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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
I’mi thoroughly enjoyed this story!! It was emotional and vulnerable and plenty spicy too!
The story focuses story focuses on Javier, Ofelia’s brother from On and Off the Field, and his fake dating, one-night-stand-turned-more relationship with Lola.
Being a mood reader is difficult at times because I knew I would enjoy this book but my brain just didn’t want to read anything but paranormal. I finished my last series though, ignored my mood, dove into this book that I’d been putting off and IM SO GLAD I DID. I finished it in just a few hours and I was so mad that my body betrayed me by needing to sleep in between those hours because the story was so good
The story focuses story focuses on Javier, Ofelia’s brother from On and Off the Field, and his fake dating, one-night-stand-turned-more relationship with Lola.
Being a mood reader is difficult at times because I knew I would enjoy this book but my brain just didn’t want to read anything but paranormal. I finished my last series though, ignored my mood, dove into this book that I’d been putting off and IM SO GLAD I DID. I finished it in just a few hours and I was so mad that my body betrayed me by needing to sleep in between those hours because the story was so good
I would like to begin by thanking the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.
My actual rating is closer to about a 4.5
One of my absolute favorite parts of the book revolved discussions of self-image, healing, mental health, family trauma and individual growth. Yes this is a steamy romance book that is good for the heart, but I feel like the real takeaways come from the aforementioned.
The FMC Lola comes from a wealthy family and appears to have everything from the outside perspective, but she has lived a life of suppression, judgement, and mistreatment from her family. Lola was such a relatable and inspiring character. Not only is she a bookworm but she goes on a journey of healing and becomes determined to end these toxic cycles that sometimes consume our lives. Lola admits to being a chronic people pleaser and I felt that in my soul, so it's nice to see her try to deviate from that tendency. Due to the absence of a good relationship with her biological family, Lola found comfort with her friend Mona and her wife Mattea. Their friendship was so cute. Yes to female friendships and solidarity. Moreover, I adored how the story goes into depth about the work that she had to do to be comfortable in her beautiful body. Lola is a baddie full of creativity and so much love. I adored everything about her and how real her character was.
Javi was a literal sweetheart. He is a single dad dedicated to giving his literal girl the world and for a while that was enough until he met Lola. Javi's journey was very much centered around the guilt of attempting to find a partner while still being a great father. He may not have much financially but he does his very dang best to make sure that his little girl was never lacking in love. From the minute that Javi met Lola he was nothing but a gentleman who wanted every bit of her that he could get. Throughout the book, he proved himself to be an amazing son, brother, father, and ultimately partner. He never does anything half-assed and we support our Latino King.
The romance was incredibly sweet. These two met for a single hookup and then months later ended up entangled in each other's lives. That night was so memorable to both of them, so when they see each other again, the sparks continue to be set off. Javi especially was such a good communicator. He never beat around the bush and made sure to express how beautiful he thought Lola was. Their moments were so adorable, but soooooo spicy as well. Javi is a gentleman with a MOUTH on him. He would pick up and throw Lola around like a latino version of a greek god. I had to fan myself a couple of times. I also loved how unapologetic Lola was about receiving pleasure and Javi made sure to deliver. Good for you sis. These two had such a healthy dynamic and were so fun to read about.
As a side note, I always love seeing Spanish in my books along with latino culture in my books, As a Latina myself, I will always advocate for and uplift books written by people from my community.
I highly recommend this to people looking for a sweet, spicy story of learning to set boundaries, healing, and finding love as well as building family.
My actual rating is closer to about a 4.5
One of my absolute favorite parts of the book revolved discussions of self-image, healing, mental health, family trauma and individual growth. Yes this is a steamy romance book that is good for the heart, but I feel like the real takeaways come from the aforementioned.
The FMC Lola comes from a wealthy family and appears to have everything from the outside perspective, but she has lived a life of suppression, judgement, and mistreatment from her family. Lola was such a relatable and inspiring character. Not only is she a bookworm but she goes on a journey of healing and becomes determined to end these toxic cycles that sometimes consume our lives. Lola admits to being a chronic people pleaser and I felt that in my soul, so it's nice to see her try to deviate from that tendency. Due to the absence of a good relationship with her biological family, Lola found comfort with her friend Mona and her wife Mattea. Their friendship was so cute. Yes to female friendships and solidarity. Moreover, I adored how the story goes into depth about the work that she had to do to be comfortable in her beautiful body. Lola is a baddie full of creativity and so much love. I adored everything about her and how real her character was.
Javi was a literal sweetheart. He is a single dad dedicated to giving his literal girl the world and for a while that was enough until he met Lola. Javi's journey was very much centered around the guilt of attempting to find a partner while still being a great father. He may not have much financially but he does his very dang best to make sure that his little girl was never lacking in love. From the minute that Javi met Lola he was nothing but a gentleman who wanted every bit of her that he could get. Throughout the book, he proved himself to be an amazing son, brother, father, and ultimately partner. He never does anything half-assed and we support our Latino King.
The romance was incredibly sweet. These two met for a single hookup and then months later ended up entangled in each other's lives. That night was so memorable to both of them, so when they see each other again, the sparks continue to be set off. Javi especially was such a good communicator. He never beat around the bush and made sure to express how beautiful he thought Lola was. Their moments were so adorable, but soooooo spicy as well. Javi is a gentleman with a MOUTH on him. He would pick up and throw Lola around like a latino version of a greek god. I had to fan myself a couple of times. I also loved how unapologetic Lola was about receiving pleasure and Javi made sure to deliver. Good for you sis. These two had such a healthy dynamic and were so fun to read about.
As a side note, I always love seeing Spanish in my books along with latino culture in my books, As a Latina myself, I will always advocate for and uplift books written by people from my community.
I highly recommend this to people looking for a sweet, spicy story of learning to set boundaries, healing, and finding love as well as building family.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Omg this book was so good, chef's kiss.
I just knew Javi's book was going to be good. Don't get me wrong, I still love Ofi and Mav but Javi 🥵🥵🥵.
This man renovated a bookstore for Lola and is completed obsessed with her as any significant other should be. Defending her and fortifying her confidence so she can defend herself. Being patient with her when she has her "big emotions" until she's ready to talk about them.
I loved getting to see this blended family together at the end of the book. My heart was fluttering. Happy tears were shed. This book was just so good.
Lola is amazing and is the perfect plus size, mental health rep we needed. She's confident in herself even as others try their hardest to put her down. She believes in her dreams and herself and now she has the support to go with it and we all know how much having that support system helps us to persevere.
Overall I just loved this book and if I keep gushing I'll spoil it so you app need to read it.
I just knew Javi's book was going to be good. Don't get me wrong, I still love Ofi and Mav but Javi 🥵🥵🥵.
This man renovated a bookstore for Lola and is completed obsessed with her as any significant other should be. Defending her and fortifying her confidence so she can defend herself. Being patient with her when she has her "big emotions" until she's ready to talk about them.
I loved getting to see this blended family together at the end of the book. My heart was fluttering. Happy tears were shed. This book was just so good.
Lola is amazing and is the perfect plus size, mental health rep we needed. She's confident in herself even as others try their hardest to put her down. She believes in her dreams and herself and now she has the support to go with it and we all know how much having that support system helps us to persevere.
Overall I just loved this book and if I keep gushing I'll spoil it so you app need to read it.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5/5 stars
3/5 spice
Loved the chemistry. Loved the HEA. Loved so much about this story. And also I kinda want to open a bookstore now, lol...
Tropes:
A one night stand turned more
Fake dating
Forced proximity
One Bed
Latinx rep
Mental health rep
Hurt/healing
Protective hero
Plus size heroine
Spanish endearments
He falls first
Dual POV
I honestly went into this book knowing I was going to like it because I liked Javi's character so much in the first book. You can read this as a standalone, but you'll get a glimpse of Javi's hardworking and protective personality in his sister's story. The way he cares about Lola even when they are strangers hooking up... he's just swoon worthy 😏
As for Lola, despite going through years of emotional abuse, she still manages to have a sunny personality and big heart. I did have a hard time accepting her miscommunication towards Javi, which is the only reason why this book isn't perfect in my eyes. I loved how she would thrive away from her family, and it hurt to see her be a shell of herself when she was forced to interact with them, but she really could have eased some of the angst and hurt by just talking to Javi. He was ready to listen and would've been her biggest supporter. Eventually, the communication did happen, and they both were able to embrace the feelings that were growing.
Since this is an open door romance, you get to see Javi bring out a bit of his dominant side. They were definitely not lacking in the sexual chemistry department. The spice was nice and wasn't overdone. You get just the right amount at the perfect timing.
Mental health plays a big part in this story, and I greatly appreciate the author's portrayal. Not all coping mechanisms are the same, and you'll never heal years of trauma with just one conversation.
Overall, this was a great story with good character development. If you love fake dating and a good protective hero, you'll love this book.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Fat shaming, emotional abuse, panic attacks, death of a partner (past tense), survivors guilt, sexual content, explicit language
3/5 spice
Loved the chemistry. Loved the HEA. Loved so much about this story. And also I kinda want to open a bookstore now, lol...
Tropes:
A one night stand turned more
Fake dating
Forced proximity
One Bed
Latinx rep
Mental health rep
Hurt/healing
Protective hero
Plus size heroine
Spanish endearments
He falls first
Dual POV
I honestly went into this book knowing I was going to like it because I liked Javi's character so much in the first book. You can read this as a standalone, but you'll get a glimpse of Javi's hardworking and protective personality in his sister's story. The way he cares about Lola even when they are strangers hooking up... he's just swoon worthy 😏
As for Lola, despite going through years of emotional abuse, she still manages to have a sunny personality and big heart. I did have a hard time accepting her miscommunication towards Javi, which is the only reason why this book isn't perfect in my eyes. I loved how she would thrive away from her family, and it hurt to see her be a shell of herself when she was forced to interact with them, but she really could have eased some of the angst and hurt by just talking to Javi. He was ready to listen and would've been her biggest supporter. Eventually, the communication did happen, and they both were able to embrace the feelings that were growing.
Since this is an open door romance, you get to see Javi bring out a bit of his dominant side. They were definitely not lacking in the sexual chemistry department. The spice was nice and wasn't overdone. You get just the right amount at the perfect timing.
Mental health plays a big part in this story, and I greatly appreciate the author's portrayal. Not all coping mechanisms are the same, and you'll never heal years of trauma with just one conversation.
Overall, this was a great story with good character development. If you love fake dating and a good protective hero, you'll love this book.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Fat shaming, emotional abuse, panic attacks, death of a partner (past tense), survivors guilt, sexual content, explicit language
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content
Minor: Death
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was my first book by the author and not my last. This was so good. I loved the relationship between Javi and Lola. The book made me cry and laugh. I recommend this book.
I received the ARC from the author in exchange for a fair review.
I received the ARC from the author in exchange for a fair review.
When I tell you that I couldn’t wait to read Javi’s story, I mean, All I kept thinking was Javi and all the possibilities of what his story will be.. and O M G !!!!!!
I was not ready for it, and we got Mavick and Ofi too… and can we talk about Lola and her BFFS!!!?!?!?!? There’s nothing that I love more than Found Family
I was not ready for it, and we got Mavick and Ofi too… and can we talk about Lola and her BFFS!!!?!?!?!? There’s nothing that I love more than Found Family