This book was exactly what every romance girlie needs. From the typical tropes to an extra bookish girl’s dream, it had all the right elements to keep me wishing this was me! I loved how there was representation for body positivity, and I felt so connected to my culture with a main character to is representative of a different culture than the norm. I could see myself in her, her friendships, and her relationship. Who doesn’t wish their guy would pay this much attention? I had a great time.

I really ate this story up. I loved Marcella and Theo together and how their romance developed. I thought the side characters, especially Angela, were also very well written, and I look forward to reading Angela's love story next. I thought the way Marcella and Theo both reflect on their ways was very thought-provoking, and they developed realistically as characters and as a couple.
And also, screw you, Ben. I have never developed such an antagnostic feeling to someone so suddenly, which just goes to show how well written they are.

This was a great debut novel. It was full of swoon worthy romance even through all the messy moments. I totally bought their romance and enjoyed this light hearted romance.

Marcela is a librarian who is best friends and still in love with her college ex, Ben. Ben just proposed to his long time girlfriend, Alice, the one that came after Marcela. At the engagement party, Marcela overhears Ben’s brother, Theo plan to confess his love to Alice. She stops Theo from making a scene and they leave together, sparking all kinds of rumors.

As they get to know each other, they acknowledge their attraction and decide to hook up as each other’s rebound in order to mend their broken hearts. This book was such a delight! This story was messy and I was here for it - a love quadrangle, add in the family dynamics between brothers and the long standing friendships and I was hooked. I also enjoyed the message of body positivity and the YA book mentions as part of Marcela’s job.

Read this if you enjoy:
🩷 Rebound Romance
🩷 Best Friend’s Brother
🩷 Plus Size Rep
🩷 Open Door Romance

I enjoyed reading this but I wanted more growth from our main character. We spend the whole story in her head and I wanted her to trust that things would work out sooner.

I received this book for free from Netgalley for a honest review.
Good story with some good spice. The chemistry between the two main characters is extremely strong

I loved this book! You can’t help but root for Marcela and Theo the entire way through, and I have never been more excited for a couple to turn from fake to real. These two never felt like a “fling” so the stakes felt low but it worked to give them both time to grow.

I will say, buh-bye bitch to Ben because the dude is a malignant narcissist who didn’t deserve a damn one of these characters.

This was a new author for me and I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters, the story, and plus size rep! I loved these two together so much!! So perfect! I can’t wait for the next book from Gabriella!

This was such a cute book! I love that the female character was a librarian. I was rooting for the couple through the entire book. Would definitely read more by this author and can't wait for more in the series.

This book was pretty average. I did not like the main characters and felt the plot to be a bit boring and predictable. The characters fell flat for me and I found myself not rooting for them to get together. I did think however that the book was well-written.

Giving the warning now about “she’s pining after the wrong guy” because I know a lot of people hate that, usually myself included.

And even though I did a bit with this, I still really loved how much of Marcela’s growth away from him happened on the page. We, the reader, can see the red flags with Ben from page one. Seeing Marcela see them because they don’t exist in Theo makes it even more rewarding.

What would have made this book even better would have been even more of a complete trouncing of Ben, which is really saying something.

This was cute! I will definitely read the second one! I liked all the characters (except for the one we’re clearly not supposed to like) and appreciated the difficult conversations that were had.

Honestly, I love a fake dating trope. These two are such a great couple from the jump, and I love that they get together as a way to stop the other from making a huge mistake.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez has a swoonworthy romantic story that any romance/rom-com lovers will be delighted to read!

There’s just something about two broken souls about to give up on love coming together and getting their own HEA. Although it took them a while to realize (the plot pacing was a bit slow), Marcella and Theo were a perfect fit for each other and once the light bulb came on, so did the spice and swoon. A great debut from the author. 3.5 stars

When she wants the groom and he wants the bride- maybe the actually want each other? That saying of “to get over someone, you should get under someone else” felt very matched to The Next Best Fling in all the best ways. She’s in love with her best friend but his soon to be wife is actually a really nice person, the brother of the groom is in love with the bride and is always the one to blame for things going wrong.

The banter was living large in this one, giving very 90s/early 00s romcom movie goodness. The uphill battle of some FMC confidence growth was equally infuriating and redeeming- seriously, we CAN have plus size characters who are JUST CONFIDENT AND NOT SELF PITYING. Is her struggle accurate to reality? Sure, I do think a lot of readers will make that connection but there was times of eye rolling from me that it felt a little too played up on the timid and self conscious notes.

So what’s good? I mean, I devoured this in an afternoon and was swooning at grand gestures while laughing at the dynamics of Theo and Marcie and wanting to punch Ben right in the face. Seriously, he’s such an unlikable character and it made me want to have a good ol sit down with Marcie to tell her he just isn’t it. Dude does not pass the vibe check.

Overall, a fun and exciting debut from Gamez, will keep my eyeballs and ear holes on a listen for future releases. Three cheers and thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for my ARC, you can grab your copy now from your favorite book sellers ❤️

Quick Summary: A "love square" romance

My Review: The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez is book #1 in the Librarians in Love series. It was released in 2024.

About the Book: "Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship..."

In My Own Words: Unlucky in love underdogs find comfort in each other.

My Final Say: This was such an interesting story. There were a number of threads to pull on. At the center of it all, there were two bruised hearts, each of whom longed for a love of their own. Both individuals had to learn how to trust themselves as well as the other person in the fake to real love relationship.

The detailed playlist and discussion questions that were provided were appreciated.

Rating: 3.25/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 👍💬🍬

Thanks to the author, to the publisher (Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Oh. My. Goodness. This book was an *absolute* delight! From the very first page, I was completely hooked—whisked away into a world of lovable characters, heart-melting romance, and way more emotional depth than I was prepared for.

Let’s start with Marcela—our fiercely passionate youth librarian heroine who is basically a walking ray of sunshine. Her love for books and getting kids excited about reading? *Adorable*. And then we have Theo, the ridiculously charming, honest-to-a-fault leading man who had me swooning in *record* time. Seriously, where do I find one of him in real life?

What really makes this book shine, though, is how it balances all the fluffy, feel-good romance with *real* emotional weight. Yes, there’s chemistry (so much chemistry), but this story also tackles insecurities, change, and the messy process of figuring yourself out. And don’t even get me *started* on the emotional rollercoaster that is Theo’s brother, Ben. His personal struggles add such a raw, relatable layer to the story—I was *fully* invested.

Marcela and Theo’s relationship isn’t just about stolen glances and swoony moments (though, trust me, *plenty* of those exist). It feels *real*. It’s built on mutual respect, understanding, and those little moments that make your heart squeeze. I was rooting for them so hard I may have *actually* cheered out loud.

Gabriella Gamez knocked it out of the park with this debut. I devoured it in one sitting, and now I need *more*—like, yesterday. If you love romance with charm, depth, and characters who feel like *real people*, do yourself a favor and grab this book ASAP. Trust me, you’ll be just as enchanted as I was!

We love a librarian main character! Well I know I do, since I am one.
This book was just so cute. I do think Marcella was blind to her "best friend's" toxicity. He was just controlling and she was blind and infatuated and couldn't see or didn't want to. It took his brother coming into the picture for her to realise that. But I do love the fake dating trope. I'm just a sucker for it and this one was well done. The way the characters care for each other from the very start... Ugh, I wish I could read it again for the first time.
Definitely recommend this easy, fun, flirty read for a good time!

I loved Gabriella's writing style! It was quick to adapt to and get addicted to. This was one romance I devoured, and helped me realize Football player romances are also a great spice option! I found the fat rep great, and showed that both genders can have body image concerns. I will also pick up a book that has an author, bookstore owner, or librarian - and Marcela was a cute librarian. I will definitely pick up Gamez' next book!