ARC provided by NetGalley 🤍

Good Morning, Love is a contemporary romance written by Ashley M. Coleman

What i love most about this book is that not only is there a little bit of romance but it follows a character who’s in the midst of finding herself and her worth. I relate so much to Carli as she tries to follow her dreams. I love her personality and how true she stayed to herself. I love how it really indulged in self worth and love.

I loved the whole music and city vibe - it’s one of my favorite things and it just gives off a great feeling. What really brought me to this book was the cover. It was simple but it still convinced me to read it. I also really enjoyed Carli’s character development, she can be so charming and it’s easy to fall in love with her demeanor.

This was a 4/5 star read for me.

(original review on good reads - linked below)

I thought this book was adorable! I loved the look into the music industry and thought the romance was beautifully done. I also loved the self-discovery aspect. 8/10 from me!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to get to read and review this book!

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read another great book!
Good Morning, Love caught my attention as the description started off with the comment that this was for fans of Jasmine Guillory’s While We Were Dating. I was a big fan of Guillory’s series and knew I needed to check this out.
I was not disappointed at all! Coleman did a great job with what could have been a not so original tale of girl meets famous guy, girl uproots life to move closer to famous guy, girls life falls apart – but it wasn’t that. There were more layers to this story and I really appreciated the character development of Carlisa “Carli” Henton as she was navigating the relationship – or her resistance to – with rising star Tau Anderson.
This is a story where Carli, a musician and songwriter, tries to make her way up the ladder of the music industry and follow in her father’s footprints. It would be easy for her to use her father’s name and get the breaks she’s always wanted, but she doesn’t want to do it that way. She wants to make a name for herself based on her talent. As she’s slowly working to do that, she also has a job as a junior account manager at a major media company. Through her job there, she meets the rising super star, Tau Anderson.
This story takes many twists and turns, but along the way Carli learns a lot of valuable information of how to stand up for herself and what really matters in life. She is able to stay true to herself and give in to her heart, though she knows it could cause a great deal of heartache if it doesn’t turn out well.
There were a couple of times through the book where I felt we were spinning our wheels, but by the time it was over I found myself wanting more!

What I liked: The characters were distinct and the world the author created was vivid. I appreciated the music industry representation. I liked the evolution of the character's relationship with her father & the cultural familial elements woven into the story.

What didn't work for me: Several plot points and characters felt random and I didn't understand their relevance. I didn't feel like the story had a lot of resolution and had several loose ends. I couldn't get behind the main character chasing her romantic interest to L.A. at the end. The book had a "coming of age" tone and the ending didn't quite fit.

Even though you’d most likely automatically categorize this as a romance novel, I would argue that this book has a multitude of genres in it which gives the entire story line a fulfilling plot & complexity within the the characters. The whole premise seems to be about self discovery & finding where you fit into the world. It touches on everything from dealing with your past, to deciphering relationships, to ultimately taking a leap of faith in attempting to reach for something in life that makes you truly happy.

The relatability is what attracted me to read this novel. I think we’ve all been stuck at an impasse without being entirely sure if the road we’re about to travel down is the best for us. That’s why I really enjoyed Carli’s character so much. Watching her progression throughout her experiences in the book, seeing her discover herself, question herself, finding her voice, all while being her imperfectly perfect self in such a vast field of music—it’s beautiful! You can’t help but root for her as the underdog & pray that she succeeds in her dreams in the industry.

This is a very sweet, feel good story about believing in yourself & although I’m more of a fan of the thrillers—I actually really enjoyed this read & would recommend it to anyone who is out on the road less traveled trying to make their dreams a reality.

“Good Morning, Love” is a debut novel by Ashley M. Coleman.

This contemporary fiction book has a number of genres in it - it’s not just a romance, but it’s also not just a finding your place in the world. There’s a lot of self-discovery, some past explored, and trying to figure out relationships (personal and professional), and trying to, basically, make sense of life when things are going well - and not so well. What attracted me to asking to review this book was the basic storyline - a musician and songwriter working in the industry by day, but doing her own musical engagements (writing, performing) at night. I don’t know much about music, but it’s obvious that Ms. Coleman does from the terms and situations she describes (and I also liked getting a peek into the world of a media company). I also liked the LA vs NYC thinking in this book - both cities have their own vibes and way of doing things, but in the end it’s YOU that matters, not your surroundings. I’m glad that in the end Carli was true to herself, though I would’ve enjoyed her deciding to be a bi-coastal person. I found the romance to be okay - I preferred the other guy over the one she ended up with, but it was refreshing that it wasn’t a smooth relationship (I can see them breaking up but both parties being mature about it). I found this book to be a good debut novel - not quite what I expected, but it was interesting and kept me engaged. A solid 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.

Good Morning, Love was much more than I expected. Yes, there is a romance that kept me wanting to turn the page, but there was much more to this story! The self-discovery that happens throughout the book really resonated with me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publishers for letting me read it!

What a beautiful view into the music industry in New York! This complex story will leave you wanting more. Good Morning, Love is a great fiction pick.

Good Morning, Love by Ashley M. Coleman is a great contemporary fiction that is entertaining from beginning to end.

This book has a little bit of several genres mixed in together to give it a satisfying complexity and pace. Yes, there is a romance thread within it, but this book has so much more. It is a finding one’s self and place in life. It is finding out what makes you happy, and going for it. It is about taking the ultimate risk…putting yourself out there and going for it all or going broke.

That is what I enjoyed about this book and what the main character, Carli Henton, experiences. We get to follow along while she discovers herself, her inner desires, hopes, dreams, and finds her voice. I really enjoyed being able to right shotgun on the trip of a lifetime for Carli as she discovers the ups and downs of romance, the music industry, the darker aspects of what she thought she wants, and decides to take the road less traveled.

I really enjoyed the progression of the character, her imperfect but likable personality, her charm, and like all of her decisions or not, I can’t help but cheer her on and hope that she can succeed and find what she is looking for.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Simon & Schuster for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/3/22.

This is an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy.
Oh gosh, it’s really hard to describe this book. I liked Carli, but I preferred Dylan to Tau. I didn’t like how he grabbed her and was a bit full on when they first met.
I liked how it gave insight into the music industry, and how Carli had her head on straight. Unsure about the ending, and if it was left open on purpose.