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

Product Information

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author. You Had Me at Hola is a fun, steamy, and sweet rom-com taking place on the set of a television show.

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. Welcome to the glamorous world of telenovelas! As a great fan of adapted telenovelas “Jane the Virgin”, “Ugly Betty”, I was so excited to get my hands on this book. I loved the diversity of the characters, the representation and how real and lovely they felt. As a queer latina, my heart feels really happy and complete with this book. I thought the actual story was cute. There were problems with it but nothing when compared with the terrible reading of this book.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. Her self-proclaimed moniker reinforces Hola's themes of diversity, consent, and agency because it reimagines who a Leading Lady can be, and in turn, rebels against our cultural restrictions. Jasmine fights for herself but she also has the space to take risks and push the boundaries of her identity. 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. Another reason why I couldn't really connect with the characters is because of how they were presented. Jasmine was obsessed with how the tabloids looked at her and Ashton was obsessed with the tabloids discovering his son and something happening to his son because of his fame. These two people willingly chose their careers as actors and were pursuing fame, yet they were both actively trying to stay out of the limelight. It just didn't really make sense to me. I sometimes struggle with contemporary M/F romance, but I was excited to finally dig into an Alexis Daria book. I mean, a Latinx romance with a telenovela feel? I had to try it. However, though the book was a good read overall, I had mixed emotions about the story and it took me *forever* to finish.

Soap opera actress Jasmine Lin Rodriguez has just landed the lead role on a Latinx romantic comedy show, to be streamed on a Netflix lookalike, so you know it’s a big deal. She’s paired up with a famous telenovela star in his own right, Ashton Suárez. They get off on a bumpy start after he accidentally spills coffee on her during their first meeting, and try as they might to create some chemistry between them while filming, something seems to be missing. So they agree to work on their lines behind the scenes, and that’s when things really heat up.And the weird thing is that the narrator has a beautiful voice. When she spoke for the characters each voice was distinct and lovely. Literally everything you could hope for in a voice actor! Since Ashton and Jasmine first meet, and work together, because they're both actors in the remake of a Venezuelan telenovela, it stands to reason that parts of this story would take place on set while they film. What I did not expect—but was delighted by—was to actually be able to follow along with the script. It was very immersive to feel like I was behind the camera while Victor and Carmen—the two characters that Ashton and Jasmine portray—flourish in their own stories. And through them, our own novel's protagonists start to grow closer to each other. It was a great addition to the book, and made it that much more unique. Jasmine Lin Rodriguez is a popular soap opera actress whose last relationship provided tremendous tabloid fodder. She’s about to star in a bilingual rom-com series, and she wants the public to pay attention to her performance, not her love life. As smooth and easy as the reading was, I also really appreciated the Spanish words that not only added a nice touch to the story itself but let the readers connect with the characters’ roots. This was such an engaging electric story with some definite heat. Jasmine was such a fabulous character I just adored her. I also loved her cousins Michelle and Ava and I am really hoping that they will also get their own stories. Loved Jasmine’s big Puerto Rican family and all the culture throughout the story. Ashton came across a little awkward to me in the beginning of the book, although he did grow on me by the end. What I did like about him was how devoted to his family he was. BUT even though Ashton wasn’t my flavor of Margarita he was definitely jasmine’s and the chemistry really worked between them. I do however wish the connection between them was a little deeper, but I’m sure that will come in time. The audiobook was narrated by Seraphine Valentine Who did an excellent job. She definitely spiced up the book with her wonderful narration, especially when it came to the Spanish words. Love this romcom and I’m excited to see what is next from Alexis Daria!