I've had a lot of good luck with romance novels about romance novelists, and I really enjoyed this one. Sophie Lyon (sister of Nina from For Butter or Worse, which I loved), is a romance novelist whose first book made a big splash but who is completely creatively blocked for her second, which has a looming deadline. When a video of Sophie saying that she's never been in love goes viral, she decides to seize the moment and get back in touch with some of her exes to find out why they didn't work out, all while keeping her fans updated via TikTok. Helping her out is her landlord/friend/best friend's brother Dash Montrose, a former actor and Sophie's teen crush. She agrees to help Dash write a speech introducing his famous father for a huge event, and he helps her with her quest (and with her social media presence). Dash is clearly pretty into Sophie but he's 18 months sober and afraid to get into a serious relationship, especially with his sister's best friend. This reminded me a bit of Andie J. Christopher's Thank You, Next, but I really liked how much the author played with different romance tropes - which made particular sense with a romance novelist main character.

This book was a fun easy read. A little cheesy but I feel like that expected for a romance story, you know? I didn’t LOVE it but I didn’t dislike it either. It was recommended to me so I gave it a try even though I’m more of a fantasy girlie. So if you love romance books you’ll probably really love this one!!

This book is so funny and sweet and sad, making me fully emotional and feeling everything. The author does a superb job of taking seriously heavy issues and handling them with grace and care. And it was so addictive that I read it without moving for several hours - probably not healthy, but I have no regrets. I loved revisiting the Lyon’s family and friends, and hope to do so again.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

This story follows Sophie- a romance author determined to be more than just a one-hit wonder. As the deadline for her latest book looms, she finds herself with a severe case of writers block. When a video of her having a drunken meltdown at karaoke night goes viral, she becomes convinced that the way to solve her writers block is to meet up with her exes and see why things didn’t work out. She enlists the help of her incredibly hot (and tattooed) landlord- but he has baggage of his own that he needs to work through.

This was another one that I flew through in a day! The characters in this book were some of the most perfectly flawed and realistic characters I’ve ever read. It explores issues such as addiction, fear of commitment, childhood trauma, infertility, and more.

As always, I was thrilled to see the LGBTQ+ representation! Sophie identifies herself as a pansexual and we get to explore her past relationships with men, women, and non-binary individuals.

This book was funny, romantic, at times raw, and INCREDIBLY spicy (there’s a scene in the yard that you will NOT want to read in public 🥵).

The character growth is so realistic and I really appreciated that not everything was tied up perfectly with a bow because that’s not how real life works. This story makes it clear that while there are some issues that people may always struggle with or spend their lives working on- that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to live and hope for happiness in your future.

This was the first book I’ve read by Erin La Rosa but it certainly won’t be my last.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Holy shit this book was bad. I had some doubts about how much I would enjoy this book around chapter 2, and it never got better. The writing was clunky, the chemistry is forced at best, and the plot is an amalgamation of poorly thrown together tropes and add in a tiktok reference. As someone who really finds pop culture references in books cringy and tacky, a significant portion of the plot being about getting tiktok fame was almost too much for me. I wish I could say the characters made up for it but they didn't. Dash had half a personality when he wasn't randomly horny, and Sophie had no discernable characteristics to stick out as a main character. She's a romance writer, he's a former actor. For some reason stated at the beginning, they cannot be together even though they are both grown adults, but they have this inexplicable attraction to each other that was shoved down our throats in chapter 1.
Lastly this may just be me being petty, but reading the words "scrub tug" in reference to getting off in the shower made me know I couldn't give this a higher rating than 2 stars. Luckily we couldn't clear that if we wanted to.

Dash and Sophie are brought together because of Dash’s sister Poppy being Sophie’s “best friend” but we see none of that relationship which I found made it a little hard to believe during later scenes in the book.

I also felt that there were a ton of unnecessary details - too much was going on with each of our mains. There were lots of throwaway moments intended to - I assume - add depth and complexity to the characters but didn’t.

Overall though, this was a cute and entertaining romcom with a few moments of depth that I enjoyed reading.

I’m apparently a sucker for romance books about romance books. I LOVED that the FMC was a writer talking about tropes as she was experiencing those same tropes. If I was single I have no doubt that all my interactions with crushes etc would be discussed with my friends as tropes.
I loved all the characters to the point that I hope this is this authors second or third book and that the other couples romance stories already exist and I just didn’t know.
The spice was exactly the level of spice that I enjoy most and not so aggressive to alienate folks who prefer closed door and I think proud smut readers should also enjoy it.
All of that aside the way this author chose to deal with serious topics like addiction, familial pressure, finding yourself, and sexuality was in my opinion perfect. These were all major components of the story but in such a way that normalized all of it and brought some healthy perspective to it all.
Also Richard Gere squirrel A++

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Plot Twist is the second in Erin La Rosa's Hollywood series, but you can read this as a standalone. I didn't read the first book and I don't think I will. The description for this books holds everything I love from romance novels. In the beginning the characters were intriguing and full of quirks and changes that made the characters seem realistic and interesting, but the tropes couldn't save this one for me. The characters started out strong, but ultimately didn't feel full or vibrant like I expected - I know plenty of people in their 30s who don't have a plan or know themselves, but these characters just seemed really lost until they seemed to resolve their problems kinda magically. Sophie was likeable at times, but I didn't get the feeling she was fully developed that gave her the depth she deserved. Dash was also quirky and loveable and had more depth than Sophie but there was still a lack or real growth that we saw or any resolution for some of his conflict.

Romance author Sophie Lyon’s ironic secret just went viral: she’s never been in love. Though her debut novel made readers swoon, Sophie’s having trouble getting her new characters to happily-ever-after, and she blames it on her own uninspired love life. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer’s block: reunite with her exes to learn why she's never fallen in love—and document it all for her millions of new online followers. Which also means facing her ex-girlfriend Carla, the one person Sophie could have loved.
Luckily, Sophie’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and offers to help. But he doesn't mention that he’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol and he intends to keep it that way. His family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.
As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash's pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn’t sure he’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a casual relationship won’t cause any trouble…

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Plot Twist is the second book in a series but can be read as a complete standalone. This book seems to have everything I would want including the various tropes and humor I tend to love but something fell flat for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and they all seemed relatively surface level to me. Sophie was likeable but I didn't feel like there was anything that really gave her any sort of depth. Dash was also loveable and had slightly more depth but there was still something missing.

The first half of the book was rough to get through. There was literally nothing happening except some fun pop culture references. The book definitely picked up in the second half which I actually really enjoyed. The first half of the book was probably 2 stars while the last half was 4 so I gave it an average of 3 stars.

I loved this book! There's so much to enjoy about this story. Sophie and Dash are engaging protagonists with compelling problems. Both of them grow so much in the course of their journey together, Sophie trying to figure out why she's never been in love, while Dash wrestles with maintaining his sobriety and his privacy. I relate hard to family trauma, and there is a good deal of that in this book. I think it's handled really well. Sophie and Dash are both such softies, and I really loved seeing them grow into being comfortable together and taking care of each other. I'm not much for grand gestures, so that part didn't really fly for me, but otherwise I adored this. I think any fans of the previous book will love this one too!

CWs: Alcoholism, addiction, parental death, parental abuse

Romance author Sophie Lyon's ironic secret just went viral: she's never been in love. Though her debut novel made readers swoon, Sophie's having trouble getting her new characters to happily-ever-after, and she blames it on her own uninspired love life. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer's block: reunite with her exes to learn why she's never fallen in love-and document it all for her millions of new online followers.
Luckily, Sophie's reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose-a former teen heartthrob- has social media all figured out and offers to help. But he doesn't mention that he's an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol and he intends to keep it that way. His family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.
As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash's pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside her relationships, and Dash isn't sure he's stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with - benefits arrangement. Surely a casual relationship won't cause any trouble...
I enjoyed this quick, easy read. Sophie and Dash are lovable characters who both see themselves as screw ups. I liked their relationship and how they accepted one another. For a book called Plot Twist, it was pretty predictable. thankyou netgalley for approving this arc in exchange for an honest review 🙌

I really wanted to love this book. It had such a fun premise. A romance writer who is struggling to finish her second book and doesn’t believe in love, forced proximity, best friend’s brother? I mean come on. That is normally my cat nip. Unfortunately this book just did not do it for me. I DNF’ed at 35%. The writing felt a little all over the place. The tiktok of it all really pulled me out of the story. I wanted to like Sophie but instead she felt really flat to me and any backstory given felt like it was intentionally “sad” to make her seem “deep.” I appreciated that Dash was sober and trying to navigate life outside of his parents expectations but Sophie being the only one he has told about things just seemed odd. They had barely talked before he found he hungover one day. I think that if there had been less tiktok I might have been able to push through but the described videos and then comment section was not it for me.

As I have not finished this book I will not be posting reviews on StoryGraph, Goodreads, or Amazon. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

4.5⭐️

Plot Twist is written in third person.
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
Tropes: Best Friends Brother; One Bed; Forced Proximity; Friends to Lovers
Possible TW’s: Alcoholism; Some Stalking; Toxic Family Member(s); Family Betrayal

We follow both Sophie and Dash in this romcom. Sophie is an author who is struggling to write the happy ending to the next book in her romance novel, but her deadline is quickly approaching. With no inspiration and a fresh break up, Sophie finds herself kind of TikTok famous from confessing to an entire bar that she has never been in love. With the help from her landlord, best friends brother and former actor, Dash, she uses this to her advantage. She revisits her exes and documents it for her TikTok to find out why the relationships didn’t work. In turn for Dash’s helps, Sophie help Dash with a speech.

Dash is from a wealthy famous family. His father being a big time actor, he was pushed down the same path as a kid. We find he struggles with alcohol. His mom reminded me so much of an Irish Kris Jenner. She is the family’s manager. His younger brother is on his way to stardom. And his sister, Poppy who is also Sophie’s best friend (they couldn’t emphasize that enough), did her own thing and hid from the limelight. Dash was left wondering who he truly was aside from his last name.

As they work close together, they get to really know each other. Secrets are shared between the two. Private jokes are made. Emotions get involved.

Erin La Rosa, in my opinion, did a good job writing about certain subjects in this story. The way she wrote about Dash’s struggles with alcohol and is serious about his sobriety was well done and realistic (again, in my opinion). Sophie being pansexual was well represented. However, there was one phrase that was overused and used for any situation, “Licked his/her lips”. It got old pretty fast. Also, you could never forget that Sophie is best friends with Dash’s sister. It was mentioned too much.

I really enjoyed the characters and was rooting for the both of them. The private joke between Sophie and Dash is cute and quirky. And OH. MY. GOD With the yard scene. This is truly a cute spicy romcom and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa will be released November 14th, 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press for a digital ARC for my honest review

From start to finish, this was pretty unpredictable. With compelling characters, nice pacing, and a surprising depth, I think this will find a great audience for Emily Henry fans.

This story was sweet, sexy, and unpredictable. Loved the friends to lovers trope. This book also did a great job of tackling sensitive topics such as alcoholism and family dysfunction while keeping the book light and fun. All in all a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a Super sweet and sexy romance. What I loved most was how perfectly flawed each character is written. Sophie (FMC) is a romance writer who only has six weeks to complete the book needed for the contract. Additionally, she became a TikTok sensation by documenting her meet-ups with previous exes.

Dash (MMC) is Sophie’s landlord, who was once a child actor and teen heartthrob, coming from an “impressive family” with high expectations. He does his best to avoid any scandals/lay low while secretly recovering from alcoholism. The issues with Dash are much heavier than Sophie’s, but watching the two form a connection is super sweet. You can see how much Dash cares for Sophie and vice versa.

In all, it's generally a good read and super quick.


TW: addiction

Tropes:
- One bed only
- Friends with benefits
- Best friend's brother

Sophie and Dash were a fun couple with a unique journey. I was really able to connect with Sophie as we have a lot in common. I adored her journey through her exes to figure out her future, and more so how it helped her to find her voice. I loved how something clicked with Sophie and allowed Dash to open up and be honest with her when he couldn’t otherwise.

I really enjoyed the plot, the character development, the forced proximity situations, and seeing all of these stereotypical Romance tropes “play out in real life”.

I was motivated to keep reading, excited to see what happened next!

Occasionally I thought some of the dialogue was surface level, some of the conversations a little odd. I felt like k was completely engulfed in Sophie and Dash’s head and feelings at some points and others I felt like I was just observing from afar. Overall I enjoyed the book and will probably go back and read the first in the series that I have not yet read.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed this book. I will be sharing a review at a later date on my Instagram @mel.reads.romance and my GoodReads as well (melreadsromance)

➰ ARC Review: Plot Twist ➰

Rating: ✨3.75/5✨
Spice: 🌶 🌶
Tropes: forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, one bed, secret relationship, FWB

𐃢𐃡 I liked this book. I think it was a cute, easy read. But if you're looking for something that actually has plot twists, then this isn't your book. Someone said it felt like the author wrote the book based on the tropes they wanted to include, not the book with tropes, if that makes sense and I agree. But I did truly like the plot of the book and got attached to the characters.

ꕥ A strong positive of this book is the inclusion of various types of people. The main character is pansexual and we see her explore her past relationships of various backgrounds.

ꕥ Now the characters. I really enjoyed Sophie and her struggle to write her book. I think she was a really relatable character and I was rooting for her to find love. I really enjoyed Dash too. His resistance to a relationship was odd, but I understood why the author took the route. I also really enjoy how we saw his struggle with addiction and how he struggled to stay sober.

ꕥ The ending left a little to be desired. For some reason, I was sure we were going to get the pregnancy trope due to Dash mentioning how much he wanted to be a dad throughout the book, but I suspect we'll get updated in book 3 of the series with parenting/his sobriety. Also the stalker plot line just kind disappeared? It was a bit odd.

𐃢𐃡 I'll definitely read the third book and go back to read book 1 (they don't need to be read in order). Overall, it was a sweet read and I liked it. The author, Erin La Rosa, has a new fan.

Side note: tattooed men are a weakness of mine.

I received a free ebook copy though Net Gallery for an honest review. I give this novel 5 stars! Sophie and Dash are so cute together specially with the gummy worms

I’m not gonna lie, I mainly picked up this book because it mentioned friends with benefits. Guilty as charged. Somehow though, I ended up with an extremely cute romance novel following two complicated people falling in love.

Dash and Sophie are both well fleshed out characters whose individual personalities shine. I thought their romantic moments were super cute and the occasional disagreements made sense for their own struggles. Also, although I haven’t read the first book in the series, I was fully able to enjoy this one and I recommend picking it up in November if you can.

Overall, Plot Twist is a well written romance book that anyone is sure to love. 4/5 stars

Special thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!