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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This was a cute read! I really enjoyed Gemma and Celeste as characters. This was a second chance romance between two girls who fell in love while they were roommates in college and were separated for various reasons. They find each other again eight years later when they are assigned to work together on a project.
I loved the open communication between the characters. Gemma's best friends were a great addition to the story and I loved the scenes with them.
I listened to the audiobook and both narrators were really good. I loved their contrasting voices and thought they added depth to the story.
This was a cute read! I really enjoyed Gemma and Celeste as characters. This was a second chance romance between two girls who fell in love while they were roommates in college and were separated for various reasons. They find each other again eight years later when they are assigned to work together on a project.
I loved the open communication between the characters. Gemma's best friends were a great addition to the story and I loved the scenes with them.
I listened to the audiobook and both narrators were really good. I loved their contrasting voices and thought they added depth to the story.
emotional
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
Love in focus is a sweet and spicy romcom with LGBTQ+ and korean representation and a dual pov. I adore the characters, friendships and important discussions throughout the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was a cute little LGBTQ read. Also loved the added multi cultural relationship aspect however I feel like it lacked the character depth I wanted. The writing was kinda surface level (I felt like I was told things rather than written in a way that would evoke emotions) and I really just wanted more from the story and the characters. I loved the premise and the ideas of who the characters would be but it just fell a little flat.
I did the audio for this one and I have mixed feelings about it. I really didn’t like Celeste’s voice actor. This maybe a me problem but it was just so jarring to me when we would switch to her POV. I also think her POV was not really necessary as the majority of the story was told from Gemma’s POV—this may have been more the issue. It was set up that Celeste was a main character but she acted more like a side character. Definitely think we needed more Celeste or just cut her POV altogether. Though there were some aspects I found lacking it’s still a very cute, fun, little rom-com and a perfect read for summer!
Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.
I did the audio for this one and I have mixed feelings about it. I really didn’t like Celeste’s voice actor. This maybe a me problem but it was just so jarring to me when we would switch to her POV. I also think her POV was not really necessary as the majority of the story was told from Gemma’s POV—this may have been more the issue. It was set up that Celeste was a main character but she acted more like a side character. Definitely think we needed more Celeste or just cut her POV altogether. Though there were some aspects I found lacking it’s still a very cute, fun, little rom-com and a perfect read for summer!
Thank you Netgalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
hopeful
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
The audiobook was wonderful and the cover is beautiful. This out-of-the-office romance was rocky at first with our FMC trying to hook up with a random man out of sheer desperation and then running into her ex girlfriend throwing hands in the bathroom, but it settled into a steady workplace romance with lots of little dates and high tension.
I especially liked how woke this book is with the many comments about LGBT history. It’s nice to have some real with the romance.
I especially liked how woke this book is with the many comments about LGBT history. It’s nice to have some real with the romance.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
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
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5 Stars
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for letting me listen and enjoy this book.
I was sold at sapphic! This book was super cute read following our two main characters who get a second chance romance after an 8 year split. I enjoyed getting to know both Celeste and Gemma. I liked finding out how they have changed since they were last together and how they have in certain aspects stayed the same. I love the Asian queer rep, I haven’t read much of it. I liked the kick ass females not taking crap from no man and letting him know it. There were a couple spicy scenes which I felt blended nicely with the story and what was happening. I was looking the tension between Celeste and Gemma.
I appreciated that we had two narrators and that they played their parts perfectly. I would absolutely recommend this one.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for letting me listen and enjoy this book.
I was sold at sapphic! This book was super cute read following our two main characters who get a second chance romance after an 8 year split. I enjoyed getting to know both Celeste and Gemma. I liked finding out how they have changed since they were last together and how they have in certain aspects stayed the same. I love the Asian queer rep, I haven’t read much of it. I liked the kick ass females not taking crap from no man and letting him know it. There were a couple spicy scenes which I felt blended nicely with the story and what was happening. I was looking the tension between Celeste and Gemma.
I appreciated that we had two narrators and that they played their parts perfectly. I would absolutely recommend this one.
Gemma thought she had her future figured out until her long term boyfriend turned fiancé dumps her without explanation. As if that wasn’t enough, her next assignment is to write a piece on Modern Love and she’s paired with her first love and college ex, Celeste, a talented photographer with whom she shares both unresolved history and undeniable chemistry. As the two focus on capturing Modern Love, old wounds resurface but so do sparks.
This is a charming second chance romance! This was a cozy, spicy, low-drama sapphic romance with likable characters who felt human: flawed, yes, but not toxic, cringy, or annoying. There was conflict and emotional baggage, but it was handled with maturity, self-awareness (eventually), and solid communication. The only thing that kept me from feeling fully invested was the pacing.
The audiobook features dual POV narration from Natalie Naudus and Catherine Ho, both narrators I’ve listened to before and enjoyed! Natalie Naudus is at the top of her game, and while both performances were strong, the pacing between them occasionally felt mismatched, which slightly disrupted the listening rhythm.
If you’re looking for a cozy, queer romance that’s warm, affirming, and grounded in emotional realism, I recommend Love in Focus.
Thank you Hachette Audio and Forever for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Love in Focus is a cute sapphic romance between Gemma and Celeste; two former lovers who are assigned to work on a project together.
Second chance romance is hard for me to root for sometimes, but when it's done well, it REALLY hits the spot. I'm so glad that Gemma and Celeste get a second chance to reconnect, because they both have grown since their split and are extremely sweet together. It is difficult to root for them at times, but I am really satisfied with their relationship in the end. Also, the spice was high quality 🔥
Bi representation in books always makes me kick my feet in excitement. Celeste is a bisexual woman, and both her and Gemma are Asian; I am happy to see Asian representation in both main characters, especially in a queer romance novel!
The only thing that I didn't enjoy about this book, is that the chapters alternate between first person point of view and third person, which felt a little unnatural. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators, Natalie Naudus and Catherine Ho, delivered an excellent performance that brought the characters to life and helped to offset the unique alternating 1st person and 3rd person POVs.
Love in Focus is a cozy and comforting read. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sweet queer romance! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of Love in Focus in exchange for an honest review!
Second chance romance is hard for me to root for sometimes, but when it's done well, it REALLY hits the spot. I'm so glad that Gemma and Celeste get a second chance to reconnect, because they both have grown since their split and are extremely sweet together. It is difficult to root for them at times, but I am really satisfied with their relationship in the end. Also, the spice was high quality 🔥
Bi representation in books always makes me kick my feet in excitement. Celeste is a bisexual woman, and both her and Gemma are Asian; I am happy to see Asian representation in both main characters, especially in a queer romance novel!
The only thing that I didn't enjoy about this book, is that the chapters alternate between first person point of view and third person, which felt a little unnatural. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators, Natalie Naudus and Catherine Ho, delivered an excellent performance that brought the characters to life and helped to offset the unique alternating 1st person and 3rd person POVs.
Love in Focus is a cozy and comforting read. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sweet queer romance! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of Love in Focus in exchange for an honest review!