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.