I requested this ARC because I saw a setting in Puerto Rico and a bit of magic and I was sold. I really enjoyed this book and give it a solid 3.5 stars, rounding up to 5. Learning more about Puerto Rico was really fun and I loved the forced proximity trope!

I thought this book was going to be a lot better than it was it started off really interesting with a lot of promise and just unfortunately fell short for me.

I loved that Mads was going back to her home town where she grew up. And to spread her grandmas ashes bringing her back to her roots.

What I didn’t love was the love connection I felt no spark. I kinda got an ick from Peter. Even the friendships I didn’t feel any connection. It all kinda just fell flat. It wasn’t super memorable other than the original premise and the travel aspect.

The author did a great job at describing Puerto Rico and the excursions.

Love of my Lives is the latest novel by Yamile Saied Méndez, centered around the concept of soulmates. The story follows Madi Ramírez, a young woman obsessed with finding the love of her lives.

From a young age, Madi's abuela would share stories about the love of her lives. After her grandmother's passing, 13-year-old Madi has a dream visitation where she catches a glimpse of her soulmate—a man on a beach and wearing a jacket with the initials JR.

Fast forward to the present day, Madi has a successful career at a yoga studio and a boyfriend, Jayden, who she hopes will soon become her fiancé. What makes it even more intriguing is that her boyfriend's initials are also JR. Although Jayden isn't particularly affectionate, Madi is convinced that he has to be her soulmate.

However, when Jayden fails to propose and takes a step back, Madi decides she's had enough. Around the same time, she is offered an opportunity to go to Puerto Rico to scout locations for a yoga retreat center. Puerto Rico holds a special place in Madi's heart as it is her grandmother's homeland and the promised location to scatter her ashes.

Once in Puerto Rico, memories start flooding back for Madi. The book captures the beauty and struggles of San Juan and Encanto, vividly describing the surroundings. On her first night there, Madi encounters a charming tour guide whose initials are JR. Despite feeling a connection, she tries to resist falling for him and making the same mistake so soon after Jayden. When she later discovers he is a substitute for the original tour guide and not JR, things become even more complicated, leading to awkward moments between them.

Love of my Lives presents an intriguing storyline, although there were moments when I felt like I was missing something, leaving me slightly perplexed throughout the book. I couldn't quite grasp the intricacies of how the concept of "love of my lives" worked. I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and Kensington Books for granting me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Love of My Lives is a fun, easy reading romance with soulmates and a hint of magic. With stunningly vivid descriptions and a beautiful love story and cute characters. This didn't blow me away but I do think this is a heart-warming summer read.

I want to thank Yamile Saied Méndez and Kensington Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the book thanks to the very cute romance.
Even though the main subject of the book is our protagonist who has long been looking for the love of her lives, I appreciated the messages the author tries to get across.
Being yourself in a relationship, loving yourself before you can love someone else, having confidence in your abilities, and not holding back from taking risks.
I also loved the atmosphere of the book, the vivid beauty of Puerto Rico, the traditions, the culture, and the differences.
I would have liked a little more time with our couple, to see them develop a little more, but otherwise, it's a good romance with nice messages.

This book has all the components to be amazing; a bit of magic/spiritually surrounding soulmates, true love, a stunning vacation, a dreamy boy, and even a bit of a disney movie (encanto af) feel... it just lacked the details and character development that would have been able to put all the components together. The ending felt very rushed. In a matter of pages, Peter and Madi went from over to back together with no reasoning of why they really went months apart. It was just a little odd.

Conceptually amazing, execution just needs some work!

Madi has it all but she feels that her fiancee isn't the one for her. He has the right initials as predicted in a dream visitation from her abuela. BUT she doesn't feel he's her soulmate. She goes on a business trip to Puerto Rico and meet someone else but he doesn't have the right inititals...

A cute magical romance. I love the idea of soulmate and magic... A cute story. I do like Madi a lot. A great romance.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

A cute, easy romance about a woman who believes that she's destined to meet "the love of her lives" and that this soulmate will have the initials 'JR' because of a dream that she had after the death of her abuela almost 20 years earlier. Madi Ramirez has recently broken up with her boyfriend and travels to Puerto Rico on a business trip for the yoga studio where she works that will also provide her the opportunity to finally scatter her abuela's ashes on a Puerto Rican beach. Shortly after arriving, Madi meets a man that she feels an instant connection to but his initials aren't JR. Perfect read for anyone who enjoys an instant love story (it's a 7 day trip) and a fabulous setting. I loved learning a little more about the history and culture of Puerto Rico!

This story opens, in Disney-esque fashion, with the loss of a loved one. But it quickly focuses on the ethereal, mystical, magical quality (much like Coco and Encanto).

And adult Madi is a character for all of us! Bravo to the author for this one!

"Today she was mad at the world, the universe, her long-gone grandma, but most of all herself."

Oh Madi, me too.

"She was romantic, spontaneous, and naive sometimes. But she wasn't clueless."

Most of the novel is set in Puerto Rico, and puts into focus the diffence between local and tourist. Magical, yes. Realism, yes. Romance, yes. Lush and vibrant, yes.

Must read, yes.

The premise is so promising, but I couldn't get into the writing style. Also, if there's time to edit an entire chapter - I highly recommend actually talking to someone who is part of ski culture because the two mentions of it are so painful - lift tickets are close to $200 a day - not likely they spent their anniversary on top of the lift in addition to my comments below about the meet cute.

It is painfully obvious that neither the author nor anyone else who read / edited this book has ever spent time skiing. Gondolas and ski lifts are different - it's not possible to drop a ski from the gondy - it's an inclosed box you are inside. Therefore the whole next part about someone yelling and "get off at the next stop" is not possible. Yes, semantics - but as a life long skier it was painful to read. Also, every skiier wears helmets now - it's so rare to see someone with a knit cap. And, no one in their right mind would take a first time skiier and just leave them - put her in a ski lesson, have her do terrible, and then slip on her ski boots walking on the icy sidewalk spilling all of her gear - insert meet cute.

I kept reading after that, but the writing style, dialogue, and descriptions are just not doing it for me. It pains me to write a negative review, I do apologize.

This book was fine. Nothing sensational.

The plot was fun and heartwarming but unfortunately it has gotten lost in the great books I have been reading lately.

This book was a very pleasant read, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. The plot was very entertaining and heartwarming, I truly recommend it.
I want to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love how descriptive and informative the story locales are. Paranormal elements, mature adults, some steam and an open mind are just a few of the things that makes soulmate story engaging. Interesting, emotional, encouraging tenacious characters share their hearts, minds and dreams. Read in one sitting.

This was a great, light-hearted read. I enjoyed the character development and the plot. It was a swoon-worthy romance. Highly recommend!

This was such a cute, easy, and adorable read. It was the perfect pick-me-up and I really flew through it.