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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
** Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. **
DNF at 50%
Unfortunately, this book and I didn't get along as well as I hoped we would, but let me start by saying that I think it's purely a matter of personal preference. I have seen a lot of people thoroughly enjoying American Fairytale, so I recommend you take a look at other reviews or give the book a shot to decide for yourself.
For instance, I really loved the diversity in the book, and I found Camilo's mom (and her background story) so interesting. I loved that there were a lot of characters of colour, LGBT+ characters, and a lot of immigrant stories as I felt it reflects reality pretty well with all its diversity. I also found it so interesting learning about the characters' respective Cuban and Dominican cultures and hearing their parents' stories, especially as I am a first generation immigrant myself.
I think my main issue with the book is that I was more interested in some of the side characters than I was in the main ones. I liked Camilo from the get-go, but I didn't connect with Tom or his and Camilo's romance, and the pacing of the story didn't capture me. One other thing I didn't like was being constantly told by multiple characters how great Tom is, when I would much rather be shown that to make the judgement for myself. The sex scenes also didn't read well for me at all, and I'll admit that it put me off the book very early on.
Regardless of that, there were some good elements to the book overall so I would suggest you give it a read and see if it suits you better than it did me.
DNF at 50%
Unfortunately, this book and I didn't get along as well as I hoped we would, but let me start by saying that I think it's purely a matter of personal preference. I have seen a lot of people thoroughly enjoying American Fairytale, so I recommend you take a look at other reviews or give the book a shot to decide for yourself.
For instance, I really loved the diversity in the book, and I found Camilo's mom (and her background story) so interesting. I loved that there were a lot of characters of colour, LGBT+ characters, and a lot of immigrant stories as I felt it reflects reality pretty well with all its diversity. I also found it so interesting learning about the characters' respective Cuban and Dominican cultures and hearing their parents' stories, especially as I am a first generation immigrant myself.
I think my main issue with the book is that I was more interested in some of the side characters than I was in the main ones. I liked Camilo from the get-go, but I didn't connect with Tom or his and Camilo's romance, and the pacing of the story didn't capture me. One other thing I didn't like was being constantly told by multiple characters how great Tom is, when I would much rather be shown that to make the judgement for myself. The sex scenes also didn't read well for me at all, and I'll admit that it put me off the book very early on.
Regardless of that, there were some good elements to the book overall so I would suggest you give it a read and see if it suits you better than it did me.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I have been waiting for this book! I loved American Dreamer, the first in this series, so I pounced on this the day it was released!
This love story is about Milo and Tom - two men from completely different backgrounds and places in their lives who meet at a charity function, flirt a little, hookup, and then both leave thinking they'll never see each other again. (You know where this is going, right?) Tom ends up being a huge donor to the agency where Milo works - building a safe haven for abuse victims as they build a new life for themselves.
I LOVED how Adriana Herrera wrote about consent in this book; consent between Milo and Tom, consent in how people took up space near survivors, it was all so beautifully written.
I loved Milo and Tom together, and while the story marked time by the seasons, there seemed to be a lot more telling than showing when it came to discussions about their relationship. There were beautiful passages written about Milo's upbringing and something he dealt with, and him realizing that's why he would get defensive, but we never saw if he and Tom discussed that, or if Tom was even aware.
The pacing seemed fine but there were things that seemed like a big deal in the beginning but were not addressed again until the end of the story.
Overall I would recommend this book - the story is lovely and again, the way this author writes hard issues is something to be admired, I just didn't love it as much as the first one. (I'd five this three and a half stars). Can't wait for the next in the series though!
This love story is about Milo and Tom - two men from completely different backgrounds and places in their lives who meet at a charity function, flirt a little, hookup, and then both leave thinking they'll never see each other again. (You know where this is going, right?) Tom ends up being a huge donor to the agency where Milo works - building a safe haven for abuse victims as they build a new life for themselves.
I LOVED how Adriana Herrera wrote about consent in this book; consent between Milo and Tom, consent in how people took up space near survivors, it was all so beautifully written.
I loved Milo and Tom together, and while the story marked time by the seasons, there seemed to be a lot more telling than showing when it came to discussions about their relationship. There were beautiful passages written about Milo's upbringing and something he dealt with, and him realizing that's why he would get defensive, but we never saw if he and Tom discussed that, or if Tom was even aware.
The pacing seemed fine but there were things that seemed like a big deal in the beginning but were not addressed again until the end of the story.
Overall I would recommend this book - the story is lovely and again, the way this author writes hard issues is something to be admired, I just didn't love it as much as the first one. (I'd five this three and a half stars). Can't wait for the next in the series though!
2.5 stars. This starts out with a steamy scene right away, which I loved, and I continued to enjoy reading this book for a while, but before the halfway point I was bored and I can't say that I liked it overall. There's a lot of great stuff here, but it didn't come together into a great book for me. The plot is thin and just not enough really happens for large parts of the book. I liked reading about each character's background and seeing how they connected over their shared stories, however I also felt like Tom and Milo were both so virtuous it made my teeth hurt, and ultimately that is not very interesting to me (though eventually Milo managed to be incredibly annoying as well, which was also not great.)
A lot of people loved this book, so I recommend giving it a try if it sounds interesting to you, but would avoid if you like your romances with a more in depth plot.
A lot of people loved this book, so I recommend giving it a try if it sounds interesting to you, but would avoid if you like your romances with a more in depth plot.
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
Reading American Dreamer hooked me onto this series and I'm so excited that this next story was about Camilo because I was very curious how the author will handle his character.
American Fairytale is about a social worker (Camilo) that realises that his one-time, throw caution to the wind hook up is the billionaire (Tom) who makes a sizable donation to the organization Camilo works at. The power dynamics at play, the financial cavern that stretches between them and their own hang ups around money, make this book an extremely interesting read. Camilo might be the most steretypical femme gay man out of the four friends and I was unsure about that at first but bought into it immediately when we meet Tom.
Certain things did annoy me. The dogged annoyance of Tom not realising that paying for shit isn't always appreciated. I mean, buying a whole building is taking Milo's control out from under his feet . That shit would NOT fly in real life.
But as always, romance redeems (and I love it for that), and Herrera does a great job of showing how.
American Fairytale is about a social worker (Camilo) that realises that his one-time, throw caution to the wind hook up is the billionaire (Tom) who makes a sizable donation to the organization Camilo works at. The power dynamics at play, the financial cavern that stretches between them and their own hang ups around money, make this book an extremely interesting read. Camilo might be the most steretypical femme gay man out of the four friends and I was unsure about that at first but bought into it immediately when we meet Tom.
Certain things did annoy me. The dogged annoyance of Tom not realising that paying for shit isn't always appreciated. I mean,
But as always, romance redeems (and I love it for that), and Herrera does a great job of showing how.
I fell in love with these characters, just like I did with the first book in this series. I am so glad that the Henrico County Public Library purchased these in ebook format.
I can't wait for the third one.
I can't wait for the third one.
The descriptive bit: Camilo is a Cuban-American social worker in NYC. His boss has given him a thousand dollar ticket to a gala and he’s planning to have a good time at the complimentary bar. What he isn’t expecting is to meet Tom and end up having a sizzling one-night encounter with him.
When Camilo returns to work, he finds out that a local philanthropist wants to donate a couple of million dollars to the organization so that they can renovate the shelter they run. When Camilo meets the millionaire in question … it’s Tom … Thomas Hughes, to be exact.
The spark that drew them together the night they met only grows as they work together. But, Camilo is fiercely independent and Tom is used to being able to fix things with money.
My thoughts bit: Oh these two men and the way they make the same mistakes over and over! Camilo is stubborn. He’s made mistakes with men in the past and he is determined not to tangle himself up in another man’s life. He doesn’t want to lose himself in love. That all makes sense, but the way Camilo feels about Tom is overwhelmingly right and he can’t help wanting happily ever after with the man.
Tom has built himself and his business from the ground up. He was born in the DR and has made it his goal to embrace his culture and be the best person he can be. He’s wealthy as hell and feels that money should be something that enables him to do the good that he wants to do. When he tries to make Camilo’s life better by using his money… things start to go a little off the rails.
This is a fast-paced romance with some well-written, steamy love scenes. It really is a fairy tale, sometimes a little over-the-top romantic, although the realities of two men coming together from different backgrounds adds the reality of relationship struggles to this novel. This was a fun read – oh! and I really enjoyed that there was so much Spanish in the book, that really gave me a feel for the background of both men.
The warnings bit: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: Emotional angst
When Camilo returns to work, he finds out that a local philanthropist wants to donate a couple of million dollars to the organization so that they can renovate the shelter they run. When Camilo meets the millionaire in question … it’s Tom … Thomas Hughes, to be exact.
The spark that drew them together the night they met only grows as they work together. But, Camilo is fiercely independent and Tom is used to being able to fix things with money.
My thoughts bit: Oh these two men and the way they make the same mistakes over and over! Camilo is stubborn. He’s made mistakes with men in the past and he is determined not to tangle himself up in another man’s life. He doesn’t want to lose himself in love. That all makes sense, but the way Camilo feels about Tom is overwhelmingly right and he can’t help wanting happily ever after with the man.
Tom has built himself and his business from the ground up. He was born in the DR and has made it his goal to embrace his culture and be the best person he can be. He’s wealthy as hell and feels that money should be something that enables him to do the good that he wants to do. When he tries to make Camilo’s life better by using his money… things start to go a little off the rails.
This is a fast-paced romance with some well-written, steamy love scenes. It really is a fairy tale, sometimes a little over-the-top romantic, although the realities of two men coming together from different backgrounds adds the reality of relationship struggles to this novel. This was a fun read – oh! and I really enjoyed that there was so much Spanish in the book, that really gave me a feel for the background of both men.
The warnings bit: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: Emotional angst
3.25 stars. I enjoyed this sophomore efforts from promising author Adriana Herrera but not as much as her debut, [b:American Dreamer|42983586|American Dreamer (Dreamers #1)|Adriana Herrera|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1543514360s/42983586.jpg|66820163]. It was a little too sweet, with the two MCs pretty much ga-ga over each other from the get-go. The risks of Milo dating his non-profit organization's mega-donor are briefly raised but then dropped. All of Milo's friends and family love Tom, and vice versa. The only conflict is Tom's annoying habit of throwing money at problems, which finally causes a major blow-up before he redeems himself spectacularly. As with Dreamer, there's plenty of Latino representation and a chance to learn about interesting customs and delicious-sounding food, and unlike Dreamer there's no ridiculously cardboard villain. I would have preferred a little more grit to the story (we don't even see any of the challenges faced by the clients at the domestic violence shelter where Milo works) but if you are looking for a true fairytale, and a "one-percenter" millionaire you can admire, you will not be disappointed.
3.5 really. It’s nice to see cinnamonbun heroes - caring, kind, emotionally intelligent for their ages and nice. Both have strong relationships with family, as well as a posse of long term friends who circle the wagons to help them, celebrate with them and call them on their shit. Both are highly competent at their jobs without being competitive assholes.
I also enjoyed the themes of immigration, the hidden costs of being white-passing, and latinX culture, particularly DR.
Lastly, wealth is handled in an interesting way that I’d love to see in m/f novels as well. Whereby the rich hero is effectively banned from using his money to help the poorer hero in almost any way, ranging from fancy holiday gifts to financial assistance in situations of urgent need. In this book, lavishing money on the poorer one you love is seen as lazy, manipulative and creating an impossible power imbalance that will ultimately kill the relationship.
I didn’t like the height differences between the heroes. One is nearly half a foot taller than the other, as well as being far bulkier. It’s something I hate in m/f books and am not thrilled to see here, particularly as the larger man is also the whiter and wealthier and shown as topping and ‘manhandling’ the smaller man in bed. Plus, it’s rubbed in by the tall guy frequently dropping kisses on top of the shorter guy’s head. Not. For. Me.
And there’s a plot moppet who is a spoiled, willful 4 year old girl that the men are all nothing but crazy for. Nothing she does is not viewed through ‘so cute’ rose tinted glasses.
Finally I’ll quibble a bit on the author’s adoration of her wealthy character who by moving into a Harlem neighborhood, complete with rich besties who buy two other houses besides his own, is to some degree the epitome of gentrification. It doesn’t matter that he’s LatinX with immigrant friends of many nations, he’s spending big bucks on real estate and eating out consistently at restaurants that have sprung up to serve his kind with prices regular people in the area can’t afford. I do understand though, gentrification has a wide grey area between ok and not ok. He’s in the grey though.
Overall the book moves calmly along. It’s fairly low angst, high lovey-doveyness.
I also enjoyed the themes of immigration, the hidden costs of being white-passing, and latinX culture, particularly DR.
Lastly, wealth is handled in an interesting way that I’d love to see in m/f novels as well. Whereby the rich hero is effectively banned from using his money to help the poorer hero in almost any way, ranging from fancy holiday gifts to financial assistance in situations of urgent need. In this book, lavishing money on the poorer one you love is seen as lazy, manipulative and creating an impossible power imbalance that will ultimately kill the relationship.
I didn’t like the height differences between the heroes. One is nearly half a foot taller than the other, as well as being far bulkier. It’s something I hate in m/f books and am not thrilled to see here, particularly as the larger man is also the whiter and wealthier and shown as topping and ‘manhandling’ the smaller man in bed. Plus, it’s rubbed in by the tall guy frequently dropping kisses on top of the shorter guy’s head. Not. For. Me.
And there’s a plot moppet who is a spoiled, willful 4 year old girl that the men are all nothing but crazy for. Nothing she does is not viewed through ‘so cute’ rose tinted glasses.
Finally I’ll quibble a bit on the author’s adoration of her wealthy character who by moving into a Harlem neighborhood, complete with rich besties who buy two other houses besides his own, is to some degree the epitome of gentrification. It doesn’t matter that he’s LatinX with immigrant friends of many nations, he’s spending big bucks on real estate and eating out consistently at restaurants that have sprung up to serve his kind with prices regular people in the area can’t afford. I do understand though, gentrification has a wide grey area between ok and not ok. He’s in the grey though.
Overall the book moves calmly along. It’s fairly low angst, high lovey-doveyness.