Everything to love about a romance novel - forced proximity, room-ance - literally the exact storyline of book lover Tara Chen!

Synopsis: Tara Chen is obsessed with reading the same romance novels (ahem, I think I love her because she is me). She's also had her heart broken many times - most recently by her ex-fiance, Seth. An interview on her book-lover Live stream gives her the idea to reach out to all of her exes again to understand why she's been consistently the dumpee and not the dumper - and whether she can make one of her favorite romance tropes, the second-chance romance, happen.

Let's remember that, because of her breakup, she needed to find a new place to live, so she took the spot at an apartment with Trevor. With the help of her brooding, standoffish, commitment-phobic, yet devastatingly handsome roommate, she reconnects with old flames while realizing that the love she's been looking for all this time might be under the same roof.

Tara is so quirky and extra in the most endearing way, and I love the dynamic she shares with her roommate Trevor right away. There's great flirting, tension, and some juicy scenes, but there are also adorable declarations of love and hilarious date stories. There are moments where the story dragged on a bit - like the book could have been a few chapters shorter - but overall, this was an adorable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a super cute, fuzzy, flirty and a slow burn romantic comedy that had me giggling, laughing and swooning in the equal measure!!

I loved this. It was one of those ones where you can't stop thinking about when you're not reading it. I loved everything about it and I seriously cannot wait to read the next one.

I LOVED this book so much! It was such a funny & sweet romantic comedy, but with a good amount of spice. The author does a great job of creating relatable characters. Who doesn't at some point in their life, think of past relationships and wonder...what if? Plus, sometimes all we see what was good about those relationships and not the red flags or issues that made it not work out in the first place. I was thoroughly entertained by this book and couldn't put it down!

tl;dr: I WOULD DIE FOR TREVOR AND I AM TARA.

This. Book. Is. Chef’s. Kiss. MUWAH!

We have a hot fire fighter roommate. We have a bookstagrammer heroine. We have friends to lovers. We have a list of ex-boyfriends. We have STEAMY STEAM.

We. Have. A. Winner.

I loved this book so much and I hope y’all read it ASAP! If you want to hear more of my thoughts, watch this whole video 💀

Super fun, slow burn, friends-to-lovers read. I loved Trevor and his quiet patience and dependability, not to mention that he was a super hot firefighter who was a natural born caretaker. I loved that Tara was a bookstagrammer but I wish she had more confidence. She was so fixated on that list - something we all have done and it made me cringe because Amy Lea captured it so perfectly. I saw a lot of myself in Tara. Definitely a great weekend or beach read and love that we revisit with some of the characters from Set on You!

This was an addictive, mostly happy, fun romance! Classic room-mate story of two people who move in together where no one thinks they would ever work as a couple.

Tara is a bit over the top BUT for good reason; after things got broken off with big d-bag doctor fiancé, she decides to go through her ex list to find the one that got away! Trevor is there for it all and helps her with her game to find the Flynn Rider to her Rapunzel.

Trevor is this sexy fireman (she finds out at first glance just how sexy from their scandalous meet ‘cute’). On the outside he’s a playboy for some deep emotional reasons, at heart he is beyond caring.

Tara is also a bookstagrammer so that was super fun being one myself and she loved food (same girl, same). Trevor is a man of a lot fewer words, super clean and keeps things to himself (sounds like someone I know even more so 🙋🏻‍♀️). It was really nice to relate to both main characters!

I enjoyed their chemistry and how she was able to help Trevor open up. I loved the Disney party. There were some 🔥🔥 scenes, whether dreams or not 😉. Tara’s Grandma, also a fabulous addition; especially as she started getting into social media. And one of my favorite things was the Boston setting 👌🏼.

I was immediately drawn in from the start of the book with Tara meeting a hot guy on the T…

I didn’t particularly like Tara’s friends. And I would’ve preferred a slightly different ending; each of them made some decisions I didn’t particularly love but every Romance needs a conflict! The Epilogue did finish it off very nicely!

A great read for LOVE 💕 month!

⚠️ Child illness, Fatal Fire, Death of a loved one

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Exes and O's was a love letter to Bookstagrammers, and such an absolute joy to read. I loved Set On You and was so excited to read this continuation of the Influencers series. While I force myself to work out, I didn't quite share Crystal's passion. With Tara, though, I was fully with her for every messy book stack that got left out on her living room floor.

I loved the snippets of Tara's vlogs in between chapters, and how her whole ex-boyfriend search was based on romance tropes. Any romance book lover will fully appreciate these scenes.

I loved Trevor, his backstory, and his patience with Tara. Tara got a little OTT at times with her insistence on completing the ex-boyfriend project, but Trevor was always there for her. I also LOVED Trevor's niece!

Amy Lea has solidified her position as an auto-buy author for me. I'm looking forward to Mel's book next!

Ever since I read SET ON YOU in the spring, I've been waiting for Tara’s story. I mean... she’s a book influencer!! Like what a fun and relatable nod to this space! But aside from that little tidbit, I was excited because I loved getting glimpses of Tara previously and genuinely just enjoyed this author’s writing.

As mentioned, this story follows Tara— a NICU nurse/ book influencer who has had her heart broken by guys over the years, but is still on the hunt for her happily ever after. Enter Trevor. Tatted member of the Boston Fire Department and Tara’s new roommate who has some baggage of his won. The result? Forced proximity romance with lots of tension, laughable scenes, and sweet moments!

Some things I really enjoyed was all the fun book/ trope references. If you didn’t know, prior to becoming a published author, Amy Lea was a bookstagrammer herself! So seeing those behind the scenes of Tara and diving into the bookish world through from another perspective was a blast!

I also liked how this book didn’t shy away from some deeper topics. For example, part of the premise is that Tara goes back to reconnect with her exes, hoping that one could be her second chance. Along the way it’s revealed that some of her exes saw her as “crazy”. Tara and the author vehemently argue against the use of this word to break that stigma of “crazy” women and I loved that so much! There were also other meaningful topics, particularly when it came to Trevor’s background too.

As for Trevor, he did take a bit to grow on me because he is a more complex love interest than what appears on the surface. (Plus it’s really hard to live up to Scott!) Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of how he handled the third act breakup, he still has his fair share of redeeming qualities (even with the Crocs!) and was the perfect complement to Tara.

Overall, I had fun reading this! The events of the story also lead up to a Valentine’s Day Gala, so its a great read with February fast approaching! So basically you’re going to want to check it out when it officially releases tomorrow!

I thought this was such a cute romcom perfect for Valentine’s Day, for romance readers, and for bookstagrammers alike! I loved that the female main character, Tara, was a romance book blogger on social media-what a perfect booksta read! This is also part of the Influencer series, so those of you that have read Set On You, will be so pleased to recognize some familiar characters, my favorite being Grandma Flo!

As for the plot- Tara, after finally mending her broken heart after a failed engagement, decides to take a page out of Grandma Flo’s second chance romance love story, and starts tracking down her exes in hopes of rekindling what was lost. Through her journey, she becomes increasingly aware of the potential right in front of her-her grumpy yet cinnamon roll roommate, Trevor.

I adored Tara and Trevor’s banter even before it turned romantic! This entire book was so humorous and had so many witty and laugh out loud moments. I felt the tension between the two was believable and really rooted for them as a couple given their past relationships/fears. Both characters were well written with relatable fears stemming from their pasts which led to a more emotional connection. There was some spice but it was well balanced and placed within the story. There was some miscommunication that felt a bit out of context and more so for the sake of having a tension filled fight right behind the inevitable make up and conclusion. I also found Tara to be a little extreme at times and immature but at the same time appreciated that she was unique to the typical female rom com Mc regarding her emotional feelings and pursuit of love!

Overall I highly recommend and can’t wait to read more in this series! Thank you so much to Netgalley. Berkley Romance for this gifted ARC!

Synpoisis:
Using her grandma as an example of getting a second chance romance with an ex, Tara is now determined to find The One from a list of all her exes that had potential. But she is going to need some help and that’s where her new roommate, Trevor, come into play. Not only has Trevor proven to be an excellent roommate, but he is a great wingman. But the more time they spend time together, Tara finds it harder to focus on her exes. Trevor does not hold the qualities Tara is looking for in a partner, but continuing to deny the attraction is becoming an impossibility.

Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this one!! Who would ever think that trying to reconnect with your exes would be a good idea?! I definitely would not. But it was so entertaining to step into Tara’s journey as she tries to have her own second chance romance from a list of her exes. Tara is such a joy. She wears her heart on her sleeve and isn’t afraid to admit it. When she finds a guy she likes, she goes head first and I can definitely relate to that. And Trevor **swoon** He isn’t your typical cinnamon roll nice guy. He’s grumpy and rough around the edges. But there is so much more to him than meets the eye. When he finally starts to open up, I was totally fangirling.

Only thing that I wish the book would have is a dual POV so we can get in the head of Trevor. But nonetheless, still a great read. If you love forced proximity trope then I recommend for you. Cute read for month of February.

Thank you SO MUCH NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this arc!

This was such a good romance, honestly one of the best I've read in a long time! I loved that Tara was a book influencer, and her obsessive love with romance novels was a little too relatable haha! Watching her and Trevor's friendship develop into romantic feelings was so cute, and it was obvious to me that he liked her so early on, IT WAS SO CUTE this is absolutely going to be going on my Valentine's reread list for next year. I have Amy Lea's next book already on my TBR list! I just loved this.

I thought this was a fun rom-com that made me smile and swoon! Tara was funny and sweet, and Trevor a sexy player with a hidden thoughtful side. My biggest critiques for this book was I found the romance to be slow for my liking, and thought multiple times how much I wished it was dual POV. But it was fun reading about Tara’s bookstagrammer life, her Ex List, and her and Trevor’s roommate turned friendship turned relationship develop. It is a great book to pick up before Valentine’s Day if you want a steamy slow burn romance!

Tropes:
💗 Slow burn
💗 Friends to lovers
💗 Forced proximity
💗 Bad boy/player

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free copy — all opinions are my own

Rating 5/5
Plot 5/5
Writing 5/5
Spice 3.5/5
Character Development 5/5

[I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book]

“Exes and O’s” is the second book in Amy Lea’s Influencer series. This book tells the story of Tara Chen and Trevor Metcalfe. Tara is a book influencer who has been in many relationships; however, they all ended with her partner being unable to handle her “clinginess.” Tara believes she can find a second-chance romance by revisiting a past relationship. Trevor is a firefighter and a new roommate to Tara. When Tara asks Trevor to help her reconnect with her exes, he hesitantly agrees. The more time the two spend together, the more they realize they have feelings for one another.

This was such a cute book!!! I really enjoyed the plot, and I love how relatable Tara is (she’s a book influencer, a hopeless romantic, and hella clingy like me LOL). The spice was really good, and there are so many memorable scenes! Trevor may be one of my new book boyfriends, I love how he treated Tara, and the way he spoke was chef’s kisses. I can’t wait to read more of Amy’s work!

Loved it just as much as the first one. Crystal will always be my favorite but this was def adorable and I loved reading about a fellow bookstagrammer.

I was grinning the whole time I was reading this book!

Tara and Trevor are just adorable together, and I love Amy Lea's writing. More from Amy Lea asap, pleeeeeeeeeeease!

Highlights:
- firefighter fantasies for all
- Bookstagrammer with a day job
- Strong women everywhere you look
- Pointed battle against the use of "crazy"
- Asian-America representation

Tropes:
- Forced proximity
- sunshine x grumpy

Tara is a NICU nurse by day (and sometimes night) shift while also pouring time into her Bookstagram, followers, and love of reading. She's a hopeless romantic with her heart wide open, even though it's been battered and bruised. Trevor is the firefighter of my dreams with a rotating door of women and the opposite, closed-off heart from Tara. Shortly after needing to move in with Trevor (a friend of her soon to be brother-in-law), Tara decides to find a date for her hospital's Valentine's gala. When evaluating her favorite tropes, Tara realizes that second-chance romance is her favorite and decides to hunt through her exes for a match.

The entire story is like catnip for book lovers. With Grandma Flo making a reappearance and discussing her real-life romance tropes as well as her favorite book tropes, Trevor's compulsion to alphabetize Tara's books in opposition to her aesthetic choices, and the multitude of tropes that exist in and around the main characters, I loved every second! Trevor and Tara's banter throughout is witty, supportive, and never-ending in the best way. The women in the novel, even in Tara's weakest moments, are so strong while also being honest in their struggles and flaws. This is a must read for any romance and book lover!

OH how I love a forced proximity/opposite attract romance. Exes and O's gave us that for sure. Amy Lea's sophomore novel was a delight. I loved the cameos of Scotty and Crystal.

In this story we get stage five clinger Tara and firefighter hottie Trevor. He is a lover of a one night stan, and she loves a good love story. She loves love stories so much that she is a romance book blogger. Hello twin!

This book lacked something that I have yet to discover. We did get a bit of depth in the characters here. We also have a good back story.

Overall, this was fun. I would recommend it with a glass of wine on a rainy night.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy!

5 Stars:  
Book: Exes & O's
Rating: 5/5
Author:  Amy Lea
Genre: Romance
🗏 Pages: 400
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn
Warnings: Fatphobia, Cyberbullying, Racism, Cancer
Readability: 4/5 italic font is used
First Line: The Gym is suppose to be my safe place. 

Things to expect:
Body Positivity
Boston Firefighter
Taylor Swift Vibes
Reformed Player


Amy Lea.... what have you done to me.  A romance novel-obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love. Addictive, steamy, humorous. Amy lea does it again with the follow-up to the brilliant first book in the influencers series. This is the slow burn we all have been waiting for. The Heroine of this one is not only a BOOK INFLUENCER but a hopeless Romanic, but this hit in all the right places. This is the follow-up to her first book, Set on You, and honestly, I loved this just as much as the first but probably more. I loved the pacing of this book and all the modern references. It's really like a Taylor Swift song that you can repeatedly play but read instead. I can't wait to see what Amy Lea comes up with next. Run for this one and get your library requests in now. 


Thanks to Berkley & Amy Lea for the advance reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun read! Roommates/friends to lovers and a sweet slow burn. All the tropes I love and enjoy. Great weekend read!