Ever cautious Maya spontaneously flies across the country to spend her birthday weekend with her longtime boyfriend. Upon arrival she finds out he has been cheating on her. His Lift driver has found his phone and mistakenly tells Maya about the unfaithfulness. Feeling sorry for Maya, the Lift driver sends her on a birthday adventure in Carmel by the Sea. A year later Maya returns to Carmel to find the mystery Lift driver she hasn't stopped thinking about.

I adored everyone in Carmel by the Sea. They all welcomed Maya into their lives and she finally found home. I loved that Maya was a bit of a matchmaker, I think she realized that her love stories can be true, that they don't just have to be on paper.

Her friendship with Celine made my heart so happy, they both needed each other and it was so beautiful to see them lean on each other, they both had their secrets, but they never held anything over each other.

Maya's best friend Alisa was perfection. She was asking all the questions that I had, she was suspicious of everything but supported Maya at every turn, even if she thought she was losing it a bit. We all need a friend like Alisa.
Maya and Ethan were absolutely hilarious. He could have made it so much easier, but what fun would that have been?? Would Maya have even seen him for who he actually is if they hadn't gone down this journey together? Probably not. She was definitely stuck on Max and couldn't see passed him.

I read this in one sitting. I could not put it down, I loved everything about it. It was hilarious, heartwarming and swoon worthy. I can't wait to read more by Olivia Lara. I hope that there are more stories from Carmel by the Sea in the future.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC.

I will keep this review spoiler-free because I think you should get your own copy and enjoy the story.

Within the first few chapters I was captured by Maya and her story. I met and first started talking to my husband through texting so I felt so excited to have a story that felt even vaguely similar to mine. I remember having internal dialogue similar to Maya. “Is this too far? Should I actually say this.”

What I like about the book: this book is set around a 30 year old woman and targets that audience without being too steamy or sexy. If that type of romance is your thing you will love this (personally I don’t mind those scenes 😉)! I loved that Maya learned so much about herself and pushed herself out of her comfort zone. Girl power! Go get what you want girl!

What I disliked about the book: I felt like the “twist” at the end could have been a bit less obvious to the reader. Like Maya should have know, ya know? I also kept waiting for David to show up and throw a wrench into everything! Proves how terrible of a person he is.

All this to say, I loved the book and will be buying a copy!

Thank you NetGalley, Olivia Lara and Head of Zeus, Aria for sharing this ARC.

Posted to:
-Barnes and Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-meeting-point-olivia-lara/1139054274?ean=9781838933197
-Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4623354648?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idahobookcritic

The Meeting Point is the perfect summer read! It had a unique premise, which I really enjoyed. I loved following the characters throughout the book And couldn’t wait to turn the next page!
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

The Meeting Point is my first book by author Olivia Lara.

When Maya gets fired from her job and travels to California to surprise her long-time boyfriend on her birthday, she didn’t expect to find out from a Lift driver that her boyfriend was cheating. The Lift driver, who Maya names Max, encourages Maya to make the best of her day by traveling to a charming beach town. With a fabulous itinerary and an even better series of text messages, Max gives Maya the most wonderful experience of her life. However, when they finally agree to meet, Maya’s mystery man doesn’t show. Instead, her boyfriend does.


The Meeting Point is a clever meet cute that blossoms into a beautiful and sweet love story.

Thanks to Netgalley, Head of Zeus publishing and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Maya, a NYC journalist who just lost her job, attempts to surprise her boyfriend in San Francisco during her birthday weekend . She finds out upon arrival from a Lift driver that her boyfriend was canoodling with another woman and left his phone in the driver’s car. In an unexpected twist, the Lift driver walks her through a birthday adventure of a lifetime in Carmel, CA over text. A year later Maya realizes she needs to see this adventure through. But who is the mysterious Lift driver she fell in love with and can she find him again?

I LOVED this book. I thought this book captures the excitement of texting someone new and how exhilarating it is to grow your relationship with every text exchanged. There was also some mystery and intrigue, even if it was predictable. I also thought the setting was perfect, we got to explore Carmel and California through Maya’s story. Maya also shows great courage in upending her life and reevaluating what she ACTUALLY wants, as opposed to what she thought she wanted and what was easy to stay in.

This book gave my heart flutters and I FLEW through it. I didn’t even realize until I was done that there was no spice, but the feel good vibes satisfied me. I do wish it would have had an epilogue but ultimately I loved this book!

Thanks to Netgalley, Head of Zeus publishing and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet story, kind of in the vein of Sliding Doors and a modern You've Got Mail. Maya meets a person by text on the day she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her. Then there are a series of mess ups and missed opportunities that prevent her from finding this guy - who happens to seem like the perfect guy for her.

Over time Maya's encounter with this person leads to her making positive changes in her life, and then she realises she may have an opportunity to find him.

I imagine this book would definitely appeal to New Adult readers. If the characters seem a little stilted at times, or the conversations a little wooden, the premise and the happy ending make it an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5/5
I loved where this was heading, however, reading it felt a bit flat. It was hard to like and understand the characters. I really wish I liked it more. She finds out her boyfriend cheated on her after traveling across the country to surprise him. Now in this unfamiliar place, she follows the lift driver's (that revealed the boyfriend's cheating) texts giving her places to visit. She quickly begins to fall for the lift driver.

Super cute and easy to read. Loved every second of it and would definitely read it again. A super cute read from an amazing author.

Fun, feel-good read. I flew through this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. It's cute and so romantic. I was hooked from the first page and didn't want it to end! I recommend everyone that loves a sweet romance pick this book up!

A pet peeve of mine is when books are described as ‘romantic comedies’ and they are not in the least bit funny. Believe me, there’s quite a few out there. Thankfully, this is not one of them. The humour that Olivia Lara uses in this book is mostly a dry, sarcastic humour between the two main characters of Maya and Ethan and I really enjoyed this element of the book.

The romantic scenario itself I felt started off very original and engaging but I found the “mystery” quite predictable. Having said that, Maya’s character development is top notch so the romance is organically developed and believable.

Another aspect of the story I really enjoyed is the theme of friendship which runs throughout the book. It is clear that Maya struggles to make decisions and work through problems without the help and support of her friends, and I could really relate to this friendly and vulnerable side to her character.

The ending of the book is also uplifting and satisfying. This has been a quick and fun read that I would recommend to fans of Samantha Tonge and Donna Ashcroft.

This book needs to be on your radar! I love it so much.

Maya is having the worst day. She gets fired. She flies out to visit her boyfriend only to find out by his Lift driver that he is cheating on her. And oh yeah, it’s her birthday. At text suggestion of the Lift driver’s, she begins to explore. And is it possible to fall for someone only over text messages?

This book was SUPER predictable. But goodness I couldn’t put it down! I was smiling throughout the whole book. It’s a cute, light romance.

Read this if you:
*have ever taken an Uber or Lyft
*have ever planned a surprise for you significant other
*love the beach
*believe in fate

What if the “Lift” driver who finds your cheating boyfriend's phone holds the directions to true love? That’s all I’m going to stay about this because you should go in as blind as you can

What a fun buddy read with @booksandbedtime & @emilyisoverbooked

Thank you @netgalley and Aria for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub day: Apr 29