthday that she ever could've imagined.

Maya was a really sweet character and I definitely related to her throughout the book! I also would love to be an author and I love making up stories about strangers! It's so much fun and makes an afternoon studying at the uni library go much quicker! I really liked her character development throughout the book as she realised that she deserved better and the journey she underwent to better herself and find out what she wants from life and from love.

I really enjoyed the concept of the story! It was so sweet and I liked how it was the ultimate blind date! I really enjoyed how Maya and the mystery driver were getting to know each other over text and how they had such good chemistry even though they hadn't met. It definitely has some classic rom-com elements which I loved! Plus, no spoilers but it definitely reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember - and if you love those films like I do then you are totally going to get my reference when you read this book!

The Meeting Point is a whirlwind of adventure, romance and heartbreak. A perfect fast paced rom-com summer read!

“Who are you and why do you have my boyfriends phone?” - Maya

This was SO cute. What a fun, refreshing, romantic story. I have seen so many glowing reviews about the Meeting Point and they were spot on. I was quickly pulled in and didn’t want to put it down. I loved the unique story and how it unfolded. Was it predictable? A little bit yes. Was it enjoyable? Absolutely!

The characters and side characters were well developed and all so lovable. I happily escaped into the dreamy coastal California setting. I haven’t been to Caramel-by-the-Sea, but the authors vivid descriptions made me want to visit. Definitely sign me up for the Napa Valley 🍷 Train! A heart warming story from beginning to end!

4/5 ⭐️
Read TMP If you enjoy;
📍You’ve Got Mail vibes
📍 Lovable characters
📍 Enemies to lovers
📍 All the feels

Digital Pub Date 9/2/21 Put this one on your September TBR!

If you are in the mood for an adorable, love at first text rom-com The Meeting Point is for you! It was a super quick read with short chapters. Who doesn’t love short chapters!?

Thank you @NetGalley, Olivia Lara, and @AriaFiction for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#TheMeetingPoint #OliviaLara #AriaFiction #ARC #spoilerfree #summerreads #bookstagram #flippin_and_sippin_mn

This book was such a breath of fresh air and felt like a love story not only for Maya and Ethan but also for creatives everywhere. It gave credence to coloring outside the lines and using your imagination. I really enjoyed this story and characters from the start.

Each chapter was so short and the story was so engaging that I never felt like there was a slow point. Everything progressed so organically and there was just so much to love. Although as the reader, I figured out who Max was I was also extremely happy with how the author created the mystery for Maya and how each little reveal added to her bond with Ethan.

I was a huge fan of Maya's friendship with her best friend Alisa and how they managed to maintain a fully remote best friendship for years. This concept gave credence to how easily Maya was able to develop a connection and strong feelings for Ethan without ever having met him in person.

I was absolutely enamored with the idea of two sides to every story and am excited to recommend this book to my friends.

4.5 Stars. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I have not read Someday in Paris, so I was not sure of what to expect from Olivia Lara. I loved the concept of this book and it was executed in the most darling of ways. First off, I adored the setting for this book. Carmel by the Sea has been on my to visit list since I read Meg Cabot’s mediator series in middle school and this book made me want to visit it even more as this book is a love letter to the town.

The book is single POV from Maya’s perspective and it is necessary for the plot to be single POV. Because we were in Maya’s head for the entire book she felt like a very full and real character. I love that she not only found love, but gained a found family. I love that she became the town’s matchmaker and really made the lives of the people she cam across better. I liked her dynamic with both Ethan and Max. I love that the author was able to keep some tension as to who Max’s identity mysterious to Maya while being obvious to me as a reader, which made me feel all the feels.

I wish that this book was going to be a part of a series because I would love to return to this world, but everything was wrapped up so neatly that a sequel isn’t necessary. Oh well, I’ll just have to read Someday in Pairs and reread this book. Content wise, this book is a clean romance with almost no language, so it can be read by anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Maya's life is okay. Mediocre job, mediocre boyfriend, mediocre life. When surprising her boyfriend goes horribly wrong, she finds her self being swept off her feet in the idyllic town of Carmel, CA. She is adventurous, eager to try new things and has the night of her life, all while never laying eyes on the lift-driver turned text tourguide she is carrying in her pocket. She's anxious and excited to meet the man who she has such an easy companionship with...
Maya is an incredibly complex and interesting character, full of doubts and pride, dreams and expectations. The love interest is also well-written. Honestly, they are all-around adorable. Their story was a feel-good summer romance, sprinkled with wanderlust inducing descriptions of the beautiful Carmel by the Sea, which I now desperately want to visit.
There was a lot of miscommunication trope (or NOTcommunicationtrope) which is not my thing and I found the ending/big reveal to be incredibly obvious. I still enjoyed the story as a kind of beach read, but at certain points I did ask myself how Maya could be so dense.
If you are looking for a quick, fun romance to get out of your head this is perfect for you.

The story somehow manages to drag and feel rushed at the same time. While I do think that Maya and the anonymous Lydt driver have chemistry. I feel like it was very obvious who he was once Maya went back to Caramel. It was an okay read that was a great for of summer escapism, but it didn't leave animpression in me.

DNF'd at 35%. Couldn't connect with the characters and struggled with the unrealistic set up of the romance. I did like the beach town setting but I couldn't get past the overly sentimental writing or how easily a lot of things just happened for the main character. In the end not a book for me unfortunately but frequent romance readers will find something to enjoy!

Such a cute story!
I thought the concept of this story was fun! From the descriptions to the laughter, I was enthralled! I loved getting to know both Ethan and Maya throughout the story and fell in love with them! Though I think I fell in love with Ethan just as much as Maya did! He is such a gem! This book made me smile a lot more than I thought which is why I recommend this book! If you are looking for a cute, quick rom-com, this is the book for you!

3.5 stars rounded up because of the fantastic setting!

What first attracted me to this book was the concept and I have to say that the author did a great job on its execution. I found myself anticipating where Maya was going to be sent next on her adventure and expecting her anonymous tour guide to pop in at any time. Predictably, he didn't show but I enjoyed this part of the story tremendously regardless. However, as soon as Maya returns to her day to day life, my interest dwindled a bit. IDK, the more I got to know Maya, the less I liked her. Thankfully, she heads out again to Carmel and unbeknownst to her, she's about to face another interesting adventure--one that allows her to grow and develop. I think the addition of new characters, the change in scenery and Maya's growth helped me get back into the story. I enjoyed the second half of the story even when I wanted to shake some sense into Maya. Although the story had its share of clichés and the outcome was completely predictable, I enjoyed the overall story minus the few hiccups with Maya's personality and habit of jumping to conclusions.

All in all, an entertaining romantic read.

The premise of this read is really cute and romantic and you will get some ideas for good dates from it. I did find it a bit hard to get fully invested and follow the character’s journey. Would have loved to see a bit more backstory and character build up and maybe a bit of a slow pace to all that’s as happening.

I really enjoyed this sweet romance. The adventure Max sent Maya on after she discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her, was full of whimsy. Just the kind of adventure I’d love to be sent on to explore a new city.

I tend to get frustrated with characters who won’t just communicate with each other, though, so that’s what knocked this book down a star for me. I understand it’s needed for the plot, but it still has me lecturing the characters in my mind to just talk!

Overall I really enjoyed this book though and am looking forward to reading her debut novel and will read more from Olivia Lara in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Love Book Tours for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.