The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara is a charming and heartwarming love story.

It is set in a breathtakingly beautiful coastal town of Carmel in California together with adorable houses and kind and friendly people.
I really enjoyed the premise of the story, how they got to know each other, the banter, the laughter, the whole idea of it was perfect.
The characters were delightful and I was rooting for them from the beginning. They were realistic, likeable and relatable.
What I didn't fully like is that there is for my taste too many inner dialogue and too many unnecessary twists and turns. I had a feeling it was there to simply make the book last longer, which was completely needless.
All in all, sweet and easy to read contemporary romance book I am glad to recommend.

The Meeting Point is a contemporary romance about Maya, a twenty-something journalist. She goes to California to surprise her boyfriend of five years only to find out via a missing phone and a empathetic Lyft driver that her boyfriend is cheating on her. Not sure where to go from there , Max, the Lyft driver convinces Maya to spend the day in California really getting the full experience. Max acts as a tour guide via text from Maya’s boyfriends lost phone. After the perfect day Maya isn’t upset about her boyfriend anymore; rather, she’s curious about Max and what actually meeting him would be like. Would their chemistry translate off the text?

There was a lot about this I really enjoyed. Some of it seemed far fetched but I was willing to go there and enjoy myself reading about Maya’s round about way of finding Max. I enjoyed the side characters quite a bit and would be very interested in reading stories about a number of them. The beginning of the story had me, but the middle could have been edited a bit as it dragged. Max’s reveal was also hard because it was predictable, way too predictable. Since I guessed it right away it made the main character seem dim witted to not pick it up until it was dropped in her lap.

I would recommend this book to people that were into Craigslist Missed Connections (watch me date myself). Those that believe in love at first sight. Anyone that has ever felt that deep desire to dive in head first, not knowing where it will lead. Those that are making it up as they go.

The Meeting Point was that book that made me want it just by reading the blurb and as soon as I got it, the book didn't dissatisfy me. I can't still remember how I read every page in one sitting, couldn't put it down. Thank you Netgallery for this e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a chance to read an electronic ARC of the book. All opinions expressed below are my own.

When Maya flies to San Francisco to surprise her long-term boyfriend on her birthday, it is she who gets the biggest surprise. A taxi driver who gave her boyfriend a lift finds the boyfriend's phone and reveals to Maya that she's been cheated on. To kill time before her return flight. the heroine goes to explore a nearby sea town guided by texts from the taxi driver and ends up having the best time of her life. Can it be love at first text?

This. Freaking. Book.

I loved it so much. I'm a sucker for these types of stories where
a) characters spend just a day together and then inevitably have to part but eventually find a way back to each other
and b) they comminucate virtually and don't know who is on the other end.

Oh, and it's also kinda enemies to lovers? What more could you ask for?

Not to mention that there is a book involved and we have not one, but two writers in the story? Hello! Per-Fec-Tion!

Although the ending is very predictable (and don't get me wrong, I LOVED the ending), you still enjoy every page and every turn.

I can't recommend this book enough. Go and add it to your TBR right now.

This was cute. A little predictable but still cute.

Despite being predictable, I actually enjoyed reading this. I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for Maya to connect the dots.

It was so different from your regular contemporary romance in my opinion which made me like this book a little more. The side characters were just as amazing as the main ones. Maya’s journey is actually beautiful, she slowly realizes her self-worth and you end the book with a smile because you finally get to see her happy. This is a veryyyy slow-burn book just a little FYI.

I would recommend it if you’re looking for something different to read.

Overall, this was a good read. I enjoyed it.

The Meeting Point was such a great read! I flew through it and loved every page! I could imagine this book on the big screen. Would love a sequel to follow Celine!
Thank you for the advanced read, I can't wait to read again.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the preview of this cute book! The Meeting Point is a very easy and quick romcom-esque novel. We meet Maya on the cusp of her world falling apart- she epically fails at work, flies across the country to see her boyfriend, and finds out he's been cheating on her. Her only glimmer of hope is a random Lift driver, who currently possesses Maya's bf's phone. After a day spent virtually with this mysterious Lift driver Max, Maya heads back to reality, permanently changed by Max's kindness. Over a year later, Maya is still thinking of her single day where texts with a stranger turned her world upside-down, and she embarks on a journey to find her enigmatic Max. This book was such a fun read, and I enjoyed it a ton!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Special thank you to the Independent Publishers Group for providing me with this reading copy for review!

Anyone who knows me knows the bread and butter on my shelves is fantasy. And every once in awhile I like to take a break from that and jump into romance for a light, fluffy break. I'll read a few chapters here and there and it's nice and lighthearted.

Let me tell you, I sat down and binge read this whole damn book in a day. I could not put it down.

I knew I was going to enjoy this one just from the book blurb. I loved the premise, it was so much fun. I was hooked by the first few chapters.

“As for the unknown, nothing worth achieving has been achieved by staying in your comfort zone.”


Maya Maas is ready to surprise her long term boyfriend David by flying from NYC out to San Francisco on her birthday weekend to meet him on his business trip. She can't wait to put some spark back into their relationship. But when she steps off the plane, she texts David only to realize he left his phone in his Lift drivers car - and the Lift driver assumes she must be the pretty blonde he was all over in his backseat. Learning of her boyfriends infidelity, Maya is ready to hop a plane back to NYC and have what is clearly the worst birthday ever, but the Lift driver won't let her. After learning it's her birthday, he convinces her to hop onto a shuttle bus to Carmel by the Sea, and through text messages he leads her on a personalized itinerary through the small town.

But evening comes and David gets his phone back from the Lift driver, leaving the two out of touch. After a year of dwelling on the best birthday of her life, Maya decides it's time to take action and find the man who made that day so special.

I loved seeing Maya find her courage and talking herself into going on this adventure, it was absolutely wild. I've seen some people say that they didn't like the lies and deceit in the last half of the book, and I get that, but it didn't bother me because it all felt like part of the journey. Sometimes our characters don't make the best choices, but that's what makes them feel real instead of just story book characters. Mistakes are meant to be learned from.

I admit, while I did catch on to what I thought the "twist" was going to be, it wasn't until I was about halfway through the book, and it didn't make it any less sweet. I think Maya's conflicted feelings broke my heart a little bit because she was trying to stay true to what she wanted, and I respected that, and I also think it showed her character to "Max". It was "instalove" without really feeling like instalove to me.

"He lifts his eyes and looks at me. 'Everything worth something is always a little bit sad.'"


I think my absolute favorite part of all of this was learning that Carmel by the sea is a real place I'd never heard of - and now I absolutely want to go. It speaks a lot to how Olivia Lara really got us invested in this place. When I was reading through the acknowledgements and read that you can actually follow Maya's birthday itinerary, I squealed. There's a hashtag and everything - brilliant marketing! That would be so much fun and I feel like I need to make this trip happen. Who knows, maybe I'll find my own Max? 😉

3.5 stars-
The Meeting Point was a unique love story and hooked me immediately. I loved the setting of the story. I was googling all kinds of places in the Carmel-by-the-sea area while reading! What a beautiful, picturesque area! I've added it to my bucket list :)

I found the text exchange between Maya and Max so adorable and endearing. Max truly gave Maya such a lovely gift for her otherwise crappy birthday.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I was not a huge fan of Maya. She frustrated me so much with her lack of gumption and the dishonesty. I did warm up to her some, but she never hooked me like other heroines have.

As predictable as this story was, I did really love the "You've Got Mail" vibes and the setting really kept me interested. I finished it in a day and do not regret it. It was a fun, cute story overall!

Thanks for the copy, NetGalley!

Absolutely one of the best romance novels I have read in 2022!

It was perfect, the setting, the characters, everything was damn cute.

Olivia’s writing is exquisite and flows beautifully, I couldn’t put down this book. One of the things that I most loved about The Meeting point is the secondary characters, they are not forgotten!

If you are looking for a fresh, slow-burn romance, this is the one! I couldn’t recommend it enough, it’s definitely worth the time.

This romance pulled me in from the very beginning! Maya is struggling living in NYC and just lost her job… but no big deal she’ll go surprise her boyfriend in San Francisco for her birthday. Unfortunately, she’s the one surprised when a Lyft driver finds her boyfriend’s phone and lets her know he hasn’t been completely faithful to her. In an attempt to save her birthday, the Lyft driver convinces her to visit Caramel by the Sea for the day and texts her throughout the day with things to do and see. Can two people fall in love just from a series of texts over one day? Well life is never that simple…

This book had so many twists and turns and definitely gave off the enemies-to-lovers vibes to me! I just wanted Maya to catch a break and get her happy ending. The whole time I was like who’s the mystery Lyft driver? I probably went through three or four different guesses but it kept me hooked! If you love a cozy romance with struggles and triumphs and twists this is definitely one to check out!

Thanks for NetGalley for the amazing eARC!

Maya's life turned upside down on her birthday. She lost her job and her boyfriend in the same day.
When the mysterious driver who told her that her boyfriend was having an affair suggest her to go to a small beautiful town, Maya decided she had nothing to lose and follow the itinerary the mysterious driver provided to her.
She didn't realize the small unexpected detour she take would lead her to something more...

This is one of the book where I promise you will fall absolutely in love with the setting of the place and I bet you wanted to visit it after finishing this book.
(It turns out, Carmel by the sea was a real small town in California! I googled it and it was gorgeous).

The plot is simple and fairly predictable, you can know the ending very early on. But strangely I didn't mind that and just enjoy the story flow.

I love the author writing style in describing the small town scenery which makes me feel like I was there.
Maya's experience in Carmel was lovely because of the itinerary that Max made for her throughout the day. I wish I kinda have a "Max" to show me around the city I was travelling!

The story was told in dual perspective, Maya and Max. Although, mainly it's just Maya. We got snippets here and there about Max's POV from the day they explore Carmel.

The characters are well developed and they're all great, even with the side characters.
I love how kind everyone was in that town and how Maya give little nudges to connect the people in town together by doing simple things, like introducing them.

Truthfully I'm not a fan by how they can fall in love after spending only one day together at first, not to mention only through texting. But, I decided not to make a big deal out of it and I can enjoy reading the story even more.

However, I was getting frustrated a little with Maya near the ending because she's just too oblivious when the answer was right in front of her! I wish I could shake her and tell her who's the mysterious lift driver she's been searching for all this time!

The ending also feel slightly rushed and I wish there was an epilogue about how they go after that big reveal, maybe a wedding or a snippet of their happy life together in Carmel!

Overall, this is a light, sweet and heart warming love story with a bit of angst. I couldn't put this book down because I was too invested in the story and the characters.
I'm definitely looking forward to read more of Olivia Lara's book in the future!

If you love a contemporary romance with small town setting, slight insta-love and second chance romance as well as hidden identity, I highly recommend to read this one!

Actual rating: 4.5⭐

A massive thank you to Netgalley, Olivia Lara and Aria publisher for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🌸𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 by 𝕆𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕒 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕒 🌸

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 100/5⭐

"𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚."

"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙤. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙤 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩."

"𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙙𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙."


𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨: 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚢 & 𝙷𝙴𝙰.
𝙏𝙒: 𝙸𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢.

WOW!!! This book is something else. I planned to read a whole other book (that one is next on TBR list 𝙄 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚) and I saw this one on my shelf and decided to only take a look at it to see how it was written. And as they say "The reast is history". I ended up reading it until 1am, it was so good I just couldn't put it down. Such a nice he-warming and uplifting story. A perfect comfort read. I loved it so much. So much so that I really hope Olivia will write a Part 2 to this story. I want to know more.

I loved everything about this book from the cute concept of the story to the amazing descriptions of the Carmel by the Sea. It was so well written that it was so easy to get absorbed in the story and feel like I was on the adventure instead of Maya.

What made this book even more amazing is a book within a book. It was pretty obvious, at least to me, who Max really was but that didn't take away from the story. If anything it made me want to shake some sense into Maya for her not to be so oblivious. I loved the fact that Maya made such an impact on Max (I don't wanna reveal who he really is for those who still haven't read the book) that he wrote an entire book about their adventurous love story and never changed her name.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 is definetly going to be in my Top 10 books on 2022. You shouldn't miss this book.


*** Thank you to the autor Olivia Lara and the publisher, Head of Zeus, for giving me a pleasure of reading an ARC of this amazing romance book. And also thank you to NetGalley. ***

#TheMeetingPoint #NetGalley

A beautiful romance. I love the cover and the story 💕 super cute and funny. If you want a sweet romance, this is the book for you.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

So I've just finished reading this one.
What to say? I loved it - deeply.

The premise is kinda unique already and the execution even better.
There are some twist in the story that I did not see coming and that I really liked.

The main character Maya is really likable. However she is not really good in talking about her feelings and ends up in lies a lot. That's one thing that did annoy me from time to time. A few times I thought: 'They could just be honest now and the story was over with a happy end.'

One other thing I disliked: The 'revelation' at the end was kinda obvious from very early on. Not sure if it was written like this on purpose or if it should have been a surprise to the reader. But it definitely wasn't.

So I had more negatives to say than positives. I still give this book 5 stars. Please read all of the other 5-star reviews for all the well deserved praise that I definitely second.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

-

Ooh, I forgot one thing: This really really made me want to visit Carmel by the sea in California. I never really planned to travel to the US before but I sure want to see that place now.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I really enjoyed this sweet, romantic read especially the second half of the book which takes off, I couldn’t put it down. This was a sweet, clean romance that gave me You’ve Got Mail vibes.

"Love, because it is the only true adventure."

The Meeting Point is a sweet, cozy, heartwarming romance with a fantastic premise that is unlike any I’ve ever seen before! What do you do when you’ve fallen in love with someone you’ve never met… and you don’t know his name, where he lives, or even what he looks like?

"This is a deeply touching and spellbindingly beautiful novel about the kind of love that once found, cannot ever be forgotten, about the magic of serendipity and the heartbreak of ill timing."

Maya’s longtime boyfriend, David, is flying to California for a job interview. She decides to surprise him by meeting him out there and turning his solo trip into a romantic getaway for two. But, when Maya arrives in San Fransisco, she’s the one who’s in for a surprise: David left his phone in a Lift during a hookup with someone else, and now the anonymous Lift driver, Max, has to break the news (by text!) that David is cheating.

"The world is still full of possibilities. No doors have been closed for me today. On the contrary, they opened."

What starts as a ruined weekend slowly turns into something else. Max takes pity on Maya and offers to serve as her remote tour guide, sharing sightseeing and dining suggestions so that she can still enjoy the city on her own. Hours of banter and conversation exchanges via text begins to blossom into love, and Maya is still thinking of the mysterious Max a year later, when she returns to California to track him down in person, once and for all.

"This is by far the most amazing adventure I’ve ever been on… Whoever he is and wherever he is, it’s as if we’re doing all these things together. Going from place to place, sharing these incredible experiences. And I’m loving it."

I enjoyed the “love is blind” theme of Maya and Max’s connection, and I fell just as hard as Maya did for the sights, sounds, and overall vibe of Carmel by the Sea. The setting makes this a perfect beachy, vacation read! At times, the “reveal” inched into creepy/stalker territory and made me a little uncomfortable—there were certain phrases and paragraphs that wouldn’t have been out of place in a suspenseful thriller! But overall, I loved the characters and their story.

"I know everything is happening on borrowed time, and the clock is ticking faster and faster now, but I’ll take it. I’ll take every moment of this day. Because I haven’t smiled like this in forever and it feels amazing."

I will say that this is a very G-rated love story. I feel weird even putting it in the category of “romance novel,” because the steamy/chemistry element is almost nonexistent. But, if you’re looking for a tame, low-steam romance that is safe for younger readers, this one is a great choice. No bedroom scenes, no language, nothing inappropriate. Would recommend for fans of Serendipity or One Italian Summer .

—

A huge thank you to Olivia Lara, Aria, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you're looking for a great feel-good romance look no further. The plot hooked me right away. I finished it in two days. I had to know how it was going to end. I loved the setting, the characters, and the unique meeting. It was so much fun going on this adventure with Maya.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
4.5

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Firstly, Carmel by the Sea has jumped onto my list of places to visit.
Secondly, I want to make a list of 50 questions and ask everyone I meet. Not for a love connection but I am so very nosey.
Thirdly, the obscure early 2000s music reference to Frankee and Eamon was a sheer joy.

I enjoyed this book. Yes it was predictable, yes I don't believe in insta love. However books are about suspending belief, and being predictable does not take away from enjoyment because it made me flip through the pages at an alarming rate and here we are at almost half past 5 in the morning. I rate books usually on whether I'd read again and I'd read this again.

3.5 Cute, light romance novel. The premise is inventive, and I really enjoyed getting the tour of Carmel-by-the-Sea right along with Maya. After her fantastic, text tour, I had to stop and do some searches to see this town for myself. The identity of the mysterious Max is fairly easy to guess, even though I actively avoid guessing twists. This is a solid predictable yet fun way to spend your time. I am taking a small ranking off the top because I really don't like the trope of characters lying to each other, and the lion's share of the tension comes from keeping secrets that don't need to be kept.