aromanticreadsromance's reviews
242 reviews

This is my first time reading a Mia Sosa book, and I had a good time!

This book stars Mari (Brazilian American) and Javi (Puerto Rican), who met in college ten years ago. They make a pact that they will only date someone with the other's approval, because they both suck at seeing the red flags in their dates. From the start, they both friend zone each other (even though I believe the "friend zone" is stupid and doesn't exist, lol). Even though they both feel sparks, they don't think a one night stand is worth the end of their friendship. Flash forward ten years, and Mari introduces Javi to her fiancé, who he didn't even know existed. They're getting married in six weeks, and Mari never asked him for his thoughts. Worse, Javi was planning on confessing his feelings for Mari!

The book kind of lost me when there were multiple consecutive flashback chapters. I felt like we focused more on the past than the present. Flashbacks are useful when characters have known each other for a long time, but sometimes all of that backstory can drag on. I became more invested in the story when the flashbacks were closer to the present timeline, like 2 years ago or 8 months ago.

If you like friends to lovers who have a long history, then this book is for you!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

Overall, I enjoyed this! I sometimes got confused because it kind of reads like an edited stream of consciousness; it has no chapters or page splits. I think this is a book that would be great to read in audio form. I'd consider this a slice of life book, where nothing much happens and it's all vibes/feelings, no true plot. Julieta (Juli) is still processing the grief after losing her twin sister, Ofelia (Ofe). The book is written in first person, BUT Juli is writing to Ofe, so there are many instances of "you" in the narrative. I'm not sure exactly what year it all takes place, but the world is futuristic yet still recognizable. Climate change has ravaged the planet (even more so than now). Extreme weather, really hot temperatures, endangered species becoming extinct, all the rich people gentrifying the inner city and forcing the inner city people out towards the beaches where the climate is more extreme. Oh, and AI becoming more mainstream. I loved reading about the reality TV dating shows with AI and humans, because that would totally be a thing. Most of all, though, I liked seeing Juli come back to her friends and discover her passions after a year of isolation.

Also can we just all bow down to the cover artist because that cover? She is gorgggg.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced copy of this book!

This was so cute! Cute to the point of bordering on cheesy, with a few too many flower and music metaphors which definitely made it straight-up cheesy, lol. I didn't like it as much as Red String Theory, but I still found it really heartwarming and hopeful. I liked the inclusion of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and discussion of non-Western ways of healing. Chryssy and her aunties treat the physical manifestations of heartbreak through TCM, which I found really unique since western ways of thinking don't acknowledge heartbreak as something physical, only psychological.

I loved Chryssy and Vin together and seeing how their relationship grew over time, transitioning from fake to real. The curse aspect was interesting but also seemed like just a self-fulfilling prophecy, like "oh they broke up with me, so that means the curse is real!" Relationships end in breakups, even for people not "cursed." But I did like how Chryssy tried to undo (or "understand") the curse so she could be with Vin.

While I liked the included side characters (especially Chryssy's aunties and Vin's brother Leo!), I do wish I had seen Chryssy or Vin with some friends. Outside of Vin, Chryssy only ever interacted with her aunties/family, and I never heard her mention a friend's name, nor did she make any friends in the story. Family can be great, but we do also need friends. I know Vin's childhood didn't really allow for him to make any lasting friends, and his lifestyle now makes friendship hard, but I wish I had seen him become less isolated.

I loved the messages of taking breaks and not letting life pass you by. We overwork ourselves and burn ourselves out, and for what? I liked seeing Vin and Leo take a step back and realize they needed more balance in their lives. Also, sometimes even the best, most epic love stories end. There's no way of knowing if a relationship will end, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't take the leap of faith and find love anyway. "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" right? Finally, we are more than just a label given to us, and sometimes we outgrow our labels (or those labels might never have been accurate to begin with). Chryssy and Vin both grew TREMENEDOUSLY from start to end, with Chryssy opening herself up to love (and in turn, the possibility of heartbreak) and Vin learning to find work-life balance.

Thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!

I'm just not feeling this one rn!

This is one of the best debuts I've read. I'm honestly shocked it's a debut, it's that good. I read the audio ARC of this book, and the narrator (Alaska Jackson) did a fantastic job!!

I loved Sariyah as a main character. She has a magical ability to hear what people need, like chewing gum, a pencil, etc. She gets migraines if she doesn't fulfill people's needs, so she carries around what she calls her "Santa Bag" full of random objects. Sariyah gives her friend, Deja, pepper spray. That night, Deja goes missing. Just like Sariyah's best friend, Tessa, went missing five years ago. Sariyah refuses to let Deja become another forgotten Black girl.

Sariyah really grapples with HOW people use the things they need. In the beginning of the book, she gives her boss nail clippers, which her boss then uses to do something more nefarious than trim her nails. She feels like she is to blame for what other people do with the objects she provides them, even though she doesn't know what they will end up using them for. But what if they are used for harm? Is she morally, even if not legally, at fault?

I love so much about this book. The characters are all complex. They had flaws that had me rooting for them. But even more than that, I love the discussion of Missing White Woman Syndrome: how Black girls (and other girls of color) are not given the same media attention as white girls when they go missing. Sariyah and her friends try to counteract this and keep the conversation about Deja alive, even if it feels futile.

I did NOT anticipate the twist(s). No spoilers here, though, so you'll just have to read the book to find them out ;)

ALSO that ending???!! How dare. I am not okay. You can't do me like that! There BETTER be a sequel coming or I will not know peace.

most authors SUCK at songwriting but the lyrics in this book? I can actually see them topping the charts

i'm disappointed that i just wasn't feeling the "romance" between the two mc's! it didn't even feel like they had any physical chemistry, let alone emotional chemistry. i wanted so badly to love this because we have a chaotic bisexual woman jaded by love as the lead character, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. her cynicism mixed with his hopeless romanticism felt super played up. the premise was a little strange, like "ruin romance for me by doing all of these romantic things with me but dw it's definitely not romantic" lol. i'm sure lots of people will eat this up but it unfortunately wasn't for me!

thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

soft dnf for now! I'll come back to it

This was my first Adriana Herrera book (because I never read series in order, LOL), and I loved it! I've already checked out the first book in the series from my library and plan to dive right into it. If you love found family, you will love these books (even if, like me, you're not big on historical romance)!

My favorite part about this book, aside from the sizzling hot chemistry between Aurora and Apollo, is how reproductive justice was a central part of the plot. Aurora is such a badass (and honestly, so is Apollo in his own right, for being the first Black/Afrolatino duke who doesn't give af about tradition or norms) who puts her medical license on the line to provide necessary healthcare to women. This includes contraceptives and abortion. In an unfortunate way, it's so relevant to how women's bodies are controlled in present-day United States (and elsewhere). The author's note is a must-read, too, because it provides historical context and shows how much research and care Adriana Herrera invested in this book.

I love how Aurora and Apollo's relationship develops over time. Although they start out as "friends" with benefits, they both quickly start falling for each other. Aurora slowly starts to trust him with more about her life.

My only complaints are ones that I assume will be corrected before the book comes out in February (i.e., spelling, grammar, wordiness, etc.).

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!

I'm sad it took me so long to pick up this book, but I'm so glad I did! It is the perfect holiday read. It is full of trans/queer joy, in spite of living in a transphobic/queerphobic environment. Eli is a trans guy. I liked how his story didn't fit the typical trans narrative. He didn't realize he was trans until he was in his 30s, when everything just clicked. So often we read stories about trans people who always knew they were trans (which is great! We need those stories too), so it's refreshing to read about someone who didn't always have it all figured out but is no less trans than the trans people who did. Nick is also experiences a "late" in life queer awakening, and we love that for him.

One nitpicky thing is that the MCs are 39 years old, and the narrator keeps mentioning how high school graduation was 25 years ago. More like 21, LOL. In any case, I did appreciate the inclusion of slightly older characters (adult romances rarely feature MCs over like 35, and if they do, it's only one MC and the other is in their 20s, you know?). It was heartwarming how Eli and Nick (not Nicholas) found their way back to each other.

This is my favorite TJ Alexander book (I've only read one other though, haha)!