You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria

Star rating: 4.5/5

Thank you to Avon Books for the gifted ARC! 

Summary:

Jasmine Lin is a soap opera star who has just been cheated on and humiliated by the tabloids. Ashton Suarez is a telenovela star with a young son he keeps secret to protect from the paparazzi. They come together to star in a remake of a telenovela by "Screenflix," a major streaming site. The two get off to a rocky start and both are convinced that the other doesn't like them. However, it becomes clear quickly that attraction and chemistry is there, and while both have justifiable reservations about getting romantically involved, they can't deny what they feel. Jasmine and Ashton begin a passionate, secret whirlwind romance. But secrets cannot remain secrets for actors and actresses for very long, and eventually they both need to make difficult decisions around trust and sacrifice. 

Review:

This was such a sweet, beautifully and thoughtfully written story featuring strong characters. I had my reservations going in - I am NOT a soap opera fan, so I was hesitant about a book revolving around soap opera/telenovela stars. I'm so happy I gave it a chance, because it turned out to have a unique spin that worked really well for me - the idea that they were remaking and modernizing a telenovela for "Screenflix" (basically Netflix) I think make it more relatable and accessible for young readers. I also absolutely love how Daria emphasized the importance of Latinx art and voices in mainstream media.

The story is told in alternating perspectives from Jasmine and Ashton, with scripted scenes from Carmen in Charge woven in throughout as well. I think incorporating the telenovela scenes into the book was a brilliant way to immerse the reader into Jasmine and Ashton's work and their chemistry on set. Speaking of their chemistry on set, Daria wrote in an intimacy coordinator whose job it was to make sure all on-screen romance was consensual and comfortable. AMAZING! 

Now, Jasmine and Ashton's off-screen romance. I loved it. Their sex scenes were steamy, erotic, and passionate - everything you want in a romance novel. However, I feel like there was more character development for Ashton than there was for Jasmine. At the end of this book, I still don't feel like I knew much about Jasmine outside of her identity as an actress. This made it hard for their love to feel believable for me, because it felt like all that was really there was physical attraction. That being said, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise amazing book. I highly recommend this book for fans of Talia Hibbert and Emily Henry. You Had Me At Hola will be available to the public on August 4th, 2020!