I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This author has a phenomenal writing style. This is a fast paced romance. The description of Carmel Beach, California and New York makes you want to visit each state. I adored the characters in this book. This book is in stores for $12.05 (USD).

This was a lovely read and I enjoyed the story line. Well written and a fun romance, didn't want to put it down. This is one for all that love this type of book. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

📱Review📱
~The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara ~

A beautiful romance novel that captures you from the get go or should I say from the first text!

Told in the first person of Maya we get her perspective of her texting relationship with “Max” a man who informs her that her boyfriend was cheating on her.

We explore the town of Carmel by the Sea, a fictional cute town with beautiful beach shores and fairytale houses after Max not only takes Maya on a day trip but us as a reader too.

I was fixtuated on figuring out who this mystery Max person was just as Maya was. After figuring it out, I was very eager to read the part when Maya realised and the bombshell dropped.

A splendid cute read that I can highly recommend.

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @headofzeus for an ebook for reviewing.

I had a little bit of a love-hate relationship with this book, but I think it was more because of me, and not actually because of the book.

We meet Maya, our main character, who flies to San Francisco to surprise her boyfriend. But the surprise is on her when her text messages are responded through her boyfriend’s phone, but they are from his Lift driving, informing her that he found the phone in his car after dropping off a couple that were too focused on each other they didn’t realize they left the phone.

Heartbroken, she’s thinking about just flying home, but it’s her birthday, and this kind stranger convinces her to go on a little adventure. He plots out an entire itinerary for her of a little beachside town, Carmel.

Maya spends her day playing 50 questions with this stranger, getting to know him, but not personal details, no names, no identifying information. He takes her all around Carmel, to various hotspots with good food and gorgeous views.

As the day comes to and end, she realizes she wants to meet him, face to face. They decide to meet each other, but when she gets to the meeting point he’s not there, but her boyfriend shows up and tells her the other women was someone from work, and convinces her to go home with him. Looking around, one last time, not seeing anyone, she gives herself a reality check, and decides to go home.

One year goes by, and Maya realizes she’s completely unhappy with her boyfriend, and has thought about the mysterious texter every day for the last year. When her boyfriend proposes, she realizes her heart is still in Carmel. She decides to leave him and go stay with her mother for a while, when her best friend informs her of an upcoming book she heard about, written by a famous romance novel writer, Ethan; it’s about a girl named Maya, who flew across the country to surprise her boyfriend, only to find he was cheating on her while exchanging texts with the Lift driver, Max, who discovered the lost phone, and the Lift driver sends her on a beautiful and memorable day that ends in heartbreak when they decide to meet, but something goes wrong. The author claims he got inspiration from his “friend.” Angry and determined to track down this author and find out who his “friend” is, the mystery Lift driver, and her potential love, she returns to Carmel where her plans go completely awry. She finds herself working for, and living with, Ethan’s sister Celine, and receives a surprise visit from Ethan himself.

Maya feels nothing but hatred for this random author who stole her story, but she needs to charm him in order to find out who his “friend” is. The more she gets to know Ethan, the more complicated her feelings become, the more complicated their relationship becomes, and the more it seems like Ethan is hiding a secret of his own.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, I felt it didn’t really pick up for me until Maya was back in Carmel and interacting with Ethan, and once it did, I was able to finish it pretty quick. I felt it was a cute love story, and I’m actually very pleased with the ending. I flew through this because I was so eager to know who the Lift driver was, and I’m happy that it was what I was hoping for the entire time. It may have been a little predictable to some, but Olivia Lara did a wonderful job making you fall for the characters and their relationships. You were rooting for Maya to find her love, and she did, just not in the way you may have expected.


*Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review!*

Maya loses her job and finds out her boyfriend of five years is cheating on her all in one day - all after flying cross-country to meet him for a much needed getaway. She finds this out via text message from the Lyft driver who found her boyfriends phone in his car. That text connection leads to a full day of adventure - where the Lyft driver she calls Max takes her on a guided tour of Carmel by the Sea. Maya and her semi-anonymous Max form a pretty intense connection very quickly. The entire situation is adorable - and heartmeltingly romantic. It also ends without Max and Maya actually meeting and them both going their separate ways. Flash forward a year - and Maya still can't stop thinking about her day in Carmel - and when she finds out an author has written the story of her day she has to get to the bottom of it and see if she can find Max after all. Along the way she connects with Ethan - the author of the book about that fateful day - and it leaves her wondering if Max really is who she wants.

I loved so much about this book - the entire first part of the book is fantastic. (You will want to make plans to travel to Carmel STAT) But things kind of fell apart for me a bit once Maya heads back to Carmel. I loved the relationships she built there - and you could very much see how ending up in Carmel was the right thing for Maya. What I didn't like was how Maya acted about the entire thing - and Ethan for that matter. They both played games over the entire situation - instead of just talking to each other. I think this ended up being a situation where they both were terrified that the fantasy of the situation - might not live up to reality when reality became a true option for both of them. I also felt like Maya never really progressed away from running from issues - instead of confronting them. The game playing between the two of them just didn't allow for a lot of growth of character - and Maya's lack of growth/maturity really bothered me. And for all that happened in the book - the ending felt rushed.

Overall - I would give this book a solid 3.5 stars and definitely a 5 star meet-cute.

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

If you want a sweet romance, this is your book. Sure it's predictable and there are very few twists, but I walked away from this one feeling so good about life. The energy that this book gives is that of pure joy and hope.

A chance encounter by Maya with a Lyft driver leads to the most beautiful birthday I've ever experienced, and it didn't even happen to me! A year later, we meet Maya again as she goes in search of recreating a lifetime of that beautiful birthday day! Told with a true storyteller's voice, it's beautifully written and as far fetched as the story premise is, I found every word of it completely believable!

I loved this one!

What a fun, cute story!

Maya decides to fly to California to surprise her boyfriend on her birthday, but she's the one who ends up being surprised. When she calls David’s phone, the person who answers informs her that not only did David leave his phone in the Lift that he hired, but he had been in the car with a blond he was making out with. Maya planned to fly back home, but Max, the Lift driver, convinces her to travel to a town called Carmel By The Sea and try to enjoy herself for the day. He spends the day texting her his personal recommendation of different places to go, and she ends up loving it.

I thought that the author did a great job of painting a picture of the town Maya was visiting. I was enthralled with the setting and it made me want to visit immediately! I thought the premise was original and fresh and the “will they, won’t they” kept me turning the pages.

Insta love isn’t my favorite trope and we’re in Maya’s head a lot where she describes everything in exact detail. The inner monologues were slow, and there is a lot of miscommunication between characters which is also something I don’t particularly enjoy in a romance.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a clean romance with a sweet, uplifting HEA.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

When I started reading this book, I ended up reading it for only a day. I couldn’t put it down. I love how the writer put it all together. One of the things you would hate is being cheated on while you fly from New York to California to surprise your boyfriend. A day of adventure to learn more about Carmel, wherein it is led by someone you don’t know, but only on the phone.

A whole day break from the busy life in New York is one of Maya’s needs. She is a person who loves happy endings, but since that day in Carmel, she has stopped writing stories and is continuing her life in New York. Her best friend from the publishing team called her one day and told her that a famous author's fourth and upcoming book were similar to hers.

The meeting point follows Maya who decides to surprise her boyfriend whilst he is on a business trip because it is her birthday. When she messages him, it's not him who replies but a Lift driver. Maya discovers her boyfriend has been unfaithful.

The author did an excellent job of describing the town of Carmel by Sea, and I felt like I was there. At the old Victorian houses, the lovely café, and the bonfire on the beach.

I enjoyed reading it! This is a light hearted romance, where a woman falls for a man through the written word, and then sets out to find him. The only blip for me was Maya's over-reactions and her naivety. I found myself yelling at the book when she didn't see what I saw.

Oh gosh this book made me smile since the beggining.
The texts and how she spent her birthday with his indications were the cutest thing and made me swoon. But then that not encounter made me mad ahah
But well that's what probably made the story even better. The not knowing who Max was and leaving 'into the unknown' to find out. The way everything put together in Carmel by the Sea...
All the characters in this book has a role or a purpose in the story. Love the friendship between Maya and Celine and adored when she started developing a friendship with Ethan. Well there was a time that I thought it was him and from then on, that didn't leave my mind and I kept believing it.
And that restaurant encounter near the end, I predicted what was it about.
This story made me smile and swoon all along.
Such a cute one everyone should read ❤️

A cute narrative that was a bit predictable. It was fun to see the story unfold and the secondary characters were well written. I appreciated the love letter to the small town and I also liked how it took time for the story to unfold.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A wonderful rom-com with a slow burn that is worth the wait. The short chapters make it extremely consumable and make you want to keep reading just one more chapter. There were a couple of moments that had me grinning at the book and that pulled at the heartstrings.
Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus, Aria for the ARC!

This I was such a cute read. I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The main characters were really fun and entertaining, the plot might be predictable but it was really fun and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book! To be completely honest, I feel like I enjoyed this book alot because I could picture so many of the actual places in my head! I loved the meet cute! I find this book cute, and I breezed through this book in one day. ❤️ I recommend reading 😊 #TheMeetingPoint #Goodreads

Oh my NorCal heart 🧡 Carmel by the Sea is as charming as the book describes it to be and I just felt like Lara captured its magic so well. To be completely honest, I feel like I enjoyed this book a little bit more because I could picture so many of the actual places in my head. While the plot is somewhat predictable, for me, that didn't really take away too much from the book. I still found it cute, and I breezed through this book in one day.

This was a very enjoyable book! I really liked how ‘Max’ and Maya met. Max’s identity was very predictable and I knew who he was right away. I would’ve liked to see more of Ethan’s writing, and more of Celine. My favorite part was when Maya learned that ‘Max’ had spent the day with her. Also, I totally knew who the campfire guy was and I was so right!!! This is a no-spoiler review or else I would say ;)

Contemporary second chance romance. It was a cute story, but I found it to be too predictable for me to enjoy it. If you don't mind knowing how the story turns out, you will enjoy this book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Head of Zeus and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

An interesting and entertaining read full of romance and quaint characters.

Book review: The Meeting Point by OLIVIA LARA is a commendable, romance thrilling book published on April 1,2022.

The book revolves around a girl, Maya Mass who is in relationship with a boy from a long time. She is a journalist but never got ample time to spend with her boyfriend. So she plans to spend her birthday with her boyfriend by giving him surprise and haphazardly reaches the airport after long hectic schedule.

The story takes a U-turn when she calls on her boyfriend phone and a Lift driver picks it up and tells her about his cheater boyfriend.

Maya gets disappointed ,sad , gloomy on her birthday after knowing the truth of her boyfriend. On the other hand , the lift driver feels guilty of telling her the truth and making her sad on her birthday and finds a way out to distract her by giving her an unexpected, memorable journey to Caramel.

Maya accepts his offer and decide to go to that place where she will meet him to take her boyfriend's phone. They simply text each other everytime to talk or convey anything to each other.

On the way she takes a halt at different places that she discovers to be so adventurous and beautiful as she would admire her lifetime. This journey makes her feel for the lift driver and she fell in love with him but it was hard to admit for a girl like her.

Will she get to know who the Lift driver is????? Or Will she accept her betrayal and move on with her boyfriend ?????

Isn't it mysterious?? I loved reading this book and the way it is written. It is beginner's friendly romance loving, unputdownable book. It was thrilling to unfold the real lift driver and all the troubles she take later to find out who he is??

I recommend this book to all romance and mystery book lovers. I thank netgalley and Head of zeus,aria for providing me this book to read in return of an honest review.
Happy Reading!

#netgalley #themeetingpoint #netgalleyarc #bookstagrammers #booklovers #bookreviewers #bookbloggers #reviewer #amazonbooks #readersofinstagram #readers #reviewer #amazonreviewer #wearebookish #thewriterswarmth #bibliophile #booknerd

This was, without a doubt, one of the best romace novels I read in the first half of 2022, what a nice surprise! I requested this book from NetGalley because of the intriguing synopsis, but I never thought I would be so hooked on this read that I would read it in just one day! The fact that we have a plot around two writers and many literary references made everything even more perfect... 🤭
This author's writing is flawless, short and well structured chapters that make this an ideal read for me when it comes to the romance genre. The characters are also amazing! From Maya, the main female character completely oblivious to everything, so innocent but in such a natural way (I can imagine myself in her shoes being exactly the same ahahahah) but with an even greater courage, the courage to change her life inside out against all odds. To the mysterious male main character who won Maya over and won me over as well, with his reserved and opinionated side, in constant shock, as well as his romantic and caring side. To the secondary characters who form a consistent support system and who complement the story while also finding happiness themselves. The relationship between the two main characters... Hands down to the chemistry between these two amidst the constant warring, a slow burn on point with an unfolding that is worth every minute of reading. 🥰
The only thing I have to point out more negative is the ending that unfolds too quickly and doesn't allow us to see more of this couple together. I would have liked to have seen a little more than plans, an epilogue that allowed us a glimpse into the future.
This was definitely one of the books that surprised me the most in the first half of 2022 with a completely original plot that, despite the intriguing synopsis, I wasn't expecting it to be so complex and well developed. A read I never thought I would enjoy so much, a new favorite of the romance genre that I intend to reread in the future!

Plot | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enjoyment | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Audio | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐,5

Review to be soon published on my bookstagram account @direadsomebooks!