Dual POV
Teacher/Billionaire
ONS


Daria wraps up her Trilogy on the Primas of Power with Ava’s story.
Recently divorced, Old Ava is embracing an opportunity to be New Ava (sometimes Scared Ava) while working to break old habits. While at a teaching conference, Ava meets Roman when he notices she hates the cocktail she ordered. One thing leads to another, and New Ava has an unforgettable evening with Roman.

As the Maid of Honor for her best friend and cousin, things become a bit complicated when the Best Man is announced at their engagement party - Roman. Concerned what her family will think, Ava pretends to not know Roman and not disclose their situationship. …but we all know secrets never last in a big family.

With the bride and groom tide up in Hollywood projects, Ava steps up as usual to over support those around her in order to keep/earn their love. Roman is aware of these patterns and won’t let her take on the burden alone of wedding planning as MOH.

Ava has to learn to love herself, learn from her mistakes, and figure out if she can ever love again. Luckily, Roman is patient and kind.

I didn’t love Ava as a character as much. She was very soft and unsure of herself despite being divorced, an educator, and surrounded by strong confident women. She was too people pleaser for me and didn’t have the character growth I would have loved to see. Roman being the businessman that he is, I wasn’t sure where his patience was coming from always.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and brings back the other couples and family from previous books.

3 ⭐️
2 🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for this eARC

I love Alexis Daria and the Primas of Power series. Ava's story may have been my favorite, a wonderful conclusion to a lovely series. Ava was so relatable on many levels, Roman so mature, you wanted them to get the HEA they deserved. Can't wait to see what else this author has in store!

As a fan of the first two Primas of Power books, I found this book to be a letdown. The story dragged and I didn't find the characters sympathetic.

I absolutely adored this book! I’m so sad that the Primas of Power journey has come to an end — I’m going to miss all of these characters so much. This installment might just be my favorite (aside from Michelle’s story, of course). Roman was the perfect book boyfriend, and I loved watching Ava’s journey — how she learned to embrace her true self first with Roman, and eventually with her family and friends as well. I related to Ava in so many ways, which made the story resonate even more deeply with me. Thank you so much to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Along Came Amor is the final book in the Primas of Power series. It was such a good read!

Ava has experienced some heartbreak in her life. She spent her life trying to be perfect and to avoid causing trouble. She always tried to live up to her abuela’s expectations. Suddenly, her husband decides he doesn’t want to be married to her anymore and Ava finds herself facing her family’s disapproval. When she is left without their approval, she decides to stop striving for perfection. Ava decides to spend a night with Roman to embrace her new self. She convinces herself it will be a casual thing, but the more time she spends with Roman, the more difficult it is to walk away. Ava then discovers that Roman is the best man at her cousin’s wedding and she is the maid of honor. Suddenly, her secret is at risk.

Ava and Roman’s chemistry is incredible. Even though there's love, romance, and spice, the story also explores communication, boundaries, and finding oneself. Overall, this is an excellent story with fantastic character development.

When one thinks of romance novels, the exploration of the impact of generational trauma and the theme of self love and acceptance don’t generally come to mind. Yet, in Alexis Daria’s latest novel, Along Came Amor, these themes are front and center as she weaves a steamy, yet gripping tale of the heartbreak following a divorce, the feelings of personal failure that follow, the pressure and familial responsibilities Latinas often face and the importance of self-love and acceptance, with of course an epic romance at the center of the tale. It is a lot of ground to cover in a singular novel, but Daria shines in her ability to convey the weight of which the story’s protagonist, Ava, is crushed by her people-pleasing tendencies and the expectations of her family to be perfect.

Along Came Amor does a wonderful job of bringing the familial dynamics Latinas are all too familiar with alive on the page. From the chismosa relatives who always have something to say about everybody to the expectations and pressures to get married and have children and the way it is culturally ingrained from childhood for Latinas to be helpful and serve others and to always behave. Each and every single one of these characters and scenarios are experiences that most Latinas will be able to recognize and relate to. It’s the offhand remarks from abuela, the chismes from a tia and the brutal teasing from the familia that often cuts the deepest and with the character of Ava, Daria explores just how damaging it can be to internalize all of this behavior.

Boundaries do not exist in Ava’s family, therefore she has zero boundaries with her family. It’s a slippery slope which often results in Ava being taken advantage of as everyone comes to rely on her too much for everything. From babysitting, to helping abuela cook, to trauma dumping their problems onto Ava, Ava is always available to her family, which results in her being unavailable to live a life of her own.

Enter Roman Vázquez, the rich and handsome hotelier Ava meets by chance during a teacher’s conference. A self-made millionaire, Roman has built an empire and is by all accounts a success. However, every aspect of his life is scheduled. From meetings to public dates planned by his publicist, Roman lives and dies by his schedule. Which results in him not really having much time to live at all. Sound familiar?

Upon meeting Roman, Ava decides to give up overthinking for the night and gives in to the idea of having a one night stand with Roman. One night isn’t enough for either of them and what began as a fling, slowly develops into something more. The entire time it is Ava who sets the boundaries of their relationship. A fascinating twist considering how it is Ava who lacks any boundaries in all of her familial relationships. Roman allows Ava the space to state her needs and meets them at her pace. It’s a gift which allows Ava the opportunity to explore who she is and her desires outside of any expectation and pressures set upon her by her family.

Unfortunately Roman turns out to be the best man in her cousin Jasmine’s wedding and Ava’s desire to set boundaries between Roman and her family results in her trying to hide their relationship from her family.

Hiding a relationship is never okay and Daria never excuses Ava’s actions, but rather does a beautiful job of demonstrating why Ava’s fears of inviting family into her relationship are valid to her. Through Ava opening up about past experiences and the offhand comments made by members of her own family, it becomes clear the trauma that Ava holds onto from her past and the impact it could have on her future. Family is the tie that binds but in some cases, that tie can be a noose.

The exploration of the impact family can have on one’s psyche is honestly the most fascinating part of the entire story. Yes, the romance between Ava and Roman is gripping and their steamy love affair is a page turner that will leave readers wanting more. Avid romance readers will be familiar with the fling to love troupe, but the characters in Daria’s tale are written in a way that is refreshing, with their proud Puerto Rican heritage portrayed in earnest ways. While some authors feel like they are checking off a diversity box or perpetuating stereotypes when exploring Latino characters, Daria excels at creating rich, complex characters who are proud of their heritage but who also feel like people you know or can recognize in your own life.

Family dynamics can be complex for anyone, but the novel highlights just how much that applies in family-centric Latino culture. Along Came Amor explores these complexities in a raw and real way through rich characters and deep family bonds where primas are more like sisters and abuelas can be judge, jury and executioner.

Along Came Amor is the third and final book in Daria’s Primas of Power series where each book highlights a different romantic story of a member of the Rodriguez family. It is important to note that though the series covers the love lives of the Rodriguez cousins, each novel serves as a standalone tale. While they say that no one will love you like family and there is much love between the primas of power, it also remains true that no one can hurt you quite like family can.

Alexis Daria has not only won over hearts with this beautiful love story, but broken the chains of family trauma. Readers not only fall in love with Ava and Roman, but join Ava on her journey towards self-love and acceptance. We can’t wait to see what story Alexis Daria elects to tell next.

The final book in the Primas of Power trilogy does not disappoint. Ava has endured her share of heartbreak. Raised by her critical abuela after her parents’ divorce, she spent her life striving for perfection to avoid causing trouble. She always said yes to her family’s demands, trying to live up to her abuela’s expectations. But when her husband decides he no longer wants to be married to her, Ava finds herself slipping from her family’s “favorites list.” Left wondering who she is without their approval, Ava makes a split-second decision: she will no longer try to be “perfect.”

Enter Roman, a millionaire hotelier. One night of unbridled passion with him feels like the first step toward the new Ava. She convinces herself it will stay a casual fling, but the more time Roman spends with her, the harder it is for either of them to walk away. When Ava discovers they are connected in more ways than just a random encounter—Roman is the best man to her cousin’s groom, and Ava is the maid of honor—her carefully guarded secret is suddenly at risk.

Daria is a talented romance writer who beautifully brings Latino characters to life. I appreciated the natural flow of the bilingual dialogue, which felt effortless rather than forced. Childhood traumas and cultural expectations are explored with thoughtfulness and emotional depth, sometimes in ways that are truly heartbreaking.

I will miss the Rodriguez family dearly!

Thank you for the ARC! I loved Ava and Roman, from their meet cute and steamy first night! Daria's writing style and use of language is excellent. I will definitely be reading more of her books! I gave four vs. five simply because some aspects of the book moved slowly for me as a reader.

I've been a fan of this series from the beginning so I was very excited to finally get to this story.

I really liked Ava and Roman. They're both so good and loyal with instant banter and chemistry and I loved reading them connect. Of course it was fun seeing the other couples from the previous books.

Plot wise, it was mostly good. I wanted to shake Ava for not standing up for herself faster, but it was understandable. I loved how Roman got Ava, how he listened and let her move at her own speed. And I loved reading Ava slowly unfold into her true self. The last couple of chapters were perfection and it was a great send off for these ladies.

Overall, this was a fun and feisty series and I look forward to whatever Alexis does next.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I’m so thankful to have been able to read an early copy of this book.

This was an excellent closure to this trilogy. I have loved how the characters build on each other and we see the other relationships continue to mature and grow.

I love how Ava and Romans relationship begins because it feels so natural and genuine. Both characters seem to stay true to who they are and the heat is fun and spicy.

This book took my heart, broke it apart and put it back together.

There was so much healing and character development. I loved seeing Ava work through her heartache, her pain, her past traumas into a person that has finally realized she is worthy of healthy love.

Roman, oh my goodness, I loved him too. He was mindful, and when he fucked up, he truly took a step back and listened. He actively LISTENED and had a healthy conversation about it.

This did so much for me and I loved every single minute of this book. It was beautiful.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Phew!!!! Along Came Amor was steamy hot and incredibly enjoyable to read. As the final installment of The Primas of Power trilogy, Daria gives us Ava’s love story. As the “Perfect Prima”, we find Ava at the finalization of her divorce from Hector, the image of her perfection shattered and the subject of countless family discussions. What did Ava do wrong? As she struggles to establish the “New Ava” post-divorce, in comes Roman, a handsome hotelier with a lot of wealth and a need to fix all that is wrong in Ava’s life. The issue - Ava doesn’t want to be saved like a damsel in distress. Although they are in very different parts of their lives, Roman and Ava are drawn towards one another and develop a secret romance that turns into so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ava and Roman’s love story - the hemming and hawing or “will they” or “won’t they” storyline kept me engaged until the very end. Even though we all know how romance novels end, I loved the involvement of the primas’ families and their roles in how the relationships developed. Coming from a Cuban family, I can speak from experience that the chisme is REAL! I’m sad to see the end of the Primas of Power, but Daria did a wonderful job wrapping the entire trilogy up and would highly recommend not only “Along Came Amor” but also “You Had Me at Hola” and “A Lot Like Adios” as your next summer time romance read.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for an ARC of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ALONG CAME AMOR is the third and final book of the Primas of Power trilogy following three cousins and their journeys falling in love. Ava and Roman meet at one of his many hotel bars on the day of her divorce being finalized and Ava, who has always been the dependable one in her family, the “good” girl, decides to have a one-night-stand that eventually turns into more. As months go by, Roman makes himself available to her whenever she needs him until they realize they have another connection.

I really liked the first two books in the trilogy and ALONG CAME AMOR was just as entertaining, emotional, and steamy. I loved seeing how Ava and Roman’s relationship grew through the twists and turns of the story, and how their insecurities and convictions about pleasing and going above and beyond for their families were explored.

And while I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of the story, Ava’s thoughts and consistent hesitancy about her relationship with Roman being revealed to her family felt extremely repetitive. She spent the last third of the book thinking of nothing other than how being openly with Roman would just end in absolute disaster for her that it was a relief to not only Ava and Roman to have things out in the open, but to me as well.

In the end, ALONG CAME AMOR was a delightful conclusion to the trilogy and readers will love being able to revisit their favorites from previous books and to sneak a peek into their futures with a great epilogue featuring all three couples.

3.75 ⭐️s.

3.5 ⭐️
This was an easy read, I really like Ava and how she grew in this book. Roman was perfect for her and pushed her in the right ways to help her grow on her own. I did not like any of Ava’s family, I haven’t read the first two books and I’m debating because even her cousins upset me in this. Overall, I enjoyed this book so thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Read for:
- Latinx romance
- Secret fling plot
- Millionaire CEO mmc x teacher fmc
- Newly divorced fmc
-Tight-knit family and friend group

if you want to read a book where sparks fly between a divorced teacher and a millionaire, this book is for you. I enjoyed it a lot. The immigrant representation, the hesitance to tell the family, the growth and the opportunity to love again!! I enjoyed this book a lot.

I knew this book was going to be close to 5 starts and one of my favorite books this year 4 chapters in. The chemistry being Ava and Roman was electric. He showed her what it means to be loved and always listen to her. Even though I thought that Ava should have gone no contact with her family for a while especially when they kept bringing up her ex-husband, I understand why she didn’t, and I am glad she learned to stand up for herself.

Primas of Power conclusion was just as great as I thought it would be. This is Ava’s story, where she lets herself be who she truly is and goes with the flow. She meets Roman and everything is rocked in the best way. I love this story for Ava, she grows so much and truly finds who she truly is.

I love the way Alexis writes and this was no exception! I wanted to smack some sense into Ava the entire book because of how Alexis wrote her but we all need to give it up for Roman THE best male lead in this trilogy. It’s a bit more slow paced than the first two but once it hooks you it speeds right along. Definitely recommend

I had awaited this book for three years since the last time I read a book from this series. I appreciate Alexis Daria taking the time needing to wrap this series up in a way that wasn't rushed. I enjoyed seeing all of the couples lives now!

I didn't connect with Ava as much as I thought. I found her immature and unnecessarily distant. That's what ended up being the biggest reason I did not enjoy this book. I did however connect with her not wanting to be a "good girl" any longer.

I also thought this book was a bit too long. Online it says the page count is 512 pages.

To end this on a positive, Roman was amazing and I think my favorite mmc from this series. He was upfront and seemed genuinely caring

Thank you to Avon and HarperVoyager for the eARC

So this was my first Alexis Daria book, and it did not disappoint. I bought the rest of the Primas of Power series books because I fell in love with the characters. Along Came Amor is the 3rd book in the series. There are many references to the first book, however, you do not need to read them in order. This book focused on Ava and Roman. Ava is a divorced teacher trying to find a new version of herself when she comes across Roman, a sexy CEO who turns her world around. I loved Roman, he was sexy, attentive, and a competent adult. I loved the chemistry between Ava and Roman, the conversation around family, and meeting expectations. Although it was a fun, sexy book, I felt like I was getting my own free therapy session out of it. I can't wait to read more for Alexis Daria.