DNF and it makes me a little sad to say that. I will try to come back to this book another day. I just couldn't get into the book and I'm not sure if I gave the main character enough time to like her.

I was really excited to read an Indigenous romance, but I’m not interested in all of the lying and dishonesty in this plot line. From Goodreads reviews it looks like it only gets worse, so I’m DNFing at 8%. Thanks anyway for the ARC.

I was all excited to read this romance book. From the few people I follow, they literally love this book so much. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the case for me. I literally love the Native American representation in this book. It's truly amazing to have. However, I had a huge issue with the main character and her relationship with her love interest. I just don't understand why she had to keep lying so much, especially to her love interest. And how can their relationship stay strong after discovering her lies? There is no way that's an honest relationship. There is no trust when someone keeps lying nonstop, especially in the beginning of the relationship. I just don't get it. It literally rubs me the wrong way. Sorry, I just didn't like the main character, so the book was a bit of a letdown.

Danica Nava is a refreshing Native American writer that I hope to read more of in the upcoming years!

Ember believes she cannot catch a break, thinking every job application denies her because of her culture. With a little white lie, she answers her ethnicity question how the company wants (so she thinks) and gets a job working accounting for a corporation. Quickly, she realizes the mistake she made as a friendship is started with IT guy Danuwoa. She wants to be with him but knows it's frowned upon in the company policies. But who will find them if they plan to not get caught? Soon each little lie spools into something else and Ember will need to tell her truth, whatever version she believes to be hers.

I really enjoyed this novel, as it forced me to realize and think why Ember put herself in the situations that she did. For me, I would never have to lie on a resume however; for others, like Ember, things of that nature are sadly happening because of the way society is. This book was fast paced, with some quick chapters that had me thinking oh snap, she won't go there and then shortly after the oh wait, she DID. The writing was unique with several open door sexual scenes spread during the second half. Readers wanting a BIPOC story who can suspend disbelief should open up Nava's debut.

Hooray for a romance featuring Indigenous characters written by an Indigenous author! The romance here is adorable, and Danuwoa is perfect. In fact, he did not deserve to have Ember lie to him constantly--her lies made me anxious, even though I understood her reasoning behind at least a few of them. Overall, I loved the joy inherent in this novel even though it's set against the (unfortunately realistic) backdrop of racism and a toxic work environment. Give me more, Danica Nava!

I was very excited to dive into The Truth According to Ember, a romcom by Danica Nava. It’s refreshing and important to see a contemporary romcom featuring two Native main characters written by a Native author in traditional publishing—something I haven't come across before.

Ember, our protagonist, is working a less-than-glamorous job at a bowling alley, cleaning toilets and serving nachos, all while desperately trying to land a job as an accountant. When her job applications keep getting rejected, she makes a few "creative" adjustments to her resume, which leads to a career built on a series of lies. Things get complicated when she meets Danuwoa, the charming IT guy at her new office. Though there’s an immediate attraction, their company’s no-dating policy keeps them as friends at first, but soon enough, their relationship grows into something more. Of course, Ember has to keep the web of lies intact, not just with her boss, but also with Danuwoa.

One of the standout aspects of this book for me was the depiction of Native joy, which felt fresh and heartwarming. I also appreciated how the book navigated the microaggressions Native people face in a predominantly white workplace—an uncomfortable but necessary topic to bring forward in a romcom setting. It added depth to the otherwise lighthearted tone.

However, I’m not always a fan of plots centered around deception. Throughout the story, I found myself wishing Ember would just come clean. Many of her lies felt unnecessary and, at times, even implausible. Yet, I could empathize with the desperation that led to her initial lie and how things spiraled out of control. That said, it did keep me on edge, waiting for the inevitable moment when all her lies would come crashing down.

Overall, The Truth According to Ember is a cute romcom from a fresh and unique voice in romance. While the story didn't feel as dynamic as I had hoped, it was still an enjoyable read, especially as a debut novel. I look forward to seeing what Nava writes next!

DNF @ 11%

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This was one of my most anticipated romances of the year and couldn't wait to fall in love with it. Unfortunately this plot just didn't work for me the way I'd hoped.

First - I did try this via audio for the first 5% and definitely do not recommend going down that route. The narrator was very stilted and every conversation was clunky and awkward. It just didn't flow the way a normal conversation would.

So I switched to the physical copy which I did prefer.

But while I was looking for a workplace romance with some secrets, instead this was heroine who just kept lying. Often unnecessarily. It made me so anxious and uncomfortable that I just couldn't get behind routing for her.

It also seemed like the focus of the story was going to be far more on her career journey, with the romance as a side plot. Which is just not what I was looking for from this.

While this was a miss, I am still very curious to see what this author does next. If you love miscommunication and secrets, this romance might work fantastically for you! It's just not my own personal romance preference.

This was a really good read. First by this author. Won't be the last.
Liked the plot and the characters.
Also really enjoyed the indigenous rep.

The Truth According to Ember is a standout novel that offers a powerful exploration of personal truth and growth. Danica Nava’s skillful storytelling, combined with her ability to create deeply relatable characters and a richly immersive setting, makes this debut a memorable and impactful read. The novel’s themes and emotional depth ensure that it resonates long after the final page is turned.

For readers who appreciate character-driven stories with emotional depth and thought-provoking themes, The Truth According to Ember is a must-read. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that speaks to the heart of what it means to seek and understand one’s own truth, making it a remarkable addition to contemporary literature.

This title had long been on my "looking forward to" because a romcom featuring Indigenous leads, written by a Native author, is long overdue in publishing. Ember was easy to root for as she strived to change her options--even if it meant fudging her resume to land a job that would make her future less of a dream and more of a reality. The compounding lies kept tension high in the novel, along with the sparks between Ember and Dan. I'm already looking forward to Nava's next tale!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this advanced copy. I recieved this as part of the #BerkleyBesties program. I also was able to recieve the ALC from Libro.FM's Librarian Program. All thoughts are my own!

This book was so unncessarily stressful.

After continously hitting dead ends in the pursuit of a corporate job, Ember decides to fib on her resume by claiming her accounting classes are actually a degree and rather than Native American, she's Caucasian. She manages to land an interview and to her surprise, she's hired at a Kansas City based tech start-up. She continues to fall upwards, eventually landing a temporary role directly under the CEO, but the lies she tells continue to pile up and she finds herself getting closer and closer to Danuwoa, the very handsome indigeonous IT guy.

This book wasn't terrible, but I definitely found myself too frustrated to say that I enjoyed this. I listened to the audiobook and found myself zoning out at times. I kept getting so frustrated with Ember, especially towards the middle and back half the book as some of the lies she were telling were just so unnecessary. I'm not sure how Danuwoa could say that he fell in love with her when it felt like a lot of their interactions were based on or directly affected by a lie Ember told.

Siena East was a good choice for a narrator, she did a great job of differentiating between different characters and I liked the choices she made in terms of inflection. I particularly think she did a good job with male voices.

What I did really appreciate about this book is the representation of Native Americans and I know that this is a big point of appreciation for a lot of other readers. While this book was not for me, I have seen others say they really enjoyed this. I hope this book being published by a major house helps bring about more indigenous main characters in the romance space.

This is a great romance featuring two Native American leads, but the leads could be anyone with strong family ties.

Ember works in a bowling alley in Oklahoma City and wants to be an accountant. She is unable to finish her studies and can't even get an interview so when she lies on her resume, she obtains an assistant position with a tech company (consistently called a "start up" when it is clearly a huge established company, but I digress).

On the way to the interview Ember meets Danuwoa, who is also Native American and happens to work at said company. They have a few run ins and end up being friendly at work. When Ember is surprisingly promoted, they have more time together and start unofficially dating. but that is when her lies start catching up with her.

Both leads were lovable characters, with even more lovable side characters (like Danuwoa's sister) and I highly enjoyed this look at someone trying to better themselves and learning to ask for help along the way. This book reminded me of some great Jasmine Guillory romances and I hope to hear more from Nava in the future.

I received an advanced copy and am giving an honest review.

OMG this was amazing! Like I’m shocked as to how much I ADORED this book. Went in with no expectations and came out with a new fave 2024 rom-com.

Legitimately had everything I loved in a rom-com—chemistry, humor, and perfect pacing. I absolutely loved Ember and Danuwoa’s chemistry. Their relationship progression was so cute, and I loved their banter. And the few spice scenes were amazing. Danuwoa was incredibly attractive…new book boyfriend unlocked.

I feel like Ember’s lying definitely would be irritating to some readers, but I wasn’t bothered by it? I feel like especially when the whole premise is centered around lying on a resume, there’s bound to be white lies lol.

I also loved how this book captured the essence of corporate life. And it did a good job with the commentary on how it can be such a struggle to climb the ladder and get your foot in the door as a Native American and POC. The microaggressions from some of Ember’s coworkers made my blood boil, but I loved how she stood up to them.

I do wish that the synopsis on the back of the book didn’t giveaway so much of the story. For example, the work trip mentioned doesn’t happen until what seemed like over halfway through. Though I literally couldn’t recommend this book more, and I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for sending me a copy of The Truth According to Ember. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

Well, on one hand, I got out of my reading slump. On the other hand, it's because this novel was a fucking trainwreck.


While The Truth followed the beats of a romance, and had tropes I enjoy (there's only one bed!!!), I think I spent 90% of the novel cringing at Ember's myriad lies and inappropriate work behavior.


Yes, we go into the novel knowing that Ember tells little white lies. Yes, I understand that by checking off "White" instead of "Native American" was not technically a lie (and also, good on her, because it's shitty that people are automatically deemed unfit for a job based on race/ethnicity), but the lying about finishing community college, and then so on to the horrifying climax in her boss's office? I was dying of secondhand embarrassment.


Secondary characters felt wooden, and not entirely three-dimensional, like Sage, Tito, Phoebe, Auntie. Danuwoa also felt like a cardboard stand-in for a leading man.


I really want there to be an Indigenous romance that blows us out of the water - in a good, amazing way - but I have a feeling we are just not there yet.

I am always a fan of reading how a different culture handles day to day life. I’ve read thrillers about Native American characters, but this is my first rom com. I agree with the author about her mention of representation in the genre. Glad she was able to represent in her debut novel. I am a fan of the glossary at the back of the book, that helped with some of the terminology.

Ember really made me shake my head. Such blatant lying on her resume was brazen. Then continuing the lying at the start of a relationship. The book is built around a powerful theme of bias in workplace hiring. Especially as the world is switching back to not believing this happens. I wanted to like and root for Ember, but it was so very hard. While she is in her 20s, which is still somewhat young, but this read that she was so much younger.

On the flip side, Danuwoa was almost too good to be true. I loved his big heart and willingness to help anyone, but a flaw or two would have made him seem more believable. Even the best boyfriends/significant others stumble and make mistakes.

I appreciate the overall theme and hope it helps start discussions. I love that this is the first Native American rom com published by one of the big firms. I can’t believe it took this long. I can even appreciate the opposites attract and that Ember can find her other in all her messy ways. But ultimately it fell a little short for me in the believability department. That someone would not check out references before hiring, get a large promotion so quickly when having no track record with the company and Ember’s mounting excuses were accepted were just a little too much.

Siena East does an exceptional job bringing the story to life. She helped make a book a might not have finished, an entertaining listen. While I am always a fan of having two narrators in a romance, she is able to tell both Ember’s and Danuwoa’s story.

Absolutely adored this one! The portrayal of corporate America was too real and makes you really understand why the stakes were so high for Ember and Danuwoa. And like, yes, Ember's lies did stress me out, but since this is a romance novel I wasn't as anxious as I could have been, because I knew it would all work out in the end. Cannot wait for Danica's next book!

I wanted to love this one so bad but it quite literally made me anxious LOL

First, I love love love the indigenous rep and being able to read from an indigenous author. I adored learning more about the little snippets of culture and seeing how important family and community it 🥹

What killed me was the liessss lol and I know that this is the whole point of a good chunk of the plot but it made me anxious reading this one and what was going to happen next 🤣 I mean this book starts off talking about white lies and in the book, the main character kinda of embellished her resume to get a better job as there was some discrimination on her past application rejections. Everyone does this and if it were a few white lies surrounding this, then okay but our girl just kept doing it and doing it

Now this could very well just have been me and my anxiety LOL but it’s something that I couldn’t get over and I really only kept reading it as it was provided to be by NetGalley and I owe them a review!

I’m anxious enough 🤣 I can’t be having my books add to it.

These were still shining moments. I loved our MMC. He’s was the cutest bean and really was adorable when it came to the FMC 🥹 I hope you still give it a go!

The Truth According to Ember feels like a breath of fresh air in the rom-com genre. Not only is the novel written by an Indigenous female writer, but both the main character (Ember) and her love interest (Danuwoa) are both Native! Their struggles, both in life and love, are deftly interwoven with the very real issues facing Indigenous people today. I hope that this book opens the way for more Native writers in the romance space!

That said, I think there's a lot to love about The Truth According to Ember, but it suffers from a few issues as well. Although the characters are well-rounded and their conversations sound easy and realistic, I often found that I wanted more from the scenes than just fast-paced banter with a few lines of exposition. The description is very sparse, leading to a feeling of being "told" instead of "shown." Ember is a messy character with issues, but after awhile I felt the lying got...out of hand. I stopped believing this was something to do with her growth as a character and more to do with keeping the schtick alive in the story.

All in all, this was a quick read that I would recommend to anyone who likes their romances quirky, complicated, and fun.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for providing me with this digital ARC to review!

Oh Danica, you eldest daughtered me with Ember and despite having traveled the eldest daughter path for 30-something years, I hurt for Ember along the way.

I understood most of the lying, typically something I don't vibe with in my romance selections but I know what it's like to say "yes I'm great at Excel" and have to Google everything about it. To explain why there are gaps in a resume. We do what we have to. It's not easy.

It's a light four for me, but what a promising debut from Danica! There were many relationships in this story, while not all romantic, I wish we could have experienced a little more tightening up of them?

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity, can't wait to see what Danica has in store for us next.

I have to be honest. This book was tough. I almost didn't finish but I had to continue. I think the good is that it is the first indigenous romance trad published and the incorporation of Native American, Cherokee, and Chicksaw culture was really beautiful to see - plus the way that Danica incorporated real lie frustrations like marginalization, racism against Native people, missing and murdered indigenous women, and bias was wonderful.

Unfortunately, the main character is horrible. She lies for literally no reason. Her entire basis for this book, that Ember has to lie on her application because she isn't getting jobs because she is Native is, although true in real life not true in this case. She literally doesn't have the degree needed for the job. It feels like a minimization of the real life bias - Ember could have had an associates and still not be getting jobs and I would be like "yup makes sense" but she is actually not qualified? So it's not even about her checking the "white" box, it's more that there was actual reason why she wasn't getting interviews. The lie about the cats, the lie about where she lived like how could Danuwoa STAND HER? Idk she is a red flag if I have ever heard one and I struggled with her so badly. I understand her lying came out of her being abandoned and feeling like she had to lie for people to love her.... but I think that needed to be fleshed out more AND addressed more.

Now Danuwoa? He was the real deal. The whole Native Daddy thing seemed ACCURATE and I loved him.

Overall I would read more of Danica's books but this was a frustrating miss for me.