This book sneaks up on you in the best way—slow-burning, emotional, and way deeper than you expect.

Jo’s at the top of her game as a spin instructor, but after years of being in the spotlight, she’s starting to feel the weight of it all. Enter Silas, a journalist who’s ready to write her off as just another influencer. But as he gets to know Jo, he realizes there’s way more to her story than what the public sees.

Through their interviews, they start peeling back each other’s layers—getting into the stuff that actually matters, not just the surface-level things. Their back-and-forth is sharp and full of energy, and you can really feel the shift as they begin to trust each other. The chemistry between them is on point, messy in the best way, and totally believable. I had some early suspicions about the eventual third-act conflict, and it was just as frustrating and devastating as I expected.

The book dives into some pretty heavy topics—fame, mental health, and career burnout—and it does it in a way that feels relatable. I especially appreciated how Jo’s anxiety wasn’t framed as something to “fix” but as a real, ongoing part of her life—something she learns to navigate with care and self-compassion.

Overall, this is a really solid debut. Is it a life-changer? Probably not—but that’s not the point. It’s fresh, layered, and totally enjoyable, and sometimes that’s exactly what makes a book worth picking up.

A deeply charming, sincere, slow-burn romance that has great insight on both social media personas and mental health.

It’s not often I can say this, but this book hooked me from literally the first page. These characters feel like real people. The writing is great. You get backstory and personality conveyed in a way that feels totally natural to the characters and their situations. In just a few sentences you have a clear sense of who they are and what they value.

The romance is such a satisfying slow burn. The connection between them is obvious without feeling like insta-love. Both characters are relatable and it’s easy to understand their different perspectives and worries. You get a bit of a forbidden love/forced proximity trope within the journalist/subject plot and it makes for some great romantic tension.

The focus on both physical and mental health was inspiring to read. Anxiety and depression are discussed and treated with both empathy and support. It’s not depicted as something the characters fix and move on from, but acknowledged as something that will ebb and flow throughout different parts of their lives. Physical fitness is discussed in a way that feels really emotionally healthy and body positive.

Up Close and Personal is truly a joy to read. The plot outside the romance is so compelling that this would still have been five stars without it. Watching someone show the parts about themselves they find scary and unloveable to the world to be met with gentle support and compassion is heartwarming.

I would absolutely recommend this for lovers of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and the movie 27 Dresses. It’s a really solid contemporary romance with some great commentary on social media presence and mental health. I’m already looking forward to whatever Ana Holguin decides to write next!