3.5/5 ⭐️

This book was MESSY- like telenovela messy. I definitely enjoyed the characters and the idea of this book. It started a little slow, but picked up a lot in the second half.

Aspects of this book: fake dating, best friends brother, NFL player, librarian, Hispanic rep

I really enjoyed the representation that was featured in this novel. The plus sized representation and the feelings that Marcela went through with other partners just hit me straight in the gut because plus sized women deserve so much more than what society gives them. The romance between the two of them, and how he was unappolgetically attracted to her and eventually in love with her was everything. The queer representation for her friend was also lovely, and I'm happy to see it.

I did however want to beat them both over the head with a mallet a la whack-a-mole. Sure I am an onimpotent being reading their story and knows the better parts of whats happening between the two of them without them knowing, but still. The amount of miscommunication and lying by omission is very high, and it was a little too much for me. Though I did appreciate the swoon-y-ness that Theo presented.

Also that cover though...

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Grand Central for an e-copy.

If you ever thought you were in trouble, there is no way to top Theo and Marcela's situation.
She's in love with the groom, he's in love with the bride. What could be worse? He's the groom's brother and she's the groom's best friend. They fall in love while trying to avoid ruining the wedding.
I was honestly a little skeptical about The Next Best Fling, I was wondering how the switch from being in love with the groom to his brother would be and Gamez did it surprisingly well. The reader can tell the switch when the switch to the love interest happens and isn't left wondering if either is still in love with their first love. It was a little less smuttier than I thought it was going to be, with the title being The Next Best Fling, but it was still incredibly romantic and had great movement throughout the book. It was an enjoyable read, however did take me a moment to get into it but I would definitely read again.

4.0 Stars - Marcela has had feelings for her best friend Ben since their college days. However, after almost a decade, Ben has proposed to his long-term girlfriend, Alice, leaving Marcela heartbroken. When Ben's brother, Theo, comes to town for the engagement party, Marcela discovers that he has been in love with Alice for years. Together, they decide to help each other move on from their unreciprocated love by fake dating.

I loved their honesty, accountability, and kindness towards each other. Theo is an amazing book boyfriend, taking time to learn Marcela's likes and planning the world's best date. The book normalizes women's struggle with maintaining a body-positive attitude and highlights the fear of being vulnerable. It's an enjoyable reading experience with difficult sibling dynamics.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A very cute debut from Gabrielle Gamez. I think there could have been more tension in the relationship if they had held off on the physical relationship longer, and so it just felt fast at the beginning. But then it became a really interesting exploration of how to sort out feelings for two different people (for both of them). I was really impressed at how Gamez didn't default to the easy third-act breakup that I was sure was coming--she preempted it earlier and made a much more nuanced final third of the story.

Thanks to Forever for the ARC.

Thanks to Forever and Net Galley for my advanced copy.

I loved this book! It was a fun new take on the classic fake dating and hookup tropes, and the added messiness of the love square situation made me keep flipping the pages. Theo’s openness inspires me to be more open with those around me, and Marcela’s insecurities hit home as well. I loved that they KEPT fighting for each other, working through their problems and insecurities, talking things out like adults.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and Hachette book group for the chance to review Gabriella Gamez’ debut The Next Best Fling. This is book one in the “librarians in love” series, and I already cannot wait to read the next one! Marcela has been in love with Ben forever. The only problem is, Ben is getting engaged to Alice. When it comes time to celebrate the engagement, Ben’s brother, Theo reveals that he has actually been in love with Alice for quite some time.

Theo and Marcela undertake a fake dating scenario, then just a very casual thing. I’m a sucker for grand gestures, though, and Theo is a total sweetheart despite what his brother might say.

This book was sweet and spicy, and I loved all of the book references. Theo grow so much as a person, and Marcela gets to learn who she really is. I loved every minute of it!

I will be honest, I struggled to get into the book at the beginning. It was overall a good book, very cute. I was very happy how it ended. It could have been such an angst book and I think it was well controlled. I loved Theo’s letter, I was a little disappointed how long it took Marcella to open her eyes to how real their relationship was, but she got there in the end. I would recommend it, it was well written and a cute book, I know ladies who might enjoy it more than I did.

This book! It was such a lovely story from my new favorite Latina / South Texas author!!

As Gabriella wrote a-la Lifetime movie tagline - He wants the bride, she wants the groom. But what if all they really want. . .is each other?

Marcela has been in love with her best friend Ben since college - now, 10 years later, he is proposing to his long time girlfriend, Alice, leaving Marcela with a broken heart. When Ben's brother comes to town for the engagement party, and Marcela finds out he has been in love with Alice for years, they decide to help each other get over their long time love ... by getting under each other.

Through secret hook ups, YA book clubs, high school football games, sunday hikes, and not-s0-secret make out sessions, Theo and Marce create their own love story, flaws and all. I loved the honesty and transparency with each other - how they kept each other accountable, how well they communicated (most of the time), and how good they were to one another.

This Texan / Latina / Plus size girl approves! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy for my honest opinion.

I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC for this title.

This romance is filled with tension, heart ache and find understanding with another soul. The main character Marcela is stuck in love with someone she can never be with and in doing so she holds herself back and makes mistakes. I was so frustrated by her actions many times because of how she never choses herself and continues bad habits that enable her own misery through unrequited love. But I will say I have been there, and this was such a good representation for it and we can see ourselves reflected in her. I enjoyed seeing her find her own and finding her worthiness, while helping someone else find theirs. I enjoyed the family conflicts and the honesty that that the MMC has that lets something that is seemingly a bad idea be something that is healthy and healing.

I would give this a 4.5

This one was messy but fun haha. I love the plus size rep. Anyone who loves an old school romcom drama with faking dating will be pleasantly entertained

The chemistry was off the rails with Marcela and Theo. I was rooting for them from the beginning. The author does an incredible job with these characters’ story, the topics mentioned were written with sensitivity and the romance was messy but very raw.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I immediately sympathized with Marcela and her unrequited feelings for her college best friend/crush, Ben. But, she pulled herself together enough to try to be happy for him. Inside she was dying and wanted anything for a distraction. Enter Theo, older brother of Ben. He has been in love with Ben’s fiancée since forever as well. So Marcela and Theo decide to fake date to help each other out with their respective love losses, and give them cover for their families.

Of course, with fake dating always comes real feelings getting involved. Marcela realizes what a catch Theo would be, and his attraction to her can’t be denied either. But Marcela doesn’t know how she can trust Theo’s feelings since this is all supposed to be fake. Plus being a full figured woman, she has some insecurities about her body. Theo, however, is very patient and does his best to reassure her. Things do get very messy all around, but this one has a very good ending!

I recommend this one for a good old fashioned rom-com with librarians, plus size and Mexican representation, with light spice.

Thanks to @gabrielle and @readforever for the eARC through @netgalley.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez. This book had me from the cover art. A plus-sized main character who actually looks plus-sized on the cover!!!!! Love it! Marcela has been in love with Ben since college. Ben’s brother, Theo, is in love with Ben’s fiancé, Alice. Marcela and Theo hatch a plan to get over their unrequited love by helping each other rebound.



Things I love about this book:

Marcela- she is a great, flawed, growth-in-progress character. So stuck on the idea of Ben from college and not allowing herself to move on because the fear of being disappointed.

Marcela’s realistic body acceptance struggles. She mostly accepts and loves her body. Doesn’t always. Has realistic reservations about sex and nakedness. I so identify with this from when I was in my twenties.

Theo!

Theo!

Theo! Strong, athletic, emotionally aware and communicative- wow! Plus he handles his attraction to Marcela so genuinely.

A little spice. And the sex scene emotions were so raw and beautiful.

Women supporting women, not competing



Things I didn’t like:

Ben- ugh. I just couldn’t get why everyone liked him. The worst. Though backburnering people is a thing, it’s sad for someone to do that for so long at this age.

Theo played for the NFL shouldn’t he have more money than he did. I looked up the minimum NFL salary is 700K per year (for the first year), he could afford an Air B&B, so this convenient plot line of him staying with Ben and Alice made no sense.

The Next Best Fling was so cute- I read it, and then re-read my favorite scenes. A great first novel, can’t wait to read Gamez’s next one! 4.25 stars Thanks to Net Galley and Forever Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited about the premise of this book, but it never sucked me in. Not sure if it was my mood or if this just wasn't the book for me. The storyline sounded interesting at first, but the execution felt repetitive. There wasn't much other substance there besides the fake dating relationship, which made me get tried of each of the leads pining after the unavailable characters and caused me not to really believe in the relationship because it didn't seem like the leads were actually connecting with each other.

an NFL player and a librarian??? MY ABSOLUTE CATNIP I am so happy this lived up to my expectations!!! so good loved it

Can we first talk about the opening line? “For all the readers, educators, and librarians fighting the good fight to get diverse books into the hands of those who need them most. I hope we win.” 👏📚

THE NEXT BEST FLING is the most anticipated romcom of the summer (according to me, a very reliable source) so here’s why you need it in your beach bag.

- Fake dating, no strings attached
- Best friend/ex’s older brother
- Plus size and latine rep
- Loads of awesome bookish elements
- Messssssy in the best way possible

He wants the bride and she wants the groom. Two wildcards in love with one half of an engaged couple agree to use each other to help get over other people, but it’s working TOO well…

This has ALL the emotions. I was drawn in by the unlikely pairing: an ex-NFL player and YA librarian get under to get over. No strings attached quickly turns into holding each other accountable, becoming better people and helping each other grow. The surprise date night that involved each of their passions? Swoon. When Theo (ex-NFL man) surprised Marcela with signed special edition book copies to restock her personal library? Double swoon. I loved how invested Marcela was in promoting reading accessibility and planning ways to keep teens invested in books and I loved even more Theo’s support of her passion. I mean, she gave her own books away to ensure students had access! I need more librarian romcom reads in my life because this was everything I could hope for.

A huge thanks for @berkleyromance for the digital ARC! I adored and devoured this and need librarians in love #2!

When you love the groom-to-be, and his brother is in love with the bride-to-be, you have all the makings of a perfect romantic comedy.

Marcela and Ben have always been buddies. After a brief romance that quickly fizzled out, they've been best friends for years. When he decides to pop the question to his longtime girlfriend, Marcela is devastated. At the engagement party, Marcela discovers she's not the only one upset. The groom's brother, Theo, is in love with the bride.

The two set off on an adventure to save each other from destroying a wedding and end up trying to convince themselves they're not falling in love in the process.

Too cute, and quite a bit steamy, I loved Gabriella Gamez's writing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-fake dating
-rebound hookup
-best friend's older brother
-plus size rep
-an ode to libraries

Gosh did I adore this book, it had me hooked from the very first page. I love mess, and this book had just the right amount. Marcela has held a spark that things might work out one day with her best friend and also ex, but instead she ends up invited to his engagement party. Worse, she's talking the groom's older brother out of confessing his feelings for the bride. This book perfectly exemplifies holding a flame for the somoen in your head, and just the adult struggles of dating, of figuring out your owrth and what you deserve and just allowing yourself to try.

Theo was just epic book boyfriend material. Just sweet, gone on Marcela before either wanted to admit it, and just always looking to her for signals. I won't spoil anything but he sets gift fiving to a whole nother level, he just listens to Marcela and just adores her, sees her, wants to be with her and just is impossible not to swoon over him.

Marcela was beyond relatable as she figured out her life and to finally take care of herslef rather than live for anyone else. The fat rep in this book was just beautiful and had me highlighting so many lines I just related to so much. This was an incredible debut and I can't wait to read whatever Gabriella writes next.

I was expecting a cute rom-com, and instead i got angst, and im LIVING for it! Before I go any further, Ben is the worst. Seriously, I hope he sprains his ankle and every time it heals, he sprains it again. I was a little apprehensive of how this would play out, dating your ex’s brother, however, I wouldn’t really call him an ex, they dated for like 3 minutes. Marcela, a plus size librarian who has been secretly pining for her “best friend” for almost TEN years and Theo, who is tortured, by not only his brother, but also his fiancé. The fake dating aspect of this was very cute and I wanted them to be together forever by chapter 5. Theo was so sweet and really gave me unrealistic expectations for men, I mean THE LIBRARY DATE?! It made me need to fire up my dating apps again because true love is really out there. I really wanted to hate Alice, but she turned out to be AMAZING. It was great seeing people who had been friends from college still making it work as adults no matter how different their lives may be. Marcela’s abandonment issues gave me pause, because why would you put something so true about me in this book? Either way, Marcela and Theo’s love story was something I unexpectedly loved and can’t wait to see what’s next in this series.