4.5 rounded up!

Ember just wants to get a job, a few lies on her CV can't hurt. But then the lies start spiraling out of control. Add in a hot co-worker who she shouldn't be dating, and family drama for one of the funniest rom coms of the year!

This is for my fellow corporate “ I gotta work to live, and affording rent is my dream” girlies!!! I felt so seen reading this. Romances with characters in the real world are so refreshing, I loved being able to identify with a character on so many levels. The stress of everyday life, the pure joy of that first adult paycheck? Everything in this felt super fresh and relatable.

It was easy to love Ember through all her mistakes. Also, Danuwoa was so sweet and passionate, I loved they way he was so focused on her and their relationship from the start.

As much fun as this was to read it also spoke frankly about real family issues, including parental abandonment, jail time, and poverty. These issues aren't handled flipaantly, but with real care. I can't wait to read more romances from this author!

I raced through this romance and loved every second (even as I dreaded what I knew was coming toward the end). These characters are so lovable and complex and relatable, and I really appreciated how this story navigated racism, Indigenous experiences, and classism. I'd recommend to just about everyone who loves a character-driven story!

Ember gets a job as an accountant and thinks things are finally looking up, when she finds herself in a difficult situation involving her coworkers. While she's trying to hide her romance with Danuwoa, the IT guy, she's also dealing with a blackmailing coworker and this leads to Ember's job being at risk. Overall, this had potential as Ember was competent at her job and good at learning new things and yet it was really difficult watching Ember constantly lie and make things even more complicated than they needed to be. Will be interested in the author's next book, just hoping for different characterizations.

I'll start this off by saying I think the fact that this book exists is important. I think getting romcoms and coming of age stories by and about Native people is so badly needed. But this book just really wasn't it for me.

We follow Ember, an 20-something student who lives on her resume to get an accounting job. There she meets Danuowa or Dan, who works for the same company, and sparks begin to fly. Really dulled down, boring sparks, but sparks.

At first, Ember felt like a clumsy yet relatable character dealing with her own baggage and just trying to make a better life for herself. But she just really drove me crazy after a while, and not in an engaging, intentional way. It really hindered my connection to the story.

For a romance, things never get where they should. Dan just felt so perfect that it kept him at a distance. It never felt like any real vulnerability got to unfold. I just didn't feel anything - not giddy, not invested at all.

A ton of this book is focused on Ember's day to day at her job & her financial woes. I was actually looking forward to this part, thinking it would help build her character a lot more, help me relate. And maybe it's just me, but this was so triggering and depressing to read about. Like one chapter literally opens up just with her talking about her credit card debt.

Sad to say this didn't click for me. I say if you're interested, definitely give it a chance and pick it up! Romance is so subjective and I think giving books like this a chance is critical to getting more of them out there. Just not a fun read for me, though.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for an ARC.

Thank you, Berkley for my gifted copy.

I am pretty disappointed with this one. I so desperately wanted to love it and really want more Native romances/all genres frankly, but this was not it. Ember spent SO much of the book lying. It went beyond a few lies simply to prove her worth and ended up making her a pretty dislikable character for me. She was so smart, so watching her do things so monumentally idiotic made me legitimately hostile.

I also wanted Joanna, and their friendship fleshed out because I felt like Joanna was simply a party girl and that was her whole personality. Even Danuwoa felt really flat to me, and they lacked chemistry.

This started out so promising, but I really wish this had a stronger editorial hand and more rewrites before we got to the final product. So many elements are there, but none of it worked together.

I went into this book not knowing anything about the plot, and I wish I had known a little more. The plot follows Ember as she starts telling one little white lie after another to improve her life (and at the beginning, it did seem justified!), but the lies start piling up and threatening her new job and potential new relationship with hot IT guy Danuwoa. The thing that frustrated me the most was Ember's complete inability to stop lying. She would rattle off lies about inconsequential things that were totally transparent. It felt more like an episode of a Disney Channel show where the 13-year-old main character learns the value of telling the truth rather than the way an adult woman would act. I also didn't really buy the chemistry between Ember and Danuwoa. This book would have massively benefited from being told in dual perspective, so Danuwoa would be more fleshed out and we would understand what he sees in Ember.

I did like the commentary on office culture and how difficult it is for anyone who isn't an old white man, but ESPECIALLY indigenous people, to get their foot in the door. I loved how hardworking Ember is and her dedication to her friends and family. I loved seeing Native American culture celebrated in this book, not by making a big show of things, but by showing the everyday lives of Ember and her community. As a debut novel, this was fairly good, and I hope to see this author continue to grow. I don't think this story would have been totally my taste no matter what, but I will look out for Danica Nava's future work.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked Ember as the main character, and I also loved her relationship with her best friend (they were so funny together). I also really liked Danuwoa as the MMC and love interest! I thought Ember and Danuwoa had great chemistry, and I really enjoyed them as a couple. I do think it was a bit insta-lovey which isn't my favourite, but I did enjoy this book overall, and would definitely recommend it! :)

What a breath of fresh air! I'm always a fan of workplace romances, especially in tech, and this had me giggling from the get-go. I immediately connected with Ember's voice and love a so-called "unlikable" female character. Danica Nava's debut was one of my most anticipated romances of the year, and it did not disappoint. I can't wait to read more of her work!

✨Book Review✨
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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I really loved this book. I can't believe it's a debut! It is so well written, was SO easy to get into, and had such a good pace and flow. It was a little spicy for me towards the end, but I'm sure a lot of readers will love that.
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Ember and Danuwoa were adorable and I loved their banter and chemistry. I loved the office workplace vibes of the book. I loved the way the author educated readers even if the way she had to do that was by discussing Ember and Danuwoa's experiences with microaggressions and racism towards Native people. I loved the family dynamics and the love that was felt so strongly in this book. I will say, if you hate books where the main character gets more and more tangled in a web of lies, you might want to steer clear from this one because it was quite frustrating at times. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend this book and I hope that it opens doors for more Indigenous rom coms to be published.

THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER follows a Chickasaw/Choctaw woman who is tired of dead-end jobs and decides to list her race as white on her resume. After she lands a promising career and sparks begin to fly with her swoon-worthy Native coworker, her white lies start to catch up to her. This was a funny and heartfelt office romance that examines misogyny and racism in the workplace. We need more indigenous rom-coms!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forbidden office romance? Sign me up. Ember stretches the truth to get an accounting job and start earning her own money to feel independent. She meets the IT guy, Dan and has an instant attraction. The problem is that there is an office policy including no office dating that Ember doesn't want to break in case her white lies catch up to her and it puts her job in jeopardy.

Could not put this one down and loved it! Maybe a little bit too much miscommunication for my liking, but Ember and Dan were great together with some fun side characters in the mix as well.

Ember is having a hard time finding a job and decides to tell a half-lie and list herself as white on her job application. Nobody wanted to hire Native American Ember. The problem is that she also lies about her qualifications to get the job.

Now she has the accounting job of her dreams and the hot, fellow Native American IT guy makes the job even better- even if there is a no-dating policy at work. When a colleague catches them in a compromising position and starts blackmailing Ember, she must decide to stay silent or tell the truth and risk everything.

I liked watching Ember grow and come to terms with her actions and the consequences of her behavior. I did not like how much Ember lied. It made me feel uncomfortable. I was happy with how the story came together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, PRHAudio and LibroFM for the ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-workplace romance
-forbidden romance
-Native American rep

I've been hyped for this book in a long time. Not only was the chemistry of the romance wonderful, it really speaks to so many issues in the workplace, sexism, racism and just the decisions that no one second guesses if a white cis male makes.

I really enjoyed how Ember jsut was like screw it I am taking what I deserve and I know my self worth throughout this book. Her journey as well finding that same acceptance with her family. Dan was a cinnamon roll who also just knew what he wanted and it was Ember. The community, their dynamic and just did I mention the chemistry? This was a great read and I can't wait to see what Danica writes next.

An ARC from Berkeley Penguin Randomhouse in exchange for an honest review!

A debut novel full of comedy, romance, and real cultural concerns in a modern format. I ate this up in one day! I loved Ember for a variety of reasons, but I think I connected with her a lot because I relate to her field of work on a personal level. I laughed out loud when she mispronounced SAP! A system I used when I was in Accounts Payable. Her struggles with her family, money, social status, and identity made for a dynamic character!
What starts off as a lie on a resume turns into a long road of white lies and some deceit. Meanwhile, her HOT Native American coworker in IT Danuwoa and her are having a secret relationship and falling in love with each other, their families, and friends.
I have wanted to read this one for a while after attending a Spill the Tea ARC preview event at HEA Book Boutique in Marion, Iowa. I’m so glad I applied to get a copy!
I really liked this one and the way it spoke to microaggressions and adversity in the workplace. This book would be a great way to introduce proper sex, race, age, religion, etc. boundaries in a corporate atmosphere!


Some things I loved:
- Ember and Sage siblings names
- Danuwoa and Ember speaking Cherokee with each other
- Ember calling out men in the workplace
- The friends to lovers trope

I also loved hearing about Nava’s writing process and how she relates to the protagonist. I’m excited to read whatever Danica Nava writes next! 4 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book so so so much! I listed via audio and it was perfection.

I loved the story, the petty drama, the romance, the steam, the representation. Everythinggggggg!

It had been a while before I read a workplace romance and this definitely hit the spot.

I have no idea why I took so long to start this book! It was such a nice change of pace and I found the characters so engaging that I got lost in my reading. Ember is so relatable, and while at times I found myself getting a little annoyed with her for her stubbornness, I also enjoyed how real she felt because of that. I also loved her relationship with her Bi Bestie Joanna as it was reminiscent of my relationship with my best friend. (I always love a good girlhood moment) Anyways, Ember’s need for stability being based in her social insecurity was understandable, but with every lie she told she was destined to face the consequences of her actions and I could tell what was going to happen in the end.

Then we have Danuwoa, the gorgeous man who works in IT, exudes stability, and is constantly checking in on Ember (even if sometimes it is to try catch her in her lies). I don’t know about anyone else but I LOVE a good eldest daughter x eldest son pairing. When he’s not working, he’s taking his lovable little sister Walela (who has Down syndrome and is a girl boss) to pageants and gives girl dad energy. Something about the understanding that him and Ember have for each others situation was so intimate. I loved the way their relationship developed through your the books, rather than going straight to the romance Ember and Danuwoa worked their way from friends to crush and then to a relationship and I liked that. In other words if you are looking for a medium paced indigenous workplace romance and you enjoyed Disney’s Elemental, you might want to check this book out asap!

A perfect modern romance and finally with Native main characters!
This was perfectly paced, fun, and just a little spicy.

This was fun. I'm here for this Indigenous romance by an Indigenous author. Danuwoa is perfect and can do no wrong. Ember, on the other hand, left me anxious with all of her lying and naïveté.

Set in the backdrop of Oklahoma City, Ember is struggling to make ends meet at dead-end jobs. While she has taken a few accounting classes at her local community college, she does not yet have a degree. She fudges a little to get her résumé seen by more companies. Lying is still lying, and this starts a slippery slope.

The romance aspect of this was fun, minus Dan and Ember being coworkers. HR policies are put into place for a reason. This isn't even the half of it. Their workplace sucks. The office culture sucks. The racism sucks. Gary sucks. Kyle sucks. A lot of people suck.

Before I go all Negative Nancy, I did enjoy this. Native joy is so important. While I both love and am horrified by stories like Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and crime and generational trauma are important, so are happy stories, or just stories about living. We got to see some of this here. There are obviously some negative things, like misogyny and racism, but without them, this wouldn't be truthful.

I look forward to see what the author writes next.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

The Truth According to Ember is a refreshing and enlightening read. Filled with swoon-worthy moments and quiets spaces of reflection, I highly recommend checking this one out.

A fantastic debut romance. I loved that we get to see a romance set in a 'flyover' city WITH indigenous representation. I can't wait to read more from this author.