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“A Lot Like Adiós” by Alexis Daria $12.16 at Amazon, a second-chance-at-love contemporary romance.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx for college and never looked back. He did it to escape his domineering parents expectations, but it also meant leaving behind Michelle Amato, his childhood neighbor, best friend, and long time crush. Over a decade later, Michelle has become a freelance graphic designer well known for her work on a wildly successful campaign. Gabe's business partner hires her unaware of Michelle and Gabe's past. Unsure of what to say after all this time, but eager to reconnect, all Gabe can say is "I've missed you." Michelle isn't sure whether opening her life and bed to Gabe after all this time is a good idea, but she cannot resist the opportunity. As the two work together on the campaign for Gabe's business they cannot resist exploring the attraction that has always existed. Their passion burns brighter than ever, but when the campaign is finished, will Gabe stick around?

A wonderful contemporary romance with lots of wit and passion. As a reader I fell in love with Gabe and Michelle right off the bat and was rooting for them (and their families the entire time). This is the second book in the Primas of Power series, but can be read as a standalone.

I really liked the characters in A Lot Like Adios. While I do enjoy romance, I am more of a fade to black kind of gal, and this was.... spicy. The love scenes are graphic, but tastefully written. I really enjoyed the inclusion of the characters past selves talking about the fanfic they wrote as teenagers. I also really liked that the book has bisexual rep!

Childhood friends to not-quite-lovers/unrequited love to steamy passion.
All this in one fun-packed romance that's full of surprises, teenage-year flashbacks, heart and charm.

The second book in the series can definitely be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading 'You had me at Hola' which I found to be the stronger romance of the two.

I can't wait for the next one in the series.

An excellent follow up in the series. Good character building mixed with good friends to more relationship drama and very hot sexy times!

Solid second book in the series! This childhood BFFs-to-lovers / second chance mashup is signature Alexis Daria, bringing the heat, the family drama and the friendships. Fan fic nerds will enjoy the interstitials between each chapter that Michelle & Gabe wrote as teenagers.

I loved that the story gave real due to Gabe's issues with his dad and allowed the two to come to real conclusions and mend their relationship.

The only thing is, Adios doesn't give us a clue who might fall into /appear in Ana's life for a book 3!

This book is perfection, and definitely surpassed my own (high) expectations for the next in the Primas of Power series. A Lot Like Adios pulls off so many tropes to fantastic results - ex-friends to lovers, "let's bang it out," only one bed, fake dating, and declaring love through fanfiction. Will be recommending this to all of my friends!

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Review posted on GoodReads (October 16, 2021)
Review linked

5/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review!

I loved the first book in this series, so I was so so excited to read A LOT LIKE ADIÓS by Alexis Daria. And oh my gosh is this book everything that I ever wanted in a romance book! This book has two amazing and lovable main characters, amazing bi rep, a beautiful best friends-strangers-lovers trope, a beautiful story about family and finding one's passion, strong female leads, SEXY and STEAMY sex scenes and romance, and more!

I think that I loved Daria's writing even more in this powerful, sexy, and loving sequel! I really cannot wait to see what she writes next! I loved every moment of reading this book and I really really recommend it to anyone who loves romance.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I have mixed feelings about this one…I was expecting to LOVE this one because of how much I enjoyed You Had Me at Hola, but I just really didn’t like Michelle or Gabe. Their problems felt unrealistic and unnecessary. This is super steamy, so be careful if you are listening to the audiobook.

Thanks to @NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for my ARC!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! It’s the last day, but I’ve made it with my review. Do you have any favorite books by Hispanic authors?

Fifteen years ago, Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx, his family, and his best friend Michelle Amato. Together they used to write fan fiction for a beloved sci fi show. Gabriel always had a crush on Michelle, but their feelings don’t come out until he is leaving. Michelle tries to contact him after he leaves, but it seems that Gabriel has disappeared forever. Until one day Michelle, now a freelance business graphic designer, is contacted by Gabriel’s partner to help with a brand redesign. Gabriel now is part owner of a celebrity gym. The two meet to go over the design and work together and sparks fly. Will they be able to move on from the past?

This novel has two of my favorite romance tropes – friends to lovers and second chance romance. This is a very steamy romance. I also really enjoyed their sci fi fan fiction that was interspersed between chapters. I enjoyed that the two sexy main characters had a nerdy side to themselves. I loved the banter between the two main characters, and the humor. I had several points where I laughed out loud. I also really loved how Gabriel had the chance to meet his family and work through the issues. I like that he got to see that his parents are people and had grown over time as well.

I have not read You Had Me at Hola, but it’s high up on my list now!

Overall, A Lot Like Adios is a spicy, fun romance. I highly recommend it.

Book Source: Review Copy from Netgalley and Avon. Thank-you!

Michelle and Gabe were best friends in high school who hooked up once, right before Gabe left town without notice. A decade or so later, he's back in her life when his friend and co-gym-owner contacts Michelle for her marketing skills, not realizing she's the one who got away for Gabe. I'm a big fan of Alexis Daria's writing, and this book was another great one. I loved Michelle, and really enjoyed all of her scenes with her cousins. This book is much more about Gabe, however, and how he has to learn to grow up and figure out what he really wants. I enjoyed that, but I would've liked a little more Michelle time. Overall though this was a great read - recommended, and I look forward to Daria's next book!

I liked the first book in the Primas of Power series but I absolutely loved this one. Michelle and Gabe were *chef's kiss.* The tension between them was palpable and there was even a little bit of fake dating!

This second-chance romance (between two people who really didn't get their first chance) is sweet, sexy, and nuanced. The ways it talks about mental health and the LGBTQ community is refreshing and insightful. It is definitely a romance for today's reader and hits on topics like finding a work-life balance and going for what YOU want.

I had no real complaints about this title. It was a great complement to the first book. Highly recommended for romance readers.

Such a great sophomore follow up to You had me at Hola. I love a friend to lovers, second chance romance and Mich and Gabe were absolute perfection. And WHEW... was it hot? To be honest, I could have used a bit more heat. and a lot more exposition about Gabe and his relationship with his father.

The comedy is a bit broader and the chemistry is more volatile in Alexis Daria’s crazy, sexy, cool second-chance romance A Lot Like Adiós.

After a young lifetime of being badgered and bullied by his parents, Gabe Aguilar was desperate to get out of the Bronx and away from his judgmental and domineering father. In an act of defiance, unbeknownst to Michelle Amato, his best friend and next-door neighbor whom he always had a crush on, Gabe applied to UCLA, got a scholarship and left everything behind, including the friendship that sustained him for most of his life. Thirteen years later, Gabe is a physiotherapist and co-owner of a successful Los Angeles gym called Agility. Michelle and Gabe are thrown together again when Fabian, Gabe’s business partner, sees a splashy marketing campaign that Michelle designed and recruits her to work on the launch of their first East Coast branch.

Gabe and Michelle share a connection that is instinctual and hot like fire—not just habanero or scotch bonnet hot, but ghost pepper hot. In the bedroom, at the zoo, in the basement gym, everywhere they go, there’s heat. Daria masterfully blends that steam with character building and emotional connection from the start. Their love scenes are nothing short of spectacular, full of communication and creativity as well as physical spark.

Full review at BookPage.com.

This book was out of this world! I do not think this author can do any wrong. If you loved the first one, you will love this one too. I think I like this one even better. The romance, the banter and the steam were off the charts! I loved the character development and the family aspect of it too. The side characters were fantastic and hilarious!

A Lot Like Adios has become a fast favorite of mine. I'm a sucker for second chance romance combined with childhood friends to lovers, which this book does both realistically and deliciously. The characters were friends throughout childhood, with some mutual pining and co-fanfic writing (they finally got Latinos in spaaaace and it was cancelled after one season) ending in a dazzling make out session and then boom... he leaves the next day, all the way across the country. The book begins when their worlds collide in the workplace resulting in some ~forced proximity~ and ~reconciliation.~

The SPICE???!?!? IN THIS BOOK?!?!?!?!? It is plentiful and verrry good lmao.

The Bisexual representation was also faaaantastic in this story. Both the main character and the love interest are bi, and while it's never a huge aspect of their character, those casual comments about liking the same gender were such a treat to read as a bisexual person, and are definitely working to normalize bisexuality which I love.

This author wrote banter, relationship building and reconciliation, familial struggles and spice SO WELL, this book is definitely a new favorite. I'm heading ASAP to read the first book in this series and YALL NEED TO READ THIS ONE ASAP.

This is a steamy second chances romance with some diverse characters. Sometimes it seemed a little cheesy or contrived, but overall, a sweet story about family and friendships.

I received this ARC for an honest review.


I really enjoyed this story and the characters. Michelle and Gabe both kept the story going but her family at the beginning really moved everything along. The story moves back and forth from the present to the past but does so that it does not take away from the story or the characters at all.
Michelle wants to deal with the past and why Gabe left so fast and for the most part has stayed away from the Bronx. Gabe left New for U.C.L.A. and stayed in California now with a partner who owns a gym. The last time he was home for his sister’s wedding he got into an argument with his father, one of the good ones where everyone stops to hear what is going on. Now he is back and staying right next door to the father he does not want to see. That is another part of this story that makes it funny, his wanting to hide from his father but when he does run into his father it is not where you want to meet your parents. This book has many moments like that and is an overall very good story and very much worth the read.