Score: 4/5 Bookmarks

Steam Rating: 🍆🍆/5

Thank you to Avon Books for gifting me a review copy of You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria.

This book was delightful. Jasmine Rodriguez (a soap opera star) is on a mission to take charge of her career, and she puts together a ‘Leading Lady Plan’ of things she intends to stick to. Included on the list are items like ‘Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers’ and ‘Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy’.

A casting mix-up sees her paired up with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez, and her Leading Lady Plan gets harder and harder to stick to.

Ashton has some baggage of his own, and is working to sure up his own career after his character was killed off in a popular show. Neither of them wants a scandal, they just want to get on with the work….but can they stay away from each other?

I got to chat with the author as part of our book club, which was amazing, and she spoke about how she draws from real life. No single character represents a person in her life, but she takes traits, quirks and sometimes anecdotes from people around her. It definitely makes the characters feel rich, and as if you really know them in just a short amount of time.

Alexis also shared with us that she isn’t a coffee drinker, so had to do research to be able to write the coffee scenes in the book. She also turned me onto a great Downton Abbey tea (you can check that out here).

It isn’t always the case but Alexis got to have a say in choosing the illustrator for the cover (and what an amazing job they did). Turns out there is also a book in the works about the other cousins from this book, which I am thrilled to hear!

I’m definitely in need of a telenovela binge-watch after reading this! Actually, this book would make a fantastic show!

Synopsis:

Award-Winning author Alexis Daria brings readers an unforgettable, hilarious rom-com set in the drama-filled world of telenovelas—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin and The Kiss Quotient.

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. 

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.