I can see why people might enjoy this book. Full of minority representation, girl bosses, and LGBTQ characters, it's also a suuuuper steamy romance. Its the story of Alba, a New York designer who is working as an assistant for an uptight millionaire who is secretly in love with her. She moves to Dallas, he follows and woos her, lots of sex ensues.

Unfortunately, it really wasn't for me. I didn't think the characters were fleshed out enough and the plot was not very good. It seemed like it was just a bunch of random things happening so the main characters could have sex again. And honestly the bedroom scenes were a little too much for me. I prefer sweet, gentle male main characters, and Theo was demanding, rough, and dirty. Just not my cup of tea.

I was able to review On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for providing me with an advanced ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoy Adriana Herrera's writing. Unfortunately I did not read the first book but I loved On the Hustle was such a good read. This was so fun and so steamy and I absolutely loved Alba and Theo. I love that Alba is a strong woman and is full of everything. Theo has a way with words, and my new love language may be food.
Latinx reads, and steamy novels. Can’t wait to see what Herrera has in store for us next.

Final Rating: 4.5

I absolutely loved Alba and Theo! I really enjoy Adriana Herrera's writing, especially in her contemporary romances. The cultural references were relevant given Alba's bookish business venture. Theo starts out as a stereotypical prickly CEO and overbearing boss to Alba, but as their story progress, we get to know his motivations and emotional depth. Once the story switched to his point of view, it was hilarious to see how much he was pining over Alba and how he almost ruined a possibility of friendship (and eventually more) with her after she was no longer his assistant.

Alba is a relatable heroine that I couldn't help but root for. Her resilience and drive is admirable and her passion for her work is motivating. The sexual tension between Alba and Theo leapt off the page. The way that Alba communicated what she wanted in their sexual relationship was also very refreshing, she was unapologetic about what she wanted and Theo satisfied her wishes. Alba talking openly about her bisexuality and her attraction to women was also nice. The way Alba loved and cared for her friends and family is heartwarming. I'm looking forward to more from Adriana Herrera and I definitely recommend this for contemporary romance lovers!

Thank you to Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I won an ARC from Adriana Herrera's FB group, which is worth joining for many reasons, not least of which is free giveaways from an amazing author!

Alba Serena* Duarte is leaving her position as an assistant for an extremely-hot-but-rigid real estate developer in order to strike out on her own and make her successful side-business her full-time gig. Her boss, Theo Ganas, seems almost too happy to send her on her way. When Alba lets him know she's not planning to return from her vacation in Dallas, he realizes he's in danger of missing his chance to tell her how he really feels about her. Theo pulls some strings in order to follow Alba to Dallas and force her in close proximity so he can properly woo her. And oh yes, Reader, woo her he does.

But as Alba and Theo film the renovation reality show they're co-hosting, they're forced to confront big questions about what they really want out of their now-diverging careers. With everything she's ever worked towards seemingly in reach, Alba questions whether there will be room for Theo in her new life.

*Middle name subject to change. You'll see.

***

Listen, a big takeaway is that Theo really is one of the best of obscenely hot, rich men who are mad for the female main character. Readers are going to go wild for him and the numerous steamy encounters he has with Alba. He moves through the world in tilting-the-camera-along-his-abs-in-slow-motion shots. But he also has some genuine growing to do throughout the book and even when he does something that you just know will lead to conflict (Act III break-up stuff), it feels honest enough. I mean: a boss who is kind of a jerk to his assistant because he's trying to keep rigid boundaries to protect their professional relationship and honor the power dynamic between them? A more palatable spin on "I'm mean because I like her so much." Baby boy is always trying his best and it is very attractive.

One of the reasons I love and support Herrera's work is that it is unabashedly political in the best way. She has a point of view, but never skimps on what we all love about romance. Let's just start with: I want more queer romances with a male main character and a female main character! Alba is bisexual and she's attracted to or otherwise notices women throughout the book. But in a lot of ways Theo is our stand-in for the more academically queer work of standing up to and discarding The Patriarchy. In the vein of Cat Sebastian, Herrera's Caribbean Heiress asked some big questions of both main characters and readers alike about what it means politically to lust after aristocrats and indeed Theo has a lot in common with Heiress's Evan. (As do Alba and Luz Alana, to be fair.) They're both struggling with their relationship with their out-of-touch fathers/actual patriarchs and stumbling through their background of wealth and privilege to best support the self-made women they love and respect. Theo is just the contemporary update to the Greek Billionaire Playboy rather than the Hot Scottish Duke. Becoming your best self to be a better partner is, of course, a standard romance journey, but Herrera is also notably holding her heroes accountable for their impact on society at large. Which, again, I dig because it makes them hotter.

Herrera also confronts questions about just how accessible the American Dream is for Black and Brown immigrants. "The Hustle" looms large over Alba's story arc and she necessarily runs into limitations. With all the contemporary discussion happening about American society's relationship to labor post-/intra-pandemic, let's just say that I felt the process of Alba's not-so-quiet quitting in the first chapters on a deep, visceral level. Her relationship to the hustle mindset was real enough that I projected a whole bunch of anxiety about it while reading. ("Take a break, Alba!" she says, not taking a break.) Theo's father and his expectations set up roadblocks for Theo via the classic historical romance problem of being The Heir, but without needing to worry so much about money for himself or his family Theo obviously does a much better job than Alba in setting boundaries between his work and personal life.

So Alba ends up needing a big kick in the butt to move her through her issues. A whole bunch of external conflict comes in the form of smarmy reality show producer Chase and his wife Kayla (perfect names!). The two are proper failing-upwards villains who don't quite get a satisfactory comeuppance, which I'm somewhat torn about. It is arguably part of a larger point: Alba's hesitance to confront a white man in power is for any number of good reasons, not least of which is that many men like Chase elude true accountability. In fact, in shelving the show up-and-coming Alba is punished more than Chase is, a point that is believable, but also left me frustrated. On the one hand, how many shows and movies have been released to great acclaim after backstage shenanigans became public? Wouldn't Twitter immediately jump on the network for said punishment of a Dominican woman when it was a white man in power who misbehaved? Wouldn't the network write a PR statement to that effect when deciding to air the show regardless so they don't lose their investment? On the other hand... I mean, yeah. Alba's loss of agency in the process is all too familiar and heartbreaking. Part of the beauty of the book (and of romance's HEA in general) is that she still gets to find her own way within a loving community that wants her just as she is.

Supported by her rich, hunky, former-Olympian partner.

And if that's not the real American Dream, y'all...

On the Hustle was a good read. It has a decent plot, steamy sex and, unusually, an interior designer for an MC. Dialog is witty and amusing, and the MC has a good group of friends. There were a few things that kept me from giving it 5 stars. The beginning is a little long with too much time given to a description of both how hot the boss is and how grumpy, without many (any?) actual interactions for the reader to experience. Too much time in the MC’s head. And, as happens in too many romances, the ending chapters kind of beat the reader over the head with the lessons of life and love. We get it. If the book is well-constructed throughout, no head-beating is needed. It would also have been interesting to see more of the reality show aspect of the story. We know it’s happening and it provides the main antagonist for the plot. In fact, it provides the main plot outside the romance, I’d have enjoyed seeing that aspect and it’s characters more fully developed.
But the upshot? I enjoyed On the Hustle and would recommend.

I love me a romance, but this one in particular, I love the most. The author did a great job in creating these characters especially the female main character to be realistic. The banter between both main characters was great and I absolutely loved the social work/mental health component. I guess 3rd or 4th act conflicts are not my thing, but enjoyed that the conflict was pretty low stakes. Oh and the build up to the spicy scenes was *chef's kiss*.

This is sort of way steamier Wall of Winnipeg ex-boss chases former assistant, but make it a driven, bisexual self-sacrificing mamasita bear heroine and the I-didn’t-know-I-needed heady combination of a Greek-Dominican ex-athlete heir to an empire. Though this majorly patient, long-game piner suddenly let loose to pursue is not my favorite set-up, Theo himself kept the home fires burning and the engine going with the heat of a melt-your-ass-crack Caribbean noon-day sun. Cause the spice in this? Ayayay. I'm talking when you immediately have to go back and re-enjoy scenes. First read from this author: Adriana Mami, where you been all my life? J/k I’ve seen the books everywhere, I’m just an idiot. But I like to think I make it endearing.

I really enjoyed this writing! It was snappy and so very contemporary. Like, I’m not hip enough for any of these characters (IE the use of “hip”). The banter and teasing got some good chuckles (which is major coming from me). I liked that, by impulsively devising the forced proximity of it all to go after Alba, our Papi Adonis Theo also found his own sense of purpose and passion outside of his duty for his family legacy. I’m here for the competence kink galore and the perfect circle of the former over-worked assistant being the one nurtured and taken care of while she follows her dreams.

While the hot, hot MCs and the fun writing won huge points, I had some struggles. They’re predominantly down to personal preference, so I won’t dock off too much.

This is not a “didn’t know what I had til it’s gone scenario" this is more “He has superhuman self-control and has been pining for three years waiting for pesky HR guidelines to not apply and then suddenly she’s gone”. So, much like Alba, we get overwhelming whiplash when the haughty ice man boss is now the flirting, agressively pursuing costar. And, I just did not vibe with him being all in and expecting some weeks of wooing to have her trust him, after years of impersonal work relationship. But conflictingly, I still felt for him, wanted her to give in and felt she lashed out at times. And I’ll tell you one thing that I definitely was not into and was surprised girl didn't blink, it just moved right on: I’m the kind of jealous reader that expects celibacy as part of the long-time piner devotion package and, maybe it’s me, but some “X days without any action” calendar math was not mathing. So explain yourself, Mr. Ganas.

Among my “who cares, but I did” observations, after him always pursuing, tentatively pushing, constantly putting the ball in her court and basically leaving a trail of drool as he followed behind her, I felt that third act drama needed to flip the dynamic a bit. And finally, you might like it but, though it is a clever bookish business she has, heavy reference to romance novels in my romance, takes me out of it.

But, culona butt, I’d say this is a fun, spicy read that will make you feel like one of the cool kids. Resplendent Latina heroine that is both bad-ass and vulnerable and her adoring, dirty-talking, asopao-cooking hot half-Greek god that gets extra bossy in the bedroom. Yep, you just might enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is snappy and well-written. I really liked Alba, her drive and her no-nonsense attitude. Her side-hustle business idea is so fun.

Unfortunately, there is no real romantic obstacle in this story. Theo is gone on Alba from the get-go. I also felt that Theo being a billionaire really unbalanced the plot. I think this story just needed a different hero, one with more limited resources who had some sort of compelling, competing priority. Oh, and a final small nitpick: his little joke of getting her name wrong is really overdone.

Rating 4.5

On The Hustle was a fun read. I loved both MCs and the side characters were incredible. Theo our MMC was grumpy, sure, he was also: supportive, attentive, doing all kinds of acts of service, Theo was just speaking my love language. He was also incredibly persistent. Alba on the other hand was a go-getter, strong willed, had a great work ethic, proudly bisexual, and overall kind to a fault. Her character flaw was that she was a people-pleaser so she always put everyone else’s needs first. Which made her quite grumpy. The side characters were fantastic too since they were also quite supportive and always looking out for what was best for Alba.

The vivid descriptions of the rooms that Alba worked on as part of her bookish side hustle were fantastic and any time there was mention of one it genuinely made me smile. I also enjoyed the whole reality TV drama, it was quite entertaining.

The description of Alba was relatively vague compared to Theo’s description which was well written and could give me a sense of his physical appearance. This wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, but it did nag me some times. Which is why I deducted half a star.

Overall the characters are well written, with strong background stories that can be relatable to some people. This book was fun and engaging and has a satisfying ending.

Read if you enjoy and are ok with:
🌶️ Spicy scenes, with a lot of dirty talk (18+ rec)
😡 Grumpy-grumpy MCs
🏣 Workplace romance (not boss/assistant)
♥️ Close proximity
🍿 Drama!
🧡 Found Family

This was so fun and so steamy! 👀 I love the first book in this series and I was so excited to see a second installment. It did NOT disappoint! I really loved seeing the extended friend crew again, and the two main characters were the perfect amount of frustrating and clueless without being annoying - I was never yelling at the book to “JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!” like I sometimes do in other romances. These were two adults who knew what they wanted, and just had to figure out a way to get EVERYTHING they wanted together. Can’t wait to see what Herrera has in store for us next!

Hold the door somebody, what a book!

Unfortunately I did not read the first book but I loved this stellar book that follows Alba the eldest daughter
who is tasked with doing better as the eldest but is also semi-tired about her life. Like most people she needs a break and heads off to Texas when she bumps into her grumpy ex boss Theo . Theo brings with him good news or just an offer she cannot pass on. On the Hustle has the spice, the goodness and the drama a romance needs. I love it. Highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I am a total pushover for a grumpy/sunshine forced proximity trope and this one did not disappoint.

In this one we have Alba, someone who is used to being the strong and in charge one and Theo, a rich person who wants to take care of Alba. Which of course leads to the whole "taking care of me does not mean you lie to me" 93% fight.

Over all, I liked this. It had enough spice to keep my attention, the over all relationship was good, though I really did not like a lot of the banter. That sounds rough, but for some reason it didn't work for me, but I was able to skim past most of that and get to the story.

I loved Theo and Alba! Their chemistry was sizzling, but I also loved that Theo knows from the start that he is in love with her, and she is the one that needs to reach the point of knowing she loves him. Alba is always doing something for other people or for her career but not for herself and her happiness. That was just so relatable, and I only wish we would have been able to see more of her focusing on herself. If you read the first one in the series, you will also get to see all the characters we got to know and love in book 1, but it also works as a stand-alone, and you definitely don't need to have read the first book.

Fav of the year.
This book has everything that I like and didn't know I liked in a romance book.
Alba the FMC is mustering up all the courage she has to pursue her passion and make it a successful business. That is so rare to see especially in the Latinx community. We are known to keep our head down and work work work. Alba is also a provider for her immigrant family. She assists and supports her mother, helps her sister out with college payments, and so much more. This really signifies an experience BIPOC people live in. Being needed in that way, where so many count on you to do well. So Alba's drive is unrelenting in this book. I know many people will identify with that.
That is where Theo steps in, megalomaniac (not really but its fun to call him that) CEO of a real estate company, steps in. Alba used to be his assistant and the book starts off the day she quits. We soon find out Theo has like her from a (professional) afar for the past three years she has worked for him.
Alba leaves NY to pursue some jobs in Texas and Theo finds her. They also get wrapped up in a reality home makeover show, where they HAVE to spend time together, and even room in the same home.
Alba starts to see a different side to Theo, and walls come down, then they come back up, and come down again. Its such a sacred thing us women do, to guard our hearts, being so vulnerable to open up to someone is so scary, I identified with Alba so much for that and so many more reasons.
I truly appreciated Theo's journey as well, he has to break free from the strict mold his father has always set for him. He also gets to show Alba how long he has wanted her, and that was soooooooooooooooooo good!
This book is amazing. I recommend to all!

This is fun, hot, entertaining! Did I mention hot before? ;)

Alba Duarte is kick-ass - with a dream job of creating book-themed bedrooms adult-style! She's super talented, dedicated, hart working, and finally ready to run her own company full-time, away from her seemingly cold-hearted but definitely hot-bodied former boss Theo Ganas. After all, Theo is a former Olympic swimmer and also heir to a real estate empire.
Both end up on a home improvement reality TV show in Dallas and sparks fly as Theo suddenly unleashes his charming, sexy power on Alba.

And while this is the 2nd book in the Dating in Dallas series, this can very much be read as a standalone.

There's so much to love about this book from the strong, competent heroine, to the hero who's absolutely gone for the love of his life, to the wonderfully supportive cast, to the superb writing, as well as the steam including the explicit consent and dirty talk.

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, he falls in love first, slight praise kink
Heat level; 4/5
Overall rating: 5/5 (I read an eARC and immediately pre-ordered a paperback for my keeper shelf!)

I thank NetGalley and the publisher Carina Trade for granting me the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication date in exchange for a fair review.

Content Guidance: white privilege, misogyny. struggling childhood, racism

After having binged both books in the Dating in Dallas series, I am ready to pack my bags and fly to Dallas ASAP. I loved watching Alba and Theo's dynamic go from grumpy boss and exasperated assistant to TV show co-hosts, friends, and so much more. Their banter was top-notch and I loved how quick-witted and sharp both of their comebacks were.

The steam in this book was also incredible. Adriana Herrera always delivers, but this book has blown all of her contemporaries I've read out of the water. I loved how unapologetic Alba was about her needs and what she wants out of her relationship with Theo. Even when she told Theo that she wasn't a suitable partner for a relationship, I adored how Theo still stuck by her side throughout the novel. The scenes where he takes care of her knowing that she's preoccupied with work were so freaking sweet. This man literally cooks for her, takes her on vacation, gives her a ✨massage✨, and so much more and it was the cutest.

I wish that we got to see a little more of their dynamic at the beginning while Alba was still Theo's assistant in New York. The beginning chapters were actually super fun to read in their POVs with Theo putting on a front as a stoic, meticulous boss while secretly pining for Alba the entire time, and Alba getting fed up with Theo's needs while secretly crushing hard. I also wish we got to see their dynamic as co-hosts of their renovation show because the premise of the novel made it seem like that was where their tension would start to deepen, but we basically didn't see any scenes of them actively filming.

Lastly, I do want to mention a couple of concerning things that were included in the novel. In the story, Alba is an avid reader and there are two references in which she alludes to A Court of Thorns and Roses and mentions The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Speaking of ACOTAR first, this series contains multiple harmful stereotypes and commentary about queer people and POC. The author herself has actively said and done things that have hurt communities of color, as well. Thus, I don't feel like a reference to this series should be included in the novel as Alba's favorite fantasy series, given that Alba is a bisexual WOC herself. Additionally, multiple Latinx readers and authors have spoken up against the poor Latina representation in Seven Husbands, and the way that Taylor Jenkins Reid continuous to include poor Latinx representation in her novels even as a white woman. I'll obviously let queer, Afro-Latinx readers determine how they feel with this, but it was just pretty alarming to see these two books referenced in this series that contains queer Latinx characters. I hope that Adriana Herrera and her team will consider removing these references before the book's release, if able to.

This was a fun book to read - alert - it is very open door. Loved the characters and how they went through so much to get back to each other.

This book was the perfect way to finish August! A great, quick read. Enjoyable characters. No book hangovers here. Just a good romance with a good ending. No surprise twists, no gut-wrenching losses. Just the best read for the end of the month, when you want a solid read that isn't going to hurt or last too long.

And, I am a sucker for reality shows (and books about reality shows). You'll be cheering Alba on, rooting for her happy ending. (Just like I was!)

"It's almost like looking at me makes you lose your focus." Swoon-worthy, indeed.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and publisher, Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin). All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publishing: October 11, 2022
Series: Dating in Dallas #2
Pages: 352

This is a first time read by Adriana Herrera, new author to this reader. What can I say about “On the Hustle”…it was such a wonderful and entertaining read. I love that Alba is a strong woman and was full of everything I like in a good book. This book was good from start to finish. The H/h were very likeable individuals and bring you plenty of chemistry and sexual tension to go along with the spicy banter which made it sooo hot. This is one that I highly recommend the read if you enjoy workplace romance that throws a bit of spicy Latina in to boot. Look forward to reading more from this author.

Alba is a hard worker — and she’s finally quit her personal assistant job to embark on her own journey. After years of working with Theo, Alba is looking forward to calling the shots and expanding her home design company… but Theo isn’t quite done with her yet.

I started off on board with this novel. I loved how dedicated Alba was to her job, while she nurtured her real passions enough that she could let them take over. Once Alba moves, I started to lose interest in here. There was a lot of internal dialogue and not a lot of action.

Theo, on the other hand, went from boring and misunderstood, to generous and multi-dimensional. I just really wish that the Theo of the future had been more aligned with the Alba of the past.

The rest of the supporting characters were not memorable for me — although, I did like the relationship that Theo had with his Step-mother.

2.5 stars, rounded up. Thank you Harlequin and Netgalley for the chance to read this for an honest review.