I liked the blurb and Maya and “Max’s” day in Carmel was lovely. The setting of the story was great and the author painted a really good picture. I was hoping to have more of that back and forth via text before Myaya and “Max” met irl and was not surprised with how things progressed with their planned sunrise date as it was still early days in the book. I did find the depth of her feelings for Max at the end of their day and after the time jump to be a little too much too fast considering the fact they didn’t really get to know each other beyond the day of texting cute but not particularly deep things to each other before things ended so abruptly. It felt a bit insta love which is not my a trope I enjoy.

I also found how the author and Maya dealt with David a little frustrating and a bit immature. I felt it would have done her well to at least speak to him and get some proper closure on that relationship rather than just ignoring his calls. The twist with Max was pretty clear early on and honestly I’m surprised Maya wasn’t more annoyed at him. I found the way he handled things after she came back to Carmel and he realised who she was a little manipulative. I think I would have preferred him to be honest and they’d gotten to know each other properly on a level playing field. Over all some parts I liked and some which I did not. (2.75 ⭐️)

There’s always one love story that captures your heart and for me this it!!

Such likeable characters that have you laughing, crying and shouting at the book

The setting of the book makes this book even more engaging.

I could not put this down

This is an excellently planned romantic story that will warm you up from the inside. The storytelling is so natural and engaging that it is quite easy to imagine yourself see the scenes unfold. The story is simply told but the devil lies in the details which the author manages to convey beautifully. I loved how one day changed Maya’s life and it was as if I could empathize and understand the situation she found herself in. The way the first part of the book unfolds like an itinerary was one of the highlights for me. In the second part of the book, I loved how Maya retraces her journey to find one person, but ends up with a lot more. The message that the book manages to send across is subtle but quite powerful. The summer romance is the vibe that starts from page 1 and continues till the end, for I had a continuous smile plastered on my face the whole time. The climax is super cheesy and almost like a movie, but it fits in perfectly with the overall vibe of the book.

Coming to the characters, Maya’s character is a bit complex in terms of her emotions and relationships, but I liked how her arc changes as the story progresses. The character development is quite steep, and I liked how different examples are given by her to set the tone for this transformation. Another interesting character is that of Max, and how he effortlessly managed to help a girl, facing one of her worst birthdays, turn it into a memory she cannot forget. Ethan’s character impressed me with the maturity that he displays.

Overall, if you love a romantic story, then this is a definite recommendation

Oh man. Okay. So this book was interesting. I was enjoying it for the most part even though Maya is TSTL. I really hate that, there are giant flashing neon lights everywhere making everything super obvious, and yet she cannot figure anything out. She also cannot share her feelings or have a say in her life, she just goes along with things because...well it is easier I guess. Easier to not actually make decisions and be unhappy about everything instead of trying to change things. And yeah. She was SUPER frustrating to read, but I was still enjoying the book somehow.

Until we get to read parts of Ethan's book. So let me back up a minute. Maya goes to surprise her boyfriend in San Francisco on her birthday only to have someone message her from his phone and find out he is cheating on her. So the mystery guy, who she later dubs Max, sends her on an adventure to Carmel for some sun and sand and a great birthday. Throughout her day he gives her places to go, things to see, places to eat, all of it. And they grow close. And she falls for Max even though she doesn't know who he is. Only her boyfriend shows up right before she and Max were supposed to meet and she has no way of getting a hold of Max (this comes up at the end in a way that is really super unbelievable). And she thinks Max never showed and broke her heart even though she immediately leaves and goes back to New York with her cheating boyfriend. Hooray!

Now it is a year later and Maya finds out through her best friend that a guy named Ethan is publishing a book based on true events from his friends' life! A book about a day where a guy finds a phone and falls in love with a lady on her birthday...the very same day that Maya experienced! So of course Maya needs to meet Ethan and find out who Max is! I mean it is so so so obvious right from the start what is going on, but of course Maya is oblivious. And she hates Ethan because...he stole her story?? Which didn't make much sense because it is Max's story as much as it is hers. So through her adventures hating Ethan and trying to secretly figure out who Max is she is waiting for her bestie to get an advanced copy of this book so she can read it and see what happened from his point of view. So okay, even though she was not the brightest and had no backbone whatsoever, I was still enjoying the story. Then Maya got the book and we get snippets of the story and...man. Yeah. That was hella creepy. Like I did not like Max after that. That would have been an oh... never mind. I made a mistake. I don't want this guy after all kind of situation. If you thought Twilight was creepy, well...this is worse in my mind. I do love Twilight, but I do understand why things Edward does are creepy. But the writing and the relationship make it so I don't mind as much, but in this case? Nope. There was no connection there when it started, I felt no love between the two of them, nothing so it is just not good. And made me cringe. And yeah after that it was like wait....do I really want her to end up with Max? If that were taken out it would have been better. I just can't get over that story and how it is supposed to be swoony.

The end is kind of a bummer as well as Maya is so dramatic for no reason. She jumps to crazy conclusions based on nothing and...it was cute how she would make up love stories for people she saw on the streets, but ugh not when she is just everything is the worst for no reason. It was a bit much. The end was a bit much. Even when things get figured out she is still a mess...I don't really know why she fights against what she wants all the time. Why she would rather be unhappy than happy. Oh well. Even though by the end it was not for me I would still read another of the author's books. It was a light, easy read that I was enjoying even though it had things I hate in it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a wonderful book and one I enjoyed very much, Maya wants to surprise her boyfriend on her birthday and goes to San Francisco where is is on a business weekend. On ringing his phone, it is answered by someone else and she embarks on an adventure that she didn’t expect to be having! Her character is great and I love her story. All she wants to find is happy ever after but where will that be? An entertaining, quick read.

Oh my gosh, all of the feels! ALL. OF. THE. FEELS!

I adored this book! Forget the predictably factor, this book was adorable from beginning-to-end. To give you an example of how much I loved this book, I binged it in 3 hours. If anything I’m about to say, says anything, it’s READ THIS BOOK!

I adored all of the characters in this book, every single person. It’s hard trying to explain why I loved this so much without giving away spoilers.

All I can say is, if you love romance, if you love small-town romance/holiday romance, all the cute vibes and the fall for the guy I’ve never met thing you will adore this as much as I did!

Full disclaimer- I figured out the plot twist quite early on, still adored the read!

If you’re looking for a fun, breezy rom-com with a unique premise - The Meeting Point is it! After Maya discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her - from her Lyft driver - she embarks to a fun little town by the sea and follows the destinations suggested for her by that very same driver Max in order to boost her spirits. The idyllic town, interactions Maya experiences, and fun text-message banter between Max and Maya make this story so enjoyable. I couldn’t put this one down and found myself smiling at so many parts along the way. While a little predictable, sometimes that’s exactly what you need from a rom-com. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

I absolutely loved this! It was exactly what I needed out of a summer read. The synopsis intrigued me massively, and the story as a whole did not disappoint! I absolutely adored both Ethan and Celina the whole way through the book, and Maya was the perfect main character for this book - Lara has created such an amazing set of characters!

ABSOLUTELY FREAKING CUTE!

I thought my jaw would break with all the jaw dropping and giggling every flip of a page.

First of all thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for providing me with a digital arc.

What's the worst thing that could happen to your birthday? Lost your job or fly to another place to surprise your boyfriend but finds out that his been cheating on you all this time? Maya has all of those. After losing her job, she decided to make a surprise visit to her boyfriend who is on a meeting. When she called his cellphone, a lift driver answered it telling that he left the phone and was with another woman. Totally messed up but turned into something magical when the lift driver made a plan to make Maya happy on her birthday.

First of all, I love how each place was describe with so much detail that it almost felt like I was there. Searching each location while reading and Carmel by the sea is an absolute beauty. Hoping to visit it one day.

Another one is the plot. Reading the synopsis you will expect a stranger to lover but its not. I love how it turns into an enemies to lover kind of thing and that is one of my top romance trope. It was not as cliche as it sounds like because there are hidden gems in each chapter. I find myself going back and forth just to locate each of it. It was absolutely lovely I couldn't put it down. It was not a fast paced one too which I find very hard to believe in.

The characters are adorable. I love Maya as a character. She's been through a lot and she deserves a great ending. I love how she makes certain love stories based on the people she meets and an absolute matchmaker. Her attitude is actually not far from mine. Being a bookworm and someone who spends most of her time thinking of different love scenarios is typically me. Another character that I love is Celine. She is an absolute angel! I hope the author will think of making a book that revolves around Celine. I would read that in a heartbeat.

This probably counts as a great valentine read or is you are looking for a book that will just makes you want to fall in love. I highly! Highly recommend you check this one out!

The Meeting Point is exactly as sweet, funny and romantic as you would expect from reading the synopsis, with added mistaken identity hijinks, a picturesque location and fun concept to boot. Olivia Lara's writing is inviting and I was immediately charmed by Maya, our resident romance lover and all around hopeless romantic who finds herself at a crossroads after finding out her boyfriend has been unfaithful.

After reading this book I definitely want to visit Carmel in person because the way the author describes it makes it sound so great. I loved how Maya was taken on a tour of Carmel and in turn we got to come along to see the sights, from the beach to the cute cottages to Celine's french inspired cafe. It was super wholesome and I liked that there was very much a small town feeling with Maya making friends, matchmaking the regulars and finding her feet and place in the world.

The concept behind this book is super unique and I enjoyed the whole texting parts of the novel and how Maya and 'Max' got to know each other over the course of a single day. Would this happen in real life? Maybe not, but I was happy to suspend my disbelief and get caught up in the meet cute of it all.

Some of the miscommunications in the book were definitely a tad frustrating but given the nature of the book I knew they would all be sorted out by the end so it doesn't feel as high stakes. I also thought that Maya not figuring out a certain something was kind of unbelievable because it felt so obvious that I wanted to shake her a little. I think readers who dislike the miscommunication trope will find this a little tough to get through but there's a happily ever after guaranteed so nothing too stressful!

Overall, The Meeting Point is a cute, lighthearted read which would be perfect for a holiday read or on the plane. I think Maya speaks to that part in all of us that believes in happy endings, so it was really satisfying and sweet to see her get her own.

My Rating: 3.4 Stars

The Meeting Point is a story of two strangers who found love by chance. It’s a summer romance that takes you on an adventure to Carmel through its vivid description and the characters who have many surprises in store for the reader.

There were many shifts in the story that I didn’t expect, and it changed the pace every time it shifted. Maya took a risk in following her heart. She was searching for a guy without a real name or address. It’s interesting to see how one day can alter one’s life drastically through Maya’s story. She hoped and believed in finding her story, and that was rewarded in the end.

(Thanks for the eARC!!)

Okay I just absolutely adored this book and need book 2 so I can see what happens next. I could barely bring myself to put this book down and was reading to the point my eyes could not physically stay open. I don’t normally read romances but the storyline was thoroughly enjoyable, gripping and funny I found myself laughing to myself a lot. The characters were well thought if (David is a bit of a dick) and besides from David I didn’t dislike any others so all in all this was a fabulous book and I really want to visit Carmel by the sea.

The Meeting Point is one of the best drama-filled, adorable romances I’ve read in a long time. Everything from the sweet plotline, lovable characters and cute Californian town kept me absorbed from start to finish. I can’t count how many times I laughed, smiled and even blushed throughout this book, it truly ticks all the boxes.

I fell in love with the story as soon as that first text was sent. I knew I was in for a ride of fluffy romance, drama, back and forth banter and wanting to shout, ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING!’ at Maya. I signed up for this and it’s exactly what I got and more. It is such an enchanting story about love and friendship, set in a charming town, that you easily get pulled into. I’ve never been to California but I can easily imagine the beautiful beaches, the houses, cafes and understand why Maya loved it so much.

The story is told from Maya’s point of view and we can see how romance and love is a big thing in her life. I love how creative her mind is, how she turns everything into its own little love story. Although at times I wanted to shake her by the shoulders, I thought she was just the most lovely character and it’s great that we get to know her so well. She grew a lot throughout the book a sense of happiness at her becoming more comfortable in her surroundings and what she wanted.

Ethan is another great character and I adored him. He brought so much charm and humour to the book including his banter with Maya that I couldn’t help but smile at. His twin sister, Celine is one of my favourite characters because although she is going through a lot, she tried to stay upbeat and bubbly. There are many other characters that we meet along the way that make the story just that bit more entertaining and make Maya who she is at the end.

Although the storyline of finding Max is a bit predictable, it didn’t take away from the story at all. In fact, I got even more hooked when I knew who it was. I couldn’t read fast or get enough of the countless romantic gestures

Overall, The Meeting Point is a beautiful and captivating story of two strangers who fall in love unexpectedly. You don’t want to miss the immense amount of chemistry and angst that make this love story what it is. It’s a really easy and quick read and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something cute and fun!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, clever and fun. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author. I would recommend it to others.

The concept of this book was so different! It hooked me right away.
I thought it was sweet, but a tad predictable. It follows a lot of tropes, but it was so fun I mostly didn’t care!
It was charming and I loved the romance- though I don’t wanna say too much about it!

I’m excited for more people to read this one.

Soooo goood!!! Loved it! I hadn't heard of this concept before. Very original, very good. I liked the story and loved the characters. Very fun read.

I have just finished this in one sitting. I could not get enough of it.
I really loved the authors writing style and pace.
The characters were beautiful and real and I rooted for them all.
I loved the story within the story, at the start I kept saying to myself I wish I could read this from his side as well so as the story progressed I was very happy.
Such a beautiful love story with lots of little love stories surrounding it. I loved the matchmaking going on throughout.
Can we have another story with Ailsa, she was brilliant and needs her tale to be told!
I can't wait to read more by this author!

Tender and sweet story of finding true love.

Maya has many troubles in her life but she decide to visit her boyfriend in the other side of the US. Her visit turns to a nightmaire but fortunatley she gets an guardian angel and she has a beutiful birthday. I wish that day never ends. But unfortunately her guardian angel disapears and Maya goes back with her boyfriend. After one year she is not happy and her life take an other turn. She goes back to the Caramel on the Sea in California. There she wants to discover what happened a year a go. Who was her helper and why her story is beccomig a novel.

The story was so great I have troubles to describe my feelings. How little we need to be happy. With little gestures we can do so much and unfortunately also vice versa. But lets be positive!

I have mixed feelings about this. There were a lot of elements that I did enjoy but overall, the story just didn't work very well for me.

I did enjoy the setting of this. It gave me all the small-town vibes and I just really enjoyed where the story was set. I don't really have any strong feelings about any of the characters. Our protagonist, Maya, did have the potential to be interesting but what bothered me was the pacing of the book.
Without any spoilers, let's just say that there was a character and we're only told about their actions - never shown which made the whole pacing of the book weird.

Still, the aspect of Maya and another character being writers was interesting enough and I enjoyed myself enough to give it 3 stars. So overall, not the best and not the worst.

4.5 STARS

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you so much to the blog tour organiser for letting me take part in this tour, and thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Trigger warnings: cheating, breakups, divorce, heartbreak.

The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara is a contemporary romance that I would never have picked up had it not been for the blog tour. If you know me, you will already know that I am a fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, and now more than ever, a horror reader. I love anything dark, spooky, gritty and fantastical, with lots of magic and wonder. But every so often, I delve into the world of romance, and for a book to really grab me, it has to give me all the feels and make me keep on reading. I am happy to report that The Meeting Point is such a book and had I had more time ahead of me, I’m sure I would have read it in one single sitting because I was just hooked from the first page.

The real story starts and has its focus on Carmel-by-the-Sea, a small coastal town in California. I love when books have settings you can vividly imagine and want to visit, and this was such a case. Carmel seems like such a marvellous place, with such lovely people, so many things to do. I can only think to describe this town and these people pictured as having a sunny disposition that fits with the location and summer setting. I really enjoyed reading about this small town and especially when Maya went on loads of adventures with other characters or even by herself. It felt very whimsical but also down-to-earth, so I love how the author made this setting so real, vivid and beautiful.

Maya is the main character and I have to say that I often struggle with the main characters in romance novels and find them annoying, but there was not an ounce of annoyance in any of the characters (except Ethan a few times, but it was more funny than annoying). I found Maya to be very down-to-earth. She is struggling with her feelings when we meet her, but she goes on a wonderful adventure, and this book goes into her feelings and desires in a lot of detail, which I enjoyed because it made her so realistic and believable. She was a great character and I was rooting for her from the start.

When we meet Maya, she is unsure about what is happening in her life and needs guidance, but above all, she needs a way out, to break free and just spend a while discovering the world and herself. I like books that start out this way because I feel like th characters come such a long way, and I love seeing their development. Maya truly grew so much in this story and it was a wonderful thing to read and witness.

I also just want to mention that the author did a truly great job of making this book, the setting, the plot and the characters so realistic and at the same time enchanting. It is very rooted in reality and while it is predictable, I was engrossed in it and wanted to just keep on reading, even when I was super busy, or falling asleep with my Kindle on my head.

Overall, The Meeting Point was a very enjoyable contemporary romance. My only criticism of this book would be that it is quite predictable and I saw the ending coming from about the first third of the book. However, this in no way at all took away from my enjoyment because while I knew what would happen, I was totally swept along for the ride and engrossed in this story, the setting and the characters. I was not annoyed by how predictable it was, because I truly enjoyed my time reading it and just couldn’t put it down when I got to sneak in some reading, so it is only a tiny little critique, but it honestly didn’t bother me much!

I did love the writing style though. It was very realistic and captivating at the same time. It wasn’t far-fetched or bizarre, it was just a perfect balance of realism and sweetness, along with some bittersweetness from the heartbreaks and sadness, but also very human, which I absolutely loved. I also found the pacing to be perfectly done, and I would happily have read another 500 pages of this story after the ending we got because I just wanted to keep on reading and seeing these characters grow, get to know each other and see their love evolve. So Olivia, if you are reading this, please write a sequel, I will be here waiting for it!!!

I gave this book 4.5 stars and I just loved it. It gave me all the feels and I really had to hold back my tears at one point, which attests to how good this book was because you really have to hit it right to get me to cry. I just loved this story, Maya was an amazing character and I truly adored reading about her, seeing her evolve and go on these fantastic adventures.

If you love cute, romantic, sweet but also a tad sad stories about love, life and adventures, and you love your romances to be realistic but also captivating, then The Meeting Point is definitely the book for you. I highly recommend it, it was just great! I still have a smile on my face thinking about it, and that ending was just *chef’s kiss*!