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kdailyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, and Drug use
Minor: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
nitya's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
- friends with benefits (not me but it worked here)
- second/third chance romance
- best friends who are estranged
- New York/Bronx setting
- mostly Latinx cast
- fake dating
Add this to your TBR!!
(And I gotta read book 1 now)
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Mental illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Alcohol
renpuspita's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
However, this book have many tropes that totally my catnip, so the liked outweighing the sour note. A Lot Like Adios have:
- Childhood friend turn to lover. One of my ultimate favorite trope, beside enemy/adversaries turn to lover;
- Fake dating (just a little bit);
- Diverse characters (mostly latinx community) and also diverse in sexuality for some side characters.
- Bisexual MCs, although I think this fact just written as a little tidbit, since Daria didn't discuss much about both Gabe and Michelle past lovers or flings;
- Sisterhood support, in form of the Primas of Power, Jasmine and Ava, much like the previous book
- A love letter for fanfiction community, because both Gabe and Michelle is a scifi soap opera nerd;
- The scene when...Gabe's dad apologize to Gabe for his treatment to him when Gabe was teenager and he was informed by Gabe's nieces & nephews that it's toxic masculinity. Le gasp! Honestly? This part left me dumbfounded because I keep singing Queen's lyrics "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality", in my head. I mean..it's feel unreal, lol. I guess that Latinx community is just like Asian community, just like mine had, the elders can be annoying as hell, the parents is hard to their children just because their parents also treat them the same way. But, the fact when parent apologize for the way they educate their children is the same with if Lochness monster is really exist. Aka...in your dream, lel.
Just like You Had Me at Hola, A Lot Like Love written with more than 40 chapters, so it can go on and on. Like, actually the problem is very simple but Daria keep prolong it with "will he leave me again" or "but I love Michelle, but I have no future with her" that keep me rolling my eyes. Sometimes I feel like both Mich and Gabe act as teenager while they already in their 31's. Or maybe because they are know each other from the start, they feel comfortable but also afraid to go pass friend, aka to be a lover. Why, they just said love in the end of the book, while Gabe's feeling is already obvious from the start. However, I do like how Daria address both Mich and Gabe's anxiety and personal anguish. Mich was described to have a burnout from her work and also seen consume her meds. Gabe itself need to face his fear of his parent's disapproved of his way of life.
I do like how Mich and Gabe are both passionate characters. From their sharing love about fan fiction and how they passionate about their work. This is when the part of the book really shines. I enjoy the way Daria describe Mich's creative process for branding and marketing. I liked how she describe Gabe's struggle to maintain his gym business. I know narrating about working process can be boring, but like in You Had Me at Hola that describe production process in television series making, this book also show how the business process in both maintaining the business that on going and how to marketing and branding your business to your potential client. Yeah, I know, I know. It can be boring of sort, but like I said, I thoroughly enjoyed. Another of my favorite is the chapter that have Gabe and Mich's chat when they brainstorming their fanfiction "Celestial Destiny". I really can feel their excitement and Daria really show they are really best friend.
I said that this book end with a (little) stronger note compared to its previous books, because I see how both Mich and Gabe develop to be a better version of themselves. Yeah, there are angst, there are some drama and inner turmoil, but surprisely the fight that happen is not that big or maybe because Mich didn't want her heart to be broke again and Gabe himself still struggle with his need to proved to his parents. So, the character development is pretty well written in this one. As for the steamy factor, yeah, pretty much hotter than the first one. Pretty fun too, practice safe sex (the scene when Gabe buying a lot of condom and to see his dad see him buying it is my favorite scene to date because of the hilarity ensues) and full of consent, beside both Mich and Gabe is best friend so their sexual tension is off the chart. However, while first or second (or maybe third) sex scenes is wowza, it's become almost boring in the end. I feel myself just want to skimmed and read the next one.
A Lot Like Adios have its up and down, and like I state at the first, I start the book with a sour note and expect to just rate it in so-so rating. But, since the trope, the dynamic, the way Daria write business process, the brainstorming session between Gabe and Mich while writing their fanfic and also how the story end with strong character development is winning my heart, I end up finish this book with a satisfied sigh. If you search for contemporary romance with diverse characters and friend turn to lover trope, A Lot Like Adios may up to your alley.
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Minor: Drug use
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders
cemeterygay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I'm so excited for the next book and I cannot recommend this book enough.
Graphic: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
Additional CW: estranged family relationships, anxiety, minor (marijuana use)lasafica_reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
armontheroad's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Pregnancy
allygator's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm going to be real, I've read very few sexy novels. The last one I read was Call Me by Your Name, which I despise (for reasons beyond the sex -- but we don't need to get into that). I was really nervous to start this, especially when it got smutty about 50 pages in. However, I was never uncomfortable with the sex in this, which I think is really a testament to the author and how amazing she wrote everything. Every sexual interaction Gabe and Michelle had always felt entirely consensual. Despite other problems they had, they always were great at communicating what they wanted and needed in bed, and if the other person was going too far. It was refreshing to read. Also, no weird words for penis were used. That was nice.
This was a little slower paced than the other romance novels I've read, but it wasn't really a hindrance to my enjoyment.
Not a perfect romance novel, but a really solid read -- I'll definitely be picking up the other books in this series!
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol and Mental illness
caseythereader's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
- I loved the way Gabe and Michelle just fell right back in with each other. Both their deep friendship and their attraction to each other felt so real. Plus the sci-fi fanfic they were writing as teens was just so cute.
- I love a romance where the leads are gentle with each other as they try to figure things out. Gimme that over enemies to lovers any day.
- As one last minor note, I was a big fan of how openly and casually both Gabe and Michelle spoke about not wanting to have kids, and maybe not even ever get married. Love to see a romance with an HEA epilogue where the woman isn't six months pregnant.
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Pregnancy