You Had Me at Hola: A Novel (Primas of Power Book 1)

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Gabe feels obligated to reach out to her himself, and is surprised to find that she’s willing to take the job - if he’ll stay with her while he’s in New York so they can finally “hash out their issues”. If you know what I mean. 😏🔥

So I probably wouldn't have liked this even if it made me laugh and cry and shake my head in disbelief at its sheer magnificence. That last rule becomes more difficult to observe when a last-minute casting change puts hunky telenovela actor Ashton Suarez in the role of her leading man. But Ashton, who has secrets of his own, is also determined not to let anyone get close to him, especially his beautiful costar. If you’re a fan of the show Jane the Virgin, you’re gonna want to try You Had Me at Hola! There’s Latinx rep, telenovelas, actor main characters, and a ton of on- and off-screen steam. It was my first book from Alexis Daria and I really liked her writing. I loved the telenovela aspect and that we actually get to read the script (which is a dramatic second chance romance I was super into) and see how the actor characters play it out. While I did have my issues with parts of the book, I still would recommend it if you’re looking for a romance with great Latinx characters who are making their way into Hollywood. You Had Me At Hola was my selection for January in the 2021 Romance Book Reading Challenge in which the goal was to read one Best of 2020 book. His second fear he had been holding onto for 8 years since The Incident that left him fearful of media attention and made him a loner.

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Sexy, compelling, and complex—a terrific romance from a rising star of the genre.” Kirkus Starred Review This book also had a lot of humor, from parents seeing their children buying condoms to showing up to parties half-naked so you don’t get your clothes wrinkled. We need more books that have some parts of you shaking one minute *wink*, and laughing out loud the next. Jasmine needs to improve her image after a public break up landed her in the tabloids and Ashton needs to revive his acting career or see it finished.

The story splits its time between the real lives of telenovela and soap opera stars Ashton Suárez and Jasmine Lin. Jasmine is a rising star in soap operas with a rather messy recent breakup splashed all over the tabloids. And Ashton has made acting in telenovelas his bread and butter for years, while he supports his family in Puerto Rico—which he prefers and struggles to keep very private from his public image—and tries to make his current new project alongside Jasmine successful enough that it will hopefully give him the boost he needs to get to Hollywood. Alexis writes our people like I’ve always wanted to see them in romance. You Had Me at Hola is full of joyful, swoony moments that will have you rooting for Jasmine and Ashton’s HEA.” Adriana Herrera, award-winning author of American Love Story This book reads like a labor of love. There is so much detail put into the setting and the characters and it's done so lovingly at times that it may seem a bit corny. Thing is, that's just how Boricua love is. It's loud, it's boisterous and it's warm to its core. You see what I mean? The flirting is clunky and it doesn't actually have me rooting for them to get together. On top of that, this book starts to feel long. I'd be lying if I said I finished it completely. I made it around 75% through and they were almost all in by then. I could practically smell a third act conflict (after the one that inevitably comes with second-chance romance of course), and I'm just not interested in reading any more of that.A rom-com with sabor Latino! Okay, I’m not reallya romance kind of guy, but when I hear the word telenovelamy ears automatically perk up! That’s because I was reared on them and like them. A lot! Spanish-language soaps, or telenovelas, have evolved from cheesy, low-budget productions to lavish multimillion-dollar franchises that often go on to be remade as successful American TV shows such as Ugly Bettyand Jane the Virgin. Alexis Daria’s, You Had Me at Hola, is exactly what I was expecting—a laugh-out-loud, rom-com set amid the production of a newly greenlit novela. A spilled cup of coffee leads to a romantic chance meeting between the two main stars. And yes, sparks immediately fly. Seraphine Valentine’s narration is spot-on with the Borinquen-inspired lingo delivered with perfect comic timing. If you liked the Americanized versions of the telenovelas I mentioned, you’ll surely enjoy the Latin flavor of You Had Me at Hola. I was completely smitten with Daria’s “Primas of Power… You Had Me at Hola reject[s] the idea that women can only exist as each other’s competition, and propose that, on the contrary, a happy ending is always sweeter if you have your friends to celebrate with; that’s the kind of feminism I want in all my romance.”— Washington Post This was my first book by Alexis Daria and it definitely won’t be the last one that I read by her. This book reads like a Hallmark movie with HBO levels of steam. A Lot Like Adiós is a childhood friends to lovers romance that is steamy and fun with Latinx, bisexual, and transgender rep. If I’m liking a steamy book, trust me that it’s a good book because I usually stay away from steamy books. Also I’m sorry but how many parents, especially Latino parents would be upset their kid got a full scholarship to a good university? Like why? How? Gabriel was meant to be a 1st generation American, and from my experience with children of immigrants they WANT THAT EDUCATION!!! This book is a hug to the Latinx community and its culture. The times I said "oh my god I do this," "my grandma totally tells me this when I visit" etc. is unreal. I identified so hard with the characters and the story in this novel and I think every Latinx reader will too. The food, the Spanish!!! So much Spanish and it's not italicized!!! Jasmine doesn't really know how to speak Spanish fluently while Ashton does and speaks it with his family. This book was a wonderful experience that completely filled me with joy and happiness.

Between exploring classic rom-com tropes and themes on representation in the Latinx community, Daria's book makes for that perfect summer romance.”— The Hollywood Reporter I liked the story, but I didn't love it. Contemporary romance is hard for me, folks, but I'd read another Alexis Daria book in a heartbeat. You Had Me at Hola is a fun, steamy, and sweet rom-com taking place on the set of a television show. I just don't love second-chance romance because I feel like it's just an opportunity for the author to claim they are already in love without the reader actually seeing or feeling genuine romantic progression between the characters. I don't mind childhood friends that much, but I'm personally far more partial to the current best friends to more trope. Because you can't really see romantic connection between children, you know? I mean, there is some, as we see that they were close as children and shared so much with one another, but that isn't something that immediately makes me think they were meant to be. RITA Award-winning Daria has created extremely smart and appealing characters, and the scenes of their shooting the show are delicious fun. Fans of Susan Elizabeth Philips will enjoy the humor and chemistry Daria whips up.” Booklist, Amy Alessio

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The gist is that the two main actors on an Americanized telenovela fall in love for real while filming for a Netflix ish streaming service. They've got insecurities, baggage, and one of them even has a secret love child. This really did not work for me. I have given it 2 stars based on the rep and book cover alone but I'm leaning more towards 1 star. Reading Jasmine and Ashton's story was a delight. Two actors who are hoping to catch their big break on the big screen end up finding each other as well. Jasmine Lin, our Leading Lady, plays the role of Carmen in the debut series "Carmen in Charge" alongside telenovela star Ashton Suárez who plays Victor, Carmen's ex-husband. The coolest about this book has to be the way the narrative handled both Jasmine and Ashton's real-life relationship vs Carmen and Victor's tv relationship. We get to see both sides and you really find yourself rooting for both couples in the end! I thought it was super neat. I wish we had more. I think that’s very minor complaint. I wish we had moments with Jasmine and her parents who didn’t really understand her and got to explore how she couldn’t really be herself around them. I think that arc would’ve been exciting to read about - for me, that is.

Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of this book. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway but that in no way impacts my review. This one was a bit of a slower start (in me knowing if I would love it), but eventually Gabe and Mich won me over. Have to say I appreciated the horniess in this book SO MUCH, and the intersection of family and the pain and joy family can bring was deftly balanced with the romance. Clever, heartfelt, and five fire-emojis sexy, You Had Me at Hola is a must-read! Daria excels at the craft of writing larger-than-life characters with believable fears and relatable desires; the result is a captivating romance that readers won’t soon forget.”— Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author I . Both female and male lead being bisexual??? Like why??? Unless you are going to give us some fun times with a 3rd character why was this in the story of endgame was a heterosexual couple?Jasmine ignored the dig about her skincare routine and peered more closely at the magazine cover. A paparazzo had snapped the photo on a rare rainy day in Los Angeles as Jasmine was leaving the salon where she got her eyebrows threaded. Pairing that headline—DUMPED!—with that photo—bleary-eyed and frizzy-haired—made it seem like McIntyre had left her because she looked a mess, or she looked a mess because McIntyre had left her. Either way, it was unflattering and incredibly rude. Nothing," she said, her voice broken and breathy, but that wasn't true. "Why does it feel like this?" now, Ángel Luis...jesus christ. he is one of my favourite love interests ever. i'm so happy that i've found another author who i think genuinely does male perspectives so well. his character is so refreshing, always polite, respectful and sweet and, to me, he is a man written by a woman. ugh, he is just such a gentleman. he's also a single dad and i'm usually one who does not like children/pregnancy aspects in romance books but ohmygod Yadiel is the sweetest breadroll and Ángel's love for him was everything. Overall A Lot Like Adiós was an addicting and enjoyable read that is now one of my favorites of the year. If you’re into romance, especially ones with some steam, then don’t hesitate to add this one to your tbr. You Had Me at Holais a multi-layered sexy, poignant, and fun story set against the glamorous and dramatic world of telenovelas. Filled with lovable characters, relatable family dynamics and the nuances of identity, Alexis Daria’s novel is full of heart. Romance readers will fall head over heels!" — Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author