August 4th 2020 | Avon
Source: NetGalley (e-ARC)
Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers.This is one of the moments in my life where the cover 100% brought me to the story. This cover is so stunning that I wouldn’t have cared if the story wasn’t good. But don’t worry, the story is just as good as the cover. This is my first Alexis Daria but it won’t be my last. You Had Me at Hola is sweet, sexy, funny, and heartwarming.
After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez.
Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy.
After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had.
Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars.
With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.
Characters are the most important part of a book for me. Even if the plot is not good or the writing might not be either, if the characters are lovable I will love this book. And all of the characters in this book are such wonderful beings. They’re obviously not as developed as Jasmine and Ashton, but they each have personalities that are easy to read about. I loved how much this book focuses on family and friends. In so many books, people aren’t always close to their families but that is not the case for Jasmine and Ashton. There are so many moments Jasmine has with her cousins and I would love to read more about them. It also gave both Jasmine and Ashton a drive that I think many of us can connect to: our decisions aren't always made just for our benefits.
I loved seeing the cultural connections that they both have in a way that is really well done. Even though Jasmine is a Latina, her Spanish isn’t the best versus Ashton who speaks fluent Spanish. This doesn’t mean that jasmine is less Latinx than Ashton; they’re still valid. As someone who is an immigrant and English isn’t my first language, this is such a big part of how I navigate this world. Aahton’s acceptance and kindness made me so happy.
And of course, we need to talk about the romance which was perfect. Ashton is such a sweetie and I loved the little moment of hesitation he had when it came to his career and his connection to Jasmine. Jasmine and Ashton didn't begin their romance on the best foot and it led to a lot of hilarity between the two. I appreciate that both of their careers were important to them and so was their budding romance. They didn’t want to forsake one for the other. I think this is a very valid concern people who are dating right now have. As it’s made clear in this story, you can date and have a successful career but you have to make sacrifices.
I don’t know if my review makes any sense but I really love this book. I was laughing and I was rooting for both Jasmine and Ashton from the beginning. If you had any hesitation about picking up this book, I would highly suggest you do so. This is my first Alexis Daria but it won't be my last. Not only is her ability to write great family dynamics, her characters are wonderful and the romance made my heart happy.
Add your comment