I had really high hopes for this one. I love a good contemporary romance and rom-com. Carlisa is a budding songwriter and works for a producer. She falls quickly for Tau, a musical artist. Her journey takes her down a path where she has to make decisions about this relationship or her career, family or friends, love or personal growth.

I liked the different characters individually, but at times it felt like there were too many characters and moving pieces. There were numerous work colleagues, music industry personnel, family members, friends. It felt like a lot to take in. I also found it to be more slow paced and I was very bothered by Tau's insistent and persistent behavior. It really bothered me how much of a 'don't take no for an answer' type of person he was. The dialogue was always very simple, but felt too modernized as if trying too hard. Through the multiple characters mini storylines were started, but never went more than a page further it seemed such as with Talia and Red, even Dylan.

I really wanted to love this and it was a good story of a woman trying to fight her own way in the music industry, but it just fell flat for the potential that it could have had.


Some content warnings: child loss, sexual assault, violence, death

Carli Henson is leading a double life. By day, she's an account executive at Garter Media, helping to create cross-promotions between brands and celebrities. When the work day is done, she shifts to her true love - music. She's a songwriter and musician, but she's afraid to make the leap to full-time. Garter pays the bills. Will her music ever do that?

Along comes Tau Anderson, a successful hip-hop artist, selling out the Barclays Center and looking for Garter to get him some promotional deals. Tau takes one look at Carli, and he's intrigued. But, Carli is trying super hard to keep her two lives separate.

Eventually, Tau breaks down the wall. It ends up, that he and Carli have more in common than she thought. He's a kid from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, she's from Severn. They have a connection.

But, of course, that's where the complications begin. While there's a romance interwoven into the storyline, the real plot focuses on Carli learning to trust herself to take a leap of faith to make her own dreams come true. T

My only struggle with this book was the language used. No, it wasn't profanity. Just lots of slang that I'm not familiar with. Ashley M. Coleman herself is a musician as well as an author, so I am sure it's all authentic. But, this middle-aged lady had to google a few terms! lol

Great debut! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

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Good Morning, Love is a look into what it takes to be a songwriter in the competitive market that it is. It's all about who you know and who you work with in order to get your name on an album and have your work explode. Carli is in the middle of all this. She has been burned in the past, but is determined to make it all the way. During the day she works for a media company to support those musician she someday wants to write for. Then at night she plays and writes her own music. When the two worlds collide, she needs to decide where her loyalties lie and where she really wants to be.

This was just okay for me. While I enjoyed the look into the music industry, it didn't feel purely authentic at times. The relationship with Tau was okay, but most times it felt forced. I did appreciate the minority representation, but I wish it was stronger story to go with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set in NYC, this is a big-hearted debut that follows Afro-Latina, Carlisa "Carli" Henton as she pursues a career as a songwriter while also working a mid-level job in the music industry trying to pay the bills. When her path crosses professionally with mega-star Tau Anderson, Carli has to fight her feelings to try to keep things platonic, risking losing her job or her heart. Full of sizzling chemistry and a diverse cast of characters and highly recommended for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Farrah Rochon. I'm definitely excited to see what the author writes next! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!

Good Morning, Love is a fantastic work of modern literature by Ashley M. Coleman.

This book's intricate plot and quick pace are the result of its author's deft use of elements from a number of different genres. There is a romantic subplot, but that's not all this novel has to offer. It's about coming into one's own and figuring out where one belongs. It's about zeroing in on what truly brings you joy and pursuing it. It's all about going all in and betting the farm, or returning home empty-handed.

This is what made the novel interesting to me, and what I felt for Carli Henton. We get to see as she establishes her own identity and learns to express her deepest longings, hopes, and goals. Having the chance to ride shotgun with Carli as she took the route less traveled and experienced the highs and lows of love, the music industry, and the darker sides of what she thought she wanted was a unique and rewarding experience.

2.5/3

I really wanted to like this, but I was bored and really not connecting to the characters. I am starting to wonder if I don't like books that have the music business/industry as the theme. However, I also don't love the trope this book follows for the romance so that probably has a lot to do with it.

Good Morning, Love was a fun and cute debut novel. It's the hip hop version of Coyote Ugly, without the bar and dancing. Carli dreams of being a songwriter but also knows she needs a job to support herself. Part of that job puts her in contact with hip hop star, Tau Anderson. She has a strict rule of not dating clients. But Tao pushes those boundaries. Will Carli bend the rules? Will she take the risk to make her dreams happen?
At the beginning of the book there's a blurb about the author working in the music industry and the reader benefits from this insight. You can tell Ashley Coleman knows her stuff. The intertwining of the day to day hustle mixed in with obstacles aspiring musicians face (in particular female artists) laid a great foundation of a novel. The push and pull of the love interest helps move the story. I was highly entertained, and stayed up way to late last night because I had to finish it.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review honestly an advanced digital copy.

Good Morning, Love grabbed me right away. Carli is working on branching into. Her music career while working for Garter a well know agency for those in the industry. This book is so much more than romance, we see the strength it takes and how much risk is involved to put yourself out there.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.

A cute perspective on the music world! After getting used to the writing style, this turned out to be quite a unique story.

Delightful.
Unique points of view.
Joy and strife.
Just glimpses of real life.
Perfect for lovers of music of all kinds.
I need a playlist.

I found this to be an entertaining and enjoyable debut story. Carli's true passion is writing music. Until she gets her big break and so she can pay the bills, she's working as a junior account manager at an entertainment firm. She's sensible, grounded, and follows the rules. Then Tau is assigned to her as a client and he really stirs things up. He first comes off as just a playboy looking for a good time, but we soon find out there is more to him than meets the eye. It was interesting to see how the industry works behind the scenes instead of just the glamour usually portrayed. More than just a romance, the story is also about following your dreams.
I think this was a good debut book by this author and I would definitely try one of her books again.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

A story based on the music industry, a young woman with dreams of making it on her own, working on her own, then of course finding love in the midst to it all. I loved Carli, she was such a strong character, she was so relatable. She is a woman in an industry where women are not as respected, and she wants to make sure she holds on to her reputation. Then she meets Tau, an artist that's going to be working closely with her boss and her firm where she works, and as soon as Tau saw her, the rest is history. Carli was not letting him get anything easy, but their connection was too powerful to let pass. He respected her as a writer, as a woman, and also encouraged her. There were a lot of in-betweens that made her question her whole career and her romance, but the way she pushed through for her dreams? it was admirable, I loved how the author did that. This was an inspirational read for me. Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Trying to get her big break, fledgling songwriter Carli works as an assistant to a music agent. When R&B star Tau shows a romantic interest in Carli, her boss warns her about the rules against fraternizing with clients. Will Carli choose business or pleasure?

This is a complex story with complex characters. It's smart, emotional, and uplifting. I enjoyed the music industry elements and Carli's self-confidence.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Carli is a singer-songwriter hoping to make it in the music industry. In the meantime, she works at a big media company to get by. Then, she meets and gets involved with superstar, Tau Anderson, both personally and professionally and the lines between business and pleasure begin to blur. This is a charming romance. Carli is a hardworking admirable heroine trying to make it in a business that overwhelming favors males. Tau is a surprisingly unstereotypical rock star with a big heart and a genuine thoughtfulness for those he cares about.

The story delves a lot into what is is like to work in the music industry both in general and as a female working in the industry. The former is fascinating if you have an interest in learning about that sort of thing. The latter is infuriating but not necessarily surprising. The end of the book is very open-ended although it seems hopeful especially if you like to look at things optimistically and assume they will work out. However, if you prefer things to be more tied up at the end of a story or you're more of a pessimist, you may not like that.

I did not finish this book and DNF'd at 50%.

Here are the reasons I did not finish:
-The pace was very slow and I didn't have the patience to continue reading.
-I really liked the main character, and her experience and career ambitions, but there was so much information about the music industry which, while interesting, is not why I'm reading this book.
-There wasn't a lot of engagement between the main character and the love interest.
-Overall, I didn't understand what we were driving towards. There was no overarching goal or plot point that told me what we were trying to achieve or what this novel would culminate in.
-I think the book was well written, but this is a case where the book was just not for me. The writing style isn't one that I enjoy and the dialogue seemed off.

Overall, I think there is definitely an audience for this book, but this one just wasn't for me.

If you're interested in reading about the music industry that also has a hea I think this might be the book for you. Though the book started off a bit slow the representation and family/friend dynamics was worth it.

I was excited for this book & I love reading about the music industry. Unfortunately, I didn’t click with this one! It was a bit too chaotic for me.

Thank you for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love books set in in the music industry. This was a glamorous read
That gives an inside glimpse into behind clothes doors type information.
Has a great premise, characters, writing style ect.
High key recommend and enjoyed
Would make a great television series or movie

Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question.

A smart, timely, energizing romance, Good Morning, Love shows us what the glamorous New York’s music scene is really like and takes us into the lives of a rising but somewhat troubled R&B star and a promising protégé who knows her job better than she knows herself.

With fresh and honest prose, Good Morning, Love examines the uncertainty of being a new professional looking to chase a dream while also trying to survive in a world that’s not always kind to ambitious women.

Good Morning, Love is a story about Carli Henton, a junior account manager at a media company. Carli dreams of becoming a songwriter but once she meets superstar Tau Henderson they begin to blur the lines of business and pleasure.
After reading, I struggle to consider this book a romance. Unfortunately, I did not find Tau’s cocky demeanor endearing and it was difficult to root for Carli and Tau as a couple. The story does pick up about 30% of the way through and Carli quickly changes her mind about interacting with a client. However, this leads to her and Tau having to hide their relationship.
While this story's romance was not strong, I did appreciate Carli’s relationship with her friends and the diverse cast of characters. The author's knowledge of the music industry came across easily and the character’s passion for music was evident. Besides that, the characters did come across as a bit two-dimensional. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy music and the workings of the entertainment industry but not for a love story.

I really really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it struggled to hold my interest. I am thrilled to see more diverse stars in romance and that's absolutely something we desperately need. However, I just felt like there was too much going on. Maybe I'm just not interested enough in the music industry, but this wasn't the book for me.