This book shocked the hell out of me! When I first started reading, I was like OH NO, it’s insta-love. One of my pet peeves. But I kept reading and I am SO GLAD I DID.

Maya feels stuck. In her relationship. In her job. In her life. Her boyfriend is a dick. Her job sucks. And she just doesn’t feel comfortable in the life she’s living. To try and fix things, she plans to surprise her boyfriend in San Francisco where he went for a work meeting. But what she finds there will change her life in ways she never expected.

When she gets San Francisco, she tries to text him, but it’s not her boyfriend who answers. It’s a Lyft driver and what he tells her shatters her heart. Her boyfriend, David, was cheating on her.

But what could have been a quick interaction with the Lyft driver, Max, turns into an adventure to Carrmel by the Sea and a unforgettable connection.

Unfortunately, they never exchange names and it takes another year for Maya to finally pack up and leave David for good.

Once she leaves him, she heads back to San Francisco. But she’s not going to look for the Lyft driver. Well…not entirely. She’s mainly looking for the author of a book that tells her story. The story of that night from a year ago.

Maya, to say the least, is PISSED. How dare he take her story and publish it! Who the fuck does he think he is?? Well, he is Ethan Delphy, a published author who apparently knows Max.

So Maya heads back to Carmel by the Sea to find the author and Max. But what she finds is not what she expected.

She ends up working at the café of Ethan Delphy’s sister, Celine. At first, she learns that Ethan isn’t in town, but he soon turns up and surprises the hell out of Maya. She’s living in his and Celine’s house. Things are not going as planned!!

At first, he doesn’t seem to know who she is. That she is the Maya from his book. But eventually the secret is out. Unfortunately, Ethan still won’t tell Maya who Max really is. Who is the guy she had such a connection with? Maya is once again PISSED.

But as Ethan and Maya spend more time together, they become closer and Maya starts to wonder if the guy she met the year before is really the one for her. Maybe Ethan is the one she wants more.

I really love all the characters in The Meeting Point (except David). I relate to Maya so much and her journey to find a place where she belongs, to find a person she can connect with and love. I love that she was able to break out of the life she hated to find something so much better.

As a grumpy writer, I also LOVE Ethan. He is charming when he wants to be, romantic AF, and snarky. I really love how we slowly got to know him as Maya does. His character may be my favorite of the book.

Celine is also a fave. I love her relationship with Ethan and how she so easily lets Maya into her life and they become good friends. She’s dealing with her own struggles but also running the café. She gets her own bit of romance in the end as well.

By the end of the book, I was crying happy tears and smiling at my computer like a weirdo lol. I really recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

The description does not even begin to cover this story. I won't give anything away but if you think you know this story from the blurb, you're in for a wild ride. I'm having trouble putting all of my many feelings for this book into words. There are sort of three sections to this book, two main sections and the transition between the two. The transition section is a bit slow but it doesn't last for long and the last section more than makes up for it. And really, it makes sense that it feels slow because that's what Maya would be feeling. I thought I had the ending pinned down pretty early in the third section (and I ended up being right) but the story had me second-guessing until the very end, which is a big plus in my book. And the way it got to that conclusion was so much better than I'd anticipated. The only issue I have with this book is how much I want more of these characters. It ended in the best place but I want so much more. I want to know the next part of the story too. I will be recommending this book a lot!

This is one of those books where I honestly don’t know if I liked it or not. There were aspects that were enjoyable and romantic and other aspects where I was thinking to myself “WTF.” I try to put myself in a characters shoes while I’m reading and imagine what I would do in their situation. Is it possible to fall in love with a man sight unseen? Is it possible to fall in love with that man when he is texting you from your cheating boyfriends phone? Is it possible to walk away from your life to pursue this man in hopes he feels the same way you do even though you have no idea who he is or really how to find him? I mean, maybe 🤷🏻‍♀️ That whole situation had my feelings wavering. Was it exciting and sort of romantic? Sure. Was it also a little creepy and weird? Uh, yeah. Also, there was SO MUCH lying and deceit. I get that it was this whole tangled web that slowly unraveled throughout the story, but UGH can a relationship really work with that much drama up front? I don’t know. I’m at an impasse with this one. People are either going to love it or hate it. Honestly I can’t decide which side of the fence I’m on.

This is such a sweet and light hearted romance novel. I really enjoyed the storyline and the setting of the book. Of course I googled where this book was set, Carmel-by-the-Sea, to see if it was real. It is very much real and it is beautiful! I love it when a book is set in a real place.

I loved Maya’s character, she was so lovable and determined. I like how she knows what she wants and doesn’t let anything stop her. This book was told in her perspective and it was interesting to hear her story. Max was an intriguing character, we don’t get to hear too much about him but he is equally important. I also loved Celine as a side character, she is such a fun and outgoing person.

I found this book to be such an easy read. The romance falls easily and the characters make the book so interesting. There was a twist in the end of the book, which was both expected and unexpected, in a weird way. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but if you read it you will know what I mean when I say that. This twist kept me guessing different characters in the book and something would happen which would make me change my mind.

The writing style of this book was very descriptive of the scenery and of the characters. I really fell into this book and the romance. I thought the idea behind this book was very unique and exciting. The chapters were short and straight to the point. The text contained some extracts of text messages and chapters from a book. This was good to break up the main text and made it fascinating.

Overall I thought this was a compelling read and perfect for both YA and adult contemporary/romance lovers.

Who doesn’t love a contemporary romance? One that has a bit of soul searching, laughter, angst and a handsome love interest? No just me? Well to change your mind let me tell you about The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara.

The book is about Maya. She is not having the best of times at the moment. Her job as a junior journalist working in New York isn’t going well, she is being used by the senior editors of the magazine. She is overworked and underpaid, add to the fact that she is not happy in her current relationship adds fuel to the fire that is her life.

Maya gets sent on a last minute job that ruins her plans to surprise her partner, so off she goes to complete an interview that everyone knows the author is difficult. Things don’t go to plan and she has to ring her boss and tell her that she didn’t get the job – it ends in disaster when she gets fired. She decides to fly to meet and surprise her partner but when she arrives she can’t get hold of him and finds out that he has been cheating on her.

So this is where it gets interesting. Her partners phone was left in the back of a Lift Car – that’s Uber to us UK folks. From there it snowballs with the driver Max and Maya having a conversation via text and getting to know one another better than she knows her partner., she has the best Birthday and is on cloud 9. But alas heartbreak strikes, at the end of the Birthday (yes it was her birthday) her partner comes to find her and tries to make a go of it and the night ends there.

OR DOES IT

Maya has never forgotten the mysterious Lift Driver Max and heads off to Carmel a year later to try and find him and see if the spark she had through that one night they had together is something. She has left her partner and is determined to be happy.

Maya definitely has been through the ringer. For the past year she hasn’t really been able to catch a break her relationship has ended, and she has quit her job and decided to move back with her mother. However something stops her and she remembers Max and decides before she moves to go and see if she can find him and if that spark that was there a year ago survived. She falls on her feet and this is where the story begins.

I liked this book, it was cute a bit predictable at times and I totally saw the twist of who Max was. Did it detract from the cuteness of the book? No it didn’t. It made me want to read on and see how the book unfolded.

Lets talk Characters – they were cute. I felt for Maya she didn’t have the best of times but she had that spark of something and she decided to grab it with both hands and go and find happiness. Did I want to at times shake her? Of course, this as I have always said means its a great character as I felt invested in them. If I don’t feel anything for the character that is when I know they haven’t been written well.

Ethan – he is a bit of a grumpy character but from the small background we get for him this is understandable. I mean I like him as well but he isn’t prominent in the book. Celine is the same, she is a cute side character who is friends with Maya and has opened her arms to Maya. She is another great character who had her own side story that came through.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Of strangers meeting via text/phone call but not meeting. A spark began and grew through getting to know one another miscommunication leads to mishaps leads to love. I like that it is a bit like star crossed lovers, yes there is also insta love. I know I hear you all grown but even though there is some insta love there is also a slow bur – I mean there is a year between when they first met to when they finally got together.

Overall a cute and fun contemporary read that was easy to read. The style of writing was engaging and before I know it I had sat through and read it in one sitting.

This was an adorable romance about Maya, who finds out and befriends a Lift driver over text. The Lift driver is the one who breaks the news her boyfriend may be cheating, and before long, Maya is seeking a life makeover.

The book has a great cast of characters and a perfect setting for author turned cafe worker Maya.

I adored this book and cannot wait to read others by Lara.

Dnf

I gave up. I dnf'd it at 10 percent. I wanted so much to love this book, but unfortunately the writing style isn't for me. Moreover, I've a pet peeve of heroine who are writers and seeing how the main character started going on in her inner monologue about her being a writer and etc. I couldn't finish the book.

Maya Maas is heading to San Francisco to surprise her long-time boyfriend, David. However, when she arrives and calls his phone another voice answers—the voice of the Lift driver who found her boyfriend’s phone. But the Lift driver is confused—isn’t she the beautiful blonde making out with David in the backseat of his car last night? No job, and no place to go, the driver takes her on an adventure through Carmel in what becomes the most memorable day of her life.

Fast forward and she discovers a book is about to be published about her day with her mysterious Lift driver. She may finally learn his identity. But will he be everything she wanted?

I absolutely love this week and fun romantic journey. The text romance and Lift driver made this a modern tale of romance. Realistic? Probably not, but who cares! Readers of light-hearted romances will love this one as much as I did.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This was a cute story with a bit of a different theme to other books I've read of this genre. The book started off with a jump into the plot, then I felt like it slowed down some. A bit of "will she or won't she? Will he or won't he?" that dragged the book down a bit for my liking. It wasn't the page turner that I had expected.

I enjoyed the character development, though, and would be willing to read other books by Ms Lara.

3 stars because I did enjoy the book

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I struggled to get through this. It was slow going and I didn't really relate to any of the characters (although did like Celine). However, Lara writes beautiful descriptions, and I did like the concept, even if I was unconvinced about the execution and resolution.

Maya has been writing for years but her book never seems to be good enough for publication. So she put her writing on the back burner and works a job she hates (a girl has to eat). At least she has a good relationship with her super stable boyfriend who is currently out of town on business. She decides to travel to surprise him on her Birthday only for his phone to be answered by a Lift driver who mistakenly informs her that her boyfriend is cheating on her.

Rather than go back home (which belongs to her boyfriend), she takes the advice of the lift driver and explores the nearby beach town. He tell her places to visit and she had a great day with him showing her around the town without them even meeting or see each other (or she thinks). She is Maya to him and to her he is Max. Unfortunately, her boyfriend shows up and basically gaslights her into going back home with him.

After this, Maya's life is basically on standstill. She no longer loves David, her boyfriend and she has finally written the story of the man she never met at the beach town. So when her friends tells her of a book that is about to be published by a bestselling author that basically is a story of her adventure with the man she never met. She decides to go find the author in hopes that he would tell her the name of the man he heard the story from. 

She quits her job and goes on the journey to find the man she loves but never met. This book will turn you inside out. I mean, I knew who the guy was, I could already guess but the fact that she was standing on pins without knowing she was falling in love with the same guy again was just heartbreakingly funny.

This is both so fast paced but at the same time very long. I felt that some of the scenes where so prolonged that I jumped a few paragraphs just to get the story going. I did enjoy this book a lot. It is NOT a steamy book but there was too much chemistry and intensity that I forgot about them clapping cheeks.

I loved reading about Carmel-by-the-Sea and the wonderful shops and scenery. The primary and secondary characters were intriguing, especially as Maya generates love stories for the people she encounters. As you know from the blurb, Maya shows up unexpectedly in California to surprise her boyfriend but the surprise is on her when she’s notified by the Lyft driver that the boyfriend left his phone in the car and was with another woman. What a way to spend her birthday! Thankfully, ‘Max’, the Lyft driver, texts her throughout her stay with an amazing itinerary. The unfortunate part is that he is using the boyfriends cell phone and they never share names or speak to each other.

One year later, Maya has had enough of her miserable life and employment and decides to return to California to locate ‘Max’. Certain parts were very sweet, others were frustrating with lies and secrets and it got a little tedious waiting to find ‘Max’.

It’s a somewhat predictable story and the ending seemed rushed but was an overall entertaining story.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

My reading habits tend to be quite dark and I don't read many romance novels, which is strange because I love romantic films. Every so often, however, I enjoy something more cheerful than my usual fare and The Meeting Point caught my eye.
Maya's life at the start of the book seems to be, if not the stuff dreams are made of, then at least ticking along unremarkably. She once dreamed of being an author but stung by the blunt critiques she received, she became a journalist instead and now lives and works in New York City. Her boss is a dictatorial bully but although her professional life looks less than assured, she has at least planned to surprise her long-term boyfriend, David by flying to meet him in California for her birthday.
Of course, her impromptu trip quickly turns sour and little time is spent bringing her to this point. She discovers David's infidelity through his Lift driver who inadvertently gives the game away when replying to her text. What happens next might be a little far-fetched but if Meg Ryan can fly across the country to meet a man she's just heard on the radio, why shouldn't Maya agree to spend the day following the itinerary texted to her by that same Lift driver?!
He suggests that rather than spending a miserable birthday at the airport, she takes the bus to Carmel-by-the-Sea instead. They continue to text one another, soon developing a comfortable, flirtatious rapport as they fire questions back and forth; even at this stage of the book, it's not hard to see where this is leading. What is also evident is Olivia Lara's love of Carmel and she captivatingly brings it to life. I particularly enjoyed Maya's walking tour of the fairytale cottages there and couldn't resist a quick look at Google Maps which confirmed the excellent sense of place rendered here.
Obviously, the course of true love never did run smooth and so Maya and the man she has named Max have their potential romance put on hold for a year. Maya clearly isn't happy and hasn't been for some time but she is usually an unassertive, circumspect woman and so really needs a push to get her out of the rut she is in. It comes in the form of surprising news from her friend, Alisa and as a consequence, she decides to go back to Carmel.
This part of the story constantly brings to mind the unfailing sentimental charm of Hallmark movies. The truth is obvious to readers far more readily than it is to Maya but although her path to love might be clearly signposted, it's such fun waiting for her to get there. There are the inevitable barriers and misunderstandings before the happy ever after but before that point, Maya makes her presence felt in Carmel. Her romantic daydreams and matchmaking are either saccharine sweet or delightfully endearing, depending on your viewpoint but it does capture the essence of romantic fiction beautifully so I personally quite enjoyed her gentle meddling, even if it is a bit cheesy.
I read The Meeting Point in a few hours and it was a treat to be transported to a place which so epitomises everything that is uplifting and entrancing about romantic fiction. Yes, it's corny and entirely foreseeable but it left this cynical, dark crime fiction reader with a smile on my face and you can't say better than that!

Rating edit: 4.5 stars

It's so wonderful to read a delightful love story. The Meeting Point is a lovely love story that kept me hooked throughout. It's so interesting and very smartly crafted. Although it's a love story, and you somehow know but the author manages to keep the readers curious.

We don't meet the male protagonist for a long time, but he is connected through texts and that's so entertaining, the chats. I love the protagonists and their conversation. Both as a reader and a writer, I felt deeply connected. So much that the book traveled with me to my kitchen, and it doesn't happen often. I love the settings: the lovely locations, the cafe, beach, cottages...

Just the ending seemed a bit rushed. I was expecting something deeper, nevertheless, it's one of my favourites this year.

Overall, a very interesting, engrossing and endearing read. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I received The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara for free in exchange for an honest review as part of a blog tour organised by The Write Reads and Aria Fiction. Thank you all so much for having me on the tour! This review is also available on Book, Blog & Candle!

In The Meeting Point our main character is Maya Maas and it would be an understatement to say that she is not having a good day! She spends her birthday planning to surprise her boyfriend when she suddenly finds out he is cheating on her. Now she is stuck in a city she doesn't know, texting a mystery driver however what she doesn't know yet is that she could have a better birthday that she ever could've imagined.

Maya was a really sweet character and I definitely related to her throughout the book! I also would love to be an author and I love making up stories about strangers! It's so much fun and makes an afternoon studying at the uni library go much quicker! I really liked her character development throughout the book as she realised that she deserved better and the journey she underwent to better herself and find out what she wants from life and from love.

I really enjoyed the concept of the story! It was so sweet and I liked how it was the ultimate blind date! I really enjoyed how Maya and the mystery driver were getting to know each other over text and how they had such good chemistry even though they hadn't met. It definitely has some classic rom-com elements which I loved! Plus, no spoilers but it definitely reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair to Remember - and if you love those films like I do then you are totally going to get my reference when you read this book!

The Meeting Point is a whirlwind of adventure, romance and heartbreak. A perfect fast paced rom-com summer read!

“Who are you and why do you have my boyfriends phone?” - Maya

This was SO cute. What a fun, refreshing, romantic story. I have seen so many glowing reviews about the Meeting Point and they were spot on. I was quickly pulled in and didn’t want to put it down. I loved the unique story and how it unfolded. Was it predictable? A little bit yes. Was it enjoyable? Absolutely!

The characters and side characters were well developed and all so lovable. I happily escaped into the dreamy coastal California setting. I haven’t been to Caramel-by-the-Sea, but the authors vivid descriptions made me want to visit. Definitely sign me up for the Napa Valley 🍷 Train! A heart warming story from beginning to end!

4/5 ⭐️
Read TMP If you enjoy;
📍You’ve Got Mail vibes
📍 Lovable characters
📍 Enemies to lovers
📍 All the feels

Digital Pub Date 9/2/21 Put this one on your September TBR!

If you are in the mood for an adorable, love at first text rom-com The Meeting Point is for you! It was a super quick read with short chapters. Who doesn’t love short chapters!?

Thank you @NetGalley, Olivia Lara, and @AriaFiction for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#TheMeetingPoint #OliviaLara #AriaFiction #ARC #spoilerfree #summerreads #bookstagram #flippin_and_sippin_mn

This book was such a breath of fresh air and felt like a love story not only for Maya and Ethan but also for creatives everywhere. It gave credence to coloring outside the lines and using your imagination. I really enjoyed this story and characters from the start.

Each chapter was so short and the story was so engaging that I never felt like there was a slow point. Everything progressed so organically and there was just so much to love. Although as the reader, I figured out who Max was I was also extremely happy with how the author created the mystery for Maya and how each little reveal added to her bond with Ethan.

I was a huge fan of Maya's friendship with her best friend Alisa and how they managed to maintain a fully remote best friendship for years. This concept gave credence to how easily Maya was able to develop a connection and strong feelings for Ethan without ever having met him in person.

I was absolutely enamored with the idea of two sides to every story and am excited to recommend this book to my friends.

4.5 Stars. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I have not read Someday in Paris, so I was not sure of what to expect from Olivia Lara. I loved the concept of this book and it was executed in the most darling of ways. First off, I adored the setting for this book. Carmel by the Sea has been on my to visit list since I read Meg Cabot’s mediator series in middle school and this book made me want to visit it even more as this book is a love letter to the town.

The book is single POV from Maya’s perspective and it is necessary for the plot to be single POV. Because we were in Maya’s head for the entire book she felt like a very full and real character. I love that she not only found love, but gained a found family. I love that she became the town’s matchmaker and really made the lives of the people she cam across better. I liked her dynamic with both Ethan and Max. I love that the author was able to keep some tension as to who Max’s identity mysterious to Maya while being obvious to me as a reader, which made me feel all the feels.

I wish that this book was going to be a part of a series because I would love to return to this world, but everything was wrapped up so neatly that a sequel isn’t necessary. Oh well, I’ll just have to read Someday in Pairs and reread this book. Content wise, this book is a clean romance with almost no language, so it can be read by anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Maya's life is okay. Mediocre job, mediocre boyfriend, mediocre life. When surprising her boyfriend goes horribly wrong, she finds her self being swept off her feet in the idyllic town of Carmel, CA. She is adventurous, eager to try new things and has the night of her life, all while never laying eyes on the lift-driver turned text tourguide she is carrying in her pocket. She's anxious and excited to meet the man who she has such an easy companionship with...
Maya is an incredibly complex and interesting character, full of doubts and pride, dreams and expectations. The love interest is also well-written. Honestly, they are all-around adorable. Their story was a feel-good summer romance, sprinkled with wanderlust inducing descriptions of the beautiful Carmel by the Sea, which I now desperately want to visit.
There was a lot of miscommunication trope (or NOTcommunicationtrope) which is not my thing and I found the ending/big reveal to be incredibly obvious. I still enjoyed the story as a kind of beach read, but at certain points I did ask myself how Maya could be so dense.
If you are looking for a quick, fun romance to get out of your head this is perfect for you.

The story somehow manages to drag and feel rushed at the same time. While I do think that Maya and the anonymous Lydt driver have chemistry. I feel like it was very obvious who he was once Maya went back to Caramel. It was an okay read that was a great for of summer escapism, but it didn't leave animpression in me.