Book 32 You Had Me at Hola

 

You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria fulfilled the category “Book by Latinx Author” for the PopSugar 2022 Reading Challenge. Ms. Daria is a multi-award-winning author of romance.

At first, I had another of Ms. Daria’s titles on my list, Take the Lead. When initially published, this novel won an elusive RITA award for romance. When I went to grab it, the title was transitioning with its publication. It will be available again in 2023. Instead, I picked up You Had Me at Hola.

This title is the first in the Primas of Power series. I don’t love the series title, but I do like a good story about cousins. (The story wasn’t about power but love and respect. Anyway…) Jasmine Lin Rodriquez is our heroine, a woman from a large family in Brooklyn. She’s Latina, as is everyone else in her family—mostly. There’s a brilliant mix of cultures and countries of origin within the family. Jasmine is a star. Or she wants to be.

A budding actress, Jasmine is taking a chance on a new streaming network. She’s poised to star in a show with a predominately Latinx cast. The opportunity is fantastic to headline such a show and to stick it to the critics chasing her down after a nasty breakup.

Then comes her leading man, Ashton Suarez. He’s an old-school Telenovela star with thousands of swooning fans. He’s a last-minute replacement for her previous love interest for the show. Jasmine worries they won’t have the chemistry to pull off the on-screen romance.

Boy, is she wrong!

What follows is a fun, sexy romantic comedy with these two soulmates. They need to figure out how much they need each other. Jasmine has a “leading lady” plan with does not involve dating coworkers. But Ashton’s conflict is much more interesting.

Ashton has a fear of publicity. He wants to keep his private life private and his family life a secret. Hard to do when you are a star in your own right and have a leading lady who hits the tabloids each week with speculation on her big breakup. Ashton is hiding his son from the press. A rabid fan broke into his house when his son was a baby. Since then, Ashton fears for his child and his privacy.

I loved how this story turned “family dynamic” tropes on their ears. Ashton is the over-worried parent, doing insane things to protect his family. Is there really a threat? Does he need to be so distant and private? Or is it his response to the responsibility of keeping his kid safe? Usually, this is a role for a woman in a book. I think it’s fantastic that Ms. Daria gave this issue to her hero. Well done!

The book challenged me a bit as there’s Spanish language all over. I’m not saying it was hard to read. I loved the use of another language to illustrate culture, personality, and diversity. As a super nerd, I wanted to read the Spanish without translation. I listened on audio. When someone spoke in the other language, I stopped the play and tried to figure it out myself. Ms. Daria ensured that non-native speakers would enjoy the book as much as those fluent in Spanish. Good thing too, because my Spanish is rusty.

I give You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria Five Hit Shows on a Streaming Channel.