This was a sweet yet smoldering love story.

We're taken along for a story that flashes back and forth (masterfully) from past to present time. We get to see Mari and Javi's origin and how even though Javi "dumped" Mari, they still held a torch for each other. During all of this, there's the simmering pressure of Mari's upcoming nuptials to another man.

The ending felt a bit rushed, but I think that was only because so much time seemed to elapse before getting there.

An enjoyable book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐️

I’ve loved Mia Sosa books in the past but this one wasn’t it for me. The title doesn’t fit at all and was forced in at the end. With the flashbacks, the pacing was really slow for a good majority of the book. And the biggest gripe of all was that I truly don’t think Mari was going to choose Javi until her hand was forced, and I just don’t find that romantic.

I will say that the book at least was gripping at the beginning and I was interested to see where it was going. The long flashback section kind of stopped that interest in its tracks.

this was my first book by this author and it did not disappoint me at all! it’s about these 2 bestfriends that made a pact to always be there for one another when it comes to be each others relationship interrogator!

this book was very slowburn and something i wasn’t expecting at all! i love the representation and the characters!

This book did the job of feeling like I was watching a 90s romcom. Like it was kind of cringey and I don't really know that it holds up, but all the beats just felt so nostalgic and perfect to me. The time slips were well done even though they were predictable, I just really had a great time reading this.

Overall: 4.25/5
Spice level: 2/5
Tropes: Friends to lovers, slow burn

I couldn't wait to read this! There was a definite slow burn, but it fits the plot. Mari is marrying someone other than Javi, so it takes some time to truly get them together, and most of the spice takes place in flashbacks of moments where they hooked up months prior to the scheduled wedding.

I loved their friendship though. They were so close from the very beginning but had this simmering undercurrent of chemistry between them.

I really liked how the flashbacks showed the strength and development of of the closeness between Javi and Mari.

There were moments I felt bad for Javi because he never felt he was good enough for Mari, hence why he kept her at a distance romantically.

I can't wait to see if other characters get their own stories!

A beautiful story and friendship and love, amidst challenging family dynamics and questioning one’s self. I love Mia Sosa’s writing… This book kept me intrigued and entertained. There were moments I literally laughed out loud, and then other moments my jaw dropped open. This is one I thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend.

Mia Sosa’s When Javi Dumped Mari is a lively and heartwarming rom-com about heartbreak, self-discovery, and second chances. After Javi unexpectedly ends their relationship, Mari must navigate her newfound singlehood while rediscovering who she is outside of love. Sosa’s sharp wit and charming storytelling shine, with relatable characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and just the right amount of emotional depth. A delightful tale of resilience and unexpected romance that will leave readers rooting for Mari every step of the way.

DNF at 55%

Okay I didn't finish this one but I think that's a ME thing, not a problem with the book. I really enjoyed the characters and the dual POV gave a lot of important perspective to the past and present of their relationship. I just found the plot development to be a little slow and I was hoping to spend a little more time in the present rather than so much in the past. I will return to this at some point because I adore Mia Sosa but needed to put it down for now!!

WOW! Javi and Mari were soo cute together! This was a friends to lovers romance, that had you rooting for them throughout the book.
They both were instantly attracted to each other from their college days, and boy did they fight that attraction every phase of their lives thereafter. Mavi was such a force.
Javi was so selfless.

Although it took a while for them to realize it, I wouldn't consider this a slow-burn. The chapters were short and the pace was fast. I enjoyed looking back in time with them and I feel it gave me better understanding of their actions, fears, and insecurities.

Highly recommended!

What a fun cute book! This was such an enjoyable read and I'm glad I got to read it!

Thank you NetGalley and Mia Sosa!

#WhenJaviDumpedMari #NetGalley

Truly a friends to lovers, East/West Coast, revel proudly in their Latino’ roots romance.

She’s Brazilian, he’s Puerto Rican. Their respective cultural backgrounds are in full force from the initial meeting at a Latino student organization in college to their later years as young professionals.

Author did a wonderful job building their relationship up, navigating hurdles strewn along the way from family pressure to seemingly unattainable career dreams.

Para siempre,indeed. (Read the book and you’ll get the context of this phrase).



This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was the classic friends to lovers trope with a pining best friend. It's told between dual timelines showcasing their friendship through college and beyond. In present times, Javi is blindsided by Mari's recently announced whirlwind engagement and vows to do what he can to prove he's the right man for her. I loved the dynamic and sizzling chemistry between the two main characters. This story had the perfect balance of heart and humor.

I liked this author’s previous books, so I was glad to get her upcoming novel early from NetGalley. Figured it would be a good, reliable rom com. This wasn’t it. Instead, I just wanted to get it over with.

Mari and Javi are friends who have a pact to vet each other’s relationships. But then Mari gets engaged without introducing the guy to Javi.

The title of this book makes no sense. Did he dump her? There was nothing to dump. I guess you’re trying to play off When Harry Met Sally because these guys are friends?

Their relationship was weird and I honestly didn’t feel it. They were friends in college, then don’t talk for 6 years, then meet up and hook up and decide they should just be friends, then she’s engaged. It was all very dull and pointless. Just way too wordy for a poorly-developed relationship.

I have adored this author since their first book and I have loved this so much, I adored this story and the connection between characters and the pacing was great! I had a glorious time!

I liked this book a lot! Its sort of a My Best Friend’s Wedding with an HEA. I was excited to get an ARC of this book—I’ve really enjoyed Mia Sosa’s work in the past!

Normally dual timelines bother me, but I thought in this case it was really well done. I loved both Javi and Mari as characters. They make a lot of sense to me.

I didn’t love how much of the plot relied on Javi just straight up not communicating with Mari, but in context I did think it made sense, so. I give it a pass.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don’t normally read many friends to lovers books because the characters’ reasons for not being together usually irritate the life out of me. For Mari, her insistence on getting married to one man while clearly in love with another was infuriating. For Javi, the way he would say absolutely nothing and make things uncomfortable instead of being honest with Mari made me borderline violent. It always feels like everyone is just wasting time when they could be together and happy instead.

And yet…I still really enjoyed this book. All of the characters were so FUNNY and the flashback chapters were so good! I fell in love so easily with the Javi and Mari from the past. They have such amazing chemistry and I knew from the beginning I needed them to be together.

The ending of this book made me happy and I definitely want to read more books from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book!

The emotions were pretty much at the forefront of every scene in this book 🥲 I was racing through the pages to reach Javi and Mari's hea, their friendship/relationship development and their own personal character growths were so well-rounded

Also, I loved their meet cute so much?? That scene and the ones that followed were my favourite parts of the book, they were so cute 😭

TWs - emotionally manipulation by family members

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I want to live inside a Mia Sosa romantic comedy! Full of so many hilarious moments that are sandwiched between careful, emotional development, When Javi Dumped Mari is not a novel I will soon forget. Expertly told using dual timelines, readers learn about Javi and Mari over the years. This was such a wonderful way to show readers the complexity of a friends-to-lovers relationship with so much nuance. These characters needed to grow separately and together to get their happily ever after that felt so earned and so right. Is anyone funnier than Mia Sosa? Rhetorical question-- no, no there is not! Bold, funny, and dynamic Mia Sosa has written another banger!

Whoa! Mia Sosa is an auto but author for me and this book proves why! What a phenomenal read!

This book goes back and forth to explain Mari & Javi's expansive relationship, how they met, their previous visits and how Mari met her current fiance.

It also shows the dynamic between Mari and her father, and how that affects her relationship with Javi. The relationship between Javi and his family. The mention of them in therapy and how that has helped them process their feelings and trauma in being ready for the ideal partners.

“They’re close enough that the differences don’t truly matter.”

I loved this one. One of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I found myself staying up well into the night to read “just a little more.” I was hooked from the beginning. Friends-to-lovers easily lands in my top five favorite tropes and this one delivered. I loved seeing the glimpses of their past (not always a huge fan of stories with heavy dual timelines, but this one didn’t feel too jarring for me, though it might be for some) and how their friendship formed and evolved over the years. Admittedly, it did make this a bit of a slow burn because there was just so much to unpack about how they found themselves in their present day situation with Mari posed to wed someone Javi had not given his stamp of approval for, and his plan to make her see Alex isn’t the guy for her.

Their initial encounter was definitely a memorable one, but what really set them on their path forward was Javier (Javi) friendzoning himself with the invention of his fake girlfriend. And though Marisol (Mari) saw right through it, they both it agreed that getting into a situationship wasn’t the right move for either of them, so friends it was. The addition of screening/approving each other’s partners came from too many wrong choices, until Mari goes rogue and decides to date someone Javi didn’t vet for her, and then get engaged to him to boot.

There were so many moments I found myself chuckling or my cheeks aching from smiling. Their chemistry leapt off the page and I adored their banter. I could feel the tension grow between them and the anticipation of them crossing that line made all the feelings burst inside me. It was very well done.

This one has more plot than spice, but what we do get is top-notch and it’s so much more than just the act.

I’ll be thinking about this book for quite some time and can’t wait to see what Mia Sosa has in store for the future. Lots of potential here for some of the side characters to get their own stories (Chloe, Sasha, Brittany, Jeremy).

Thank you to the Penguin Group, Putnam Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.