So happy that I was able to get the e-arc for this book!

This was the first Mia Sosa book that I got the chance to finish and I see the hype! Mia's writing is so fun and her characters are such a great time to spend with.

A hot Brazilian FMC & Puerto Rican MMC best friend duo who have complex feelings on the sideline? Yeah I ate this up in a day!

Javi and Mari are best friends with a complex history. I simply eat up a good best friends to lovers because the chemistry of them knowing each other to the fullest and yearning is to die for!

This book is written in a dual timeline. We get to see the start of how their relationship begins and the unfolding events of the present timeline which has them on a different trajectory.

The dual timeline was interesting to read about, you get to see how close Javi and Mari are but you also see where things took a turn for them. For this book, the dual timeline wasn't necessarily balanced out. The past timeline felt more priority than the ongoing one and that left me feeling conflicted.

While I was experiencing yearning and all these complex feelings from the past timeline, the present one was lacking in that relationship building between them to get me in full support of their relationship.

Although Javi and Mari make a good couple in theory, the ending was fast forward X2. I wish we would've gotten a slower paced conflict resolution.

For those who love a good friends to lovers, this is for you! The Latine rep is absolutely delightful and I promise you that you'll have a great time.

I loved the chemistry between Mari and Javi! This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good slow burn. I always look forward to reading the latest Mia Sosa romance and this did not disappoint!

Thank you Putnam for the e-ARC! 🤍
This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it overall! I really liked her writing style & pacing - this book is a bit longer than your usual romance book, but I didn’t really feel like it dragged on at all!
The romance was also cute and their friends to lovers arc was so sweet! I also loved the past & present chapters and getting to see them in college and as adults. Overall I’d recommend this one for a fun rom-com!

This was a fun friends to lovers dual POV romance with a twist that has two college besties forced back together when once shocks the other by announcing their impending wedding. I loved the unconventional timeline of this story that starts in the present and then flashes back throughout Javi and Mari's initial meeting and rocky friendship. Full of laughs, lots of heart and even some heat, these two were easy to root for even though I wasn't sure the whole time if they would ever make it past Mari's wedding to another guy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and gifted physical copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun friends to lovers dual POV romance with a twist that has two college besties forced back together when once shocks the other by announcing their impending wedding. I loved the unconventional timeline of this story that starts in the present and then flashes back throughout Javi and Mari's initial meeting and rocky friendship. Full of laughs, lots of heart and even some heat, these two were easy to root for even though I wasn't sure the whole time if they would ever make it past Mari's wedding to another guy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and gifted physical copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

When Javi Dumped Mari is probably one of my favorite reads this year thus far. I was HOOKED from the beginning and loved the story telling. You jump back and forth in time from the past to present but it’s easy to follow and makes sense in the flow of the story. I found myself constantly holding in my breath for both Javi and Mari and I’m so, so happy I was able to read an advanced copy. Mia Sosa is an amazing story teller, she tugs at your heart strings with a bit of spice.

I really enjoyed this book! I particularly loved seeing their relationship in the flashbacks. They were playful and flirty and you could see that they were really drawn to each other. I was a little frustrated with their “now” timeline, I wanted to lock them in a room and make them talk it out! I could understand how outside sources and pressure got in their way in the past but I was really hoping they’d come together a little sooner in the present. Overall I really liked this When Harry Met Sally/My Best Friend’s Wedding mashup!

🤍 Book Review – When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa 🤍

Very grateful to the publisher @berkleyromance for my #gifted copy through @netgalley , opinions are my own

When Javi Dumped Mari is a heartfelt, funny, and emotional friends to lovers romance that dives deep into second chances and missed timing.
Javi and Mari have been best friends since college, but never got their act together romantically, until Mari suddenly gets engaged… to someone else. The story switches between the past and present, showing how strong their connection is and how much they've been through together.
The banter is hilarious, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. While the pacing felt a bit slow at times and the book could’ve been shorter, I still enjoyed watching them grow and face their feelings.
If you love a slow burn, friends to lovers romance with real heart, this book is a great pick.

I am a big Mia Sosa fan and was so excited to hear she had a. new book coming out.

Unfortunately, this one fell pretty flat from me. I struggled to get into it - and it may just be that the flashbacks to their college years felt a bit too out of touch for me.

Thank you for this fun read! There are several laugh out loud scenes including the dancing Guillermo, Elmo’s visiting cousin. It is a fast read as you seek to find out how their tale will conclude. The flashbacks and dual narratives are enjoyable. While the end was satisfactory, it did feel rushed and perfunctory.

This was an interesting and somewhat fun read. I was rooting for Javi and Mari to get together, I really was, but this book was entirely too long. It was hard to tell on Kindle, but once I checked Goodreads and realized it was 448 damn pages, I was like "ohhhh, all of this makes sense." The pacing was soooooo slow. As other reviewers have noted, the flashbacks didn't add much after awhile. It felt like they only served to draw everything out further.

There really were so few impediments to these two getting together that it truly didn't make sense that it took 10 whole years to get together. Also, the title makes no sense.

The sex scenes were great... until they weren't. The one in the epilogue gave me the ick LOL.

The wedding scenes were relatively funny. Throughout the book I felt like the author was trying to throw in too many modern references and it didn't work for me, like Tom Holland's "Umbrella" from Lip Sync Battle and some football player's outfit once. Okay?

Anyways, perhaps just not my perfect cup of tea, but others will enjoy it!

Mia Sosa knocked it out of the park!

It's the way this book starts with us hitting the ground running. Right into the two MMCs meeting up, so no meet cute or anything, as they have known each other.

I was instantly captivated with this premise that almost feels backwards. Along with the HILARIOUS banter and moments that happen I am completely smitten with this book.

Romance formula-wise Mia knows what she is doing and I felt completely satisfied with the unwrapping of emotions and those very pivotal plot points.

The steam is out of the world, I was BLUSHING like crazy.

The representation is honestly done so well. But Mia has proven that she takes great care in Latinx representation time and time again. I am especially proud of this being a double Latine lead.
Safe to say that When Javi Dumped Mari maintained me as a super Mia Sosa Romance fan!

This is a really fun and charming romance, going back and forth between the present when Mari is about to get married (not to Javi!) and the years of Javi and Mari's friendship (and occasionally crossing that line). They have great banter and end up in often very amusing situations over the years, but also deal with betrayals, family, and growth.

This was a heartfelt, witty, and layered friends to lovers romance that nails the tricky balance between swoony slow burn and emotional depth. Told in a dual timeline, the story alternates between Mari’s present day wedding planning (to another man) and flashbacks to her college years when she first met Javi. This structure really works here, it lets readers witness the long standing bond between them while also slowly unpacking what went wrong and why they still can’t seem to let go.

Mari and Javi are both incredibly likable characters, with personalities that leap off the page. Their dynamic is effortless and real, with banter and vulnerability in equal measure, I def just wanted them to figure it out and be together already!

The supporting characters are also a highlight. From quirky friends to well meaning family members, the cast adds both levity and depth without ever overshadowing the main couple.

While it’s not a fast paced romance, the slow burn absolutely pays off. The chemistry simmers, the emotional tension builds beautifully, and the payoff is satisfying and earned. If you’re a fan of friends to lovers stories with history, heartache, and second chances, this one will hit the spot.

Something I love about Mia Sosa’s rom-coms is that they always have the perfect balance of romance and comedy. Seems simple, but I can’t tell you how many rom-coms I’ve read that severely lack in the comedy department. That wasn’t an issue at all with When Javi Dumped Mari.

Best friends Javier Báez and Marisol Campos made a pact before college graduation to never date someone the other didn’t approve of. Fast forward a decade, and Marisol is getting married. There’s just one problem, Javi definitely does not approve, and time is ticking for him to finally confess his love for Mari before it’s too late.

This book was just so much fun. I love a romance where the MMC is head over heels for the FMC from the get go. These two were such a fun pair; their dynamic and chemistry was palpable. I really enjoyed the timeline jumping, because we got to piece together how Javi and Mari came together, fell apart, and found their way back to each other. I was rooting for this couple the entire time. And as with her other books, Sosa provides authentic and nuanced Brazilian and Puerto Rican representation.

Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for my arc. These are my own opinions. #WhenJaviDumpedMari

When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa
Narrators: Gisela Chipe and Andre Santana
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 6/24

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Putnam Books for my advanced copy and to PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook!

Back in college, Javi and Mari made a pact: they would never date someone the other doesn’t approve of. Fast forward ten years, and Mari shows up engaged to a guy Javi didn’t even get to weigh in on. But Javi’s been secretly in love with her all along, and now he’s on a mission to stop the wedding before it’s too late.

This is a fun, slow-burn friends-to-lovers rom-com that totally pulled me in. The story flips between past and present, giving us both Javi’s and Mari’s points of view as they go from college besties to something a lot messier.

What I really liked about this book was how real their friendship felt. You can tell they’ve always had feelings for each other, but they were scared to mess up what they had. I also loved their friend group and all the little flashbacks that showed how their relationship grew over the years. Both of them have their share of family baggage, which adds to the drama but also makes them feel human.

I loved listening to this on audio! The narrators brought authenticity to the story, making the characters feel even more real to me.

The ending was super sweet, and I especially loved seeing Mari finally stand up to her dad. If you’re into slow-burn romance with plenty of heart (and a little bit of chaos), this one is worth a read.

I’m so sad. I loved this authors previous book. However, this book did not work for me. I didn’t believe the reason for them not to be together. For all that I loved “My best friends wedding” , these two just seemed immature.

This is a 3.5 star book, rounded up.

Mari and Javi are college friends who have always danced around a relationship with each other and considered each other best friend and defacto relationship-gatekeeper. It's dual-timeline, dual POV and highlights Mia Sosa's skill as a writer; it is hilarious, thought-provoking, and emotional.

Many people have a "what if" person, or a "one that got away", and this book shows how easily those things can happen and how the right person is all about timing.

I especially liked how they've kissed, hooked up, etc. and the book explores the messiness that comes with it. These situations often contain so much more than just platonic friendship followed by a true love confession, and Sosa gets right to the heart of it.

I felt that regardless of their age or circumstances, the lack of communication and the (intentional or otherwise) ignorance they had of their situation was grating. I think having more conversation would've added to the plot and heartache. I was also never able to figure out how I was supposed to feel about Alex in the last 25% of the book and I wish that had been explored a little more.

Overall, it's a good book with a refreshing take on friends-to-lovers/second chance and if that + dual timeline is your thing, I think you'll really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC of this book. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a fan of the friends-to-lovers trope and I was so excited when I received an e-arc.

I really enjoyed this story and found myself either smiling or laughing a lot while reading.
Of course there were moments where our main characters frustrated me that I wanted to yell at them. Despite that I still found Javi and Mari quite likeable. Actually, I found pretty much all of the characters were likeable (except for Mari's dad). I think Mari's mom was actually my favorite even though she wasn't featured a lot.

My only complaint is that I wish the "Before" chapters were more interspersed with the "Present" chapters. Based on the description of the book I was expecting to see more of Javi's attempts to convince Mari that Alex wasn't the one and while we did get that it was all relegated to the last 25% of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rated 4.5 Stars

I loved When Javi Dumped Mari even though I found parts of it slow and would've loved them to get together much earlier. It was still such an enjoyable and awesome read filled with lots of tension, longing, pining, fun, flirty and sexy moments. I loved that there was a strong sense of community in it and that it spotlighted Latino characters and their culture. Javi and Mari's journey wasn't easy it was messy and there were many ups and downs but it was also sweet and beautiful. I definitely recommend this book.