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The Influencer #2
Exes and O's
A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.
Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men--all of whom dumped her because of her "stage-five clinger" tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn't his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara's journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.
The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?
Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men--all of whom dumped her because of her "stage-five clinger" tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn't his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara's journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.
The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?
361 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2023
About the author
Amy Lea
6 books2,626 followersAmy Lea is the international bestselling author of romantic comedies for adults and teens, including Set on You, Exes and O’s, and Mindy Kaling’s Book Studio selection Woke Up Like This.
Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.
When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.
Amy is represented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary Agency.
Her acclaimed works have been featured in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Elle Magazine and has been long listed as a CBC Canada Reads finalist. They have also been optioned for film and sold to over a dozen foreign territories.
When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram (@amyleabooks), eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada.
Amy is represented by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,181 reviews
December 29, 2023
1.5/5
This book was written solely to please BookTok, you can't convince me otherwise. There were so many things that are "trendy" on BookTok right now that it physically hurt to read it. The examples.
Girl please, I read, and I think most of the people here, to escape from reality. It should be illegal to mention TikTok in books. TikTok was mentioned three times here.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or just delete the book from my Kindle in that moment. I chose the worst option. I kept reading.
Honestly, I also don’t remember the last time I read about the heroine which was that childish and annoying. Please tell me who is announcing on their social media that they are making "ex-boyfriends hunting". I would rather be alone till my dying days than do that. But, that's not even the worst. She was making stupid choices, like really stupid choices and she was thirty years old. I don’t know how she survived to this age. Plus, one of her favorite tropes in romance books was.
I was scared.
She also took the overnight bag for the one night stand. Her hobby is reading romances every day and she didn't know what one-night stand was.
I agreed with her ex-fiancé doctor that she was stupid.
I was really shocked that she didn't scare them.
Yeah it’s time girl. I never thought I will say this.
*cringing emoji*
Don’t let me start on the writing style.
No comment.
Most importantly, she didn't deserve Trevor. Trevor, honey, I'm so sorry that the author hurt you by pairing you with her. I have to say it but his name only reminds me of
From the movie After obviously, the most amazing cinematic masterpiece, which should be banned and illegal to watch.
I almost forgot to mention this, but the romance didn't start until seventy percent of the the book. This wouldn't be a problem for me as I’m a fan of slow-burn romances, but I didn't feel any romantic tension and chemistry between her and Trevor. So even when they had their first kiss I felt more while reading a cooking recipe than this.
This book was written solely to please BookTok, you can't convince me otherwise. There were so many things that are "trendy" on BookTok right now that it physically hurt to read it. The examples.
"My bookstagram and BookTok accounts—niche corners of the internet where literature-obsessed folks bond over books—are thriving."
Girl please, I read, and I think most of the people here, to escape from reality. It should be illegal to mention TikTok in books. TikTok was mentioned three times here.
"I’ve been attempting to learn a TikTok dance for her, a painful endeavor I do not recommend to anyone over twenty years old."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or just delete the book from my Kindle in that moment. I chose the worst option. I kept reading.
Honestly, I also don’t remember the last time I read about the heroine which was that childish and annoying. Please tell me who is announcing on their social media that they are making "ex-boyfriends hunting". I would rather be alone till my dying days than do that. But, that's not even the worst. She was making stupid choices, like really stupid choices and she was thirty years old. I don’t know how she survived to this age. Plus, one of her favorite tropes in romance books was.
"Indeed. And a secret baby too. My favorite.”
I was scared.
She also took the overnight bag for the one night stand. Her hobby is reading romances every day and she didn't know what one-night stand was.
I agreed with her ex-fiancé doctor that she was stupid.
"When the meeting was adjourned, I overheard him updating another doctor in the lounge about my ex-boyfriend search after my latest social media update,"
"He went on to ramble about how embarrassing and unprofessional it is to post these things and how I must have “scared off the other nine.”
I was really shocked that she didn't scare them.
“I’ve always said your books and movies have filled your head with unrealistic expectations. Men aren’t like that in real life. And I think it’s time you finally accept the fact that life isn’t a fairy tale.” If I had a dollar for every time Seth whined that my books were tainting my expectations of real relationships, I’d be a baller."
Yeah it’s time girl. I never thought I will say this.
"I stomp past him, back to the ballroom, imagining I’m in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” music video, strutting out of the Seth hellfire that’s marked too many years of my life."
*cringing emoji*
Don’t let me start on the writing style.
"I was supposed to get off on his skill set alone (lol)."
"to make themselves feel better (*cough* Seth *cough*)."
No comment.
Most importantly, she didn't deserve Trevor. Trevor, honey, I'm so sorry that the author hurt you by pairing you with her. I have to say it but his name only reminds me of
From the movie After obviously, the most amazing cinematic masterpiece, which should be banned and illegal to watch.
I almost forgot to mention this, but the romance didn't start until seventy percent of the the book. This wouldn't be a problem for me as I’m a fan of slow-burn romances, but I didn't feel any romantic tension and chemistry between her and Trevor. So even when they had their first kiss I felt more while reading a cooking recipe than this.
May 13, 2023
This is addictive, extremely hot and humorous forced proximity room-ance!
Heartbroken, bookworm, Cheetos monster, true romance believer nurse Tara Li Chen is all set for starting over. She’s moving out to replacing Scott to share an apartment with his colleague Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe!
After getting mugged by a potential romantic lover in the subway, her day gets more surprising when she’s welcomed home by her new roommate who’s completely naked and boning a redhead lady at the kitchen.
This is not a great scenario for meet a cute. This is mostly meet a dic… okay I’m correcting as meet a disaster scenario.
Thankfully Trevor who reminds us a wallbanger at the first month stops bringing women to their shared place but he keeps getting irritating untidiness of Tara who loves to her books scattered around the apartment.
Tara still makes her Tara romance queen videos for sharing her feelings with her audiences as a devoted romance believer. She decides to make a list of her ex boyfriends and give them another chance after hearing her grandma’s second chance love story.
Maybe she made a terrible mistake during her relationships. People can change, evolve, grow up to a better version of themselves. Maybe one of her exes will help her to catch second chance in love.
She talks in his new roommate’s ear to help her with her project. Trevor acts like a womanizer, king of one night stands, is doubtful about second chances. He’s closing himself behind emotional barriers. But as soon as he decides to help Tara for finding her dreamy ex, he becomes more open about his secrets. They start to form a unique and intimate bound, becoming close friends, talking about relationships at hot tub! Yes, things get a little hotter at each chapter including Tara’s erotic dreams about her roommate!
Tara gets mixed signals from Trevor and she doesn’t want to read too much into it but what if she stops chasing her exes for finding happiness? What if her HEA is just standing in front of him sharing a Cheetos bag, watching next episode of Bachelor with her?
Normally I don’t like manwhore heroes but tight lipped, emotionally unavailable Trevor was too sweet to get mad.
I love author’s sense of humor and amazing chemistry between Tara and Trevor! I loved this book more than author’s previous work. So I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 for the love of all CRAZY and CLINGY EX GIRLFRIENDS!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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Heartbroken, bookworm, Cheetos monster, true romance believer nurse Tara Li Chen is all set for starting over. She’s moving out to replacing Scott to share an apartment with his colleague Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe!
After getting mugged by a potential romantic lover in the subway, her day gets more surprising when she’s welcomed home by her new roommate who’s completely naked and boning a redhead lady at the kitchen.
This is not a great scenario for meet a cute. This is mostly meet a dic… okay I’m correcting as meet a disaster scenario.
Thankfully Trevor who reminds us a wallbanger at the first month stops bringing women to their shared place but he keeps getting irritating untidiness of Tara who loves to her books scattered around the apartment.
Tara still makes her Tara romance queen videos for sharing her feelings with her audiences as a devoted romance believer. She decides to make a list of her ex boyfriends and give them another chance after hearing her grandma’s second chance love story.
Maybe she made a terrible mistake during her relationships. People can change, evolve, grow up to a better version of themselves. Maybe one of her exes will help her to catch second chance in love.
She talks in his new roommate’s ear to help her with her project. Trevor acts like a womanizer, king of one night stands, is doubtful about second chances. He’s closing himself behind emotional barriers. But as soon as he decides to help Tara for finding her dreamy ex, he becomes more open about his secrets. They start to form a unique and intimate bound, becoming close friends, talking about relationships at hot tub! Yes, things get a little hotter at each chapter including Tara’s erotic dreams about her roommate!
Tara gets mixed signals from Trevor and she doesn’t want to read too much into it but what if she stops chasing her exes for finding happiness? What if her HEA is just standing in front of him sharing a Cheetos bag, watching next episode of Bachelor with her?
Normally I don’t like manwhore heroes but tight lipped, emotionally unavailable Trevor was too sweet to get mad.
I love author’s sense of humor and amazing chemistry between Tara and Trevor! I loved this book more than author’s previous work. So I’m rounding up 4.5 stars to 5 for the love of all CRAZY and CLINGY EX GIRLFRIENDS!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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February 4, 2023I read this author’s debut and unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. But I think it was just the tropes and the way the story unfolded, because I really liked this one! It was a very sweet read, and perfect for Valentine’s Day. You have a main character who is an absolute hopeless romantic, obsessed with romance novels in particular, and you’re watching her finally get her own love story that she’s always wanted. I liked that she tried to orchestrate this herself because she loves second chance romances, so she goes along this list of her exes trying to finally find the one that works for her. But ultimately it was a friends to lovers, roommate love story that just really worked. There was a lot of development from the MC, especially dealing with how guys have always called her “crazy.” I thought that was an interesting discussion that was brought up that was really well handled. Trevor was a great love interest for her and I felt the chemistry, but I do wish the romance had started sooner. It was a definite slow burn and the check list plot line kept things going, but I would’ve loved to see their romance together a bit longer. It felt like they got together, and then there was a silly little conflict, and then it was a happily ever after. So the pay off felt a bit less sweet. That being said, that epilogue was ADORABLE. I think that is the cutest epilogue I’ve ever read.
January 21, 2023
i wanted to love this because
- heroine is a "book influencer" and so am i
- heroine is a hopeless romantic (also me)
- heroine is a picky eater (again, same)
but there were too many missing pieces for me here. mainly, chemistry between heroine/hero. the friendship felt pretty forced since there weren't many shared interests. the heroine was... sadly pretty pathetic. more than 1 ex bf calls her a stage 3 clinger. and the pop culture references/booktok/booktube references felt off... i'm pretty picky about it so that's definitely just a me thing but i shuddered a couple times.
the sex scenes were hot enough so that's nice. but not enough to make up for everything else. basically this is one of the "okayest" romances i've read in a while.
- heroine is a "book influencer" and so am i
- heroine is a hopeless romantic (also me)
- heroine is a picky eater (again, same)
but there were too many missing pieces for me here. mainly, chemistry between heroine/hero. the friendship felt pretty forced since there weren't many shared interests. the heroine was... sadly pretty pathetic. more than 1 ex bf calls her a stage 3 clinger. and the pop culture references/booktok/booktube references felt off... i'm pretty picky about it so that's definitely just a me thing but i shuddered a couple times.
the sex scenes were hot enough so that's nice. but not enough to make up for everything else. basically this is one of the "okayest" romances i've read in a while.
February 22, 2023
fighting for my life (attempting to find a romance novel i love when i'm the pickiest person on earth).
and battles for your life mean that you take victory where you can get it. so this being cute and nice and extremely unmemorable is a win to me!
bottom line: sure!
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
and battles for your life mean that you take victory where you can get it. so this being cute and nice and extremely unmemorable is a win to me!
bottom line: sure!
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
June 14, 2023
↠ 5 stars
Romance novel obsessed Tara Chen has had more than her fair share of heartbreak. Ever since her most recent breakup, adding to a long line of men that dumped her because of her supposed clingy tendencies, her love life has grown sour. Tara wants to find love more than anything, but with the growing popularity of dating apps, a modern meet-cute is out of the question. Luckily, an insightful interview gives her an idea: revisit her past exes and reevaluate the relationship in an attempt to earn one of the most time-honored tropes, the second-chance romance. In her quest to reconnect with her past relationships, Tara enlists the help of her standoffish roommate Trevor, who couldn't be any more against commitment. As the two venture deeper into Tara’s past, the closer they become, and though the disappointments grow even higher, finding the love she’s been looking for may not lie in the past at all, but in the everyday details.
Amy Lea did not hold back with this wholly magnetic and exquisitely tender slow-burn love story. I mean I heard the words “and they were roommates” and immediately dropped whatever I was doing to go and read this. Exes and O’s has a lot going for it, what with its central protagonists, an emotionally unavailable fireman, and a nurse with a tendency to romanticize, falling for one another under the guise of a search for a second-chance romance. Lea quietly constructs a simmering slow burn, with close-the-book level tension and enough going on that I never wanted to stop reading. Plot aside, the strongest part of this novel is its leading characters, Trevor and Tara. Not only was there enough set up to establish an emotional conflict that never became overbearing, but both character arcs intersected and complemented one another in increasingly fascinating ways. Out of the two main leads, Tara has to be my favorite. She’s the romance novel aficionado and book-lover heroine we deserve, and her inner struggle really resonated with me. I know many people appreciate dual POV in romance, but with a slow burn in mind and the characters in question, I loved the fact that we only got Tara’s. It helped make the pining almost unbearable and the undercurrent of the whole will they won't they vibe. Throughout Tara’s entire emotional arc, Lea illustrates the importance of learning to be yourself wholeheartedly when it comes to love while continuing to hold onto your dreams and ideals. It's obvious that friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and I think this one might be at the top of that list. Exes and O’s is a novel dedicated to all the romance-obsessed daydreamers
out there, entirely charming, swoon-worthy, and vulnerable.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing the arc
Trigger warnings: sexism, gaslighting
Romance novel obsessed Tara Chen has had more than her fair share of heartbreak. Ever since her most recent breakup, adding to a long line of men that dumped her because of her supposed clingy tendencies, her love life has grown sour. Tara wants to find love more than anything, but with the growing popularity of dating apps, a modern meet-cute is out of the question. Luckily, an insightful interview gives her an idea: revisit her past exes and reevaluate the relationship in an attempt to earn one of the most time-honored tropes, the second-chance romance. In her quest to reconnect with her past relationships, Tara enlists the help of her standoffish roommate Trevor, who couldn't be any more against commitment. As the two venture deeper into Tara’s past, the closer they become, and though the disappointments grow even higher, finding the love she’s been looking for may not lie in the past at all, but in the everyday details.
Amy Lea did not hold back with this wholly magnetic and exquisitely tender slow-burn love story. I mean I heard the words “and they were roommates” and immediately dropped whatever I was doing to go and read this. Exes and O’s has a lot going for it, what with its central protagonists, an emotionally unavailable fireman, and a nurse with a tendency to romanticize, falling for one another under the guise of a search for a second-chance romance. Lea quietly constructs a simmering slow burn, with close-the-book level tension and enough going on that I never wanted to stop reading. Plot aside, the strongest part of this novel is its leading characters, Trevor and Tara. Not only was there enough set up to establish an emotional conflict that never became overbearing, but both character arcs intersected and complemented one another in increasingly fascinating ways. Out of the two main leads, Tara has to be my favorite. She’s the romance novel aficionado and book-lover heroine we deserve, and her inner struggle really resonated with me. I know many people appreciate dual POV in romance, but with a slow burn in mind and the characters in question, I loved the fact that we only got Tara’s. It helped make the pining almost unbearable and the undercurrent of the whole will they won't they vibe. Throughout Tara’s entire emotional arc, Lea illustrates the importance of learning to be yourself wholeheartedly when it comes to love while continuing to hold onto your dreams and ideals. It's obvious that friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and I think this one might be at the top of that list. Exes and O’s is a novel dedicated to all the romance-obsessed daydreamers
out there, entirely charming, swoon-worthy, and vulnerable.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing the arc
Trigger warnings: sexism, gaslighting
January 26, 2023
no wonder she has so many exes… I wouldn’t want to date her either
October 18, 2023
✨Trevor Metcalfe plz fill my blank spaces.✨
~🎱~ Does this review moonlight as a diary entry? ~🎱~
Signs point to yes.
✨
This book exceeded all of my expectations. It was polished, funny, and so fricken FLUFFY. It was a love letter to people who romanticize love letters and Valentine’s Day and entirely-innocent-but-what-if… eye contact in public spaces. It might as well have been written on pink signature-scented stationary addressed to me personally in hand-lettered calligraphy. It gave mid-2000s romcom.
If you expect to find your soulmate every time you enter a bookstore, this is the book for you. Would you answer a random craigslist apartment ad specifically for the 1% chance you’ll recreate New Girl? Yeah? Then this is the room-mance for you. It’s puppy in a cup and Green Light in an elevator. It’s a seven season slow burn but I swear it’s worth it.
Have you ever been in your dentist’s waiting area and heard a suuuuper hot could-totally-narrate-an-erotic-audiobook voice at the counter and slowly migrated your entire body mass inch by inch until you have a direct line of sight to the… cool 75-year-old grandpa paying for his root canal? No? Well I have so I feel supremely qualified to say that Tara is me and I am Tara.
✨
Exes and O’s is truly an adult version of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, dreamy hot tub scene and all. I’m not going to give much away, at least not until closer to pub day, but let me tell you the way I SCREAMED. Sweating emoji for days. My already impossibly high standards after reading this book? 📈📈📈
Pretty much every quirk of book one was ironed out in Exes and O’s. The scope of the main relationship was perfectly developed with enough mystery and swoon. I thought the third-act breakup was handled in a tame yet dramatic fashion. If single POV isn’t your thing, you may disagree with me, but I’m so fricken jazzed we only got Tara’s POV. I thrive on the mystery. The completely platonic touches! glances! I-will-tar-and-feather-any-man-that-gets-within-fifty-feet-of-you protectiveness!
Ithink nay I KNOW this is my favorite friends-to-lovers contemporary romance I’ve read. It was perfectly executed and so fun. It may not seem like a lot and yes the bar is extremely low, but I actually laughed. Enough for my parents to think I was texting a secret lover. No mom! I’m just reading romance. Like this is an actual honest to god romcom. I’ve been charmed.
✨
Trevor was a 6 foot 4 piñata of steamy Sex God aloofness. Each chapter was a direct hit into his hidden stores of Certified Hero Material. Speak softly, carry a big stick, and let me at him. I was an absolute lush, hoarding each piece of him we won along the way. Just when you think he can’t get any more delicious? Whack. Metaphorical candy = everywhere. List of things I wouldn’t let him do to me = nowhere to be seen. Trevor Metcalfe is like a box of chocolates, try everything once.
You don’t have a sweet tooth? Well buckle up buttercups because our boy Trevor also embodies the energy of the tailgate banger from Disney Pixar’s 2006 classic, Cars: Life is a Highway. Ride him all night long. Kachow bitches.
✨
Tara is for the romance girlies aka all of us. She’s Lara Jean meets Jessica Day meets the 🥰 emoji. She’s got a bookstagram (but not enough followers to make you feel inadequate, she never even lists her count) and she too leaves scandalous novels laying around in hazardous piles. She’s so relatable I thought this was an autobiography, until you know…the romance. I know not of what you speak.
Like every hot girl, Tara overshares on the internet! (Hello dentist office octogenarian hottie, how you doin?) Hot girls also get interrupted during the sex scenes in audiobooks. Bonus points if it’s overheard by your incredibly gorgeous roommate, in the kitchen, where he cooks for you.
Tara: 3; Hannah: 0.
✨
I loved the message of owning your enthusiasm and being unashamedly yourself. Tara was consistently told she was “crazy” and “a lot to handle,” and wasn’t taken seriously because she was “too emotional.” Blank Space is truly the perfect anthem for this book, filled with the perfect message: If they’re the one, they’ll never think you’re too much. Think Mark Darcy loving Bridget Jones. Also Trevor Metcalfe can fill all of my blank spaces.
Update! The audiobook was absolutely perfect. The performance by Natalie Naudus was absolutely fantastic. She captured Tara and Trevor so wonderfully. This is already a comfort listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶️*/5
*I was personally wayyy more invested in the sex in this book. It was majorly slow burn compared to book 1, but damn when the burn burned. It also hit differently because I love them so much and am absolutely projecting. It wasn’t that explicit and you only got two scenes, but I sure did have a great time.
Ultra-specific tropes to expect if you’re into minor spoilers:
💛 Strangers to roommates to friends to lovers
💗 Catching the hero in flagrante delicto
💛 Mega slow burn for this firefighter
💗 Last names as nicknames
💛 Interrupted masturbation sesh
💗 Sex dream in close proximity to the star of the show
💛 Perfect grand gesture
💗 Jealousy (hot)
💛 He takes care of her always
💗 Drunk scene & gratuitous Tangled viewing
💛 Firefighter musclessss
💗 One night stand expert meets serial hopeless romantic
💛 He’s a Clean Desk; She’s a Messy Desk
💗 He organizes her books
💛 They read together
💗 No “good girl” but definite praise
💛 Very mild dirty talk, including the perfect execution of the word “baby” (only said once as a delicious garnish)
💗 Valentine’s Day Epilogue
💛 Question…? by Taylor Swift vibes
_______
Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am also on the publisher’s influencer team. All opinions are honest and my own. ✨
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for a complimentary audiobook copy!
CWs: to come
_______
Initial reaction: Absolutely perfect. Bury me with it.
~🎱~ Does this review moonlight as a diary entry? ~🎱~
Signs point to yes.
✨
This book exceeded all of my expectations. It was polished, funny, and so fricken FLUFFY. It was a love letter to people who romanticize love letters and Valentine’s Day and entirely-innocent-but-what-if… eye contact in public spaces. It might as well have been written on pink signature-scented stationary addressed to me personally in hand-lettered calligraphy. It gave mid-2000s romcom.
If you expect to find your soulmate every time you enter a bookstore, this is the book for you. Would you answer a random craigslist apartment ad specifically for the 1% chance you’ll recreate New Girl? Yeah? Then this is the room-mance for you. It’s puppy in a cup and Green Light in an elevator. It’s a seven season slow burn but I swear it’s worth it.
Have you ever been in your dentist’s waiting area and heard a suuuuper hot could-totally-narrate-an-erotic-audiobook voice at the counter and slowly migrated your entire body mass inch by inch until you have a direct line of sight to the… cool 75-year-old grandpa paying for his root canal? No? Well I have so I feel supremely qualified to say that Tara is me and I am Tara.
✨
Exes and O’s is truly an adult version of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, dreamy hot tub scene and all. I’m not going to give much away, at least not until closer to pub day, but let me tell you the way I SCREAMED. Sweating emoji for days. My already impossibly high standards after reading this book? 📈📈📈
Pretty much every quirk of book one was ironed out in Exes and O’s. The scope of the main relationship was perfectly developed with enough mystery and swoon. I thought the third-act breakup was handled in a tame yet dramatic fashion. If single POV isn’t your thing, you may disagree with me, but I’m so fricken jazzed we only got Tara’s POV. I thrive on the mystery. The completely platonic touches! glances! I-will-tar-and-feather-any-man-that-gets-within-fifty-feet-of-you protectiveness!
I
✨
Trevor was a 6 foot 4 piñata of steamy Sex God aloofness. Each chapter was a direct hit into his hidden stores of Certified Hero Material. Speak softly, carry a big stick, and let me at him. I was an absolute lush, hoarding each piece of him we won along the way. Just when you think he can’t get any more delicious? Whack. Metaphorical candy = everywhere. List of things I wouldn’t let him do to me = nowhere to be seen. Trevor Metcalfe is like a box of chocolates, try everything once.
You don’t have a sweet tooth? Well buckle up buttercups because our boy Trevor also embodies the energy of the tailgate banger from Disney Pixar’s 2006 classic, Cars: Life is a Highway. Ride him all night long. Kachow bitches.
✨
Tara is for the romance girlies aka all of us. She’s Lara Jean meets Jessica Day meets the 🥰 emoji. She’s got a bookstagram (but not enough followers to make you feel inadequate, she never even lists her count) and she too leaves scandalous novels laying around in hazardous piles. She’s so relatable I thought this was an autobiography, until you know…the romance. I know not of what you speak.
Like every hot girl, Tara overshares on the internet! (Hello dentist office octogenarian hottie, how you doin?) Hot girls also get interrupted during the sex scenes in audiobooks. Bonus points if it’s overheard by your incredibly gorgeous roommate, in the kitchen, where he cooks for you.
Tara: 3; Hannah: 0.
✨
I loved the message of owning your enthusiasm and being unashamedly yourself. Tara was consistently told she was “crazy” and “a lot to handle,” and wasn’t taken seriously because she was “too emotional.” Blank Space is truly the perfect anthem for this book, filled with the perfect message: If they’re the one, they’ll never think you’re too much. Think Mark Darcy loving Bridget Jones. Also Trevor Metcalfe can fill all of my blank spaces.
Update! The audiobook was absolutely perfect. The performance by Natalie Naudus was absolutely fantastic. She captured Tara and Trevor so wonderfully. This is already a comfort listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶🌶🌶️*/5
*I was personally wayyy more invested in the sex in this book. It was majorly slow burn compared to book 1, but damn when the burn burned. It also hit differently because I love them so much and am absolutely projecting. It wasn’t that explicit and you only got two scenes, but I sure did have a great time.
Ultra-specific tropes to expect if you’re into minor spoilers:
💛 Strangers to roommates to friends to lovers
💗 Catching the hero in flagrante delicto
💛 Mega slow burn for this firefighter
💗 Last names as nicknames
💛 Interrupted masturbation sesh
💗 Sex dream in close proximity to the star of the show
💛 Perfect grand gesture
💗 Jealousy (hot)
💛 He takes care of her always
💗 Drunk scene & gratuitous Tangled viewing
💛 Firefighter musclessss
💗 One night stand expert meets serial hopeless romantic
💛 He’s a Clean Desk; She’s a Messy Desk
💗 He organizes her books
💛 They read together
💗 No “good girl” but definite praise
💛 Very mild dirty talk, including the perfect execution of the word “baby” (only said once as a delicious garnish)
💗 Valentine’s Day Epilogue
💛 Question…? by Taylor Swift vibes
_______
Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am also on the publisher’s influencer team. All opinions are honest and my own. ✨
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for a complimentary audiobook copy!
CWs: to come
_______
Initial reaction: Absolutely perfect. Bury me with it.
January 10, 2023
Amy Lea doesn’t know it yet, but she wrote this book for me.
December 3, 2023
4.5⭐️✨
“He’s not just the hero of my dreams. He’s the hero beyond my wildest imagination. The best part? He’s nonfiction.” 💕💗
Brief Summary: Tara decides to make a list of all her Exes to contact to see if it’s any possibility of rekindling the old flame and to possibly have a date to her Valentine’s Day gala. Her roommate decides to help of course 😉 and we know the end game.
This book is what every rom com book should achieve to be. It’s cute, fun and filled with the best tension. The slow burn was burning 🔥 I almost got impatient but it was worth the wait.. TRUST ME
The FMC is a booksatagramer and she has the best personality. She’s quirky, not afraid to speak her mind and a die hard hopeless romantic 💘 She is such a normal girl with real issues and it makes her sooooooo likeable. I love how despite her many bad relationships she has she does not give on the idea of true love. I hated how she allowed so much disrespect from past men and didn’t see herself for the queen that she is 👑
Trevor the MMC is a sexy firefighter-he has me drooling at the mouth 🤤 and I want to write his name a hundred times in the back of my planner 🤣 In the beginning I thought this guy was a complete jerk but he is so caring and supportive. He has a ton of emotional baggage and has troubles discussing his feelings but does eventually warm up to expressing himself. It’s the little things like engaging in book talk with her, watching her favorite shows, getting her favorite snacks, listening to her talk about her exes and the list goes and on..this man is gonna make top ten boyfriends of my fictional list 🤭
The epilogue …ugghhhhh my heart can’t I’m just so happy right now 🙃🥹
Tropes:
-friends to lovers
-he falls first 😊
Spice
🌶️
“He’s not just the hero of my dreams. He’s the hero beyond my wildest imagination. The best part? He’s nonfiction.” 💕💗
Brief Summary: Tara decides to make a list of all her Exes to contact to see if it’s any possibility of rekindling the old flame and to possibly have a date to her Valentine’s Day gala. Her roommate decides to help of course 😉 and we know the end game.
This book is what every rom com book should achieve to be. It’s cute, fun and filled with the best tension. The slow burn was burning 🔥 I almost got impatient but it was worth the wait.. TRUST ME
The FMC is a booksatagramer and she has the best personality. She’s quirky, not afraid to speak her mind and a die hard hopeless romantic 💘 She is such a normal girl with real issues and it makes her sooooooo likeable. I love how despite her many bad relationships she has she does not give on the idea of true love. I hated how she allowed so much disrespect from past men and didn’t see herself for the queen that she is 👑
Trevor the MMC is a sexy firefighter-he has me drooling at the mouth 🤤 and I want to write his name a hundred times in the back of my planner 🤣 In the beginning I thought this guy was a complete jerk but he is so caring and supportive. He has a ton of emotional baggage and has troubles discussing his feelings but does eventually warm up to expressing himself. It’s the little things like engaging in book talk with her, watching her favorite shows, getting her favorite snacks, listening to her talk about her exes and the list goes and on..this man is gonna make top ten boyfriends of my fictional list 🤭
The epilogue …ugghhhhh my heart can’t I’m just so happy right now 🙃🥹
Tropes:
-friends to lovers
-he falls first 😊
Spice
🌶️
January 14, 2023
”Should I trust you, deliriously handsome stranger?”
His mouth shapes into a crooked smile as he stands, towering over me on the bathroom floor. “Nah. Probably not.”
ever since Set on You, i needed Tara to have a book. and i said i wanted her with Trevor (despite them never having met) just because their personalities were so different. but i didn’t think they’d actually get a book... but great minds clearly think alike since Amy Lea wrote them a story ;)
avid romance reader and Bookstagrammer Tara Chen (h) has never been lucky in love. but having that great, all-consuming love has been something she’s always desired... to the point where she’s dated some questionable men during this pursuit. so, she devises a plan to reconnect with all of her exes in hopes to rekindle a relationship with one of the ones that got away. and she does this after moving in with her new roommate, broody and slightly emotionally-stunted firefighter, Trevor Metcalfe (H).
I think I would sell my soul to have more of him, in any way I can.
the story is Tara’s single POV, which isn’t really a favourite of mine. to pull off an entertaining, engaging and endearing single POV romance, you gotta make the person’s head you’re living in for the duration of the book unique. and luckily Tara was wonderful. i actually enjoyed her character more than Crystal’s in the previous book. she really took me by surprise— it was refreshing.
Tara is hilariously relatable but in the non-quirky and insufferable way. i know, it sounds like a myth these days, but Tara’s characterisation was just so authentic— it didn’t feel forced, like she was trying to be someone she wasn’t. she just felt real. the humour was casual, just slipping into her inner monologue so it took you by surprise and made you giggle. rather than being set up to be this grand joke to forcibly be funny... does that make sense? it was effortless rooting for her because she was so wonderfully endearing.
she was hands down the highlight of the book for me. she stole the show.
”Okay, that got dark real fast. This is why you should never trust strangers with candy,” Trevor warns.
“Technically you’re a stranger, with Cheetos,” I remind him, fishing a rogue Cheeto from the floor. I toss it in the trash can next to the sink.
“You’re a stranger too. In my bathroom. Who knows what you’ve done to my toothbrush.”
Trevor and Tara’s “meet-cute” is something i normally loathe in a romance. (people who know me will probably be able to guess what this is😭). it usually kills the vibes for me, but Amy Lea flipped the trope on it’s head and made it truly hilarious and set up the tone of Trevor and Tara’s dynamic.
when i read it on the sneak peek at the end of Set On You, i was giggling the entire time. it’s actually realistic, with how horrified Tara is, how sheepish Trevor is... the endearing awkwardness that ensues. i was living. it made me 10000x more excited for this than i originally was. just picturing the entire exchange in my head was hilarious.
and honestly, Amy Lea did that a lot throughout this novel— subverting tropes, stereotypes and stigmas and bringing you something new and refreshing, rather than the same recycled stuff. i really enjoyed the nods to the romance genre throughout, picking apart different tropes and cliches, and really exploring the intrinsic flaws in the genre while highlighting what makes romance such a wonderfully exciting genre to read, too. usually the whole “meta” approach can just be cringey and fall flat, but again, Amy Lea executed it brilliantly, in my opinion. poignant without being too preachy.
and the transcript interjections were cute— they added a little humour and flare without overtaking or distracting from the main story.
”Trevor James Metcalfe,” I repeat, loving the way it rolls off my tongue.
“Say my name again,” he orders, his voice low and gravelly. I do as I’m told, three times over. “There is no one like you, Tara Li Chen.”
Tara’s banter with Trevor >>>> their interactions were filled with dry, deadpan back and forth remarks, and their texts were so funny. they just clicked immediately. Amy Lea really set-up a solid foundation within their friendship to slowly blossom into a believable romance.
which was suppppppper slowburn. don’t go into this expecting insta... anything.
it was the perfect choice for the type of dynamic the pair had, it wouldn’t have made sense for them to rush into things too early. the slowburn didn’t even feel like one— you know, sometimes reading a slowburn you’re all too aware of the slow pacing? that wasn’t the case here. Tara and Trevor didn’t need constant overtly romantic interactions to make you root for them. the progression was natural, filled with a soft, subdued type of tension. i wouldn’t say this was... intense. it was the type of friends to lovers where you can clearly tell they’ve been friends for a long time so their relationship growth is a lot more tentative. it was a unique change, which i enjoyed for the most part.
Every time he smiles or laughs (or, God forbid, both), I lose all circulation in my limbs. With every accidental touch or brush of skin when we’re on the couch or in our tiny kitchen, I’m spellbound to the point of doing just about anything he asks of me.
i say for the most part because, something about Trevor and his feelings for Tara left me a little unsatisfied. with Scotty, through Crystal’s POV, it was very clear he liked her and was pretty obsessed. Trevor? not so much. he wasn’t easy to pin down, honestly.
at times he was wonderfully soft and sweet, he did and said very small, minute things that if you missed them, you wouldn’t think Trevor was as into Tara as he later says he is. these gestures were achingly swoonyworthy (like the damn shoebox, that ruined me) but pretty inconsistent, in my opinion. there were moments where i genuinely questioned if he liked her romantically because he could be so blasé and causal towards Tara.
but part of me was unsure and was still trying to figure out if this was just Tara being completely oblivious since we see all of his actions through her eyes. she has no clue has has a thing for her.
”I’ve never wanted someone so bad in my entire life. You’ve wrecked me.”
i did adore him and the things he said for her, but i did have moments of confusion and doubt towards him that were still niggling at me when id finished so, i actually decided to go back and reread the second half of the book so i could spot the moments where he was into her that i may have missed in the beginning.
and im really glad i did! there were so many interactions and comments i missed that were so glaringly obvious the second time around. i think they were hard to notice at first because Trevor’s reactions were quickly dismissed by Tara because she couldn’t fathom him being into her at all. she comes up with plausible explanations that aren’t romantic so it’s hard to identify when it is romantic, if that makes sense?
but upon my reread, i noticed soooo many instances of him being jealous, of him pining, of him hurting. they’re really subtle— the clench of his jaw, his refusal to look at her, a clearing of his throat. it’s actually adorable when you begin to notice the signs. it gave me a lot more clarity. so, be warned... Trevor is a subtle guy when it comes to Tara. not like Scott with Crystal.
so while i didn’t need it with Scott in the previous book, i wouldn’t say no to a snippet or two in Trevor’s POV. he’s just a hard nut to crack and i would love to get his perspective on various interactions he had with Tara.
”That dress looked so fucking perfect on you,” he tells me, tossing the blue fabric aside.
I shiver as he unhooks my bra, trailing kisses along the underside of my jaw. “My followers wanted this.”
“None of your followers wanted it more than me.”
the ending also felt a tad rushed. i think that’s naturally the downside to slowburns, the ending can always feel a bit unsatisfying after you’ve waited eons for the couple to be together. i just craved more. i wanted to see them as a couple without the inevitable conflicts or the fluffy epilogue. i want the mundane in-between stuff that really gives you a sense of how they function as a couple. to see them settle into their new dynamic, working out the kinks and struggling to find a rhythm before finally find their stride together. or maybe im just being greedy, who know?
overall, im so delighted with Exes and O’s! while parts of it left me a tad unsatisfied, ultimately i adored Tara and really enjoyed Trevor (thanks to the reread lol). i mean... i stayed up until 2am to finish this because i couldn’t put it down so i think that explains it all, to be honest. at this point, Amy Lea is an auto-buy author for me. i don’t have many of those either so she should wear that badge with honour💅🏻
Instead, he moves a strand of hair behind my ear, more gently than I thought possible, breath coming down in pulsing waves against my neck. “Are you okay?” he whispers.
“More than okay.”
i can’t wait for Mel’s book!! im so happy she’s getting one😭 the sneak peek is definitely a nice chance of pace and setting than the previous two books. also wouldn’t say no to Daniel having a book, as well as Trevor’s sister in law, Payton. Amy Lea knows how to drop in some wonderful side characters too.
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Chen.”
and the cover is dreamyyyy honestly. i love it sm.
thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 13, 2023
Writing: punchy | Plot: fun | Ending: hit a lil turbulence but it's fine
SYNOPSIS
After Tara's engagement falls apart she moves in with Trevor, the human equivalent of a fridge but with abs and nice eyelashes. And despite trying to resuscitate a relationship with one of her exes, Tara starts to wonder if her shot at true love is just across the hall...
MY OPINION
OK LISTEN UP: Are you Gen Z? Yes? Stay away like you've got a restraining order. From my perusal of the reviews, it seems the slang/pop culture references used in this book are 'cheugy' (defined as 'trying too hard' or 'the opposite of trendy'). And most devastatingly of all, I've learned that the word 'shook' died about three years ago. THREE YEARS? I STILL use this word daily. What do I have to say now? Shocked like a normal person? But how will you know how shocked I am even I don't have 'shook' and its melodramatic sister, 'shooketh'???????? Here comes the identity crisis.
Anyways. I would say this book will work well for the washed-up millennial (1988-1993) or those who really liked The Mindy Project and Lindsey Kelk books. Interestingly enough, Amy Lea's YA book Woke Up Like This was selected by Mindy Kaling's Book Studio. If you think Mindy was a certified dumbass who set feminism back 10 years, give this a big ole skipperoni.
I gave this a 4 but honestly that 80ish-90ish% TRIED ME!!!! First of all, the two love interests went 0-100 and then that hot tub scene had me questioning everything I learned in sex ed. It also felt like the bookinfluencing stuff was thrown in there so this book could slot nicely into the Influencer series, but for the most part, it was an afterthought. And while I understood why Trevor had the emotional intelligence of a puppet, I didn't really get why Tara was so lovesick her entire life. Regardless, I liked the whole going after your exes thing and thought that was different. The segway scene killed me. What's worse, a guy rocking up on a segway or one of those spider bikes (a motorcycle with three wheels)??? Plus, any romcom with a waterboarding joke has my heart. I'm a simple gal, what can I say?
Tangent alert: If you live in the Ottawa area, the Shopify shade (one of the exes works as a company called Flopify) was HIILLLLARIOUS. Random story but I worked for the real estate company that sold one of the founder's townhome and he was the biggest prick of all time and CHEAP. Despite all his public support of 'family-run, small businesses' (like the brokerage I worked for) and bragging that he didn't need the money from the sale of his townhome, he asked for a lower commission rate. His exact words: "Don't make me negotiate. I'm a business owner as well." TOUCH GRASS!!!!! Oh and his PA's job title was 'assistant jet pack'............. Need I say more?
All in all, I, a washed up millennial, thought this was a fun read. I foolishly requested book #3 from Berkley knowing damn well I have a better chance of winning the lottery but a HOE CAN DREAM!!!! Looking forward to going back and reading book #1.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: punchy, fast-paced writing, funny, entertaining, light-hearted
Cons: NOT FOR GEN-Zs —YA'LL ARE TOO COOL FOR THIS!!! LET US LATE MILLENNIALS BE CRINGEY OR CHEUGY OR WHATEVER TF IN PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.
SYNOPSIS
After Tara's engagement falls apart she moves in with Trevor, the human equivalent of a fridge but with abs and nice eyelashes. And despite trying to resuscitate a relationship with one of her exes, Tara starts to wonder if her shot at true love is just across the hall...
MY OPINION
OK LISTEN UP: Are you Gen Z? Yes? Stay away like you've got a restraining order. From my perusal of the reviews, it seems the slang/pop culture references used in this book are 'cheugy' (defined as 'trying too hard' or 'the opposite of trendy'). And most devastatingly of all, I've learned that the word 'shook' died about three years ago. THREE YEARS? I STILL use this word daily. What do I have to say now? Shocked like a normal person? But how will you know how shocked I am even I don't have 'shook' and its melodramatic sister, 'shooketh'???????? Here comes the identity crisis.
Anyways. I would say this book will work well for the washed-up millennial (1988-1993) or those who really liked The Mindy Project and Lindsey Kelk books. Interestingly enough, Amy Lea's YA book Woke Up Like This was selected by Mindy Kaling's Book Studio. If you think Mindy was a certified dumbass who set feminism back 10 years, give this a big ole skipperoni.
I gave this a 4 but honestly that 80ish-90ish% TRIED ME!!!! First of all, the two love interests went 0-100 and then that hot tub scene had me questioning everything I learned in sex ed. It also felt like the bookinfluencing stuff was thrown in there so this book could slot nicely into the Influencer series, but for the most part, it was an afterthought. And while I understood why Trevor had the emotional intelligence of a puppet, I didn't really get why Tara was so lovesick her entire life. Regardless, I liked the whole going after your exes thing and thought that was different. The segway scene killed me. What's worse, a guy rocking up on a segway or one of those spider bikes (a motorcycle with three wheels)??? Plus, any romcom with a waterboarding joke has my heart. I'm a simple gal, what can I say?
Tangent alert: If you live in the Ottawa area, the Shopify shade (one of the exes works as a company called Flopify) was HIILLLLARIOUS. Random story but I worked for the real estate company that sold one of the founder's townhome and he was the biggest prick of all time and CHEAP. Despite all his public support of 'family-run, small businesses' (like the brokerage I worked for) and bragging that he didn't need the money from the sale of his townhome, he asked for a lower commission rate. His exact words: "Don't make me negotiate. I'm a business owner as well." TOUCH GRASS!!!!! Oh and his PA's job title was 'assistant jet pack'............. Need I say more?
All in all, I, a washed up millennial, thought this was a fun read. I foolishly requested book #3 from Berkley knowing damn well I have a better chance of winning the lottery but a HOE CAN DREAM!!!! Looking forward to going back and reading book #1.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: punchy, fast-paced writing, funny, entertaining, light-hearted
Cons: NOT FOR GEN-Zs —YA'LL ARE TOO COOL FOR THIS!!! LET US LATE MILLENNIALS BE CRINGEY OR CHEUGY OR WHATEVER TF IN PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!
____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.
January 8, 2023
4.25 stars
This book was so much fun! Exes and O’s is Amy Lea’s second book and I loved it even more than the first.
Tara Chen is a book lover and hopeless romantic. She’s looking for the one and not having the best luck. After being inspired by her grandmother’s second chance romance (plus, it’s her favorite romance troupe) she decides to find some of her exes and see if maybe one of the ones who got away were the actual ‘one’. And she enlists the help of her roommate, Trevor.
Trevor Metcalfe is a firefighter and opposite of Tara in a lot of ways. He’s much more quiet and stand-offish, but Tara slowly wears him down and gets him to open up to her. These two go from roommates to friends to more than friends and I couldn’t have loved these two together more.
I’ll be honest, it was a bit predictable but I absolutely didn’t mind one bit. I had a blast reading it and I adored both Tara and Trevor. Tara is a lot, but Trevor loved that about her. I love characters that are ‘too much’ for most people but find that they can 100% be themselves with their person. It makes me so happy.
Charming, a good time, sweet and delightful- this book left me with a huge smile on my face. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance.
This book was so much fun! Exes and O’s is Amy Lea’s second book and I loved it even more than the first.
Tara Chen is a book lover and hopeless romantic. She’s looking for the one and not having the best luck. After being inspired by her grandmother’s second chance romance (plus, it’s her favorite romance troupe) she decides to find some of her exes and see if maybe one of the ones who got away were the actual ‘one’. And she enlists the help of her roommate, Trevor.
Trevor Metcalfe is a firefighter and opposite of Tara in a lot of ways. He’s much more quiet and stand-offish, but Tara slowly wears him down and gets him to open up to her. These two go from roommates to friends to more than friends and I couldn’t have loved these two together more.
I’ll be honest, it was a bit predictable but I absolutely didn’t mind one bit. I had a blast reading it and I adored both Tara and Trevor. Tara is a lot, but Trevor loved that about her. I love characters that are ‘too much’ for most people but find that they can 100% be themselves with their person. It makes me so happy.
Charming, a good time, sweet and delightful- this book left me with a huge smile on my face. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance.
“I’ve never wanted someone so bad in my entire life. You’ve wrecked me.”
July 26, 2023
i've left this book unreviewed for so long, i don't even remember what i originally intended to write about it, so i'm just gonna go through my old kindle highlights and give my off-the-cuff commentary for some chuckles:
none of these words are in the bible.........KIDDING. this does make me want to die tho. the bar has never been lower, ladies
is he insinuating she could have FUCKED herself with his TOOTHBRUSH WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE?!
millennial women, LOOK AT ME. this isn't you. okay, actually maybe it is.......but i need you to stop this. right now. i need you to stop narrating your romance novels like this. in a decade, this will be so embarrassing to reread for all parties involved. please......keep it in your dialogue at least.........don't let it taint your novel's interiority, too (the one place where i should be safe from disney adult #momllennial cheugy speech styles!!!).
it's. i. can we please just be normal? please? for five minutes?
this may just be personal preference talking, but when romance books needlessly infantilize their female main characters to this degree, i want to be sick. THIS IS NOT CUTE SGDLFJKJGSLDKFG. the juvenile speech style-narration is NOT CUTE. the spoiled princess at the dinner table thing is NOT quirky. you DO NOT need to resort to this kind of juvenile characterization in the endless pursuit to make your main character different.
WILD thing to say in a novel HEAVILY peppered with African-American Vernacular English 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 shook??? spill the tea??? where do you think this language originates from?
babe, you're doxxing your exes' full government names to your tiktok following in real-time (WHILE FILMING IN PUBLIC SPACES LIKE THE GYM AND CATCHING STRANGERS IN THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR LIVE) in the name of finding love.........i'm sorry to have to be the one to break this to you, but that is neither ethical NOR sane. you are in fact the problem (read: crazy ex-girlfriend) 💔💔💔💔
trevor is an insane choice for a love interest ngl. not only does he like to stereotype women, turn his nose up at the notion of them objecting to their own hypersexualization in porn, he also does not seem to give a FUCK about the girl he's living with 😭😭😭 HE LITERALLY TELLS HER SHE LOOKS LIKE A TROLL AT ONE POINT!?@#12@:%:"SGKFDNGLSD. HE TELLS HER SHE DANCES LIKE AN INJURED DADDY LONGLEG SPIDER. THIS IS /NOT/ ROMANCE IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS.
BITCH?! RUN THAT BACK??????? YOU'RE FUCKING TELLING ME A WOMAN'S IMAGE WAS PLASTERED ONLINE AND SMEARED BY FATPHOBIC FREAKS WITHOUT HER CONSENT?!@?#!?@?#!@ AND TREVOR TOLD HER TO APOLOGIZE TO THE BOYFRIEND SHE BROKE UP WITH DURING WHAT WAS OSTENSIBLY AN INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING TIME FOR ///HER///? TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM??!?!?! IN A FUCKING GYM!?!??! I. oh my god.
ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we need to get non-millennials in the editing room RIGHT NOW! YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL US THE SEXTING IS NSFW. IT'S FUCKING SEXTING. THAT WORD ALREADY IMPLIES IT'S R-RATED. my god.
so funny you should say that, Guy Who Previously Insinuated All Women Are Obsessed With Valentine's Day and Hate Porn Because They're Require An Emotional Connection To Feel Sexual Desire! 😀😃😄😁😆😇
some incredibly stylistic prose-writing occurring here........never thought i'd get to see anything quite like it............shakespeare would weep....
trevor, if you don't get your FUCKING ASS UP right now and type the words "find psychologist near me" into your google search bar............if a man ever said these words to me, i would start packing his bags right then and there. go to HELL.
lowering my rating to 1 star because this author actually included an all lowercase "lol" and "*cough* *cough*" in her narrator's internal monologue. please. stop describing tears and snowflakes as "juicy," i beg of you. if this is how you write, put your pen DOWN.
feel like i'm trapped in a never-ending SNL skit.
He's [...] secure enough in his manhood to admit his fondness for Taylor Swift's latest album. Creatures like him are a romance reader's wet dream. The man just oozes soul mate potential, and I'm eagerly absorbing it like a ShamWow.
none of these words are in the bible.........KIDDING. this does make me want to die tho. the bar has never been lower, ladies
"You're a stranger too. In my bathroom. Who knows what you've done to my toothbrush."
is he insinuating she could have FUCKED herself with his TOOTHBRUSH WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE?!
Despite being objectively hot, tattooed bad boys like Trevor are not normally my type. It's the white-collar sort with front-pleated chinos, cross-country runner bods, and boy-next-door-turned-respectable-plant-daddy energy that usually make me feel some type of way.
millennial women, LOOK AT ME. this isn't you. okay, actually maybe it is.......but i need you to stop this. right now. i need you to stop narrating your romance novels like this. in a decade, this will be so embarrassing to reread for all parties involved. please......keep it in your dialogue at least.........don't let it taint your novel's interiority, too (the one place where i should be safe from disney adult #momllennial cheugy speech styles!!!).
He gave her his best flirty eyes, practically impregnating her on the spot, turning her cheeks to Red Delicious apples.
it's. i. can we please just be normal? please? for five minutes?
My entire life, I've been a notoriously picky eater. Dad used to make me sit at the table for hours until I finished my dinner. I'd hold out until he'd cave and make me something I liked, like nuggets. Even two weeks ago, Crystal and Scott tried to make me eat a piece of cooked asparagus and I almost cried because of the texture.
this may just be personal preference talking, but when romance books needlessly infantilize their female main characters to this degree, i want to be sick. THIS IS NOT CUTE SGDLFJKJGSLDKFG. the juvenile speech style-narration is NOT CUTE. the spoiled princess at the dinner table thing is NOT quirky. you DO NOT need to resort to this kind of juvenile characterization in the endless pursuit to make your main character different.
"Nah, bro," he says, like old-school Justin Bieber casually appropriating Black culture.
WILD thing to say in a novel HEAVILY peppered with African-American Vernacular English 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 shook??? spill the tea??? where do you think this language originates from?
"When I asked why he stopped talking to me, he said it was because I was too 'clingy' and 'crazy.' Can you believe he called me crazy?" I demand. "In fact, he said, and I quote, 'The hotter the girl, the crazier she is.' He even tweeted about it. Hashtagged #CrazyExGirlfriend."
babe, you're doxxing your exes' full government names to your tiktok following in real-time (WHILE FILMING IN PUBLIC SPACES LIKE THE GYM AND CATCHING STRANGERS IN THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR LIVE) in the name of finding love.........i'm sorry to have to be the one to break this to you, but that is neither ethical NOR sane. you are in fact the problem (read: crazy ex-girlfriend) 💔💔💔💔
"If I were a spy, I wouldn't be living in our shitty apartment. And I most definitely wouldn't live with a roommate who never stops talking. You'd blow my cover for sure."
trevor is an insane choice for a love interest ngl. not only does he like to stereotype women, turn his nose up at the notion of them objecting to their own hypersexualization in porn, he also does not seem to give a FUCK about the girl he's living with 😭😭😭 HE LITERALLY TELLS HER SHE LOOKS LIKE A TROLL AT ONE POINT!?@#12@:%:"SGKFDNGLSD. HE TELLS HER SHE DANCES LIKE AN INJURED DADDY LONGLEG SPIDER. THIS IS /NOT/ ROMANCE IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS.
"Didn't he give you solid advice for grand-gesturing Scotty?" Last summer, Crystal broke up with Scott temporarily when a photo of the two of them went viral and a bunch of trolls fat-shamed her. Trevor helped her orchestrate a grand apology right here in the gym where they first met.
BITCH?! RUN THAT BACK??????? YOU'RE FUCKING TELLING ME A WOMAN'S IMAGE WAS PLASTERED ONLINE AND SMEARED BY FATPHOBIC FREAKS WITHOUT HER CONSENT?!@?#!?@?#!@ AND TREVOR TOLD HER TO APOLOGIZE TO THE BOYFRIEND SHE BROKE UP WITH DURING WHAT WAS OSTENSIBLY AN INCREDIBLY DISTRESSING TIME FOR ///HER///? TO APOLOGIZE TO HIM??!?!?! IN A FUCKING GYM!?!??! I. oh my god.
The corner of his mouth quirks up when he notices me blatantly ogling him like a tiger awaiting a hunk of raw, bloody meat to be tossed into its enclosure. I think I may have just ovulated.
ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not entirely sure how we segued from a G-rated conversation about our old teachers to NSFW sexting.
we need to get non-millennials in the editing room RIGHT NOW! YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL US THE SEXTING IS NSFW. IT'S FUCKING SEXTING. THAT WORD ALREADY IMPLIES IT'S R-RATED. my god.
Trevor pokes my shin under the water with his toe. "Don't lump all of us in with him. Not every guy is a cheater."
so funny you should say that, Guy Who Previously Insinuated All Women Are Obsessed With Valentine's Day and Hate Porn Because They're Require An Emotional Connection To Feel Sexual Desire! 😀😃😄😁😆😇
Have I really had a lifetime of rusted Honda Civic-equivalent kisses? Because comparatively, Trevor's kiss was like being behind the buttery leather wheel of Mel's Tesla. [...] It's taken every morsel of self-restraint I have (which isn't much) not to crumble like a rainbow chip cookie and demand a detailed explanation.
some incredibly stylistic prose-writing occurring here........never thought i'd get to see anything quite like it............shakespeare would weep....
He peers up at me again. "Maybe you can be my therapist. I like talking to you."
trevor, if you don't get your FUCKING ASS UP right now and type the words "find psychologist near me" into your google search bar............if a man ever said these words to me, i would start packing his bags right then and there. go to HELL.
lowering my rating to 1 star because this author actually included an all lowercase "lol" and "*cough* *cough*" in her narrator's internal monologue. please. stop describing tears and snowflakes as "juicy," i beg of you. if this is how you write, put your pen DOWN.
My makeup is flirting dangerously close to raccoon chic. I resemble that meme of D.W. from Arthur, ominous purple circles shadowing her tired-AF eyes.
feel like i'm trapped in a never-ending SNL skit.
January 19, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ super cute + cozy. the romance isn’t forced which is nice. the taylor swift + sons of anarchy reference were highly appreciated.
it’s nothing too special for me. it’s cute but i won’t be thinking about it again. but it’s worth the read if u want something fluffy and light <3
it’s nothing too special for me. it’s cute but i won’t be thinking about it again. but it’s worth the read if u want something fluffy and light <3
January 21, 2024
4 ⭐️ F*cking adorable and so relatable
"He's not just the hero of my dreams. He's the hero beyond my wildest imagination. The best part? He's nonfiction."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ roommates to friends to lovers
✨ forced proximity
✨ slow burn romance
✨ miscommunication (but resolved quickly!)
✨ amazing sexual tension
✨ 🌶️🌶️.5/5 spice
Yeah, I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t met my husband at 19, this would 100% be my story. Lol I saw so much of myself in Tara it felt like this book was some multiverse shit of my own life.
What I loved:
The entire premise of the story was ridiculously fun. Seeing Trevor and Tara team up to help her rekindle a relationship with an ex only for it to backfire and for them to fall in love was everything I didn't know I needed! I loved watching them go from roommates to friends to lovers. Their relationship developed so naturally, and the romance progressed in a very realistic way.
Tara is incredibly relatable (to me at least). From the gossip girl and bachelor references to Tara being active on Booktok and Bookstagram to her being willing just to be herself and risk rejection (even if it’s because she loves hard), I never related more to a character. I feel like the author wrote a different version of myself as the lead and that was surreal reading because sometimes I wanted to throttle Tara, but other times I wanted to high-five her and comfort her. 🙈
Trevor was a hard nut to crack, but once Tara does, there’s so much to explore. I actually didn't really like Trevor in the beginning. He just seemed like a huge, detached player with little personality. But as Tara (and the reader) get to know him, you realize quickly there's so much to him. He’s one of the good ones.
The sexual tension and spice were perfectly balanced. Because they started off as friends, there was a lot of time to build the tension, so when they finally get together it's so rewarding and explosive!
Trevor’s declarations of love (both times) are swoon-worthy! There's nothing more satisfying than when the closed-off, no-relationship guy becomes an absolute simp and makes a speech. But in this book, we are blessed with TWO very touching declarations of love. 💕
I actually haven’t read the first book in this series, and I still loved it so just know that you can 100% enjoy it as a stand-alone. UPDATE: I have read Set On You (book 1). You can check out my review here: Set On You Review.
My only complaint is that the beginning is a bit slow and things don’t really pick up till about 50% however this pace does give this story a more realistic feel since Tara and Trevor needed to grow a solid friendship first, so in the end, it all made sense.
Thank you, Berkley Romance for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
"He's not just the hero of my dreams. He's the hero beyond my wildest imagination. The best part? He's nonfiction."
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ roommates to friends to lovers
✨ forced proximity
✨ slow burn romance
✨ miscommunication (but resolved quickly!)
✨ amazing sexual tension
✨ 🌶️🌶️.5/5 spice
Yeah, I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t met my husband at 19, this would 100% be my story. Lol I saw so much of myself in Tara it felt like this book was some multiverse shit of my own life.
What I loved:
The entire premise of the story was ridiculously fun. Seeing Trevor and Tara team up to help her rekindle a relationship with an ex only for it to backfire and for them to fall in love was everything I didn't know I needed! I loved watching them go from roommates to friends to lovers. Their relationship developed so naturally, and the romance progressed in a very realistic way.
Tara is incredibly relatable (to me at least). From the gossip girl and bachelor references to Tara being active on Booktok and Bookstagram to her being willing just to be herself and risk rejection (even if it’s because she loves hard), I never related more to a character. I feel like the author wrote a different version of myself as the lead and that was surreal reading because sometimes I wanted to throttle Tara, but other times I wanted to high-five her and comfort her. 🙈
Trevor was a hard nut to crack, but once Tara does, there’s so much to explore. I actually didn't really like Trevor in the beginning. He just seemed like a huge, detached player with little personality. But as Tara (and the reader) get to know him, you realize quickly there's so much to him. He’s one of the good ones.
The sexual tension and spice were perfectly balanced. Because they started off as friends, there was a lot of time to build the tension, so when they finally get together it's so rewarding and explosive!
Trevor’s declarations of love (both times) are swoon-worthy! There's nothing more satisfying than when the closed-off, no-relationship guy becomes an absolute simp and makes a speech. But in this book, we are blessed with TWO very touching declarations of love. 💕
I actually haven’t read the first book in this series, and I still loved it so just know that you can 100% enjoy it as a stand-alone. UPDATE: I have read Set On You (book 1). You can check out my review here: Set On You Review.
My only complaint is that the beginning is a bit slow and things don’t really pick up till about 50% however this pace does give this story a more realistic feel since Tara and Trevor needed to grow a solid friendship first, so in the end, it all made sense.
Thank you, Berkley Romance for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
May 14, 2023
"If there's anyone in this world I want to try for, it's you."
°•*⁀➷
I definitely liked this one muuuuch better than the first. Much more realistic, and more relatable to my own likes and dislikes. I felt myself laughing along with Tara so much. And I just adored getting to know Trevor and watch him grow into who he becomes in the end. Character growth is one my absolute favorite things to read, and it's why I had to give this four rather than three stars.
Because I wanted to. I think it's just the way Lea writes. It's not for me. The story for this one happened to be right up my alley and I loved that!
Tara is a bookstagrammer who has never given up on love despite it always giving up on her. She comes up with a plan to go back to all her exes and see if any of them are worth trying again with. I love that she mostly realizes that exes become exes for a reason, maybe an intuition before they turn into the person they're meant to? And it's not because they're bad people, in reason, but that their personalities don't mesh.
And I love that Tara realizes that her own opinion of herself is what matters most. That who she is already is who she should be working towards being better at. I love that Trevor begins to realize that very quickly, and in fact brings up that he never wanted her to change who she was after they begin seeing each other.
Their progression seemed so true to their characters, and so kind to the reality of what loving yourself should look like, and the progression of it.
As Tara's followers follow along on her journey, so do her friends and co workers. It becomes a story about the need for separation in a public life as well as how fun it can be to have a large support system rooting you on. It was an easy read, perfect for vacation, and I'm happy I gave it a go despite not loving the first.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
I definitely liked this one muuuuch better than the first. Much more realistic, and more relatable to my own likes and dislikes. I felt myself laughing along with Tara so much. And I just adored getting to know Trevor and watch him grow into who he becomes in the end. Character growth is one my absolute favorite things to read, and it's why I had to give this four rather than three stars.
Because I wanted to. I think it's just the way Lea writes. It's not for me. The story for this one happened to be right up my alley and I loved that!
Tara is a bookstagrammer who has never given up on love despite it always giving up on her. She comes up with a plan to go back to all her exes and see if any of them are worth trying again with. I love that she mostly realizes that exes become exes for a reason, maybe an intuition before they turn into the person they're meant to? And it's not because they're bad people, in reason, but that their personalities don't mesh.
And I love that Tara realizes that her own opinion of herself is what matters most. That who she is already is who she should be working towards being better at. I love that Trevor begins to realize that very quickly, and in fact brings up that he never wanted her to change who she was after they begin seeing each other.
Their progression seemed so true to their characters, and so kind to the reality of what loving yourself should look like, and the progression of it.
As Tara's followers follow along on her journey, so do her friends and co workers. It becomes a story about the need for separation in a public life as well as how fun it can be to have a large support system rooting you on. It was an easy read, perfect for vacation, and I'm happy I gave it a go despite not loving the first.
- Paige
June 18, 2024
3 Room-ance Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
What do a romance-obsessed nurse bookstagrammer and a grumpy clean freak manwhore firefighter have in common? Yeah, nothing, except they share an apartment and a hot tub, which means they are OBVIOUSLY PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER...
The more I think about this, the more problems I find with it...
This book gives me vibes similar to the Anna Farris and Chris Pine movie, "What's Your Number." Unlike the main character in the movie, who believes her love MUST be one of her exes after being told she'll never find love if she dates more than 20 people, our MC here takes advice from her grandmother, who had a whirlwind second-chance romance. As her gran managed to find her new "one," maybe her "one" is in one of the exes she left along the way. HOWEVER, she also ends up in a forced proximity situation with her best friend's fiancé's old roommate, who is now her roommate. He keeps saving her from awful dates with her exes, leading to the possibility that maybe he might be the one she is looking for after all.
Their first interaction is "memorable" in that Tara walks in on Trevor naked and balls deep in his latest one-night stand. I mean, great relationship foundation right there... learning that your new roommate is basically a manwhore... JUST expected that they become the BEST OF FRIENDS.
On the surface, this is a "sweet" little rom-com, the type you think of when you think of a rom-com book. At the start, I found it funny, I giggled, and might have actually died from some of the second-hand embarrassment. It was pretty low angst but underpinned with a heartwarming, cute relationship that gave commentary on real issues real couples face.
Tara has been hurt by love. She is pretty discouraged by it, but she won't let that get her down or persuade her that love does not exist. She is literal sunshine, optimistic, and has such a positive outlook on life, even if life has burnt her. I also really loved that she is a bookstagrammer—seeing all the little nuggets and Easter eggs relating to the booksta community was cute and relatable. I saw myself in her a lot, especially as she gushed about book boyfriends, has piles and piles of books everywhere, and loves romance tropes as much as I do. She made me laugh, and if I knew her IRL, I would have loved to be friends with her.
Now, Trevor is VERY closed off emotionally and a total grump. He is not known to be open, talkative, or communicative, or just open to ANY communication really. He has not had very good role models in love and relationships, so he has decided to guard his heart and get his release through lust instead. He would rather avoid emotionally connecting with anyone to avoid getting his heart broken.
SO, you would think, given how OPPOSITE Trevor and Tara are, they would be the PERFECT opposites attract...and here is the issue... THIS BOOK IS IN FIRST PERSON, so there isn't really anything that screams WHY TREVOR would love her—and basically love her from the first moment he saw her (which he tells her)—REMEMBER WHEN HIS PENIS WAS DEEP IN SOMEONE ELSE. It made no sense where his love came from. You are never shown how he processes his emotions, how he turns from manwhore to loving only one person, and how he allows himself to love. Given you couldn't see his thinking, there was nothing he shared in common with Tara, besides the fact that they seem to live in the same building and both like to read (even though he reads thrillers and she reads romance)—they HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON; he is a complete neat freak and she is a walking tornado of mess!
Then there is the fact that if you look deeper into it, Tara might actually need to see a therapist. She is told by more than one of her exes that she is clingy, a little overbearing, and "too much." Now, I am not saying her exes are completely right, but sometimes you do have to ask—if multiple people are saying the same thing, it might have some merit to look into it a little more, do some self-reflection, and see if there might be some self-improvement that can be done. The theme of being called "crazy" is brought up quite a bit, and while it's demeaning and sexist, in the words of Rebecca Bunch:
She jumped to extremes with her Ex's from blasé comments - but going to "planning a wedding" because of one flippant comment IS NOT NORMAL...
There was one thing I liked and that was how it used miscommunication as a plot point, with the grandmother making a very valid comment that "Relationships are hard and not all problems can be solved with a single conversation" - It was the one-time the trope being present DID NOT ACTUALLY BOTHER ME....
SPEAKING OF TROPES:
▶ Roommates to Lovers
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Reformed Manwhore
▶ She's a Bookstagrammer
▶ GrumpyXSunshine
▶ Steamy Hot Tub Scene
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Opposites Attract
▶ Miscommunication
Overall, if you want a fluffy sweet romcom, this might be for you - Just don't look into it too deeply or that amazingness of it will UNFIZZLE QUICKLY....
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
What do a romance-obsessed nurse bookstagrammer and a grumpy clean freak manwhore firefighter have in common? Yeah, nothing, except they share an apartment and a hot tub, which means they are OBVIOUSLY PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER...
The more I think about this, the more problems I find with it...
This book gives me vibes similar to the Anna Farris and Chris Pine movie, "What's Your Number." Unlike the main character in the movie, who believes her love MUST be one of her exes after being told she'll never find love if she dates more than 20 people, our MC here takes advice from her grandmother, who had a whirlwind second-chance romance. As her gran managed to find her new "one," maybe her "one" is in one of the exes she left along the way. HOWEVER, she also ends up in a forced proximity situation with her best friend's fiancé's old roommate, who is now her roommate. He keeps saving her from awful dates with her exes, leading to the possibility that maybe he might be the one she is looking for after all.
Their first interaction is "memorable" in that Tara walks in on Trevor naked and balls deep in his latest one-night stand. I mean, great relationship foundation right there... learning that your new roommate is basically a manwhore... JUST expected that they become the BEST OF FRIENDS.
On the surface, this is a "sweet" little rom-com, the type you think of when you think of a rom-com book. At the start, I found it funny, I giggled, and might have actually died from some of the second-hand embarrassment. It was pretty low angst but underpinned with a heartwarming, cute relationship that gave commentary on real issues real couples face.
Tara has been hurt by love. She is pretty discouraged by it, but she won't let that get her down or persuade her that love does not exist. She is literal sunshine, optimistic, and has such a positive outlook on life, even if life has burnt her. I also really loved that she is a bookstagrammer—seeing all the little nuggets and Easter eggs relating to the booksta community was cute and relatable. I saw myself in her a lot, especially as she gushed about book boyfriends, has piles and piles of books everywhere, and loves romance tropes as much as I do. She made me laugh, and if I knew her IRL, I would have loved to be friends with her.
Now, Trevor is VERY closed off emotionally and a total grump. He is not known to be open, talkative, or communicative, or just open to ANY communication really. He has not had very good role models in love and relationships, so he has decided to guard his heart and get his release through lust instead. He would rather avoid emotionally connecting with anyone to avoid getting his heart broken.
SO, you would think, given how OPPOSITE Trevor and Tara are, they would be the PERFECT opposites attract...and here is the issue... THIS BOOK IS IN FIRST PERSON, so there isn't really anything that screams WHY TREVOR would love her—and basically love her from the first moment he saw her (which he tells her)—REMEMBER WHEN HIS PENIS WAS DEEP IN SOMEONE ELSE. It made no sense where his love came from. You are never shown how he processes his emotions, how he turns from manwhore to loving only one person, and how he allows himself to love. Given you couldn't see his thinking, there was nothing he shared in common with Tara, besides the fact that they seem to live in the same building and both like to read (even though he reads thrillers and she reads romance)—they HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON; he is a complete neat freak and she is a walking tornado of mess!
Then there is the fact that if you look deeper into it, Tara might actually need to see a therapist. She is told by more than one of her exes that she is clingy, a little overbearing, and "too much." Now, I am not saying her exes are completely right, but sometimes you do have to ask—if multiple people are saying the same thing, it might have some merit to look into it a little more, do some self-reflection, and see if there might be some self-improvement that can be done. The theme of being called "crazy" is brought up quite a bit, and while it's demeaning and sexist, in the words of Rebecca Bunch:
She jumped to extremes with her Ex's from blasé comments - but going to "planning a wedding" because of one flippant comment IS NOT NORMAL...
There was one thing I liked and that was how it used miscommunication as a plot point, with the grandmother making a very valid comment that "Relationships are hard and not all problems can be solved with a single conversation" - It was the one-time the trope being present DID NOT ACTUALLY BOTHER ME....
SPEAKING OF TROPES:
▶ Roommates to Lovers
▶ Strangers to Lovers
▶ Reformed Manwhore
▶ She's a Bookstagrammer
▶ GrumpyXSunshine
▶ Steamy Hot Tub Scene
▶ Slow Burn
▶ Opposites Attract
▶ Miscommunication
Overall, if you want a fluffy sweet romcom, this might be for you - Just don't look into it too deeply or that amazingness of it will UNFIZZLE QUICKLY....
May 25, 2023
4.5 stars ✿
this book was a ball of sunshine. my cheeks still hurt from the cuteness of the epilogue! trevor owns my heart, he is the epitome of an amazing book boyfriend. hot firefighter? tattoos? grumpy? trevor's got it all !!
omg... don't get me started on the banter in this book UGH it was so perfect! i had a fantastic time reading this and recommend to anyone who wants a very adorable romance & an exciting plot!
the main character, tara, is a book influencer with a goal to have a second chance romance. she makes a list of all her past ten exes and makes it a mission to reunite with the ones who are still available. throughout this adventure trevor, as her roommate, basically acts as her wingman. it was so well executed and i loved every moment!! tara is the sweetest fmc and i loved the funny & relatable quotes about fictional men / different aspects of reading.
also, thank you beautiful cara for reading this with me! looking forward to reading the next installment in this series with you!💗
cute quotes!
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
br with the beautiful cara <3 we read the first book of this series almost a year ago, so now it's time for the second !!
He’s not just the hero of my dreams. He’s the hero beyond my wildest imagination. The best part? He’s nonfiction.
this book was a ball of sunshine. my cheeks still hurt from the cuteness of the epilogue! trevor owns my heart, he is the epitome of an amazing book boyfriend. hot firefighter? tattoos? grumpy? trevor's got it all !!
omg... don't get me started on the banter in this book UGH it was so perfect! i had a fantastic time reading this and recommend to anyone who wants a very adorable romance & an exciting plot!
the main character, tara, is a book influencer with a goal to have a second chance romance. she makes a list of all her past ten exes and makes it a mission to reunite with the ones who are still available. throughout this adventure trevor, as her roommate, basically acts as her wingman. it was so well executed and i loved every moment!! tara is the sweetest fmc and i loved the funny & relatable quotes about fictional men / different aspects of reading.
also, thank you beautiful cara for reading this with me! looking forward to reading the next installment in this series with you!💗
cute quotes!
❥ “If there’s anyone in this world I want to try for, it’s you,” he whispers.
❥ “Trevor, you are a million times better than any trope I could ever dream up.”
❥ "I needed to come home and tell you that I want all the things you want. That I’m capable of giving you everything. And I don’t want to go slow, because I can barely breathe when I think about living my life without you."
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
br with the beautiful cara <3 we read the first book of this series almost a year ago, so now it's time for the second !!
January 13, 2023
2.5 ⭐️ This is Women’s Fiction with a subplot of romance, and you can’t convince me otherwise.
And as a person who - based on the cover, title, and blurb - was expecting a romance, I can’t help but be disappointed. This book is Tara's journey of self-reflection and rediscovery in her identity when it comes to her romantic relationships. After her fiancé leaves her weeks before their wedding, her Gran suggests that maybe she should reconnect with an ex, and thus begins Tara's semi-obsessive, very much hopeful quest to find if one of her exes has turned into “the one” after their break-up. And yes, at the very end of it she ends up falling in love, but I feel like that is hardly the main focus of the book. Trevor feels like just one of the many secondary characters in this book, just grabbing your attention at the very end.
I’ll be the first to say that this rating and this review come as a surprise, to me especially. I enjoyed Set on You a lot, and I remember the balance of fluff, spice, enemies-to-lovers angst, and overall plot to be well maintained throughout the book. And this book was… not like that. I was expecting a fluffy, maybe even a slightly more spicy romance, given the excerpt we got at the end of book #1, where we saw Tara arriving to her new apartment to find Trevor doing spicy gymnastics in the kitchen with a very attractive redhead. I was excepting maybe a bi heroine after those descriptions, and definitely steamier scenes… Well, there was none of that. I guess that’s what happens when I allow myself to have high expectations. And admittedly, they were pretty high... this just didn't cut it for me.
The last 18% of this almost put me into a slump because I genuinely was dreading picking it back up. The rest of the review is going to be hidden because I went into a bit of a rant, and there will be some mild spoilers, so beware.
Overall, if you’re looking for a really, really slow-burn in the Single POV of a romance obsessed FMC, then definitely pick this one up. You’ll adore it. I’m just not a fan.
⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
🌶️ / 5
And as a person who - based on the cover, title, and blurb - was expecting a romance, I can’t help but be disappointed. This book is Tara's journey of self-reflection and rediscovery in her identity when it comes to her romantic relationships. After her fiancé leaves her weeks before their wedding, her Gran suggests that maybe she should reconnect with an ex, and thus begins Tara's semi-obsessive, very much hopeful quest to find if one of her exes has turned into “the one” after their break-up. And yes, at the very end of it she ends up falling in love, but I feel like that is hardly the main focus of the book. Trevor feels like just one of the many secondary characters in this book, just grabbing your attention at the very end.
I’ll be the first to say that this rating and this review come as a surprise, to me especially. I enjoyed Set on You a lot, and I remember the balance of fluff, spice, enemies-to-lovers angst, and overall plot to be well maintained throughout the book. And this book was… not like that. I was expecting a fluffy, maybe even a slightly more spicy romance, given the excerpt we got at the end of book #1, where we saw Tara arriving to her new apartment to find Trevor doing spicy gymnastics in the kitchen with a very attractive redhead. I was excepting maybe a bi heroine after those descriptions, and definitely steamier scenes… Well, there was none of that. I guess that’s what happens when I allow myself to have high expectations. And admittedly, they were pretty high... this just didn't cut it for me.
The last 18% of this almost put me into a slump because I genuinely was dreading picking it back up. The rest of the review is going to be hidden because I went into a bit of a rant, and there will be some mild spoilers, so beware.
Overall, if you’re looking for a really, really slow-burn in the Single POV of a romance obsessed FMC, then definitely pick this one up. You’ll adore it. I’m just not a fan.
⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
🌶️ / 5
April 5, 2023
Exes and O’s by Amy Lea is the second book in the contemporary romance The Influencer #2 series. As with a lot of romance series each book in The Influencer #2 series changes the main characters so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so.
Tara Chen is prepared for her fresh start as she is moving into a new place and hopes that starting over will help her find her “one’ in life. Just as Tara arrives at the new apartment though she runs into her new roommate in a rather awkward encounter.
Trevor Metcalfe is a firefighter who rushes into burning buildings but definitely not romances. Tara and Trevor know they are wrong for one another but do become friends in their new living arrangement. When Tara comes up with the plan to revisit her exes to see if maybe her “one” got away Trevor is there to be the friend she needs.
When first picking up Exes and O’s by Amy Lea to read I never even realized this was part of a series and simply enjoyed my time getting to know these characters and their stories. After finishing I can definitely say you do not need to read the first in the series to enjoy this one. Exes and O’s is a fun read with a few laughs along the way as the romance slowly builds from friendship to more. Definitely an author I will return to in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Tara Chen is prepared for her fresh start as she is moving into a new place and hopes that starting over will help her find her “one’ in life. Just as Tara arrives at the new apartment though she runs into her new roommate in a rather awkward encounter.
Trevor Metcalfe is a firefighter who rushes into burning buildings but definitely not romances. Tara and Trevor know they are wrong for one another but do become friends in their new living arrangement. When Tara comes up with the plan to revisit her exes to see if maybe her “one” got away Trevor is there to be the friend she needs.
When first picking up Exes and O’s by Amy Lea to read I never even realized this was part of a series and simply enjoyed my time getting to know these characters and their stories. After finishing I can definitely say you do not need to read the first in the series to enjoy this one. Exes and O’s is a fun read with a few laughs along the way as the romance slowly builds from friendship to more. Definitely an author I will return to in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 21, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars!
A very entertaining romance. Super predictable and I loved that about it. Amy makes no secret that she is exploring different romance tropes so that comes with a comforting degree of security in terms of how things will play out in this "roomance". Will definitely seek out more from this author as I found Tara to be a slightly quirky and relatable character.
A very entertaining romance. Super predictable and I loved that about it. Amy makes no secret that she is exploring different romance tropes so that comes with a comforting degree of security in terms of how things will play out in this "roomance". Will definitely seek out more from this author as I found Tara to be a slightly quirky and relatable character.
May 22, 2023
3.5 stars
This book has one of the best friends-to-lovers dynamics I've ever read. I'm slowly turning into a friends-to-lovers reader, who would have thought? I loved following Trevor and Tara as they got to know each other, became the closest of friends and then helplessly fell in love. There's depth here between these two characters and you can personally feel it growing bit by bit. It's definitely because this is much more of a slow-burn in comparison to Set on You, but I was really there for these two. The tension was great! They were perfect for each other and honestly, I think this book was much more well-written.
I laughed and swooned and was really really into this book from 20% in. I had kind of a rocky start, but after that point I just couldn't stop. The ex search central to this book was a little silly, but FUN, especially because it was the set up for the funniest scenes in here. I can forgive the cringy stuff (Tara making the search public on her social media....hello are you okay??) as it was such a delight to see Trevor get fully on board and react to Tara's stupidity during the dates lol. But even when Trevor and Tara were just together at home, doing nothing special, that just warmed my heart and kept me glued to the pages.
Unfortunately there were some things I didn't really enjoy too (some of them repeats from this author's debut novel), mainly:
- continuous mentions of romance tropes in a particularly annoying way (in a way that maybe makes booktokers happy? Me thinks)—like, could you even be more in the face than this? I don't think so. Subtlety, we don't know her. Same thing for book character stereotypes. I know Tara is a bookstagrammer but there was no reason to go there so heavy-handedly.
- I'm sorry but I just can't make myself like the social media parts. They sound so staged and fake. Also, this time I include the grandma in this point because she was ridiculous with the followers obsession. I KNOW this series is called The Influencer... I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started the series okay? My bad. Leave me alone, I can't go back now lmao.
- the third act conflict, though, was the worst thing that could have happened to this book. It was so bad it ruined the book for me and that makes me sad. It was unnecessary and frankly stupid. I'm not one that hates miscommunication regardless of the book or the situation, sometimes it works and I like it, but only when it makes sense.
Overall this one started as a dud, proceeded to steal my heart in the middle, then faded a little toward the end. I'm sad about the ending because this could have been not a favorite of mine but something close. I see Amy Lea has not stopped including sex in the most unhygienic places or some of the cringiest dirty talk ever lol, but her writing has definitely gotten better.
This book has one of the best friends-to-lovers dynamics I've ever read. I'm slowly turning into a friends-to-lovers reader, who would have thought? I loved following Trevor and Tara as they got to know each other, became the closest of friends and then helplessly fell in love. There's depth here between these two characters and you can personally feel it growing bit by bit. It's definitely because this is much more of a slow-burn in comparison to Set on You, but I was really there for these two. The tension was great! They were perfect for each other and honestly, I think this book was much more well-written.
I laughed and swooned and was really really into this book from 20% in. I had kind of a rocky start, but after that point I just couldn't stop. The ex search central to this book was a little silly, but FUN, especially because it was the set up for the funniest scenes in here. I can forgive the cringy stuff (Tara making the search public on her social media....hello are you okay??) as it was such a delight to see Trevor get fully on board and react to Tara's stupidity during the dates lol. But even when Trevor and Tara were just together at home, doing nothing special, that just warmed my heart and kept me glued to the pages.
Unfortunately there were some things I didn't really enjoy too (some of them repeats from this author's debut novel), mainly:
- continuous mentions of romance tropes in a particularly annoying way (in a way that maybe makes booktokers happy? Me thinks)—like, could you even be more in the face than this? I don't think so. Subtlety, we don't know her. Same thing for book character stereotypes. I know Tara is a bookstagrammer but there was no reason to go there so heavy-handedly.
- I'm sorry but I just can't make myself like the social media parts. They sound so staged and fake. Also, this time I include the grandma in this point because she was ridiculous with the followers obsession. I KNOW this series is called The Influencer... I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started the series okay? My bad. Leave me alone, I can't go back now lmao.
- the third act conflict, though, was the worst thing that could have happened to this book. It was so bad it ruined the book for me and that makes me sad. It was unnecessary and frankly stupid. I'm not one that hates miscommunication regardless of the book or the situation, sometimes it works and I like it, but only when it makes sense.
Overall this one started as a dud, proceeded to steal my heart in the middle, then faded a little toward the end. I'm sad about the ending because this could have been not a favorite of mine but something close. I see Amy Lea has not stopped including sex in the most unhygienic places or some of the cringiest dirty talk ever lol, but her writing has definitely gotten better.
January 6, 2023
My first book of 2023 & it was super cute! I love our main character and how open she was about wanting to find love and being ok with who she was! The romance was cute but I wanted more yearning? I also wanted more of them actually being in a relationship. Overall cute and a good first book of the year.
March 9, 2023
cute book! loved the taylor swift references <3
June 1, 2023
I felt like it would've been great, if they weren't trying to be so trendy. Every other sentence had some new lingo or slang, to be trendy. I enjoyed the characters but the writing lost substance to me due to that issue stated above. Was hoping to love this one.
April 13, 2024
Amy Lea does it again!!!!!!! I SERIOUSLY CANNOT SAY IT LOUD ENOUGH. This freaking book was so cute, and the ending made me happy cry.
This is one fantastic RomCom that you won’t want to miss!!
Taras sister is getting married which means it’s time for her to move out and find a new place to stay. Lucky for her, her almost brother in law offers up his apartment, that comes with his roommate, and she takes him up on that offer!
What she wasn’t expecting was to walk in on said roommate (Trevor) in a compromising position with a woman on the kitchen table, on the day of her move in… OOOOOF. Fun start to this new adventure 🤣
After getting over that hump, Tara is set on a goal of having a second chance romance trope IN REAL LIFE. She makes a list of all her exes and decides to go through them to see if any one of them could be the perfect one for her. What’s even better is that she could get a date to her Valentine’s Day gala at work (where her terrible satan of an ex works at as well)!! Win win, right?! She gets Trevor to help her along the way because she may or may not be a little much when it comes to her feelings and wants help to tone it back. ANDDDD Tara is a bookstagrammer/booktoker, so she is documenting this journey on her Instagram for her followers to help vote and such!
This entire story was such a wild, fun ride. I seriously loved the entire concept. There were so many swoony moments, moments that made my heart hurt, where I felt emotional and overall it was a perfect combination of ALL THE FEELS. I was cheering Tara on during the journey and was so proud of her at the end.
Tara is so adorable and sweet, and Trevor oh my god. He’s a fine specimen who happens to be ripped (naturally because he’s a firefighter 😮💨) and tatted. AHHHH.
Tropes:
Roommates to lovers
Friends to lovers
Playboy MMC
HOT TUB SCENE
This is one fantastic RomCom that you won’t want to miss!!
Taras sister is getting married which means it’s time for her to move out and find a new place to stay. Lucky for her, her almost brother in law offers up his apartment, that comes with his roommate, and she takes him up on that offer!
What she wasn’t expecting was to walk in on said roommate (Trevor) in a compromising position with a woman on the kitchen table, on the day of her move in… OOOOOF. Fun start to this new adventure 🤣
After getting over that hump, Tara is set on a goal of having a second chance romance trope IN REAL LIFE. She makes a list of all her exes and decides to go through them to see if any one of them could be the perfect one for her. What’s even better is that she could get a date to her Valentine’s Day gala at work (where her terrible satan of an ex works at as well)!! Win win, right?! She gets Trevor to help her along the way because she may or may not be a little much when it comes to her feelings and wants help to tone it back. ANDDDD Tara is a bookstagrammer/booktoker, so she is documenting this journey on her Instagram for her followers to help vote and such!
This entire story was such a wild, fun ride. I seriously loved the entire concept. There were so many swoony moments, moments that made my heart hurt, where I felt emotional and overall it was a perfect combination of ALL THE FEELS. I was cheering Tara on during the journey and was so proud of her at the end.
Tara is so adorable and sweet, and Trevor oh my god. He’s a fine specimen who happens to be ripped (naturally because he’s a firefighter 😮💨) and tatted. AHHHH.
Tropes:
Roommates to lovers
Friends to lovers
Playboy MMC
HOT TUB SCENE
February 17, 2023
Exes and O’s by Amy Lea is the second book in the Influencer series but can stand alone. I haven’t had the chance to read book 1 (Set on You) but I will be after reading this one. All in all, I thought this was really cute. It’s fun, quirky, and made me laugh a lot. The only thing that got a little old was how clingy Tara was. I’m all for reading about different types of characters and while I loved her for being unapologetic with her feelings some of it did make me cringe a little. Perhaps its because I don’t consider myself clingy like she was, and I’ve seen it in real time with other people- it’s not pretty. But because this is fiction and the book has a good message overall I was able to look past it.
If you’re a fan of the roommates-to-lovers trope and enjoy a book that will genuinely make you laugh then I recommend this one! I know that the MC won’t be everyone’s favorite but she does have a big heart which truly shines on the pages. I can’t wait to read more from the author.
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧: 🔥 🔥
If you’re a fan of the roommates-to-lovers trope and enjoy a book that will genuinely make you laugh then I recommend this one! I know that the MC won’t be everyone’s favorite but she does have a big heart which truly shines on the pages. I can’t wait to read more from the author.
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧: 🔥 🔥
January 10, 2023
~ thank you to the publisher Viking UK and to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review ~
☆☆☆☆/5
Tropes: roommates to friends to lovers, forced proximity, opposites-attract, reformed player, slow-burn romance
This book is a love letter to the bookstagram girlies in their swiftie era and I love that for us! Having screamed for the Exes and Os since reading the little snipper at the end of Set On You, I was so excited to get my hands on this one.
Exes and O’s follows Tara Chen - romance novels connoisseur, nurse, bookstagrammer (is this f play about us??) and sister to Crystal (who we met in Set on You) - and Trevor Metcalfe - hot firefighter with the honey coloured eyes and Scott’s bestie - who after becoming roommates embark on a journey to aid Tara in reconnecting with one of her exes to experience her favourite trope, a second chance romance. What ensues is a ‘what’s your number?’-esque storyline, as the slightly crazy ex girlfriend Tara with the aid of her standoffish roommate Trevor seek to track down her exes.
This was such a fun follow-up to Set on You! It had me cackling at 2am at some of Tara’s antics. Were their times when I cringed at certain scenes or I thought Tara took oversharing with her followers to the extreme? Sure. But it’s all part of her charm I loved the over-arching message of being unapologetically yourself, holding on to your ideals and not changing yourself to fit other’s people vision of you.
I liked the natural progression of Tara and Trevor’s relationship, from that hilarious and awkward first encounter to becoming friends and confidants to something more. Their romantic relationship unfolded in such a sweet manner, I only wish we had more of an opportunity to see them together as a couple. I would even go a step further to say this story would have benefited from being dual-POV, it would have been nice to see what was running through Trevor’s mind as certain events unfolded as he was kind of aloof/not as open as Tara was, so it was hard to know what he was thinking at certain times. That being said, you could still tell how much he loved and cared for Tara. Their chemistry was crackling (here’s looking at you hot tub scene) - it was very ‘to all the boy’s I loved before’ but the adult version.
I loved how Amy incorporated pop culture references in Set On You and it was no different here, if not a bit more balanced! There was a lot of ‘I understood that reference’ (hi captain america) going on here, and it made the reading experience all the more enjoyable for me.
A super-cute, fuzzy, flirty, slow-burn romantic comedy that will have you laughing and swooning in equal measure.
And that epilogue?
“As long as I’m your favourite hero in the end.”
I want to live inside that epilogue, the sweetest ever <3
Looking forward to the third book in the Influencer series!
May 2022
HELLO I NEED THIS?
TARA AND TREVOR? I used to pray for times like this to rhyme like this FR
☆☆☆☆/5
Tropes: roommates to friends to lovers, forced proximity, opposites-attract, reformed player, slow-burn romance
This book is a love letter to the bookstagram girlies in their swiftie era and I love that for us! Having screamed for the Exes and Os since reading the little snipper at the end of Set On You, I was so excited to get my hands on this one.
Exes and O’s follows Tara Chen - romance novels connoisseur, nurse, bookstagrammer (is this f play about us??) and sister to Crystal (who we met in Set on You) - and Trevor Metcalfe - hot firefighter with the honey coloured eyes and Scott’s bestie - who after becoming roommates embark on a journey to aid Tara in reconnecting with one of her exes to experience her favourite trope, a second chance romance. What ensues is a ‘what’s your number?’-esque storyline, as the slightly crazy ex girlfriend Tara with the aid of her standoffish roommate Trevor seek to track down her exes.
This was such a fun follow-up to Set on You! It had me cackling at 2am at some of Tara’s antics. Were their times when I cringed at certain scenes or I thought Tara took oversharing with her followers to the extreme? Sure. But it’s all part of her charm I loved the over-arching message of being unapologetically yourself, holding on to your ideals and not changing yourself to fit other’s people vision of you.
I liked the natural progression of Tara and Trevor’s relationship, from that hilarious and awkward first encounter to becoming friends and confidants to something more. Their romantic relationship unfolded in such a sweet manner, I only wish we had more of an opportunity to see them together as a couple. I would even go a step further to say this story would have benefited from being dual-POV, it would have been nice to see what was running through Trevor’s mind as certain events unfolded as he was kind of aloof/not as open as Tara was, so it was hard to know what he was thinking at certain times. That being said, you could still tell how much he loved and cared for Tara. Their chemistry was crackling (here’s looking at you hot tub scene) - it was very ‘to all the boy’s I loved before’ but the adult version.
I loved how Amy incorporated pop culture references in Set On You and it was no different here, if not a bit more balanced! There was a lot of ‘I understood that reference’ (hi captain america) going on here, and it made the reading experience all the more enjoyable for me.
A super-cute, fuzzy, flirty, slow-burn romantic comedy that will have you laughing and swooning in equal measure.
And that epilogue?
“As long as I’m your favourite hero in the end.”
I want to live inside that epilogue, the sweetest ever <3
Looking forward to the third book in the Influencer series!
May 2022
HELLO I NEED THIS?
TARA AND TREVOR? I used to pray for times like this to rhyme like this FR
July 9, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
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