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.

The Meeting Point is a light, predictable and very enjoyable romance novel. The characters and well as the setting will give you all of the heart-warming fluffiness that you need.

The protagonist of the story is Maya, a journalist in her late twenties who believes the course of her life is set. Maya has a long-term boyfriend. She is invested in her job (even when her boss is being a complete b*tch). Luckily, Maya also has a best friend she can always call to vent or help her problem solve. As you have read in the blurb, her life is quickly turned upside down and she has a lot to figure out. Maya is a writer and a dreamer but taking risks in real life isn’t easy for her. I found Maya to be a likeable character although I found her a little naïve at times.

There are plenty of side characters that we meet in the book who are really adorable. I think Celine in particular is so lovely and I would 100% hang out with her at Café Azure if I could.

The main setting of the book is in a quaint little seaside town called Carmel by the sea. We explore the town very early on in the book. Between its cute houses, beautiful beaches, seemingly endless amenities and lot’s of great places to eat out, it sounds like heaven. I love the setting as it is a heart-warming place and definitely where I would love to go if I wanted a clean slate.

The plot of The Meeting Point is very predictable, although I find this to be the case with all romance novels. My biggest niggle is when Maya can’t see what is right in front of her. Unfortunately, this caused me to be frustrated with her character at times. I guess love really is blind! The story is well paced and an extremely easy read.

The Meeting Point is a cute and fluffy romance. As such, it is a very easy and quick read. I really enjoyed the book and as soon as I finished the story I wanted to start it again. If you like romance novels and don’t mind the predictability then this is definitely a book for you! Honestly, I would definitely love to read a sequel or at least to visit the town of Carmel by the sea again.

Before I picked this up, I hadn't read a romance in about five years. I used to love a good romance, but like with any genre, when you read too much of it the plot lines start to become a little predictable and the attachment you have to different characters fades. So after five years without a love story The Meeting Point was the perfect story to reawaken my love of love and it really didn't disappoint.

The story follows Maya - living with her cheating boyfriend, unhappy in her job and her life in New York. After discovering her boyfriend's cheating ways via a text message from a Lift driver, she soon finds herself having the best day of her life, taking directions from this mysterious man as he directs her around the beautiful seaside town of Carmel. But when the time comes for them to eventually meet at the end of her whirlwind twenty-four hours, things don't quite go as planned and soon Maya finds herself living back in the world she was determined to escape from.

A year later and Maya still can't get this chance encounter out of her head and when her best friend tells her she's just read a book with a romance so similar to Maya's it can't be a coincidence, she returns to Carmel in the hope of meeting her mystery man who has sold his story to the author. Whilst there she desperately searches for clues to her beloved's identity; making friends with Ethan - the author who wrote the love story and moving in with his sister Celine in an attempt to find out the true identity of the Lift driver she was texting that day. But Maya's quest for answers isn't completely straightforward and soon she finds herself questioning whether she actually wants to know the driver's identity or whether love is already staring her in the face.

Unlike many romances I really invested in the characters in the novel. Maya wants the fairy tale romance, but doesn't want to take the risk. Ethan is the aloof author, not fully prepared to put his heart on the line. Celine - the kind, caring sister and friend everyone needs. These characters felt real and believable, and although, as in many stories, there were clichés and moments where loose ends are quickly tied up, I felt like I could imagine this happening in real life and relished seeing the story unfold.

For me, I felt The Meeting Point was perfectly paced throughout. It grabbed my attention from Chapter One with the dilemma Maya faces over whether she goes to surprise her boyfriend or loses her job and continued to be fast-paced throughout. Olivia Lara does not do "filler". I did, at one point, think the thrill of the chase might be over only a quarter of the way through, but of course, I was naïve and the course of true love never does run smooth... I loved this unpredictable nature, the fact that I couldn't be sure whether the search would be over in the next chapter or whether it would continue to make wrong turns right until the very end of the book. Maya's oblivious nature and commitment to love plays a central part throughout - ensuring that the reader is often a few steps ahead of the big revelations but I loved this as it meant you were continually willing Maya to open her eyes to the truth and anxiously waiting for the romance to reveal itself to her.

For my first romance in a long time The Meeting Point really delivered. It's an intriguing concept for a love story - love via text; two people who have never met; a published one-sided story of the romance, and it works really well. The Meeting Point would make a perfect summer read and I urge you all to indulge!

Another new author to me and another author I now love. What a seriously beautiful story.

Maya decides to surprise her long standing boyfriend, David, when he is on a business trip by visiting him as it is her birthday. However, she didn’t bargain on him losing his phone and when the person who finds the phone inadvertently tells her David is cheating on her she ends up chatting to the anonymous person who is kind and friendly. He decides to make her day special as no-one should be unhappy on their birthday, right? But that day changes both Maya and the unknown guy she’s been speaking to. Will she ever find out who he is? And will she find herself along the way? You must read this amazing book to find out.

Well, what an amazing story by Olivia Lara. By chapter 4 I was already loving the feeling of the book, it felt so magical, and it started making me feel really good while I was reading it. It is only the second book EVER to make me throw my head back and laugh out loud, that is an achievement in itself. I really understood Maya, especially all her over analysing and over thinking every situation. I also really liked Celine, what an all-round lovely lady! By about halfway through I was certain I had figured out who Max (the anonymous guy) was and I was right however, this defo did not spoil my enjoyment of the book. I was desperate for Maya to find out who he was too and was constantly on the edge of my seat waiting for her to figure it out. I was so happy when she finally did.

I had no choice but to award this book 5* it literally gave me all the feels and I’m so very sad that I’ve finished it. Brilliant, just brilliant Olivia Lara.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria & Aries and Olivia Lara for my advanced reading copy. Due out 2nd September 2021.

I've read quite a few romance novels in the last couple of years. I like to mix my genres up a bit and I've read some great romance book....and some not so great ones. I'm pleased to say that this was a really great one!

I don't think the blurb quite does the book justice. After reading it, I was expecting to have the whole book be about this day where the main character is guided by the mystery Lift driver. But really, that's just the start of the book and honestly, I think it gets better after that.

We see Maya really question her life choices in the time following the encounter with the mystery man. She realises that there are a lot of things she's not happy about and so makes some serious changes, including trying to find out just who that guy was.

The setting of this book, Carmel-by-the-Sea in Monterey, California, was really well described and just a great place to have this story unfold. I could picture it really well in my head despite never having been there or knowing anything about it.

I really liked the characters too; Maya was a sympathetic and likeable character whose growth was rewarding, Ethan was interesting too and I liked how he turned out to be totally different to what Maya expected. The supporting cast of characters in Carmel, particularly Celine, were wonderful too.

The plot was fairly predictable; maybe its because of the amount of romance books I've read recently but I could see what was going to happen pretty far off. It didn't diminish my enjoyment of watching the events unfold though.....its all about the journey and not the destination.

And if there's ever an endorsement of a book, I think its these two things.

Firstly, I couldn't put this down. I read about 1/3 one day, and 2/3 the next (part of it whilst I was supposed to be working, sssshhhh!).

Secondly, I finished this and immediately added the author's first book to my Goodreads TBR. This book was just what I needed at the minute. I've just been so swamped with life stuff recently and felt a bit bogged down and the escapism and enjoyment that this book had to offer were just the ticket. Its good to know that I've got another book by the author on the back pocket for another day.

You arrive in San Francisco to surprise your boyfriend only to find out a Lyft driver has his phone and you aren’t the girl he just dropped off with your boyfriend. That’s how Maya’s birthday turns out-not the surprise she was hoping for. When she reveals to the driver that it’s her birthday the driver takes it upon himself to plan a day of activities for her until she has to catch her flight back home. While she texts with him throughout the day, something changes for Maya and she wonders if it does for him as well. As fate would have it, they don’t get to meet. However a year later after finding out her story is being published by a local author she arrives back to the site of her magical day looking for answers.

This book gave me warm butterfly feelings while reading it! Maya’s determination to find her mystery man and get her answers is inspiring especially because she’s taking a giant leap of faith. I can’t blame Ethan for how he acted- you have to protect your sources especially with matters of the heart. This was a very quick read with short chapters. The plot is engaging and all the characters are so well balanced for the story.

Rating 4.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @ariafiction for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I liked this story overall. It gave me You've Got Mail vibes, which I love. However something about the writing style just confused me at times. Particularly the text exchanges are just italicized and no way to know who is saying what. It was slow to start for me, but picked up at the 30% mark.

It did give me butterflies a few times and the meeting through text trope is becoming one of my favorites! Also I loved the small town in California, I wanted to visit there and the little cafe so much.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked the premise of this book because it reminded me of You've Got Mail, one of my all time favorite movies. I liked the supporting characters, but I never felt connected with the main character. I loved the setting of Carmel-by-the-Sea, and I now very much want to travel there sometime. Overall it was a fine, sweet romance.

Maya tells stories, she writes them about people in the street, her coworkers, people she meets in Starbucks. Any one. And they are always love stories. When she has tried to get them published, publishers have said they're too soft, too sappy, why do they always have a happy ending? But Maya thinks the world is harsh enough, why shouldn't they have happy endings? Because her career never took off the way she wanted, she is working as a junior reporter in a dead-end underground magazine and when her big break comes on the one weekend she is supposed to be reigniting her own love story with her longterm boyfriend, she has to go. When it gets botched by an uptight author, she loses her job and still decides to go to California to surprise her boyfriend. However when she gets there she can't contact him and is told by a taxi driver accidentally that he is cheating on her. When she discloses it's her birthday and she is devastated, the taxi driver, Max, feels awful so decides he wants to try and make it up to her by sending her on her own adventure in the Bay Area. Throughout they day, they text and they feel connected through the screen. Maya is convinced this is her love story. When they agree to meet at sunrise, she shows but Max isn't there. David is however and he promises her that everything is lies. He loves her. So she goes home. But she is never the same. Almost exactly a year later, she finds out a book is being published telling HER STORY. From Max's point of view. Apparently, Max's friend is a somewhat well known author and he wanted to tell the world. Can Maya go back to California to convince Ethan to tell her who Max is?

I really enjoyed this story which I'm shocked about, I usually don't like romance stories. Although I found the ending of this overly predictable and Maya's hallmark way of becoming everyone's fairy god mother a little cheesy, I still really enjoyed reading this book. This was the type of book I could imagine sitting beside the beach and chilling out with a cold drink and enjoying. This story is nice, the characters are good and seemingly well developed and it lacks that weird energy that most romance novels have where the woman is powerless without a man. Overall I would recommend this book.

This book was so much fun and absolutely perfect for a summer read! I devoured it in two sittings becasue it was just so good and I had to know how it ended.

Maya was a brilliant main character and while some of her decisions were dubious I just loved watching her change over the course of the book as she learned more about herself and became more and more comfortable in Carmel. Ethan was a great character too and I liked that we were able to get his perspective on the story closer to the end as it was all winding up towards the end, plus he was flawed and he changed too. Something that I love to see. Celine and all the other residents of Carmel were wonderful characters too and I thought the way they all touched Maya's story was wonderful, plus they all felt like their own characters with plots of their own, not jsut side characters in the main plot of the book.

The plot itself was brilliantly written and I thoroughly enjoyed the direction that the story took after the part advertised on the blurb had come to pass. I was hooked as I watched Maya try to find out who her mysterious Max, a great Gladiator reference if I may say so myself, even though I figured it out about halfway through the book. I also really liked that every little character had some sort of plotline that got fulfilled in some way and I really enjoyed how it all got concluded becasue that final chapter was so sweet and I just loved reading it so much.

Olivia Lara has such a wonderful writing style. She is funny and serious and can really just make the characters come to life off of the page. I just absolutely loved it all so much and I am definitely going to check out her other books!!

The premise of 'The Meeting Point' by Olivia Lara held much promise for me. The concept of meeting via text and the unfolding of a romantic relationship sounded wonderful! However, the story in the blurb only lasts for about 20% of the book... The rest of it is a slow slog through a predictable relationship lacking any spark or chemistry.

Maya plans to surprise her boyfriend during his trip to California, only to catch him out cheating on her. She finds out through David's abandoned phone, recovered by a Lift driver who attempts to cheer up Maya with a magical day in Carmel by the Sea (Google this place - it does look beautiful!). I couldn't quite believe it but Maya decides to forgive David and STAYS WITH HIM FOR ANOTHER YEAR!! Only when a book with a similar storyline to her day of wonder is being set to be released does she drop David and vow to find 'Max', her dreamy Lift driver.

As soon as Maya started calling the Carmel day 'the best day of her life' and vowed Max was her true love did I realise why readers get so frustrated by 'insta love'. The connection felt by Maya is just so rushed it is unrealistic. The twist as to the identity of her lovely 'Max' is also blindingly obvious but takes Maya far too long to cotton on.

Overall, I unfortunately did not enjoy this one. The lack of depth, spark or excitement left it falling flat for me. Also, let's hope the blurb is fixed before publication - I feel like I've been mis-sold PPI! 2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara follows Maya Maas. Who after getting fired from her job decided the best way to spend her birthday was to fly out to California to surprise her long-term boyfriend with a visit. What Maya doesn’t expect is a stranger to text her off of her boyfriends lost phone. Maya is left crying in the airport after her boyfriends Lyft drivers reveals to her that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. To cheer her up, the stranger helps Maya plan a day full of fun adventures and the two have a connection over text that Maya could never have dreamed of.

This book was enjoyable yet frustrating at the same time. Maya was oblivious to the obvious around her that I was internally screaming over her judgmental views of Ethan. It was an easy, quick light read. The predictability became frustrating. From the very beginning of the book, it was easy to spot what was happening and how the book was going to end.

I did like the chemistry between Maya and Ethan I thought that was really well written. and the studying of the book was so beautifully described. Being a native to Northern California, I was able to visualize perfectly Carmel by the Sea.

Overall I vacillated between giving this book a 3 or 4-star rating. I’m sticking with a three because the predictability and the overall frustration of the main character were more than I could handle. I would recommend this to somebody looking for a quick light hearted Insta love romance book.

Thank you, Net Galley and Aria, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading and loving Lara’s Someday in Paris, I was excited to jump into The Meeting Point. And it did not disappoint. I was swept away to Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA and into the lives of Maya and Ethan. I loved the premise of this story and the heartwarming journey it took me on.

“Love, because it is the only true adventure.”

After finding out her boyfriend is cheating on her, Maya spends an unforgettable day on an adventure planned out by a Lift driver. She only communicates with him via text but it is apparent they have made a deep connection. But circumstances find her back in NY and a year later she is still determined to find the Lift driver that has consumed her thoughts and her heart.

This adventure is filled with lots of romance, fun characters, twists, and an incredible setting. It was fun, light, and clever…full of humor and heart. I loved being transported and lost in this adorable story.


Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara
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SUMMARY: Maya Maas is in California to surprise her boyfriend when her life is upended by a rideshare driver. The driver relates that her boyfriend left his phone in the driver’s car when his hands were preoccupied…with another woman! Shocked and angry, Maya plans to spend a sad day alone at the airport, but the driver decides to treat Maya to the best day she’s ever had—without ever meeting her in person.
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This was a cute romantic comedy with strong You've Got Mail vibes (i.e., enemies to lovers but also secret lover pen pals)! There were several things I really liked about it: the idea of a life-changing date day, the slow burn romance between the two heroes and the picturesque coastal California setting. I thought the story was well-told and the characters well-developed, and I loved the strong female friendships between both Maya and her BFF and Maya and her new boss/roomie.
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However, I did find Maya’s unreasonable reactions throughout the book to be frustrating. Later on, Maya finds out that her driver shared the story of their amazing day and that his romance author friend will be publishing it as a novel. For her to be so angry that the author “stole” her life story and insisting that she should have been consulted—when no one knew who she was—was ridiculous. She expressed anger in a childish way and stormed off whenever anything didn’t suit her. I felt her characterization somewhat marred this otherwise charming book.
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Come for the sweet tale of two people finding one another; gracefully disregard that the heroine is a bit of a drama baby.
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Story/Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Maya’s Character: ⭐⭐⭐.5
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The Meeting Point will be available beginning 9/2. Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A story within a story is what we get with this tale.

Our main character Maya is a journalist (although she's always dreamed of being a 'real' writer) and let's just say that luck hasn't been on her side recently.

After discovering that her long term partner is cheating on her via a LYFT driver who she doesn't actually get to see face to face.

Not the sort of surprise she had in mind when she planned on travelling to San Fransico.

But as bad as things seem in that moment, this could actually be fate giving Maya a nudge to make a change. This is when the mysterious driver offers to take her on an adventure in Carmel-on-Sea all by the median of text.

Risky, maybe but sometimes its worth taking a leap of faith especially when this will become a day/night that neither of them will forget.

So much so that they both re-tell this moment to themselves by writing their story.

Fast forward one year and life has become mundane again. Still with her maybe cheating boyfriend, Maya makes the decision to break free. And after reading a story that sounds rather familiar to the one she lived through just one year ago, this means re-visiting that picture perfect small town, with the hope that she might find the one that got away.

What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone holds the directions to true love?
This is an utterly adorable and light-hearted read.

Filled to the brim with humour and heart, you'd be hard pressed not to fall in love with both the characters and their surroundings.

Olivia does a fantastic job when it comes to describing Carmel-On-Sea. I automatically went to look it up to see if it was a real place and discovered that yes it is and it is just as gorgeous as the author writes it to be.

Mix that in with a cast of loveable characters that added an extra depth to the tale with their own backstories, and I felt as though they all sort of found themselves along the way. I got a real sense of joy when reading certain parts, as if these were old friends that had just shared their happiness with me.

Although the ending was in no way a surprise to me, sometimes as a reader that's exactly what you need, that expected happy ending, you know the ones that simply leave you with a satisfied smile.

The Meeting Point is a charming romance and I for one would like to see more love stories from Carmel-On-Sea