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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Quite good.
However I think it was a bit slow paced and stretched to much... Could have been shorter. Overall an enjoyable read!
However I think it was a bit slow paced and stretched to much... Could have been shorter. Overall an enjoyable read!
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****
I really enjoyed this. It's a slow burn, work rivalry type romance, that has plenty of reasons that the leads should be trying to avoid each other - but they just can't help themselves. What I really liked about this is that it manages to dance the line of what is acceptable workplace behaviour really well. Both characters are super competant at their jobs, and they keep their work seperate from their relationship. I read Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project a couple of months back, and pretty much my only problem with that* was the way that the office subplot worked out - with the deception from the hero from the start, but particularly to resolve the situation - and this is much better at the office side of things than that was. I liked this a lot - I liked the idea of a relationship being a haven and also bringing out the best in you. Lovely.
*and it is a problem that has bothered me more as I thought about the book afterwards than it did in the first throes of reading it
I really enjoyed this. It's a slow burn, work rivalry type romance, that has plenty of reasons that the leads should be trying to avoid each other - but they just can't help themselves. What I really liked about this is that it manages to dance the line of what is acceptable workplace behaviour really well. Both characters are super competant at their jobs, and they keep their work seperate from their relationship. I read Farrah Rochon's The Boyfriend Project a couple of months back, and pretty much my only problem with that* was the way that the office subplot worked out - with the deception from the hero from the start, but particularly to resolve the situation - and this is much better at the office side of things than that was. I liked this a lot - I liked the idea of a relationship being a haven and also bringing out the best in you. Lovely.
*and it is a problem that has bothered me more as I thought about the book afterwards than it did in the first throes of reading it
Here to Stay is a a variant of the enemies to lovers romance trope – people who meet because of work, but have conflicting professional needs, but fall in love anyway (see also Kate Clayborn’s Beginners Luck).
Julia Ortiz feels threatened by Rocco Quinn when she first meets him – he is the consultant hired to make recommendations that are likely to lead to Julia losing her job, and he hits all of Julia’s lust triggers. Rocco has vowed to be a hard-ass on this job because if he gets a promised promotion, he will be able to move his younger sister and niece further away from their parents, but not away from New York City. Unfortunately, he can’t keep his mind off Julia and he wishes he could just love her without their jobs getting in the way.
Of course they are unable to resist each other and their romance is edged with the knowledge that they have a time limit and contradictory professional objectives. There’s some really great pining before they get together, and some pining for permanence once they start a relationship. Rocco commits the cardinal sin of thinking he knows best and making a decision that impacts them both without discussing it with Julia. It’s the kind of boneheaded move that good guys in romance make before they realize how dumb they are. What I loved was Julia’s response, which I would like to see more of in romance – she is/was his girlfriend, not his therapist and it wasn’t her job to fix him. I loved the whole book, but that scene is the reason I will be shoving this book in people’s faces.
Adriana Herrera brings her strengths from the Dreamers series to Here to Stay. Family and found family provide a strong community support. Social justice and social welfare are central to Julia’s life and Rocco understands and respects that. Julia and Rocco are both very good at their jobs, though Rocco is made to understand that the quality of his work is less important than the outcome he delivers. Capitalism, corporate greed, and white supremacy are the real enemies in Here to Stay. For Julia and Rocco as a couple, and individually in their work, the barriers they have to overcome are mostly related to trying to exist in capitalist economy where executive salaries and shareholder dividends are more important than the dignity of people.
Herrera also gives us a white woman scarier than Misty from American Dreamer. Just like with Misty, Vicky was instantly familiar to me. The liberal white woman who thinks she is a benevolent savior, but is actually as destructive as the grasping corporate men.
CW: Verbally abusive alcoholic father, child endangerment, deportation threat
I received this as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Julia Ortiz feels threatened by Rocco Quinn when she first meets him – he is the consultant hired to make recommendations that are likely to lead to Julia losing her job, and he hits all of Julia’s lust triggers. Rocco has vowed to be a hard-ass on this job because if he gets a promised promotion, he will be able to move his younger sister and niece further away from their parents, but not away from New York City. Unfortunately, he can’t keep his mind off Julia and he wishes he could just love her without their jobs getting in the way.
What happened next was when I knew that Rocco was going to be a very big monkey wrench in my short-, medium-, and long-term plans of staying off the D and focusing on me.
He blushed.
Of course they are unable to resist each other and their romance is edged with the knowledge that they have a time limit and contradictory professional objectives. There’s some really great pining before they get together, and some pining for permanence once they start a relationship. Rocco commits the cardinal sin of thinking he knows best and making a decision that impacts them both without discussing it with Julia. It’s the kind of boneheaded move that good guys in romance make before they realize how dumb they are. What I loved was Julia’s response, which I would like to see more of in romance – she is/was his girlfriend, not his therapist and it wasn’t her job to fix him. I loved the whole book, but that scene is the reason I will be shoving this book in people’s faces.
Adriana Herrera brings her strengths from the Dreamers series to Here to Stay. Family and found family provide a strong community support. Social justice and social welfare are central to Julia’s life and Rocco understands and respects that. Julia and Rocco are both very good at their jobs, though Rocco is made to understand that the quality of his work is less important than the outcome he delivers. Capitalism, corporate greed, and white supremacy are the real enemies in Here to Stay. For Julia and Rocco as a couple, and individually in their work, the barriers they have to overcome are mostly related to trying to exist in capitalist economy where executive salaries and shareholder dividends are more important than the dignity of people.
Herrera also gives us a white woman scarier than Misty from American Dreamer. Just like with Misty, Vicky was instantly familiar to me. The liberal white woman who thinks she is a benevolent savior, but is actually as destructive as the grasping corporate men.
CW: Verbally abusive alcoholic father, child endangerment, deportation threat
I received this as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun, a little slow to start but I loved the New Yorkers in Dallas friend group and enjoyed watching them fall in love with the state I’ve come to call home. Definitely steamy, it kept me cleaning a little longer than expected just to keep listening. The sign of a good #audiobook Really enjoyed the narrators too!
Now I don’t read romance novels but this was a good break from all the seriousness. This book features main characters Julia and Rocco in Dallas, TX. Julia just relocated there but was left by Th e man she moved there for and WITH. She eventually adjusts to her new life and starts settling in meeting new friends at work. She instantly has a connection with Rocco but there’s a conflict of interest. They try to fight it through most of the book (which got on my nerves. Just bang already
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Rivals to friends. Forced proximity - work and both transplants to TX from NYC. Banter. Hot for each other. Family. Fashion. Dominican and Puerto Rican food. Audiobook is fantastic. Figuring out what you deserve. Found family. Dirty talk. Uninhibited sex.
Abusive parents. Homophobia. Racism. Classism.
emotional
funny
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:
N/A
**Review will be posted on my blog on my blog tour date 8/17/20**
**3.5 STARS**
Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
My Reactions:
My Attention: it’s a quick read
World Building: Dallas, Texas with New York City nostalgia
Writing Style: flowed nicely, except for some typos (but this is an arc copy)
Bringing the Heat:
**3.5 STARS**
Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
My Reactions:
My Attention: it’s a quick read
World Building: Dallas, Texas with New York City nostalgia
Writing Style: flowed nicely, except for some typos (but this is an arc copy)
Bringing the Heat: