What a cute romance!

I loved all the indigenous representation in this book and how that was actually a central focus of the story and not something that was just thrown in here and there. There was so much humor in this book which I was not expecting but that I love in my romance books. The banter between our two main characters was always on point and so fantastic. I was obsessed with the way that they would playfully poke fun at one another. There is also a found family aspect in this book with all of the side characters that was my absolute favorite part. Ember had so many fantastic people in her life who truly only wanted the best for her and I adored them so much.

Now, I did have some issues unfortunately. First, I hated the third act conflict so much. I know that the entire premise of this book surrounds the idea that Ember lies. She tells these little white lies to protect the ones she loves and to combat an unjust system that treats her poorly because of her race and ethnicity. However, she CONSTANTLY is lying. Even after she secures the job... she keeps lying. Even when Danuwoa catches her telling "innocent" lies and plays them off... she keeps lying. In fact, the big conflict doesn't even go down because she lied. She gets caught doing something that she shouldn't have and that causes another character to doubt her ability to handle complex work situations. He totally dismisses her lies. But all her lying, to Danuwoa especially, leads to the big third act breakup and it was so stupid. All Ember had to do was STOP LYING about stupid shit. I hate when lying/miscommunication is used as the third act conflict and that's what this book did. I also hated the sex scenes. Definitely gave me the ick.

So, while this isn't a new favorite romance of all time, I did have such a fun time with this. I would love to see this become a series because I need to see these other characters get their happily ever afters too!

What a beautiful and inspiring book. These characters were wonderful and I look forward to the next book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Truth According to Ember is a delightful read that has made me interested in reading more romance, especially by this author. What I appreciated most was the storytelling. It is vibrant and fast-moving without being stilted or too forced. Every interaction and moment flows naturally, and every character's personality seems whole and true. It made it so that focusing on the story at its core was the main prospect. There was also so much in this story without being too much. It kept the plot from feeling repetitive, constantly moving forward. The pacing of this was spectacular. There was always something new and essential to the plot coming up, which I enjoyed, instead of having to ruminate in Ember's same thoughts. That is an issue I have with a lot of romance and this book did not do that, so I appreciate that aspect.

I love getting an Indigenous romance as well. I've read a few before but I can remember not even two years ago having no Indigenous romance books to turn to, not so easily accessible or solely focused on the characters being Indigenous, anyway. It was done well, being a very consistent point mentioned in the novel as Ember is Chickasaw/Choctaw and Danuwoa is Cherokee. There's also tons of Indigenous side characters as well, with a variety of personalities.

What I also love for this novel is how the author portrays her main character, Ember. She does not hold her back from being flawed and complex, while also not being harsh. Again, a great balance that is so preferred. She's a kind character, who is making mistakes. Even at 25, because sometimes you don't find your way until later on. More often, you don't, and I think that is a good lesson for all adults. Ember is relatable, messy, determined, and a go-getter. I do think Danuwoa sort of paled in comparison, but he wasn't unlikable. He seemed very simple, and straight-forward. I wish there had been more intent in leaning into his sense of humor because Ember does mention she likes his humor a few times and I really don't see it. It comes off as typical humor that most people have rather than him being extra humorous. I think that would have been fun and given him more to shine with.

As I mentioned several times before, I think this book is just really well balanced. I loved how the romance aspect as paired with Ember's own journey. It didn't always overcome her every waking thought, and she wasn't obsessive with her attraction to Danuwoa. It definitely is there, but evenly spaced out so all elements of the story get the attention it deserves. It is a romance that focuses on the disparities of Indigenous people, the racism we face, how we're just doing our best to achieve our dreams, and the very human experience of making mistakes. Of trying so hard to do the right thing that you can sometimes slide backwards and hurt others.

I will say that I do wish the book had addressed more of how Ember was able to pass for white, where other Natives like Danuwoa, could not. Especially with that being the big catalyst in her applying for the job at Technix and landing an interview. As White Natives we definitely have to be very aware of that and how we tackle it in all areas. Other than that, everything was handled very well and this is a beautiful depiction of Indigenous love.

This was a fun workplace romance. It didn't do anything revolutionary with the plot, but I loved seeing Indigenous representation and that Ember was the one who had to make the grand gesture. It was nice to see that trope flipped on its head. Overall, I liked the story and characters.

Thank you to the publishers, and to NetGalley, for a free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be honest here - I wanted to love this. I loved Ember, and all her fun, messy, frustrating, silly choices she made. The story was super interesting and the premise was well considered (lying to get a job? That's crazy .... and oddly believable). I liked the representation and honestly, all the characters, and I thought that Ember's growth in particular was well done.

The writing, though, just wasn't doing it for me. Often the dialogue seemed tight and overdramatic, or unbelievable in general. It felt like reading a script without context or emotion in parts - and I'm not sure if that was just because there wasn't as much emotional detail, or the nature of the story. I do think the writer is talented, and I look forward to reading more from her - this could just be a result of a debut novel with lax editing. The pacing also seemed off - we jumped time so often and it was almost a bit jarring.

Overall, a promising writer, but the story wasn't for me.

This was a fun book, and I really appreciated the opportunity to read it! I will recommend this book.

The cover is beautiful and what initially caught my interest but the synopsis convinced me that I had to read it. I loved the Native representation and insight into the culture.

Ember Lee Cardinal is a Native American woman struggling to make ends meet. After her 37th rejection, she takes matters into her own hands and gets creative with her qualifications and ethnicity on her resume. If no one wants to hire Native American Ember, then maybe white Ember has a chance.
It’s no surprise when she’s called in for an interview and lands her dream accounting job. Now she just needs to learn how to do the job.
On the day of her interview she meets fellow Native and IT guy, Danuwoa Colson and they immediately hit it off. Problem is, the company has a no-dating policy. What could possibly go wrong?

To be honest, I had a hard time rooting for Ember which made it difficult to fully enjoy this. After getting the job, the lies keep coming and eventually snowball out of her control. I wanted her to succeed but all of her lies were stressing me out. I understood the reasoning for the lies on her resume but after that a lot of it felt unnecessary.

There are some great side characters but Danuwoa and his little sister were my favorite!
I really liked Danuwoa as the love interest - he’s such a sweetheart! I’m all for a workplace romance and the forbidden aspect added to the tension.

Overall, this was a good debut and I’m looking forward to whatever Danica Nava writes next!

The writing in this was beautiful. Ultimately this was not as focused on the romance as I maybe would have expected. The banter and characters were so fun and I really enjoyed them. The main thing that made me struggle with this book was Ember's lies. Which really shouldn't come as any surprise with the title and synopsis. But so many of her lies were completely unnecessary and she specifically kept lying to the love interest long after it was acceptable in my opinion. Adding in their lack of agency due to the no dating policy at work (which is one of my least favorite things) and I was struggling because they really should have been together but couldn't do to other people. I also struggle with family members who don't care about the harm they cause you. Ultimately I would be happy to read more by this author but it would need to be a completely different type of conflict for me to want to pick it up.

I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I knew the story was based on Ember telling a couple lies to get a job. I didn’t realize just how much the lying would continue and on things I didn’t think were necessary. In general that isn’t a favorite trope for me but I wanted to give it a shot. Also - while I know real corporate life can be boring and slow for a story - I felt the way things went for her at work to be so unrealistic and over the top that it was hard to just go along with it. Thank you to the publisher for the free book to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one just had me kicking my feet and giggling the entire time! Anytime Danuwoa and Ember interacted, their chemistry had me blushing for them. Their humor and banter is simply everything. However, Ember and her lies were driving me a bit crazy. I definitely feel like it did not need to go that far, but it’s hard to say I can blame her given her childhood and past. In a way I can highly relate to Ember and her avoidance when it comes to asking people for help out of fear it will bother others. I also understand how hard it is to survive and make it far in a world that only seems to try to pull you down because of your ethnicity and race. Hence why I was a little bit unhappy with Danuwoa’s harsh reaction towards everything when he knew just how harsh the work environment was on Ember. I’m just glad all worked out and they came back together in a way befitting the both of them. Overall this was a witty, humorous, and heartwarming story that I think many will be able to relate to. This beautiful book published August 6th so go grab a copy!

Favorite Quote: “Don’t let anyone try to walk all over you or treat you as less than. It took me years to grow a backbone, and that is why people call me the Wicked Witch. I have learned to say no and say it often”

I fell in love with this Indigenous romance and can’t wait for the next one by Danica Nava! I feel like she gave us a glimpse into a world we don’t see enough of. The fact that what Native American’s go through every day is also put into a scene is so seamless with how it’s a peeve that they struggle with. It’s definitely something I want to learn more about outside of what this book has to offer.

Ember is the perfect friend and sister. But she just can’t catch a break. She has always been told to try her best and she will go far but every time she does try; it seems she can’t get far enough. With a new position opening up for an accountant; Ember decides to tell a little lie.
Danuwoa is everything I think we want in the perfect man; attentive, caring, and is willing to help any way he can. He’s definitely my next book boyfriend with his unwavering commitment to helping Ember and keeping her spirits up.

I loved the instant attraction and the meet cute that was so cute and held such a funny memory for the two characters to remember. Ember has steadfast love for her family and friends but doesn’t know how to accept help. She falls into the need to tell small lies to keep her secret from everyone at her new job while also losing herself in the process.

I feel like the experiences she learned along the way in this book is a great touch on how she lives her life and now she matures. It gives all the feels of a lighthearted love story while also diving into deep issues of abandonment and inadequacy. Once Ember realizes she has the help of her Nation and of her family and friends she finds a way to make her own path. I can’t appreciate this book enough. I highly recommend you read this book before the year is up!

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I do often struggle with 1st person writing, especially in a more conversational tone with the reader, but that is absolutely a personal preference, and after a few chapters I got used to it and all was well. Also the lying did stress me out some. I knew the premise was that the MC lied some to get a job (which I had no issue with) but then it snowballed and there were way more lies after that that I wasn't expecting and I was worried for her! I did absolutely get swept up in the drama and the romance! I really liked the relationship between the main characters and felt like they had a really natural build to it. This book did confirm that I personally could not work in an office job, haha!

Thanks to Berkley for a free copy of The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava which came out on Tuesday! #berkleypartner

This is the first Indigenous romance written by an Indigenous author and I really liked that aspect of learning about some Chickasaw and Cherokee culture while reading The Truth According to Ember. But I really struggled with how much Ember lied. I know the title and blurb kinda mentioned some lying but it was a little too much for me. I understood why she didn't say she's Native American on her job application by all of the other lies made her seem so immature and how much she lied took away from the story for me. Overall it was a quick book and I'd recommend it.

I want to read more from this author and the chapter from her next book looks super cute!

Thank you @berkleyromance and @prhaudio for providing this audiobook for review. All opinions are my own.

This was a fun read, but not my favorite rom-com. The first part of the story reads more like women’s fiction, as Ember, an indigenous young woman, describes some of her difficulties getting a job, and ultimately makes the decision to lie about her race on a job application. This one lie leads to bigger lies, and soon and Ember starts having a difficult time managing all the untruths.

When Ember meets her handsome co-worker, Danuwoa Colson, they have an instant attraction, but she continues with the lies. When Ember and Danuwoa travel together on a business trip, things get steamy pretty quickly! (Way too steamy for me!) But Ember continues with the lies.

Danuwoa is perfect as the male main character! When he finally discovers Ember’s lies, he is upset, but he eventually forgives her. I personally thought that was a bit unrealistic, given all of her lies!

I enjoyed reading a story written from the perspective of an indigenous main character. I think we need more stories with realistic indigenous characters. I also checked out the audio version. The story is told entirely from Ember’s perspective, and I thought the narrator did a great job with her.

Everyone else in my book discussion group LOVED this one! I just couldn’t get past the lies!

I have a lot of respect for this book, as it’s the first romantic comedy written by a Native author featuring two Native leads. Which… what??? It’s 2024!!! As Danica Nava writes in her authors note, it’s so important to write about indigenous communities in the modern age.

I loved Danuwoa as a hero - he is so fine. Ember, on the flip side, is a hot mess amidst all the lies she catches herself in. It’s understandable why Ember makes the decisions she does in her desperation to find a semblance of sustainability, but there were so many moments where her characterization felt inconsistent and contradictory to something she was doing or saying just a few pages prior.

Truly, there was not one single thing I disliked about this book. It's making news as the first rom-com by an Indigenous author published by a major publisher. Both leads in the book are Indigenous, and their experience and background as such are a critical part of the story. In addition to a lot of humor and a steamy connection between the characters, this looks at the role of higher education and its limiting factors, and racist and classist hiring practices. I loved this one, and I'm hoping for more books by this author ASAP.

I haven't read a romance with a Native American representation before, so I was excited to pick up The Truth According to Ember. There are things I liked about the book and other things that I found disappointing. The cover is gorgeous, and I would buy the book just for the cover. I appreciated the Native American representation. I adored the main hero, Danuwoa, who was a sweetheart. But I was not too fond of Ember. I didn't have a problem with her lying on her resume to get the job because I could understand her reasons. But all her other lies were too much for me. Ember lied about every small thing, which was wholly unnecessary. Danuwoa was too good for her, in my opinion. Because I didn't warm up to Ember, I wasn't invested in the story.

When Ember Lee Cardinal's resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she erases her Native American heritage. Before she can change her mind, she gets an accounting job. Everything seems to be looking up. Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite the no-dating policy at work, they start seeing each other secretly. After a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, her lies begin to grow exponentially. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.

Ember starts off down on her luck, and embellishing her education and work experience gets her a job. With trying so hard to fulfill her duties, she stands out enough for the CEO to tap her for a job her new work friend wanted. Her little lies earlier were more in the realm of slapstick comedy than harmful. They grow more frequent and complicated, and she gets caught up in the little lies about a boyfriend she doesn't have, where she lives, what her family is like, and then as she attempts to hide her relationship. She and Dan grow beyond flirting during a work trip, which is where their first kiss is caught and then used against her in increasingly damaging ways. Ember already was afraid of losing her job and too determined to make it on her own that she doesn't point out the racist comments made or the microaggressions she sees, let alone ask for help, which sends everything tumbling down.

Hidden within this romcom are very real concerns about what it's like to be Native American in modern business. While she and her roommate laugh about it at times, it's very hurtful to have one's heritage used as a joke. She feels bad about that heritage because of her prior failures, which is part of what made it difficult to reach out to her family and community. It's only once she let go of her fears and reached out that she was able to move forward with honesty and her family truly on her side. That's as important to see as it was that she and Dan could have their happily ever after at the end.

This was a cute but realistic contemporary romance. Ember pops off the page authentically - she felt like a real person navigating a contemporary society and workplace. One thing I appreciated was how micro- and macro-aggressions in the workplace were touched upon. Again, it made Ember and the setting of the story feel authentic and resonated so much to me as a reader. Danuwoa was a green flag throughout the story: I like how he supported and challenged Ember in all the right ways. Thank you for publishing this book and further diversifying the romance genre. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Nava writes next!

What a fun book! I loved Ember right away and connected with her and her desire and drive to work hard to support her dreams. She has always felt like she needed to take care of everyone else and is feeling dejected about her career prospects in a way that is so visceral and relatable. Even though she made some very naive mistakes at her job and in her personal life, she is young and learning and you cannot help but root for her to figure everything out. There was constant fun banter that had me laughing and the romance was steammmmy. I loved how confident Danuwoa was in himself without being annoying like the other men in the book. Poor Ember was faced with so many though things to juggle and I so appreciated that she owned up to her mistakes while simultaneously sticking up for herself. Reading about how Ember felt that being Chickasaw was holding her back and the disgusting way people just threw around casual racism was horrible and made me want to hug her and fight for her. That aspect was so powerful and beautifully presented by the author and I'm glad this book became what it did after reading the author's note.

I both read and listened to the audiobook, and while I enjoyed the audiobook I think I would recommend the print version.