This book. Wow. I love this book so much.
Tara and Trevor gave me all the feels right from the start with cute banter and tension you could cut with a knife!
Tara does an apartment swap so her roommate and sister can live with her boyfriend, now she has to live with serial non-dater and firefighter Trevor. Tara is a romance book fanatic who decides to follow her heart, and her favourite romance book trope, to orchestrate a second-chance romance with all her exes but she needs Trevor's help!
I read this book before reading the first book in the series, Set on You, about Tara's sister Crystal and Trevor's best friend Scott so I will definitely be going back to read about them and everything else by Amy Lea in the future!

Tara Chen is a nurse in a children’s hospital and a bookstagrammer/romance fanatic. Exes and O’s explores the idea of second chance romances- is it worth trying to rekindle a romance with an ex or is it just failed to work once again. Tara has recently been dumped by her fiancé and decides that it might be worth reconnecting with her exes to see if she can have the perfect romance and walk off into the sunset with “the one”. And every heroine needs a trusty sidekick, so she enlists the help of her new roommate Trevor.

I loved how Amy delves into the myriad of romance tropes and the stereotype of the romance reader in this story. Tara isn’t the easiest of characters to like at times- she’s obsessive and a bit of a stalker so it was hard to warm to her. Trevor on the other hand, is the standout character for me- fireman, kind-hearted, loyal but terrified of relationships. There is some hilarious banter throughout this story and if you like the forced proximity, friends to lovers tropes and slow burn romance, this is the story for you.

A cute, contemporary romance that you can fly through in one sitting, Exes and O’s is out on January 19th. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the arc.

I’m so sorry to the publisher and Amy Lea but I had to DNF at 50%

Tara was such an unlikable character for me and she was honestly getting worse as the story went on, I thought she’d start changing her ways and better herself but she just got creepier and more obsessive.

I’m sure it works out that her and Trevor get together and it all works out but considering she is the epitome of everything he hates in a girl I don’t see how it’s going to be believable.

I had such high hopes for this book. The premise sounded right up my street and would’ve been a fab way to end my 2022 reading. Unfortunately the plot was cringey and I honestly thought I’d lost my eyeballs to the back of my head the amount I rolled them.

It felt a bit of an insulting stereotype of romance readers and I’m so disappointed. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this, I’m holding out hope for her next book!t

Exes and Os was such a cute read! It had the roommate trope, and I loved all the bookish and bookstagram references (though I have to say I don’t look for book tropes in real life).

Tara is determined to find her second chance romance with one of her ten exes, with the help of her new roommate, Trevor. I absolutely loved Trevor. He is a firefighter, he is hot af, broody, and caring and he has his flaws, meaning he is the perfect bookish boyfriend. Also, he loves Tara the way she is, even though she can be a bit too much. And he encourages her reading which is so adorable. Tara was a really relatable heroine, and I saw a lot of myself in her, which was really refreshing. However, as I said, at times she was even a bit too much for me with her marriage and kids obsession but I think that was the point. I didn’t like Tara’s friends since I felt they were dismissive of her and they weren’t really supportive. I did like Scotty and Grandma Flo though! And I had a moment of panic when Daniel appeared but I’m not spoiling anything!

Overall, it was a cute, contemporary book, perfect for reading in one sitting and a bit of fun. I totally recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC REVIEW - Thanks Amy Lea & Net Galley.
Releases 19th January.

Tara is your typical unlucky in love, sunshiny, wears her heart on her sleeve FMC whilst Trevor is the typical tattooed, grumpy, built like a tree MC.

You first meet Tara in Set On You but you could read this as a standalone but for backstory I'd recommend you read Set On You first. Tara & Trevors relationship starts with a bang, quite literally as she walks in on his playboy ways & he's honest from the start, he does not do love.

Tara embarks on a mission to find a second chance romance like in the books she reads after her fiancé calls off the wedding, enlisting Trevors help as she goes through her list of ten ex boyfriends from a male perspective. She is totally relatable & I think we've all been there sitting by the phone waiting for that text back. 😬😫

There's lots of humour, awful dates, disney references & I loved the bookstagram references throughout with all the different dating tropes. Trevor and Tara could not be more different but I loved the slow burn and natural progression between both characters and when they finally admit their feelings, the spice hits 🤌🏻.

Thanks so much Penguin and Amy Lea for letting me read this book early on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tara Chen is a bookstagrammer and romance fanatic. She wants to find her book-worthy happy ending with one of her ex-boyfriends - the second-chance romance trope. New roommate Trevor helps her along, until she realises she's falling for him...

This book was just so much fun and it was so heartwarming. It was beautiful to read and I loved watching Tara's journey as she realises that she's fine on her own and she's enough how she is.

I loved how slowly things happened in this book, rather than it being one way between the main characters until suddenly it did a 180 and their feelings switched. It felt very believable.

I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, lighthearted romance. Out on January 19th!

4.5/5⭐️

Firstly, thank you to Penguin and Amy Lea for an eARC of Exes and O’s - my review is 100% my honest thoughts.

After loving Set on You I knew I NEEDED to read the next book Amy released and I’m so happy I got approved for the ARC. This is the 2nd book I’ve read of Amy’s and it’s safe to say I’ve found another autobuy author here.

We have another book with some great loveable characters - this time Tara, a Bookstagrammer and Trevor, a firefighter who end up as roomies (forced proximity, you say).

I have to say Tara was SCARILY relatable - everything about her I was like “yep, that’s me” from the piles of books and book stack challenges to her ability to almost feel too much and her expectations. I loved Tara as a character so much and she was just a fun character! Trevor, my poor Trevor - he’s brilliant, from aiding Tara with her ex-capades to his relationship with Angie - you couldn’t help but love that.

I found their relationship developed at the right pace but I feel as it was single POV I definitely missed potential pining on Trevor’s behalf. I will also say I found the “conflict” part a little predictable but that didn’t take me away from enjoying this story! I recommend this to fans of a contemporary rom-com looking for something lighthearted!

Looking forward to the next book in the series!

4 stars!

This book was the perfect way to follow Set on You. Trevor and Tara were the perfect example of forced proximity, best friends to lovers that I have read.

I was hooked from beginning to end and loved every minute of it. If you enjoyed Set on You, you will absolutely devour this story!

(Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

This was such a fun read! The humour throughout was excellent and Tara and Trevor had fantastic chemistry. I also liked how they had a solid friendship before any romance occurred.

I loved the main character Tara. She was relatable but not too annoying which was great as the book is told from her POV. I wish we had a couple of chapters from Trevor's POV though as it would have been interesting to see what he’s thinking/feeling. I feel like a couple of the side characters could have had a little more depth but I do realise that Mel and Crystal have their own books where we would find out more about them as characters.

The pace and plot of the book were great and I wasn’t ever bored. The ending did feel a little rushed but didn’t hugely impact the book as a whole.

If you love fluffy romances with great chemistry and banter, I definitely recommend this book!!

This story was a great read. I read it cover to cover within about three hours, it was absolutely devoured. The premise of the book was really interesting, however I felt that although it was about these dates with these different exes there was a lot of tell and not enough show, which I found a bit frustrating as it made the story a bit disjointed for my liking. Saying that, Tara was great to follow as a main lead. She was funny and excitable, she was easily manipulated about a lot of things but I think that because of her previous experience and she wasn’t a complete pushover. She kept her ground with other things which was a great balance. I LOVED Trevor, he was such a grumpy guy with the kindest and most loving heart. I enjoyed peeling his layers back like an onion, it made it so enjoyable to read, especially with his past trauma. Abandonment for me is a soft spot in a trope, it will instantly make me melt. There was a trope of miscommunication which I usually don’t enjoy, however in this instance with Trevor’s past experience and trauma, I let it slide.
Overall I loved the blossoming romance between the MC’s and how she managed to crack his heart with being a hopeless romantic and keeping it realistic. Slight spice in a few chapters too, probs like a 2.5 on the chilli scale.

This is THE book for all the romance readers out there. Tara is all of us, a hopeless romantic who loves books and dreams of finding the one. After splitting from her ex fiancé moved in with Scott a super hot firefighter with commitment issues. In her search Tara decides to try and rekindle things with her exes and she enlists Scott’s help to do so.

Tara is a relatable queen. Besides her love for books she’s also really funny, loves food, Disney movies, reality tv. Yes, there are some pop culture references and I’m so here for it. The deep cut to HSM 2 really got me. Lea uses popular tropes in a really efficient way and the cover is the cutest.

What keeps this from being a five star read imo is that it’s very slow burn. Clearly there’s something there so why not go for it sooner? And I could have benefitted from a dual pov. That said I still absolutely loved it, 4,5 stars.

This is the second book in the influencer series. I read Set on you a few months ago and while there are recurring characters I wouldn’t say you have to read them in order. Even tough that might be preferable.

If you're like me and you love the roommates/friends-to-lovers trope, you're going to want to read Exes and O's. Exes and O's follows book-obsessed, hopeless romantic Tara, who decides to hunt down her exes in a quest for that second-chance romance kind of true love. She's accompanied - begrudgingly - in her quest by strictly-no-relationships Trevor (Scott from Set On You's best friend), who happens to be her new roommate.

Tara and Trevor are honestly so cute together and I adored their dynamic so much. Tara is such a fun character, full of quirks and an overactive imagination, and I loved that Trevor never failed to humour her and let her be herself at all times. Their banter was top-notch and I found the entire book very addictive to read! It's one that I'll be rereading, for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the chance to read this early release.

I went into this book not realising it was book 2 in a series, however.. these can be read as standalones. Amy does a great job at making sure you haven't missed too much!..PS, I will now be picking up book 1 too :)

I loved Tara's journey through searching for her second chance romance, I loved the banter between her and Trevor. I was excited to read every time I picked this up. Be warned this is the slowest of slow burns, however they pay off was sooo worth it!!!

I loved the idea of Tara being a bookstagrammer and found her character sooo relatable in all different ways, I think those of us who run a bookstagram page really will resonate with Tara on the hunt for our trope worthy love! She is everything and more of what you need in a female man character. I think Amy has written her beautifully!

I am excited to read more of Amy's work! I think she really captured everything she wanted too amazingly.

5🌟 OMG I loved this book - it was so good!! 🫶🏼 I loved Tara and Trevor’s characters and their evolving relationship dynamics were so fun! I really struggled to put it down from the minute I started and I can’t wait to read more from Amy Lea - a must read for your TBR lists! ✨
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A big thank you to Penguin Books Australia and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy to read and review! Exes & O’s is available on 19 January 2023 ✨
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Ah this was fantastic!! I definitely preferred this to the author's first romance - it was so bookish and delightful, right up my street. Friends to lovers, guy falls first,.. I saw someone say it has 2000s romcom vibes and that is exactly the right description! If you love the friends to lovers trope just as much as I do, this is definitely a romance you'll enjoy - it was incredibly swoonworthy and so adorable, the romance felt so natural, and it was so funny at times too. There were also SO many Taylor Swift references, with Taylor Swift even being in the acknowledgements at the end, and it made my little Swiftie heart sing with joy! This book exceeded my expectations, I loved that our main character is your typical crazy ex-girlfriend with super high standards for love - and how validated that was! I loved that our love interest is so charming and gentle. Everything added up to make this one of my favourite romances that I've read.

First of all thanks so much to the Publisher and NetGalley for an early copy for review!

Exes & O's is a really fun read! I loved that our main character was a romance book lover but was aware of tropes and romance cliches when they occurred - either accidentally or because she engineered it - in her real life. The premise was really fun, Tara gets in touch with her exes to see if there are any flames still there that she could rekindle, or at the very least learn from previous mistakes in order to find 'the one'. There is a ticking clock as she wants a date to her work place Valentine's Day Gala, so that drives the plot forward nicely.

The reason I haven't gone for a higher rating is that I felt it lacked depth. For example our heroine works at a hospital as a nurse and that's referenced a lot, there are plenty of scenes there and some of the reoccurring characters either work there or visit. Yet despite a passing mention of it being a career she's not 100% invested in, that's all we get of her views on the job. Surely as a NICU nurse she'd bring her work home with her sometimes, let it affect her moods/relationships. If not, perhaps a line acknowledging that would have added that layer of depth to Tara. There are also characters who don't approve of Tara's crush and that's never really properly explained or worked out as the story goes on. Although fun and likeable, the majority of the characters just felt a little flat. However that didn't stop me from whizzing through and enjoying the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the characters and dialogue, there were a lot of '00s references that I related to and understood and I loved that Tara had a bookstagram account. It felt really modern and relatable. I heartily recommend this for anyone looking for a happy, fun, fast-paced romantic comedy.

So much fun. I love a romcom about romcoms and this really delivers. Tara is such a likeable, easy to get behind character you can't help but be swept into her mad scheme to find the One among her exes. And Trevor makes for a brilliant romantic lead: handsome, kind, independent enough to be exciting but open-hearted enough to win over...

Bonus points for appearances from Crystal and Scott from Set on You. Who doesn't love to see what comes after the happily ever after?

Tara Chen is a book influencer with a passion for romance books. After a bad run in love she decides to follow in her grandmothers foot steps and try her hand at the second chance romance trope. So Tara complies a list of her exes and tracks them all down trying to find which one will give her her happily ever after. But will she realise the one who could give her her happily ever after is under her nose, even in the same house.

Straight from the get go I was hooked on this book. I loved both Trevor and Tara individually which makes all their joint scenes even better! I am a sucker for grumpy sunshine and apparently forced proximity. I also loved all their surrounding relationships and how deep we get to learn about each of them. I found myself highlighting a lot in this book which is very rare for me with romance books.

However towards the end from about 80% I found the book to have less of a hold on me. It was possibly because due to assumptions and miscommunications their relationship changed and so did their own individual vibe. I am glad Tara got her happy ever after.

This is the second book of Amy Lea's that I have read and I loved it just as much as the first (definitely a bit more though). Amy writes so easy and every word is a pleasure to read. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy. If you're contemplating wether or not to read this book, just do it! I found myself pleasantly surprised.

Exes and O's by Amy Lea (due to be published Jan 2023) ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

I don't know how I forgot about this tasty little treat, just sitting there on my netgalley shelf, but when I say I INHALED this book once I started...

Tara Chen (book-obsessed sister to Crystal from Set on You, Amy Lea's previous whopper) decides to try and create her own "second chance romance" by revisiting some of her exes. The very ones that dumped her due to being a "stage 5 clinger". Bunch of dick's. Anyway, she's roomates with 5-alarm hottie, Trevor, fireman EXtrOrdinaire, who she ropes into to helping her create her very own romance novel trope... Little do they know, the real trope here is forced proximity and I AM HERE FOR IT!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tara is unapologetically herself, and I love that for her. Trevor...well, just read the damn book. 🥵

Many thanks to the publishers for this advanced copy ❤️