Jo De La Cruz is celebrity fitness instructor struggling to figure out what she wants next out of life. Silas Anderson is a jaded journalist writing about her. When their paths intentionally cross, there may be more than just a story developing between them.

The focus on mental health/wellness and self care in this book was great. I wanted a little more tension or heat between Jo and Silas. This is very slow burn but i didn’t feel the yearning between the characters that I wanted.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but I didn’t find myself reaching to pick it up whenever I could. Still a good read and I’ll look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Forever for the e-arc of this book through NetGalley!

When I read the description for this book, I thought it would be a light hearted read about a fitness instructor showing an ignorant journalist the ways of a killer workout class. While this was certainly part of the story, the book focused a lot on other topics such as mental health and at times the romance was more of a subplot. If you don’t enjoy slow burn like I do (and I mean slow), I wouldn’t recommend this, but i personally was all for it!

Thank you to NetGalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

THIS BOOK !!!!
We have Jo, our gorgeous fitness (spin) instructor, who has been in the industry for over 10 years & is craving a switch up & maybe step out of the limelight of her now, very public, career. Then we have Silas, the critical writer tasked with analyzing why people are so drawn to this particular fitness community & what makes people gravitate toward certain instructors.

This story is a BEAUTIFUL depiction of what it’s like to want to change your life, but having so much fear & hesitation holding you back. Also incredible mental health representation done in such a tactful, realistic, & helpful way 🫶🏼 we love a book with therapy rep too!

The dual POV ate & left no crumbs!!!! The pining & emotional depths of these characters was so refreshing & FUN!

It is a slowwwww burn with very minimal spice. If you’re looking for spice info, I’ll have it posted to my bookstagram @thecozychapter before long.

I only deducted half a star because it started to get a little repetitive with not much movement in the storyline, but everything wrapped up perfectly.

I am going to be completely honest, I decided to read Up Close and Personal by Ana Holguin based on the super cute aesthetics alone. Is the cover cute? duh! Was the story amazing? By far the best!!! I absolutely LOVED every moment.

If you have never stepped foot in a spin class before, Up Close and Personal takes you right into the bike seat. You may have some preconceived notions in mind about spinning, but like Silas, you have to push aside those thoughts until you really try it. From the dimly lit cycle studios and the spinning acolytes who whoop with every new soundtrack, spinning is an immersive experience.
Jo De La Cruz is America’s famous and most sought after cycle instructor at Haven studio and she means business. With her bike front and center of the studio and streamed online for thousands to follow, she practices what she preaches. When you clip in on Jo’s class, be prepared to reach new RPMs and ride your cares away as you move your body to the beat. But what happens when you unclip from your bike and step out of the studio?
Holguin’s debut novel shines a light on what it means to step out of your comfort zone and that the invisible monster of anxiety and mental health does not discriminate regardless of your status in society. Both Jo and Silas have their own struggles with their invisible monsters, Holguin handles their emotional journeys with thought and care. I loved the dual POV. They worked so well together and watching the slow burn play out on the pages was perfect!
The only downside I had was how Silias handled a certain situation, it seemed brash and did not sit well with me. Overall I can’t wait to read what Ana writes next. Also I can’t wait to go to my Y’s spin class this week 🚴
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC!

I first want to start out saying this is such a great debut novel! I loved the representation (although at times it wasn’t explicitly stated until much later. It could be that I might have missed it, which is then on me and not the author). I thought the characters were relatable and that the story did a great job at shedding light on mental health and anxiety. I definitely could relate to Jo and it felt nice reading a story where the MCs deal with the same thought processes as me. I felt so seen!

However I do have to point out that the one thing that wasn’t my cup of tea in this book was the way the MMC chose to handle some situations regarding the FMC. No spoilers but it personally didn’t sit well with me. It hurt to read especially since MMC knew about FMC’s past. Even though that part didn’t settle with me, I really did enjoy the book. It was a fun read and the group of friends?! Every time I read about their FaceTime debriefing I desperately wanted to call my girlies up and yap! 10/10 for me the friend group made the story (and of course how sweet Silas is despite his misstep).

Wow. I don’t usually like third act break ups, but I loved this story! Jo and Silas are both such relatable characters and loveable! I feel the discussions surrounding mental health were wonderful. I loved that even though Jo suffers from anxiety and depression, she was still confident.
I do feel like Jo forgave Silas really easily for how long it took to start trusting him. But at the same time, they both had things to apologize for so I feel it worked out well

A strong debut! Excited to see what Ana Holguin does next. Really enjoyed the romantic build up, friend group and mental health exploration. I just cannot read about journalists like this without being extremely stressed!!!!!! the ethics of it all!!!!!!

This book was a truly enjoyable read. The writing flows effortlessly, drawing you into the story from the very beginning. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their experiences feel authentic and heartfelt. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, with moments of reflection that keep you engaged without feeling rushed.

This is a great book that looks at falling in love when you least expect it and figuring out who you are and where you want to be.
I loved Jo and that she is trying to figure out what she wants from her life. She's been a fitness instructor for a while now, but she's no longer enjoying it.
Along comes Silas who challenges her as he's writing an article about the appeal of fitness instructors being broadcast into your living room.
I liked the chemistry between them and how Silas really brought out who Jo is trying to be.
I liked the look at anxiety and how it can affect anyone.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

i have had my eye on this book for ages for the adorable cover alone, but getting to see these adorable people fall in love (and represent hispanics mind you 🙂‍↕️) was an absolute DELIGHT. i ate up every second of this and i already need holguin’s next romcom asap rocky 💫

This book follows Jo, a fitness instructor with a strong online following who is hiding a secret. Silas, a journalist, is determined to uncover that secret and publish it for the world to see.

Jo is starting to question whether her work as a fitness instructor truly fulfills her. She teaches classes at Haven Studios and broadcasts to thousands of people across the country, yet something feels missing.

Silas is assigned to write an article on why people love Haven over other studios. More specifically, what is it about Jo that has nearly a million people captivated on Instagram?

I loved how this book delivers a believable romance, with a slow-burn attraction between the main characters. The author also handles mental health themes with care, making the story even more compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-ARC!

Up Close and Personal is the Peloton-inspired rom-com I’ve been waiting for.

Jo is a fit, inspiring instructor with a secret and Silas is the journalist set on telling her story.

Jo is at a crossroads in her life. Haven has become so successful that her name and face are broadcast into thousands and thousands of homes country wide. Only, she’s not sure why she’s no longer loving her job.

Silas is a journalist and when told to cover Haven, uses his connections to get to meet Jo who he expects to be snooty and unlikeable. Color him surprised when he finds she’s the exact opposite. Soon the two find themselves circling each other, not just for Silas to write Jo’s story but also because they wonder if maybe they’ve found a connection they’ve been searching for in each other.

But Silas has hidden the truth from Jo and Jo has been burnt one too many times before. Can the two overcome their preconceived notions and mistakes for a chance at real love?

This book was so fun, while simultaneously having nuanced characters with deep emotional journeys.

Both leads have their own struggles with mental health which gives this book additional complexity and was handled sensitively.

This book makes me want to get back into spin class!

A recommended read! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved Up Close & Personal! As someone who attends cycling classes, I really understand how a good instructor can be motivating and inspiring, and I could envision my favorite instructors when reading about Jo. The only thing holding this back from being 5 stars is Silas not telling the whole truth at the beginning. We hate a miscommunication trope.

Absolutely wonderful!

I am always hesitant about influncer-esque characters. Despite running a bookstagram myself, I just find it too.. fake? But honestly having that opinion meant that while Silas was falling in love with Jo, I was also gaining more appreciation for everything that she had gone through and everything that created her character. I'm definitely not running out to buy a peleton (which is kind of like the equivalent to the fictional bike in this book) but I respect the industry more - and thats the magic of a book like this!

This definitely is reminiscent of 27 dresses and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, so if you love a classic 2000s rom-com I'd highly recommend picking it up. Ana did a fantastic job of weaving both Jo and Silas' struggles with mental health and anxiety into the story too.

I thought this book was just going to be a cute little rom com, and it delivered on that, but it was also so much more. Jo is working for Haven a super popular spin class instructor that does online and in person classes that are booked out and hard to get into and is burnt out and Silas is writer for a magazine who thinks the whole thing is basically a cult run by airheads when he is assigned to write about what draws people to take her classes. He ends up getting the ride of his life and falling in love with beautiful instructor as he helps her navigiate her anxiety and shed some light on some important mental health issues. If you are a fan of Abby Jimenez, you will love this one!

This was such a great romance! One of my top 5 of the year so far. This was their debut book, and I’m so excited to see where they go from here!

The MMC started as a little insufferable - he’s a hater, and goes in assuming the worst. But, over the course of the book, my mind is fully turned around on him! Which almost never happens for me - I so appreciated the depth of his character.

The FMC is definitely a take on a Peloton instructor, and if you’re someone who’s ever ridden/ kept up with a instructor / wondered what they’re up to in their everyday life, this was a fantastic read.

Journalism ethics, mental health (depression/anxiety) rep, this book had it all!

A sweet, slow burn romance between a fitness influencer and a writer.

This is definitely inspired by well loved Peloton athletes, but I loved it. I love that it showed how social media can be managed and that the people we see online are ultimately HUMAN. Jo's struggles around anxiety were so raw and insightful. The mental health representation and the nuggets of "You are not alone" was so wonderfully written. I love anyone willing to break any negative stigma around mental health, therapy, and medication.

For the romance, oh I thought I was going to be unhappy with Silas, but he makes up for it. Miscommunication isn't my favorite trope, but I understood that he respected Jo's space.

The way they described spin made me want to go to a class even though i know how hard they are. 😂 It was fun and motivating. I loved that this story didn't focus on weight loss or a certain body type. Jo is STRONG and the several types of people and body types taking the classes are mentioned more than once. I appreciated that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and recommend!!

this only reinforced my decision to never join a spin class, but I'm sincerely glad it worked out for these two crazy kids.

✰ 4-4.5 stars rounded down

thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

I loved the play on 27 Dresses in this story. I also loved the mental health rep so much! Jo and Silas were so great! The banter between them, and the chemistry, top notch! It was so fun to see them overcome their issues and see if they could be happy together after the way it all started and their respective jobs. Such a great, fun story!

My new fav romcom of the year. This book had everything that I enjoy and look for in a romcom and I’m so glad it delivered. I absolutely loved it and would definitely recommend