I Tried

I started an ARC for this over a year ago. I struggled to connect with the story, so I gave up on it. I decided to give it another try. Ugh! It still didn’t work for me. Their love story wasn’t romantic at all. Danny’s brooding and angsty personality annoyed me. He was incredibly selfish. Kaliya enabled his behavior. I wanted to knock some sense into her. She was part airhead and part doormat. I couldn’t stand it. The rest of the story was okay, but I couldn’t get beyond my dislike of the lead characters. Their on and off relationship had so many lows and very few highs. It was very disappointing.

First things first—can we talk about the cover? It's absolutely stunning and immediately drew me in. As someone who is obsessed with second-chance romances, I was so excited to dive into this story. I live for the angst, the unresolved feelings, and those powerful moments of reunion. But unfortunately, this second-chance love story didn’t quite deliver the emotional intensity I hoped for.

Kaliya and Danny, the main couple, had potential, but their connection felt underdeveloped. The chemistry—the passion that makes you root for a couple—was missing for me. Without that emotional pull, I struggled to fully invest in their love story.

The characters overall didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. I wanted to feel something more for them—whether love, frustration, or heartbreak—but they remained somewhat distant and didn’t leap off the page.

So I definitely should have read this sooner!! It gives Kennedy Ryan vibes...who is one of my favorite authors! Ariel's writing is absolutely beautiful with a lyrical flow that pulled me in from the start. The chemistry in this story was so realistic and lovely and you could feel their love come off the page. I cannot wait to see what else Ariel writes!

Unfortunately I did DNF this book. Thank you Berkeley for the arc! I really appreciate it. I am interested in possibly picking up this book again and giving it another try at some point!

Head over heels in love, the progression of the plot was smooth as butter, and the character leapt off the page from the yearning and flustering and heated moments. I loved this debut and excellent themes around the representation of being a black womanhood in an industry that constantly look you over. Chef’s kiss!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to be able to read this book!

If you love second chance love stories you’ll fall in love with this one for sure!
I had a great time reading it.

second-chance romance that explores rekindled love amidst the complexities of the film industry and cultural challenges faced by people of color.

From the start, Danny aspires for a future with Kaliyah. Their journey of personal growth, apart and then together, adds a refreshing twist to the romance genre.The writing thoughtfully addresses themes of grief, portraying characters' emotional struggles with respect. It also provides a unique perspective on Hollywood, critiquing privilege and diversity issues.

The well-developed supporting characters enrich the narrative, offering depth to the story. Overall, this book is a delightful read, perfect for those who appreciate romance intertwined with personal and societal growth. It's a must-read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Digital Advanced Readers Copy of the book!

☆☆☆☆

TL;DR: A beautifully written exploration of the messiness of youth and self-discovery, but I struggled with some confusing plot points. Four stars.

Synopsis: 'When I Think of You' follows a struggling (wannabe) producer Kaliya who unexpectedly runs into her first love, Danny—the source of her worst heartbreak—who is now Hollywood's golden boy, hailing from a true Hollywood family. He is surprised to see her working as an admin and offers her a role in his latest production, a very meaningful film for him personally. As they reconnect, she navigates the complexities of love and ambition in the high-stakes world of the entertainment industry while keeping herself and her reigniting feelings distanced from him and his current superstar girlfriend.

Ariel’s writing is very relatable and deeply introspective, perfectly capturing the chaos of being twenty and learning who you are, and relearning it again when you change your mind. I wished we had more page time dedicated to Kailya and Danny relearning each other, but Kailya's desire for independence as a character really shined through and spoke to me as a reader.

While Danny is a great relatable, messy male lead as he overcomes his grief after losing his beloved father, he’s overshadowed by the plot twists involving his scheming girlfriend. They didn’t ring true and I felt undermined the story overall. I just wanted more of Kaliya and Danny. Though aspects of the plot felt very realistic for the film/hollywood world some of the plot felt too gimmicky at times.

I would absolutely read this author again for the heartfelt exploration of personal growth and steamy romance!

“Love was pain to him, nothing more, nothing less. So the only thing inevitable about us was heartbreak.”

Kaliya is reintroduced to Danny seven years after they broke each other’s hearts and I think this quote beautifully describes her hesitancy with working on his film production in the beginning of the book. I loved the writing! Kaliyah’s thought process was very entertaining and hilarious at times. Seeing glimpses of the movie script was a treat and throughout the story we get to see Danny help Kaliya use her talents for film, something she’s always wanted to do. As a result, she discovers more about herself and where she wants to be in life which added so much depth to her character. Her and Danny’s connection was undeniable and I loved how they both fought to get their relationship right the second time around.🎬🍿🎞️

This book had its moments, but it didn’t completely resonate with me. I liked the emotional depth and the exploration of longing, but the pacing felt a little slow at times. Although I didn’t fully connect with the characters, there were still touching moments that made the story worth reading. I always love finding and support black authors and black love stories!

I love a good second chance romance novel and this one was really sweet. Danny was such an admirable male protagonist and I appreciate that he kept showing up and proving himself throughout the book. Kaliya was brilliant and I enjoyed seeing her self perception improve as she came into her own and overcame obstacles throughout the novel. The romance and film aspects were great. I will say the middle of this novel was a bit slow for me at times, but I enjoyed this one overall and would love to read more from this author!

A dreamy second-chance romance set amidst the highs and lows of the movie business. I adore Kaliya as a protagonist — she's passionate, determined, knows what she's worth, and just the right amount of messy. I love the world and characters Myah Ariel created in this book and can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

This was a cute read. Reminds me of 90s rom-com movies! This is a second chance, right person-wrong time story where the odds are always stacked against them. I enjoyed seeing Kaliyah’s journey as an African American woman trying to make her presence known in Hollywood and the relatable experiences she had. And though the romance with Danny is definitely a big factor, her personal story stood out to me more.

I am so lucky to have been given an early copy of this beautiful read, and I’m even more impressed that this is a debut novel! The author perfectly combined a heart-wrenching second chance romance with heavier hitting topics including interracial marriage, grief, and loss.

I also have read a few books with a film/movie set backdrop, and this is by far my favorite. I absolutely recommend this book and will continue to do so for time to come!

This was a super quick and easy read! The romance was good but what did it for me was the emotional aspect! It took me a bit to really get inot in because the characters weren't my favorite but I was eventually very invested in how it would end.

Look, I have to be honest about how I feel about this book. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I have mixed feelings about it.

I knew from the start that this romance book was going to be messy, but I never knew it was going to be messy messy. Like, how can you fall in love with someone when you are in a relationship? That’s emotional cheating. That should not be in any romance books. I don’t support any cheating from any of the characters, regardless of the situation. That’s why I was put off throughout the whole book.

Last, I didn’t like the constant back and forth between the timeline. We were so stuck in the past that we didn’t get to process what was happening in the present day. I needed more than what was given.

I love me a second chance romance and I couldn’t wait to read this book. I really enjoyed the story, but I felt Danny didn’t do enough to win Kaylia back in my opinion. He had some moments that had me shaking my head and Kaylia is like it’s all good. He would apologize but I needed more groveling on his part. This was a solid debut by Myah Ariel and I can’t wait to read what they wrote next! I also switched back and forth with the audio and the narrator did a great job with the story.

When I Think of You by Myah Ariel had well-developed characters and a plot that was engaging. This book was a great read. I highly recommend!

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-ARC. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF'd at 30%

I was very excited to read Myah Ariel's debut novel , the premise and tropes really appealed to me when I read the synopsis. But I did find myself having trouble staying engaged and wishing we had Danny's POV. I do plan to come back to this one at a later time because I am interested to see how everything unfolds and learning more about the movie they are making.