The Book Drop September 2020

I wasn't sure I was going to be keen on the romance/friendship genre choice with The Book Drop but I've been loving it. I started on literary fiction type books and then moved over to this one. I assumed I'd eventually land back on mysteries but I think my current choice is what I need during this pandemic. 

I'm not sure what the governor is doing in my state but I'm staying home until Dr. Fauci says it's safe. Look, it's hard and annoying and I'm legit stir-crazy but I think it's only responsible to listen to the grown-ups here. 

At least I've gotten a lot of reading done during the break. I've been reading about four or five books a week. Sometimes as many as seven. I still have a huge pile of books to go through. I might photograph it one day but...I'm not really ready to commit to that. Maybe at the end of the year to show how much I've got to read and stuff. People get twitchy at my hoard but eh. 

The Book Drop comes in this mailer. It tends to be packed with one book (usually paperback), a bookmark, the Indie Next list, another pamphlet, and sometimes author/publisher goodies. This is mostly a book + bookmark + what's next subscription. Many subscription boxes tend to pack their box with crappy items that they got for cheap and I'd rather have less but better. If that makes sense at least. 

The little card is from The Book Drop and they talk about the book choice for the month. This month's book for "Books for Bubbly" (the friendship/romance genre pick) is titled You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria. I love the title choice as it's a "riff" off the Jerry Maguire quote "You Had Me At Hello"...or at least that's what it seems like. Might just a random coincidence. Still loving it. 

The card says: Alexis Daria's debut "Take The Lead" won the 2018 RITA Award for "Best First Book" and was one of the "Best Romance Novels of 2017" in the Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly so when we found out "You Had Me At Hola" was coming out, we were beyond ecstatic! Soap opera star Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face all over the tabloids, following her very public, very messy breakup. Maybe no one will notice? Her Abuela, however, has hung the article up on her fridge because the paper *did* use a great picture of Jasmine. We were chuckling and laughing out loud as soon as we started this fantastic rom-com. 

Man, I'm missing some rom-coms something fierce. Hollywood seems to go through genres (and beat them to a boring death) and they haven't done a good rom-com in a while. TV too. It's a lot of drama. Where are my laughs? 

The bookmarks were fairly generic stuff you could get en masse (even from Amazon, which I know because I've had to fill goody bags for the Junior League enough times to search for affordable non-junk). This is the second month of more personalized bookmarks. They're from actual artists and have been commissioned by The Book Drop for a design. 

The letter is from the Alexis Daria, the author. I love getting letters from the authors (even if I don't like the book) as they talk about their processes or their creative inspiration. I think it adds to the book overall and I tend to keep the letter with the book...even if I give away the book later. Let other people enjoy them too. 

The letter says: Dear Reader, I'm so excited to introduce you to my latest book, You Had Me At Hola. This story revolves around Ashton and Jasmine, two actors cast as the romantic leads on a telenovela remake. Unfortunately, they get off on the wrong foot in a classic rom-com meet-disaster. Their careers hinge on generating chemistry on-screen, but what neither of them expect is the fire that burns between them off-screen. 

Despite being a (very steamy) romance, at its heart, You Had Me At Hola, is also a book about family. It was inspired by my own family and friendship with my "Primas of Power," as Jasmine calls her two best cousins in the book. (A phrase coined by my own cousin, Lisa!) At a time when it's difficult to see my family in person, this book has made me feel closer to them. 

Releasing a book during a pandemic has its challenges, but one of the of the bright spots has been all the kind words I've received from readers, bookstores, and libraries. I imagine many of us have turned to books an stories for comfort (or distraction!) during these uncertain times, and right now out booksellers, librarians, and postal workers are performing a tremendous acts of service during a difficult time. It's an honor to be able to contribute a story that helps readers get away from it all for a few hours, a story that will hopefully leave you feeling a little better and more optimistic than when you started. 

Thank you  for supporting the romance genre and you local indie bookstore!

All the best, Alexis Daria. 

The back of the bookmark has the designer information. It's by Emily Cromwell. My picture above is a bit rubbish but it does show how reflective the thick paper is. 

Emily Cromwell has a website, Etsy shop, and Social Media pages:

• Emily Cromwell Design Website
• Emily Cromwell Etsy Page
• Emily Cromwell Instagram Page

I'm a big fan of bright and happy colors and Emily seems to be too. I'm kinda in love with this item though...I might get it. It's sitting in my cart while I tell myself I don't need another crochet hook (I don't...but I do...)

And the book! 

That cover!! 

I LOVE a beautiful cover. I love the illustration. I love the colors. The font isn't making me super happy but I can live with it. 

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. 

After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. 

Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy. 

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. 

Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars. 

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.