Blog Tour Review: The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara

I’m thrilled to be part of The Write Reads blog tour for The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara. This is a charming story about love, life, and following your heart.

About the Book:

Page Length: 368

Publication Date: Sept. 2, 2021

Publisher: Aria Fiction

Synopsis: What if the Lift driver who finds your cheating boyfriend’s phone holds the directions to true love?

‘Who are you and why do you have my boyfriend’s phone?’
‘He left it in my car. You must be the blonde in the red dress? I’m the Lift driver who dropped you two off earlier.’

And with these words, the life of the brunette and t-shirt wearing Maya Maas is turned upside down. Having planned to surprise her boyfriend, she finds herself single and stranded in an unknown city on her birthday.

So when the mystery driver rescues Maya with the suggestion that she cheers herself up at a nearby beach town, she jumps at the chance to get things back on track. She wasn’t expecting a personalised itinerary or the easy companionship that comes from opening up to a stranger via text, let alone the possibility it might grow into something more…

Come on this 5* journey to love, laughter and back again, perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Josie Silver and Sally Thorne.

LINKS:     Goodreads    |      Amazon   

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.

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About the Author:

(from https://www.olivialara-author.com/about-olivialara)

As a child, Olivia not-so-quietly ‘observed’ (AKA bothered with countless questions) her grandfather — who worked for the biggest publishing house in Romania — edit hundreds of books. And when he wasn’t editing, he read. Everything, all the time. Just like her father, who wrote short sci-fi stories, and was set on building the largest library she’d ever seen and her mother who’s never found without a book…wherever she goes. Her love for words came naturally, and after studying marketing, communications & photography, Olivia worked as a journalist for a newspaper and news television network in Romania.

An unapologetic citizen of the world, she spent a few years in Greece, Sweden, France, before settling in sunny California with her photographer husband and young daughter, where she works in marketing and writes. Oh, and let’s not forget the ever-growing menagerie that completes the family: Pumpkin, the Maine Coon mix, three black cats and a siamese kitten.

When she’s not writing or thinking about writing, she reads (across genres), watches old movies and collects vintage books, vinyl records, and eerie paintings. She loves traveling (and can’t wait until she can do it again, safely), swimming, biking, hiking and of course, photography.

SOMEDAY IN PARIS, her debut, published by Aria Fiction/Head of Zeus in May 2020 became a B&N, Apple, Kobo and Amazon Top 100 Bestseller and was shortlisted for the Romantic Novel Awards 2021. Her second novel, THE MEETING POINT, a contemporary romcom set in Northern California, is set to be published as an e-book on September 2, 2021 and in paperback in December 2021 in the UK and March, 2022 in the US.

Keep up with Olivia: twitter || instagram || facebook

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My Review:

When Maya gets fired from her job and travels to California to surprise her long-time boyfriend on her birthday, she didn’t expect to find out from a Lift driver that her boyfriend was cheating. The Lift driver, who Maya names Max, encourages Maya to make the best of her day by traveling to a charming beach town. With a fabulous itinerary and an even better series of text messages, Max gives Maya the most wonderful experience of her life. However, when they finally agree to meet, Maya’s mystery man doesn’t show. Instead, her boyfriend does.

A year later, Maya is fed up and longing for the connection she felt with a man she never met. When Ethan, an author friend of Max, writes about Maya’s magical day, Maya decides to head back to the small beach town and find out who Max is. She gets a job working for Ethan’s sister in the hopes of uncovering Max’s identity. However, what she finds is more than she ever expected.

The Meeting Point is a sweet story about two strangers who fall in love before they even meet. It’s also about finding yourself, taking risks, and never giving up on your dreams. I love the characters and the gorgeous setting, as well as the messages about love and friendship.

The setting is beautiful, and it definitely sounds like a place I’d love to visit. It has that charming, quirky small-town feel that really speaks to Maya, and I can see why. The author gives such vivid descriptions of the homes, the ocean, and other charming and unique places, and it really made this idyllic coastal setting come alive.

The characters are charming as well. I love Maya! She’s on such a journey of self-discovery and is really finding out who she is and what she wants in life. She grows a lot throughout the story, and I enjoyed her journey. Ethan, the writer who wrote the story of her day with Max, is so thoughtful and fun. I liked his sense of humor and his strong relationship with his sister. I also like that some of the minor characters also find their happy endings. There are so many charming characters in the story, and to see them find happiness too is lovely.

The love story is charming and fun. It begins in such an unusual way and initially develops through texts. They have such chemistry, and their banter is so fun and witty. I love how he slowly woos Maya and shows her how he feels. It’s romantic and sweet, and so very charming.

This is a fun and heartwarming story with a wonderful setting and characters. I think readers who enjoy quick and light contemporary romance or rom-coms will enjoy this read, and I’m so thankful to The Write Reads, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Rating:

Favorite Lines:

We all have baggage, and as we get older, it gets heavier.

Being in love doesn’t make you weak or dependent.

Brave is making a decision when you have multiple options and although the one you choose might be the riskiest, it’s what you know deep down in your heart is the right thing.

Physical walls are like walls on my imagination.