Cover Image: A Lot Like Adiós

A Lot Like Adiós

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Gabe left his life and his family in New York behind to build a new one in California and he has no intention in ever going back. But his business partner's life won't allow him to oversee their new business in New York so Gabe has to go back but he doesn't have to tell his family he is in town. Until he finds out the person hired to help with the marketing in New York is Michelle, his best friend that he hasn't spoken to since he left. Can they find a way to work together? What about the kiss they shared before he left? A steamy story of friendship, family, and figuring out how to be yourself in a family.

Was this review helpful?

OMG! I loved You Had Me At Hola but somehow this was even better!! I adored all the characters, and I was so happy the Primas of Power featured prominently. The fan fiction and flashbacks made it even better. I wish I could read it again for the first time! My greatest wish is that Alexa Daria would write faster!!

Was this review helpful?

I throughly love this series and this author. I also loved how it was second chance romance and the steam gah it was amazing!

Was this review helpful?

This book was amazing. I think to start I have to mention that I read the whole thing in a day! Gabe and Michelle are addictive not only as a couple but as the heroes of the story. There were so many moments were I was rooting for them. I loved watching their journey and discovering truths about themselves that they had been ignoring for so long.

This book also included two of my favorite tropes Best Friends to Lovers and “Wait, we have to work together?!” Throw in some forced proximity, a lot of shared history, steamy as hell sex scenes and I was enamoured.

Just like in You Had Me At Hola, I loved how important of a roll family plays into the storyline. This book, this series in general, and this writing made me feel like I was part of the family. I do not come from an Latinx family, but I do come from a large Italian one and some of this stuff was so relatable that it warmed my heart over and over. I give this book a 5 star because it was incredible and I was unable to put it down. I cannot wait to have a physical copy in my hands soon!

Was this review helpful?

Another beautiful cover from Alexis Daria!

THIS BOOK IS STEAMY FROM THE START.
A Lot Like Adios is a second chance romance mixed with friends to lovers and a little fake-dating thrown in.

Michelle and Gabriel were childhood friends until he decided to move away and never look back. His business partner contacts Michelle for help on marketing their new gym location in New York, and Michelle has some conditions before she agrees. She wants Gabe to stay with her so they can hopefully get past the unresolved issues, feelings, history, and sexual tension between them. They have such a natural chemistry between them and I loved their banter.

I loved seeing Mich and Gabe deal with their own personal struggles and how they need to work on themselves before they could embrace the people they became by the end of the novel in order to fully love each other and make the relationship between them work. I love the fact that they grew separately before coming together again.... Also I love they fact that they are nerdy and used to write a Sci-Fi fan fic!

Looking forward to reading more from Alexis Daria.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for allowing me access to this ARC; This is my voluntary review.

Was this review helpful?

My word, I just loved this. The sex is steamy steamy steamy, and the love story was, for me, really sweet. I am not normally the biggest fan of 2nd chance romances, but I think the way Daria structured this made it more appealing to me. I don't want to spoil anything, but the speed of things felt RIGHT to me. Highly enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to where Daria goes next.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

When reading the first book in this series, You Had Me At Hola, I couldn't help but wonder if the other Primas of Power were going to get their own HEAs. When A Lot Like Adiós was announced, I couldn't have been more thrilled!

In A Lot Like Adiós, we finally get more of Michelle's story, who was fairly silent about her love life in the first book. Years ago, she and her childhood best friend Gabriel parted ways on awkward terms, to say the least. Therefore, when Gabriel's business partner sends her a job offer as a marketing contractor, she couldn't be more confused. Still, she accepts, and of course the hilarity and romance ensues.

While the steam in this book was definitely a positive, what I loved more than anything was the emphasis on family (especially big, crazy ones). The true love story was honestly between the family as a whole, accepting one another regardless of gender, sexuality, nationality, etc.

My one turn off was the main male love interest's victim mentality. Although he (of course) gets over himself, Michelle is an absolute bad ass and could've made it without him. That isn't to say that the romance isn't strong, because it is. I just think my girl deserved better off the bat, but what would a romance be without at least one person not seeing what's right in front of them?

Overall, what an amazing romance! Many thanks to NetGalley and to Avon KissCon to providing this giveaway ARC!

Was this review helpful?

What is there not to love about this book? There is community, family, friendship, second chances, and some spicy moments. It’s so easy to get invested in the characters. The story is so engaging. I never felt bored. It was such a wonderful experience and I am already ready for the next book.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

Was this review helpful?

If you’re looking for a steamy second-chance romance with lots of humor, yearning, and just the right amount of angst, ‘A Lot Like Adios’ is the book for you.

When Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx 13 years ago, he had no intentions of every coming back. Not even for his best friend and longtime crush, Michelle Armato. Now a co-owner of a successful celebrity gym, Gabe finds himself thrust back into Michelle’s orbit when she is hired to work on a marketing campaign for a gym expansion project in NYC. Michelle was devastated when her best friend ghosted her, and feels like she’s owed an explanation. She agrees to work with him in order to finally obtain some closure. However, when they see each other again, it becomes obvious that the feelings they’ve harbored for decades haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve deepened. But as the lines of their relationship become impossibly blurred, the question becomes, can they move forward together, or will they say goodbye, again?

A well-crafted second-chance romance is hard to find, and this novel ticks all of the boxes. A compelling reason for the two to be separated in the first place? Check. A brilliantly conceived reason for the two to be reunited? Check. An unraveling of complex feelings from both the past and the present? Check. A maturation and evolution of the protagonists? Check. Add in wonderfully informed steamy scenes chock full of communication and consent, and it’s all of the checks. Honestly, this book was an absolute delight to read.

Author Alexis Daria has created such a layered and dynamic world in this novel and its predecessor, ‘You Had Me at Hola,’ that you feel wholly invested in the outcome. I hope we get to read even more stories from this world in the future. (Especially Ava’s story.)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Steamy!! I appreciate Alexis Daria's commitment to diversity and representation of complex identities. My only complaints are I found the book a bit serious and would have liked a more conventional HEA.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Avon for an early copy of this book. I loved Alexis Daria's book You Had Me At Hola. However, this book is my favorite of the two. If you loved You Had Me At Hola, you will love A Lot Like Adios! I absolutely loved Michelle and Gabe! I cannot wait to see what Alexis Daria writes next

Was this review helpful?

DNF at 27%

I dont want to give a star rating to this book since i didnt finish but personally this book was just not for me. It might have a been a triggering topic for me or the fact that they *Spoilers* have sex right off the bat? The idea was very intriguing ans i was so excited to read but i just couldnt get through the book. thank you so much netgalley for an arc of this book!

Was this review helpful?

It takes a lot for me to root for a second chance romance, but this one does it perfectly. I really like the family dynamics that did most of the push/pull. Families are great until they interfere more than they should, or things get left unsaid for years. Michelle and Gabriel were Best Friends who felt more things about each other and were separated for thirteen years.

But he has to return to New York City, and Michelle is picked by his business partner, unbeknownst of Gabe and Mich's history, to help create a marketing campaign. So, Gabe returns, both wonder if Gabe never left New York what could have been. Also, who hasn't had to hide from parents, even if you are staying next door?!?!

Enjoyable. Well done. A delight.

I received an ARC from Avon and NetGalley for my personal review.

Was this review helpful?

I reviewed this title for Booklist and let my editor know that it was absolutely fantastic. I honestly believe it is her best, and that is a very high bar based on the good quality of her other work!

Thank you for letting me have this title. Here is a copy of the review I sent in - keep in mind it will go through editing and be changed prior to publication in Booklist.

Gabriel Aguilar has had little contact with his parents since a rift with his dad several years before. Now he has a thriving gym, and one partner wants a New York branch. They choose to hire Michelle, Gabe’s best friend from high school, another person who pushed him away after learning he wanted to leave. Michelle ran a famously successful branding campaign for a similar business, but now does freelance, after the firm she worked in gave the promotion she deserved to her colleague and ex-boyfriend. She wants to show Gabe how much it hurt her when he disappeared and never responded to her emails but instead they soon realize how much they love each other. When Gabe is confronted with his family, and has to make a career decision, he is forced to decide what he really wants. Sizzling chemistry, realistic family dynamics, humorous fan fiction flashbacks and two strong leads make this outstanding second chance romance one of rising star Daria’s best.-Amy Alessio

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed reading “You Had Me at Hola” so I was really looking forward to “A Lot Like Adiós”, but it just isn’t my type of book. I love romance novels but this feels like all sex and no romance. I read 25% of the book and most of the text seemed to be focused on sex and not on the plot. The plot had a lot of potential, with two former childhood friends rekindling a relationship over a business partnership, but from what I read the majority of the text is focused on curating steamy sex scenes instead of building the plot and characters.

Was this review helpful?

Oh this was fun! A perfect summer read. I'm a sucker for forced proximity romances. This had very sweet childhood details that built a beautiful foundation.

Was this review helpful?

After reading the first book in the series, I just could not wait for A Lot Like Adios and it surpassed my expectations completely!

Alexis Daria gets right to it in this friends to lovers Latinx book & I could not love the approach to theromance any more! Being the second in the Prima a of Power series from Avon Books, book 2 focuses on Michelle, who is the cousin of Jasmine from You Had Me at Hola, we met her briefly in that story. I LOVED how their strong friendship as a squad, that fierce female family relationship of sticking up for one another no matter what, was such a great part of the overall plotline as well.

Just like the current weather as I read this one poolside, this book heats up quickly when Gabriel, her former best friend falls into her life again and things get a little hot & spicy! From their professional relationship to their personal one, through all the family drama and the nostalgic throwbacks to their youth writing fanfic, I was enthralled with this book!

Was this review helpful?

A Lot Like Adios was absolutely delightful. The characters were so lovable, it had you pulling for them from the first page. It was a really quick read that had me feeling all the emotions.

Was this review helpful?

If you loved Alexis Daria's You Had Me at Hola, you will thoroughly enjoy A Lot Like Adios. Michelle and Gabe's friends to enemies to lovers story mixed with fan fiction and their meddling families makes this story just as enjoyable and entertaining as Jasmine and Ashton's story. Once you start reading A Lot Like Adios, you won't be able to put it down.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this story!! With A Lot Like Adios, Alexis Daria has crafted an on-brand romance filled with friendship, heart, and sexy situations that will singe your eyebrows. This lovely Latinx story explores the pressures of family expectations on relationships before expertly delivering a satisfying and heady HEA. Michelle and Gabe are the two out-of-the-box romance characters readers want. A delight. A breath of fresh air. An absolute joy.

Was this review helpful?