I really wanted to like this rom-com but I just couldn't get into it. The wriitng was confusing at times and I had a lot of trouble relating to Sophie, the main character. I appreciated how the book approached some more serious themes like addiction and alcoholism but balanced against the rest of the story, sometimes the heavier scenes seemed more out of place. The book touched on a solid few tropes such as friends/casual hookup to lovers, and best-friends brother, but I didn't find anything especially unique or gripping about this book. The spicy scenes weren't quite *spicy* enough and I wasn't attached to the outcome of Sophie and Dash's story.

Dont let the cover fool you, this book is smut central. Overall this is a super sweet rom com and the perfect one to get you out of a reading slump if you ever find yourself in one.

Although I did feel the steamy scenes a bit repetitive and I did not need them to describe it so much. While I liked romance between Sophie and Dash, there was a real missed opportunity to let them stew in that mutual pinning a little bit more. But by 50% I wanted to just get to the point.

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.

Thank you @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I found the book to be very cheesy and the repetitive discussion about Tik Tok and strategizing on how to go viral to be annoying. I would not want to be friends with any of these people in real life.
I did find Sophie’s dating journey to be relatable, but the way she went about trying to solve her issues was very immature and I got second-hand embarrassment reading about it!

Erin La Rosa back at it again with another swoon-worthy romance! ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡♡˚ Hollywood x romance books? Perfect combination. Especially if you have a former Hollywood teen star and a romance writer currently with writer's block who happen to be neighbors and she is his sister's best friend! *giggles* Isn't that the best plot?

Hope you all read it when it's out!

La Rosa has written a number of rom-coms, but this is the first I’ve read, and it was both well written and a lot more thoughty than many of its ilk. In fact (as I discovered after finishing it), it’s actually a sequel, but it reads just fine all by itself. The protagonist of this one is Sophie Lyon of Los Angeles, who has published her own first rom-com but is having a hell of a time finishing her second one, and she’s already spent the publisher’s advance. All she ever wanted to do is write. She lives in a cottage behind the larger home of the guy she rents it from -- Dash Montrose, an ex-child star from a big-time Hollywood dynasty. (His father is English, a major action star on the order of Sean Connery, his brother is the rising big star of the next generation, his Scottish mother is one of the most powerful agents in the business, and his sister, Poppy, who passed on acting to own and operate a very popular and successful high-end spa, is Sophie’s best friend.)

Sophie has trust issues (among other problems) and has never been in love, and she decides that she needs to reconnect with her several exes of both sexes (she’s pan-sexual, which makes things interesting) to try to understand why she can’t seem to fall for anyone, which she really wants to do. And maybe that will help her to finish the book before the six-week deadline is up.

Dash has his own problems, of course, foremost among them the fact that he hates acting, which he only got into because his family expected it, and the stress from which (he believes) pushed him into alcoholism. Now he;s been sober for eighteen months and he intends to stay that way. And until he’s absolutely sure he’s got it under control, he’s not going to get romantically involved with anyone. Being in a still uncertain recovery is not something he wants to dump on a woman he cares about. But he also can’t ignore his growing interest in Sophie next door, no matter how hard he tries.

So there are three plotlines here: Sophie, struggling to finish her book and trying to deal with her unsatisfying past relationships; Dash, trying to deal with his alcoholism and with his family, none of whom know what’s going on with him; and Sophie and Dash together, as each of them tries hard not to become emotionally involved with the other -- and for good reasons, too. The author gets into some heavy psychology without it taking over the story entirely, and the characters come off as reasonably believable. There’s a fair amount of tongue in cheek as Sophie, who knows all there is to know about rom-com tropes, realizes she’s actually living some of them -- even including the old “two people, one bed” shtick. And to say the very explicit sex scenes are steamy would be a great understatement. (This is not going to be one you will pass on to your fifteen-year-old daughter.) It’s all a lot of fun and I’ll hunting up the previous book, in which the protagonist is Sophie’s older sister.

This was cute! a little cheesy and cringy in some areas but all around an enjoyable read. and if a novel is going to have a male love interest, they’d better be emotionally mature, so this fit that very low bar, which is somehow so rare to find.

3.5 stars!
Overall I enjoyed this, but it did drag a little in some parts and I felt there was maybe so much drama (ie: the stalker, the issue that arises with one of the exes, etc) that it kind of all became too much. And if I had a dollar for every time Sophie wore a caftan or a sundress I’d be rich.

PLOT TWIST! I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley for this book, official pub date of November 14, 2023. I haven't read the author's first one yet (FOR BUTTER OR WORSE) but I definitely want to after reading this one!

It's about a romance author with writer's block, who goes viral on T!kT0k for her drunken moment of truth where she confesses she has never been in love. Cue her handsome landlord/neighbor, who has some secrets of his own.

The writing was very fun! I enjoyed it, other than the propensity for "smirking." Insert meme of Inigo Montoya saying, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." The "High Fidelity" plotline of revisiting exes to ask what went wrong was not my favorite, but thankfully not a huge part of the story. And props for making the main character pansexual and not making a big deal out of it! The two main characters were what drove it for me.

Might need a trigger warning for alcohol abuse -- somehow unintentionally a running theme in my books lately (HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD and PARTNERS IN CRIME).

3
I enjoyed the plot of this book, but I also got really annoyed with both Dash and Sophie. It was very hot and cold and I felt a bit of whiplash. I was in love with how they grew as characters though and by the end I forgave their flames and ice bath relationship. And Kitty can go buh-bye. I loved to hate her.

Movie Star, teen heartthrob, landlord, Best Friends Brother, Writer, Author, Netgalley, ARC for Honest Review, off limits, recovery, self-discovery

I am able to read an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, with the request of a review. If you don't want play-by-play thoughts then skip to the bottom for my overall opinion.

I picked this book solely on the title and the cover photo, I have no idea what it's about and look forward to reading it.

Play-by-play thoughts 👇🏻

My initial thoughts are that this is the perfect time for me to read this book because I just started writing my first book.

Oh gross 🤢 the vomit. Poor girl, her life is a mess.

Do we find out the backstory of her pacemaker?

Oh. Okay. Right into the nitty gritty with Dash talking about his shower fun..

I hate when you ask someone if they can talk and then they FaceTime you. Like, I didn't say I wanted you to see me when we talk..

Sophie is going to help him write the speech for his father's walk of Fame star and that's going to start their romance.

A man with a baby *swoon*

So, I feel like Sophie and Dash will end up together with Sophie pregnant by the end of the book. Dash keeps thinking about how he wants kids but can't be a father..

Is Dash's family so judgemental that they would make comments about how the entertainment industry caused his alcohol problem?

Ahh. Road trip!

I feel like his feelings for her came on super quick. They went from conversing a few times, to 3x in a couple of days and now he's hot for her? IDK. I guess it could happen.

I too and Team Spike for who Buffy should have ended up with.

Is she going to fall for @TokCrafty2Me before she knows it's Dash?

"Lurve ya, Homeskillet!" In a Valentine's card doesn't count as telling someone "I love you" 🤦🏼‍♀️

Is this going to be a one-bed in the hotel trope??? It's an unexpected overnight..

😂😂 Called it!

A kiss!!

I don't know if I would hate my best friend getting together with my brother, if my brother was someone I thought was good enough for my best friend. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Wtf! Ned using information that Sophie shared to sell to Us Weekly!

I know they don't actually hook up until the end of chapter 14, but it feels rushed to me.

Mmk! Right in the backyard!

I love that Dash comments on her posts. Even though she doesn't know it's him. So cute.

Oh no! Does Dash have a stalker?

I'm worried that Dash is going to relapse.

Things feel different with Carla because she's interested in Dash now.

He shared a lot with the CraftyCindy before he knew she knows who he is. She can spill all the information, even if his page is anonymous.

Ooo his mom! I wanna smack her!

Yay! Nina is going to be a mom!

I LOVE that Abby Jimenez is mentioned, I literally just emailed her publicist the other day to ask if I could mention her in my book. That just goes to show how incredible of an author she is.

I don't think Poppy would hate that they like each other. I think what will upset her is them keeping it from her.

Oh boy, that massage scene. I think in her *book* she should take her time and not just go straight for the happy ending.

That 180 flip from them basically hooking up, to them ending any sexual relationship happened so fast it has me having whiplash.

I 1000% relate to Sophie in disliking confrontation. It legitimately makes me sick to my stomach. I am such a people pleaser because I'm so worried to cause conflict. I know it's unhealthy, but it's who I am.

Could the person who spilled Dash's addiction problems be Chris? Or someone from AA if it wasn't Cindy?

OMG! I'm going to die of secondhand embarrassment that she hugged the waiter because she thought he was Kyle 😂

Wow.. Kyle is a dick.

Besides being grossed out that her best friend is hooking up with her brother, I think that Poppy would have been okay with it if they had told her the truth..

OMG, Cindy is crazy!

IDK how she didn't piece it together they Dash was TokCrafty2Me when he called her Soph in one of his comments..

I absolutely hate when people think they aren't good enough for someone and don't give that someone the chance to decide for themselves.

What!! His own mother leaked that he had been in rehab?? What a bitch!

Nooo 😩 he just threw away his sobriety. His fucking mom.

He said I love you!

I'm glad she didn't say it back, the relationship felt rushed to me the whole time, and she's been talking about her issues with saying it the whole book, so I'm glad that she didn't say it.

I'm glad Sophie and Poppy made up.

Hmm. Will get tattoo be a book or one to match one of Dash's??

Dash running from the hen is hilarious 😂

The ending was a little abrupt, but all in all, very good book.



*Overall thoughts*
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find out until after I started reading it that it's technically the second book in this series, even though the main characters aren't the same. So I will have to request the first book and read about Nina. I enjoyed reading about Sophie as she tried to discover what went wrong in her past relationships and why she didn't fall in love with any of her exes. And I liked reading about Dash and his struggle to stay sober. I could have gone for a slow burn romance, but I did enjoy their relationship. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canary Street Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The cover and the beginning were the best parts of the book. I feel like I lost interest as the book went on because it felt as if it were repeating. The journey of self discovery was great and I liked the highlight of men’s mental health, but overall it just didn’t work for me.

Unfortunately, this was a book I couldn't finish. I managed to push myself to go 25% and just couldn't do it any more. I disliked the main characters and hard a very hard time connecting with them.

This book was not my favorite book- I would consider it to be romantic but mostly young adult. I think the plot itself is a little lack luster. I enjoyed reading it but not sure if I would ever pick it up again. I truly enjoyed the Epilogue as it have a great “ending” to the storyline.

I'm going to admit something right here for the internet to know...I judge books by their covers. *runs and hides*

And so when I saw this adorable cartoon cover romance, I knew I HAD to read it without knowing anything about it. And then I read the back and decided I made the right choice with this book.

This second chance romance (kind of not really) was a fresh, adorable, rom-com that came at the perfect time for me. We meet Sophie, our FMC romance author on the brink of destruction because she can't finish her transcript that will be due in 6 weeks to her agent...OR ELSE. So she does what any normal person does when their lives are falling apart, they go out and get drunk and end up recording a video screaming about how love doesn't exist to the sounds of Elton John at a local karaoke bar. See? Just like everyone else.

And then we meet Dash, Sophie's best friend's older brother who used to be an actor and now keeps to himself, Sophie's landlord. And because of the aftermath of the viral video, their lives are thrown together.

Sophie decides to take the lemon from her embarrassing viral video and turn it into lemonade and go back and chat with her exes to figure out why things didn't work and why there wasn't love; with hopes that this will help her find the ending of her book that is so desperately needed as well as love for herself.

Dash comes from a "dynasty" of Hollywood royalty and has a complicated relationship with his family. Some of those complications come from the fact that he has battled with an addiction to alcohol, is a closeted and very talented potter that has got traction videos on his TikTok, and doesn't want to be in the family biz.

Since Dash knows social media, he agrees to help Sophie in the journey of love discovery. What could possibly happen? All of the best tropes, funny banter, some serious self-discovery, and learning all about what love is.

I loved how within this funny light-hearted book, the representation of addiction and rehab was done really well. Dash has a sponsor who is a big part of his life and has the most amazing conversations, pep talks, and REAL talks with Dash.

This book is a mix of REAL issues and light-hearted romance that is just the perfect combination.

I really loved reading Sophie's and Dash's love story, Erin is a great writer and I will be going back and reading her other books.

To me, this read like a YA book. This book was pretty predictable. There are so many better romance books.

This was a good book, but I do not think it was exactly for me. The set up to the story happened all too fast and I think that took away from my enjoyment as I continued reading. I also felt like I had to suspend my disbelief throughout this one a little bit more that I like so it didn't land too strongly. I liked La Rosa's writing, but Sophie and Dash just didn't do it for me.

I received an e-Arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review!

I could not stop reading this. It was amazing. I was chuckling at so many moments! And there were a few moments of shock because I did not see those shock moments happening. It's witty and heartfelt! The banter between Sophie and Dash was pure magic.

I loved how Sophie was trying to figure out who she is and learning how to cope with the situation. Her trip of visiting various exes was on the range of kind to mean. And I think each relationship she went through taught her something. While going through this process, Dash was by her side rooting her on to help her with finding what she needs which was love and to write her book. There was sparks between Dash and her during the process. Do they act on it or no?

Dash..who doesn't love tattoos on a character? I loved how Dash finds himself slowly and realizes he can do what he needs to do. He learns to open up a tiny bit with Sophie which I think was great for him. I loved that he likes to make pottery. Can we say maybe "Ghost" moment happening perhaps? I dunno..you may have to grab the book to find out??

As I said there were so many fun moments in this book that I laughed and yelled "Yes!"

I will say there was one awesome thing in the story which was regarding to Team Spike or Team Angel. I love love when these types of culture pop references pop up in stories that I love. Whoo whoo! It made me smile.

There are other characters that show up in the book such as Poppy who is Dash's sister and Sophie's best friend. I loved how Poppy has grit and stands her own ground. She's so cool. I love how Sophie and Poppy's friendship is so special. Then there's Sophie's sister who is a tough cookie too and gives Sophie great advice. I love the friendship banter between Dash and his friend Chris. They're just great guys. Then there are some characters who has flaws and need to work on themselves. No I'm not telling you who they are. Go get the book.

I will point out there are a few steamy moments in the book which went perfectly with the plot and characters.

One more thing I'll point out..or maybe two things...I noticed a theme of coping. You see everyone coping in their own way. It shows that characters have to cope. It's human. Some issues take time while others can be breeze. Friendship and warmth fall into this story too. I should stop because I'll go on and on about what themes I see in this book. I should start doing that more in my reviews, right?

Isn't the cover pretty?

So get the book on November 2023!!

Wait one more thing....
I leave you with the name Rain Boots.

Plot Twist is a cute best friend’s brother novel that delves into some heavy hitting issues (read trigger warnings!)

This story is a great follow up to La Rosa’s debut novel and follows the story of Sophie Lyons, an author who has never been in love. Her next book is due in 6 weeks and she’s STRUGGLING to get past her writer’s block. Dash is her best friend’s brother and landlord and sparks fly from there.

I really enjoyed La Rosa’s ability to mix the cute with the smutty elements that are trademarks of romance novels.

Overall, this was such a good, quick read and should be put on your November TBR!