The Book Tour: A Novel

by Emily Ohanjanians

Sparks fly between a lively debut author and her grumpy publicist on book tour in this sizzling rom-com from a fresh new voice in contemporary romance.

Despite her popular podcast and sold-out speaking events, Ana Movilian still feels like she has to prove herself. To her family, who can't believe she quit med school to build an influencer career, and to literary snobs, who decry her buzzy self-help book. Happily, her upcoming book tour is the perfect chance to show the world just how bright her star can shine.

That is, until her beloved publicist resigns the night before their plane is set to take off, announcing that her replacement is none other than Ryan bleeping Grant.

Ryan specializes in highbrow, "important" books, and his perma-scowl in every interaction with Ana makes one thing he does not get her book. Or her. He’s the last person who should be promoting her work, the last person she should be stuck with for two weeks . . . and the last person who should look that damn good in business casual.

As they travel from city to city, however, Ana's assumptions about Ryan take new shape. A decidedly more appealing shape. Soon, their growing attraction starts to feel like a ticking time bomb. But crossing that line could derail each of their careers faster than you can say "conflict of interest," and they both have bigger dreams at stake than the bestseller list.

Genres: Romance, Books About Books, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Fiction, Adult

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2026

Reviews

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an arc & in exchange for an honest review!*

Rtc…

Books about books? Sign me up!!

[Sarah (bookofsari) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians is a solid debut that blends workplace tension, cultural identity, and a spark-filled slow burn between two people who couldn’t seem more different.

Ana Movilian is a successful podcaster and self-help author who still feels like she has to earn her place—especially in the eyes of her family and the literary world. When her beloved publicist quits right before her big tour, she’s paired with Ryan Grant, a serious, no-nonsense publicist known for promoting “important” books. Their personalities clash immediately, but as the tour unfolds, so does an unexpected connection that challenges both of them in the best ways.

I really loved Ryan. He’s grounded, patient, and quietly supportive—a perfect counterbalance to Ana’s driven energy. His dedication to his sister and his steady belief in Ana’s message gave him real emotional depth. Ana, on the other hand, was harder for me to connect with at times. She’s incredibly self-critical, and some of her inner monologues went on a bit too long, which occasionally slowed the pacing. Still, those moments also made her feel real—someone grappling with imposter syndrome and the weight of cultural and personal expectations.

Ohanjanians did an excellent job capturing the tension between pride in one’s heritage and the pressure to live up to family ideals.

Overall, The Book Tour is an introspective and heartfelt romance about ambition, identity, and learning to believe in yourself as much as you believe in others. It’s thoughtful, smart, and a strong start for Ohanjanians’ career.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Hannah Brohm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop right here, if you’re looking for a funny and heartfelt and hot book!
Author meets publicist and they get off on the wrong foot in this rom com. Ana, who podcasts and writes about her experience growing up as the daughter of Armenian immigrants and has amassed a following by connecting people with similar experiences, is off on book tour and none other than the stern and tightly wound publicist Ryan is there to manage all her stops. This one truly delivers on all fronts: Chemistry, heat, and layers of depth beyond the main love story. It’s as much about finding your person as about finding yourself in the process.

[Noelle Salazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was waiting for this book. For so many reasons I was waiting for this book. First off, it is SMART. With fantastic banter and a gorgeous set of characters. Secondly, it is SEXY. Pretty sure there was steam coming off my pages. It has the exact right amount of passion for me. Which is hot as hell. The story arcs are beautifully done, the characters are so enjoyable to read, the tension and stakes makes me want to turn the pages fast, but the expert and engaging prose kept me from doing so because I didn’t want to miss one detail and it ALL needed to be savored. A fabulous debut.

[Jenn (burlingtonbiblio) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨4.5
The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians
Debut author
Genre: Romance
Pub date: March 3 2026
Publisher : Dell Romance

What its Got
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Workplace attraction/romance
✅ Grumpy /Sunshine
✅ Parental expectations
✅ Armenian immigrants
✅ Emotional growth
✅ Travel/Road Trip
✅ Grief
✅ Steamy and sexy intimacy

MCs
Ryan- publicist, writer, Big brother/pseudo dad
Ana- podcaster, writer, medically trained, boss babe entrepreneur oozing confidence , she is a force

Secondary characters
Maral , Celine, Nadia, Meredith
* all strong, fierce, independent women in their own right

Thoughts
📚 Sometimes the question is “Why do I have to be resilient? Why do I have to consider myself lucky? Why should I have to check my happiness? Why do I have to accept cultural norms and emotional repression? As women we constantly ask ourselves to do more, be more, have more - when is it enough? Ana’s internal struggle is deeply relatable for soo many. The author delves deep into these themes giving the reader a lot to consider

📚 Can we talk about the writing? The descriptions and phrasing were not only visual but created a visceral response (I may have highlighted like crazy)

“Compartmentalizes her sex life like a bento box”

📚 Only drawback - Predictability-I knew the third act break up was coming, knew Maral would find another path

📚 I was content in that the characters didn’t “fix” all their problems by the end of the Tour/book - I appreciate that Ana is actively working on her relationship with her mom and pursuing her dreams on her own timeline

Overall
A great debut from this author! I cant wait for her next book 🥰

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Lochi's Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis of The Book Tour, I immediately knew I had to read it. It’s captivating and takes the familiar ‘road trip romance’ trope and gives it a thoughtful, emotional twist.

Ana is a rising self-help author with a fast-growing empire which consists of podcast and a potential television series (she’s definitely giving Alex Cooper energy). She’s gearing up to promote her debut novel, but when her publicist unexpectedly drops out, Ryan steps in. What starts as a stormy partnership with underlying miscommunication slowly clears as they journey across American cities accompanied by Maral and Shanthi. Sparks fly, walls come down, steamy connections are made, and raw vulnerabilities are exposed. But sometimes the people delivering self-help and motivational talks are the ones quietly unraveling on the inside.

What I didn’t expect was the profound depth woven through the pages. Emily explores intergenerational divides, the weight of grief, and the cultural silence and emotional repression so many first-gen immigrant kids experience with their parents. It’s a deeply complicated relationship, and she really sinks her teeth into the nuanced, often painful dynamic especially when it comes to matriarchal toxicity, which will resonate across many cultural backgrounds.

Honestly, there were moments I felt a content warning might have helped (always thinking of my fellow girlies while reading), but truthfully? This is a lived reality for so many, and I applaud Emily for giving it the space to breathe as a core arc. It’s bold, it’s healing, and it’s so necessary.

Also, I had to pause at the beauty of this line:
“Sensing my stare, he raises his gaze to meet mine, his expression softening like a peony in bloom.”
 My heart. Sometimes it’s one simple line in a book that stays with you. Plus the opening sentence of this book is a stunner.

I cannot wait for readers to devour this book in 2026 eeeek, the countdown has begun! Thank you so much, Emily, for the digital ARC! As always, thank you so much Random House Canada! What a journey.

[Erin Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Dell and Netgalley for allowing us to read an ARC of THE BOOK TOUR.

There are not nearly enough romance books that talk about the immigrant experience, and while that is not the sole topic of this story, it is an important one. The FMC, Ana, is the daughter of Armenian immigrants, and we were especially drawn to Ana’s relationship with her mother and the way their shared grief and culture connects them. But this story isn’t just a story about a daughter and her mother. It’s a story about love and how we’re not always able to recognize when love is staring us right in the face. Ana and Ryan are imperfectly perfect for each other, and their chemistry is through the roof! Every spicy scene was better than the last, and it truly felt like they were meant to be together by the end. Y’all are gonna love the grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and there are other amazing tropes that we definitely don’t want to spoil. This 2026 Debut Romance is one to look out for. Make sure you pre-order your copy now!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, sweet, fun, incredible read. And how lovely to see my very own dream job on the pages of this story! If you’re looking for a frothy, fun, steamy romance filled with a lot of soul-deep lessons and a whole lot of heart, this is absolutely the one for you.

[Lynn_G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dropping out of med school to become a successful podcaster was just the beginning of Ana's journey as a social media influencer. Now she's on a book tour promoting her debut, which is an expansion on the videos of encouragement she made for her cousin as she slogged through postgraduate studies. While Ana had been expecting to be accompanied by her trusted publicist, a promotion has her paired with Ryan, the man who pushed back against her initial book pitch, becoming her enemy.

Ryan, however, isn't what Ana perceived him to be, and the majority of the book is the self-absorbed queen of some media arriving at the realization that she may have been wrong in her assessment of him.

I really liked the description of this book, and it works well enough as a beach/holiday read as one could pick it up and put it down as necessary. However, Ana in particular is overconfident to a fault, and I found myself skimming through large swaths of her inner dialogue. I have been fond of a great deal of "difficult" female lead characters, but I had a hard time connecting with Ana.

I give this book three point five stars rounded to four.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advance reader copy. I'm freely sharing my honest impresssions.

[tinny · Rating 1 out of 5]

time of dnf: 16%

extra unfortunate bc the writing was pretty easy to follow so at first i thought i had a 5 star bc i actually really liked the premise but the fmc’s whole self help book vibe felt really strangely artificial given the whole “enemies” part of their enemies to lovers was literally the fmc acting like he was her dinkleberg and him just being there (both physically and … across the narrative)

ultimately dnf’d bc though I got the *immigrant experience* vibe this was attempting to relay, i couldn’t help but feel like it was still pretty shoe’d in and if anything could be a book with more of a focus on like people pleasing which really felt like indicative of her relationship with her mom & everyone around her (im gonna pretend or imagine that is where the book eventually heads but something in the sections skimmed later tells me otherwise)

also personally as an immigrant who is not first gen, i couldnt help but feel like yeah i cant really read a book about someone explaining a more watered down version of my experience to me with a boring love interest idk, i did like learning about armenian culture a lot though and wouldve mostly stuck around for that

thank you so much nonetheless to netgalley and dell/balantine for this arc to review!

[SuzieQuzie7973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Emily Ohanjanians for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.
Emily’s debut novel is chef’s kiss 🤌🤌!!!
I truly cannot wait for the rest of you BookDragons to read this. A road-trip with a twist. Gotta love it when the author gives a little twist 🤭🤪🤣��
Ryan and Ana are just so adorable. Their chemistry is to die for.
Whatever Emily writes I am going to be waiting to read it!!! 💜💜
I promise this book will not disappoint.

[Zella Funkhouser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC of this book! This was a 10/10 read that is so much more than just a romance. It is a look into what it can be like living up to the standards of your family and what the pressure can do to you when it doesn’t align with what you want for yourself. This was beautifully written in the development of the female main character throughout the book was 10 out of 10. I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone and everyone

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

So incredibly sweet! And HOT! My god!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

The Book Tour was a charming and lighthearted romantic tale. While this story wasn’t a standout for me, I still appreciated Emily’s writing style. It’s lively, warm, and easy to follow. She blended humor with heartfelt moments, and her characters had a natural, conversational voice that made them feel real. This was my first time reading one of her books, and I’m glad I had the chance to try her work.

The Book Tour followed Ana Movilian, a self-help author who’s determined to prove herself on her big book tour. When her usual publicist suddenly quits, she’s stuck with Ryan Grant, a no-nonsense literary publicist who couldn’t be more different from her. What starts out as constant clashing slowly turns into unexpected chemistry, and soon Ana has to figure out if she’s willing to risk her career and reputation for what her heart really wants.

I really liked how The Book Tour mixed humor, chemistry, and a fun behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world. Ana and Ryan’s banter felt natural, and their slow shift from clashing to connecting kept me engaged. Unfortunately, a few parts of the tour felt a bit repetitive, and some of the conflicts were easy to predict, but overall the charm and energy of the story outweighed the weaker spots.

If you enjoy lighthearted rom-coms with a mix of witty banter, travel vibes, and a slow-burn romance you’ll most likely adore this one. It’s especially perfect for fans of bookish settings, opposites-attract dynamics, and stories that balance humor with a touch of heart.

Thank you Ballantine and Net Galley for the advance copy in return for my review.

[Holly Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute romance set in the world of publishing but with substantial themes about the immigrant family experience. Ana is an Armenian-American podcaster who focuses on uplifting women from immigrant families. She has written a bestselling book based on her podcast and is going on a book tour. At first her publicist, Ryan, appears to be skeptical of the legitimacy of her credentials to be an author. But as he goes on the book tour with her…
I really enjoyed the book tour setting and I felt like it gave freshness to the “forced proximity” trope. I was also touched by going deeper into Ana’s psyche and all of the things that are holding her back from happiness. She is definitely the primary character, and Ryan is the secondary character who supports her development. I think that affected the chemistry at points, but it was still there. This gets VERY STEAMY and is very much open door! As a side note, I have much respect for Ana’s coffee enthusiasm.

Thanks to Dell Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers’ Copy.

[Bree Doby · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall enjoyed this book and the cultural identity piece, specifically the guilt and pressure that comes with being a second-generation immigrant. i didn’t feel particularly connected to the fmc, but the mmc was pretty steady the whole book & so was maral, the fmc’s cousin & best friend. i think if the fmc’s inner dialogues & actions felt a little less selfish at times i would’ve liked her more but overall a solid romance

thank you netgalley & ballantine for the arc!!!

[Val]

i was very excited but unfortunately dnf. lots of issues but I'll just say that it has less heart than it should

[Kelley Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Ohanjanian’s The Book Tour is a slam dunk debut it's beautifully layered, emotionally sharp, and seriously swoony.

Ana Movilian, a second-gen Armenian-American author and podcaster, constantly feels the push-pull between her family’s immigrant expectations and her own ambitions. Enter Ryan Grant, a grumpy publicist forced onto her tour schedule, carrying his own heavy past and protective instincts. What follows is a slow-burn, grumpy x sunshine romance that focuses on healing and identity as much as it does on attraction.

What I loved:
✨ The flawed, deeply human characters who balance wit with vulnerability.
✨ Exploration of intergenerational divides and the immigrant experience woven seamlessly into a romance arc.
✨ Ana’s refreshing, sex-positive portrayal — confident, honest, and real.
✨ Ryan. Just Ryan. (New book boyfriend unlocked.)

The spice was just enough to keep things sizzling without overshadowing the emotional depth. The pacing dragged a touch in spots, but I still couldn’t put this down.

Favorite quotes:
💬 “My tendency to blurt out words without filtering them is one of the reasons Maral says I should be an indoor cat.”
💬 “‘Boyid mernem,’… An Armenian expression that literally means I’ll die on your height, but somehow means I love you.”

I would recommend this book to fans of People We Meet on Vacation, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and he-falls-first romances.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for the ARC — all opinions are my own.

[szreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got into this book I couldn’t put it down!

The emotions Ana goes through with Ryan and her family felt so real on the page.

The book also has a lot of great messages. I think it will resonate with a lot of people.

The spicy scenes are so good I loved their chemistry and how they overcome previous misunderstandings.

He seems to want serious she doesn’t which is a fun change in stereotypical dynamics. I loved how patient Ryan was and their communication. He loves that she’s so strong but wants to be there for her.

THE GRAND GESTURE… I was giggling.

I loved how the story wrapped up. My only issue was the copious name drops and pop culture references. That’s a me thing tho so I didn’t let it influence my rating or review. I’m including it tho for other readers who might be interested in that aspect. Once I got used to them I was able to enjoy the book more.

The book features Ana who is the daughter of immigrants and Ryan who has taken care of his sister. Do you need to have the same lived experiences to enjoy this book? No. I think if you do have similar experiences though you’ll likely feel seen and find meaningful representation in this book. Any lover of romance will enjoy this book too though. We should all be reading diversely, and it’s always meaningful to see different experiences and identities represented, both for readers who share them and for those discovering new perspectives.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Eden Gajewski (Church) | The Required Reading List · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Ohanjanians' debut novel is A DELIGHT. I cannot wait for the world to meet Ana and Ryan. At times, I HOWLED with laughter. Slow burn steam, the misunderstanding that started it all, and a grand gesture to rival all grand gestures. Oh ya, and Emily writes publishing insider baseball like only a true publishing insider can. As a friend and former colleague of hers, climbing inside her brain like this was the coolest. I will not stop talking about this book.

Don't miss this one. You'll thank me.

*many thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[Taylor Gevaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGally for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow….just wow

This book is fantastic. The emotional depth, the irony of Ana and her career, the whitty and fantastic writing from a clearly very well educated author- chef’s kiss.
5 stars, no notes!

Emily, congratulations on your debut novel! This story is so beautifully executed and so well written. The emotions this book forced me to confront has me feeling such an ironic parallel to the story in ways no book has ever before!

[Adrienne Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one—even more than I thought I would...which was already A LOT! Emily Ohanjanians' storytelling is cinematic in a way that had each scene playing out in my mind as I read. Unfortunately, this also means I was up at 5am reading Ana and Ryan's story when I should've been sleeping. But The Book Tour is worth it!! I never like to rush authors along, but I'm SOOO looking forward to seeing what Emily does next!

[Sara W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Book Tour in exchange for my honest review.
Ana is a first generation immigrant daughter that aims to please her parents but ultimately makes a (disappointing to her mother) career change and writes a successful book (but is still not recognized as successful by her mother). While on the book tour she wants to bone her publicist that she initially thought was dull and grumpy.
I liked this book: reading from the perspective of a first generation Armenian FMC was new and interesting. I loved her cousin Mar. I love romcom books about books.
But why didn’t I love this book? Ana was overly self absorbed and hard for me to like. I also felt that it wasn’t really enemies to lovers, it was more like she got a mistaken first impression. Did Ryan have a spine? How did he feel when she kicked him off her team at first?
Now to end on some redeeming qualities. Ana does make a lot of growth as a character, the chemistry between her and Ryan is great, and the supporting characters (like cousin Mar) help elevate the book.

[Brianna Crowder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Dell for the chance to read this charming and deep book. I really enjoyed the complexities of this story and characters.
The book has a sizzling romance. I loved how Ana's passion fit perfectly with Ryan's introspectiveness. I always enjoy a trip romance and a romance with a potential timeline. It was also really fun seeing the side of book publicity. My favorite part was easily seeing different aspects of Armenian culture. It was really enjoyable and special to learn more.
A large focus of the book is living with the weight of responsibility and pressure to please or take care of family. Ana is a second-generation Armenian immigrant. She constantly battles the struggle of making her family's sacrifices worth it by trying to please and be as great of a daughter as she can. She went from a career in medicine to podcasting so it is hard for her immigrant mother in her generation to understand the difference of success in today's standards. With almost every type of culture generational trauma is prominent.
Ryan has always put his sister above everything else, forcing himself to become almost of a parent when he was barely an adult. Ana helps Ryan think of himself more and Ryan helps Ana speak up for her wishes more.
Overall it was heartwarming story and lovely story. It touches on grief, toxic positivity, generational trauma, and abandonment. It also has humor, happiness, bravery, acceptance, and love. I enjoyed reading it and can't wait to read more by this author!

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging, charming, and fun!⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑 is an amusing, feel-good, enemies-to-lovers romance that takes you into the lives of both Ana, a young podcaster turned author who is finally on the brink of making all her career dreams come true, and the broody, handsome Ryan, who may have finally met the one person capable of making him rethink his priorities.⁣
⁣
The writing is witty and light. The characters are hardworking, passionate, and vibrant. And the plot is a push-pull tale full of tricky situations, tender moments, comical mishaps, self-discovery, sharp banter, friendship, familial expectations, responsibilities, loss, undeniable chemistry, and love.⁣
⁣
Overall, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑 is a sweet, spirited, entertaining read by Ohanjanians that was a delight to read and a lovely reminder that true love is always worth fighting for.⁣

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such an enjoyable read. The writing style was fantastic, but the themes were even better. I liked how pieces of Armenian culture were strewn throughout the story. The enemies to lovers and chemistry between Ana and Ryan was perfect! The author also did a really nice job addressing the stresses of being a people-pleaser with family, as well as the struggles (I imagine) for a second generation immigrant.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians.

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆

I liked The Book Tour overall, especially the bookish theme, a podcast host turned author going on tour to promote her book based on real interviews. The cultural aspects were really well done too. Ana’s experience as a second-generation woman trying to balance her happiness with her family’s expectations felt honest and relatable. I also loved her relationship with her cousin Maral, it was one of the highlights of the story.

Where it lost me was the romance. I didn’t really understand the attraction between Ana and Ryan. He’s in love with her, she tries to keep it casual, then suddenly she loves him back, but why? It never felt convincing.

Ana herself also frustrated me at times. She’s self-absorbed for most of the book, and while she does grow by the end, her realizations come too late to feel satisfying.

Overall, it’s a well-written story with thoughtful cultural themes and a great premise, but the emotional payoff didn’t quite land for me.

[Brittany Kriebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this work.

Are you the eldest or only child in your family? Did your parents immigrate to the US from another, possibly war-torn, country? Are you reminded constantly that you should feel lucky and others have it a lot worse that you? This book is for you. Our main character, Ana, is an Armenia American who holds all the weight of her parents' struggles and dreams for her. After a motivational video for her cousin/best friend went viral online, she created a podcast that led to her first published book - this is where the book tour begins.

Unexpectedly paired with the publicist she is sure thinks her work is trite, this is a classic adversaries to lovers, workplace romance, and forbidden romance story. There is a constant struggle of familial obligations for both Ana and Ryan, the MMC. Ana has to really take a look at her goals and if they're making her happy or if she's just trying to live up to what she thinks will make her parents proud.

I found the intimate scenes to be well written and while I'm not sure how I feel about the event that set off multiple conflicts, this was a fun read. I enjoyed the back and forth between our main characters and look forward to see where Emily Ohanjanians goes next.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars I loved this love story 💜

Ana -dropped out of med school to become a podcaster and now author

Ryan-Ana publicist who would like to write

Tropes
Grumpy/sunshine
Traveling
Forced proximity
Grief
Workplace attraction

I was excited to see a new author I am all for promoting new coming authors. The writing was so good I am excited to see where Emily career takes her. With that being said this book was really good!!!!

Thank you NetGalley and ballentine for this arc

[Aamira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ana Movilian became an internet success when the inspirational video she sent to her cousin went viral. Leaving behind her medical residency to focus her efforts on a podcast that champions second generation people who don’t receive recognition for their hard work but rather high expectations from families, she becomes a beacon of positivity. Writing a book of interviews based on her podcast, she sets off on a book tour across the U.S. to promote her book. She wasn’t banking on the grumpy PR director to join her. As they get to know each other an attraction develops between the two, but Ana is not looking for a relationship. What happens when the grumpy man wants more than just casual?

I loved the Armenian representation and felt I learned a lot about the culture. I really appreciated the sense of pride Ana had for her heritage. I thought the author captured the parental pressure first and second generation children feel as they try to live up to expectations. As a first generation Cuban-American, I could really relate to that struggle and the pressure to be a high achiever. I also really liked the message behind the podcast. What a lovely way to build community and connection.

All that being said, I had a difficult time connecting with Ana. I found that her confidence really bordered on arrogance and made her a bit one dimensional. I would’ve loved to see her struggle with her own pressures and insecurities of not living up to expectations. It would’ve felt more real. Her overly positive outlook felt a bit toxic at points and her need to be so positive and self validating wasn’t very clear. I just wanted to see more of her humanity rather than a perfectly curated person. I also wasn’t crazy about how she pressured Ryan for sex. Because of a former heartbreak, Ana is against relationships and only has casual encounters. That’s fair, and I can understand that. Ryan has very valid reasons for wanting to keep things professional. His job provides security and a partial scholarship for his sister. He cannot jeopardize that. So I felt that it was selfish of her to pressure him just for something casual. It was a turn off. I would’ve much rather have seen them yearning for each other until it becomes too difficult to be apart.

I felt that Ryan was more complex. His family background forced him to grow up quickly as he became partial guardian for his younger sister. I found his journey to acknowledge his needs more to be compelling. As an older sibling myself, it was much easier to relate to him. I loved that he championed Ana and really believed in her message. Perhaps we should have had his POV in order to see Ana in a different light and add complexity to her character. She just came across very shallow. I know that wasn’t the intention, but it just felt like her character arc was suddenly rushed at the end.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts I enjoyed, but ultimately I had a hard time connecting with the FMC.