In Ana Takes Manhattan, our heroine is a reality television producer in New York City who decides she's fed up with looking for one man to check off every item on her list, and will instead date four--one fulfilling each item. She begins dating a hotter-than-hell 21 year old lighting technician, a decades-older famous artist, her BFF's romantic poet brother, and her comedian college ex-boyfriend. Everyone but Ana can see this is a spectacularly terrible plan, which is why she keeps it to herself--including from her BFF and then men. But when things blow up in her face, she realizes maybe her list wasn't the best approach, and there's someone else who is right for her...

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. In some ways it's fun and frothy and a Sex and the City Style romp (but without the sex, because despite dating four men, there isn't any). On the other hand, it drags a bit, and you're left waiting for Ana to finally realize her plan is absolutely terrible. My favorite parts of this book were actually the bits involving Ana's job, perhaps because I'm a reality television show junkie. I didn't dislike this book but it didn't blow my socks off either. I think folks looking for (a) a love story to Manhattan, (b) a heroine with an interesting job, and (c) lots of characters to keep things interesting rather than simply dual leads would enjoy this book.

Thanks to Forever for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Ana is one of the most chaotic characters I've seen in a while. The story starts off with her coming to the realization that she's very unhappy with her life. She is a reality tv show producer, but hasn't been able to produce any of her show ideas. She's in her mid-30s and single. She isn't very close to her father anymore since he remarried after her mother's death. She stumbles across a list she wrote in college, which has a list of qualities she wants her dream guy to have, and decides she will date a guy that matches each other the qualities on her list. This is where all the chaos ensues. This one had its funny, weird moments. I did enjoy reading this one, especially when it got into the deeper stuff that she was going through and never confronted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

-3.5 stars, rounded down-

Ana is a reality TV producer for a show about marriage proposals. Her best friend is getting married. But she’s stuck with her list - the characteristics of her perfect man. She decides that if she can’t find one guy to check all the boxes, maybe she should just start dating multiple guys that each check a box. But when that still isn’t perfect, she’s forced to face the idea that maybe nothing is perfect after all.

I loved Ana, especially her internal monologue. Her antics with the chandelier, and her variety of clothing predicaments, made me laugh. I didn’t really love the parts about her job…they seemingly spent weeks editing the season premiere episode, but hadn’t filmed anything for the rest of the season by the time it premiered? And her relationship with Gia was romanticized in some parts, but sounded really toxic in other parts.

Overall, I loved the way the ending came together, and the lessons that were learned.

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos is a fun read! This is very light-hearted book and I enjoyed laughing out loud at times. Ana Karina is a producer for a reality TV show and creates marriage proposals making every woman swoon. Ana hasn't been lucky in love herself and sets 4 main qualities she is looking for in a man. She decides to date 4 men at one time each with one of the qualities she is looking for. Let the games begin! This is a great for those of us who have watched more than our fair share of reality tv and looking for love.

Ana Takes Manhattan was a cute read that follows the story of Cuban American, Ana Karina, who’s a bit of a perfectionist. She’s big on to-do lists and if it’s not on her list or not to a certain standard level, she cuts it out. Which with her being a TV Producer, is very easy for her. On Ana’s current to-do list she has to plan her best friends wedding and come up for a new tv show pitch to continue furthering her career. Ana’s got one “list” in particular which sticks out amongst the rest which is her ideal man list. She’s so picky when it comes to dating that she just doesn’t. After being influenced by her gorgeous Brazilian best friend, she takes a leap of faith and begins dating 3 men at the same time that all possess a different quality she’s looking for. Will it blow up in her face? Quite possibly. I mean let’s face it… when does dating 3 men at once actually work?

All-in-all this was definitely a cute read. At some points I do have to say, Ana’s dialog or thoughts frustrated me personally with how OCD she was (lol). But it was fun to follow her along for the ride and see how her perfect match was unsuspectingly in front of her the whole time. I felt like the book could’ve ended differently and highlighted a first date or something more with this unsuspecting match (not trying to give away spoilers!) but the writing style was simple and easy and the book is definitely a good pallet cleanser if you’re coming off something heavy!

Ana Karina is a producer for a reality TV show that creates swoon-worthy marriage proposals. While an expert in love on the job, she hasn't found her own Mr. Right. As her best friend Gia's wedding approaches, she analyzes her list of the four qualities she is looking for in a man. Since she can't find anyone who checks off all the boxes, she decides to date four different men who each possess one of these qualities. Ana is also juggling pressure at work while having to deal with Richard, a new editor assigned to her.

Ana Takes Manhattan by Lissette Decos was enjoyable. However, I never fully connected with Ana feeling like her decision to date four men at the same time was a bit excessive and ill advised. There were some funny elements which enhanced the story, and it was entertaining to read about the making of such silly reality shows.

It's a cute book that will surely find its audience.

Rated 3.25 stars.

Ana lives by her lists. She loves making lists. Ana will make lists of her daily life, to lists of her love life, and everything in between.


She is a TV reality producer for a marriage proposal show. The show is going into its 10th and final season. With the show ending Ana thinks she needs to make a change. Her first change will be her love life, so she starts by using her dream guy list, and then goes out to find him.

By taking more risks she starts dating four very different guys at once. I was getting anxious for her at times trying to keep up with her dates. Each man held a quality that she was looking for. Seeing Ana taking a chance and going on some exciting dates was really fun.

It had the perfect unexpecting ending that I was so happy to see! It was a fun journey following Ana and watching her take more chances.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is appropriately labeled General (Women’s) Fiction as wanting a romance and having one are two different things. Ana Karin is a successful RV producer. The show she produces is beginning its ninth season and follows real people through dating to an over the top perfect marriage proposal. Much of the story takes place while she is fulfilling maid of honor duties for her best friend since college Gia. She has her perfect guy lists and no one is ticking all the boxes and so she tries to date a few men that meet some of her requirements.

This is a hit and miss kind of book. There are some genuinely funny lines and moments and some tender things too. But it is all packaged with a character that can be immature and one dimensional. There are glimpses of depth when she describes growing up in a Cuban community, her moms death and her dad remarrying a year later. I wanted her to talk to her dad about that or connect with her half sister. But the sisters wedding is played for laughs instead.

The men she chooses to date also are part of the roller coaster story. This is not a cheating book as she is not exclusive (nor being intimate) with the men. But it all seems chaotic to juggle them. I do get that she learns something from each relationship. But I didn’t feel a connection to any including the person that she actually who may end up the real deal.

And I was sad that the main friendship with Gia also takes a hit, making her more a bridezilla. I love best friends that support each other. And I wanted their issue resolved because it is a big part of the story. Otherwise Gia is shallow and not worthy of the friendship.

I like the cover and the guy she eventually chooses. The author has worked in tv so the show pitches and focus on editing and such all comes with authority. I get the idea of the story but I wish there was more depth or that when it is over that I cared more. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Iloved the premise of this book. A mature woman who is ready to find a love to last only finding Prince Charming is as easy as finding needle in a hay stack which seems to be the perfect analogy for finding the perfect man in Manhattan. Through her job as a producer on a reality TV show she helps plan and carry out elaborate proposals so she is surrounded by beautiful love stories but for some reason haven’t found one of her own. Through past relationships she has learned what she wants in a man, a mere 4 qualities. Why is this man so hard to find? One day decides to throw caution to the wind and date four men who each possess one of these qualities to see where it leads her.

I went into this book thinking it was a romance, however I would say it is more of a women’s fiction and a story of self-discovery. Ana might be an expert in romance at work but in her personal life things are a bit more messy. I thought the book was funny and I enjoyed reading it but it didn’t have much depth. I think Ana did learn something about herself in each of her 4 relationships but I would have liked to dive into that a bit further. We never really got to know the men very well and it was obvious from the start non of them were going to be a match for Ana.

I really didn’t like Anas best friend Gia, she is like a female version of a womanizer. She was a very fun and flirty character but I found her behaviour highly inappropriate considering she was engaged and it continued right up until her wedding day and was never addressed. On the flip side Gia had an issue with Ana dating multiple people though the relationships were all casual.

I would have loved to see more of the relationship with Richard. While we saw glimpses of his feelings starting to develop it felt like for Ana it came on very suddenly and for the most part she was oblivious to the signs he was giving off. I really didn’t see them being a match, he didn’t seem to check off many things on her lists of must haves and when they did finally get together the book was over. I really needed a bit more to buy into their relationship.

Overall a fun and enjoyable read but for me it was lacking in some areas, mostly because the subject matter screamed for this book to be a romance but really wasn’t.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I was all for this book, the plot was everything to me, and the author is someone to admire so I knew I was going to love this one. Then I started to read it and I will say this, the book made me laugh Ana is funny as hell, a woman who makes a ton of lists, and even created one for her ideal man. I REALLY wanted to see how this will work out, and it fell short for me, it was such a downer, I couldn’t put the book down because I really wanted to see if it will turn around but it for sure didn’t. I couldn’t build a connection with Ana, or any of the characters, they were all so damn confusing and when she finally found the person it ended right there, without us knowing what happened after.

I had high hopes for this! The synopsis was intriguing and the cover lends itself to being in line with other "best sellers" on the market right now.

It was ... ok ... but it could have been so much more! The main character's career is "cool" and the concept of finding "the one" but in four different "ways" was amusing to me. But it kind of ended there. I've sat with this for a week or so and I've decided that the story lacked depth, across the board.

After reading this, I feel like I still don't "know" Ana (the MC) or any of the other characters really. Nothing here tugged at my heart in any way. And there were some situations/scenes that seemed like they would play out as key/important later on but it never really happened.

There have been so many awesome romcoms lately they have set the bar really high so maybe I'm biased here. Overall, I'm glad I finished the book because it got me thinking about a couple of ideas in regards to relationships but it missed the mark in the end.

It's rather unfortunate to have to start this review by saying that I DNFed this one at 61%. I tried, really tried.

I didn't know what I was expecting when I requested this book, but when I saw the pitch as 'fans of Abby Jimenez', I knew I had to get my hands on this.

Sadly, this wasn't for me. I just couldn't connect with the main character, Ana, or with any of them. I can't get behind her choices and shenanigans that I realized I'm just not having fun anymore and wasting my time struggling through this book.

Still, thank you to Forever Publishing, NetGalley and the author for my early copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

I enjoyed this and it was an easy read, but I would’ve liked a little more romance. I enjoyed seeing Ana learn about herself through the four men she was dating and their relationships. I loved seeing and learning more about the tv show production and editing process.

I would’ve enjoyed more one on one time with Richard outside the editing booth. It was clear something was developing on his end, but it seemed like Ana didn’t pick up on much. I also loved the glimpses of Ana’s life in NYC. I will definitely check out more books from this author!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Ana Karina is a reality tv producer on a reality marriage proposal show. She can orchestrate these beautiful stories on screen, but her real life relationships are anything but romantic. She's feeling left behind as her best friend and younger sister gets married. So Ana decides to find characteristics in all her current love prospects and date them all to create one super partner. Ana should be on her way to her own happily-ever-after, but instead her life is getting messier by the second. Yet throwing caution to the wind may still bring Ana more than she hoped for as she begins to listen to her heart and realizes the life—and man—truly meant for her might be the one she never saw coming.

This was a quick, light read. I wanted to love this, but it just didn't hit for me. First off, I thought this was a romance book. The whole plot is about Ana finding love, but we don't see it at all in the book. We see Ana get drunk and follow along these four guys who she knows are bad for her (and doesn't even like) and knows she shouldn't lead on, but does nothing about it to change it. The whole time we were hoping one of the four guys she's dating to create her "perfect man" is gonna show up and be the guy she wants, and then in the very last minute it's like "oh maybe I like the guy sitting right next to me at work with who she fought with the whole book?"

I also don't feel like the story really reflects the title either. Ana has been established in NYC for years. She has the perfect place, job and friends. She has already taken New York. She is just trying to find the perfect guy. Also her best friend is highly unlikeable. Gia is actively flirting with other men, even though she's getting married, then chides Ana when she is seeing more than one person? That is not a true friendship thats a surface friend.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 2/28

This was a fun, at times laugh out loud book. Lissette Decos tells a story that shows no matter how certain we are that we know what we want, we need to be prepared to go with what life has in store. While the characters were interesting, I thought many seemed quite selfish and immature. This didn't really take away from the story or entertainment but I typically appreciate more relatable characters. Thanks #NetGalley #GrandCentralPublishing

I really wanted to like this, but that was not the case. It started really good and very funny, but then it just became repetitive. I didn't like the main character, she was really immature and did a lot of questionable things and tried to hide her wrong doings behind the "if she does it, so can I" that made her sound envious of who supposedly was her best friend.

At some point I thought of DNFing this book, but I pushed through and the ending was nice. I really liked that it had a happy ending, but again, it felt rushed. In other words, I don't think this book was for me.

Ana Takes Manhattan is about a woman in her 30's, who has everything in her life. It seems like everyone around her is getting married except for her. She is so focused on the wrong thing that she misses the right thing when it's standing right in front of her.

This book is more of Women's Fiction than a Romance because it focuses more of Ana finding herself throughout the process than the process itself. I really enjoyed the representation in this book being Cuban -American myself I could really relate to Ana and I would read books from Lissette Decos in the future. It felt like I was reading about my family in the book. I really enjoyed how she portrayed the family relationships in the book because they are so real, the friendships in the book and can we all say Gia is pretty awful?

I received and ARC via NetGalley and Forever Publishing as always all words are my own.

There was something really missing for me in this book. The main character just kind of seemed lame to me and I couldn't totally root for her, which was a shame because I feel like a book like this I could have really connected to. She was just super desperate and never totally got over that so it just made this book not amazing to read. Loved her best friend though, LOL

I was really excited to read this arc from NetGalley and Forever, but found it disappointing. It was just “okay”. I found it disorganized and lacking. I feel like the single urban girl trope has to have truly unique details to be a successful choice right now.

Thank you to the publisher for my e copy in exchange for review

As a reality TV producer, Ana Karina orchestrates extravagant marriage proposals for over-the-top reality TV shows. If only she could get the rest of her life to come together!

This is the debut novel for Cuban American author Lisette Decos. I liked the main character's list making and nods to her Latina heritage. I also enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look into the TV show pitches and all the set up that goes into building her shows.

For me, the exploration into her dating life was not as successful. I felt like there were too many unnecessary, superficial interactions that didn't really move the story along very well. I read more historical romance than contemporary, so I was really missing the deeper connections between characters. I didn't feel like any of the characters were fleshed out enough.

You might like this book if you're interested in more situational stories than romance. If you like single girl-in-the-city type books with some laughs, it might be for you.

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review.