You Had Me at Hola

A Novel

By: Alexis Daria

Narrated by: Seraphine Valentine

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

"I could not get enough of Jasmine and Ashton! I adored Jasmine - her ambition, her confidence, her attacks of self-doubt, and especially her hilarious, snarky, and loving cousins. She and Ashton have such a steamy, swoony, love story that I didn't want the book to end!" (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times best-selling author)

RITA® Award-winning author Alexis Daria brings listeners 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.  

©2020 Alexis Daria (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Fun read

So this novel isn't my first by this author but probably my fave of the three I've tried. There were things I liked that I thought I wouldn't; there were things I did not connect to that I thought I would.

Overall it was a really strong four and I hope she continues to write latinx male heroes for my enjoyment since they're what I don't see any much as latinx women in romance.

Likes:

I loved that Angel-Luis aka Ashton was a single dad. His path to fatherhood kinda sucked but he wore the tag well. I also loved that he was trying to break out into mainstream Hollywood. SInce he had an accent, it was relatively harder for him despite to me, him having a fairly white-presenting appearance, and he just wanted to do more and be seen more to normalize himself and his culture onscreen. I also loved the family dynamics on both he and Jasmine's end. Family was very present, extended included and it was awesome to see someone so family oriented in a romance novel.

I loved that both he and the heroine were in their 30's, as being there myself, it's nice to see people still trying to break out and not giving up because they're no longer in their 20's.

Jasmine wasn't bilingual, which I felt was realistic for some Mainland born PRs or latinx folx in general. It made her relatable but cool that they took a chance on her despite her linguistics skills.

I also loved that the transition from filming the show and being out of character wasn't confusing because I feared it would be. It was awesome they had an intimacy coordinator since in tv and film they're fairly new.

Things I didn't connect to:

As a Black latinx woman, I get my hopes up everytime that non-Black latinx folx will care enough about my representation as much as their own. Almost if not all the people had tans, hazel/green/light eyes and white presenting features. There was one "Afro-Latinx" person mentioned, but I noticed he was the only person lazily described as "Afro-Latinx" with no culture or physical attributes described, while every white or non-Black Latinx person was described in strong detail and by their cultures. It's like non-Black latinx folx really don't care about their most vulnerable and don't even try to hide it.

A conversation about colorism was a blink you miss it/missed opportunity that mainly centered on the most privileged characters(aka the least close to Black). I'm going to die on the hill that Blackness is just not something non-Black Latinx folx care about and they'd be content if all the latinx representation looked like Gina Rodriguez. Especially for this project to be a telenovela on a streaming service, that has more freedom than the racist/anti-black Spanish language channels, it just wasn't brave enough for me to challenge anti-blackness and we are just in these times where saying BLM isn't enough.

I also felt Jasmine being part filipino felt a little like a diversity checklist. She went out for SE Asian roles despite her physical appearance; to me that felt like the equivalent of light skinned people being in Black Panther. I would've liked more conversations about her navigating and having to validate both her SE Asian heritage and how that fit into Latinidad. Asian-Latinx folx DO NOT have it easy and they're not warmly celebrated or welcomed like white presenting and mixed-looking Latinx folx. There was something to delve in there that never got fully explored for me. She could've just been PR on both sides and it wouldn't have made her character read any different to me.

For as enjoyable as the book was, while I loved the acting aspect, I didn't feel like Jasmine and Ashton had any chemistry. They rarely went out on dates that didn't end up in nooky and they didn't make strong efforts to learn about one another outside of filming. In fact, 90% of their problems could have been solved with just actually having a conversation that wasn't work related. They suffered from serious lack of communication.

That could've been Ashton's fault because he was so guarded but that leads to my next point. He wasn't warm or charming for me. He felt super normal, which in a book about attorneys would have made sense but as actors, i didn't find him gregarious or warm or leading man worthy at times. Because he was a single dad, I excused his behavior most times but he never impressed me as a reader. Most times outside of physical attraction, it felt like they didn't have real chemistry.

Also because it's 3rd person, I'm pro-1st person. 3rd always feels tell vs show to me, but that could be a me problem. I also wished that their mental health had been addressed in more than the epilogue of the book.

Overall this was a super fun read.

Run of the mill romance

Don’t let the amazing cover fool you, this is a run of the mill, somewhat juvenile romance. I was only able to get to Chapter 16 before I gave up. I regret spending a credit on this but feel too guilty to return it since I listened to a lot. The story is ‘fine’ but then the storyline of the telenovela gets mixed in and everything just becomes confusing. I would understand this plot device if the telenovela story mirrored the real life story in any way, but it doesn’t. The chapter with the uncomfortable kissing scene in the telenovela was so cringe-worthy to even read. The texts with Jasmine and her sisters read like high school girls giggling over boys not grown women. Overall, this one was just not for me.

Good story. Bad narration

The story is sweet and simple. It made for a warm read. Unfortunately, I could not get behind the narrator. Her narration sounds like how Tylenol tastes. Just.....you can't describe it, but you know you don't like it. Dry, bland, antiseptic.

Kind of boring

I don’t know if it’s the reader or is this book just translates better in print, but I found this book to be really boring.
The reader is great at the dialogue and her accent is good. But the rest of the narration is read like a list. It really made it feel kind of robotic.

I love the Spanish and I love that this isn’t a book full of just white people. But that wasn’t enough to keep me listening.

The scenes where they are filming the show are confusing. And maybe that’s where it would work better in print. But I was frustrated about how it was written. Are we reading the screen play script? Are the feelings those of the characters in the tv show? And if so how is that supposed to translate to tv? And then the actual characters thoughts pop in there? It’s very confusing and I wish those scenes were written from a just visual point of view since it’s supposed to be a tv show.

I would say try this book in print/kindle instead of using a credit unless you want to hear the Spanish spoken. I got this book on a podcast recommendation who said it was really hot. But I just couldn’t connect with the characters and their relationship just felt shallow to me.

Making those Jefa moves!!

Ok, so I just finished You Had Me At Hola and can I just say... Ay, Dios mio! (Swoon) 😍
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I loved the angst between the leads Jasmine and Ashton. It was so sweet and their chemistry was spot on. And can I just say usually when I read a rim-com, I expect cute and cuddly, but this book was sexy too. Like steam up the windows sexy! It was unexpected, but done oh-so well! 😏
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Being a huge fan of telenovelas growing up (ex. Marimar, Maria la del Barrio, Rosa Salvaje, Muchachitas, Quincenera, I can go on and on), I'm also a huge fan of the stylish modernized versions like Ugly Betty and Jane the Virgin that are popping up. It's what I was raised on, so getting a glimpse into the world via You Had Me At Hola was a treat!
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Also, I loved, loved, LOVED the diverse Latinx cast!! I love reading books with characters that look and sound and have backgrounds similar to mine. You have no idea what reading about these characters lives and their families mean to me! Way to go Alexis Daria!! I can't wait to read your work in the future and I can't wait to check out your backlist!!
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Si se puede!

Incredible

I usually listen to audiobooks while I clean house and cook, and this is the only audiobook I have ever heard that I cleaned extra, just so I could keep listening. The writing is amazing, the narration is perfect, the pacing is great. I loved it and I told all my friends to listen as well.

Perfection!

I loved this books so much! Definitely a must read/listen! You won’t be disappointed!

Strong and Vulnerable

This book is filled with strong characters who each have their vulnerabilities. It is in their weakness they are most human and feel so real we know them. The fun setting of filming a series, showing parts of what is happening on set versus what is happening in their real lives adds another twist to the story. The dynamics of family and their differences individually, culturally and geographically add another layer to the comedy. We all perceive our place in the family as one way but another may believe that place is different. Those misconceptions can be comical but are too often painful. Alexis Daria shows us both sides of the family drama and gives a little insight into how our young self image can affect our adult image. This was a beautiful, sexy love story of finding that person who is just right for you and what it takes to keep them.

Making Jefa Moves

You had me at Hola by Alexis Daria was spectacular! I absolutely enjoyed it. If you are a fan of telenovelas or soap operas, you will love this book. Think Jane the Virgin but steamier. The main characters, Jasmine and Ashton are two actors staring in a new streaming telenovela type show. Jasmine just got dumped by her rockstar bf through tabloid headlines. Ashton is making the transition from Spanish telenovelas to English television. The two have an instant connection when they meet, Ashton is closed off and very private about his personal live. He has a son he will do anything for and keeping him out of the limelight is his number one priority. As Jasmine and Ashtons relationship develops, secrets come out. Will Jasmine forgive Ashton for keeping his son a secret?

Jasmines relationship with her cousins was my favorite part. It was so beautiful how they pumped each other up and call each other out on their BS. It also featured a variety of Latinx characters from different backgrounds and it was so refreshing. Also, I sorta geeked out when Jasmine mentions she was a fan of the soap opera Passions!! Ahh! Loved it!

This book was amazing! It had it all romance, drama, witty banter, laughter out loud moments. The narrator was great and really brought the story to life. I’m glad she got all the Spanish dialogue to sound authentic. First time listening to this narrator and I really enjoyed her voice.

Great story

Finished in a handful of sittings and enjoyed the escape! Steamy, funny, and charming! Great story!

Latinx Rom-Com!!!

This was such a good book. Abs although I was sceptical about the narrator at the beginning it really took off after a time. It was so so good. I couldn’t stop listening/reading. If you’re into a really fun good rom-com, PICK THIS UP!