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moneypenny96's review
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
lechepatito's review
Quick read, with good pining and lots of “mio.” I wouldn’t have minded starting with their first hookup!
lezreadalot's review
4.0
Our lips touched and I listed from the power of our mouths coming together. I imagined that we were inventing a whole new way to speak.
This was so so good. The entire novella is about the fallout after two best friends sleep with each other, and it was great in a way that I just never really expect novellas to be, and I loved it!
I really like friends to lovers in general, and I especially love it when it's like this, really intense and where one friend has been pining for another for years (give me ALL the yearning™). And of course, the pining isn't really one-sided. They both love each other so much, and they have for years, and with not so many words, we get a really profound sense of that? That's always a good way to make me like novellas, to have characters with established backgrounds and feelings for each other. But there was still a good amount of on-page chemistry and energy between the characters, and a lot of effective prose that made me emotional. The perceived obstacle to getting together was perhaps "not a big deal" but I could definitely see how it could be! IDK, I just liked everything about this, and having this story with Dominican characters in Herrera's style was everything I could ask for.
The bigger details around the characters and story weren't always communicated very well (idk if I just missed it but did we ever learn why they went back to the DR?) and some of the materialism got on my nerves. Not Yariel being rich (we got scenes of him giving back to his community, which was nice) but just like, name dropping brands and clothes and whatever lol. For me, at least, it's a mood killer.
But this was really very good overall. A quick, sexy read that did a good job of distracting me when I needed it today.
whatbreeread's review
3.0
my only gripe with this book rly was that it kept going in circles. yariel and hatuey were arguing abt the same thing over and over again and it was alike okayyy so what’s the plan to overcome this? i liked both love interests but i think they should’ve spent more time courting each other and less time arguing in circles (or maybe the book should’ve been longer to accommodate for that idk)
hatuey’s dad pissed me off because if he was trying to come around like he said he was he should’ve had a conversation with yariel to clear the air and move on. and in the same vein it was odd to me that the book claimed that yari and hatuey’s father had such a good relationship otherwise but they didn’t talk not one time the entire book
other than that this book was fine. it was quick and i enjoyed reading abt these two friends overcoming the past and getting to live their happily ever after
hrtlss_grl's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
ruthiedr89's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
seventhchariot's review
4.0
THIS IS 100 PAGES OF STUBBORN FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS AND I LOVED IT!
I was so invested in these two characters getting together and I will forever be in awe of Adriana Herrera's writing!
Rating: 4 stars
I was so invested in these two characters getting together and I will forever be in awe of Adriana Herrera's writing!
Rating: 4 stars
bau9's review
4.0
Quick and fun novella that I received on Adriana's newsletter.
I remember that there was a little bit of Yariel in the book American Sweethearts and it was nice to see his love story with Hatuey.
(And there is a glimpse of JuanPa in here ❤)
I remember that there was a little bit of Yariel in the book American Sweethearts and it was nice to see his love story with Hatuey.
(And there is a glimpse of JuanPa in here ❤)