After her fiancé ends their relationship because she’s too “clingy”, bookstagrammer and nurse Tara—whom we are briefly introduced to in the first book in Amy Lea’s Influencer series, Set On You—decides to create her own second-chance romance. So, with the help of her new roommate, a handsome commitment-phobe firefighter named Trevor, Tara attempts to publicly reconnect with her exes. Along the way, Tara eventually breaks down Trevor’s walls and discovers the more sensitive side that Trevor keeps hidden…should Tara give up her search for a second chance romance in the hopes of having a “room-ance”?
Exes and O’s features the reformed playboy, forced proximity, opposites attract, and “roommates to lovers” tropes. Exes and O’s would be ideal for fans of rom coms like The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas, Thank You, Next by Andie J. Christopher, Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood, Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake by Mazey Eddings, Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter, and Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. I also think Taylor Swift fans will enjoy this book—in addition to having a good amount of Taylor Swift references, the lyric “can I ask you a question?” (from “Question… ?” by Taylor Swift) was stuck in my head the entire time I was reading as this lyric becomes Tara’s catchphrase. Some themes present in Exes and O’s include communication (or lack thereof), companionship, family, love and heartbreak, losing hope, sickness and vulnerability, and loneliness. In my opinion, the moral of this story is that if you want something, you can’t just wait for it to fall into your lap, you should go out and search for it.
Firstly, it was great to see Crystal and Scott (the main characters in Set On You) make regular appearances as Tara is Crystal’s sister and Trevor is Scott’s co-worker, especially as I enjoy seeing what my favourite characters are up to post happily ever after. I also appreciated that you didn’t need to read or remember Crystal and Scott’s story before picking this one up and both are standalones.
Exes and O’s seemed even better than Set On You, particularly as I connected more to Tara since she is also an avid booklover and bookstagrammer, which will likely be a hit with many other readers too! My favourite part of the novel was the scene where Tara and Trevor dressed-up as Disney characters for a special someone’s 10th birthday party, which came across so sweet and heartfelt.
On the downside, the main plot of Tara seeking out all her exes in an attempt to reconnect or get some closure was a tad repetitive and not very unique. Additionally, even though there was some spice towards the end of the book, Exes and O’s was very much a slowburn romance with a slow pace.
Overall, Exes and O’s was an enjoyable read and would recommend it to fellow booklovers who enjoy second chance romances and “room-ances” tropes!
Exes and O’s is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of January 10th 2023.
Will you be picking up Exes and O’s? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Trigger warnings include broken engagements and sick children.
A romance novel–obsessed social media influencer revisits her exes on her hunt for true love in this romantic comedy from the author of Set On You.
Romance-novel connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men–all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter.
The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily-ever-after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?
