A beautiful bookish romance between a librarian and former NFL player. This book has angst, spice, emotion, and rich characters.

An absolute delight and a must read for all contemporary romance readers.

What. A. Read. Coming off of two weeks on non-stop Olympic coverage, I couldn’t have picked a better time to read a romance with an athlete for a main character. I loved Marcela and Theo, both as individual characters and as a couple. Particularly watching them both work through the unrequited crushes they have had for so many years and how quickly you can move past that when there’s someone in front of you who does take that interest.
I also really appreciated Gamez’s nod to the asexual community, and the way she wove each character a complex and meaningful backstory. And also for not letting Ben off the hook. Sometimes there is a villain who needs to be cut off!
I just loved this story, loved the writing, can’t wait for the next in the series.

Loved the characters. It was okay. I loved how petty they both became. Will continue to read the rest of the series when it comes.

This is a super cute romcom and I adored the plus size rep. It's a cute read that goes by quickly! Thank you netgalley for the arc.

A love SQUARE didn't sound appealing to me. Personally, I'm all about a mmc who is all in instead of hang up on someone else, but I gave this a try because it has a POC and an appealing cover. I'm so glad I did! Marcela is such a relatable character with her insecurity, and Theo is a dream. A man who communicates! So much better than a mmc who is a manwhore or gazillionaire. I just wish we got his POV. It feels a little more like Marcela's story since we only see things from her perspective. They are a great couple though, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Gamez's stories.

This book was not for me and pretty frustrating to read. Based on the premise I thought they would *both* be in on the reasons for the fake dating, but only Theo is vulnerable and honest with Marcela and she does not reciprocate for way too long in my opinion. It just felt unfair especially when intimacy was in play.

Also it was so frustrating as to why Marcela had the friends that she did (besides her bestie) she's not stuck at school or at work with Ben and she put up with this toxic friendship and by extension to Ben's fiance as well for over 10 years??? They objectively are such bummers and Ben gets worse as the story goes on. I felt it was an unrealistic dynamic and Marcela could have grown as a person in so many other ways.

That being said, I will read this author again. I believe the bones are there and obviously this book will work for others. Thank you to Forever for the eARC!

Cute story, enjoyed the MFC…but the premise kind of bothered me. I don’t love books where the couple is obsessed with other people for most of the story. Plus the MFC was a little too self-conscious and lacked confidence in a way that made me roll my eyes a time or two.

This debut romance has a lot of excellent representation and is a fun premise but unfortunately it is too childish and messy for my taste. I feel like it’s more suited to someone younger as I am unable to relate to the character choices made and behaviors.

@gabbywritesalot put crack in this book I don't know what else to say. That's a lie, I have A LOT to say!

The romance is romancing, y'all! Sidelined by her best friend she still has feelings for, Marcela is forced to attend his engagement party. She catches his brother, Theo, about to ruin the party by admitting he has feelings for the bride and stops him by quickly leaving the party together. When they show up to brunch together the next day, assumptions are made that work in their favor. Realizing they both need to get over unrequited loves, they use this opportunity to become each other's rebounds.

This book is packed with so much fun, diverse characters, and "oh shit" moments you'll have trouble putting the book down! Marcela is an FMC I related to quite a bit, from eating my feelings to overthinking to even needing to lock away my phone when the drinks come out... She's a character I'm glad I got to read and goes in my top faves list!

Another thing I want to point out is that the book takes place in my hometown, San Antonio. I've read books that have tried this in the past and you can tell the author had maybe visited and used Google, but was ultimately disconnected from the city and the culture. This book however, this book got it right! The places, the slang, the culture, it all felt so familiar and cozy.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with a copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

#TheNextBestFling #GabriellaGamez
#NetGalley #ForeverPublishing
#bookstagram #booktok #bookreview #arcreview
#kindlepaperwhite #kindle

This was a fantastic debut! I loved this one! This story was so emotionally rich, with the perfect mix of swoony and spicy and had the perfect level of angst. There was so much personal growth and the two main characters really made each other better. I rooted for them so easily and loved seeing them find their way to their happily ever after. I looked forward to picking this one up every time!

I really loved the relationship between Marcela and theo. They had great chemistry and I loved seeing their journey together. I loved Theo! He was such a swoony male lead! I loved how he made Marcela feel like the most beautiful woman! I felt like Marcela’s insecurities were displayed in a very honest way that felt very accurate. I also really loved how Gamez had Marcela do some much needed self reflection. Marcela’s character arc was great!

This is a great debut and a hot summer read! I highly recommended picking this one up! Overall, this was a really strong 4.5 for me!

Marcela dreads attending her best friend Ben's engagement party, having secretly pined for him for years. During the celebration, she prevents Theo, Ben's brother, from confessing his true feelings for Alice, Ben’s fiancé, preserving their relationship. The next morning, partygoers assume Marcela and Theo had an overnight fling. In an effort to save face and to move past their unrequited loves, the two decide to continue the charade and have a fling of their own.

The story presents a complicated love parallelogram (or rhombus?) that centers on Marcela's feelings for Ben, Theo’s feelings for Alice, and the tense relationship between the two brothers. Ben's manipulative behavior is a recurring theme, making him the least likable character. While the premise is intriguing, the narrative becomes repetitive, focusing too much on Ben's negative traits.

On another note, I felt keenly aware of being in a different phase of life than the main character. That coupled with a lack of emotional impact affected my connection to her struggles and the overall romance. On the positive side, the book skillfully explores the nuances of unrequited love and the complexities of relationships. I am interested in reading what this author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was delightful! I enjoyed the back and forth with Theo,l and Marcela and their complicated way they got together. It made for such an interesting story. I loved their back and forth, attempt to trust each other, falling in love, and finally trusting each other enough for their relationship even after Ben and Alice ended their engagement.

This book has fake dating, best friend’s brother, he falls first, angst, Latinx representation and spicy scenes. The book was a sweet romance but extremely messy lol. The setup for the fake dating was so messy. I think I would’ve enjoyed it even more if the back and forth would’ve been cut down and the chemistry would’ve been stronger.






Thank you Netgalley for this eArc

Marcela Ortiz finds herself in a whirlwind of emotions as her long-time secret love, her best friend, gets engaged. The pain of unrequited love becomes even more complicated when she encounters Theo Young, a charming ex-NFL player and older brother of her best friend. The two find themselves at odds and begin a fake dating relationship. This is the foundation of a beautiful story. I loved the inclusion of a plus-size FMC, and Theo is a big teddy bear. The level of compassion within this story is so weighted - it puts a huge smile on my face. I found myself giggling throughout the story, especially the humor and banter. The passion between Marcela and Theo radiates off each page, unveiling a spice filled with heat. Overall, this was a great debut, and I'm looking forward to the next read.

This had just the right amount of drama i need in my books. I loved the body positivity and the plus sized rep. I def felt the chemistry between the FMC and Theo but i wanted more spice and passion. Some characters did feel a bit one dimensional but otherwise it was an easy fun read.

I was really nervous for the "love square", but the author did a great job with all four storylines and I was pleasantly surprised!
I really loved Theo and Marcella together!
Super cute book!

So much angst, so much swoon, and an incredible amount of character growth. This book was a fantastic read. It really showed relationships as they truly are. It wasn't all sugar plums and lollipops - it was messy like so many relationships can be. I loved this and I'm looking forward to more from Gabriella Gamez. Thanks NetGalley for the copy.

Cute and fun read. I enjoyed reading about a plus size FMC done realistically. Seeing the relationship develops between 2 characters in love with others first was a trope I hadn’t read before.

I will always read a book about a librarian. They bring so much to the joy. Just like author Gabriella Gamez's debut novel. There was some rough patches, but an overall good time was had. I look forward to Gamez's next book.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This wasn't perfect, but it's a debut, so that's expected to a degree. I loved the plus size rep, we can never see enough of that in romance. Marcela and Theo's situation was messy, but the author found a way to navigate that without pulling the story down. I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author puts out in the future!