"Self-professed rom-com devotees will adore Lea’s playful and steamy second novel"
As you’re reading this book review right now, it’s a pretty safe bet you are something of a rom-com fan, like our bubbly heroine Tara Chen, who loves to self-referentially point out the tropes of her life with lines like ‘as a lifelong connoisseur of romance novels, I’m keenly aware that eye contact lasting longer than three seconds is ripe with romantic potential.’
Exes and O’s opens with two twists on the meet cute: first, a meet-cute-turned-mugging followed by a meet-cute-while-he’s-having-sex-with-another-woman (‘Things go tits up from there. Literally.’) It’s a playful kick-start to Tara deciding to go on her own quest: revisit her ten exes (‘the men most women friend-zone, ignoring their potential and understated sex appeal until it’s too late’) to create her own second-chance romance. Meanwhile, she’s becoming increasingly jealous about the one-night stands of her ‘annoyingly attractive’ fireman flatmate, Trevor… Who of course, calls her by her surname (hot).
The vibe is cute and tender, sometimes sarcastic , sometimes steamy, but always unabashedly heart-warming. Swifties will be pleased to know the epigram is from Blank Space (‘Got a long list of ex-lovers / They’ll tell you I’m insane’). The main character Tara narrates her scenes to her fans on a video blog TaraRomanceQueen, and the words TikTok sensation are printed on the front cover so it’s one for the online girlies! If you like Talia Hibbert and Helen Hoang, line this one up next.
| Primary Genre | Romance / Relationship Stories |
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This book! I am at a temporary loss for words on how to describe this book. So heartwarming, sweet, and endearing.
This book! I am at a temporary loss for words on how to describe this book. So heartwarming, sweet, and endearing. I have never had a romantic comedy with such a touching happily ever after (HEA) that I was emotionally drained, in the best of ways, by the time I read the last page. One warning - I was not aware this was book #2 of a series when I read it. For those interested in reading the first book in the influencer series, Set on You, read it BEFORE reading this one as it does tell you essentially the entire third act of that book.
Tara Chen is a romance book reviewer who has a habit of blurring the lines between fantasy and fiction. With a recent breakup and an unexpected move, Tara finds herself desperately seeking her really life HEA.... Read Full Review
