After reading Amy Lea's first book "Set On You," I was positive that I would love all of the works that would inevitably come after. "Exes and O's" absolutely met (and exceeded) my expectations!

Tara Chen is an avid book reader. The kind of book reader that has a solid Bookstagram following. The kind of book reader that, beyond all reason, believes in true love and desires to live out every romance trope. After getting the idea to contact all of her exes in an attempt to live out these romance tropes (second chance love, perhaps?), she sets out to make her dreams of true love a reality.

Firefighter Trevor Metcalfe, Tara's new roommate, is a revolving door of sexual partners. Determined to avoid settling down at any and all costs, Trevor doesn't entirely believe that Tara's goals are achievable, but he still agrees, reluctantly, to help her find her love.

Neither of them anticipated having feelings for each other, so they both try to tamper them down before they get in the ways of their goals: Tara's true love quest and Trevor's non-committal lifestyle. How long can they deny the sexual tension before they both give in?

Exes and O's was an absolutely delightful read, and I can't wait to see what Amy Lea comes up with next!

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

Tara is a true believer in romance. As a romance bookstagrammer, that shouldn’t be surprising! She is starting to move on from her broken engagement.. beginning by moving out of her sister’s apartment and in with a new roommate, Trevor. She is also ready to look for love again and what better place to start than revisiting all of her previous ten relationships for some insight? With Trevor’s help, she reconnects with all of her exes. Will she find love (again) or is it better to leave the past in the past?

Ok so this was CUTE. I enjoyed Set on You but wasn’t blown away with the chemistry between the characters and I feel like that was corrected 100% in Exes and O’s. I also loved that Tara has a bookstagram! This was a great slow burn with so much tension. It is a single POV which isn’t always my preference but it worked for me in this case because Tara is so hilarious and Trevor’s affection for her is evident via his actions in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review!

Suuuuuuper cute slow burn, friends to lovers, close proximity, room-ance! ❤️

This book is so cute, there’s really no other way to describe it. Tara is revisiting exes to get to her second chance romance and her roommate Trevor is along for the ride. This book is full of lots of pining, nods to bookstagram and book review life, pining, and holy mother of slow burn tension.

I loved Tara and Trevor together, their conversations and the sweet way they had about each other was soooooo cuuuuute. Seriously this book is so cute. The build up was driving me absolutely insane (I am not a patient person) and I was skimming for a bit because for the love of all things could these two gonna stop cock blocking themselves already?! Gah. There are so many moments in this book where it’s so obvious to me that Trevor has all the feels for this girl and when he puts on his boyfriend relationship pants and starts to woo this girl 😭🥹✨ It was so epic and I sighed and hugged my ebook so tight. The thoughtfulness of this tattooed firefighting man!!!

I really think this book would make the cutest rom com movie ever with its absolutely hilarious intro, AWKWARD AHHHHHH meet cute, lowerish drama at the end and omg the overwhelming sweetness that is the epilogue 😭❤️ Seriously. How many times can I say how cute this book is?

So cute.

4ish stars for the slow burn that wanted to kill me, but 5 stars because how can I dock it a star because of my own impatience?

ARC provided by the publisher, review is my own!

This was a cute book and I really liked the main characters. Tara could be a bit much but I like that she owned it about herself. Some of the things she did veered from relatable to cringe worthy, but I liked the book overall and I really liked Trevor.

This copy was kindly provided to me by the publisher and netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I love this one even more than the first. Do I totally believe in Trevor's progression from total playboy to ready to commit as fast as he did? Maybe not. Did it bother me? Not at all. I loved him. Loved how he interacted with Tara and their relationship. I loved Tara's bookish ways, her use of tropes, her optimism and growth by the end of the book.

I am beyond excited for the next book in this companion series. I find Amy Lea's books fast, entertaining and overall pretty good books.

“Since the day you moved in, I wanted you,” he manages. “I’ve never wanted someone so bad in my entire life. You’ve wrecked me.”

Tara loves love. She’s a romance novel enthusiast but unfortunately her own love story doesn’t have a happily-ever-after. She’s gotten her heart broken ten times by ten different men for being a “five-stage clinger” and dubbed as the “crazy ex-girlfriend.” Tired of being single, she decides to go on a second chance romance quest by dating all of her ex boyfriends. But maybe the man for her has been the one that’s been living under the same roof with her, her roommate: Trevor. The man who doesn’t like commitment and is more of a one-night stand type of person.

💘READ IF YOU LIKE💘:
- grumpy x sunshine
- friends to lovers
- roommates
- opposites attract
- wingman
- forced proximity
- romance bookstagrammer x firefighter
- disney references & The Bachelor
- Valentine’s Day
- Crocs
- grand gestures

cw: emotionally abusive ex, gaslighting, death of loved ones, abandonment

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the advanced copy! Exes and O’s is available on January 10, 2023!

OH MY HEART. Amy Lea has swiftly become one of my fave romance authors with this darling sophomore novel, Exes and O's, to follow her charming debut, Set On You. This friends to lovers, forced proximity, roommate romance had me swooning, laughing, blushing and feeling all the feels. The chemistry between Tara and Trevor was off the charts and the palpable romantic tension had my heart aflutter. Lea's smart, heartfelt and genuine writing had me connecting quickly with the characters and becoming invested in their relationship. The supporting characters and storylines were also great additions to the overall story and the pacing was perfect. I absolutely LOVED the bookstagram + romance trope elements- they were so fun!

I loved that themes of self acceptance, self care, and self love were explored along with thoughtful consideration of mental health. I truly appreciated the author’s note at the beginning as well.

Thank you so much to Berkley Pub + Berkley Romance + Netgalley for my copy.

Nurses and bookstagram, book challenges, stacks of books everywhere, and dreaming of book boyfriends is basically my life. I related to Tara so much as a person and this book was truly a joy to read. Tara and Trevor were so fun to get to know. Is slow burn for everyone? No. But this book made it work SO WELL. Without it I don't think you could have truly connected to Tara and Trevor. It was done so well, with lots of laughs, secret pining, spicy dreams, and swoony moments. Though once they finally get passed the friend zone. Hot. Hot. Hot. I also felt the insecurity from Trevor so much as the end. Its hard to be with someone who feels so deeply when you can't express that as well. Even without his POV I think Amy really lets his emotions shine and I loved him just as much as Tara. Tara is the crazy ex-girlfriend meme and you learn throughout the book how she isn't crazy but she CARES so much, she cares beyond most people's capability and she isn't scared to love BIG. We need more Tara's in this world and we shouldn't have a society that crushes their spirit. I would recommend to everyone under the sun.

I loved Set on you but I think this sequel featuring Crystal's romance book obsessed social media influencer/nurse sister, Tara is even BETTER!!

It's very possible I'm biased as a romance loving bookstagrammer myself, but this forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, friends to lovers room-mance gave me all the feels. Recently, dumped, Tara moves in with Trevor, a hot firefighter allergic to commitment but with a secret big heart.

I loved how Trevor helps Tara go through her ex list looking for 'the one that got away' so she can have her very own second chance romance. Eventually Tara realizes what she really wants isn't in the past but is right in front of her, if only Trevor is willing to take a chance on what could be.

Swoony with the SWEETEST ending. I can't recommend this book enough. I really loved that Tara wasn't afraid to be her big romantic self, despite a toxic ex who constantly told her she was too much and gaslit her.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Now for book three!! Canadian author Amy Lea can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned!

This book was SO cute. All of the characters were so extremely likable (except the ones who weren’t supposed to be liked of course) and I couldn’t put it down!

****The only thing that I noticed and wanted to point out is that in the book she says Rapunzel has a pet frog and it’s not a frog it’s a chameleon!! ******

Otherwise this book is freaking perfect.

Amy Lea's voice and writing style are highly enjoyable and so easy to become engaged with. I am eager to read more from her! While Tara's personality was not my cup of tea, I still enjoyed this romcom and the tropes of grumpy sunshine, slow burn, roommates romance. Trevor is absolutely crush worthy, and I was happy to see he didn't want her to change or not be herself.

After having read both of Amy Lea's novels, I'm a really big fan of her writing style! Exes and O's, especially, was incredibly funny and I found myself laughing out loud numerous times at the slapstick-worthy events that unraveled in this novel. Tara was a really fun and relatable character to follow, and I empathized with her so much over her struggle to take back the misogynistic take of being a "crazy," "clingy" woman. I love how obsessed she is over reading romance books, and I was really proud of her for standing up for herself and her standards for finding love.

Moving to the actual romance of the book, I think I enjoyed the romance in Set On You more than I enjoyed the romance in Exes and O's. I didn't feel that much chemistry between Tara and Trevor compared to Crystal and Scott. This book does feature a slowburn romance (which I think was still portrayed naturally), compared to the insta-lust of Set On You, but somehow, I found it hard to believe that Trevor had feelings for Tara (just like she did, I suppose). Overall, I think fans of Set On You will still really enjoy Exes and O's, and I look forward to Mel's story in The Catch!

4.5**

No because a book featuring a book lover who loves romance books and second chance romances? Imma eat it Tf up. As a book lover and a hopeless romantic this book made me feel so single like I wanna live out Tara’s experience 😫 Second books are usually the best in a duology and this book is proof.

You know how you see those Tiktoks “when the slow burn is finally burning” this book made me feel that for the first time. It was like being kept in a slow cooker and waiting for the whistle to go off and when it did you’re just so relieved like yes finallllyyyyyy. Tara is so relatable with her love for romance books, leaving books in piles around her apartment, but with her love life ahaha idk can’t relate to that *cries in single*

I did not want to put this book down at all, the writing style the personality of Tara AND Trevor, I love. It was like a movie playing out in front of me and will always love books like that.

Words cannot describe how much I love Trevor like he would bring Cheetos and drop it on her lap while she would read?? Or when he was going to get snacks and she said she doesn’t want anything but he still brought her Cheetos??? HELLOOOOO???!!!

January 2023 is too far away for a release day, like I need someone to obsess over this with😭

Tropes you’re gonna love:
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Forced proximity
-Roomates
-Slow burn romance

Thank you NetGalley & Berkeley Pub for this eARC I can’t thank you enough for blessing me. Hope your pillows are cold on both sides bestie <3

This is the year of books written specifically for *moi*. Because as a "crazy" ex-girlfriend and prolific crush-haver, I related so much with Tara. (And that doesn't even begin to talk about her influencing and book loving!). With a bucket list of exes, Tara tries to find out what went wrong in each relationship and if there's still a spark left. Yet all the while, the heat with her roommate Trevor continues to grow. Honestly if a man is actively watching The Bachelor with you, wife him up. But more than that, I loved how vulnerable Tara is throughout and the mushier side we get to see of the normally stoic Trevor. Also the third act conflict didn't make me retch, so that's always a plus.

I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to read a cinnamon roll romance, grew up wanting Belle's library, or just wants to fantasize about hot firefighters in crocs.

*Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is addictive, extremely hot and humorous forced proximity room-ance!

Heartbroken, bookworm, Cheetos monster, true romance believer nurse Tara Li Chen is all set for starting over. She’s moving out to replacing Scott to share an apartment with his colleague Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe!

After getting mugged by a potential romantic lover in the subway, her day gets more surprising when she’s welcomed home by her new roommate who’s completely naked and boning a redhead lady at the kitchen.

This is not a great scenario for meet a cute. This is mostly meet a dic… okay I’m correcting as meet a disaster scenario.

Thankfully Trevor who reminds us a wallbanger at the first month stops bringing women to their shared place but he keeps getting irritating untidiness of Tara who loves to her books scattered around the apartment.

Tara still makes her Tara romance queen videos for sharing her feelings with her audiences as a devoted romance believer. She decides to make a list of her ex boyfriends and give them another chance after hearing her grandma’s second chance love story.

Maybe she made a terrible mistake during her relationships. People can change, evolve, grow up to a better version of themselves. Maybe one of her exes will help her to catch second chance in love.

She talks in his new roommate’s ear to help her with her project. Trevor acts like a womanizer, king of one night stands, is doubtful about second chances. He’s closing himself behind emotional barriers. But as soon as he decides to help Tara for finding her dreamy ex, he becomes more open about his secrets. They start to form a unique and intimate bound, becoming close friends, talking about relationships at hot tub! Yes, things get a little hotter at each chapter including Tara’s erotic dreams about her roommate!

Tara gets mixed signals from Trevor and she doesn’t want to read too much into it but what if she stops chasing her exes for finding happiness? What if her HEA is just standing in front of him sharing a Cheetos bag, watching next episode of Bachelor with her?

Normally I don’t like manwhore heroes but tight lipped, emotionally unavailable Trevor was too sweet to get mad.

I love author’s sense of humor and amazing chemistry between Tara and Trevor! I loved this book more than author’s previous work. So I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 for the love of all CRAZY and CLINGY EX GIRLFRIENDS!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

✨It’s giving mid 2000s romcom✨

This book exceeded all of my expectations. It was polished, funny, and so fricken FLUFFY. It was a love letter to people who romanticize love letters and Valentine’s Day and entirely-innocent-but-what-if… eye contact in public spaces. It might as well have been written on pink signature-scented stationary addressed to me personally in hand-lettered calligraphy.

If you expect to find your soulmate every time you enter a bookstore, this is the book for you. Would you answer a random craigslist apartment ad specifically for the 1% chance you’ll recreate New Girl? Yeah? Then this is the room-mance for you. It’s puppy in a cup and Green Light in an elevator. It’s a seven season slow burn but I swear it’s worth it.

✨

Exes and O’s is truly an adult version of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, dreamy hot tub scene and all. I’m not going to give much away, at least not until closer to pub day, but let me tell you the way I SCREAMED. Sweating emoji for days. My already impossibly high standards after reading this book? 📈📈📈

Pretty much every quirk of book one was ironed out in Exes and O’s. The scope of the main relationship was perfectly developed with enough mystery and swoon. I thought the third-act breakup was handled in a tame yet dramatic fashion. If single POV isn’t your thing, you may disagree with me, but I’m so fricken jazzed we only got Tara’s POV. I thrive on the mystery. The completely platonic touches! glances! I-will-tar-and-feather-any-man-that-gets-within-fifty-feet-of-you protectiveness!

I think, nay, I KNOW this is my favorite friends-to-lovers contemporary romance I’ve read. It was perfectly executed and so fun. It may not seem like a lot and yes the bar is extremely low, but I actually laughed. Like this is an actual honest to god romcom. I’ve been charmed.

✨

Trevor was a 6 foot 4 piñata of steamy Sex God aloofness. Each chapter was a direct hit into his hidden stores of Certified Hero Material. Speak softly, carry a big stick, and let me at him. I was an absolute lush, hoarding each piece of him we won along the way. Just when you think he can’t get any more delicious? Whack. Metaphorical candy = everywhere. Literal list of things I wouldn’t let him do to me = nowhere to be seen. Trevor Metcalfe is like a box of chocolates, try everything once.

✨

Tara is for the romance girlies aka all of us. She’s Lara Jean meets Jessica Day meets the 🥰 emoji. She’s got a bookstagram (but not enough followers to make you feel inadequate, she never even lists her count) and she too leaves scandalous novels laying around in hazardous piles. She’s so relatable I thought this was an autobiography, until you know…the romance. I know not of what you speak.

Like every hot girl, Tara overshares on the internet! Hot girls also get interrupted during the sex scenes in audiobooks. Bonus points if it’s overheard by your incredibly gorgeous roommate, in the kitchen, where he cooks for you.

Tara: 3; Hannah: 0.

✨

I loved the message of owning your enthusiasm and being unashamedly yourself. Tara was consistently told she was “crazy” and “a lot to handle,” and wasn’t taken seriously because she was “too emotional.” Blank Space is truly the perfect anthem for this book, filled with the perfect message: If they’re the one, they’ll never think you’re too much. Think Mark Darcy loving Bridget Jones. Also Trevor Metcalfe can fill all of my blank spaces.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶*/5

*I was personally wayyy more invested in the sex in this book. It was majorly slow burn compared to book 1, but damn when the burn burned. It also hit differently because I love them so much and am absolutely projecting. It wasn’t that explicit and you only got two scenes, but I sure did have a great time.

Amy Lea has done it again. She very well could be the newest expert at the slow-burn, pining and longing of romance stories.

This book was a slow, slow burn. It's like a roast you put in the crock pot. You smell it all day while it's simmering and cooking. You just know it's going to be deeeelicious when it's finally time to carve into it.

Yep, same kind of situation for Tara and Trevor.

At first glance, you would not think the two characters would be compatible. She's his new roommate who likes to talk a lot. He doesn't. He's also got a long list of women he "entertains" but is not ready nor wants a "real relationship."

Tara, meanwhile, is going through her list of exes trying to find out what went wrong and see if any are up for a rekindle. She is definitely ready for a real-deal relationship.

I liked the sub plot of Tara examining her old relationships to see where she went wrong.

Trevor was the ultimate in cinnamon roll being a great guy who took an interest in everything Tara talked about, including her exes list.

My only hesitation is I thought Trevor was a bit too unrealistic. He was great with Tara, his friends and family, but he seemed almost too perfect. Yet he felt he didn't measure up to Tara's dreams of being with a guy who was basically the equivalent to a Disney prince. I think Trevor could have used a couple of more flaws.

Nonetheless, I loved the slow-burn and pining Tara and Trevor had through the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an e-copy of EXES AND O'S to review.

I rate EXES AND O'S four out of five stars.