This book was so good! The perfect mix of sweet and spice. It lived up to its name in that there were plenty of plot twists. This book really explore relationships and their effect on us, while telling a fun and flirty story. There was some miscommunication and exes involved, but overall, I thought it was cute and something that's worth reading.

This *mega-cute* book should have been called "Trope Twist." I, myself, am a huge fan of multiple tropes, so this really hit the spot for me.

The Pros:

* LGBTQ+
* Inclusivity
* Rehab/recovery
* One bed
* Grumpy x sunshine
* Best friend's brother
* Forced proximity
* Friends to lovers
* Former Hollywood heartthrob x "normal" person
* Major conflict involves an ex
* Chemistry + spice
* Dysfunctional families and how to deal with them
* HEA

The Cons:
* Too Meta (I didn't realize this could be a thing, but trust me on this one)
* Miscommunication (I loathe this trope)
* Cringey (think Scott's Tots)

I feel like you might need to be in the perfect mood for this one. I wouldn't turn to this as a palate cleanser or a feel-good quick read. This is in a genre all its own in my opinion (which isn't a bad thing at all).

I loved how so much of this book revolved around books. loved the chemistry between the main characters. the plot and writing was interesting as well.

Cute best friend's brother romance. Includes a dysfunctional family and substance abuse. It kept me wanting to read one more chapter.

This is a book I deeply struggled with in getting into. There were a lot of troupes going on that I normally like, but just seemed very in your face. I could not connect with Sophie the main female character. Dash, the main male character, I appreciated, but he was not enough to save the book. I admired Dash in focusing on his sobriety and not wanting to mess that up. Sophie on the other hand was too wrapped up in what everyone else thinks as apposed to doing what she wanted.

The base of the story sounded promising but really fell short. I am still trying to figure out why the name Plot Twist, when there really wasn't anything of the sort.


Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me early access in exchange for my honest review

This was ok for me. It tackles some of the tropes I love the most: close proximity (landlord / tenant), forbidden romance (best friend's brother), and even a friends-with-benefits to more angle. I love that the female lead is a writer who can't quite get her groove back: that was magical.
But I struggled a ton with this at the same time: the tropes felt very forced. More like box checking on tropes than ones that really made sense for the characters. I also detested all the TikTok attention: just not my speed. So while this was ok: I don't know that I'd recommend it.

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT a romance reader. I am trying my hardest to expand my boundaries, but this book didn’t do it for me. In all honesty I only picked up this book because the guy on the cover looks like my husband…so I can’t be too harsh on it. Too many individual things happening (love, tiktok, book, a squirrel, best friends, drinking, acting, difficult families, ceramics, a pacemaker, DMs, press leaks, etc.) and none of them made the female love interest more palatable. I like to have something serious on the line when I read, and there is nothing like that in this book, which may be exactly what other readers are looking for!

Thank you to NetGalley, Erin La Rosa, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes with contemporary romance novels it takes me a bit to understand or even like the characters. With this book however I loved the characters from the start. I relate to Sophie and Dash on different levels so that’s why it was so easy to read and root for them from the start. Dash’s secret crafty side is so cute and I’m glad that in all of the rest of the things he has to deal with he had that the whole time.
A romance writer that has never loved someone and doesn’t know if they can while having a manuscript’s due date is fast approaching.
A retired actor that wants out of the spotlight while his family is pressuring him to stay in it.
They never expected to be friends let alone fall for one another.
Super cute but also deals with real life issues such as alcoholism so make sure you’re comfortable with that before reading.

3.5 stars, it had so much potential to be so good, but didn't reach it. I liked both characters at first but was hoping that Sophie would be a little more self-aware and stick up for herself more! I know she was trying to find out why things didn't work out with her exes but everyone was just kinda mean to her?? lol. But I did appreciate the part of story surrounding Dash's sobriety and thought that was well written. Overall, cute-ish read but would not pick up again to re-read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC, all thoughts on this review are my own.

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: “Plot Twist” by Erin La Rosa

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

Struggling with writer's block on her latest romance novel and deadline for said novel while reflecting on why she's never found love, author Sophie Lyon has a lot on her plate! Dash Montrose, a former child star, is struggling with trying to dissociate from his toxic celebrity mom-ager, his recent online stalker, and his former alcohol addiction so he can focus on his true passions: crafting and social media content!
When Sophie's secret about her love life goes viral and Dash is pressured by his family to present a speech at an upcoming event, the two friends make a deal; If Dash could use his social media skills to help Sophie reconnect with her exes, she could help him come up with a speech for the event. Will Sophie and Dash be able to confront their personal obstacles..and the suppressed tension between them?

Wow, where to begin? A sequel to the "Hollywood" series, this exciting contemporary romance pulls all of the fun tropes from Best Friend's Brother to Only One Bed! This narrative not only felt like a love letter to contemporary romance novels with strong LGBT representation, but the book also incorporated pacemaker representation, something I haven't seen in a lot of contemporary romance books before! This book also thoughtfully addresses the following issues:

Alcohol Addiction: I appreciate that the book discusses the struggles that come with addiction. It doesn't try to villainize Dash's obstacles with addiction, but sympathizes with and respects him. The book is realistic in understanding that that journey to recovery is hard and the process will take time, but one is brave simply by doing their best and taking steps everyday just to care for themselves and their mental health.

Stalking: While women have been victims of stalking and harassment, it's not often discussed that there are men who have been victims of this situation as well! Men, women, anyone in general can be a victim of stalking, and I appreciate that this book tackles the issue of stalking in a serious and respectful manner.

Child Stars and Dysfunctional Families: As of this decade, we have become more aware of the traumatic and stressful situations some child stars have gone through when they've been pressured into the spotlight by either their parents or certain companies. The debate on a child's place in the media industry and how it affects their mental health is still a discussion in today's climate, and a much needed one at that!

Sophie and Dash had wholesome, grounded chemistry! While they both struggled to open up to each other about their feelings and their needs, the journey they went on together throughout the narrative allowed them to learn about the importance of trust, communication, and understanding in one another before they could eventually build a strong foundation that is their relationship. If you're looking for a contemporary romance that gives you all the feels and will-they-won’t-they spice, but doesn't shy away from angst, you can check out this book when it hits online shelves and bookstores on November 14th, 2023.

Spice Meter: 5/5🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Tropes to Expect: Celebrity Romance, One Bed, Brother's Best Friend, Friends-with-Benefits, Self-Discovery Narrative, and Friends-to-Lovers!

- Trigger Warnings: Discussions of Alcohol Addiction, Stalking, Family Conflicts, Relationship Anxiety, Gaslighting (Not By MC), Trauma, Burn-Out, and Brief Panic Attack.

I found this new romance by Erin La Rosa to be absolutely adorable. It has all the fan favorite tropes like friends-to-lovers and forced proximity, both executed well. Where normally I could get easily bored with friends-to-lovers I actually found that it was well executed in this novel. I also really enjoyed seeing some diversity in this novel. It definitely isn’t your stereotypical contemporary romance. I also was super enthused to see some darker topics discussed like alcohol abuse. It added a certain realism to the storyline.

Our main character Sophie is stubborn when it comes to love. She’s found herself in quite the rut when it comes to writing and has attributed it to her lack of experiencing love. So Sophie becomes brave and decides to go through her entire relationship history and track down her exes to find out if she’s the problem and how to improve. While reading I found this to be rather admirable. I loved watching Sophie not only humble herself but really learn how to help herself and those around her. The character growth she expresses is immense.

Now we have Dash Montrose. He’s a Hollywood bad boy with a few secrets of his own. Despite all the tattoos and harsh looks he’s a total golden retriever. He is secretly super crafty and harboring a slight obsession with Sophie. It was so fun watching them interact. These two characters start off just helping each other but really end up healing each other in the end. They both have their own demons they are battling but we see how they are exactly what each other needs to overcome them.

I will say I didn’t give this book 5/5 stars but I do believe it is worthy of every good rating. For me I personally wasn’t in a friends-to-lovers mindset and didn’t connect to certain parts of the novel but I just know so many readers will thoroughly enjoy this read. It is worth every laugh and swoon worthy moment. I definitely recommend this to all my avid romance readers.

It was a fun read, but definitely not my favorite. I didn't read the first book in the series so when I started this one I felt like I was getting dumped with information. I obviously wouldn't have had this issue if I had read the first book so thats partially on me.

In this dumping of information I was told that Dash is Sophie's Neighbor, Landlord, Best Friends Brother, and Childhood Crush. For me this is a few too many connections. It felt a little too convenient. I think the amount of connections they had added to the info dumping feelings.

The rest of the book was fine, but I honestly had to double check the FMC's name when writing this review because I already forgot it. So the book wasn't super memorable.

This book sucked me in from the minute I picked it up. The book was so swoon worthy and provided me with the romantic fix I needed. The beautiful cover pulled me into wanting to read it, but the well written story kept me entertained from beginning to end. The main characters each had their own problems to sort out throughout the story and each character was developed fully and made me feel I really connected to the characters. The feelings of the love story could be felt throughout the entire read and I enjoyed every moment I was reading this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me early access in exchange for my honest review.

Erin La Rosa wrote a super sweet romantic story that tactfully addressed very difficult topics such as substance use, dysfunctional family dynamics, and losing yourself in relationships. The Plot Twist was extremely enjoyable to read - I was smiling the entire time and I wanted to continue to read about these characters!

I adored Sophie and Dash. The way they balance each other and formed their relationship was very sweet, and I loved the way they supported each other.

You'll enjoy this book if you like:
- Grumpy/sunshine
- Best friend's brother
- Close proximity
- Friends with benefits
- Only one bed

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest review..

Unfortunately, I found it hard to really get into this book. I was only able to read about 15% but didn't feel a strong connection to the story or the characters. There wasn't much to the story that really captivated me enough to keep going.

I just finished Plot Twist and I cannot get it out of my mind! It's a story of exploration of self, and how it affects ones love life. Just a few of the tropes found, author with writer’s block, neighbors to lovers, best friend's brother and celebrity romance. Sophie is an author who after her debut novel has extreme writers block. Dash was an actor turned hermit as he gains his sobriety. While Sophie is exploring love and speaking to all her exes, she ends up getting to know Dash her landlord. Could he be what she is missing? I loved this book! It is a lgbtgia+ romance about finding one’s self and falling in love along the way. Sophie is an adorable disaster with a heart of gold and Dash seems to be a Hollywood bad boy who is a secret softy. The dynamic is there and leaves you needing more. I am really hoping to see more in this series and plan to go back and read For Butter or Worse.

I received an arc of this and am leaving this review of my own volition.

Plot Twist includes:
-best friend's brother/sister's best friend
-neighbors to lovers/friends to lovers
-childhood crush on an actor
-sobriety (and the struggles that come with it)
-crafting (A GHOST POTTERY WHEEL SCENE)
-dysfunctional family

I will be honest, I was drawn to this because of the tattooed man (Dash) on the cover. Tattoos are catnip for me. But then I read the blurb, and I was even that more into it. A romance writer who's never been in love? Brilliant.

Dash is a former child actor who's been sober for over a year, and Sophie is a romance author struggling to finish her second book on deadline. Dash is a secret TikTok crafter, and Sophie is basically a Disney princess. Sophie decides to meet with all her exes to hash out why their relationships end, and Dash encourages her, believing that he's not in a place to be with anyone, no matter how much he wants to be with her.

From the beginning, Plot Twist had me excited. I am a HUGE fan of romance books about writers, and this did not disappoint. Plot Twist was a super fast, FUN read. I adored both Dash and Sophie, and think they're both such solid characters that did a lot of growing as the story progressed. It was a lot of fun to see the two of them interact. All of Sophie's ex interactions were so painful and cringey, and it was so much fun to read about those and her reactions.

Also. This is SPICY? Like there are only a couple of spicy scenes but the ones we got caught me by surprise. Erin La Rose, you get an A+.

The stalker subplot was a little bit abrupt, and I would've like it to play out a bit further, but otherwise, this was a SOLID 4.5 stars! And La Rosa's book, for Butter or Worse is about Sophie's sister, so I will be checking that one out soon! A huge thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Canary Street Press, and Erin La Rosa for this arc, which I received for review.

"Plot Twist" by Erin La Rosa is a captivating Romance novel that delivers a fresh take on love and unexpected connections. The book's engaging narrative and well-crafted characters keep readers eagerly turning the pages. Erin La Rosa's storytelling expertise shines as she weaves a tale of romance that defies expectations. "Plot Twist" is a delightful exploration of love's twists and turns, making it a must-read for those who appreciate stories that challenge conventional notions of romance and keep you guessing until the very end.

This book is an adorable romcom that incorporates social media, especially tiktok, throughout. It was easy to read and I loved seeing the characters relationship develop while they also tackled sobriety and complicated family dynamics.

I really enjoyed how from the first chapter we see Dash fall for Sophie. I learned that two of the most important things in a relationship are trust and communication. I’m glad I was able to go along on Sophie’s journey to recognize why her past relationships had not worked out before. Dash’s family, except Poppy, really got on my nerves. It’s says a lot about someone’s parent and siblings when you can’t trust them with something that’s going on your life like Dash was going through. I’m glad Sophie was able to be that someone that Dash could rely on and know he wouldn’t get judged no matter how much he judged himself. I also really enjoyed all the scenes were we see Dash spend time with his friend Chris and his family. The way Dash would stepped up to take care of baby Luna had my heart melting. Hopefully we can get some bonus content in the future on Dash and Sophie’s relationship and hopefully they have a daughter. How cute would that be with their daughter, baby Luna and Nina’s daughter being on daily playdates.