4.5 stars

Like a Love Song is everything I want in a contemporary and more. It's lighthearted, funny, but also serious at times. The fake dating trope was done well and the ending left a smile on my face. I flew through this book and my only complaint was that I wanted more.


Natalie is a pop star who is working on building up her career. When things go south with her boyfriend on live TV she needs to find a way to fix her reputation. That's where the fake dating trope comes in! Pretending to date someone isn't easy. Especially when all eyes our on you. William is an actor who wants to get his career going to take care of his family. I loved how Natalie and William got to know each other, but it started off really awkward. They were a lot of fun together and you know in most cases they actually end up actually feeling for each other. The journey to there was a lot of fun to read and I was really hoping for them to get their happily ever after.


This book also really focuses on the pressure and negative sides of being famous. Always being watched and judged by what you do. Especially in the day and age of social media. I do feel like Natalie was really strong in this, but that Like a Love Song was also a big part of her realizing that her heritage isn't something she needs to hide. I can't relate to this at all being a white woman, but I can't imagine what it's like not being able to feel like you can accept your heritage and show it to everyone. I loved seeing Natalie go through that process though. It was amazing to see her embrace that side of herself.


William was such an amazing character. He was really calm and down to earth and all he wanted to do was protect his family and help them with their finances. Besides William there are two other amazing side characters: Padma and Brenda who are Natalie's best friends. Like a Love Song truly had an amazing cast of side characters.


All in all, this book was such a fast and fun read that also hit me in all the feels. My only complaint would be that I really wanted more. That's always the case when you really love a book though!

Okay y'all, this book was just so cute okay?? Latina MC who realizes she can embrace herself and also be inspiring and popular, cinnamon roll hero who makes sure he puts his family and friends first before popularity and fame. When these two come together?? Amazing.
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My Rating [ 4/5 ] 🌟🌟🌟🌟
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First, I really liked how this book started. The characters introduced were really annoying and slightly cliched, BUT it worked in this book's favour. Natalie had a really good character introduction, and that backstage drama? (I know I shouldn't laugh, but it was really funny you guyss.. ) I think the simple and carefree writing style helped the story a lot and made me love it even more. William was the oh so always the gentleman and their banter were really good. They head butted all the time and the character development for both of them were done really well! The author did a fantastic job in making the MC embrace her tradition and be true to herself. I really really liked that ending too. The fact that it wasn't all love declarations and cheesy dialogues made it real. Although there were times I felt that certain scenes were unnecessary or done really short. I would have liked to see more of William too.
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Overall, this was a really good coming of age, self growth, get your confidence back and embrace your heritage story with some PR nightmares, fake dating, real feelings, heart to heart conversations, some banter and some inspiration! I really liked this one and I'm excited for the next book by this author !
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Thank you @netgalley for the gifted review copy!!

Autora brasileira e Linguista publicando numa editora gringa renomada? Jamais eu poderia deixar passar!



Nati é uma pop star e essa é a sua noite. Ela está prestes a receber o prêmio de artista do ano e é nessa noite, momentos antes dela ser chamada ao palco que seu namorado Trent resolve terminar com ela. Em reação, Nati, que é brasileira e tem sangue quente, acaba gritando com ele e é nessa hora que o prêmio entra ao vivo e grava todo esse vexame. Nati vira um meme e um pesadelo de marketing se inicia. E é assim que sua agente vem com a brilhante ideia de que ela comece um relacionamento fake com um ator britânico. O garoto é William, um ator Indie fofo e engraçado e que vai fazer o coração de Nati bater mais rápido. Nessa história enquanto uma garota se apaixona por um garoto, ela também se reencontra.



A escrita da Gabriela é bastante fluida e gostosa. Se você é fã de Taylor Swift saiba que você vai lembrar dela e do Joe lendo esse livro, o que pra mim foi maravilhoso pois eu amo os dois.



Nati é uma jovem brasileira que acaba apagando suas origens para poder se encaixar em um novo país. E isso acaba fazendo com que se sinta deslocada com sua família brasileira e em sua casa na América. Durante essa jornada, Nati conta com as amigas e William para mostrar que ela pode ser ela mesma sem querer se encaixar em nenhum molde. Essa jornada é bastante bonita de assistir.



William, por sua vez, é um personagem muito fofo. Claro que você vai se irritar com ele algumas vezes por ele ser injusto com a Nati por conta da situação toda. No geral é um personagem que você vai torcer.



A narrativa é bem jovem e cheia de representatividade, temos duas amigas de Nati que são lésbicas e um personagem bi, que não vou revelar para não dar spoiler.



Eu sinceramente espero que esse livro chegue ao Brasil em breve.

I, I, I love you like a love song, baby…. That’s all I think about when I see this title, I was a huge Selena Gomez fan when I was a kid. But back to the actual book (and I guess that song kinda fits it), this was a super cute, romantic read. I had such a fun time reading it. This follows a seventeen year old latina pop star named Natalie who after a public blowup with her ex-boyfriend, decides to hire a fake boyfriend in order to heal her public imagine.

Immediately, I was sold by the fake dating trope! Her fake boyfriend is a British indie actor and I loved his vibe and his quirkiness. He brought out such an amazing side to Natalie and I loved seeing their relationship progress from just acquaintances to something more! As for other relationships, I loved seeing her grow more comfortable within her family and her friends were so supportive and kind and the kind of friends I wish were featured more in novels like this.

Another thing I love about this book is the bisexual representation. I strongly believe that teenagers should see more realistic, non-hetero relationships and this is a book that really showed natural romances and didn’t fall into awkward stereotypes. Not only is a main character bi but a side character also is!

My only real problems with this novel lies in the writing style. While this was a very quick read for me, it was a little too simplistic for me and certain aspects were very predictable and convenient. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

If you are looking for a fun summer read, I highly recommend you go and pick this up!

Like A Love Song felt like a Disney movie in all of the right ways. It’s so heartfelt with a lot of drama as Nati deals with the press and embraces her cultural identity. It was easy to connect to Nati through her Latin identity, finding a lot of universal experiences and struggles. (Her call with her grandma did make me cry.) This book also made me realize how entitled we are to the lives of celebrities and public figures. Like A Love Song is a sweet romantic comedy!

3.85/5 💫
Like a Love Song was a really breezy, entertaining read. 💕 The book has Latinx representation, and reminded me a lot of You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria because of the rep, the celebrity romance plot and heart-warming friendships!

I needed a fluffy, uplifting book, and that's exactly what I got from Like a Love Song! I read the book in just two sittings, so yeah, I was pretty invested in the storyline 😂 It was nice to read a YA book that isn't set against a high-school background tbh. I have recently become obsessed with the fake-dating trope, so I was really happy with how the author made the whole fake-dating thing between two celebs work out in the book. :')

My favourite thing about LALS was the realistic portrayal of Nati's struggles as a Brazilian girl, while balancing fame and a teenage life together. Her character development throughout the story was incredible. Seeing someone so young like Nati accept her brazilian roots and culture whole-heartedly was just the best thing ever.

William was so charming. 😍 *plays London Boy by T.Swift* He did some unlikable stuff though, and that's how he lost some points from me. I wish the author included some chapters from William's side as well - that would have made the relationship complications between him and Nati more fleshed-out, in my opinion. A lot of things started happening in the last two chapters or so, and it was hard to keep up 😭 It might just be me though 🤷 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Like a Love Song, and I highly recommend it if you want a short & fast-paced read with loveable characters. 💕

Five Reasons to Read This Book

One. Truly the number one reason to read this book (aside from, hello it’s gay) is that it centres on a friendship between three girls, and a wonderful one at that. They go through thick and thin together, and wholeheartedly support each other along the way. They’ll tell each other home truths when necessary, but because they want the absolute best for one another. It’s basically the kind of friendship everyone wishes they had.

Two. It’d be remiss of us not to mention William here. We, lesbians, love one (1) man and that’s William. If you’re tired of YA love interests who treat the main character a bit like shit but are excused by some tragic backstory, then William will be a welcome antidote to that. He does what he does for the love of his family and he treats Nati as she wholly deserves to be treated, and watching her relationship with him develop will have you smiling uncontrollably the whole time.

Three. This leads nicely to our next point. The book as a whole is just so cute and wholesome. It’s much like we’d imagine injecting yourself with serotonin would be (in theory, of course, not making any judgements on the physical reality of that). No matter what mood you find yourself in when you start this book, by the end you won’t be able to feel anything but happiness. It’s impossible.

Four. The storyline centres on the theme of shaping yourself to fit into other peoples’ ideals and freeing yourself from that, coming back to finding yourself (and in Nati’s case, fully embracing the culture she was somewhat expected to leave behind). It’s the kind of journey that has you rooting for Nati all the way. You want her to say a great big fuck you to it all and decide for herself who she’s going to be.

Five. Linked into the above point, it’s a story about someone who’s had to disconnect themselves from their own culture to survive in one that’s more prevalent and pervasive. Which is most illustrated in the languages Nati speaks. Language is the basis of your culture, the thing that connects you to your homeland and your family and your roots. And Nati lost that when she moved to pursue her dream. she can’t have a proper conversation with her own grandmother, she’s afraid to visit her own homeland, all because she’s been in America so long she forgot Portuguese, forgot what made her her. Like a Love Song is a story about Nati’s homecoming.

I don't quite know what I was expecting with this one, but it definitely blew all my expectations out of the water. We get a fake dating trope set in the world of glamour, yet the book manages to encapsulate real world issues/topics in a manner extremely well done. We have a bisexual love interest, and obviously, this is a Latinx rom-com written by Latinx author.

I won't go too much into how Natalia (aka Nati) navigates life between American and Brazilian culture, but as someone who's had to navigate her life between a American and an another culture, it was handled extremely delicately and the representation honestly made me yell out in happiness. This is not just 'one' aspect of the story, mentioned once or twice, rather you see the effects of American norms and racial micro-aggressions played out as a whole in Nati's life.

That does not take away from the fluffyness of this rom-com, it is full of humor and love and a journey so beautiful. Nati and William are just such a beautiful couple, and they feel very real as people even though they're famous celebrities. I loved how perfectly they complimented each other and how well they 'fit' together as well.

This romance just warmed my heart and fed my soul in the best way possible. I would 100% recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (GetUnderlined) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

CWs: some exploration of racism, toxic relationships, and online harassment (relating to fandom, specifically), and brief mention of parental abandonment

If you're looking for a delightful Latinx rom-com with fake dating and a soft bisexual love interest, boy howdy do I have the book for you!

Like a Love Song is my favorite kind of romance, not only because it has possibly my favorite romance trope, but because it perfectly balances romantic shenanagins with pitch-perfect social commentary. You get all the light, fluffiness of a rom-com with a healthy side of real-world issues, all packed into one amazing story.

My favorite thing about this book is that it challenges the globalization of American norms and the persistent influence of Imperialism in the entertainment industry and beyond. Even though she's Brazilian-American, Nati has internalized so many harmful messages about how her "success" is tied to passing as American, to the point where she willfully and even unknowingly participates in her own self-erasure. She straightens her hair, makes effort to hide her Brazilian accent, dresses a certain way, and sings exclusively in English, believing this is the best way to appeal to American audiences, because those audiences are considered to have the most power and sway in the industry.

Not only does this have professional implications, but it impacts her personal life. She has distanced herself from her family, her language, and ultimately her culture. And this leaves her stranded between American and Brazilian culture, in a sense, because she has to change herself in order to be seen as American and then those changes make her feel like a fraud among her own family. Through this relationship with William—which is surprisingly genuine, real, safe, and tender—Nati is able to realize that reclaiming and reconnecting with her culture is something that will make her stronger as a person, not something that will jeopardize her career. William's authenticity and dedication to his own family is something that helps Nati realize what is true about herself in turn.

Not only does this heart-warming friendship and romance unlock something deeply personal for Nati, but the plot device of fake dating effortlessly ties back into the issues Nati is facing. There's already so much about herself that she's changing, hiding, or "faking," and having a fake boyfriend is just one more thing that she's presenting about herself to the world that isn't entirely what it seems. Not only does she have to figure out where the line between "fake" and "real" plays into this budding romantic attraction she feels for William, but that clashing of boundaries also allows her to also reclaim power and agency over her life and personhood.

I also think it's fascinating that there is a legal and monetary contract binding these characters together, which is much higher stakes than you would usually see in fake dating romances, where the relationships are often just agreed upon verbally. Not only is this a very real glimpse into celebrity culture and all-too-real PR strategies, but it creates a really fascinating dynamic between the characters. While that legal aspect could have easily gotten tricky, I think it's navigated with a lot of insight and thoughtfulness, in a way that still leaves ample room for the characters' agency and consent, which is really important.

So again, this is my favorite kind of romance, because it allows the characters to grow in profound and meaningful ways and learn new things about themselves. Nati and William are an incredibly sweet couple, and they feel very real as people even though they're famous celebrities. This romance just warmed my heart and fed my soul in the best way possible. If you enjoy romance at all, you definitely need to add this one to your list!

This book is what I call a perfect good time. Super fast paced and incredibly entertaining, I enjoyed every bit of this book. Loved it and would highly recommend.

Entertaining and fast-paced, Like a Love Song featuring a Brazilian pop singer and her British indie film actor, captured my attention for the whole afternoon. When Natalie’s boyfriend broke up with her on live television, minutes before her acceptance speech for an award, the idea that her PR team came up to change things around is for her to date someone else. Not real dating, no. Fake dating.

Since Nati already had an image of who she wanted her next “boyfriend” to be like, she wasn’t entirely kind towards the dorky and awkward William at the start. She was unnecessary picky about his personality, his looks and his actions. That quickly changed when they started getting to know each other even more. In fact, the concerns she had at first became the parts of William that Nati started to adore and cherish.

Throughout the book, Nati opened up about her fears. Afraid that her Brazilian family would think that she had given up on her Latina heritage and culture and that she’s too American to them, she dreads talking to any of her relatives. Nati realises that she didn’t need to compromise on anything to be who she wants to be. At the same time, Nati got her mother and two best friends, Brenda and Padma, as wonderful support systems.

While William had gained some popularity and recognition from the indie films he starred in, he was not ready for the influx of attention that came with (fake) dating a famous and well-loved pop star. What I enjoyed from William and Nati’s interactions was their conversations about fame. William just wanted to act and protect his family. As an extremely private person, the sudden push into the world of cameras and paparazzi terrified William to no end. He started questioning if he was really fit for such a lifestyle.

I loved how real William was throughout the entire book. He was honest about his own feelings regarding Nati, fame, and his family’s situation. I found it really sweet that Nati couldn’t help but spill her thoughts to William because that’s how comfortable and safe she felt with him about her secrets.

Overall, flew through Like a Love Song in no time. The fluffy romance got me wanting more of William and Nati together. While it was light-hearted most of the time, serious topics such as racism faced by the characters and the struggles of being in the show business industry were discussed. I really enjoyed the book! Can’t wait for more by Gabriela Martins!

Natalie has it all an amazing singing career, the perfect boyfriend, and to top it all off tonight is the night that she is going to win the best female singer of the year award. She just knows it. But when the night doesn't end quite as she has planed Natalie life is thrown into disarray. In order to bring her career back into a more positive light Natalie publicists suggests her getting a fake boyfriend. One who will make it look as if she is a phoenix rising out of the ashes and not a heartsick girl who is pinning for her old boyfriend. Enter William a sweet British actor who is hoping that being Natalie's fake boy will not only help him possibly land a role in America, but that it will help him get his family out of trouble. Will Natalie be able to bring her career back on track? Is William more then she was expecting?

What did I love most about this book. I truly loved the fact that William was just so true to himself, and because he was so much himself the allowed Natalie to look at herself in a safe environment and see was she truly happy with who she was, and who she was portraying. I love that this book made someone supposedly so famous seem so human. People forget that who we see through pictures, or the media is not always the whole sum of that person. I loved that Natalie was so open to learning and growing and she realized that she was flawed. I also loved the fact that fame had not made Natalie want to leave others from her past behind. Just the humanization of all the characters was just so perfect. I would at time forget that allegedly many of these characters were super famous. Such a good book, and an easy read. Perfect for teens and adults alike.

Thank you so much Random House Children's and NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy.

Like A Love Song was such a fun read! I am so glad I was able to read this book because I love the cover so much so it really made this one of my most anticipated reads for the summer and it did not disappoint. From the outside, this seems like a light and fluffy romance, but it actually goes in deep to so many big conversations surrounding Hollywood, fame, and staying true to yourself.

The characters in this novel are honest amazing and to die for. Natalie (aka Nati) is such a strong female character and I loved seeing her character growth throughout the novel. She is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in and makes sure that is known. Nati definitely goes hard in all of the right ways and gets exactly what she wants and deserves (which to be honest, I would give her the world if she asked). William, the British love interest, has a lot of fun in his personality (including a love for colourful socks) and pairs so well with Nati. We get to learn a lot about him and a different side of Hollywood through his character and his family/backstory. Along with (and including) these two, we get a lot of rep in this book. There are LGBTQ+ characters as well as so many POC and William is also Jewish. Martins did a great job at including so much diversity in the book!

Like many romance books, this one does include a few tropes and honestly, I loved the book for it. There are some definite tropes that not everyone likes but for me, I loved it and it made the book work so well. Of course the main trope of the book is fake dating but they also start as a bit of enemies to lovers after their first meeting. Fake dating paired with enemies to lovers is honestly, everything I could have asked for but then we also get the "there's only one bed" trope and my gosh, such a great addition and really pushed the story forward as well

I really don't have much that I didn't like in this book! I wish it was longer and some parts maybe expanded on a little bit more but besides that not much I disliked. At times I did feel like the characters were maybe a bit more mature than their age of 17/18 but this didn't really take away too much for me. There were some small reminders through the book of their age (such as one character applying to college) but at times they did feel a bit older. However, this did in no way ruin the book for me, and was not at all a big flaw in my eyes. Overall, a great read and debut!

Honestly, this was such a cute and entertaining read!

𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐇:
• Light-hearted, fast-paced and fun read
• This book explores assimilation and how it connects to one’s identity (I could personally relate to this aspect and appreciate reading it because I haven’t read many books that explore this). I love how it delves into one’s culture and the importance of self-acceptance and love. My younger self definitely needed a book like this!
• Positive female friendship. I adored how they celebrated and brought each other up. Love it.
• Love Nati’s growth and her journey.
• Would’ve loved this and needed this book when I was younger!

𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐄:
• Maybe it’s just me, but I would’ve appreciated more communication on William’s end, especially towards the end of the book.

𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
✔ fake-dating trope
✔ golden retriever/cinnamon roll love interest
✔ only one bed
✔ opposites attract
✔ celebrity main characters

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: assimilation and reconnecting to your culture (Brazilian-American), identity, coming of age

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫: fans of YA contemporary, fans of fake-dating trope,

𝐂𝐖: racism, public humiliation

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher (@GetUnderlined) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit, I’m not really the biggest fan of celebrities or Hollywood in YA Fiction but it was the fake dating trope that drew me to reading Like A Love Song. And I’m happy to report that I truly enjoyed this book!

I love the main characters, Nati and William, as well as Nati’s friends, Padma and Brenda! The whole thing was just wholesome and cute!

Our main characters, Natalie and William, first met on the red carpet accidentally bumping into each other. William is a budding indie actor who doesn’t exactly like the spotlight, while Natalie is a famous pop star. So when William makes some remarks about the frivolous glitz and glamour of the industry, it wasn’t exactly a meet-cute scenario at least for Nati. Especially when she got publicly dumped by her boyfriend, Trent, minutes before she goes on stage to receive her award.

I like that their opposing opinions about fame and publicity were one of the central themes of the story. William was the more reserved and private type, while Nati was more open to the public about her life, being active on social media and all. Their playful banter was really cute and I love that they genuinely started as friends despite their PR relationship setup. It was an absolute delight to see how their relationship blossomed into a romantic one!

William was very sweet and funny, and he was way beyond Trent, Nati’s ex, in all aspects. He listens, gives her enough space to express herself, and most importantly, he loves socks he supports her and makes her fully realize the importance of family. I just wish I got more backstory of William!

As a Latinx-American woman, Nati’s struggles felt very realistic. Obviously, I can’t remark on the representation, other than it felt really genuine. I loved seeing her whole journey on getting back to her Brazilian roots. As a performer, Nati felt like she needed to Americanize herself in order to appeal more to the public. She made efforts with her appearance like straightening her hair and sticking with her stage name, Natalie instead of Natalia or Nati (pronounced Nah-tchy), because it’s easier to pronounce.

The way this arc of Nati was executed was really lovely. I always enjoy seeing people live their truths and pursue their passion! I feel like I’m living vicariously through them. 😂 I love the contrasting aspects of Nati’s and William’s relationship with their respective families. William was really close to his family, while Nati only had her mom, as she struggles to communicate with her family back in Brazil. Still, she was able to find her voice and herself in the process as she reconnects with her identity.

Speaking of identity, Like A Love Song also tackles the topics of being in the spotlight, as well as how it connects to being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Nati’s friends, Padma and Brenda are in a relationship. Padma is a lesbian Pakistani-American, and a famous DJ, while Brenda is a bisexual Brazilian-American. Meanwhile, William comes out to Nati as bisexual, in one of their conversations.

I actually love that conversation of theirs because William emphasized that he wants to discuss his own sexuality on his own terms and didn’t want the public to take away that choice from him. That message resonated with me so much, especially with the previous discourses in publishing, where some authors were forced to come out for the sake of authenticity in their stories.

Like A Love Song is a celebration of identity and finding oneself. I really appreciate the whole message of the book! This was such a fun, entertaining, and definitely swoon-worthy read!

I love the fake-dating, plus there’s also another one of my favorite tropes present: “there’s only one bed”! This book really delivered in all aspects! What I do wish though was more exploration of William’s character. He was super interesting and I would’ve loved it if there was more to his backstory.

Do I recommend this? Definitely!

If you’re looking for a mix of heartfelt emotions and fluffy romance, Like A Love Song should definitely be up on your list!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Like a Love Song

Author: Gabriela Martins

Book Series: Standalone

Diversity: Brazilian Anxiety Rep MC, F/f side character romance , Lesbian side character, Bisexual side character, Jewish bisexual love interest


Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, Brazilian, LGBTQIA+, fake dating trope, one bed trope

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: August 3, 2021

Publisher: Underlined

Pages: 304

Recommended Age: 12+ (Slight Language, Slight drug reference)

Explanation of CWs: There's probably less than 5 times where there's swearing in the book and there's one mention of drugs in passing.

Synopsis: Fake boyfriend. Real heartbreak?

Natalie is living her dream: topping the charts and setting records as a Brazilian pop star…until she’s dumped spectacularly on live television. Not only is it humiliating—it could end her career.

Her PR team’s desperate plan? A gorgeous yet oh-so-fake boyfriend. Nati reluctantly agrees, but William is not what she expected. She was hoping for a fierce bad boy—not a soft-hearted British indie film star. While she fights her way back to the top with a sweet and surprisingly swoon-worthy boy on her arm, she starts to fall for William—and realizes that maybe she’s the biggest fake of them all. Can she reclaim her voice and her heart?

Review: I really loved this book. I really liked the two tropes that were used in the book, fake dating and the one bed, and I felt like overall the book did well to discuss not feeling connection to your culture as I've heard from immigrants friends and friends of immigrants parents sometimes feel. I really loved how the author added commentary about calling countries third world (it's elitist especially when you're an American calling a country third world when we have so many issues ourselves) and I loved how the main focus of the book wasn't the romance but ultimately was the adventure of getting Nati to accept who she was and to not listen to what others say. I also loved how the book didn't fall into the trope of "main character needs to relearn her culture and be proud of where she came from" because the main character already is proud and knows the culture. She just needed to accept it as part of herself and learn she didn't need a persona to play up for the American audience and I think that's more relatable to the targeted audience. Furthermore, the writing was well done, the message was subtle and sweet, the character development was amazing, and overall I really enjoyed reading this book. Lastly, if you're a Swiftie, this book gives major Taylor Swift vibes.

The only issue I had with the book is that the book is super short. It's 304 pages but it feels like it's 150. The story goes by so fast and I'd love it if it was slowed down or if there was more. I'd love to see Nati reunite with her family and speak with them in Portuguese and have that special bond be reenforced again. I'd also love to see more of the anxiety rep play through as there wasn't a real conclusion with that rep.

Verdict: It's so good. Highly recommend.

I was sold by the fake dating trope, which I knew would not disappoint and my presumptions were right. I had so much fun flying through this, an adorable read about a Latin pop star fake dating a British indie actor to bring her public image back up.

One thing I absolutely loved about this book is Nati’s struggles as a Latina woman, a celebrity at that, and how she grew to realise she didn’t have to give up her heritage to be loved by her fans. It was a topic were woven lightly but effectively into her character arc—her reconnecting with her culture, her realising that she doesn’t have to Americanize herself by going by the name of Natalie instead of Natalia her real name, her not choosing to go by the nickname Nati as people would find it hard to pronounce, or even her modifying her Latina image for the public. Gabriela adds this to the story so well!

William was a pretty likeable character too. He’s bisexual, which made him all the more interesting. would’ve loved to know his struggles on a deeper level but he was charming nonetheless.

His and Nati’s fake-dating-to-oops-we-caught-real-feelings romance was so fun to read. I loved the tension and uncertainty of feelings, a fluffy happy romance that made me grin.

Nati’s friends, Padma and Brenda formed a great support system for her! Their friendship is delightful.

Like a Love Song also dealt with the downside and pressure of fame and spotlight. How it strains her relationships and her own self.

Overall, this is a short and sweet book, warm and uplifting with a cute romance and a heartfelt protagonist. If you’re in the mood for a story like that, get your hands on Like A Love Song!

Fake dating is one of the most superior romance tropes as is, but mix that with a little bit of fame and fortune and you have yourself a winner. I really enjoyed this book. I thought Nati's journey of taking back her culture and learning to love where she came from was a really important story, and I loved William who randomly reminded me of Joe Alwyn for some reason. In my opinion this is a must read just for a certain bed-sharing scene.

DRC provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: Brazilian protagonist, bisexual Jewish secondary character, bisexual Brazilian secondary character, lesbian Pakistani secondary character, Brazilian tertiary character, Latine tertiary character.

Content Warning: public humiliation, mentions of racism, violence.

Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins is a contemporary romance novel about love, both familial and romantic and how dealing with fame may change people.

Nati is an international Latina singer with millions of fans about to receive one of the most important awards when her boyfriend of eight months decides to break up with her on live TV. Her public humiliation forces her to work with a British indie actor on a fake-dating scheme beneficial to both to save her reputation. She does not expect, though, to actually start feeling something for the scrawny dork.

While in theory I should have loved this book, I only liked it. It had all my favourite ingredients: fake-dating, the only-one-bed trope, etc… but the final dish did not completely satisfy me. I really liked Nati’s personal journey towards a rediscovery of herself, her sound and her image and even though I liked the romance part, I somewhat wished she had not ended up with William, mostly because I reckon they are not a right fit for each other and also because I would have liked reading a different sort of “happily ever after”. I also hoped the novel had dwelled more in the intrinsic racism and queerphobia of the music and movie industries.

All in all, Like A Love Song is a quick and pleasant reading experience that makes me excited about Gabriela’s next project!

I loved this fake dating romance!! i adored the brazilian culture that was in this book along with all the tropes (including celeb romance, & pining!!) it was a really fun and great read.