I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I wanted to like this so much: a plus-size librarian, a sexy man, but it just wasn't great.

I loved the premise of this book. I'm a huge fan of fake dating and love a good cinnamon roll MMC. The story and characters, however, fell flat for me. It seemed like all they did was drink and then wonder why bad or unfortunate things kept happening to them. Thank you, NetGalley and Forever Publishing, for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this eARC! I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well-paced. I think it's good for those who like books with messy plots. I think it may stall sometimes throughout the book but it picks back up. Overall, very enjoyable.

I'm so so so late on this but...

I loved The Next Best Fling! It was addicting and I couldn't put it down!

Thanks Forever for the digital copy in exchange for an honest reivew!

I can't believe I forgot to turn this in!

I loved The Next Best Fling! The was messy in the best way, and I couldn't stop reading because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next!

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez is a fun, flirty rom-com that I totally couldn’t put down! It’s about a girl named Sophie who’s kind of over her past crushes and just wants to enjoy her life. When she meets this guy, Max, they start an unexpected fling that turns into something way more complicated (of course). Their chemistry is crazy, and I loved the back-and-forth between them.

What I liked most about this book is that it wasn’t just about the romance. Sophie’s figuring out who she is and what she wants, and I totally related to her journey. Max is charming but also kind of mysterious, which makes their connection even more interesting. There’s definitely some drama, but it’s the kind of light drama that keeps you hooked without feeling too heavy.

The writing is super easy to read, and there’s a perfect balance of humor and heart. It’s the kind of book you’d read if you want something fun but also a little deeper than just a typical love story.

Great read. I'm a librarian and honestly this felt like a fairly good representation of what it is like working in a library. Sports protagonists are not my go to but I enjoyed both protagonists. I wish there were fewer twists between the love interests but otherwise liked the book a lot.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Everyone sucks here!

I was so excited to finally get around to this eARC I received that promised plus size and Latina representation. Instead I got a whole cast of characters that had zero redeemable qualities. The MMC is basically a football bro who punches holes in dry wall every time he gets drunk (which is often). The FMC has been in love with her best friend--who is engaged and has been in a relationship for the last EIGHT YEARS. The "best friend" strings her along anyways. I can't stand to read about these people anymore. Their version of a HEA will just be awkward holidays where they can never be sure if their significant other cheated on them with their BIL/SIL.

Is it uncouth of me to rate and review my own book on here for the sake of my Netgalley percentage? Possibly. Is it even more uncouth that this review is four months late, at that? Um...most definitely. Dana, if you're reading this please don't yell at meeeeeeeeeee I'm just a baby author and it was Read Now what was I supposed to do NOT download it??????

I love this book. I read it a bajillion times. I also kinda hate it too, because I read it a bajillion times. Theo and Marcela will always have a special in place in my heart. Ben can rot. Should I dock a star for not writing Theo (or SOMEONE at least) giving him the punch in the face he deserves? Probably, but I'm too shallow for that so 5 stars it is.

Sorry again, I really hope no one reads this byeeeeeeeeeeeee

The Next Best Fling is the first book in the Librarians in Love series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Marcela was in love with her ex-boyfriend/best friend, Ben, but he was marrying someone else. Theo was in love with the bride, Alice, and he was also the Ben’s brother. Marcela ends up stopping Theo from ruining the wedding, and they end up fake dating.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel. I mean, since they were both in love with other people, and it kept being brought up while they were “dating” each other, I didn’t see how they’d fall in love. I actually loathed Marcela, because she just kept talking about Ben. He. Was. Married. And sure, he kept her around too, but she was (she thought) in love with him, and she could have potentially caused other woman drama.

Once Theo fell for Marcela? He was all in. And I loved that! He was so sweet, funny, and swoony.

Ben was a total a**hole, though. I mean, I really don’t understand why he was always interfering in Marcela’s life when he wasn’t in love with her. And I hated that she just went along with whatever he said. But at least, at the end, she finally put her foot down (after falling for Theo).

This was full of drama, but it was also cute and funny, at times.

What a cute cover! I think this felt much more new adult/YA than I wanted it to be. I personally do not drink so I didn't vibe with all the excess drinking that was included in this one. It really took me out of the novel and gave me a little bit of a distaste for the characters. I will give a future book a try!

The Next Best Fling is a romance about a librarian who is in love with her best friend. When he tells her he's engaged, she tries to be happy for him, but everything changes when she overhears his brother, ready to break up his engagement because he's in love with his brother's fiance. She steps in and stops him from making a bigger mess of things. While working together to get over the person they think they are in love with, they end up falling for each other. It's an interesting take on the best friend's brother trope.

This is such a good debut romance, and I always love a sports theme.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

The chemistry was off the charts, I absolutely loved this book. I have not stopped talking about this book with my friends. I just thought the characters and narrative were so heartwrenching, and I was so absorbed in the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I must begin by saying - I hate the longtime pining over an ex/old lover/what-might-have-been trope. Absolutely despise it. BUT when I started this book, I didn't know much, I just knew that it sounded like everything I wanted - bookish FMC, friends with benefits - I was like yes, PLZ! Then I started it and got WORRIED. After finishing it, though, I can say with complete confidence that Gabriella Gamez absolutely crushed it with this debut. Marcela was not too whiny for me like I feared she might be, and her and Theo together were HOT HOT HOT. They fell together so naturally for me, and sometimes the fake dating / friends with benefits trope can feel unrealistic (even though it's my favorite), but this didn't!! I was so here for their chemistry and the progression of their relationship from acquaintances to friends to friends with benefits to lovers - and probably some blend of this along the way. I loved how emotionally mature this book and these characters felt (ok minus ben but he sucks). While it pained my heart for Marcela and Theo to take time apart towards the end of the book, it was truly what their characters needed to do some self-reflection. I love when a third-act breakup (if this can be considered that?) is necessary for the narrative to develop and not simply used because the romance structure calls for it. They can often feel forced, and this didn't - SO good!

I will say the ending was so random and unnecessary? It was an odd note to end on from an otherwise flawless book.

I wanted to love The Next Best Fling but I just couldn't. I loved the premise of it and was so excited to read but this book just wasn't for me. It was too repetitions and I didn't really care for the characters. There was no chemistry between them and Theo just felt blah to me. It was messy. I didn't mind the mess at first but it got tiring after a while. I felt like I was slogging through rather than enjoying it. To be fair there were enjoyable parts but just not enough to keep my interest or the desire to continue. DNFed at 43%. That said I would read another book by this author.

Fun, flirty and the main character is a YA librarian. Plus sized characters that are still desirable. Much enjoyed,

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Gabriella Gamez’s The Next Best Fling is a charming and vibrant romance that perfectly captures the excitement, unpredictability, and heartfelt moments of falling in love when you least expect it. With witty dialogue, relatable characters, and a refreshing premise, this book is an absolute delight.

I really wanted to love The Next Best Fling, especially because the FMC is a librarian, but unfortunately this ended up just bumming me out. The characters entire relationship was built off lies, lies between each other as well as lying to their family and friends. It just felt doomed and even though they figured things out in the end, it didn't feel great. I'll still be curious to check out other books in this series because I liked the writing and concept. Just wish everyone sucked a little bit less.

This book was messy — I loved every minute of it. We have a fake dating trope along with the best friend’s brother and … it undoubtedly delivered.

This was fun, hilarious, wild and crazy. I loved the plus sized rep as somebody who is plus sized themselves. It was swoonworthy and the MMC was the cutest man ever. A total cinnamon roll.

I will without a doubt seek out this authors books as they release.