This is the perfect book to read for Valentines Day coming up. I absolutely loved it and I adored the characters in this book.

Having read Amy Lea's first book "Set On You" and enjoyed it I was looking forward to her latest book and it didn't disappoint. In my opinion this book is better than "Set On You" and we also get to enjoy cameo roles from Crystal and Scotty in this book. There are some proper laugh out loud moments in this book especially near the start!

Tara moves in with Trevor who is Scott's best friend to room share after experiencing yet another heart break. Always looking for love and putting herself out there she decides to go through her Ex list and contact them to see if any of them were the ones that got away. Her Instagram followers encourage and follow her escapades. Also Along for the ride is player Trevor who never seems to commit to women. As their friendship develops Tara starts to think maybe they are more than friends but he reassures her it's a completely platonic relationship.

It's a fab and fun read that I very much enjoyed. And although it is light-hearted there are themes of gaslighting, manipulation and self-loathing which helps to understand Tara's insecurities but she never gives up on her quest to find love. Such a great read and I enjoyed it so, so much.

Thank you @netgalley @penguinukbooks for allowing me to read this before release.

#netgalley #exesandos #influencer #fireman #selfloathing #gaslighting #manipulation #love #friendship #funstory #valentinesday #roommates #bookstagram #booksforlife #lovetoread #lovereading

☆☆☆☆/5

Tropes: roommates to friends to lovers, forced proximity, opposites-attract, reformed player, slow-burn romance

This book is a love letter to the bookstagram girlies in their swiftie era and I love that for us! Having screamed for the Exes and Os since reading the little snipper at the end of Set On You, I was so excited to get my hands on this one.

Exes and O’s follows Tara Chen - romance novels connoisseur, nurse, bookstagrammer (is this f play about us??) and sister to Crystal (who we met in Set on You) - and Trevor Metcalfe - hot firefighter with the honey coloured eyes and Scott’s bestie - who after becoming roommates embark on a journey to aid Tara in reconnecting with one of her exes to experience her favourite trope, a second chance romance. What ensues is a ‘what’s your number?’-esque storyline, as the slightly crazy ex girlfriend Tara with the aid of her standoffish roommate Trevor seek to track down her exes.

This was such a fun follow-up to Set on You! It had me cackling at 2am at some of Tara’s antics. Were their times when I cringed at certain scenes or I thought Tara took oversharing with her followers to the extreme? Sure. But it’s all part of her charm I loved the over-arching message of being unapologetically yourself, holding on to your ideals and not changing yourself to fit other’s people vision of you.

I liked the natural progression of Tara and Trevor’s relationship, from that hilarious and awkward first encounter to becoming friends and confidants to something more. Their romantic relationship unfolded in such a sweet manner, I only wish we had more of an opportunity to see them together as a couple. I would even go a step further to say this story would have benefited from being dual-POV, it would have been nice to see what was running through Trevor’s mind as certain events unfolded as he was kind of aloof/not as open as Tara was, so it was hard to know what he was thinking at certain times. That being said, you could still tell how much he loved and cared for Tara. Their chemistry was crackling (here’s looking at you hot tub scene) - it was very ‘to all the boy’s I loved before’ but the adult version.

I loved how Amy incorporated pop culture references in Set On You and it was no different here, if not a bit more balanced! There was a lot of ‘I understood that reference’ (hi captain america) going on here, and it made the reading experience all the more enjoyable for me.

A super-cute, fuzzy, flirty, slow-burn romantic comedy that will have you laughing and swooning in equal measure.
And that epilogue? “As long as I’m your favourite hero in the end.” I want to live inside that epilogue, the sweetest ever <3

Looking forward to the third book in the Influencer series!

"Tara, I've had it bad for you for months. You. Are. Everything. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

romance bookstagrammer x hot tattooed firefighter???? say less I was there

I feel like Tara perfectly embodied all of us romance girlies with her high aspirations and dreams for love and I love how she was such a hopeless romantic even after all the heartbreak she went through. I loved the whole thing about her exes thinking she was Too Much and how Trevor didn't think that at all and loved her even more for it!!! Trevor was perfect, I loved him so much, he just wanted to read books with her and he supported her search for her exes even though he was pining so badly!!! He just wanted her to be happy <3

I liked this book a lot more than the first one but I think it would have been so much better with dual pov!! We do get to see Trevor pining a little and being jealous but I wanted to be in his head just to see how tremendously bad he had it for her!!

This was incredible! Imagine a mash-up of all your favourite rom-com books in one place, add:
-Sunshine romance-obsessed heroine with lots of feelzz
-Grumpy, tattooed firefighter hero who doesn't do love
-A list of exes
-Room-mance
-Hot tub liaisons
-So. Much.Pining
-Disney references
-T Swift
And yet this still manages to offer something new & fresh. There was something about the FMC that resonated on a personal level & I think it was her embracing being unapologetically herself. There were even moments when I found myself cheering for her out loud! The struggles of dating & finding romance in the age of social media & what is ‘expected’ is discussed with humour, albeit it does ring true.

“It’s way easier to settle for a paperback prince than it is to put yourself out there.”

The topic of gaslighting was handled so brilliantly along with the term ‘crazy ex’. It was such an empowering read.

“I don’t consider basic honesty, respect, and healthy communication to be demands. And it’s really too bad they’re so unachievable for you…”

Amy Lea is an author I’ve never read before but now I’m planning to read Set On You & have added her next book to my TBR.

Am I the only one already imagining this being turned into a movie?

Having read Set on You I was really excited to read this. Thank you so much for allowing me access to this as an ARC.

I loved both Trevor and Tara! From the start they are both characters you could warm too. As a book lover I adored the bookish link and could relate to Tara’s love of different tropes.

The book was easy to read (some format issues on kindle but I made it work). I was grateful that the chapters weren’t too long and that the story was easy to follow.

Tara and Trevor become roommates by default when Trevor’s roommate leaves to live with Tara’s sister. The two strike up an unlikely but funny friendship that had me laughing and swooning throughout.

This was a slow burner, forced proximity romance which I usually don’t like but enjoyed the way this was written.

I am excited to read Amy Lea’s next book.

4.5 stars rounded up!

I enjoyed this book so much!! From the very beginning Tara was so likeable and I loved her character. She’s a bookstagrammer and a big romance fan, so I found her so relatable and fun! I loved her exploration of her past relationships and her wishes for a second chance romance, even if this isn’t how it all turned out!

Forced proximity and friends to lovers are two tropes I love and they were so well done in this book. Trevor was an absolute Angel and such a swoon-worthy male lead. Their blossoming friendship to something more was SO CUTE. I also loved his backstory and his relationship with his family - he’s just a full on sweetheart.

The ending was PERFECT and the epilogue was everything I could’ve wanted. Perfect for Tara and their romance. Super cute and definitely recommend this read!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book, I already had high expectations because I loved set on you when I read that last year but I think I loved this one even more!
I didn’t even realise this one was about Crystal’s sister until I started reading it but I always love companion novels so that was a great start and then I completely fell in love with Tara and Trevor.

So many things made me happy while reading this book, including:
1. And they were roommates! (I love a roommates/forces proximity trope)
2. The rekindling with here exes plan that you could see was making Trevor more and more twitchy with every passing ex
3. Taylor swift references (need I say more)
4. The references to bookstagram and booktok
5. The banter and tension and chemistry between Tara and Trevor the entire book

This book was amazing! Cute, funny and a little bit of spice!

Set on You was a really enjoyable read so I was very excited to read this book but unfortunately it did not hit the same and I was a bit disappointed.

I was just bored most of the time, which was a shame. It did get better towards the end but at that point I was fed up and just wanted to finish the book. I guess the biggest problem was that the slow burn was TOO slow! So much so that most of the book didn’t even feel like a romance to me. The main characters barely interacted in the first 30% because of the whole “finding my exes” thing and even when they did, nothing really happened; and even after the 30% mark, things were still very slow and I feel like they didn’t start connecting until much later. It was really hard to stay motivated and interested. Also, I think this book would have really benefited from a dual POV; if nothing else to help us understand what Trevor was thinking/feeling.

Overall, not my cup of tea. It had so much potential, but it was a bit underwhelming. Having said that, I’ll definitely check out Amy’s next book- hopefully I’ll enjoy that one more!

A big thank you to Penguin General UK and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute slow burn rom-com.

Unfortunately I didn’t really feel a connection with the main character Tina although I really enjoyed the last 10% of the book.

Tara is down on luck with dating when she moves in with Trevor, a firefighter who has a revolving door of women in the apartment. Tara is a bookish girl who decides she wants her romance story worthy relationship and decides she's going to reunite with all her exes in hopes of reigniting love.

I found the story sweet (but fairly predictable) and just a bit slow for me. I think it could have been cut about 10%, but I still enjoyed myself while reading. I didn't read the first in this series 'Set On You', and didn't feel I was missing any context by not having that background.

Sidenote: I find it so wild that this was written prior to Taylor Swift's Midnights being released, considering the ''Can I Ask You a Question?' storyline. What a fun coincidence!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Tara is a hopeless romantic, who loves intensely and devours romance novels. Trevor isn't a fan of relationships, he prefers to remain unattached with one night stands. Tara and Trevor become housemates when Trevor's previous housemate Scott leaves to move in with his girlfriend Crystal, Tara's sister. Tara needs a date for her workplace Valentine's gala and decides to start a project, contacting her exes to see where things went wrong and if there is still a spark there. And she enlists Trevor's help with the endeavour. Will she be second time lucky with love or will she find something closer to home?

I really enjoyed Set on You, the first book in this series focusing on Crystal and Scott, so I was looking forward to continuing on in this world with some familiar characters. While the book is light and romantic, it does look at some more serious topics, like how women and their feelings get treated (like how people dismiss women as 'crazy' when they show intense feelings). I enjoyed the balance of light and serious. The book is much more slow burning than Set on You, almost frustratingly slow at times.

I enjoyed this, it was a nice way to start the new year but it was too slow for me, I prefer when the couple gets together earlier in the book. That said, I'm pleased to see that there will be another book in this series which I definitely intend to pick up when released

I cannot express how much | enjoyed this book! If you like a good romcom, you will love this. Strictly speaking, this follows on from Set on You, but follows the sister of the main character in the previous, so can be read alone. Just the right dose of delicious steam!

Exes and O’s

Exes and O’s is a well written romance novel that is filled with all of the classic tropes that fans of the genre will love.

The main character, happens to be a bookstagrammer, is incredibly relatable, and readers are sure to find themselves identifying with her as they make their way through the story.

The author's wit and humor sets this book apart. The result is a book that is both familiar and fresh, and that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.

Some of the scenes in the book had me laughing and screaming, and I found it impossible to put down. The characters are well-developed and this read is both sweet and steamy.

However, please be warned that there were some spoilers for the authors previous book in this one as there are some character cross overs. Despite this, I still plan to read ‘Set on You’ as I have enjoyed Exes and Oh's so much.

Overall, Exes and O’s is a fantastic read that is sure to delight its readers. Whether you're a die-hard romance fan or just looking for a light, enjoyable read, Exes and Oh's is definitely worth checking out.

After reading Set on you and loving the author's style, I knew I had to pick this up. Amy Lea's writing is a perfect escape, with plenty of pop culture references (lots of Taylor Swift which I loved!), a light humorous tone, and a hot fireman to lust over. What's not to like? The story led through the trials and tribulations of dating, and I loved seeing Tara come into herself again after being knocked back. Roommates to lovers is always a great trope, and if you enjoy the classic close proximity clichés you'll love this!

Cant wait for the next!

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I was highly anticipating the release of this book for 2023. When I got selected to receive and ARC copy on NetGalley.
This forced proximity/Roomance book was brilliant. I really enjoyed the entire book from start to finish.
The FMC is a nurse and a booktoker/bookstagrammer which was such an interesting character to read about as I’ve not come across any other mc’s which are in the bookstore community. (Play that TikTok sound Wait, is this f**king play about us? 😆)
The storyline is based on Tara the FMC trying to get her second chance romance after splitting up from her ex fiancé and she enlists Trevors help with her reconnecting with her exes which she has listed and is trying to cross them off before a valentines gala she’s attending.

I’d highly recommend this book if you enjoy;
- slow burn
- Firefighters
- Forced proximity
- Roommate romance
- Friends to lovers
- Opposites attract

Thank you to Amy Lea and Penguin books for my ARC copy of this book.
I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this for my bookshelves!

3.75 stars!!
Thank you to NetGallery, the author (Amy Lea) and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
After receiving an arc of Amy Leas first book (Set On You), reading it and loving it, I was so excited to read this book and when I saw it was a book about a nurse who is a bookstagrammer (when I am a nurse who is a booktokker), I was sold!!
This book was easy to read, I was hooked into it right away, and includes a slow burn, friends to lovers, close proximity romance, which was funny and relatable throughout.
The main characters were both great and side characters added to the story but did not pull from the main storyline.
Would recommend and cannot wait to read more of Amy Lea’s work.

My next favorite couple and one of the best roommate romances I’ve read so far!

Tara, romance lover and book blogger, is on a quest to find love for the 11th time in her life. Scared of being hurt yet again, she pursues the idea of reuniting with all of her exes to check, if she can be a main character in a second-chance romance of her life. As an expert in all things romance, you’d expect she’ll quickly recognize she’s been living a book example of one herself. And it is since the day she moved in with her soon to be brother in law’s former roommate, Trevor, a walking perfection who she claims is not her type. Forced proximity, quickly becoming best friends, a guy who feeds her and always listens, who hasn’t slept with anyone since shortly after she moved in, does it ring any bells? Apparently not for Tara, determined to reunite with one of her exes. And poor, enchanted Trevor, has no choice but to help her out.

It was witty, funny and full of swoon-worthy scenes - this story has everything you’d expect from a great rom-com, unpudownable at that. I loved the characters from minute one and kept falling more, while I devoured this book in only a couple of days.

Read if you like:
- friends-to-lovers
- roommates
- forced proximity
- all things romance
- bookstagrammer FMC
- love from the first Cheeto bag
- personal growth
- grand gestures
- opposites attract
- all the feels
- ‘you are never too much’

Amy Lea quickly became one of my favourite authors of 2022 and this book just proves how she's about to become an all-time favourite author as well. it was compelling and captivating so I could;dn't put this book down; all good signs of a good book.

Wow what a book. When I read set on you back in the summer I knew Amy Lea was an author I’d want to read more off and this one did not disappoint. I was laughing from the very first chapter and I remember being 2 chapters in and messaging a friend saying “ drop your current read and pick this one up right now” because I knew I was going to love this book and she would too. I never liked the appeal of getting back with an ex as let’s be honest they are Ex’s for a reason but it’s definitely funny reading about them. This book was entertaining, heart breaking, heart warming, light and funny.

When I say this story was absolutely addictive, I’m not over exaggerating! From the first page I was hooked, Tara is such a relatable and lovable character I stayed up till 3am to see where her story took her!

From insta ‘love’ with a mugger on the subway to the Ex Files box, this book truly had me in hysterics the whole way through. It’s been such a long time since I smiled so much reading a book!

‘As a lifelong connoisseur of romance novels, I’m keenly aware that eye contact lasting longer than three seconds is ripe with romantic potential.’

Tara really does represent that part of us that will always go ‘but what if’. She is the spokesmen for the people who expect the unexpected, the ones who fall head over heels with someone’s voice or a smile. She’s not afraid to take a chance and that’s seriously beautiful.

‘I remember what I loved most about love in the first place. Love has the power to strip you raw, to the bone. And that’s the beauty of it. There’s an immeasurable bravery in opening your heart and baring your soul when all hope is seemingly lost. Knowing, even in the face of heartbreak, that this is not the end. That you’re still standing, after it all crumbles around you.’

She feels and she feels strongly and I couldn’t be more pleased that the author showed this is such a positive light! She’s shown as strong for her feelings by the end, no matter how her ex’s try to manipulate that. How often is passionate confused with ‘clingy’ or ‘crazy’ and Tara really takes the crash course in accepting yourself and just being unashamedly ’You’ during her quest for a ‘Second Chance Romance’.

“Should I trust you, deliriously handsome stranger?” His mouth shapes into a crooked smile as he stands, towering over me on the bathroom floor. “Nah. Probably not.”

Trevor. Could I put in a request to find a real life Trevor please? This man, he takes the grump in Grump x Sunshine to the perfect level and yet he has a heart of gold. All his sweet gestures really do make this book so special, he doesn’t want Tara to be anything but herself and that is so refreshing!

This book genuinely exceeded all of my expectations, and I really did love the first book. Like Tara I am an absolute sucker for a good book trope and the Friends to Lovers in this was just perfection! I honestly can’t recommend this book enough, it’s the perfect feel good spicy read that’ll put you in the best mood ever!