This was my first Mia Sosa book and I liked it. It wasn't anything particularly exceptionally, but overall I had a good time reading it. It was a pretty perfect summer, hammock reading book. I did struggle with the imbalance in the relationship between Mari and Javi, often feeling like Javi was way more invested in making a go of things than Mari was. I know we find out the reason for some of that later in the book, but that was a frustration for me. I will certainly look for more Mia Sosa books for when I just need a little brain candy.

5/5 stars
2/5 spice

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Right person Wrong time
Will they won't they
Bride x Man of Honor
Close proximity
It's always been you
Latinx rep
Dual timeline
Dual POV

I love a good friends to lovers where the tension is palpable and the pining is mutual. As much as Mari and Javi tried to keep things strictly platonic they had great chemistry from the beginning. I loved how we were fed snippets of their history together as the present timeline was moving closer to the wedding. It added another piece of the puzzle each time and created anticipation.

I did find myself wanting more present day time of Mari and Javi together as a couple but that's just because I adore them together. Overall the way everything worked out in the end was still romantic and sweet. I would highly recommend this book to fans of friends to lovers but especially the right person wrong time trope. Also if you like the vibes of films like When Harry Met Sally, My Best Friend's Wedding, and Made of Honor then you'll love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

When Javi Dumped Mari was a heartfelt rom-com. This is my first book to read by Mia Sosa and will definitely be reading more of her books in the fture. from this author. This story is told through a dual timeline and alternates between the present—where Mari is preparing for her wedding while her best friend Javi disapproves of the groom—and the past, where we see the foundation of their close bond and the origin of their dating pact. Mari and Javi are incredibly well-developed characters, and their chemistry sizzles right off the page. I found myself rooting for them the entire time, hoping they’d finally confess their feelings. The wedding drama added a fun layer of tension, and the slow build toward their realization made the ending even more satisfying. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this delightful ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mia Sosa returns with another heartfelt and humorous rom-com in When Javi Dumped Mari, a friends-to-lovers romance that explores long-held feelings, cultural identity, and the emotional risks of letting love in after years of missed chances.

At the heart of the story are Mari and Javi, college best friends who once made a pact to vet each other’s romantic partners. Fast forward fourteen years: Mari, now a successful entertainment lawyer, drops the news that she’s engaged. Javi—who’s finally getting his life together—is blindsided and suddenly realizes he may have been in love with her all along. With six weeks until the wedding, he races to figure out how to stop the ceremony, all while grappling with his unresolved feelings and deep-seated guilt.

Sosa’s writing delivers her signature blend of wit and warmth. The dynamic between Mari and Javi is filled with snappy banter, aching tension, and just enough sweetness to keep you invested. Mari is a compelling lead—ambitious, confident, and grounded. Her Brazilian American heritage was a welcome inclusion, and I appreciated the glimpses of cultural identity throughout the story, though I did wish those elements had been more deeply woven into the narrative—particularly as Javi’s Puerto Rican roots are only lightly touched on.

The supporting cast shines, with meddling friends and family members adding humor and heart. And while the flashbacks slow the pacing early on, once the wedding countdown begins, the book finds its stride.Buy bestselling books online

That said, I had mixed feelings about the central relationship. Javi and Mari’s so-called “friendship” felt less like genuine companionship and more like years of unresolved longing clouded by avoidance and bad communication. Javi’s repeated emotional withdrawal—ghosting Mari for six years, faking a relationship, and only pursuing her when she’s engaged—made it difficult to root for him as a romantic lead. His behavior leading up to the wedding, including attempts to sabotage Mari’s engagement to Alex, often felt selfish and underhanded. Even with his emotional growth by the end, the reconciliation felt rushed and unearned.

Mari’s choice to get engaged while still clearly emotionally entangled with Javi also undercut her otherwise strong character. Her desire for stability made sense, but her inability to set firm boundaries with Javi or confront lingering feelings complicated her arc in frustrating ways.

The timeline jumps, and limited present-day interactions made the HEA feel more told than shown. For a romance centered on such a long and emotionally fraught relationship, I would have liked more time spent watching Javi and Mari reconnect—honestly and vulnerably—in the present.

Despite its charm and Sosa’s engaging voice, When Javi Dumped Mari didn’t quite meet my expectations. While it had its moments of heart and humor, the emotional payoff was ultimately diluted by underdeveloped character arcs and a central relationship that leaned too heavily on pining rather than true emotional intimacy. Even the title felt a bit misleading—Javi didn’t dump Mari so much as disappear from her life, and that distinction matters.

MESSY. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work out for Javi and Mari, or if it SHOULD work out. But these 2 dummies are end game.

The story is told from Javi and Mari’s alternating POV switching time lines from their college and early career years to the present day. They start as friends with a simmering attraction, but stay friends through college. We see them in present day, Mari is a lawyer recently engaged, and Javi was JUST ABOUT TO CONFESS HIS FEELINGS but she asks him to be her man-of-honor in her wedding instead. OOOOOFFFF Javi.

The story line goes back and forth from the past to present day, how they were friends, then nothing, then lovers, then friends again. Both of these young people could do with some therapy, there’s family issues and drama, careers and a whole country keeping them apart over time. I was seriously getting nervous as it got closer to the wedding day wondering how these two were going to figure things out without it being a disaster.

I really enjoy Mia Sosa’s books. The writes great characters that develop over the book, are forced to challenge their assumptions, have messy history and family/friends.

Arc provided by the publisher.

I don’t always love flash back scenes in books but I felt Sosa did a nice job weaving together the past and present timelines. There was lots of LOL banter but also some very heartfelt moments.

This is a messy, sexy, funny, friends-to-lovers romance done right!

Javi and Mari met in college, and they became the best of friends. Trying to protect each other from bad relationships, they make a pact to be each other’s gatekeepers. Potential date material has to pass each other’s approval.

As things progress, the tension intensifies, and these friends push the lines to the brink, but they still won’t be honest with their feelings for each other, and family members are playing dirty.

Javi decides it’s best to gatekeep his own heart, but then Mari drops a bomb on him. Mari is getting married to someone she did not pass by Javi, and she wants Javi to be her best man.

I liked Javi; he was sweet, sensitive, and thought he was not good enough for someone like Mari. Family dynamics added a layer of depth that helped us to understand both Javi's and Mari’s actions.
The author did an excellent job of making us anticipate whether they would or wouldn’t, and even the “now what.” It’s balanced nicely with hot chemistry, witty banter, sassy friends, and loads of fun wedding shenanigans. And the ending? It's a satisfying conclusion that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Thank you @putnambooks and @penguinrandomhouse for this gifted ebook via #NetGalley.

I overall enjoyed the concept of this story and liked Mari and Javi as characters. What I struggled with was the dual pov shifting extremely often in tandem with the time jumps, and with the typical friends to lovers self sacrificing. I can't get behind that standing in the way of true love when both of them know they love each other and they just hold it away from them until there is an extreme situation at hand, like Mari now getting married to someone else. It is not an attractive character trait to me (in Javi's case) where they are so afraid of what maybe would happen that they don't actually ever go for what they want. The self sacrificing is what I struggle with so much with friends-to-lovers. I get that it is a tough place to be, but in this particular instance it was bothersome to me. I think that I would like to reread this with a fresh mind and do the audiobook. It was hard, to me, keep up with the pov shifting so often. I love Sosa's voice and her characters are always so strong and funny, and I do want to give this one another chance when I can get my hands on the audiobook. Thank you for letting me read early and I will come back to this story again soon with a different mindset and fresh eyes and I do think I will feel differently then.

The set up for Mia Sosa’s When Javi Dumped Mari is so intriguing! Javier Báez and Marisol Campos are friends from college who friend-zoned each other early on and stayed that way. Their friendship has had ups and downs over the years, which we see in flashback.

The book begins when Javi and Mari meet up in New York for lunch and Javi feels like things are coming together, finally. He’s dressed up and all set to tell Mari how he’s got his life sorted – eight years after college, he has an apartment of his own, progress with the musical he’s been writing (for so long!) and a new therapist. He’s going to tell Mari that he can finally be the partner she wants. Mari has her own issues though, and when she gets to their lunch, she’s brought along Alex, her new fiancé. From there, it's backwards in time as we see the original friendship between Mari and Javi develop and then, in the present, the countdown begins to Mari’s wedding to Alex – which is taking place in just six weeks.

At first, it seems as though the differences between Mari and Javi are insurmountable. Mari’s wealthy background and legal career provide a certain lifestyle, while Javi has been working on his musical script/score and doing casual jobs, meaning his financial situation is uncertain and he isn’t able to offer Mari the lifestyle she’s used to. It also seems as if Mari believes that her work is more important than Javi’s. She is very much in the thrall of her father, Luiz, who owns the law firm where she and Alex work, and he has always made her feel grateful for his support. She loves her job and is very set on pleasing Luiz. As she puts it:

“It also doesn’t hurt that my father’s estimation of me went up several notches when Alex and I announced our engagement.”

Her father dislikes Javi and puts him down whenever he can.

A key part of the plot is that when they were in college, Mari and Javi agreed to vet each other’s dates. Now though, Mari tells Javi that she doesn’t want his opinion on Alex, whom she is fully committed to marrying. Javi realises how serious she is – and it’s such bad timing for him, just as he is getting everything together. This sets off a neat ‘ticking clock’ situation for Javi to persuade Mari that Alex is not the man for her – and that he is.

To make matters worse, Mari asks Javi to be the man of honour. The bridal party consists of three girlfriends and Javi, and even with some awkwardness, they have the funniest times as they all fight and bicker to organise wedding-related things and try and support Mari however she needs. Alex is seemingly okay with Javi’s role in Mari’s life, but there’s a sting there and we get to see some ridiculous machismo from both men – no spoilers but the sky diving is a riot!

My biggest issue is that any intimacy (both emotional and physical) between Mari and Alex is necessarily glossed over in the lead up to the wedding. There’s very little conflict between Mari and Alex, and while Mari doesn’t cheat, the lines are blurred, with her long-buried attraction to Javi surfacing inconveniently. It’s a slow burn in the present because Mari is essentially with Alex for nearly all of the book. The past is a different story of course, but even so, author Mia Sosa is walking quite the tightrope here. Until Mari unpacks her history and feelings for her parents, especially Luiz, she remains committed to marrying Alex. This is the third of Mia Sosa’s books that has a wedding at its centre, and she deftly handles all the ridiculousness and excessiveness (see The Worst Best Man and The Wedding Crasher) and even with some angst, she keeps it light-hearted. I recommend When Javi Dumped Mari as an immersive and fun read.

Mari's getting married and it's breaking Javi's heart. See, he's been in love with her since college but never acted as anything more than her BFF. Sure, they agreed to marry at some point in the future if neither found a partner but neither revealed how they really felt. This moves back and forth in time, telling their story through flashbacks. Now she's planning her wedding and he's planning how to break up her relationship. It's one for those who like friends to lovers romances. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. It's fast, it's funny, it's the sort of popcorn read that's perfect for vacation.

Will Javi get the girl?

I really liked this book. It was told in dual POV's, and dual timelines.
Javi and Mari have been friends for a long time, with both wanting more, but Javi too afraid to ask for more from Mari, Mari is tired of waiting for Javi to man up. She is determined to move forward with or without him, hence, she's marrying someone else. Javi is playing along with Mari, but hoping to change her mind

Both Javi and Mari have issues to work through, but in themselves and with their families and in their past.
The story propels both timelines forward and embraces their heritages and that plays a huge role in this story.
This book totally needs to be turned into a movie. Just saying.
Recommend.

When Javi Dumped Mari was such a refreshing read for me. As a second chance romance, there absolutely has to be a reference to the past but most often we get to live by the past through short snapshots. This novel is dual timeline so we get to relive their past parallel to the present day. This really kept me turning the page because I wanted to see how the backstory provided would relate to the present day shenanigans.

Mari was relatable to an eldest daughter or only child who grew up feeling like they had to fit into a parent’s idea of success to be loved or that you can’t speak up when you’re not getting enough from someone you love.

Javi also has some family wounds that he works through throughout the course of the novel, and I’m SO proud of him for choosing therapy. That caused a big shift in his sense of self-worth and provided the catalyst for the inciting incident of this book. Without it, I’m not sure if he would have come to the “I love Mari and she loves me exactly how I am” realization.

Even as a friend, Javi loves Mari like no else in her life. He’s going along with this farce of a wedding because it’s what she wants_even when it’s clear that he knows her much better than her fiancé. Or when it’s clear he cares more about her happiness than her father who is planning Mari’s wedding according to his whims.

In addition to the big life lessons these two work through, they are just FUN! Mari and Javi can keep up a bit. There’s more than one moment where one starts a joke, oftentimes at the other’s expense, and then the other character aggressively continues the joke. Think improv but in the real world.

The side characters are hilarious! The wedding dress consultant. Mari’s friends—I’m high key afraid of Chloe in the best of ways.

I also love all the little signs that Javi and Mari were “meant to be” along the way and that we got the entire book to watch them work it out. I love when I’m still at 75% and wondering if I’m going to be bamboozled and then in the next hour of reading I experience the HEA and it’s a JOY.

I love the Afro-Latine rep in this book, Mari is Brazilian and Javi is Puerto Rican, and the unapologetic use of their native languages. I had to flex my college language skills (going to college in Miami gave me the opportunity to pick up both Spanish and Portuguese) at some points but the translator is right there and always handy.

This HEA was a long-time coming (8+ years) and hard fought. I’m always happy to have a Mia Sosa release in my hands, I can’t wait to get this one and read it again and again!

ARC Review

4.75/5 ⭐️

Overall thoughts:
I absolutely loved this story Mari and Javi's friendship went through it in this story but the ending was so worth it. Mari was a strong female lead and a strong woman through the entire story. Javi was just a cinnamon roll who didn't want to bring Mari down in her future.

Tropes:
Dual POV
Dual Timeline
Friends to Lovers
Friendship Pact
Afro-Latine main representation

Detailed thoughts:
This was my first Mia Sosa book and I am in LOVE with her writing and her storytelling! This book and story was so good. It had the tension, the intrigue and the build up for such an amazing story and it delivered.
The dual timeline was so well done and I just loved the amount of context it gave to the overall story. I loved how it gave you just enough to try to piece it together of how their friendship developed. I also loved the little nuggets you got of how they got to where they were and how they turned into strangers at one point.

I loved the representation in this book and the use of Portuguese in this story it was so perfect!

Mari's dad and Alex were great antagonist in this story and I loved how you didn't know all of their intentions until the very end.

I loved Mia Sosa's previous books, but this one didn't work for me. I didn't like the premise and their reason for not being together seemed immature and predictable. The title doesn't make sense either because Javi never dates Mari. They are friends, but they hook up a few times. They deny their feelings for each other, and they don't speak for years.

I wanted more of a friends to lovers vibe, but it didn't really happen. I liked the dual timelines, but the now timeline was really lacking. I couldn't root for them to be together either.

I absolutely adored this book! I had so much fun with the banter between the characters, the then and now story structure, and I absolutely loved the ending! This was the perfect summer read!

Reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally, Mia Sosa has written another gem filled with hilarity and hope, for that final chance at great love. A story that shows that the greatest love can bloom from the greatest of friendships.

Javi and Mari first meet in college and have instant chemistry. Not wanting to rock the boat on their friendship, they make a promise to never get romantically involved with each other and instead, vet one another's potential dating prospects. A brief visit to Mari ends with Javi ghosting her for years but a chance encounter leads to a night of heat that could be the turning point in their relationship.

I always enjoy books written by Mia Sosa and this was no exception! As always, there is great banter and palpable chemistry between the main characters. Sometimes the road to get to happily ever after can be riddle with insecurities but this story shows that when you find the right person, none of that outside noise matters when its a love that is meant to be.

Readers who like the following will enjoy When Javi Dumped Mari:
🧡 Friends to Lovers
💙 Afro-Latine Representation
🧡 Witty Banter
💙 Slow Burn
🧡 Dual Timelines
💙 Dual POV
🧡 Open Door Spice

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Mia Sosa for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️ I’m really torn on this one. I enjoyed the story and the characters for the most part. I was happy to keep reading but wasn’t attached to my kindle, obsessively reading.

The story was told in dual timeline and dual POV. The “then” timeline started when they first met and worked its way up to 8month prior to present.

Both Mari and Javier made some decisions that were super frustrating. I almost understand Javi’s perspective but Mari’s decisions were hard to get behind.

The Latin representation was cool and interesting to learn a bit about that. The one frustrating piece was the characters would sometimes slip into another language- especially in high conflict scenes - and I felt like I was missing out on some of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This book follows Mari and Javi as they navigate their feelings for each other. I have read from Mia Sosa before, and I enjoyed the Wedding Crashers. However, I am DNFing this book. Maybe I might return to it, but the unrequited love is not really working for me. Javi trying to get her back after Mari is finally moving on, is sending me now. I love friends to lovers so probably I will return.

When Javi learns that his best friend Mari is engaged to someone he’s never met, he realizes he’s running out of time to confess his longtime feelings for her. With only eight weeks before the wedding, he sets out to prove he’s the one she’s meant to be with.

I had mixed feelings about When Javi Dumped Mari. Most of the story is told through flashbacks showing how Javi and Mari developed feelings for each other in the past. I didn’t love how Javi randomly ghosted Mari or how easily she forgave him. There were so many missed opportunities to communicate which became frustrating and disengaging me from the story. By the time we got to the epilogue, I just couldn’t feel excited about them ending up together and wasn’t fully sold on their relationship.

Mia Sosa…

Idk how to begin without spoilers lol. Simply a beautiful story that kept me glued to it. The inclusion for both the Portuguese and Puerto Rican languages. From speaking to their parents to their little goodbyes and insults lol. Their connection was right there from day one (talk about a shocking way of meeting). It have me a sense of Lady and The Tramp in away now that I think of it.
The tender way they always kept contact with eachother no matter how far they were.