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.

I thought this was a cute romantic comedy, and can see this happening in real life. However, I didn’t like Ember lying most of the time. Oklahoma City is a great city & she got her dream job she should be so happy. The love interest is cute and great banter. I just didn’t like the lying especially about your ethnicity which is very critical to who you are as a person. It did not read like a debut. I would read this author again. Thank you so much to the author, and the publisher!

Ember Cardinal needs money. Her brother, Sage, is in trouble, and she has been sending him money. She can't get a job when she submits her resumes stating that she is Native American. Her friend suggests that she submit a resume as a white person. She pads her resume with lies, saying she has her degree as an accountant, and she does land a job.
Meanwhile, she meets a fellow Native American, Danuwoa Colson, who is the IT guy at the accounting firm. They become attracted to each other, but the firm has a no dating associates policy. As the story continues, Ember's lies continue, which threatens her job and her relationship.
Cute romance while highlighting the prejudice in hiring.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun read! My favorite part is how Ember climbs the economic ladder by jumping from a crappy bowling alley job to swanky accountant corporate job. It was really fun to read her thoughts on all the odd changes in lifestyle and manner of speaking--so much of it is ridiculous in hindsight.

Now, I totally understand why many people are turned off by her lying. I understand where she's coming from. Though, I don't lie half as much as she does, but a lot of her lies were rooted in embarrassment of her low social status. Who wants to admit their last job was cleaning toilets at a bowling alley? No one!

I do feel like it crossed into ridiculous territory when she was still lying to her boyfriend which was Not Great. I don't think it got wrapped up very well and I feel like Ember needs a therapist if anything, ha. Still, her constant lying reminded me of many rom-com movies so it wasn't entirely out of place. "Oh? This wedding ring? This is my wedding ring and I'm marrying this random guy I just found in the jewelry store but turns out we are really compatible and like each other!" Y'know what I mean?

A very well-written read, and from an Indigenous author no less! I'm hoping we can get more books from more Indigenous authors as well--goodness knows there's barely any as it is. Especially ones that aren't afraid to show all the micro-aggressions and vaguely racist things people say. Ugh, spirit animals...

I found this book to be incredibly well-written. Ember and Danuwoa are such complex and relatable characters. Ember especially with her desire to control situations and be the 'responsible' one in her family, and internally she is so anxiety-ridden. I also loved meeting the rest of the people in their lives, especially Walela, Sage, Joanna, and Ruth, Ember's aunt. I appreciated the support that they had for Ember and Danuwoa and for their relationship.
In all technical aspects, the book was excellent. The character development was great, the setting was vibrant (such a beautiful of description of Oklahoma that it makes me want to make a trip!), the sex scenes were intimate and hot. My only dislike, and this is extremely personal, is how high stress the conflict in the book is.
Ember's constant lying and the situations with Kyle and Gary at her job was so difficult to read at times. I appreciate that Nava is putting her characters into realistic situations, especially considering how frequent we know racism, sexism, and violence towards Native people is. Because of the heavy themes and high stakes of the conflict, I would not necessarily categorize this as a rom-com.

An absolutely amazing and important debut book for Danica Nava!

First off, it is long overdue for a Native American romance be published by a traditional publisher. Native American people deserve to be represented in all forms of literature, including romance.

I think Danica did a fantastic job of telling a story that is, in many ways, unique to Native Americans. Far too many experience discrimination on a regular basis in just trying to do everything things, like working. The way Danica writes about this discrimination is, I think, important to the story and to Ember's motivations in why she lies to get ahead, and also is done in a way that can help readers to understand that this is a very real reality for many Indigenous people around the world.

I love the relationship between Ember and her best friend and roommate, and how they support one another through the ups and downs.

And Danuwoa. What a guy. He's by no means perfect, but he's perfect for Ember. He becomes an ally in the workplace as the only other Native American, and while it may have been that they are both Native that sparked initial interest between the two, their relationship grows to be much more than that. Danuwoa challenges Ember, helps to show her that she can accept help and not be weak, shows patience and kindness, but also becomes another person in Ember's life who understands what it is to be Native in a, frankly, racist world.

I devoured this book and am amazed that it's a debut. I'm so excited to read the future stories Danica writes and to also see more Indigenous romances in the mainstream.

Thanks to Berkley for an eARC of the book. All opinions are my own.

I was not expecting to be so stressed out by book! Ember’s lies seem to take on a life of their own and once she starts, she just buries herself deeper and deeper. I was SO worried she was going to get caught. Even with all the lies, I still found myself rooting for Ember and wanting for her to succeed. I’m glad we did see some character growth from her along the way. I loved the moments between Ember, her brother, and their aunt. I almost wish we got more.

Danuwoa was everything as a love interest. He was such a sweet and easygoing character. A cat dad who takes care of and has a great relationship with his sister? Say less. I loved how he was able to see through so many of Ember’s lies when she thought she was being so sneaky. The relationship between felt authentic and the heat was there.

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future!

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date. After sampling several books out this week, I decided to go with a different book for my review.