I've read 2 other sapphic books by Lee that I enjoyed, so I was glad to get an arc for this. I didn't realize it was an adult story, so that was a pleasant surprise! I'm also super grateful the protags were older than you normally get in romance novels. Unfortunately, it's pretty rare to get stories with characters over 25 and these 2 were 29. This book has Korean bi female rep and Korean lesbian rep.

What I liked:
- Gemma is pretty well developed. We know her goals, her background, her friends are present enough that she has a pretty well established world around her.
- I liked the job set up and the project Gemma and Celeste work on is pretty interesting. I liked that we actually get to read about the interviews and I liked how diverse the couples were. Queer & straight, BIPOC, old & young.
- I loved Val and Kiara. I thought they were adorable and I loved how supportive they were. They were also given enough details that it didn't seem they existed in the story solely to support Gemma. They had lives of their own.
- I liked how much we see of the city around Gemma. I haven't been to San Francisco, but there was a lot of imagery that I appreciated and it described the city as more diverse than I usually see it described in some other books I've read.
- Celeste was hot. *shrug*
- There was a clear throughline and set timeline. I've read a few books that felt aimless and I didn't realize how much I appreciated knowing where the story was headed. We know they're working together for the project and that's (supposedly) it for their time together.

What didn't entirely work for me:
- Celeste's chapters were so short. I don't really feel that we got as much of a chance to get to know her. About halfway through, it's revealed she grew up in South Korea and then worked to learn English so she could go to school in a country more diverse. I wished we'd gotten more of that. I wished we got more of Min-joon. She felt a lot less developed as a character compared to Gemma.
- For how little they interact and how much Gemma just doesn't confront him, James didn't feel that significant as a character. I think I expected something more explosive or dramatic or even just more avoidant. I expected Gemma to confront him more earlier. Especially with how direct she was with Celeste about their past issues.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was a quick read and I finished it in a few hours. There were some things I wish were expanded on more, but if you're looking for a cute, sapphic read with characters that actually have developed frontal lobes, it's a recommend. I will read anything Lee releases, to be honest.

Gemma y Celeste fueron novias en la universidad hasta que, un día, Celeste se fue sin despedirse y sin dar ninguna explicación. Pasaron siete años y cada una siguió su vida: Gemma se convirtió en columnista de consejos y Celeste en una fotógrafa famosa. Ahora deben trabajar juntas, lo que podría ser la oportunidad perfecta para descubrir qué sucedió y finalmente cerrar esa etapa de sus vidas.

La mayor parte del libro está narrada desde el punto de vista de Gemma, lo que le da un protagonismo mayor. Sin embargo, esto hace que no lleguemos a conocer del todo a Celeste, lo que dejó algunas dudas sin resolver.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

not only is this cover gorgeousssss, i absolutely adored love in focus!! from the beginning i was so interested in where the story was going to go, how these characters were not only going to find themselves but find themselves IN love. and it just fit so well. i loved the ending, and am so excited for more from lyla lee. thank you netgalley for the arc!

i loved this book. i tend to read about straight couples so it was a nice read to get out my comfort zone. the reason i had to give this book a 3 stars was because i felt like it was a very character driven book, I tend to like books with more plots and about characters, but this one seemed to mainly just be about the characters and not the plot to the story, I also would have loved to be able to read about her past relationship with her ex-boyfriend just to get a inside and on who our main character was and more about her and what's she's like. When reading it, I felt like the chapters were dragging on and it seemed to be a lot of filler words or just sentences that didn't make sense, but overall, it was a nice read

📸ARC Review✍🏼 5/27 Release

🌟Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
💧Drip-o-Meter: 💦💦💧
💗Something I Loved: Gemma and Celeste were once college roommates turned sweethearts, ridiculously in love until Celeste disappeared, breaking up with Gemma over text before ghosting her. Gemma moved on but never truly got over the heartbreak so when Celeste shows up 8 years later (shortly after the end of Gemma’s 7 year relationship) only to be paired with Gemma on a work project, drama ensues. But what I liked is that it’s the good kind of drama, not the annoying miscommunication kind. Instead of holding grudges for way too long, they fairly quickly addressed the elephant in the room… clearing the air, apologizing, and starting over without their past hanging over their heads. It’s not entirely smooth sailing after that but I did enjoy how “grown up” they acted about their history.
🫤Something I Would Have Changed: There were definitely some continuity errors, although this was an ARC so it’s possible these things will be changed by the time it’s published, and I found it odd that Gemma’s chapters are written in first person and Celeste’s are written in third. It wasn’t enough to take me out of the story but especially at first it definitely caused me to do a double take.
🥰Favorite Moment: The last “Modern Love in Focus” interview with an elderly lesbian couple, Keiko and Nat. Seeing queer elders in the media still seems far too rare so I appreciated that kind of representation. They were also just the absolute sweetest and I know for a fact that if they were real I’d be trying to weasel my way into their family.
🌶️Spiciest Scene: Chapter 33 when Celeste teaches Gemma about strap-ons. For how tame the majority of the book is, the spice (this chapter in particular) is actually pretty graphic.
📚Standalone vs. Series: Standalone
📖Would I Recommend: I think so. I can’t say it was my favorite book of the year or anything but it was entertaining and for the most part enjoyable. It did read as more of a YA novel to me and I struggled a bit with the writing but overall I still wanted to see how it played out between these two.
💬Tropes: Second Chance, Forced Proximity, Workplace Romance, Roommates to Lovers to Exes to Lovers

Gemma is a relationship advice columnist who day in and day out is required to provide the best love advice to her readers. But how do you keep this up when your fiancé of 7 years ups and breaks up with you. What’s worse is you are co-workers and find out after your abrupt break up that he has already moved on. Gemma needing to pick her head up and just keep moving forward gets offered a chance to pair with a photographer for an up and coming spread for Valentine’s Day spotlighting relationships of all kinds. This was a dream come true job until she introduced to the photographer. She not only knows her, but they have history.



Celeste is the one that got away. The one and only girl that helped Gemma understand that she was Bi in college and after spending the a year in college finding who she really was with the help of Celeste, she ups and leaves without a backwards glance. Gemma realizing that she needs this job and the positive outcomes that will come, decides to work with her Ex.



What comes after is a beautiful love story of second chances and pushing past your previous fears. Gemma and Celeste have loved each other since the very beginning, but needed time to realize that it was always each other.I really enjoyed this book and excited to add it to the ARCs for the year. Love in Focus written by Lyla Lee is due to release on 5/27/2025.

This heartwarming sapphic romance included forced proximity and a second chance love story that felt both realistic and rewarding. Told in dual POV, Love in Focus follows Gemma and Celeste, former roommates to lovers to exes to coworkers, as they navigate unresolved feelings, emotional baggage, and the possibility of something more.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the friendship between Gemma, Kiara, and Val—it felt so genuine and supportive. The story also beautifully highlights the importance of seeing older sapphic couples, especially people of color. The Asian and bi representation was another layer that made this book stand out.

If you love sapphic romances that explore growth, healing, and pursuing connections even when it’s complicated, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Cute multicultural sapphic novel about two exes who reunite for a work project.

The writing does come off as YA, other than the explicit steamy scenes. I did enjoy the project aspect and how it affected and resonated with both Gemma and Celeste. Soft and lighthearted.

This was a cute and steamy read.

Following two exes who are forced to work on a project together after not seeing each other for eight years. The writing was the thing that had me struggling the most. It felt a little fake and childish, I couldn’t really connect with it. I however wanted to see where Gemma and Celeste would end up in and was able to get through the book. I’m not saying it’s bad or that you shouldn’t read it! If you enjoy this type of writing then it’ll be a cute read.