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
ktxx22's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this story, but it wasn’t anything to write home about typical romance and typical communication issues. Lots of steam here though and my secondary embarrassment was too much..... very graphic depictions so if sexy time scenes are your jam you will probably really enjoy this.
roebschter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
You Had Me at Hola is a fun, lighthearted, sweet romance set on set of a new TV show.
I laughed out loud at Jasmine and her cousins' shenanigans, and Ashton made me want to help him feel a little less anxious than he was at the beginning.
Very satisfying listen, both because the story and the characters were compelling and because I enjoyed the narration.
I laughed out loud at Jasmine and her cousins' shenanigans, and Ashton made me want to help him feel a little less anxious than he was at the beginning.
Very satisfying listen, both because the story and the characters were compelling and because I enjoyed the narration.
dannycakez8808's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this one! The story was intriguing, character driven and a tad bit steamy. Jasmine our main character was relatable and very much likeable. I enjoyed the mix of on the scenes drama and real life drama between the costars. The touches of Puerto Ricsn culture and mixture of English and Spanish dialogue was also very enjoyable. I'll definitely be picking up more from this author
thatotherjlo's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.25
amanda_m_harwood's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
Love, love, love this novel. I read the physical copy and loved it then, but this audio version took it out of the ball park. Fantastic! The chemistry between the two MC's was spicy and bomb. I loved the single dad trope. We need more single dad novels! The perfect spice.
mckellstar's review against another edition
4.0
4/5
Well, this was such a cute, heart-warming, and steamy read! Having taken a workshop on intimacy direction, I loved reading the parts with the intimacy coordinator on set with the two protagonists. Even though I’m not a famous telenovela star like Ashton and Jasmine, I could relate to quite a few thoughts/struggles they had on set; being an actor is a very complex job, and I appreciated the way the author handled it all- you could tell she did her research or had her own personal experience to draw from and that was lovely!
I also really enjoyed the bilingualism in the book because it made everything feel very natural. While I’m not fluent in Spanish, my parents are and I grew up listening them speak to each other in Spanish daily, so I could understand the vast majority of the Spanish that was in the book.
The steamy scenes were muy caliente!!
Well, this was such a cute, heart-warming, and steamy read! Having taken a workshop on intimacy direction, I loved reading the parts with the intimacy coordinator on set with the two protagonists. Even though I’m not a famous telenovela star like Ashton and Jasmine, I could relate to quite a few thoughts/struggles they had on set; being an actor is a very complex job, and I appreciated the way the author handled it all- you could tell she did her research or had her own personal experience to draw from and that was lovely!
I also really enjoyed the bilingualism in the book because it made everything feel very natural. While I’m not fluent in Spanish, my parents are and I grew up listening them speak to each other in Spanish daily, so I could understand the vast majority of the Spanish that was in the book.
The steamy scenes were muy caliente!!
literarycath's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5