This was an absolutely wonderful read. I loved the way these two met, and I loved that they had to work together on something that matters so much! There was wit, angst, steam. All things that make a romance great!

I adored Adriana Herrera's debut, 'American Dreamer;' Nesto and Jude's romance was absolutely swoon-worthy! Herrera's follow up, 'American Fairytale,' is no less sexy. Camilo, a social worker, finds love unexpectedly with Tom, a tech entrepreneur. Whereas Nesto and Jude had a slow burn, Camilo and Tom's romance sizzles. Watching them fall is an absolute joy, but their journey isn't without its challenges. Nesto's mother, like many of the folks he provides services for, is a survivor of domestic violence. Nesto too bears the scars of this abuse, and they run deep. Through his relationship with Camilo, Tom learns that there are times when his giving nature is more controlling than generous. Being attentive to that, as well as Camilo's emotions, proves difficult for Tom.

I love that Herrera works diligently to give her readers a love story replete with feels while not shying away from the very real complexities of life and love. I am excited to continue the series to see where each member in this group of friends ends up! Would also love an extended epilogue on these two!

There were many things about American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera that I enjoyed.

-Dual POVs

-The plot certainly lived up to its name. It did feel real fairytale like- successful man sweeps a younger social worker off his feet.

-Loved the relationship development, how Thomas went about courting Milo. It was sweet and romantic.

-Great cast of secondary characters.

-Just as in the previous book, American Dreamer, I enjoyed reading about the characters' heritage and backgrounds, finding what makes them tick.

-I felt Herrera showed how perfect these two men were for each other.

-The groveling at the end- Herrera excells at this part of storytelling. Her characters give good grovel. :)

Why not 5 Stars? The conflict became frustrating for me- from both men. Thomas has more money than he knows what to do with and would use it to solve problems for Milo despite being told by him he didn't want any of his money. Milo was very independent and proud. Thomas kept doing the same thing, but after a while, Milo's argument started to feel more like a whine and started to get on my nerves. The conflict began to be blown out of proportion. I don't know I have mixed feelings about this. All I know is that it soured the book for me a bit.

All in all, American Fairytale was a good story. Herrera's words flow smoothly, and this heartwarming tale was an easy, quick read.

3.5 Stars

P.S. I can't wait for the next book!

I was more conflicted about this book than I think I've ever been about a book before. Up until about 85%, it was a solid 5 star read, but the resolution of the major conflict dragged it down to a 3.5

The good:
I haven't read the first book in the series (this author is new to me), but I absolutely LOVED the writing style and the way culture and language were worked into the story so seamlessly. There were a lot of terms and ideas specific to the cultures of the characters I wasn't familiar with but rather than feeling confused, the inclusion made the whole story and the characters really come to life. The conflict between their socio-economic backgrounds made for an interesting dynamic that I enjoyed but it was also what led to my disappointment in the overall story.

The conflicted:
I really liked both Milo and Tom as people, but Milo's "never accept help from anyone even if it means pushing them away, but I'm going to harp on my mother about not accepting help" attitude really put me off. While his attitude is understandable, especially given his family's history with an abusive man, it was really abrasive. Yes, Tom screws up sometimes by thinking money can solve everything, but Tom being vilified by Milo and everyone in their lives for helping was over the top. Give that Milo REFUSED to even talk about the problems, I don't blame Tom for doing what he did to try to fix things. Yes, money isn't always the answer, but sometimes money can be a tool to help. Yes, power inequality exists due to wealth, but money is not the enemy and making it so black and white was really irritating. Tom has both money and time. Using his money to help is a crime but using his time (which only exists BECAUSE HE HAS MONEY) is okay? That's a seriously unhealthy relationship to money.

Tom needing to grovel and take the entire blame for the big falling-out really sat wrong with me. Yes, he messed up by going behind Milo's back, but where was Milo's admitting that he contributed to it? I would have loved to see a conversation where Milo acknowledges that just as much as it hurts him for his mom to not accept his help with her depression, his refusal to allow Tom to help even a little bit hurt Tom. If Milo had bent even a little, maybe Tom wouldn't have felt pressured to swoop in and fix things behind his back. Even toward the end, Milo's "rolling with it" when Tom spends money came across as very immature, like Tom spending his own money was wrong but was something Milo was grudgingly allowing. The story was missing the exploration of Milo's very messed-up relationship with money and wealth that it needed for the ending to be satisfying.

Frustrating.

Lust at first sight sometimes works in romance books, but not always. In this case, I never felt the connection, even the physical one, before the men became ... well, physical.

M initial annoyance only grew as the men got to know each other. Thomas prided himself on being open minded and socially conscious, yet he constantly undermined Milo's wishes and stated preferences. The more he tried to minimize the disparate social standing between them, the more obvious it became.

My takeaway from this romance is that Milo is a saint. ;-)

I haven’t been this conflicted about a book for sometime but I think I wanna give this a 3.5.

I haven’t read the first book in this series but I have heard great things and really got excited when I got this ARC. I love stories with fairytale-esque themes and this book was very adorable and swoony for the most part.

Camilo is a social worker and I loved the passion he had for his work. Every time he talked about the work he did at the shelter and the ideas he had for how to help his clients, it was wonderful to read and I could totally see why Tom fell in love with him. Tom on the other hand is such a thoughtful amazing person, very connected to his roots and this drive to support causes that are close to his heart. Except the part where Tom tries to solve issues with money, which made Camilo uncomfortable, these two were literally perfect for each other. The attraction was instant since the first time they met and the slow organic progression to love was beautiful to watch. And the scenes with Tom’s daughter Libe were an absolute delight.

The writing in this book is just so easy to get through, I was done in a single sitting. The author does a great job of showing us the culture that both Tom and Camilo come from, and it was awesome to read their conversations about their heritage, the ethnic food or even the issues related to their community. The friend group in this book is also very very diverse and I liked getting to know them, even if I couldn’t keep track of all of them sometimes. While I understood why the conflict occurred in the story, I didn’t completely like how it played out and I felt that some very thoughtless accusations were thrown around, which never did get a proper resolution. Also, despite hearing so much about Camilo’s passion for his work, we don’t get to see much of him actually doing it and I think that was a missed opportunity.

Overall, this is a swoony sweet romance featuring very good characters and some emotional angst thrown in. I recommend this book if you like reading romances about people who are proud of their cultures and it reflects off the page and who are very eager to do something for helping those in society who need it. It also works very well as stand-alone and I never felt that I was missing out any references. I also have a feeling I’ll be checking out the next one in the series because I really liked the author’s storytelling.

The descriptive bit: Camilo is a Cuban-American social worker in NYC. His boss has given him a thousand dollar ticket to a gala and he’s planning to have a good time at the complimentary bar. What he isn’t expecting is to meet Tom and end up having a sizzling one-night encounter with him.

When Camilo returns to work, he finds out that a local philanthropist wants to donate a couple of million dollars to the organization so that they can renovate the shelter they run. When Camilo meets the millionaire in question … it’s Tom … Thomas Hughes, to be exact.

The spark that drew them together the night they met only grows as they work together. But, Camilo is fiercely independent and Tom is used to being able to fix things with money.

My thoughts bit: Oh these two men and the way they make the same mistakes over and over! Camilo is stubborn. He’s made mistakes with men in the past and he is determined not to tangle himself up in another man’s life. He doesn’t want to lose himself in love. That all makes sense, but the way Camilo feels about Tom is overwhelmingly right and he can’t help wanting happily ever after with the man.

Tom has built himself and his business from the ground up. He was born in the DR and has made it his goal to embrace his culture and be the best person he can be. He’s wealthy as hell and feels that money should be something that enables him to do the good that he wants to do. When he tries to make Camilo’s life better by using his money… things start to go a little off the rails.

This is a fast-paced romance with some well-written, steamy love scenes. It really is a fairy tale, sometimes a little over-the-top romantic, although the realities of two men coming together from different backgrounds adds the reality of relationship struggles to this novel. This was a fun read – oh! and I really enjoyed that there was so much Spanish in the book, that really gave me a feel for the background of both men.

The warnings bit: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: Emotional angst

This was a great contemporary romance. The characters felt authentic in their interactions and how they dealt with their differences. Tom and Milo were engaging and while Milo's stubbornness did get a bit trying at times I did enjoy their journey to their happy ending.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. Had it not been for Milo and his 'I don't need anyone's help' attitude and some of the author's writing, I'd probably have given this a 5 star review because I enjoyed the romance. Seriously, Milo's attitude was enough to almost make me put the book down and not finish, but I did of course.

Milo is a social worker of Cuban ancestry and is doing a lot of good in Harlem. He's at a fundraiser when he meets this really cute and sexy man, who turns out to be uber-rich Tom. They flirt a bit, then end up in a dark room together for some umm, incredibly hot bonding. They part ways without ever exchanging numbers, even though Tom really wish he had that number since he genuinely liked Milo and the time they spent chatting. By the way, Tom is almost 40 and Milo is in his 20's - so a bit of an age difference and maturity level there.

Tom sold his tech company for a lot of money and has been semi-retired and caring for his cute little daughter. He divorced years ago but has been co-parenting with his ex Maxwell. He lives in Harlem as well, although his million-dollar home makes Milo's look like a shack (and Milo always seems to remember this). Tom is Dominican and he is one who definitely hasn't forgotten his roots and chose to live in Harlem to stay close to his people. He can pass for white though since his dad is American (White) and his mother is Dominican, so it's helped him in business and Milo judges him for that at first without knowing the real Tom. Tom has a big heart despite his big bank account. He's honorable and even though he isn't looking for love, he finds himself going after the younger Milo.

Milo & Tom meet again when Milo discovers Tom is the new $2 million donor for a domestic violence shelter Milo's office is looking to renovate. Needless to say, both are shocked to see the other and Milo is determined to keep things professional and not risk losing that donor money for the center. He loves his job and the good he does for people, so I respected him for wanting to make sure good people didn't get hurt because of his mistakes. Of course, Tom isn't going to let Milo keep things strictly professional and makes an excuse for why he needs to see Milo every week.

Honestly, Tom going after Milo and 'courting' him was really cute. Tom allowed himself to be vulnerable and he really showed Milo the true man he was. There's a huge blowup at the end and although I found Tom to be at fault as well, Milo turned into the type of character I hate. Milo was very set on being independent and providing for himself and his mother. He wasn't willing to accept any help whatsoever, even if it meant he was working way too many hours and nearly killing himself from all he was trying to do alone. Tom offered help SO MANY TIMES and Milo turned down the money EVERY TIME. Tom does screw up by going behind Milo's back, but when your boyfriend is running himself ragged, you never see him anymore and you're worried about his well-being, you do what you have to do to help, so I really couldn't hate him for it. I hated his friends for not being the friends Tom needed. They were honest to a point, but they should have also been supportive of Tom and not just immediately taken MIlo's side.

The ending was cute, I just wish Milo had a values transplant so that I could have liked him a bit more and really believed that he deserved Tom. I really had no issues with Tom at all. He was the perfect book boyfriend. Oh and I loved their parents and of course Tom's cute by sassy little girl.

I didn't read the first book in the series and although I don't feel as though I lost much from that storyline, I will say that there are some characters mentioned in this book that were apparently part of the first book. It seems as though the author really likes throwing a ton of characters in the books though because there were A LOT of names to keep up with. I just quit trying after a while trying to keep who was who straight, so just a warning if this is your first book read by this author. I did enjoy the culture lesson in this book though.

Also, after that first sex scene at the gala in Chapter 2, it's like Tom has a personality transplant. I kept waiting for more of that dominating guy in the bedroom and it was non-existent until the end. It's like the author started writing, then forgot the type character Tom was made out to be in the beginning. I didn't get it and maybe it was intentional, but I was disappointed that he turned into the sweet romantic guy in the bedroom 99% of the time (personal preference - I like an alpha male at times).

I loved the first book in this series featuring Nesto and Jude. The audiobook was top notch and the characters felt so alive to me. I honestly squealed when I was given the ARC for the second book American Fairytale.

This book definitely didn’t disappoint. It stars Camilo (social worker and friend from the first book) and uber rich Tom. They meet at a fundraising gala, have a steamy hookup, and leave without sharing phone numbers. Not long after Tom decides to donate money to a domestic abuse shelter which coincidentally Camilo works at. Tom wants to know Camilo more so he arranges for weekly meetings to over the status of the project. Boom. They fall in love and live happily ever after. Not.

They have some ups and downs. Tom is learning how to be a better partner after his divorce and knows life is easier when you have money. Camilo is trying to care for his mother who suffers from depression which means long work hours and being available at the drop of a hat. He’s been burned in past relationships by prioritizing his mom and Tom’s nonchalant way of solving issues with taking control irritates him.

This story is heartwarming and these two together were lovely. I was charmed by the diverse cultures in their friend groups and the stories of immigration and family devotion. I’m giving this book four stars only because it seemed a little too easy. I didn’t see a lot of character progression that screamed “I changed for you!” I would definitely recommend this book and this series. I can’t wait for the next book about Easton and Patrice.

AMERICAN FAIRYTALE by Adriana Herrera is a contemporary love story. I absolutely loved this book! Tom an immigrant with dual citizenship. He's made millions with his software company. Camilo a social worker with a LGBT agency. They both have baggage and issues to work out. With an eye to the future, both work hard and make changes looking for a forever love! Wonderful characters, very well written!

2 stars

Not really my normal type of read, Thanks to netglley for allowing me a chance to read it, but not really for me.

From the very beginning, I knew I was going to have issues with this book. It read to me as just a book written by someone who isn't gay and wants to write about what they think gay sex looks and sounds like. It was just so off-putting and definitely not for me.

It really is the modern fairytale.
Two men with different backgrounds who have to navigate their lives so they can walk together.

What I really loved was the collection of diverse characters. And it didn't seem forced or gimmicky like some some POC and LGBT characters are used for. They were all thoughtful, smart, beautiful and flawed. Real.

Both Milo and Tom are very true to themselves and their adoration for each other is clear. There are hiccups as they try to integrate their lives together, and some bumps along the way are bigger than others. Something anyone can understand. The way they deal is very different, but their need to be together is the compass they use to find their way back to each other.

I love the use of Spanish in this book. I can't read or speak the language. But it was used in a way that even a layman like me could understand and appreciate. It didn't break the flow of my reading which I sometimes find when books are in more than one language.

The secondary characters were wonderful. And I loved that there was no big villain character, the angst is more Milo and Tom getting to their equilibrium.

A lovely read. Lots of feelings and gushing.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

DNF at 48%

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me, I seem to be in the minority with this so please read other reviews! There wasn't anything wrong with the novel, I was just a bit bored. The story and characters didn't wow me or hook me at all and the romance wasn't for me.

Saying that, I absolutely loved all the discussions on culture, immigration and ethnicity. The focus on creating and building something you are passionate about. I loved the amount of diversity in this book, POC and LGBTQ+ characters and also a side character with mental illness rep.

Overall, I would definitely recommend giving this a go if you enjoyed the first book in the series and if you like diverse characters and romance.

Loved this! I didn't initially realize this was a sequel to American Dreamer, but was so happy to see Nesto, Juanpa, Patrice, and Milo again. Milo and Tom are a great couple, and I loved Milo's strength and resilience.

"American Fairytale" is the story of Milo and Tom, who meet first at a fundraiser and then at Milo's place of work. Milo is a social worker and Tom the billionaire funding Milo's latest project. The main conflict of the book isn't about their feelings, or even about the fact that they are mixing work and pleasure. Rather, it's Tom's tendency to solve all problems with money, and Milo's fear about the unhealthy dynamic that could result from that. (More on that later.)

This is going to be a difficult review, because I am very much on the fence about this. I love the idea of the series, and the setting, and I adore its diverse cast of characters. It just doesn’t convince me entirely, due to weaknesses in the writing.

Because the review kind of got out of control, here's the TL;DR: I liked it and encourage you to read this because despite my complaints it was fun.

Now, let's get down to business:
I’m not the biggest fan of a first person POV, and I think I’ve finally figured out why. The danger of there being too much telling and not enough showing seems to be the biggest from that perspective. There's also the danger of it sounding like a class presentation (like when Tom is explaining to the reader about Harlem). A lot of the exposition sounded jarring to me, and I think it might have gone more smoothly if it had been conveyed in a conversation.

There also were quite a few cases of descriptions and such that just felt unnecessary, like Nesto looking at "his blond lover", or Milo thinking "I just wanted to get to know him better" while asking Tom questions trying to get to know him better. I know this seems like a small thing, but as they pile up they tend to annoy me. I also wasn't a fan of the MCR conversation, it sounded stilted and more like the author wanted to include a joke she thought was funny rather than something those characters would actually say. But I admit especially the last thing is a matter of personal preference.

As for the plot, my biggest issue (actually the only issue I had with it) is that the Big Issue of the book felt overblown to me. While Tom’s tendency to solve everything with money is not that great, I found Milo’s stubbornness equally unhealthy. I get why Milo was angry and do think Tom’s action was wrong, but at the same time I wish Milo would have considered what it would be like the other way round - if he had the money and his partner was hurting himself rather than accepting his help. There is a difference between unnecessary luxury and preventing someone working themselves to exhaustion. Then again, I appreciated the awareness of possible abuse of power dynamics in such a relationship. Like with the book as a whole, I have mixed feelings about this.

What I don't have mixed feelings about, i.e. what I loved is Milo's and Tom's relationship overall, and the way they talk about their identities and come to terms with
them. I also appreciated the way their feelings are allowed to develop and grow over time (even though, once again, I felt there was too much telling and not enough showing).

Another strength of this series is its supporting cast who gives it depth and texture, and I think ultimately it's this that makes this series stand out for me despite its faults.

And I want to stress while I didn't like it as much as I wanted to like it, I do think the author has potential. Also, I know I am particular about some things other people don’t mind nearly as much as I do. I encourage everyone to give this a try, since overall I think its merits outweigh its weaknesses. In a perfect world, though, the next book - which I will definitely read - will have fewer of the latter.

(I decided on four stars after much deliberation. While three stars mean "I liked it" I do think more people are convinced by a four star rating, and while that feels a little too generous, I want this book to succeed. So there.)

I'm afraid I didn't have a lot of fun with this one. The characters were alright, but I didn't get as attached to them as I would have liked. My first impression of Camilo was that he seemed FUN and he was a likable guy! Tom on the other hand... I didn't like him much. He showed that dominant side when they met but having been burned in the past and stuck with a kid made him a certain way I didn't find appealing so I never actually rooted for them. I would have liked someone else for Camilo...

The story, in theory, sounded exciting but was less so in real -- I just couldn't get into it. A couple of chapters in and I was already a little bored. The story itself just didn't have much going on for it, IMO.

I appreciate the time and effort the author put into creating this story! Sadly it wasn't for me. Thank you for the chance to read and review

Another phenomenal addition to Adriana Herrera's Dreamers series, AMERICAN FAIRYTALE is a gorgeous m/m romance. Social workers Milo and billionaire Tom have nothing in common at first glance, but as their story unfolds we see the many ways their lives intersect. I especially loved the lovely touches of the important women in their lives and the continued theme of found families in this series. Another excellent read from Adriana Herrera, who's fast earned her way onto my autobuy list.

3* Better than book 1, but I think it helps understand this series if you're of Hispanic origin yourself.

Book 1 in the series was a DNF for me, but this one's blurb was intriguing enough for me to ask for it. It was a bit of an eye opener, as as a Brit, Hispanic immigration to the US and the history of the population weren't even on my radar and I didn't know of the hardships faced or what drove people to leave their countries en masse. That's what I found most interesting about the tale, learning a bit more about the people and how they settled mostly in Harlem and some of the hardships they faced.

I'm not sure that I liked Camilo, despite the job he did and despite how he looked out for his mother, and I am sure that I am doing him an injustice because I'm not of Hispanic descent and don't understand his sense of pride and how he perceived something that I can't quite call honour, but perhaps very close to that. To me, he came across as resentful of Tom's wealth and had a misplaced sense of pride at times. He kind of understandably took issue with Tom's wealth and something that Tom was a little high-handed over, though he had good intentions, because Tom didn't discuss it with him and because Tom took away his choice. I distinctly remember a conversation about taking Camilo's choice away, and Tom apologising profusely, and yet in the next moment, they're having sex and Tom is taking him without protection, without there being any conversation about not using protection, and yet he didn't have an issue with that? Come on! And yet later when Tom used his wealth to do a kindness to Camilo's mum, that was suddenly alright.

The tale felt a little... 'Hmm. Not sure I'm believing Camilo's issues' as an outsider, I'm afraid, so maybe I missed the essence of the tale. I wasn't rooting for these guys, unfortunately, and I liked Tom more than Camilo. I'm not sure I'll read more of the series, as it seems to feature more of Camilo's friends (he's friends with Nesto, a lead from book 1), and I suspect I won't understand them culturally, which is my bad.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.