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A review by gretchreads
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Librarian + Retired NFL Player? Sign. Me. Up!
Marcela's best friend, Ben, is about to propose to his girlfriend, and on the surface, she is happy for him. But deep down, she is crushed. She has been in love with him since college and her dreams of them getting their happily ever after are dashed. At the engagement party, she catches his brother, Theo, pacing outside the engagement party, practicing his declaration of love for Ben's fiancé. She stops him from making a drunken mistake and convinces him to sleep it off on her couch. They end up heading to the engagement brunch the following morning together, and everyone believes they hooked up. They don't refute it and ultimately decide that being one another's rebounds might be just what they need to get over their unrequited love. The more time they spend together, though, the harder it is to what is fake and what is real...
As lighthearted as this book may sound, the author broaches several difficult topics - from parent abandonment to body insecurity. - authentically. I appreciated how the author showed a relationship in which the main characters allowed the other to be vulnerable on their own timeliness - making them feel all the more relatable. I loved seeing Marcela and Theo help one another heal their past wounds and believe that they were worthy of love.
I absolutely adored this book - I just wish it had been a dual POV! Maybe we can get a bonus chapter / epilogue from Theo's POV in the next book in the series! (A girl can hope, right?) I squealed with delight when I discovered there was a playlist to go along with the book! Listening to playlists after reading is such a great way to relive the magic of the book! Needless to say, I will be reading the next book in the series and cannot wait for Gabriella Gamez's writing career take off!
Read this if you are looking for a book that includes:
-Fake dating
-Diverse characters
-Fat and Mexican representation
-A love square
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Marcela's best friend, Ben, is about to propose to his girlfriend, and on the surface, she is happy for him. But deep down, she is crushed. She has been in love with him since college and her dreams of them getting their happily ever after are dashed. At the engagement party, she catches his brother, Theo, pacing outside the engagement party, practicing his declaration of love for Ben's fiancé. She stops him from making a drunken mistake and convinces him to sleep it off on her couch. They end up heading to the engagement brunch the following morning together, and everyone believes they hooked up. They don't refute it and ultimately decide that being one another's rebounds might be just what they need to get over their unrequited love. The more time they spend together, though, the harder it is to what is fake and what is real...
As lighthearted as this book may sound, the author broaches several difficult topics - from parent abandonment to body insecurity. - authentically. I appreciated how the author showed a relationship in which the main characters allowed the other to be vulnerable on their own timeliness - making them feel all the more relatable. I loved seeing Marcela and Theo help one another heal their past wounds and believe that they were worthy of love.
I absolutely adored this book - I just wish it had been a dual POV! Maybe we can get a bonus chapter / epilogue from Theo's POV in the next book in the series! (A girl can hope, right?) I squealed with delight when I discovered there was a playlist to go along with the book! Listening to playlists after reading is such a great way to relive the magic of the book! Needless to say, I will be reading the next book in the series and cannot wait for Gabriella Gamez's writing career take off!
Read this if you are looking for a book that includes:
-Fake dating
-Diverse characters
-Fat and Mexican representation
-A love square
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse