This book was fun! I loved the nods to romance tropes throughout the book, and the tension and dynamic between the main characters was sweet and playful.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and #NetGalley for the arc!

Amy Lea has a gift for crafting relatable heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. This is the perfect book for the hopeless romantic in all of us.

Oh my goodness, I absolutely adored Exes and O's by Amy Lea. This book gave me all the classic rom-com vibes. I loved the slow burn between Tara and Trevor. And forced proximity, roommates to lovers is my cat nip. Tara's journey to find love was so relatable, as she revisited her exes to see if a spark was there -- and obviously those relationships had not worked out for a reason. These guys were quite the cast of characters. But when Tara and Trevor finally begin to notice one another, the sparks are ELECTRIC!! I mean who doesn't love a firefighter??

A romance novel-obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.

Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

I reallyEnjoyed this book. I felt I flowed super well and the characters are incredibly engaging. I can’t wait to purchase a copy.

This was literally To All the Boys I've Loved Before for adults! So cute and sweet.
Real quick I wanna get this out but Brandon needs his own love story because he is way too sweet and deserves to find a lady wiling to travel the world with him! Also, Cory can go fux himself! We don't stan him over here 😤

Tara and Trevor are so perfect for each other it's crazy! Tara reads like a high school boy crazy girl perpetually stuck in a grown adult body but she's honestly so cute and sweet. Trevor is a big fluff ball you can tell from their first meeting which unfortunately wasn't a very cute meet cute.
This book reminds me of something I did when I first started dating my husband (ten years ago now!) and I realized he was the one for me. I wrote letters to all my exes basically thanking them for not being the right one for me and all the circumstances that lead me to my other half. And then i burned them in a fire pit!
Anyways, that last chapter preview! I can't wait to read Mel's book!

I truly don’t even want to write this review. I just don’t think I vibe with Amy’s characters or writing and THAT’S OKAY! Not everyone is going to love every book and every author’s style!

I really seem to be in the minority here, but I didn’t buy the romance between the two main characters at all. The whole book Tara is pining for her exes, then suddenly is trying to force down her feelings for Trevor - but still looking for her one true love in her ex boyfriends? I’m going to avoid spoilers, but I just didn’t buy it at all and I didn’t feel any chemistry. As much as I thought I’d love a book about a romance bookstagrammer, I found so much of it cringey. Trevor was a gem. I’m very, very sad this book was such a miss for me.

I finally received my very first ARC from Berkely. I can’t believe it as I have probably have been declined over 10 times! So I was really excited to read and provide my honest opinion.

Tara is a NICU nurse and living with her friend Mel who is getting married to Scott. Tara is single and is a bookworm with a Bookstagram account and as a lover of romance books she has a few favourite tropes and loves featuring her opinions on books online on her IG page. Tara moves into Scott’s old place with his roommate Trevor and she walks in on Trevor having a moment with one of his hookups.

Tara finds the trope of dating your exes to find your love really appealing and has decided that she is truly ready to start dating again and is eager to fulfill her dream by reconnecting with an ex. She compiles a list of her ex-boyfriends she dated and slowly goes through the list in the search of her own romance.

This was a fun read about the different types of romance themes out there. At times this book had me giggling there were some really funny quotes “expecting to to be the exception to the rule is like eating Taco Bell and being shocked when you get mad diarrhea”. The story is adorable and relatable in many ways. I felt like dating some of my exes would have been similar scenarios. If you enjoy reading romcoms you would enjoy reading this. It is a quick read that you can read in one sitting or over a few days like I did. I would rate this 4.25 as would recommend it as a fun read to give you a distraction.

The actual trope in this book is one I haven’t read before and enjoyed it more than I expected to.

This book was Fantastic! Certain tropes don't always land the way authors want but this one landed on its feet! An excellent book and I highly recommend it to all. We sell it in my store and I have already sold a good number.

Got about 30% in and just couldn't stand the MC - she just seemed like a mess- doesn't eat fruits & vegetables (!?!), kept complaining about her mountain of debt, doesn't try ANYTHING new, came on super strong - I just didn't find her likable and it was really hard to root for her. Didn't feel like she had any chemistry with the male lead (he sounded hot!) and I wasn't convinced how they could actually end up together.

Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.

Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.

The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

4.5*
This was so cute and addictive, I missed my subway stop while reading it. Tara Chen is a nurse and romance bookstagramer and our main love interest is a firefighter *swoons*. I loved the romance tropes and bookstagram mentions throughout the book, it made Tara more relatable.

I really enjoyed the romance build up as the main characters go from roommates to friends to lovers. Their dynamic was really wholesome as they helped each other work through some of their baggage. I loved their banter and conversations, it made the progression of their relationship feel natural.

P.S. I enjoyed this so much more than Set on You. I didn't love Crystal's character and in this book she kind of got on my nerves.

Exes and Os is a cute, fun contemporary romance. Both characters are sweet, easygoing, and likeable. This book is perfect for those who like their romance light on conflict and angst. That's not to say that there isn't some steamy moments, though. I'd call this spice level medium without a lot of very detailed passages.

When I first heard about this book I remembered not even reading the synopsis. I knew from book 1 she was a romance book social media influencer. I didn’t need to know more than that. I immediately wanted to read it as fast as I could. I got an e-ARC, but I wanted to wait until it was closer to the pub date. And let me tell you, it was torture.

I really should have read the synopsis tho. Because Lordt that plot. Tho it was creative and I haven’t read anything like that before, but it was so cringey. Maybe it’s just because I am not a fan of exes, but I was not ok with that lol She definitely should have listened to all of the people that told her “Exes are exes for a reason” because ALL of them were shitty lol Ok not all of them, but enough of them were. And that was enough for me.

The romance between them was really cute tho. They were both idiots. They been liked each other, but I’m sure neither one knew what it felt like. I mean why else were they doing all this weird stuff like talking about their dates with each other? Like I can’t imagine the way she felt when she was offering pop tarts, or how he felt when she was telling him about each date? Like I don’t understand how he didn’t kill all of them? (Too much mafia romance? lol) But whatever, I was finally glad they got it together.

I also liked the way the bookish social media influencer part of her was showed. Lea must have talked to a real bookstagrammer/booktuber/booktoker or something because she did some of the same things I’ve done lol I definitely related to all the things she had done. From like the way she had everything set up to the leaving piles around the apartment because she did what she needed to take a pic and then left it right there lol It was so real.

This was very cute! This was my favorite in the series. Although they weren’t my favorite individually, I loved them together. And that epilogue?! Listen, I really hope she revisits them. I cried at that epilogue. I mean what bookworm wouldn’t? I can’t wait to see what else y’all this series has. I don’t know why, but I love the influencer aspect of this.

The next one is a fashion influencer and I don’t know how I’ll like this one. Fashion to me is some jeans and my J’s. But then again, I liked the first one ok and I don’t know a thing about fitness either lol I guess we’ll see!

I love reading books about books, but a book about a romance bookstagrammer? SIGN ME UP!

Tara Li Chen is a romance book influencer who loves romance tropes, Cheetos, and love. Unfortunately, her ex broke her heart, and now she’s being painted as the ‘crazy ex-girlfriend’ that’s ‘too much to handle’ that men run to the hills from. 

Enter: Trevor Metcalfe. A Boston firefighter and best friend to Tara’s best friend’s fiance - and Tara’s new (super hot) roommate. Who very much so loves a one night stand, and cannot stand to talk about relationships. 

Tara and Trevor are two characters that I really liked, and also really related to! This is the first book I’ve read that features a male love interest/hero who is non-committal and emotionally unavailable, but isn’t painted out to be some bad guy that leaves behind a string of broken hearts. There’s always the double standard that a woman who sleeps around is a slut, and a man who does it is a ‘player’ or a ‘real man’, but in reality, sometimes men also get painted in a bad light if they prefer one night stands to relationships (and sometimes it’s just because they suck as a person.)

Like, I’m sorry, but if we want to eliminate the normalized double standard, we also need to re-evaluate how we view just about anyone who prefers sex to romance/committed relationships. 

Okay, now I’m off my sex-positive soapbox! This is my second book from Amy Lea, and her humor and relatable, yet polished writing really shines through in her sophomore novel. Lea has always been funny, but I think this is the most I’ve laughed while reading! I also really appreciated how Lea approaches the idea of owning your happiness and passion, and not being ashamed to be yourself with Tara. If someone truly cares for and loves you, you will never be ‘too much to handle’ for them. Whether it's friends, loved ones, or a romantic partner - they like you for YOU, and that includes the good, the messy, and the bad. It's a much-needed reminder, especially during a time where I feel like so many people are ridiculed for knowing what they want out of a relationship, or having expectations for their partner.

All in all, I really enjoyed this steamy and oh so fluffy romance! It’s the perfect read for the big romance lovers, Valentine’s Day lovers, and romcoms.

I'll start by saying that I loved the easy going writing style and the story! I am definitely going to keep an eye on Amy Lea's books in the future.
I think what didn't work for me in particular in this book was Tara. I just did not relate to her at all and her obsession with being with a man and being in a relationship. I just found Tara to be so dense and at times very annoying. I could MAYBE expect this from a younger character, but 30??? Come on.
Props to Trevor for loving her despite her "boy craziness" lol

Overall I did enjoy this book and I will read more by Amy Lea in the future! I hope to read Set on You soon!

This book was fine, even good but I had really high expectations & hence just felt something's missing.

I was very very excited to read this one ever since I've read it's sneak peak in Set on You. And getting its arc was just an another level of joy, really!

It started in a great way, it was extremely hilarious & I loved it.
Tara & Trevor's first meeting, omg!🤣🤣😆

But then this book got slow, like extreemely torturously sloowwwww.

Though there were a number of moments here & there that I loved & enjoyed.
Also the epilogue's is extremely sweet🥰


Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC

I enjoyed the first book in this series but loved this one. The banter was great and I literally laughed out load several times. The incident on the subway (no spoilers) sent me!! It was a slow burn, but I enjoyed it. I loved all the booksta and book trope references. The characters were super lovable. Looking forward to reading what’s next.

Wow, talk about starting my 2023 reading out with this romantic hit! I fell hard for Trevor. I wanted Tara to be my best friend since she’s also a bookstagrammer and works in healthcare. I loved all the little moments between Trevor and Tara in this forced proximity romance. I also thought “returning to the exes” was excellent and entertaining because dating is terrible. I loved Amy Lea’s first book, Set on You, so I was happy to have those characters throughout this story. It has all the parts to make it a great romance. I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was perfect as well. It’s early to say this, but I know Exes and O’s will be one of my top 10 favorite romance books of 2023! Do yourself a favor and read this book ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

Set On You was one of my favorite reads last year, so I jumped at the chance to read Amy Lea's new book as soon as possible.

This book was adorable and heart warming right from the beginning. Tara, like many romance heroines, is trying to piece herself back together after her last relationship tore her to shreds (also, her ex fiancé, Seth, is such a douche). After her grandmother's successful second chance romance, she decides to take on the task of meeting with her own list of ex boyfriends, guided by her grumpy roommate, Trevor.

Over the course of the book, we learn that Tara has been falling for the wrong sort of guy, being called crazy and clingy for wanting open, honest communication from her partners, so much that she has convinced herself she is completely unlovable. Trevor's icy exterior melts the second she barges into his life, and he shows her all the ways that she is wrong.

I absolutely adored this second installment from Amy Lea. As someone who has identified with Tara on many occasions in the past, it was both terrifying and cathartic seeing past mistakes play out on the page. The book itself was well written, and I was drawn into the relationship that developed between the two main characters.

Loved this book! Can't wait for more from Amy Lea.

This book made me feel all happy and giddy! I absolutely LOVED IT!

This was a grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, roommate to lovers book and I seriously ate this story up!

OK, first off, Tara was a fantastic female main character. I could relate to her so much! She loves love and believes in happily ever afters and loves to read romance novels. She has had a hard romantic history with men breaking her heart. Men thinking that she was crazy and too much! But she never lost hope! And she always thought that she will still find love. And that made me so happy and hopeful!

Now Trevor!! holy shit y'all I couldn't stop swooning!! He started off as your typical playboy. But fell hard and fast for Tara once she was in his life. He was so romantic and sweet with Tara. He opened up to her and loved her so fiercely. It made my heart so freaking happy.🥰And best of all he loved, and accepted her for who she was, and gave her that happily ever after she was looking for! Oh my gosh, I am so in love with the story.😩 when is it my turn to be happy y'all?!

I will never lower my standards after reading this book!😌💖

The steamy moments were absolutely wonderful. They were so intimate and romantic. I love the way that they were written! Trevor and Tara's connection really had my heart pounding! 🔥🤭

Amy Lea really killed it with this book. It was fantastic! I adored the romance so much in this book, and I will be thinking about it for a long time. This is the romcom that y'all need in your lives! I highly recommend!💖