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A review by queerafictionado
Love in Focus by Lyla Lee
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.25
đłď¸âđRep: Korean-American Bisexual & Lesbian FMCs, POC and Queer SCs
đTropes/Themes: Second Chances, Partly Dual POV, Forced Proximity, Found Family, âItâs Just Casualâ, First Love, Starting Over, Friendship
I love a good second chance romance - add in forced proximity and a healthy dose of found family and I am here for it! This was such a sweet and swoony story with plenty of spice to go with it. I felt for Gemma from the start. Imagine being ghosted by your first love and then having your fiance leave you after 7 years with no real explanation as to why. And then to find out the photographer youâre going to be working with on the most important project of your career is none other than your first love and the source of your bi awakening! Not to mention the fact that just being near her still makes you go weak in the kneesâŚ
That chemistry though! You can tell how much history there is between these two and how deep their connection is. Throughout the story we see them frequently falling back into comfort territory - even after 8 years apart their bond is undeniable. And it isnât just romantic chemistry that sparks between these twoâŚđĽľ The spicy scenes in this were absolutely delectable! And did I mention there are toys? đ
I love that Gemmaâs bisexuality wasnât just a label given to her, but an integral part of who she was. She talked about struggles with dating apps because of how people react to her bisexuality, treating it more like a porn category than an identity. Gemmaâs and Celesteâs Korean-American heritage and identity were also central to the story, especially as it relates to their own coming out journeys. The story also speaks to the power of representation - specifically in regard to the lack of queer Asian elders. And Gemmaâs found family - oh my gosh! I absolutely adore Kiara and Val. There was so much to love about this story. It truly was a celebration of love in all its forms and expressions.
I know some people think Gemma forgave Celeste too easily, but I donât agree. Neither of them are perfect. And they certainly werenât perfect back in college. Gemma thought Celeste was gone forever. So yes, she âmoved onâ with James...but did she? Not really. And CelesteâŚshe gave up relationships altogether. Neither of them ever got over it. Why hold onto grudges when everything you ever wanted is finally within reach? Now all that is not to say that there wasnât messiness and drama and miscommunication (or lack of communication). But they do talk eventually. They talk about the past. They talk about the future. They decide to live in the present together and make the most of it. It takes them a while to truly get there. But they both had some work they had to do and I think their story played out exactly how it needed to in the end. It wasnât rushed. It was meaningful and purposeful.
Things I didnât love so much. First - James. Heâs a douche. But I also think him doing what he did was the catalyst Gemma needed to change her life, and finally make herself her top priority. The other thing was the switch from first person to third person POV. I love Dual POV stories. But in this case it felt more jarring. There wasnât a lot of Celesteâs POV and I wasnât a fan of the switch to third person. I would have rather not had her POV at all. But aside from those things I truly enjoyed this story! And Iâll probably listen to the audiobook at some point when I need a comfort read because Natalie Naudus is the primary narrator and sheâs one of my favorites!
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.
đTropes/Themes: Second Chances, Partly Dual POV, Forced Proximity, Found Family, âItâs Just Casualâ, First Love, Starting Over, Friendship
I love a good second chance romance - add in forced proximity and a healthy dose of found family and I am here for it! This was such a sweet and swoony story with plenty of spice to go with it. I felt for Gemma from the start. Imagine being ghosted by your first love and then having your fiance leave you after 7 years with no real explanation as to why. And then to find out the photographer youâre going to be working with on the most important project of your career is none other than your first love and the source of your bi awakening! Not to mention the fact that just being near her still makes you go weak in the kneesâŚ
That chemistry though! You can tell how much history there is between these two and how deep their connection is. Throughout the story we see them frequently falling back into comfort territory - even after 8 years apart their bond is undeniable. And it isnât just romantic chemistry that sparks between these twoâŚđĽľ The spicy scenes in this were absolutely delectable! And did I mention there are toys? đ
I love that Gemmaâs bisexuality wasnât just a label given to her, but an integral part of who she was. She talked about struggles with dating apps because of how people react to her bisexuality, treating it more like a porn category than an identity. Gemmaâs and Celesteâs Korean-American heritage and identity were also central to the story, especially as it relates to their own coming out journeys. The story also speaks to the power of representation - specifically in regard to the lack of queer Asian elders. And Gemmaâs found family - oh my gosh! I absolutely adore Kiara and Val. There was so much to love about this story. It truly was a celebration of love in all its forms and expressions.
I know some people think Gemma forgave Celeste too easily, but I donât agree. Neither of them are perfect. And they certainly werenât perfect back in college. Gemma thought Celeste was gone forever. So yes, she âmoved onâ with James...but did she? Not really. And CelesteâŚshe gave up relationships altogether. Neither of them ever got over it. Why hold onto grudges when everything you ever wanted is finally within reach? Now all that is not to say that there wasnât messiness and drama and miscommunication (or lack of communication). But they do talk eventually. They talk about the past. They talk about the future. They decide to live in the present together and make the most of it. It takes them a while to truly get there. But they both had some work they had to do and I think their story played out exactly how it needed to in the end. It wasnât rushed. It was meaningful and purposeful.
Things I didnât love so much. First - James. Heâs a douche. But I also think him doing what he did was the catalyst Gemma needed to change her life, and finally make herself her top priority. The other thing was the switch from first person to third person POV. I love Dual POV stories. But in this case it felt more jarring. There wasnât a lot of Celesteâs POV and I wasnât a fan of the switch to third person. I would have rather not had her POV at all. But aside from those things I truly enjoyed this story! And Iâll probably listen to the audiobook at some point when I need a comfort read because Natalie Naudus is the primary narrator and sheâs one of my favorites!
Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Biphobia, Cancer, Infidelity