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bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, Alcohol, and Cursing
giuliaathenalombardo's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book really came into my life when I needed it most. I thought I had run out of the classic rom-coms with the super cute covers but I was sucked into yet another one, and I have no regrets.
Firstly, I loved both main characters in this book, especially Max. He didn't make any of the typical mistake male leads make in these kind of stories, he was honest with Lina and how he felt about her, was able to open up to her and speak about his insecurities without her pushing him to, he was clear with what he wanted and went after it when needed and I found his charm and persistent sense of humour incredibly enjoyable. I loved the chapter were he told Lina's family about the kind of man she deserved and them eventually turned himself into him. Lina was also wonderful to read about, her slightly controlling nature was relatable to me and the importance she placed on her family and the recognition she has for the sacrifices they made for her was great to see. Often parents are the source of the main character's insecurities or past traumas but this book conveyed their importance, especially of the women in both of their lives and how they impacted them.
Firstly, I loved both main characters in this book, especially Max. He didn't make any of the typical mistake male leads make in these kind of stories, he was honest with Lina and how he felt about her, was able to open up to her and speak about his insecurities without her pushing him to, he was clear with what he wanted and went after it when needed and I found his charm and persistent sense of humour incredibly enjoyable. I loved the chapter were he told Lina's family about the kind of man she deserved and them eventually turned himself into him. Lina was also wonderful to read about, her slightly controlling nature was relatable to me and the importance she placed on her family and the recognition she has for the sacrifices they made for her was great to see. Often parents are the source of the main character's insecurities or past traumas but this book conveyed their importance, especially of the women in both of their lives and how they impacted them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
kylieqrada's review against another edition
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
3.5
3.5 ⭐s. I read this one for Beautifully Bookish Bethany's Patreon book club, and I'm not mad at it! It doesn't rank up there with the best of the best romances, but it was moderately funny, and I truly identified with Lina's experiences with hiding her emotions and struggling to express them in a safe manner. Also loved the Brazilian culture rep. IMHO, not enough sexy times, and they were a little odd. But overall, a good time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
zoelyn's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
This book started out slow and didn’t really grab my attention ever, but I enjoyed the development of Max and Lina’s characters. The plot was solid. The descriptions of Lina’s “wall” and the progress of it coming down for Max was sweet. I really enjoyed that. Lina’s family is so supportive and strong! I loved learning about Lina's heritage and Brazilian culture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Sexism
kfmcf's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Uuuugggh I had high hopes for this book. Here's what I'll give it as it's best quality though - it's got really well written spice. The author makes the moments seem relatable and not so perfect that they are unattainable or totally unbelievable. She also throws in humor that let's you really see the characters at their most intimate moments and I appreciate that.
However, the actual meat of this book is a bit of a slog. It takes absolutely forever to really kick off and it chugs. The author writes the exposition in huge chunks of text that become really exhausting to read. This is also challenging because the story is written in alternating first person POVs. So this exposition being so flat out feels really odd.
Also. These characters. Are really blah. They feel like they have nothing under the surface which _kills_ me because I really want to like them. But they're "flaws" aren't really flaws. They're kind of environmental hazards.
This book also really feels like it was written by a woman. The men feel very unrealistic. There's a point where Max actually thinks something along the lines of "wow I can't believe I never thought about her challenges as a woman of color, I'm such a (something like dumb white guy)." Like, I get what the other was going for but oh my gosh subtext exists. Nobody thinks like that. He is allowed to have a revelation of that kind but it was so nail on the head that I had to step away from the book for a couple minutes.
Lastly, was this book sponsored by Lyft?! The amount of times the brand showed up in this book was startling. Like I get that rideshares are important in cities but like holy cats it was so often and unnecessary.
All in all, I will might try out the sequel down the line. I was hoping it would be about either Dean or Jaslene so having it be about the former is fine. I'm interested to see if these characters get a little more oomph to them.
However, the actual meat of this book is a bit of a slog. It takes absolutely forever to really kick off and it chugs. The author writes the exposition in huge chunks of text that become really exhausting to read. This is also challenging because the story is written in alternating first person POVs. So this exposition being so flat out feels really odd.
Also. These characters. Are really blah. They feel like they have nothing under the surface which _kills_ me because I really want to like them. But they're "flaws" aren't really flaws. They're kind of environmental hazards.
This book also really feels like it was written by a woman. The men feel very unrealistic. There's a point where Max actually thinks something along the lines of "wow I can't believe I never thought about her challenges as a woman of color, I'm such a (something like dumb white guy)." Like, I get what the other was going for but oh my gosh subtext exists. Nobody thinks like that. He is allowed to have a revelation of that kind but it was so nail on the head that I had to step away from the book for a couple minutes.
Lastly, was this book sponsored by Lyft?! The amount of times the brand showed up in this book was startling. Like I get that rideshares are important in cities but like holy cats it was so often and unnecessary.
All in all, I will might try out the sequel down the line. I was hoping it would be about either Dean or Jaslene so having it be about the former is fine. I'm interested to see if these characters get a little more oomph to them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Emotional abuse
amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
I did like the fact that this was an adult pairing who actually communicated and expressed their feelings / needs without belittling the other. It’s hard to find a novel - especially in the rom com world - where the guy doesn’t downright insult the women for having thoughts and emotions. So kudos to Sosa for portraying Max and Lina in that way. I also loved the Brazilian inclusion - seeing my culture out and about (the right way) brought a lot of joy. Knowing the names of the food, the Portuguese language and martial arts ! While there are sex scenes, the potential for the sex scenes to be juicy was kind of taken away due to the excess talking. & Max calls her baby immediately which threw me off since he didn’t really know her that well? Yet, despite the slight awkwardness there, great book if you want to learn a little more about being Brazilian American & wedding planning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
lexizee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
100_pages_hr's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I really enjoyed the diversity and the Brazilian influence in this book - especially the music, dancing, food, and family. I also enjoyed brushing up on my Portuguese.
I actually really liked the premise of the book. I'm all for a good competition and forced proximity always makes for some interesting moments. However, the competition between the brother's was too much for me. That parenting style is not my favorite.
I did feel the romance in this one was a little rushed. Maybe that is my conservative side - but I can't help how I felt. I did really like Max and Lina together, but their history made me think it was rushed.
Overall it was good and I'd definitely read more by this author.
I actually really liked the premise of the book. I'm all for a good competition and forced proximity always makes for some interesting moments. However, the competition between the brother's was too much for me. That parenting style is not my favorite.
I did feel the romance in this one was a little rushed. Maybe that is my conservative side - but I can't help how I felt. I did really like Max and Lina together, but their history made me think it was rushed.
Overall it was good and I'd definitely read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.75
While I liked the characters, this felt pretty much like a paint-by-numbers romance plot. Nothing really wowed me, but it was still a solid story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, Racism, and Toxic relationship
eligru's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Okay, I admit to having been reading a bit too much romance lately. But who cares, right?! And this one was really good.
The flaws of the characters were relatable and the character development centre-stage.The story might have been a bit too sappy at some points, but I still enjoyed every part of it and flew right through it. Maybe I would settle more on 4.5 stars, as some of the issues/insecurities that are bound to come up in such a situation were not addressed. Anyways, I really hope it does get made into a movie, as it would work great in film (and satisfy my addiction to rom-coms).
What really stands out though is that Lina is Brazilian (not that that's some kind of exotic rarity, but it is a rare thing to find in the world of fictinal romance). I loved learning about this side of her, her family and traditions, as well as her personal difficulties related to this identity. It's so refreshing to read about people with backgrounds that are barely represented in mainstream media!! Really makes me want to pick up more LatinX and Middle-/South-American fiction (any recommendations? If so, comment please!🙂)
The flaws of the characters were relatable and the character development centre-stage.The story might have been a bit too sappy at some points, but I still enjoyed every part of it and flew right through it. Maybe I would settle more on 4.5 stars, as some of the issues/insecurities that are bound to come up in such a situation were not addressed. Anyways, I really hope it does get made into a movie, as it would work great in film (and satisfy my addiction to rom-coms).
What really stands out though is that Lina is Brazilian (not that that's some kind of exotic rarity, but it is a rare thing to find in the world of fictinal romance). I loved learning about this side of her, her family and traditions, as well as her personal difficulties related to this identity. It's so refreshing to read about people with backgrounds that are barely represented in mainstream media!! Really makes me want to pick up more LatinX and Middle-/South-American fiction (any recommendations? If so, comment please!🙂)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Minor: Racism
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