This was good! I think it’s a great debut! I’m very excited to see what else Gabriella does! I love a story about people who love books! And Marcela has my heart! There was so much wrapped up in here that wasn’t just about the romance and it was written with so much love. The way Marcela struggles and loves her body on a daily basis was written so honestly and it was very easy to relate to. And Theo and Marcela were honestly SO sweet!

I actually REALLY like Marcela and Theo! They became such fast friends, and their chemistry was SO good! Even with their friends with benefits arrangement they clearly cared for each other! Theo even said he couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t fall for her?? Their communication was good too! Even when they were keeping things from each other, they eventually got things out in the open and just TALKED things through!? Instead of being mad and fighting about it?? But they were also respectful of the time and space that they both needed. And they had FUN together. Marcela felt confident around him, she didn’t have to hide herself! I thought they were a fantastic match!

Ben is the bane of my existence. Literally everything to do with him irritated me so much. It was tough to see how hard he was holding on to Marcela, and how much she DIDN’T realize what he was doing. And most of the drama was revolving him and it was just not it for me. Which isn’t to say it was t written well, because it was! Everything was so complicated and thought out and it was done well. I was just so frustrated for Marcela and Theo!

But I AM very excited for the next book! Here’s hoping it’s about Angela!! Because I’m excited to see her find herself!

Thank you to Forever for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Forever. As a librarian, I LOVED this book. So many quotable lines (that I hope make the cut to the final copy) and the spice 🥵 I cannot wait to read the other Librarians in Love books when they are released.

One Sentence Summary: While helping each other move on from unrequited love, they might be finding true love together.

Three Reasons You Should Read This:
1. Theo is kinda dreamy.
2. Marcela is a librarian and there's plenty of library-esque content!
3. The gift box Theo gets for Marcela!!!

One Thing You Should Know Before You Pick This Up:
There definitely is a some excessively angsty/miscommunication situations that are preventing our couple from reaching there HEA quickly. While this not my favorite scenario in a romance, I did like that despite the angst and me screaming so many times JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!! - that there definitely was character growth throughout as well as self-reflection taking place on the page, which I appreciated! You really get to see why they like each other as they fumble their way through the relationship.

Content Warnings:
Toxic family/friends, Love triangle/square situation-ship, negative self-talk/self-image, drinking to excess, career ending injury,

YES ! All the yes…except Ben - you know what you did lol. I can’t get enough of this book. I loved every aspect of it . It’s def in my top 10 for 2024. THEO FREAKING YOUNG…yes please

Marcella is in love with her best friend who just got engaged. And Theo, her best friend's brother, is in love with his brother's fiancée. When both Marcella and Theo decide to get over their unrequited love, they fall into a fake dating/only a hookup situation that soon turns more serious than anticipated.

This is MESSY - and boy oh boy did I eat it right up! I loved both main characters but absolutely adored Theo and how open, honest, and vulnerable he was! Theo's grand gesture will live on my list of best grand gestures for quite some time. I'm just saying if anyone did that for me, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions. I loved Marcela too and how much she had to force herself to grow and be vulnerable with Theo. They both have so much patience for each other and really communicated well and like actual adults! I adored Marcella's friend too and hope she gets a book!

And I was so glad that stupid Ben didn't get redeemed - I hated him more and more as the book went on.

Read this for:
- Best friend's brother
- ex-NFL player x librarian
- Fake Dating
- "Just a Hookup?
- Plus Size

Thank you to Forever for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

THE NEXT BEST FLING is a swoony romance about two broken hearts who enter a no-strings-attached relationship to help each other get over their first loves. marcela has been in love with ben young for over 10 years, even though he broke up with her because he thought they'd be better off as friends. when he proposes to his long-time girlfriend, marcela is understandably heartbroken and ready to move on and leave the past behind. theo young, ben's football player brother, stumbles into her life, revealing that he's carrying a torch for alice, ben's now-fiancée. messy, right? when they show up at a family brunch together, everyone assumes they hooked up and they decide to keep the lie going because after all, their rebound is working... a little too well. i loved this book and everything about it. i loved seeing theo and marcela's relationship flourish and the spice?? no notes.

read if you like:
- messy love square
- hot af plus sized FMC
- they're each other's rebound

thanks to netgalley and forever for the advanced copy! THE NEXT BEST FLING comes out july 9th.

The Next Best Fling

4/5 ⭐️

You will like this book if you enjoy;
•fake dating
•plus size FMC
•best friends older brother

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for the eARC opportunity to read this book!

I struggled at first with this book, but preserved and so glad I did! This was messy and I loooove mess! Give me all the book drama. This was a fast paced, fun, easy read - that was HOT!

Marcela and Theo are both spiraling. They are each in love with one half of an engaged couple, and generally handling it Not Well. At first, they allow others to assume that they're hooking up as a convenience to take some of the heat/attention off their unrequited crushes, but the more time they spend together, they decide that maybe what they need is a casual fling, neither is at risk of falling in love for real since their affections are already engaged elsewhere. Best laid plans and all that.

Theo is the sweetest, most perfect boy. He is so patient with Marcela, and he cares so much about just making her happy. There are multiple grand gestures involved, and I may never recover. Genuinely, all 4 of these stars are for him.

However, for me, even though we are warned that these characters start out being in love with other people, I think that went on far too long. We should not be past the 60% mark, have the characters fully banging and still talking about their romantic feelings for someone else in the present tense. Especially when we're well past the point where the reader is aware of how nefarious one of these other people actually is. It's very hard to sympathize with Marcela over her long-standing crush when there is a perfect, hot boy who is down absurdly bad for her. Ma'am this is the easiest possible choice. (It's a very very different vibe, but this particular dynamic is written so much better in Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane.)

This book was sooo messy in the best of ways, I swear. I could not put it down because every new plot twist and chapter cliffhanger and the overall chaos of this book had me on edge waiting to find out what would happen!!! The entire time I was either wanting to curse out characters or smoosh their faces together and make them kiss and make up.

Pining after a man you've known for 10 years knowing you never had a chance? Story of my life actually. So while I found myself getting irritated at Marcela for making a stupid decision I could only really be irritated at myself because let's be honest I'd act the exact same way. I will say she could really work on her communication skills (who amongst us can't though)

Theo is the sweetest, most patient man ever and his whole "this isn't over for me" and pursuit of Marcela when she's struggling with her feelings... we all need a man as patient and understanding as him. He falls first (and harder) imo and I love him for it; he's a beautiful, big football player who's willing to listen to Marcela's long book rants and remember it all which made my heart melt.

My hang ups with this book are the way Marcela runs from Theo, I just don't like tropes in books where one party runs from their feelings or there is miscommunication, not really giving them a reason to "break up." Like, just talk and no one would have this problem.

Was a really sweet story, I am really happy that we got plus size rep, and I am really happy with how her story turned out. I’m also really happy for her self discovery in regards to relationships in her life and for herself. Overall a really enjoyable read!

BIPOC Steamy Romance that features two broken hearts, a librarian and an ex-NFL player, who decide the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship.

4/5 stars: This is the first in Gamez's Librarians in Love series which is a Steamy Romance that takes place in Texas and follows a librarian and an ex-NFL player who decide the best way to get over their first loves getting married is to have a no-strings-attached relationship with each other but they're soon falling in love. Gamez's writing outstanding but the character work is excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. While Marcela and Theo are dealing with a lot in their lives and seem to be complete opposites but as they get to know each other find they have more in common then they thought possible. Oh and I really loved Marcela's colleague and friend, Angela. Gamez's humor shines and the banter and flirting are on high and will have you swooning. Oh and the OPS scenes are incredibly steamy. While there are plenty of humorous moments, Gamez does takes on same sensitive subjects, so take care and check the CWs. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), Forever in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I wanted so badly to like the book but unfortunately the writing was just not for me. The story had a lot of potential- I liked the premise a lot and am always excited to read books where the FMC is different than the stereotypical “perfect” girl, but I couldn’t get past the writing style and ended up not even finishing because of it.

Cute but MESSY!! Haha. The entire storyline stressed me out with their love square. And I would 100% be the best friend urging their gf to sprint in the other direction of the chaos. But I enjoyed seeing the Latina and mid size/plus size representation! Although I would say it’s a bit triggering to those who have dealt with ED or low self-esteem because it focused a lot on her insecurities with her size in relationships. I’d say both MCs were a little bit one dimensional and I didn’t understand the timeline of their relationship? When they finally confessed the I love yous I was shocked because it felt like a month so imagine my surprise when they said it had been six 😂

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc! The Next Best Fling comes out July 2024.

The Next Best Fling is a single POV friends-with-benefits romance. Marcela has been in love with her ex/ best friend for almost a decade and she’s trying to keep a happy face for him when he gets engaged. Theo, the groom-to-be’s older brother, is hopelessly in love with the bride-to-be and drunkenly decides to announce this at their engagement party. When Marcela intervenes before Theo can disrupt everything, the two form an unlikely friendship and decide that a fling to help each other rebound is in order!

This book was a lot of fun while also being a little more drama-heavy than I expected. I loved it though! I liked the representation on the page, Marcela’s passion for books, and Theo’s passion for Marcela! Definitely worth the read and I’ll be on the lookout for more from this author!

Read dates: 06/11/2024- 06/13/2024
Goodreads review: 06/13/2024
Instagram review: 06/13/2024
Blog review: 07/09/2024

More like 4.25-4.5!

I really really enjoyed this story! I loved the characters. I saw through Ben’s manipulative ass from the start and I’m glad I was right and he didn’t get any kind of redemption. The only reason it’s not a true 5 is because I felt like Marcela spent the ENTIRE book with her head elsewhere. Never truly truly enjoying her connection with Theo until the very end. Everything always came to a halt because of Ben or her insecurities with Theo wanting Alice still when my dude spent so much time reassuring her. 😫

Overall loved the writing. Loved seeing the Mexican representation. 🇲🇽 Will definitely be recommending this book to friends and can not wait to read more from Gabriella Gamez!

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez kept me up half the night to finish it! I absolutely adored this story of unrequited love, unexpected attraction, and fake dating. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry's Funny Story, I especially loved a librarian-football coach romance since I am a librarian and my husband coaches football!

Huge thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this fantastic rom-com!

Marcela Ortiz is a Teen Librarian that has had a crush on her best friend Ben for ten years. She has been waiting for a chance all this time, but her world crumbles as he gets engaged. Marcela knows that this time she definitely has to move on, and her coworker bestie advises her to have a fling (or multiple) to take him out of her system. In her search for the perfect rebound, she ends up helping ex-NFL player Theo, who is no other than her best friend’s oldest brother. He has been in love with his brother’s fiancé since they were young, and Marcela gives him the same advice her bestie gave her. Seems like a good deal since both of them have someone they have to get over, and are craving a distraction, right?   
 
When I tell you that I loved this book and cried multiple times, I’m not even kidding. I saw myself in Marcela, a curvy librarian that struggles to be confident even when she knows she’s beautiful.  

Usually a story about falling in love with the brother of your “ex” would’ve been hard to digest and not my cup of tea. But this novel was different, because as you put yourself in her position (if you’re curvy as I am) you understand why she would think she was “in love with him”. The vulnerability of thinking and holding on to the idea of being unworthy for anyone else and after that many years, discovering that you’re worthy of love, REAL love. A love that will make you feel wanted and desired. Not what you thought it was, not what the other guy gave you for 10 years waiting for him to choose you. Taking the scraps. The typical “you accept the love you think you deserve”.

I give this book 4.5/5✨

Fake Dating to Survival➡️ to Friends➡️ to Lovers
Mexican American FMC
Plus Size Representation

This book comes out on July 9! Put your alarms and write it in your calendars, so you don’t miss it out! 

Huge thanks to netgalley and Gabriella Gamez for the ARC. 💖

“Call me what you want,” he says against my lips. “As long as I get to call you mine.”

The Next Best Fling was the type of romance book that you sit down and keep reading until you finish it. And that is exactly what I did. Marcela and Theo’s story had me hooked from the very beginning and left me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was next and how their story would resolve.

One aspect of this novel that really resonated with me was Marcela being a plus-size and curvy woman. The author did a wonderful job of showcasing how a woman can love her body and who she is while also still having valid moments of insecurity and doubt, especially when it comes to the physicality of a new relationship or fling. It was real and it was relatable as someone that exists in a larger body.

Some of my favorite scenes were between Marcela and her mom. I loved that her mom was always bringing her food to replenish her stock of homemade goods and wanted the tea about who she was dating. The scene where Theo tags along was absolutely precious and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since finishing the book!

This ex’s brother, fake dating situationship between a librarian and ex-NFL player was messy and steamy at the same time. And the pining in this book? EVERYTHING. Theo was such a darling love interest who made me love a blond fictional man — what a feat. A blond MMC? It’s not often I’m like “yes, he’s the one!!”

Overall, this was such a wonderful romance read and I’m excited to see more Librarians in Love books.

This book centered in on Marcela, a youth librarian in love with her best friend, Ben - who is getting married to her former college best friend. Sounds complicated, right? Enter Theo, the groom's brother who is just about to blow up Ben's engagement to Alice when Marcela steps in to stop him. And then subsequently start a fake fling with Theo so they both can get over their decade-long infatuation. Sounds messy, right? Right.

I wanted to love this book, but it had too many aspects going against it. The plot and storyline were fantastic and had the right potential, but the writing was very, very repetitive and so slow-moving that it became boring at times. I got annoyed reading about how much Marcella loved Ben and waited for him for ten years. She came off as too self-deprecating and immature, making her character unrelatable and unenjoyable. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to like Theo at first because we were first introduced to a flashback of him in a drunken rage. Hello, red flag! I don't think there was absolutely zero chemistry between Theo and Marcella, but I wish there were more. I like how Theo listened to Marcella and gave her opportunities to explain herself, but he felt a tad too bland and vanilla, not a lot of personality.

I wish during the scene when Angela and Marcella were speaking Spanish in front of Theo, instead of having their conversation in the Spanish language with an English translation in italics, they just had their conversation printed in English. I would have loved to have the opportunity to read the Spanish and see the English translation. I also think it was a missed opportunity to have Theo be fluent in Spanish.

Another gripe about repetition is the amount of cupping of the face and cheeks that happened. I wish they could have cupped something other than each other's faces! I eye-rolled after the third or fourth cupping. Also, the rift between Ben and Theo was messy and confusing and we never got the full story of how Ben caused Theo to injure his knee. Ben was made out to be the villain, but the process of painting him that way was too long and drawn out.

Overall the idea was great, but perhaps the editing should have been a bit more keen. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an entertaining book this was! If you're a fan of drama, pining, and tension, you won't want to miss The Next Best Fling!

I laughed, I was frustrated, and this book had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I hated Ben with a passion. I loved Theo and Marcela and was rooting for them the whole time.

Things I liked:
📖 Love square
📖 They're each other's rebounds
📖 Librarian x ex-NFL player
📖 He's the sweetest
📖 They both learn to trust
📖 Books!!

"Call me whatever you want," he says against my lips. "As long as I get to call you mine."