Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a decent book with fun characters. A light easy read for those looking to unplug.

I read this book twice. The first time, I finished it feeling like something was missing. I was afraid I had read too quickly, in my haste to find out what would happen next, so I read it again after taking several days to think about it. While I did pick up some details I'd missed the first time around, I still feel somewhat let down. I enjoyed the characters (for the most part), the setting, and the premise, but it feels unfinished. Too much time was spent on the wrong people, and not enough on the right one. Maybe an alternate perspective could have helped?

If you are looking for a quick, beachy read, this is a decent option. It's possible you'll see it differently than I do, in which case, come back and tell me about it! Either way, the story will have you laughing out loud at some of the absurdities of "reality" television.

* I received a digital ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

Ana Take Manhattan is a fast paced rom-com that shows an interesting behind the scenes look at the reality TV show workplace. Ana is a producer for a show that creates epic swoon-worthy marriage proposals, but she has struggled to find her own “happily every after”. As a woman who LOVES a good list, Ana takes inspiration from her long-ago ‘dream boyfriend’ top qualities list to mix up her dating life. Rather than waiting for a man who embodies all 4 qualities, she sets off to date four different men who each possess one of the top characteristics.

The pros: I really loved Ana’s inner dialogue; she was quick-witted, quirky, and could ‘produce’ the heck of even the worst date. I also enjoyed the sarcastic banter between her and her new editor, Richard.

The cons: I wanted more depth out of Ana and Gia’s friendship; their conflict felt superficial and, in some ways, unresolved. I also felt the ending was rushed and would have loved to read more pages on the romance development with Richard.

This was a super-fast and fun read but feel flat for me in the romance department.

This one was okay! I didn’t love the main character and things felt a little off. There were some fun parts and I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn’t a top read for me. The ending gets rushed along and I feel like more could have even been added. Still an enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and Lissette Decos!

Ana, for the most part is a very relatable character. Like a lot of women she just wants to find her dream guy. However maybe you can’t find everything in one guy? Or can you? 🤔

Ana’s best friend is the girl you love to hate. Gorgeous as hell and about to marry her dream man. However Gia doesn’t seem quite ready to settle down.

Ana produces engagements for a living so why shouldn’t she have high expectations? When one goes awry it eats at her almost the whole book. We get a conclusion of it at the end in a beautiful pilot.

There were parts of this story that just didn’t sit right with me. There was a fight between Ana and Gia which in my opinion Ana needed to tell Gia what she was really thinking and it had some major “Something Borrowed” vibes. When they made it up it was very anti climatic and didn’t fully feel resolved.

The ending felt rushed. Even tho it’s a Romance novel I wish it wouldn’t have ended how it did but instead include an epilogue of her career turn. I think it was relatable and smart and would have made a great addition to the ending.

Ana Takes Manhattan offered an insider look at the behind the scenes of reality tv and the life and love of the producer herself set to capture extravagant engagements.

While the premise was intriguing and a good bit of the character cast was fun to keep up with, I really struggled with connecting to Ana. The quirkiness of the lists was a fun element but got to the too repetitive mark for me and the appeal was lost. I also struggled with Ana’s relationship with her best friend, it felt one dimensional and forced in ways. This still offered some laughs and was an easy and quick read. If you enjoy books about the reality television life, give it a go!

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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Ana produces a reality TV show that helps create the perfect marriage proposals for couples ready to embark on happily ever after, but what she wants most is her own happily ever after. She has always had a list of qualities that the perfect man must have, but she decides if one man can’t fulfill every item, maybe dating four men at the same time will solve her problem. None of the four that she chooses are the guy she is dreaming about without having ever really met him, nor the new editor that has been assigned to her show that she hates.
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To be honest, I never fell in love with Ana like I wanted to. She never seemed particularly happy, even as she was stringing along various men with no real end goal. Her relationship with her best friend seemed very one-sided and she has separated herself from her family while still complaining that they aren’t close. I felt like I knew where the story was headed right from the start, and I missed the chemistry to get there. The television world was well-executed and fun to explore, but the romance missed the mark for me.

Ana Takes Manhattan
By: Lissette Decos
Review Score: 3 stars

Five Key Feels

-Ana’s job was so fun to read about.

-Gia seems to be a chaotic best friend, which Ana seems to need.

-I am glad Ana said yes to so many new experiences.

-The end seemed a bit rushed.

-This is a fun story, but I felt many of the characters were problematic.

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Ana Takes Manhattan was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 2/28/23

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Ana decides to accept dates from any man who asks her, and basically really learns about herself from each relationship. That part I like.

However, the characters in general all seem a bit chaotic, and honestly, I don’t even know how likable they all are. Her best friend Gia is getting married, but also sending half naked pictures to other men? Who does that? Why does Richard wear scarves all the time? What is with the outfits Ana wore to work each day, is there no dress code?

This book has a lot of potential, especially in the message of learning about yourself and what you want in a relationship, but the rest of it really fell flat for me.

When Ana, a reality tv producer, decides to check off everything on her list that makes a perfect man her life turns upside down. She ends up dating multiple guys who each have one quality she’s looking for just so she can say she’s found the “perfect man” by completing her list. This gets Ana into some pretty entertaining situations such as having paint flung at her and spit wads stuck in her bangs. But can Ana see what’s right in front of her? I wasn’t a big fan of Ana and found her self absorbed and insensitive but the story is entertaining nonetheless.

This was an okay read for me. I found the story to be predictable - and the endless lists got to be a bit much. I did like that the author linked her writing style to the main character of the story. A story that those who enjoy reality tv may enjoy

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley for an ARC of this book! I’ve willingly read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own.

ANA TAKES MANHATTAN follows Ana, a reality TV producer, who is juggling her competitive job, the lists and lists of things she wants to accomplish ranging from the mundane to the life-altering, and, now, four different boyfriends in her search for the perfect man.

Though the book had a lot of potential, I just wanted more. Despite dating multiple men, Ana’s on-page relationships felt extremely shallow. The reader only gets a small glimpse into her interactions with them, so I never truly felt the connection between any of the couples Ana was a part of. This was especially true of the man she finds herself ending up with. I loved their interactions leading up to the moment where Ana finally realizes her true feelings, but wish those interactions had gone deeper and been more frequent.

Overall, the pacing of the book felt a bit jumpy and unfocused. And as much as I empathized with and could relate to Ana’s struggles, and truly felt as if she ended up with an amazing man, I wanted the story to go to a deeper place than it did.

Ana relies on lists but when she finds one she made in college she is not able to find one man who fits the ideal of her perfect man, so she dates different men who each check off one quality she is looking for. Some of the characters in this book were hard to like and I felt as though some of the storylines could have been developed a bit more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance.

Ana produces romantic shows for TV but there’s really no romance in her life. Attached to lists, and things to check off, she finds a list she did back in college about the 4 things her perfect guy should have.

Unable to find 1 guy, she dates 4 guys, one for every item of her list. What follows is a journey of discovery and self empowerment; a realization that sometimes YOU are what’s between you and Mr. Right.

I liked this story but did have some issues with some characters. I didn’t get Gia, Ana’s best friend. I did not like her, I did not think she was an actual friend. I also thought Fernando was exhausting to read about. On the other hand, I loved Richard. I do think Ana and Richard’s story should have been developed a little bit more. I also did not understand Gia’s back and forth flirtation with other guys.

I did think it was a cute fun story.

Fun read about reality TV shows. I learned lots about them that I never knew before, even though this was a fiction book. The writer’s background in the industry obviously provided her with excellent insight. The end was no surprise, but I liked how the author got there. Had some interesting relationship situations that are atypical for the genre.

Ana Karina is a romance reality TV producer. She's really big on extravagant proposals and dreams about being swept off her feet. She always really LOVES lists. Albeit, only having 4 items on her "Mr. Perfect Man", finding a man who fits that list is seemingly impossible. Once her job is on the line, Ana refuses to put her life on hold and starts taking some risks in her love life. She’ll just date four men who each embody one quality.

A decent debut novel that shows promise and I will give this author another look.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!
I am, admittedly, a huge reality show fan. As a result, Ana Takes Manhattan not only grabbed my attention but held it. It's clear that Decos is personally connected to the ins and outs of reality tv which strengthens the novel. The characters in this book were interesting and kept you wanting to read more. However, I found the other characters to be more interesting than Ana herself. Regardless of the lack of connection I felt to Ana, the book was an easy, fun, reading and I ended it being glad I read it.

This was a fluffy, funny, fast-paced read. The beginning of the book started off strong and Lissette Decos knew her voice.

It should also be noted that this is a really slow burn romance, so if that’s something you love seeing in books maybe you should check this one out.

I really liked the moments between Ana and the love interest; their interactions were so cute, and I wish more of the book focused on them. I didn’t love or agree with a majority of the main character’s choices throughout the book. Her decisions were honestly a little frustrating to read and a large reason why I’m rating it three stars. Overall, I’m happy I got the chance to read this arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me this read!

Rating: 3 out of 5
Spice level: 1 out of 5

This was so cute! It was such a sweet, fun romance. Ana was extremely relatable and flawed and I loved every second of her chaotic life. Truly a treat to read.

Thank you to NetGallery and the publisher for a copy of an eARC.

Ana Karina is a romance reality TV producer. She's really big on extravagant proposals and dreams about being swept off her feet. She always really LOVES lists. Albeit, only having 4 items on her "Mr. Perfect Man", finding a man who fits that list is seemingly impossible. Once her job is on the line, Ana refuses to put her life on hold and starts taking some risks in her love life. She’ll just date four men who each embody one quality.

The premise of reality tv producer, the title which has Manhattan, and the cover all made me really want to pick up this book, but sadly it fell a little flat for me. I did not love the main character, Ana. She's really judgmental, always judging Richard, the editor she's forced to work with, even though Richard is a great guy who is always looking out for her best interests. I was also like really really annoyed with Ana's obsession with Landon, the dream guy she keeps measuring everyone against, even though she's never even met him. She judged him by his appearance. Ana also judges her step-mom and her dad for no reason. She's really unlikable. Ana's best friend, Gia is also super unlikable. There seems to be some unresolved jealousy between them and it's hard to believe that they are best friends and not frenemies. Also, what happened to Gia cheating on Matt (her fiance/husband) and texting all these other guys on her wedding day? She honestly seems worse than Ana.

Very predictable ending. I knew who her love interest would be from the start. It did feel a little bit rushed that he would be her ultimate love interest, but I really wish they built him out a little more. Other than being very observant, he felt very 2-d.

Overall, there were funny moments in the book and it's a quick and easy read. I give this a 2.5-3 stars.

This is a fast, cute read. Like a rom-com in a book. I liked it but wouldn't say it was fantastic. I thought the premise was fun and the reality tv element was enjoyable.