Gemma hasn't seen or heard from her ex Celeste in eight years, after Celeste moved to Korea and broke up with her via text with no explanation. And now Gemma, a columnist, has been assigned to work with Celeste, a photographer, on an important project about love.

I loved the setting of this book. I have traveled to the bay area so it was easier to visualize it for me, but the author did well describing the setting and it made me want to go back. It took me a while to want to root for the characters and a second chance for them. The initial reason behind the break-up and miscommunication that happened could have been so easily solved. BUT once they started communicating and realizing their mistakes when they were younger, things really started to develop. I liked that they were in their later 20s so those conversations and realizations could be had. I also liked the focus on older queer couples for their project, especially an older sapphic couple. As for the spice, please, I beg, more strap-ons for the sapphics! Well done on that one!

The 1st person POV for Gemma and 3rd person POV for Celeste was a little hard to get used to at first. I would have loved to have more chapters for Celeste. Her chapters almost seemed like an afterthought.

The audiobook was okay. Natalie Naudus always does a fantastic job. She has a very pleasant voice and brings the range of emotions needed to her character. Catherine Ho almost sounded robotic at times and didn't have as much emotional depth.

~Thank you to Hachette Audio, Lyla Lee and NetGalley for this complimentary ALC. All opinions are my own~

I want to preface my review by saying that this was a highly anticipated read. While I liked some of the storyline, this book unfortunately fell flat for me in a lot of areas. I had a hard time connecting to Celeste and Gemma’s relationship. There was a definite spark, but I still struggled to see their deeper connection. Their first relationship ended abruptly, and so much hurt followed due to poor communication. This book was so short to begin with. I really was hoping for a little bit more exploration into their characters as individuals and as a couple. The third act parting of ways and one year passage of time just threw me off even more. There was no depth to their relationship at all. It was super flirty, but I couldn’t understand the “why” that kept drawing them back to the other.

My biggest issue with this book was Celeste’s biphobic comment. This was something that wasn’t ever discussed further which made it even harder to move past.

For context, Celeste dumped Gemma due to her mom becoming ill. Yet Gemma had no context for why Celeste broke up with her in the first place. While it was extremely painful to Celeste to hear that Gemma moved on, Celeste cut off all forms of communication. She never explained anything to Gemma. So after healing from their relationship, Gemma understandably moved on. Celeste had no right or business to judge who Gemma dated after that.

My issue with this whole situation is something that Celeste says in an inner monologue. Saying that Gemma moving on with a man was a “lesbian’s worse nightmare.” Celeste knew that Gemma was bi. It was extremely disappointing to hear her voice such a biphobic statement. If she didn’t want to date a woman that dates more than just women, don’t date her! But please don’t invalidate someone’s sexuality just because you have unresolved trauma or jealousy.

This was a very small part of the book, so I did decide to go ahead and finish it. It’s disappointing that it didn’t live up to the hype because I was so excited to read a good sapphic romance. There were some moments I enjoyed in this book, but it just wasn’t what I was hoping for.

Having Asian queer characters is something I had never seen before in a Romance book. I really appreciated the non-stereotypical perfect lesbians. I loved how even in the 21st century it is understood that not everyone grew up in a 100% supportive environment! It is actually difficult to say, but in a way, I related to the book myself in a way I haven't before in a rom-com plot before. I really appreciated the narrator's voice as well, clear and pronounced every word. Of course it starts with a breakup and includes an in-intended interaction of someone from the past, something we have seen previously in many books, this one just does it in a queer and almost refreshing way.

If "Love in Focus" were a cocktail, it would consist of a base liquor of friendship moments, a shot of forgiveness and alcohol (no metaphor needed here), a lot of talk about love, with the vibes of Casual by Chappell Roan on top.

And while the concept was amazing, the delivery had its weaknesses, so I had a bit of a hard time when rating this book.
On one hand, you had some really awesome takes on love from a big variety of characters, and on the other, there was the entire conflict between Gemma and Celeste, which was solved by a conversation pretty early on, but which ended up changing hardly anything in the long run and didn't really help their conversation skills either.

Regardless of my thoughts on the story, I loved the voice acting. The actors were excellent choices for the two main characters and showed all of the feelings of the source material with the biggest emotional impact they could have.
When taking this into account, I decided to round my rating up to four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with this ARC in return for an honest review.

I would rate this book 4.5 stars. This book was an absolute delight. Love a cute sapphic book that also highlights other cultures. I loved all the nods to Korean and San Fran culture in this story. And a Natalie Naudus narration on top of that - makes it even better.

The audiobook was a pleasant listen, with good narration that captured the light-hearted tone of the story. The pacing was smooth, and the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life.As for the story, while it was enjoyable, it felt a bit predictable. The romance was sweet, but the plot followed familiar beats without offering many surprises. I found the main character’s journey toward self-discovery and love heartwarming, but at times it felt like the stakes weren’t high enough to keep me fully invested.
It’s a solid, feel-good listen, especially if you enjoy young adult romance with themes of finding your voice and navigating first loves. However, if you're looking for something more original or complex, this might not fully deliver.

Loved!!! I felt so represented by this book and it made me so happy! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Review:
‘Love in Focus’ is a second-chance F/F romance, and my first one at that! Who knew I’d be this late to the party?

After an unexpected breakup with her long-term boyfriend, relationship advice columnist Gemma Cho finds herself unexpectedly paired with her ex-girlfriend, Celeste Min—a renowned photographer—for a work project exploring modern love.

Gemma and Celeste are each other’s “the one that got away,” so their sudden partnership stirs up all kinds of old feelings. As they work together, they begin to rekindle their connection and go on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

Though I’ve had very little reading experience with Asian characters in romance, I absolutely loved seeing both the queer and Asian representation in characters like Gemma and Celeste. The cultural nuances added a meaningful and refreshing layer that’s often missing in the genre. Add in the diverse couples featured in their project, and this book really hit all the right notes for me.

As for the audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus and Catherine Ho, it was an absolute treat. It was like experiencing the book in a whole new way, and I’d highly recommend it if you enjoy audiobooks!


Side Notes:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/love-in-focus/lyla-lee/9780349445847 (posted under kardesira)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AGEZDE3H4SPB7XXFTIIW25R5VLUA (will post review on release day)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-in-focus-lyla-lee/1146241862?ean=9781538767559 (posted under kardesira)

I’m feeling conflicted about this one! I was honestly getting a 5 star feeling for the first 15ish percent but then there was a comment from our lesbian FMC that read to me as biphobic. From my understanding the author is bi herself so I was hoping that it would get directly challenged but that never really happened in my opinion. Which is SUPER disappointing because this book had the formula to be perfect for me - second chance, forced proximity/workplace romance + queer aapi representation. I think with that in mind I can’t rate it any lower but I also don’t feel like I can rate it any higher.

My other main gripe with the book was how heavily James was involved. My personal preference in romance stories is for exes not to be an important component of the plot.

That said, I have some positives. I love seeing strong queer friendships on page and Gemma’s friends did not disappoint on that front. I also loved the concept of the project that made Gemma and Celeste have to work together in the first place. Getting to see multigenerational love stories, both queer and not, represented made my heart burst. Finally, even with my aforementioned complaints, Gemma and Celeste had chemistry off the charts.

I had the audiobook for this one and I’m curious to see if my experience will change if/when I read the paperback after pub day. Gemma’s chapters were so lovely and I thought the narrator for her really brought her to life. Celeste’s narration felt a little more cold which fit her character but the audio quality was different between the two of them and it sometimes brought me out of the story. In that same vein, I don’t think it was necessary for the switch between first and third person POV. Celeste’s chapters were also often shorter and it made me feel less connected to her than I was to Gemma.

All in all, this book had flaws but contains some important representation and I will always root for more sapphic books to be traditionally published.

This was so cute🥰 a sweet sapphic romcom, second chance romance. Gemma and Celeste were college roommate who fell I’m in love and suddenly separated. Years later in their late 20s they end up working together on a project after a lot of life has happened to them individually.

I enjoyed the bisexual representation and the difficulties of leaving a relationship with one sex to be in a relationship with another sex. How the people around you, coworkers, parents, and even other partners view the situation.

I also really appreciated how the author, either intentionally or not, addressed the fact that “closure” is a myth. Closure is something we think we want at time when in reality it more often than not makes your view on the situation worse and/or harder to deal with.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend. Plus it’s a bit spicy🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was such a cute romance book!
Absolutely loved the rekindled romance vibes. It was a cute and quick listen as I didn’t want to stop listening. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a long lost romance as well as a LGBTQ romance.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review this book before it’s released

This book was absolutely adorable. The narrators really added to it as well. The writing was very well paced and kept my attention. I was bummed every time I had to stop listening because I just wanted to know what was going to happen with Jemma and Celeste.

✨Love In Focus by Lyla Lee✨

This was cute!

A second chance romance, Gemma and Celeste have a whirlwind romance in college. Before they graduate, Celeste suddenly leaves to return home and basically ghosts Gemma, so of course Gemma moves on.

Years later they’re brought together for a project at Gemma’s job, Gemma’s recently single after a 7 year relationship/engagement breakup. So of course, they start a friends with benefits situation while ignoring they actually want to be together. Why not? 😂

First thing. I was confused why Celeste was so mad at Gemma for moving on from her after she basically disappeared on her with no explanation. She’s like well you moved on so fast you didn’t care about me. Okay. But girl I’m sure she would have understood if you’d told her WHY you were leaving? Like the communication of your mom being sick, who doesn’t tell someone they’re in a serious relationship that? And instead just moves to a whole country and disappears?! And then gets upset when they come back and the person has moved on? Should she just have sat twiddling her thumbs waiting for you?!

And then in terms of the audiobook, the narrator for Gemma was wonderful, the narrator for Celeste was SUCH a contrast, like she was very short, and felt like less emotion? I didn’t love the Celeste chapters as much, but it wasn’t really the writing, the reading for Celeste didn’t seem as smooth.

Overall though, this was a quick and fun listen, if you love second chance romance, I recommend picking this one up! It comes out May 27 📚.

Thank you @netgalley, @readforeverpub, and @hachetteaudio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really liked this book love in focus by Lyla Lee. I thought it was really cute. I started listening to it, and before I knew it, I had listened to the whole book. this book is a sapphic second chance romance with bisexual rep. where exes work together when they realized they never lost feelings for each other.
The only part I disliked was that there wasn't more of Celeste's point of view, it seems like it was mostly Gemma And celeste was kind of an afterthought. Overall I really liked it.
Based on the audiobook, I really liked the whole thing, I like the fact that I was able to distinguish whose voice was who to each character being a duet style audio.
thanks to netgalley author lyla lee for the arc in exchange for my honest review

This was such a cute quick listen. I normally don't enjoy second chance romances, but this one was great! I loved the bisexual representation and both narrators did a great job of bringing her to life. The only thing that I wish there was more of was more chapters in Celeste's POV. I also didn't love that her POV was in third person, it felt less personal to me.

Dnf

I really enjoyed the idea of this story and might end up purchasing a physical copy, but I just really didn’t like one of the narrators. She was really monotone and sounded like she was reading a textbook instead of performing the story.

Delightful characters and a heartwarming story. Some of the secondary characters brought depth to the main characters without overtaking the plot. There are important themes regarding representation of queer relationships in the elder population and in countries where non-hetero marriage is not legal.

I didn't care for how Gemma's drinking was shown. She becomes highly intoxicated in almost every scene where she drinks but it is written off as her being a "lightweight". It felt too normalized.

Other reviews mention that Gemma's ex was underutilized, but I disagree. I think that developing him more would convolute the relationship of Gemma and Celeste by creating a red herring of a love triangle.

Dual POV with different narrators for each in the audio format. The narrators were not distracting and had a range of character voices that added charm to the story.
If you don't love the miscommunication trope, maybe give this one a try. It's used more as a backstory element, and I didn't find it disruptive to the feel of the plot.

I'd definitely read another book from Lyla Lee!

Sapphic rom com that is light and
Focus
mixed with self discovery.
Gemma Cho is
Exhausted by her bad luck with love, she's given up hope. until her ex Celeste shows up unexpectedly. Cute with a touch of dramatics. Enjoyed! Looking forward to more from this author.

Love In Focus
Audiobook ARC from Hachette Audio
Release Date : May 27th 2025
Spicy 🔥: Open-Door Romance
Diverse Representation : 🏳️‍🌈, 🇰🇷

Summary 📝
Love In Focus is a sapphic second-chance romance, with emotional complexities. It follows Gemma Cho, a relationship advice columnist and Celeste Min, a renowned photographer, who have to work together on a potential career saving piece on modern love, aka Love In Focus.

Thoughts 💭
Whenever I say I’m not a big second chance romance girly, I mean. But usually that’s when the novels actually show that in the beginning before the break up etc… So with this one, I wasn’t the less bit deterred with the second chance romance trope. I’m pleased that this book didn’t focus so much on the before then it did the present.

I did enjoy this audiobook, I thought that the narrators did a good job and were great picks for both Gemma and Celeste. I loved that it was a dual narration, it really helps to set the characters apart! I almost didn’t even realize that Gemma’s / Celeste’s chapter’s were in different POV’s (3rd & 1st) , which I find an interesting writing choice but I didn’t mind it as the narrations were done so well.

I enjoyed the diversity within this novel and the character arcs, especially Gemma’s.

Overall Rating : 3.75⭐️
Audio : 4.75⭐️
Would I Recommend? Yes!
Thank you to NetGalley, Forever Pub, & Hachette Audio for providing me with an audiobook arc of this novel!

This was good but i was waiting for it to be great. Celeste and Gemma have such a cute set up for a second chance romance but the reason that they didn’t work the first time… was anticlimatic. Normally, second chance romances thrive when something really pushes the two apart. In this case, it seemed like Celeste just ghosted her. I understand that she was going through something, but I just don't think the ghosting would even be something Gemma would accept and then go back into a relationship. I find it a little unrealistic. If you love someone, they deserve more than a text message. if you cared for someone, they deserve more than even a short phone call! Gemma taking her back was not something I think would even have been plausible, but alas, the book was written and she did.