Erin La Rosa

She’s written off more than she can chew…

Romance author Sophie Lyon’s ironic secret just went viral: she’s never been in love. Though her debut novel made readers swoon, Sophie’s having trouble getting her new characters to happily-ever-after, and she blames it on her own uninspired love life. With a manuscript deadline looming, Sophie makes an ambitious plan to overcome her writer’s block: reunite with her exes to learn why she's never fallen in love—and document it all for her millions of new TikTok followers.

Luckily, Sophie’s reclusive landlord, Dash Montrose—a former teen heartthrob—has social media all figured out and offers to help. But he doesn't mention that he’s an anonymous online crafter, a hobby that helps him maintain his sobriety. No one knows about his complicated relationship with alcohol and he intends to keep it that way. His family is Hollywood royalty, so Dash has to steer clear of scandal.

As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover a heat between them that rivals Dash's pottery kiln. But Sophie needs to figure out who she is outside of her relationships, and Dash isn’t sure he’s stable enough for the commitment she deserves. So Sophie suggests what any good romance author would: a friends-with-benefits arrangement. Surely a casual relationship won’t cause any trouble…

Plot Twist

Lovely. There is a lot going on here and it’s all done very well. Good character growth, honest emotions, sweet and sexy. 

Megan BV

❝ Sophie deserved perfectly bold love from someone who lit up a room just as easily as she did. But when Dash thought about being with Sophie, it was clear he was an eclipse of issues threatening to swallow her sunny warmth. ❞

❓ #QOTD Do you talk to any of your exes? Would you, if it helped you learn from your past? ❓

🦇 Struggling romance author Sophie Lyon is struggling to finish her second novel before her deadline. Too bad she's announced an ironic secret to the world: that, despite writing swoon-worthy romances, she's never fallen in love herself. After the video goes viral, she decides to explore her past relationships to determine why she hasn't fallen in love at the coaxing of her landlord and best friend's brother, Dash. Meanwhile, Dash Montrose (once an actor following in his father and brother's footsteps, now an anonymous online crafter) is trying to maintain his sobriety while keeping his addiction a secret. As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover they have a lot more in common (including some sizzling chemistry) than they ever realized. 

💜 Erin La Rosa's writing is an enthralling delight. Her word choice invites readers into a story they can live through, with details that bring every page to life. The interactions between Sophie and Dash are full of wit and sass, making it an entertaining rom-com of dry humor. Sophie is beyond relatable, making it easy to sympathize with her struggles, while Dash dwells in his flaws. They both bring out the beauty and potential in one another, crafting a beautiful love story about navigating insecurities. Since Sophie is a romance writer, there's a bit of meta self-awareness as she realizes the romance tropes she's facing in real life. If you love a trope-filled rom-com, this one's for you!

🦇 Perhaps my biggest issue was how quickly big, important topics were brushed past in an effort to focus on the romance. There are mentions of addiction/alcoholism, a stalker, the passing of a parent. Even Sophie's eureka moment about why she's had an issue with past relationships feels out of place (her trust issues are mentioned more than once, and then all of a sudden she has a brief thought about her parents and it clicks for her). Sophie explores her past relationships to try and determine why she's never fallen in love, but the interactions feel empty and pointless. These are big themes that have shaped both characters, yet we only explore them on a surface level. If we as readers aren't delving into those themes, the characters aren't in an effort to learn and develop, either. Even the chemistry between the main characters feels rushed and sudden, which is a major issue if you want readers falling for their relationship. While there's plenty of heat in this book, the word choice during those spicy scenes makes it awkward and off-putting. There was a lot of potential here, especially exploring such big themes, but it lacked depth by skirting over such intense topics.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves romances filled to the brim with tropey goodness; namely, grumpy vs sunshine friends-with-benefits stories!

⚠️ Addiction, Alcoholism, Relapse, IVF/Egg-Freezing, Dysfunctional Families, Stalking, Grief, Loss of a Parent

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Jazelle H

🦇 Plot Twist Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ Sophie deserved perfectly bold love from someone who lit up a room just as easily as she did. But when Dash thought about being with Sophie, it was clear he was an eclipse of issues threatening to swallow her sunny warmth. ❞

❓ #QOTD Do you talk to any of your exes? Would you, if it helped you learn from your past? ❓
 
🦇 Struggling romance author Sophie Lyon is struggling to finish her second novel before her deadline. Too bad she's announced an ironic secret to the world: that, despite writing swoon-worthy romances, she's never fallen in love herself. After the video goes viral, she decides to explore her past relationships to determine why she hasn't fallen in love at the coaxing of her landlord and best friend's brother, Dash. Meanwhile, Dash Montrose (once an actor following in his father and brother's footsteps, now an anonymous online crafter) is trying to maintain his sobriety while keeping his addiction a secret. As Sophie and Dash grow closer, they discover they have a lot more in common (including some sizzling chemistry) than they ever realized. 

💜 Erin La Rosa's writing is an enthralling delight. Her word choice invites readers into a story they can live through, with details that bring every page to life. The interactions between Sophie and Dash are full of wit and sass, making it an entertaining rom-com of dry humor. Sophie is beyond relatable, making it easy to sympathize with her struggles, while Dash dwells in his flaws. They both bring out the beauty and potential in one another, crafting a beautiful love story about navigating insecurities. Since Sophie is a romance writer, there's a bit of meta self-awareness as she realizes the romance tropes she's facing in real life. If you love a trope-filled rom-com, this one's for you!

🦇 Perhaps my biggest issue was how quickly big, important topics were brushed past in an effort to focus on the romance. There are mentions of addiction/alcoholism, a stalker, the passing of a parent. Even Sophie's eureka moment about why she's had an issue with past relationships feels out of place (her trust issues are mentioned more than once, and then all of a sudden she has a brief thought about her parents and it clicks for her). Sophie explores her past relationships to try and determine why she's never fallen in love, but the interactions feel empty and pointless. These are big themes that have shaped both characters, yet we only explore them on a surface level. If we as readers aren't delving into those themes, the characters aren't in an effort to learn and develop, either. Even the chemistry between the main characters feels rushed and sudden, which is a major issue if you want readers falling for their relationship. While there's plenty of heat in this book, the word choice during those spicy scenes makes it awkward and off-putting. There was a lot of potential here, especially exploring such big themes, but it lacked depth by skirting over such intense topics.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves romances filled to the brim with tropey goodness; namely, grumpy vs sunshine friends-with-benefits stories!

✨ The Vibes ✨
🩷 Pan FMC
🩷 Grumpy/Sunshine
🩷 Only One Bed
🩷 Best Friend's Brother
🩷 Writer FMC / Tattooed Actor MMC
🩷 Dual POV
🩷 Friends-With-Benefits

⚠️ Addiction, Alcoholism, Relapse, IVF/Egg-Freezing, Dysfunctional Families, Stalking, Grief, Loss of a Parent

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Charming story of a romance writer with writers block. When a drunken karaoke night out she admits on Tik Tok that she’s never been in love becomes a viral sensation, she embarks on a journey of self discovery by interviewing her exes as to why. Her landlord, Hollywood royalty Dash, is secretly a recovering alcoholic just a few months out of rehab, and desperately trying to remain on a sober path without his family or the public knowing. The two make a great duo for bolstering each other in their quests which, of course leads to an unexpected attraction. It’s a story of forgiveness for yourself, finding your own joy, and being open to love. 

Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read a an advanced copy of this book.

Cindy McKee

Charming story of a romance writer with writers block. When a drunken karaoke night out she admits on Tik Tok that she’s never been in love becomes a viral sensation, she embarks on a journey of self discovery by interviewing her exes as to why. Her landlord, Hollywood royalty Dash, is secretly a recovering alcoholic just a few months out of rehab, and desperately trying to remain on a sober path without his family or the public knowing. The two make a great duo for bolstering each other in their quests which, of course leads to an unexpected attraction. It’s a story of forgiveness for yourself, finding your own joy, and being open to love. 

Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read a an advanced copy of this book.

Great book! A classic friends to lover, attempting friends with benefits because they can’t promise commitment. This book is easy and fun, great to read on summer day or at the beach. 

If you love modern romances with LGBTQ representation and fast falls, this is the book for you! 

Our main character decides to check in with all her exes to see if she missed her love story, all while falling for her neighbor who is helping her through this journey. 

Our MMC is a big softie with lots of love to give! 

Lydia Power

Great book! A classic friends to lover, attempting friends with benefits because they can’t promise commitment. This book is easy and fun, great to read on summer day or at the beach. 

If you love modern romances with LGBTQ representation and fast falls, this is the book for you! 

Our main character decides to check in with all her exes to see if she missed her love story, all while falling for her neighbor who is helping her through this journey. 

Our MMC is a big softie with lots of love to give! 

Thanks to Netgally and publisher for ARC

I was really excited to get my hands on Erin’s new book, and am very grateful they decided to provide me with an ARC.

I loved Plot Twist! Soph and Dash were relatable and lovable characters, and I loved their chemistry. This book has some of my favourite tropes, and they are also very well written. The only negative thing I have to say is that at some points I felt like the book was going around in circles, the characters dwelling too much on the negative, and I couldn’t see the happy ending happening. I can appreciate they were in difficult places in their lives but it felt like a lot of unnecessary drama and self-loathing.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and would definitely recommend! 

Laia Feliu

I was really excited to get my hands on Erin’s new book, and am very grateful they decided to provide me with an ARC.

I loved Plot Twist! Soph and Dash were relatable and lovable characters, and I loved their chemistry. This book has some of my favourite tropes, and they are also very well written. The only negative thing I have to say is that at some points I felt like the book was going around in circles, the characters dwelling too much on the negative, and I couldn’t see the happy ending happening. I can appreciate they were in difficult places in their lives but it felt like a lot of unnecessary drama and self-loathing.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and would definitely recommend! 

Plot Twist

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