While I loved the diversity and the associated arising issues, I wasn't keen on the overall tone of this. It reads very YA, with Ember being very messy and 'fun' and at times her personality just overall felt a bit forced. The lies also just seem to get out of hand and more outlandish. And while there's some good chemistry, I didn't feel all that invested in the relationship.

Loved the culture, but didn't really gel with the characters in this.

Ember is applying for yet another office job - but this time she ticks the "Caucasian" box, knowing that her Native American status is losing her interviews. And look what happens: she's out of the bowling alley and her dead-end job and interviewing for a position as an accountant. OK, she hasn't been completely truthful about her qualifications - but when she gets the job - oh, and meets the attractive Native American guy - she does really well and gets promoted to maternity cover executive assistant to the CEO.

Navigating microaggressions and outright racism as well as dodgy dealings from colleagues makes it hard to work out how to steer a path, and her lies cluster around her, threatening to reveal all. When she tries to do the right thing and gets blackmailed, she wants most of all to save Danuwoa and realises she might need to go back to the auntie who raised her and her brother and reassess how he is actually doing.

I loved the honesty of this book: while other NetGalley reviewers have criticised the lying, you can see how desperate Ember is and how she has to hustle to get anywhere, and there's a great explanation of "poor pride" and also the details of starting an office job when you've never had one before that will hopefully make people think. There is natural diversity, including gay and bi characters, those of different colours and Walela the uncompromising and hilarious character who happily lives with Down syndrome. I also of course loved that Ember never went for the mediocre White guy and the showcasing of a Native American love story which the author talks about as so important to place in the romance genre in the Afterword.

Reviewed 4 September on my blog: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/09/04/august-netgalley-update-houghton-nava-and-cho/

A fun and joyous rom-com that showcases daily life from the perspective of a Native American. Ups and downs, laughs and tears, a true uplifting read.

"The Truth According to Ember" by Danica Nava is like a rom-com with a twist—if that twist involves a lot of creative resume padding and a protagonist who just can't stop digging herself into a deeper hole. As someone who usually finds romance books a bit, well, yawn, I was intrigued by the promise of a POC lead and a plot that blends humor with social commentary. And while the book certainly has its moments, let’s just say that Ember’s knack for lying had me less swooning and more shouting, “Girl, what are you doing?!”

Ember is the queen of questionable decisions, and watching her navigate the corporate world with a resume that’s about 90% fiction is both cringe-worthy and oddly entertaining. The romance with Danuwoa, the dreamy IT guy, is sweet, but his near-perfection makes their relationship feel more like a fantasy than something you can actually root for. Honestly, I kept waiting for him to reveal some secret flaw, but nope, he’s just that perfect, which, let's be real, is a bit dull.

The book also tries to tackle serious themes like racial bias and microaggressions, but they sometimes get lost in the chaos of Ember’s antics. The Native American representation is a breath of fresh air, but I couldn’t help feeling like it was more of a side dish than the main course. All in all, "The Truth According to Ember" is a mixed bag—a quirky, sometimes frustrating ride that has its charms but ultimately left me wishing for a bit more substance and a lot fewer lies. If you’re looking for a rom-com that’s more wild ride than smooth sail, this one’s for you. Just be prepared to roll your eyes...a lot.

This was enjoyable but I didn’t love it as much as I expected to from other people’s reviews. It felt a little too much tell and not enough show for Ember’s character development, I feel like a few more scenes of her putting into practice the things she said she planned to change would’ve made such a difference. I love a messy FMC but I did find a lot of the time we lost the whys and her motivation for her little white lies. I loved Danuwoa as a love interest but I would’ve loved more scenes of them actually getting to know each other, we were told they had chemistry but I didn’t always see it.
3-3.5*

DNF 2% in.

Thank you to Headline Eternal for providing me with an arc.

I was really excited for this one as it is the first traditionally published romance book featuring two indigenous main characters but it didn't work for me sadly. I can see why some love it but the writing felt a tiny bit young for me and I knew I wouldn't enjoy it if I kept going. I may give this author another try and maybe even try the audio version of this one eventually but I couldn't get into this one currently.

This was such a good book!!
It is a fun and very steamy romcom that didn't shy way from also showing the nuances of being a Native person in a corporate world. It showed how you have to lie through your teeth sometimes to even get jobs and about hurtful things people said just to "fit in" and not lose said job. That felt very real being a Native person myself. Ember felt so real for me. Her feelings, her doubts and struggles... I felt for her. Especially knowing that all those lies, she was the one that was going to be hurt in the end (and also Dan in a way).
And talking about Dan... he was such a sweet MC. I really liked him, and I also enjoyed how he was part of her finding herself and helping her find her community too.
Overall, this was a fun read and a great debut novel. And now I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honest, buoyant and heartfelt - I’m so glad this novel is out in the world stage where it deserves to be!

‘The Truth According to Ember’ by Danica Nava is a fun workplace romance which mixes comedy, spice and serious messages about identity and Native American culture. Ember is a Chickasaw woman with accountancy ambitions who is fed up with job rejections and decides to tell a couple of “white” lies on her CV about her ethnicity and experience. Soon, she is gainfully employed at a startup, learning quickly to assimilate into corporate culture and follow the company’s rules… unfortunately the “no dating co-workers” guideline begins to pose a problem when she gets to know hot IT guy Danuwoa!

Ember was such a loveable character, and the way her creative attitude to the truth got her into hilarious and guilt-ridden situations was very realistic. I enjoyed how much of the novel was set in the office, how her abilities and willingness to speak up helped her progress and how her relationships with her colleagues changed as she took on a new role with more responsibility. The evolution of her friendship with Danuwoa was beautiful and the friends-to-lovers / forbidden romance vibes were excellent, with steamy chemistry between the couple.

The themes of accepting and embracing your roots, caring for family and finding the courage to be honest were strong throughout the book and I found Ember’s interactions with her Aunt and her estranged brother Sage very interesting - and ultimately heartwarming. I appreciated the details on Ember’s background and was glad to learn more about her community and the barriers many Native Americans face by reading this novel.

This book is perfect for any fan of office romances - if you liked ‘Love Interest’ by Clare Gilmore I promise you will enjoy this too! Giving it four stars and already excited for the author’s next release!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Headline via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

For a debut novel, I was pretty impressed by this book. It was filled with plenty of humour, and drama, and a romance that I really liked.

I immediately liked our MMC Danuwoa, he was just a character that was so easy to love from the get go and I never really felt that wavering, he was just a joy to read. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Ember who I would argue was the biggest weakness with this book. I just found it so hard to empathise with a character who lies so much, and watching her build up herself and her relationship on the lies she has told just made my anxiety spike, and there was enough conflict outside of these to keep the story going: especially with all of the work culture nonsense our leads have to deal with alongside their forbidden romance that the lying just felt too much. Though I will give it that it made the build up to the obligatory third act conflict in this romance really tense, and might be one of the tensest I’ve read as a result.

The workplace culture that Ember experiences felt so genuine and raw coming from this author, and something that very few authors could do such a fantastic way. As a British person, I know little to noting about Native American culture but this book really provided a lot of insight into the community and I would really like to explore more.

It s great seeing more books with indigenous people in it but unfortunately the romance in this one was not for me, it felt forced and they were more suited for being friends rather than lovers
Overall im happy to see more books about indigenous people.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc

Thank you to the publisher for my copy. I could not connect with the characters or writing style. Still very nice to see a Native American author traditionally published.

I thought this was a really fun read. Ember was an interesting character and seeing her trying to navigate the corporate world was funny and at times a little bit cringeworthy but I was always rooting for her. I was also always rooting for Danuowa. What a guy, The chemistry between him and Ember was immediate and the slow burn of it all was so much fun. I did think that the ending was a little bit rushed - the emotional journey regarding her dad particularly but otherwise I thought this was a really enjoyable read.

I was thrilled to learn that a Native author was writing a rom-com. I couldn't wait to read it, and I'm grateful to NetGalley for the early access. This was my first foray into the rom-com genre, so I didn't have many expectations. But I wasn't disappointed - I saw myself in the story. I could relate to Ember, especially regarding women's workplace struggles. I, too, have had to modify my name to appear more male in my career to open more doors. Despite our progress, women, especially women of color, still have a long way to go, and this book highlights that fact. I cannot wait to read what this author has for their next book.

Thank you Headline and NetGalley for the ARC.

Danica Nava's 'The Truth According to Ember' is an amazing debut novel. A solid debut! The chemistry was strong. It was funny and heartwarming. And Danuwoa was perfect! He was funny, attractive and kind.

I really liked that the book addresses the racism and discrimination that Native Americans/Indigenous people face in everyday life, whether it is at home or work. I think this is the first Native American/Indigenous people romance book I've read. I enjoyed everything about it.

Even if Ember was flawed and had some work to do, I understood her motivations. She isn't perfect, which Nava clearly tries to talk about, but I think when you're being discriminated against like this you are bound to do things that you wouldn't normally do.

Danica Nava!! I can't wait to read more of your work!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the cover.

This was a great debut and I just have to say that Danuwoa is Native Daddy. It has been a long time since I’ve read a romcom where the MMC was just perfect? He was steady, kind, funny and sexy af.

I thought I was going to struggle more with Ember’s lies but I felt for her. It is a sad world we live in where we’re judged by our names and ethnicity before having a chance to show our capabilities. I felt like the author did a great job showing the subtle ways that white and male privilege add up to put those in possession of them ahead without having to put in even half the work.

Ember did a great job grovelling at the end and I loved the way Danuwoa held firm to his boundaries. I cannot wait for more Indigenous stories and more from this author.

Sometimes a book just doesn't work for me, no matter how much I would have wanted otherwise.

Let's start with the positive:

- The cover art is goooorgeous! It caught my eye very easily with the colour scheme and cute poses of the main characters.
- Indigenous representation: This was my first indigenous romance book, and I loved all the references and descriptions of the food, culture, and community. It also addressed the racism and discrimination that Native Americans face every day, which added depth and authenticity to the story.

Now, what didn't work for me:

- All the lying: It was hard to understand Ember's motivation behind her lies—not the fake CV to get the job (which isn't a spoiler, it's in the book description) but all the other small stuff. Extreme people pleasing, perhaps? Anyways, I just kept sighing throughout the book!

- Ember as a character made me feel anxious 😂: Her actions and decisions often left me feeling on edge.

- The most toxic workplace: The unacceptable and often illegal behaviour from management and other people in the company was overwhelming. I realise this might be a reality for more people than I know, and it is set in a country with very minimal workers' rights, but wow, this was a lot!

- The writing style: It didn't work for me. It was hard to keep up with the timeline of events, and I didn't feel any emotional connection to the characters.

- Lack of romance and comedy: The most important one—there wasn't enough romance and comedy for me in this romcom.

Despite my somewhat heavy criticism of this book, I'm glad I read it. As the author said in the afterword, "To write us in the pages of a love story, where we were never allowed to be—except as caricatures or stereotypes to help non-Natives along their journeys—is powerful." And I'm glad that readers have a better choice to read diverse romance stories that wouldn't have otherwise.
3/5 ⭐

Disclaimer: I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 56%

Firstly, I did not like this writing style at all. It was just pure rambling, felt incredibly shallow and made all the characters come across as young and immature.

Secondly, it was way too corporate. I knew it was an office based workplace romance, but by 30% that's all that happened, the setting hadn't changed, there was way too much detail about the job.

This is described as a romcom, but I have yet to come across anything funny. I am desperate for good banter between Ember and Danuwoa!

And the lying! I was obviously expecting it based on the blurb, but there was too much of it. It was mostly pointless, made me dislike Ember, and had me too anxious to enjoy the story.

I was really looking forward to this indigenous romance, but unfortunately there was nothing to hold my interest here - the story, the writing style, and the lack of humour in a book described as a romcom all let me down

so hot. so lovely. i enjoyed every second and was compelled to pick this up after seeing it all over social media. they were not lying!!!! i implore everyone stop what they’re doing and start this book immediately (or wait til it comes out!!)

I’m not sure how to rate this book because there were parts of it I really enjoyed but I really struggled to get past Ember and her constant lying - it drove me nuts. A cute romance with a swoon worthy male main character. Great representation and I hope to see more romance books by Indigenous authors published in the future.
3.5 stars.