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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Meh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ insta-connection and miscommunication trope make me sour
The bright spots were the familial and found-family connections and the spice.
The bright spots were the familial and found-family connections and the spice.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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:
No
WHOA! I finished this book in 24 hours! I loved the accurate Latinx representation! Especially the family representation. Usually when it comes to authors writing Latinx families they exaggerate to make it more comical but more and more I'm seeing it done correctly which is we need more representation.
I loved how they mentioned the foundation and all of the issues it had with people who didn't look like them that ran the centers. It needs to be mentioned more because people that aren't part of them need to be educated on it.
The character development is amazing. The subject matter touched in this book is very delicate and I'm glad to see it being handled this way. It destigmatizes mental health and therapy in Latinx households.
Rocco & Julia are just perfect the relationship is a rollercoaster of so many emotions. There aren't many steamy scenes but the ones that are are just woah!!! The found family trope is ideal. Moving from a huge city to another huge city and having your life upended like that is devastating but Julia manages to make the best of it. This book is just perfect and I am reading On The Hustle right after.
I loved how they mentioned the foundation and all of the issues it had with people who didn't look like them that ran the centers. It needs to be mentioned more because people that aren't part of them need to be educated on it.
The character development is amazing. The subject matter touched in this book is very delicate and I'm glad to see it being handled this way. It destigmatizes mental health and therapy in Latinx households.
Rocco & Julia are just perfect the relationship is a rollercoaster of so many emotions. There aren't many steamy scenes but the ones that are are just woah!!! The found family trope is ideal. Moving from a huge city to another huge city and having your life upended like that is devastating but Julia manages to make the best of it. This book is just perfect and I am reading On The Hustle right after.
emotional
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⭐
R because Adriana Herrera is 🌶️🌶️
In celebration of the next book in this series coming out next month and Hispanic Heritage month, I had to pick this book up off my physical TBR to enjoy a hot and sweet weekend read. I really loved the conflict in this because it was so real as Julia and Rocco found themselves on the opposite ends of a business dilemma but couldn't help but also be attracted to each other (though the initial attraction was a little too instalovey for me).
I love how Adriana writes about large friend groups, big families, characters who have actually been to therapy instead of just need therapy (!!) and all the representation of Latinx heritage and food. I did not love how black and white the corporate issues were though--companies care so much about their branding power vs profit margin and that is a huge part of corporate decision making so some parts of conflict felt like it lacked the correct nuance. Also this book didn't feel as Texas-y as I expected since all the characters were from New York even though Dallas is a super diverse city?
Overall I loved Adriana's depiction of a working woman leaving home and finding love even if some of the details didn't always hit for me. If you want a steamy romance (and a bit of fall/Thanksgiving book), I'd definitely pick this up before the end of Hispanic Heritage Month to support diverse books and authors like this one. 🙂
Also I NEED a book where Jose finds love in this series. He deserves it.
R because Adriana Herrera is 🌶️🌶️
In celebration of the next book in this series coming out next month and Hispanic Heritage month, I had to pick this book up off my physical TBR to enjoy a hot and sweet weekend read. I really loved the conflict in this because it was so real as Julia and Rocco found themselves on the opposite ends of a business dilemma but couldn't help but also be attracted to each other (though the initial attraction was a little too instalovey for me).
I love how Adriana writes about large friend groups, big families, characters who have actually been to therapy instead of just need therapy (!!) and all the representation of Latinx heritage and food. I did not love how black and white the corporate issues were though--companies care so much about their branding power vs profit margin and that is a huge part of corporate decision making so some parts of conflict felt like it lacked the correct nuance. Also this book didn't feel as Texas-y as I expected since all the characters were from New York even though Dallas is a super diverse city?
Overall I loved Adriana's depiction of a working woman leaving home and finding love even if some of the details didn't always hit for me. If you want a steamy romance (and a bit of fall/Thanksgiving book), I'd definitely pick this up before the end of Hispanic Heritage Month to support diverse books and authors like this one. 🙂
Also I NEED a book where Jose finds love in this series. He deserves it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
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:
Complicated
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin and Adriana Herrera for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
If you’re in the mood for a good forbidden office romance with some MAJOR steam and Latin flair, look no further. Adriana Herrera brings to life a vastly diverse cast of characters that leave you craving a margarita night with your friends and might make you tempted to text that cute guy from your office.
When Julie left New York for Texas a year ago, she was in a serious relationship and starting her dream job. No she’s single and her career is at jeopardy of not making the financial cut. And of course the man hired to decide who gets the axe is gorgeous, sweet and not afraid to let Julia know he feels the connection, too. Rocco is in Texas for a few weeks for a project that would lead to the promotion he desperately needs. He has plans to get a house out of the city and get his sister and niece away from their toxic parents.
Office romances are always fun. The forbidden aspect leads to sneaky glances and sly meetups that keep things fun. The build up to this one is slow but once they connect holy cow... S.T.E.A.M.Y. I actually skimmed the second big scene because it was just so long and so detailed and I just didn’t need that. But I do appreciate some good steam and an author who doesn’t shy away from writing it!
The side characters in this were great! The Gothom Exiles are people I would want to get a drink with on a Saturday night. They’re also the kind of characters I’d love to see Adriana Herrera write more of!
If you’re in the mood for a good forbidden office romance with some MAJOR steam and Latin flair, look no further. Adriana Herrera brings to life a vastly diverse cast of characters that leave you craving a margarita night with your friends and might make you tempted to text that cute guy from your office.
When Julie left New York for Texas a year ago, she was in a serious relationship and starting her dream job. No she’s single and her career is at jeopardy of not making the financial cut. And of course the man hired to decide who gets the axe is gorgeous, sweet and not afraid to let Julia know he feels the connection, too. Rocco is in Texas for a few weeks for a project that would lead to the promotion he desperately needs. He has plans to get a house out of the city and get his sister and niece away from their toxic parents.
Office romances are always fun. The forbidden aspect leads to sneaky glances and sly meetups that keep things fun. The build up to this one is slow but once they connect holy cow... S.T.E.A.M.Y. I actually skimmed the second big scene because it was just so long and so detailed and I just didn’t need that. But I do appreciate some good steam and an author who doesn’t shy away from writing it!
The side characters in this were great! The Gothom Exiles are people I would want to get a drink with on a Saturday night. They’re also the kind of characters I’d love to see Adriana Herrera write more of!
I am a big fan of Adriana Herrera’s Dreamer series and this book has all the things I loved best from that series.
I loved the way that both Julia and Rocco’s characters were developed. It was easy to see why the two were interested in each other and how their relationship developed over time. Herrera does a fantastic job of making me root for the relationship because I love how her characters bring out the beat in each other. Julia’s family were all also well developed for the small amount of page time they had. I adore the way Herrera shows the love and connection between family members and how they support the developing relationship.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved the way that both Julia and Rocco’s characters were developed. It was easy to see why the two were interested in each other and how their relationship developed over time. Herrera does a fantastic job of making me root for the relationship because I love how her characters bring out the beat in each other. Julia’s family were all also well developed for the small amount of page time they had. I adore the way Herrera shows the love and connection between family members and how they support the developing relationship.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5 stars
I have a harder time suspending my disbelief with contemporaries, so it took me a little while to get into this one, but it was very sweet and I ultimately found it immersive, which is what I'm looking for when I'm reading romance.
It was nice to see Dominican culture represented, and I think the author did a great job of integrating it into the story. She pretty seamlessly translates the few moments of Spanish, though if you made it through a couple years of high school Spanish you don't need them. I think it's also really important that she depicted an intact, loving family of color. This is not a story of troubled immigrants; it's actually the hero, a white guy, who has the difficult family background. Having the main character be a social worker who works with immigrant families made the book feel timely, and I generally think the conflict in the book worked really well and felt like a fresh addition to a well-liked trope.
I liked the characters, and I thought Julia was well-rounded and authentic. Rocco was very lovable. The side characters were a little formulaic, but still enjoyable. There was nothing problematic in the MC's relationship dynamic, and consent was frequent and explicit. I didn't love the sex scenes, though. Rocco went from being this incredibly sweet "cinnamon roll" type to suddenly super dirty, and I just don't think the transition was successful; it felt sudden and jarring. I think "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" by Talia Hibbert is an example of how a similar dynamic can be done successfully.
This was an ARC, and I'm hoping it's still going to get a good amount of editing. There were a few typos and awkward sentences, but my main problem was that a few phrases were repeated to the point that it was distracting. Every character "lifts a shoulder" (the author's way of saying shrug?) A LOT. About 1/3 of the lifts should stay in. There are also a lot of times where characters "suck their teeth," which to me seems like an odd gesture for every character to do; I would think it might be a distinctive behavior of a certain character rather than something everyone does, and does frequently.
In the end, this was a fun, sweet read, and I'll probably revisit this author in the future.
I have a harder time suspending my disbelief with contemporaries, so it took me a little while to get into this one, but it was very sweet and I ultimately found it immersive, which is what I'm looking for when I'm reading romance.
It was nice to see Dominican culture represented, and I think the author did a great job of integrating it into the story. She pretty seamlessly translates the few moments of Spanish, though if you made it through a couple years of high school Spanish you don't need them. I think it's also really important that she depicted an intact, loving family of color. This is not a story of troubled immigrants; it's actually the hero, a white guy, who has the difficult family background. Having the main character be a social worker who works with immigrant families made the book feel timely, and I generally think the conflict in the book worked really well and felt like a fresh addition to a well-liked trope.
I liked the characters, and I thought Julia was well-rounded and authentic. Rocco was very lovable. The side characters were a little formulaic, but still enjoyable. There was nothing problematic in the MC's relationship dynamic, and consent was frequent and explicit. I didn't love the sex scenes, though. Rocco went from being this incredibly sweet "cinnamon roll" type to suddenly super dirty, and I just don't think the transition was successful; it felt sudden and jarring. I think "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" by Talia Hibbert is an example of how a similar dynamic can be done successfully.
This was an ARC, and I'm hoping it's still going to get a good amount of editing. There were a few typos and awkward sentences, but my main problem was that a few phrases were repeated to the point that it was distracting. Every character "lifts a shoulder" (the author's way of saying shrug?) A LOT. About 1/3 of the lifts should stay in. There are also a lot of times where characters "suck their teeth," which to me seems like an odd gesture for every character to do; I would think it might be a distinctive behavior of a certain character rather than something everyone does, and does frequently.
In the end, this was a fun, sweet read, and I'll probably revisit this author in the future.