readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
A romance based in the world of telenovelas! Jasmine and Ashton are cast opposite each other on a new romantic comedy show, and while costars falling in love is a tale as old as time, neither of them is in the market for a relationship. Jasmine is fresh off a humiliating public breakup, and Ashton doesn’t want the press to find out he has a young son. Their first meeting is a coffee-spilling disaster, and their on-screen chemistry isn’t much better. Jasmine’s urgency to repair her public image and Ashton’s obsession with keeping his private life private leads to a lot of stiffness and awkwardness between them on set. But they both want to make the show a success, so they decide they need to do some practicing behind the scenes to get their chemistry on track. And as we all know, practice kissing always leads to real kissing, I think that’s a cardinal rule of romance.
Based on the premise, I expected this book to be nonstop, over the top drama, and while there are soapy elements to it, mainly it’s just about Ashton and Jasmine working hard to make their show successful and earnestly trying to avoid getting entangled with each other. I liked how reserved Ashton is--he’s the opposite of the playboy actor type, serious almost to a fault, constantly agonizing over whether he’s a good father and if he’s made the right choices for his family. I loved that they couldn’t resist each other even though they tried so hard to shut down their feelings.
Based on the premise, I expected this book to be nonstop, over the top drama, and while there are soapy elements to it, mainly it’s just about Ashton and Jasmine working hard to make their show successful and earnestly trying to avoid getting entangled with each other. I liked how reserved Ashton is--he’s the opposite of the playboy actor type, serious almost to a fault, constantly agonizing over whether he’s a good father and if he’s made the right choices for his family. I loved that they couldn’t resist each other even though they tried so hard to shut down their feelings.
sri_savita's review against another edition
5.0
"But taking things personally was one of her greatest skills."
If the gorgeous cover art alone doesn't motivate you to pick this book up, then you'll be pleased to know that the story inside packs just as much of a beautiful punch.
First things first, what I love so much about this book is that at its heart I think Daria writes this romance as a story between two people with very high anxiety that manifests in different ways. Watching how this unfolds naturally creates lots of misunderstandings and frustrations, for both the characters and people in their lives on the outside of their lens of experience as actors, as well as the reader. But, it also creates a great conversation for learning, vulnerability, understanding and acceptance - again, for both the characters and the reader. And I love a story where I can learn something right alongside the characters.
The writing is smart, steamy, and uncompromising in its criticism of different entertainment industries' sexism, racism, ageism, colorism, and narrow scope of diversity and multiculturalism. Daria dissects many important issues for us to consider as consumers of media: from the way that Jasmine discusses how she was encouraged to audition for every vaguely ethnic role and how that made her feel, to how she and Ashton navigate their different bilingual acting experiences and learn from each other, how they view the soaps and telenovelas that gave them their start and what it means for the perception of their careers, the role of the paparazzi and tabloids and the people that work there in relation to the actors and actresses they write about, as well as how to navigate boundaries in their personal lives and past mistakes in not articulating these as strongly as they should have. There's a lot that is surprisingly REAL in a rom-com about two telenovela actors with interspersing scenes in their characters' roles to drive the character development and plot forward. This was an interesting device to use that could have put readers further at a distance from the characters, but I think it worked well overall.
Also, race, sexuality, and gender representation across a wide diaspora of Latinx and biracial communities is included in this book in a way that is wholly integrated with the characters and story. There are genuine discussions about consent on film sets and in relationships which is good for readers to educate themselves on. It was engaging to learn about the behind-the-scenes technical aspects and challenges in the movie and television industry.
Furthermore, as a 30-year old reader, I appreciated that Jasmine is 30 and Ashton is 38. I understand some people's criticism is that the characters acted immaturely in relation to their age, BUT I strongly think that some of the negative reviews for this story heavily missed the mark. Yes, Jasmine and Ashton are at times unlikable and immature, and they may not act logically in your opinion - they certainly frustrated me in some moments - but I believe this is by Daria's design.
Jasmine and Ashton are celebrities who face and have faced different pressures than regular people do in their day-to-day lives. We take our privacy as a given, a basic and fundamental right. But, for Jas and Ash it is often a luxury, and in their minds, the surrender of privacy is perhaps even the price they must resign themselves to pay for their careers to grow in the direction they want - to Hollywood leads on the silver screen. This in turn, creates an additional emotional dilemma that takes another toll: Are they losing a vital piece of themselves in the process of giving up their privacy? Can they choose what parts to share and what to withhold? How much of them and their success is their own and how much does the media own? What is the line between their image, them as an icon, and them as a real person? And when they consider how it might affect those they care most for, as we see them asking themselves: how much is too high a tithe to pay for their careers and ensured success?
As adults in the industry who have both experienced their fair share of negative experiences, it makes sense that Jasmine and Ashton are extra cautious to the extreme extent of being "paranoid," as Ashton says himself. Being under the microscope has affected them in ways we haven't experienced and can't really understand even if it doesn't make sense to us why an issue is such a big deal to them, or why they're handling decisions the way they are. I think Daria could have perhaps strengthened this with a little more "showing" and dialogue or character interaction, but unfortunately, one of the weaker points is that both Jasmine's and Ashton's primary trauma in the narrative happens in the past - so we only get their inner thoughts as the lens to see this through. This is also something that would have helped create more emotional chemistry, as a big focus of the story is on how "vulnerability is exhausting," and it would have been nice to see what Jasmine said in her awards speech and how exactly that affected Ashton.
So, perhaps it's the psychologist or professor in me showing, but I found this story to be rich ground for me to analyze all the psychological and philosophical issues I find so fascinating about celebrity status and power. Jasmine and Ashton aren't going to act like you or me, or any of the other more rational characters around them that Daria uses almost as foils to contrast their behaviors and thoughts with - through the way that Ashton talks with Ignacio and he asks why Ashton thinks it's a big deal, and Jasmine looks for advice from her cousins Ava and Michelle who consistently tell her she is making a rash decision and is it really a big deal. BTW I love Ava and Michelle and will gladly be the first in line to read books about these two jefas!
I found it very natural to believe that this was highly realistic for their characters, as people who have both been burned by the industry they love and the whiplash they feel between being uplifted and dragged down by what they love and want to establish a stable career in. I recognized that
If the gorgeous cover art alone doesn't motivate you to pick this book up, then you'll be pleased to know that the story inside packs just as much of a beautiful punch.
First things first, what I love so much about this book is that at its heart I think Daria writes this romance as a story between two people with very high anxiety that manifests in different ways. Watching how this unfolds naturally creates lots of misunderstandings and frustrations, for both the characters and people in their lives on the outside of their lens of experience as actors, as well as the reader. But, it also creates a great conversation for learning, vulnerability, understanding and acceptance - again, for both the characters and the reader. And I love a story where I can learn something right alongside the characters.
The writing is smart, steamy, and uncompromising in its criticism of different entertainment industries' sexism, racism, ageism, colorism, and narrow scope of diversity and multiculturalism. Daria dissects many important issues for us to consider as consumers of media: from the way that Jasmine discusses how she was encouraged to audition for every vaguely ethnic role and how that made her feel, to how she and Ashton navigate their different bilingual acting experiences and learn from each other, how they view the soaps and telenovelas that gave them their start and what it means for the perception of their careers, the role of the paparazzi and tabloids and the people that work there in relation to the actors and actresses they write about, as well as how to navigate boundaries in their personal lives and past mistakes in not articulating these as strongly as they should have.
Spoiler
I love that we see that the tabloid reporter too has her own share of pressures to deal with and that she thought she was supporting Jasmine in her perspective but Jasmine didn't see it this way - it serves to show how much of the entertainment industry is smoke and mirrors and that the truth is really just who's telling the story at the time.Also, race, sexuality, and gender representation across a wide diaspora of Latinx and biracial communities is included in this book in a way that is wholly integrated with the characters and story. There are genuine discussions about consent on film sets and in relationships which is good for readers to educate themselves on. It was engaging to learn about the behind-the-scenes technical aspects and challenges in the movie and television industry.
Furthermore, as a 30-year old reader, I appreciated that Jasmine is 30 and Ashton is 38. I understand some people's criticism is that the characters acted immaturely in relation to their age, BUT I strongly think that some of the negative reviews for this story heavily missed the mark. Yes, Jasmine and Ashton are at times unlikable and immature, and they may not act logically in your opinion - they certainly frustrated me in some moments - but I believe this is by Daria's design.
Jasmine and Ashton are celebrities who face and have faced different pressures than regular people do in their day-to-day lives. We take our privacy as a given, a basic and fundamental right. But, for Jas and Ash it is often a luxury, and in their minds, the surrender of privacy is perhaps even the price they must resign themselves to pay for their careers to grow in the direction they want - to Hollywood leads on the silver screen. This in turn, creates an additional emotional dilemma that takes another toll: Are they losing a vital piece of themselves in the process of giving up their privacy? Can they choose what parts to share and what to withhold? How much of them and their success is their own and how much does the media own? What is the line between their image, them as an icon, and them as a real person? And when they consider how it might affect those they care most for, as we see them asking themselves: how much is too high a tithe to pay for their careers and ensured success?
As adults in the industry who have both experienced their fair share of negative experiences, it makes sense that Jasmine and Ashton are extra cautious to the extreme extent of being "paranoid," as Ashton says himself. Being under the microscope has affected them in ways we haven't experienced and can't really understand even if it doesn't make sense to us why an issue is such a big deal to them, or why they're handling decisions the way they are. I think Daria could have perhaps strengthened this with a little more "showing" and dialogue or character interaction, but unfortunately, one of the weaker points is that both Jasmine's and Ashton's primary trauma in the narrative happens in the past - so we only get their inner thoughts as the lens to see this through. This is also something that would have helped create more emotional chemistry, as a big focus of the story is on how "vulnerability is exhausting," and it would have been nice to see what Jasmine said in her awards speech and how exactly that affected Ashton.
So, perhaps it's the psychologist or professor in me showing, but I found this story to be rich ground for me to analyze all the psychological and philosophical issues I find so fascinating about celebrity status and power. Jasmine and Ashton aren't going to act like you or me, or any of the other more rational characters around them that Daria uses almost as foils to contrast their behaviors and thoughts with - through the way that Ashton talks with Ignacio and he asks why Ashton thinks it's a big deal, and Jasmine looks for advice from her cousins Ava and Michelle who consistently tell her she is making a rash decision and is it really a big deal. BTW I love Ava and Michelle and will gladly be the first in line to read books about these two jefas!
I found it very natural to believe that this was highly realistic for their characters, as people who have both been burned by the industry they love and the whiplash they feel between being uplifted and dragged down by what they love and want to establish a stable career in. I recognized that
Spoiler
Jasmine and Ashton were struggling with anxiety from early on in the story - thanks to Daria's stellar convincing writing - before it's even mentioned that both characters are in therapy at the end of the book, and I applaud Daria for adding representation for mental health and normalizing therapy in this wonderful story as well.Spoiler
cozycoterie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the first romance that feels absolutely safe and welcoming. Lots of diverse characters and symbols of acceptance with consent and agency at the forefront of everything. The characters were good people, trying their best, motivated by pure intentions even if it wasn't always aligned. It felt like a warm bath, with a dash of spice.
val_books_of_leisure's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
kappareads's review against another edition
3.0
A bad third act really can make or break a romance book, huh?
Jasmine was already on thin ice because I realized part way through that a lot of her personality was being told to us and we weren't being shown it, as opposed to Ashton, where we were shown a lot more about who he was.
But then all hope was really lost when
Ashton was my saving grace in this book. I think it taught me I really need to read more single parent romances b/c they are my kryptonite, esp if they're written like Ashton was.
Jasmine was already on thin ice because I realized part way through that a lot of her personality was being told to us and we weren't being shown it, as opposed to Ashton, where we were shown a lot more about who he was.
But then all hope was really lost when
Spoiler
Jasmine's reaction to Ashton's private life being made public and his child being photographed without his permission, was to make it about how SHE had been betrayed and how she was going to destroy an all Latine cast/crew show just to avoid Ashton. Yes, Ashton is a tiny bit in the wrong, but not as much as Jasmine made it out to be. And yes, she realized the error of her ways before she got back with Ashton but it really wasn't satisfying.Ashton was my saving grace in this book. I think it taught me I really need to read more single parent romances b/c they are my kryptonite, esp if they're written like Ashton was.
unfairwar's review against another edition
5.0
Nobody touch me, I’m screaming.
I’m a simple latina woman who screamed with every references to telenovelas and culture that they had in this book. I’m also weak for men that love abuelitas, what can I say? This was a great reading and the sex scenes were real nice and entertaining. I have nothing to say apart from the fact that it felt really close to home and I loved every single second of it.
I’m a simple latina woman who screamed with every references to telenovelas and culture that they had in this book. I’m also weak for men that love abuelitas, what can I say? This was a great reading and the sex scenes were real nice and entertaining. I have nothing to say apart from the fact that it felt really close to home and I loved every single second of it.
saucyknits's review against another edition
5.0
Not only did I love this, I really loved reading/hearing Puerto Rican characters!!! Lots of love for this one!
mrmblgnrth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
carlysgrowingtbr's review against another edition
3.0
You had me at Hola is a very adorable contemporary romance set around a spanish soap opera. Or a Telenovela. Contemporary romance isn't my typical genre, but I really found this one to be fun to read.
As usual, the miscommunication trope was a strain for me. I'll never understand why characters are scared to communicate because it never goes well. But there was ample reasoning for the lack of communication in this book so I actually really enjoyed the bit of secrecy between the MMC and FMC. It added a nice tension and kept the plot interesting. That doesn't normally happen for me.
I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. It started out in hilarious fashion (I laughed a lot through this book) and progressed at what I felt was a very realistic pace and progression. I appreciated that it wasn't too campy and that it didn't feel like a "hallmark movie". That's always hard for me with contemporary romance, but this didn't do that to me.
Overall, I will read more by this author. I really enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. That's saying a lot because again, I don't read contemporary romance.
As usual, the miscommunication trope was a strain for me. I'll never understand why characters are scared to communicate because it never goes well. But there was ample reasoning for the lack of communication in this book so I actually really enjoyed the bit of secrecy between the MMC and FMC. It added a nice tension and kept the plot interesting. That doesn't normally happen for me.
I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. It started out in hilarious fashion (I laughed a lot through this book) and progressed at what I felt was a very realistic pace and progression. I appreciated that it wasn't too campy and that it didn't feel like a "hallmark movie". That's always hard for me with contemporary romance, but this didn't do that to me.
Overall, I will read more by this author. I really enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would. That's saying a lot because again, I don't read contemporary romance.
jacquelinepon's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75