This would’ve been a good summer read due to the setting. I was feeling the island of Puerto Rico and all its beauty. Unfortunately, the characters just fell flat for me. I didn’t connect and therefore didn’t believe their story. Honestly, Madi lost me when she got on her knees begging her loser ex. 🤢

I have read other of this author’s work, and have loved it, so I will keep an eye out for her stuff. This just missed the mark for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3⭐️ due mostly to the setting.

"Love of My Lives" by Yamile Saied Méndez is a captivating romance novel that I enjoyed immensely. The book's heartfelt narrative and well-drawn characters created a genuine connection with me as a reader. Yamile Saied Méndez's storytelling prowess shines through, weaving a tale of love and life's intricate moments. "Love of My Lives" is a delightful exploration of relationships and the power of connection, making it a wonderful read for those who appreciate stories that touch the heart.

2/5. Releases 9/26/2023.

Vibes: vacation romance, magical realism, a very loving portrayal of Puerto Rico, and a chasteness but... not?

In a dream, Madi's abuela predicts that her one true love will be a man with the initials "JR'. Years later, Madi is engaged to a man with those initials, but doesn't feel right. Grabbing a business trip to Puerto Rico as an opportunity to scatter her abuela's ashes, Madi makes an instant connection that feels Fated... except for his initials.

Look, I know this premise is a stretch, but I love magical realism and I like it. Unfortunately, while I think Mendez can write a very good sentence, I did not connect with this book. It didn't really hit me as a romance, and it didn't hit me as an emotional "woman finding herself" book. I feel like a friend of mine would like this book--but I couldn't latch on.

Quick Takes:

--So here's my thing. I think that with the right spin, I could've bought that Madi believed in this prophetic dream well into adulthood--it would've been something I bought. But in a way, I didn't feel like Madi was a messy enough adult for me to buy that she'd put this much stock in the dream. This isn't a mildly important issue, this is her future partner. There are definitely women who would rely on that dream, but I don't know. I felt like Madi's personality just didn't gel with that level of spiritualism.

In the same sense, I can buy instalove, I'm not inherently against it. However, it's a hard sell. I don't feel like enough power was put into the connection between Madi and her love (holding back on who he is because like--spoilers). I just didn't believe this was anything other than good chemistry. Not even "bone me in a parked car half an hour after meeting me" chemistry. Just fine.

--That said, there is a lot of love put into Puerto Rico. You can feel the setting, you can sense the love Madi has for her experiences there (and her abuela). Not to be cliche, but it's arguable that the "love" of the book is Puerto Rico. And that's not a bad thing--but in order for this book to really embrace that, I think the plot would have to be re-tooled a bit.

Also, I have to say that the release date for this book... confuses me? It seems likes such a prime beach read; it's got a total summer vacation sensibility.

--I do think, as I said above, that Mendez has a lovely writing style. It's not flowery, but it's soothing and has a natural appeal. My issues are really with some choices made regarding story and character.

The Sex Stuff:

This book is closed door... but they do have sex. And a vibrator is mentioned, among other things. I was a little weirded out by that choice, to be honest. I get romances that are chaste. But when you make it clear that two people have sex and just don't show it... I don't understand. Not every sex scene needs to be super long (though I.... usually prefer those that are) but this felt like a bit of a bait and switch.

This wasn't a fit for me, but I did enjoy the descriptions of Puerto Rico.

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A contemporary love story about fate and the lifelong journey of finding your soul mate.

BOOK DETAILS

Title: Love of My Lives
Author: Yamile Saied Méndez
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Point of View: 3rd Person
Trope(s): Soul Mates, Magical Realism, Travel

MY SYNOPSIS

On the night Madi Ramirez lost her abuela at the age of 13, her grandmother's spirit paid her a visit and revealed an image of the man she was destined to marry. As Madi grew older and began to date, it became her single focus to find this mysterious man.

Fast forward to present day >> every man Madi believed was the love of her lives has turned out to be a disappointment. When Madi finds herself once again reeling from a breakup, she decides to seek solace by traveling to her grandmother's homeland in Puerto Rico.

Madi immediately feels at home on the island and soon meets a man with whom she feels an instant connection. The only problem? He doesn't haven't the same initials as the man she saw in her vision as a child. Madi must decide if she wants to continue living for a day in the future that may never come or live in the present and enjoy every moment she possibly can with the man right in front of her.

MY THOUGHTS

LOVE OF MY LIVES is a fun, lighthearted read that would be perfect for the beach. The plot is interesting and unique, and the author added a lot of great descriptive and background information about Puerto Rico. It made me want to book a flight to see the beauty for myself.

However, I would have liked to feel a deeper connection between Madi and the main love interest. Their relationship just didn't feel believable to me. There were also a few events that seemed too far fetched and a few others that didn't really add anything to the story. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable read that could use another round of editing.

I'd recommend to readers looking for a fun travel romance, as well as fans of soul mates, magical realism, and instalove.

OVERALL RATING: ❤️❤️❤️

*A big thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Love of My Lives has lovely, sensual prose and a lot of good things going for it, including its wonderful heroine and a romance that sings. Just one thing kept this from being a flat-out A, otherwise it’s a wonderful little slice of magical realism.

Madi Ramírez has been waiting for her perfect man, as ordained by destiny and the prophetic dream she had in which her beloved and late abuela appeared and told her she was destined to fall in love with a man whose initials are JR.

Years later, successful yoga studio leader Madi thinks she’s found the right guy in Jayden, but she slowly comes to realize he’s not the affectionate fellow she needs in her life.

Needing time to clear her head, she jumps at the chance to do just that offered by a business trip to Puerto Rico. That way she can scatter her abuela’s ashes into the ocean as she always wished, and take a little time in the sun to think things out. To her shock, she meets a man whom she has instant and intense chemistry with during the trip – but his name is Peter. Can true love still bloom for Madi, no matter the name of her intended?

Love of my Lives combines a wonderful heroine who is worth rooting for, a hero who is a surprise down to his core, believable and tender romantic elements, and a strong family connection that made me smile. I really loved the simplicity of the plot, and the warmth of Madi’s connection to her past and her family shine.

Madi is very winning, if very imperfect, while Peter is very charming. And the romance between them is tender and well-reasoned.

So what makes this an A-? The last half of the book is absolutely rushed, especially when it comes to the resolution of the Big Mis. Otherwise Love of my Lives is a sweet-tempered, magic-tinged romance that’s well worth reading.

Madi Ramírez has a terrible boyfriend. She has convinced herself that she loves him because he has the initials shown to her in a dream from when she was thirteen and visited by her abeula's spirit. But he is the worst! Hit him with your car! She heads to Puerto Rico for a career opportunity and immediately meets someone who doesn't have the initials... but he's actually nice? Madi spends the rest of the book making excuses for her dumb crypto boyfriend's bad (read: racist) behaviour and trying to ignore her feelings for Hot Nice Guy Who Doesn't Have the Right Initials.

Descriptions of Puerto Rico and Latin American culture was the highlight of Love of My Lives for me. I could've done without the love story and would've enjoyed it a lot more if the book focused solely on Madi finally making some good decisions and living her best life.

Well, I really liked the cover and the blurb. Plus, this book comes from one of my favourite publishers, Kensington. However, sadly, this book didn't really work for me.
I couldn't connect with Madi, the main protagonist.

The book begins with Madi's grandmother's death. She was just thirteen and so close to her that her grandmother shared her last wish with her. And the first thing that comes to her mind after her grandma's death is, 'How will I find my soulmate?' (now that her grandma isn't around as she was supposed to guide her. Then, on the very same day, she got her period and she was apparently excited about it, waiting for it, and her face was 'shiny with joy and pride.' I don't know, but I found these things a little odd for a thirteen year old. And we never got to see that close relationship between the grandmother and Madi.
After 18 years, she has a boyfriend who said, 'he was thinking of proposing to her. She feels, 'he (her boyfriend) is handsome; he is kind; he is attentive…' but again, we don't see it. And from the very beginning, Madi is terribly stressed for no particular reason.
And then her obsession with JR (initials of her boyfriend and someone she meets in Puerto Rico) seemed a little childish.
This book wasn't for me. If you enjoy reading stories that involve travelling and description of exotic places, you might enjoy this book.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The main thing that I loved about this book was reading about Puerto Rico. The author wrote so much about the culture and all these different areas that it made me want to visit there someday.

As for the rest of the book, it was fine. I don't really have much else to say about it. I enjoyed it but it's definitely not going to be one of those books that lingers in my mind. I will most likely forget about it after a little while.

I really liked the book's premise and the author's use of Puerto Rican culture. But as it progressed, I didn't feel like I really connected or cared for with or any of the characters. I didn't really like the whole concept of 'insta-love' either. Other than that, the book was somewhat underwhelming.

Ugh. I hate to even write this review. I think bullet points are needed.
1. The author clearly loves Puerto Rico and did a great job of describing it. It’s sounds beautiful.

2. The writing is juvenile. Honestly, it’s like reading a story by an 8th grader who read her mother’s harlequin romance novels.

3. This book desperately needs another round of editing. The author repeated so much information it’s like she forgot that she already told us something one chapter before. It feels like the book was pieced together, but she didn’t review all the pieces before putting them together

4. If I never have to read the phrase “the love of my lives” again, it will be too soon.

After having a dream where she could see the love of her life, Madi has been trying to find him. She only knows the initials but she trusts she will find him with the help of her grandma, who died years ago.
But during a trip to her ancestors' country, Puerto Rico, she will start to see things from a new perspective.
Ok, the story is not bad. And I must admit I liked the end a lot. But it was boring in some parts. I didn't get to connect with Madi and although all her tales and data about Puerto Rico are interesting, I couldn't help noticing that some assumptions about other countries are wrong.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this title in exchange for an honest review!

“Love of my lives” (2023) by Yamile Saied Méndez is a contemporary romance full of beautiful Latin American diversity. It had a premise I don’t particularly love, but the summary convinced me to give it a chance: soulmates. As it turned out, I should have just followed my intuition that it wasn’t going to be my thing.

The story opens with Madi Ramírez saying goodbye to her witchy grandma, whose visions have guided the love lives of everyone in the family. Madi regrets that her grandmother will never be able to help Madi find her soulmate now - but that night, she dreams about a man with the initials JR. Even though her dream grandma tells her to be chill and let things flow, Madi spends the following years nearly exclusively dating men with those initials. When her rich but awful boyfriend breaks up with her, Madi and her roommate/friend/coworker Audri go on a business trip to Puerto Rico, scouting for the perfect location for their yoga retreats. There, Madi meets someone she feels an instant connection with… could he be Madi’s fated soulmate?

I believe there’s a way to make a premise like this work for me. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it, as it featured two of my least favourite tropes: instalove and miscommunication.

To start with the good stuff, the book is vibrant with Latin American culture and, in particular, a love for Puerto Rico that you can really feel from the author. It also has good social commentary on the struggles and challenges of the country, but accompanied again by such a love of Puerto Rico and its people. I really appreciated the mindful way that this played out in Madi’s journey.

However, Madi is literally obsessed with finding the “love of her lives”, who has to match the JR initials and be a man because that’s what her dream showed her. I mean, I kind of get it: if your grandma is in the habit of sending prophetic dreams that have never failed, it’s a lot of pressure and expectations when you get one! But this was still tiring to read, and especially annoying when you consider that Madi is a yoga teacher who allegedly practices mindfulness. Wouldn’t she be more trained than most of us to trust fate and let things flow?

Well, she doesn’t. I mean, she tries. Very half-heartedly. Her current JR boyfriend is a major asshole, even though Madi insists he is “amazing on paper” and just wishes he were more passionate. But the first thing we learn about him is that he’s a cripto bro, which says it all. Later on we see that he constantly puts Madi down, is lowkey misogynist and racist, and doesn’t want to be “tied down” to Madi. And yet until halfway through the book, Madi still thinks wistfully about things working out between them, and at the end she still thinks of him as “a good man”. Uh, no, he’s not.

So, while she recovers from heartbreak, Madi hears that her tour guide’s initials are also JR and is already fantasizing about falling in love again. Girl, I think you need some time to be on your own! When she runs into a hot man, certain things lead her to think he’s JR her tour guide, which only reinforces her feelings. But then she realizes she was wrong, and instead of being like “hey, maybe I should just stop putting so much stock into a dream I had when I was 13 years old and grieving my grandma”, she spends the rest of the book lamenting that this guy clearly isn’t the love of her lives (a phrase I got violently sick of hearing) but then why does she like him so much and should she even give this a chance. Madi came off as if she hadn’t grown up that much since she was 13, because her thoughts and dialogue were too juvenile.

The most frustrating thing about this book is that I think it actually did want to give a message of self-growth and shaping your own destiny… but that was what it *said*. What it showed was a very different thing. For example, by the end of the book, Madi thinks about how this journey helped her learn to love herself, that she hadn’t felt loved by anyone else until she’d felt beautiful, flaws and all. The problem, though, is that she didn’t. She didn’t see herself as beautiful, flaws and all, until she met “JR” and *he* accepted her and made her feel beautiful. Another example is that she thinks about how she isn’t afraid to travel alone anymore, which she allegedly learned during the trip. But she was never really alone during the trip either - she was with “JR” the whole time! So we’re told all these lessons about self-love and self-acceptance and independence… but it’s like, where is this, really? This wasn’t what I read.

And then the third act conflict was frustrating to me because it’s like, you guys have *just* met as to have these type of demands and expectations from the other person!

Another thing was that the whole vibe of the book was a bit too woo-woo for me. Don’t get me wrong: I love mindfulness, I enjoy witchy stuff, I like the idea of reincarnation… but it still felt like a lot.

As far as smut goes, the book features closed-door sex with non-explicit references to sexy times, including masturbation (which I love to see).

tl;dr: If you’re looking for an instalove romance with lots of Latine rep and a curvy FMC, then you might enjoy this, but it just wasn’t for me.

Whether you're a fan of romance novels or just seeking a poignant and beautifully crafted story, this is a must-read that will leave you with a warm and hopeful feeling, even after the final page has been turned.

Thank you netgalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book. I was so excited about this book especially during the first chapter! Unfortunately as the book went on I just wasn’t as interested. I couldn’t connect with the characters and honestly didn’t feel a connection to the romance as much as I would have liked. I really enjoyed the cultural aspects but was just lacking in other areas although I did really like the ending!

First, I loved the premise; my favourite part of what I read was just the description of the setting and culture. And the beginning, setting up Madi's story was engaging. The problem was as the story shifted to the present. I couldn't connect with Madi or any one of the other characters, and I felt that there was too much repetition to really get into the story. The insta-love fell flat and overall, Madi's inner monologue felt a little juvenile and kept me from caring about who she ended up with.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Love of My Lives was a really cute read! I loved the storyline, the hang up of the initials (lots of my fellow Latinas know the importance of signs or things that are “meant to be” in our lives! Haha!), and the Puerto Rican rep! This was a fantastic book and I loved the characters and especially the environment of the book. I felt like I was there. Overall, this book is a fantastic beach read!

I love how the author describes the place! It feels like I'm in Puerto Rico because of how detailed the description. It's like convincing me to go for a trip!

The book is such a cute read. If you want a quick and easy read, this one's for you! Unfortunately, the whole storyline didn't stick with me. I think everything is happening so fast, like the emotions of the characters isn't setting in on how it should be. It's a fast-paced and insta-love, I guess? Not my cup of tea because I prefer slow burn but this is still a nice read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the digital ARC!

Love this interesting take on where fate leads us! It also shared some wonderful details about Puerto Rico that more people should know. You'll fall in love with Madi AND the island, finding yourself rooting for a bright future for both.

3.5⭐️

Madi believes her soulmate has the initials JR, until she meets Peter in her trip in Puerto Rico who’s perfect for her and she has feelings for but her beliefs with the initials has her questioning this relationship.

the book was a fun fast-paced read, the romance between Madi and Peter was so cute.
I loved the cultural aspect of the story and the set up in PR.
I struggled with Madi’s character at some point in the book and got bored of the initials issue but other than that I enjoyed the book.

Love of my Lives is a cute read that made me want to book a trip to Puerto Rico. The premise of the book is interesting and definitely intriguing to romance readers, however, I didn’t find myself rooting for the couple in this book.

Madi and Peter have a chance meeting and find instant love amongst many obstacles suggesting it won’t work. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to find their love believe or want to root for it.

It also bothered me that Madi referred to her ex as a “good man” at the end after sharing earlier that he made homophobic and racist comments. Not really my definition of a good man.

Overall, it is a cute idea and I wanted to love it but it just fell flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for this ARC!