You Had Me At Hola- Alexis Daria

It’s always special to see yourself reflected in a character. No, I’m not a sexy telenovela actress but I am a thirty something puertorriqueña that shares many of Jasmine Lin Rodriguez’s thoughts on love. Like mine, her past is littered with some pretty shitty exes- relationships in which she knew she deserved so much better but stuck around for the validation. However, a different type of man is about to enter the picture as she is shooting Carmen in Charge, a new romcom series in which she was cast leading lady. After recently coming out of a particularly awful and very public breakup, Jasmine is left feeling pretty jaded and has even come up with a plan for success with her Primas of Power. “The Leading Lady Plan” was designed to ensure that she walked a path of an independent, self-efficient actress with a rational head on her shoulders. She was certainly not expecting to be thrown a wrench when telenovela stud, Ashton Suarez, is casted as the show’s love interest. 

While I won’t pretend to be the biggest fan of romcom lit, this story was certainly adorable. Would I have liked more drama and a less predictable outcome? Absolutely. I’m also personally not a fan of the slow-burn trope but I know countless readers who will eat up this story. If for nothing else, the sex scenes are muy caliente and certainly the spiciest I’ve ever read. 🌶 I would absolutely enjoy a sequel. 

I appreciated a focus on mental health and the inclusion of not only the Latinx community, but the LGBTQ+ community as well. 

The best part of You Had Me at Hola for me was the Puerto Rican representation. ¡Wepa! From someone who was bullied for being Latina and told to tell people she was Italian so she wouldn’t be tormented, I can’t begin to express how crucial it is that the Latinx community be represented positively in the media. It’s high time we be given leading roles and a chance to shine. Authors like Daria are steering us in the right direction. 

3.5/5 stars