What a perfect way to end the Primas of power series!! I loved this one night stand to more, he falls first and hard, dual POV, love story between a millionaire hotelier and a divorced teacher. The strong female friendships were there, the cameos from other couples in the series were chef's kiss and I really enjoyed watching people-pleasing Ava learn to stand up to her family and go after what made her happy. Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like Can't get enough by Kennedy Ryan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book grew increasingly engrossing page by page as I was drawn into the lives of Ava, the former family "good girl" who has been abandoned by her husband and taken advantage of by her too-free-with-their-damn-opinions-and-judgments family, and Roman, the workaholic self-made billionaire who is afraid to allow himself a break lest he slip up in his care of those he loves.
One thing that bothered me at first ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the story. Roman fell first, and hard, the night they met, while Ava remained mostly detached for weeks, basically using Roman for physical and psychic release whenever she had a particularly rough day. I struggled a bit with what seemed like Ava's lack of feeling and also with Roman's seeming excess of it. But this kind of beginning actually made it easier to see and understand Ava's growth and inner conflict as the story went on. By the end I was also more comfortable with Roman's head-over-heels-ness, as I saw him coming to terms with his need to ease up, to let go and enjoy, and to be there for support without trying to fix everything for those he loves.
Ava's family, as infuriating as they often/usually were, were fascinating to observe, once I resigned myself to not being able to slap them. Her younger sister Willow was wonderfully real (and astute, and protective!), and her relationships with her cousins (the Primas of Power) were both strong and fraught as Ava grappled with fears and decisions about what and when to do things to minimize chances of her family either rejecting or smothering her.

All in all, this was a 4.5 (rounded to 5) star book for me.
I'd read the first in the series (Jasmine's story) a while back; now I have to get my hands on Michelle's story!
Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this early eARC. My opinions are entirely my own.

Alexis Daria truly out-did herself.

This is romance story-telling GOLD. I have long awaited in getting to know Ava. The wise and reliable prima. But I had no idea the depths of her personal journey, as well as all of the things that she held in.

This book is about allowing love in, acknowledging that love should always be a safe space to be your most truest self, and that you are worthy of good things ALWAYS.

This couple is a STEAMY couple and it is hot hot hot to read.

I love the cultural representation as well.

Just superb all around!

My ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been looking forward to the 3rd installment of the Primas of Power series for a long time now and it did not disappoint! I also enjoyed Alexis Daria’s other books outside of this series. Check her out!

Why the hell was this book over 500 pages?

Alright, so I enjoyed probably the first 40% of this book a lot, but once we got to the point that they’re each involved in the wedding pacing became so odd. It felt like everything was overwritten and going in circles, but their relationship seemed to be moving faster and faster.

This could have been edited down a lot. Descriptions of setting, outfits, and food might have added to the atmosphere, but they felt like they were done in info-dumps and always messed with pacing. Then the constant circles Ava weaves herself in was just too much. It was a constant back and forth of whether she was going to make a relationship work or break up with Roman. Too freaking much to the point that it was grating and I started to skim.

Once they finally do enter a relationship though, it felt like we were time skipping over a lot of moments that would have shown how their relationship improves from friends with benefits to a couple. Because of that, when we start having grand gestures and the big L word thrown around, it caught me off guard and seemed too fast, especially given the amount of time dedicated to showing Ava’s hesitancy around a relationship. While I liked the wedding hijinks, (except the bachelorette party scene -shiver-) I think Daria didn’t quite hit a balance between them and the romance.

All that said, I did still enjoy this over all. The spice was spicing and truly the best of the series. Ava and Roman did feel like well built characters who developed throughout the story (though I still believe Roman was a bit too perfect) and started a solid relationship. I was eating up the dramatic moments with the family 🍿 And I also really liked that all the heroes of the series had time to shine as a friend group here, though I would have liked it more if we saw the same for the primas that the series is named for.

Along Came Amor is a fantastic romance. Alexis Daria works her creative magic in this fitting finale to her Primas of Power series, and I loved every minute of Ava and Roman’s story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Teacher Ava meets CEO Roman the day her divorce is finalized. She steps out of her comfort zone, and “lets the universe decide” that it’s time to have her first one night stand. Roman is immediately attracted to the gorgeous woman at the bar in his hotel, but they both agree it’s a one time, no strings attached night. Only they can’t stop thinking about each other. They begin to see each other more often, but Ava doesn’t even tell her cousins about the man who sees her better than anyone. Only, it turns out he’s the best man in her cousin Jasmine’s wedding, and now her entire family knows her handsome stranger. Can Ava keep her family, and herself, from ruining everything?

I’ll admit, I identify with Ava a bit too much. She’s completely overwhelmed with trying to live up to her family’s impossible expectations. But she doesn’t feel like she can push back without losing their good opinion of her, even her closest cousins Jasmine and Michelle. By the time she pushes back, I was just as proud of her as Roman.

And swoony Roman is perfect for her! While he’s an alpha billionaire, he’s a self made boss who actually works all the time. He’s so patient and really listens to Ava, even when he just wants to take charge and fix things for her.

Along Came Amor starts as a hook up, but becomes an incredibly romantic story. And steamy too! If you love characters who finally stop being their own worst enemy on the way to a fulfilling HEA, don’t miss Alexis Daria’s latest amazing romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! From the main characters to their family relationships to the steamy scenes. The dynamic between Roman and Ava was everything! Not only are Roman and Ava a steamy, lovable pair, but the writing and storytelling here is really excellent
This book was basically perfect.
The characters are rich and multi-faceted. Alexis Daria shows the reader how varied and beautiful the Latinx world is.
Beautifully written, amazing story, wonderful characters. A must-read for any romance lover.

I am so sad to see this series end but omg this one was so so good! I loved each individual book about the primas but this one has to me be my favorite!!! I loved Ava and following along her journey to be true to herself and what she deserved! The family drama really got me on this one and it was truly a reward to see Ava overcome them! Roman is definitely the man for her! Everything he does for her and his family too is so special! Roman and Ava truly belong together! And the spice!!!! Ay dios mío!! So good!!!
Highly recommend this whole series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!

Book Review: Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one’s for the pathological people pleaser who only wanted you to see her.

In Along Came Amor, Alexis Daria returns with a romance that is equal parts swoony, sharp, and soul-searching. With her signature flair for emotional nuance and vibrant Latinx representation, Daria paints a deeply resonant portrait of a woman who has spent her life smoothing edges, hiding the mess, and shaping herself into what others want—until love demands she show up as her full, flawed self.

The heroine of this story—compelling, layered, and achingly relatable—is not just chasing romance. She’s on a journey to be seen, truly seen, and loved anyway. For readers who have ever dimmed their light to avoid confrontation, who have sacrificed their own wants for harmony, or who’ve mistaken approval for affection, this book strikes with uncanny precision.

Daria handles this emotional landscape with care, coupling sharp dialogue and electric chemistry with internal growth that feels both hard-earned and heartachingly true. The love story is delicious and tension-filled, yes, but its true triumph is the heroine’s reclamation of her own worth—apart from performance, apart from perfection.

If you’ve ever been the “good girl,” the fixer, the one who says yes when you mean no, Along Came Amor offers not just romance, but recognition. It’s a gentle, affirming reminder that you don’t have to be easy to love—you just have to be real.

Endlessly affirming and full of joy, this is Alexis Daria at her most powerful and poignant.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Daria hooked me back in 2020 when I was just dipping my toes into contemporary romance (and still insisting that I "wasn't a romance reader" eye roll) with the first in the Primas of Power series You Had Me at Hola, with Jasmine and Ashton's relationship developing right along with their on-screen romance. It was sexy and smart and feminist, and I loved it. I also loved the second installment in 2021, A Lot Like Adios, which followed the second cousin, Michelle and her friend-next-door romance with Gabe. And finally, we have our third installment, Ava's story, as she begrudgingly falls head over heels for her one night stand, the millionaire hotelier, Roman Vasquez.

Middle school teacher Ava Rodriguez has recently divorced her husband (much to the family's dismay) and finds herself itching to start a new chapter while attending an education conference at the very fancy Dulce Playa Hotel. She decides to lean in when the hotel owner flirts his way into making her a drink. After a very sexy night in the penthouse, Roman agrees to be Ava's friend with benefits, only meeting up when Ava texts. But when their paths cross outside of their sex arrangement, in a way that is very personal to Ava, she's not sure she can handle her worlds merging.

While this wasn't my favorite of the trio, I still devoured it in no time (especially considering that it's over 500 pages!) and loved Daria's storytelling. I have come to expect strong, confident heroines in this series, and so when she presented us with a main character who is really struggling with abandonment and self-esteem issues (a very reasonable and realistic problem), it didn't quite sweep me up in the same way. Roman, however, certainly did sweep me up, as a *chef's kiss* swoonworthy romantic lead. Unlike some romance "series" that just loosely include repeating characters, this series finale heavily featured both previous romances, with the plot revolving around Jasmine and Ashton's wedding in Puerto Rico, which I found very fun. This definitely has summer blockbuster energy, but be sure to read the other two first to get the full effect.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon, and Alexis Daria for this advanced copy! Available May 27 2025!

I am so in love with the Primas of Power series. Since I picked up Jasmines book in 2020 I have been obsessed with these women. Jas and Michelle started their stories with strong personalities and sense of self. It was so rewarding to watch Ava discover herself throughout this book and to watch Roman give her that room in their relationship. I can relate to Ava in so many ways. The feeling that love and family relationships are transactional is something that I with on no one. Watching Ava stand up to her family and set boundaries was beautiful. Familial boundaries are the hardest to keep and as a reader I was so proud of Ava! *Fist pumps the air*

As always, Alexis's writing is phenomenal. Excellent pacing and character development. Not just for Ava but Roman and the other Primas as well. I'm sad that this series is over but look forward to what Alexis does next.

4.5⭐

3.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐💫

Fresh off a failed marriage, Ava meets Roman at the perfect time. The New Ava wants one no-strings-attached night with a stranger. But one night turns into more, always on Ava's terms. Every time she has a personal setback, she turns to her fling for comfort, always ensuring that it stay separate from the rest of her life and her over-involved family.

While going through her divorce, Ava is also playing maid of honor in her cousin's wedding, and crosses paths with Roman yet again at the engagement party where she learns he is the best man. Together, Ava and Roman try to keep feelings out of it while joining forces to pull off the wedding of the year.

I've enjoyed all the books in the Primas of Power series and this was a fitting conclusion. While Ava's family dynamic plays a large role in the series, this book felt longer than it needed to be, and I think a big part of that was how many times the story came back to Ava needing to hide her relationship from her family. I liked seeing Ava's character grow, and there was lots of steam from beginning to end.

Never having read this author before I was hoping for maybe a combination of Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez, whose latin love stories and female leads are so relatable, and Abby Jimenez, who knows better than anyone how to write rom-com with emotion, substance and laughter, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I was disappointed.

Firstly, this is way too long at 512 pages, redundant, and would more likely appeal to liberal DEI audiences, more than it did me. 

Admittedly, I skimmed through the graphic sexual scenes, that were pages and pages too long. If one can get by the f-bombs that many authors find necessary in dialogue these days, which appear here in the early paragraphs, as did the graphic sex, or if it doesn’t matter to you, you might like this more than I did. I’m pretty tired of it, quite honestly. Good writing doesn’t have to include expletives, vulgar language or graphic sex to be well written and draw the reader in.

I only kept reading because I really liked the male lead character Roman, but didn’t really care if the female lead, Ava, ended up with him or not. She got tiresome and I actually found it a chore to finish this.

My thanks for the opportunity to review this e-ARC to the publishers Avon & Harper Voyager via NetGalley for the opportunity to try a new author and offer my unbiased review before the publication date of May 27, 2025.

This book was a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for me! Roman was everything Ava needed! As a chronic people pleaser myself (recovering people pleaser soon lol) Ava was so real and so relatable; she is on a journey to put herself first and that takes time… and steps it doesn’t happen overnight. Roman was the most supportive love interest and so understanding! Love the mix of smut but also fade to black romance scenes. Ava and Ramon start thier love on physical connection but it grows to so much more! I was cackling so many times this book was the perfect end to the trilogy and I’m so sad it’s over!!

Among Came Amor is the third in the Primas of Power series. Although technically it can be read as a standalone, I think you’d be reading at a disadvantage. There will be far more context and depth if the others are read first.

This series continues to have the most stunning covers.

The chemistry between the main leads is incredible and I never doubted their sexual compatibility. I struggled that the main conflict between them was mostly in one character’s head and became extremely repetitive. I wish we had seen more awareness and growth rather than it happen primarily offscreen in the epilogue.

A solid writer and someone I will definitely check out again in the future.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

The day Ava's divorce is finalized, she winds up having a one-night stand with hotelier, Roman, and their connection goes beyond the physical, but Ava is not about to get into another relationship. Introducing someone else to her family is unfathomable. Roman is really fantastic at respecting her boundaries, but he leaps at the opportunity to see her again when she presents it. And... things go from there.

I have complex feelings about Along Came Amor, in that seeing Ava's people-pleasing made me really reflect on my own people-pleasing tendencies in a way that had me cringing more than I would prefer. But with that being said, I think that actually goes to show that Daria did an absolutely incredible job with her character work in this book. Part of that also includes the way that Ava being loved by Roman, in the way that he prioritizes her, allows Ava to start recognizing some toxic patterns that her family has fallen into.

If you want a man who is down bad for his love interest, this book is definitely one that could work for you. (Honestly, all three of these books in this post fit that description perfectly so... Pick up any/all of them for that vibe! I do actually wonder if I wouldn't have loved this book more if I hadn't read it after having read Can't Get Enough.) Anyway, I definitely recommend this book and this series. These characters are really wonderful and the similarities between the series are so interesting and really come together in this book. I've enjoyed my time with these characters so much!

By golly Alexis Daria nailed it yet again with the finale to the Primas of Power! I absolutely adored Ava and Roman as a couple but also as they navigated their own individual journeys during this story. When they FINALLY came fully together my heart about burst out of my chest because it wasn’t just them as a couple being whole, they each were whole, and I loved that so much! I do hope we someday get more from the Primas universe but for now I’m so happy with this conclusion. All the love and all the stars. 🤩

3.5

For being too long for a romance novel, this was fast paced and a lot of fun (I read it in one sitting)! I loved the MMC and I loveeeee a dual POV storyline. I had a hard time with the female main character and just really didn’t love her character development or her relationship with her family. They were the worst and it took her sooooo long to grow a backbone. I normally enjoy well developed character storylines, but in this situation it just took wayyy to long for my tastes for her to develop and act differently. I just really felt like she took self destruction to a whole new level. I love that they did not focus on the ex at all, and primarily focused on the main characters journey. Overall, fun but I had a hard time with the FMC.


Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

I love the Primas of Power! I have been waiting for this book for so long. i quickly read each of the books and they just kept getting better. I love that we still hear what is happening with Jasmine and Michelle, even though this is Ava's book. The 3 of them have such a great relationship and I love the partners that they each picked. This was such a great addition to this series and I secretly wish there were more Primas to have books about. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is only the second time I received an ARC for an author I'd read before. I loved the first Primas of Power book and enjoyed the second one fine. This one kind of fell in the middle, though it was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

I think in a lot of parts, the story repeats itself and drags on, and there are too many big decision moments for our couple. Ava was often unfair to Roman and assumed the worst because of her bad ex-husband. And she also assumed the worst of her family even though Roman is ALSO Hispanic and fluent in Spanish. It's not like she brought home some preppy white boy! Watching her grow a backbone and learn about boundaries was frustrating and lost the book a star.

But I also don't come from such a big, interconnected family. Nor am I dealing with a multimillion-dollar business empire. I would have enjoyed seeing more of Ava's work and not just focus on Roman's hotel business.

The spice starts early and is strong (maybe 5 or 6 scenes), and that's a really fun part for the couple's dynamic. There are some other good romance tropes, like a getaway vacation and secretly being part of the friend group. I really enjoyed the multi-year epilogue at the end and would still be open to reading more from this author. But I think these books can get overly emotional and rely too much on Hispanic family themes as a strength and a roadblock situationally.