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mcstressy 's review for:

When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa
2.0
lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
LIKED:

  • Generally, I liked Mari. I think especially between the two MCs, she was far more developed and relatable. I wish there was more insight into what she wanted out of life and why she liked Javi so much, or even why she liked Alex (besides him liking her).
  • I liked that Javi is working on a musical, that’s not something you see too much in contemporary romance. I do wish we got more of his development for this project on the page, though. 
  • The cover’s colors are very pretty and I like the way the text is printed on top of the characters. I don’t love the overall composition, I find it quite boring, but it’s alright overall. 

LAMENTED:

  • Dear lord the flashbacks and chapter changes moved at breakneck speed. Every chapter felt like whiplash, like we were allowed to sit in the space and moment with the characters because it was a means to an end. 
  • I also just didn’t feel that the flashbacks added enough to be justified in how many of them there were. It didn’t really show growth for the characters, they acted exactly how they did in the last few chapters as they did in the chapters where they met eleven years prior. It was exhausting. 
  • These characters would break up. I am confident in that. I did not feel the chemistry between them and I am very openly a friends-to-lovers apologist. There’s also pretty much no reason why they wouldn’t have just gotten together, that aspect was flimsy. 
  • Javi is awful. I don’t understand what is supposed to be likable about him, genuinely. I found him truly obnoxious. Also…Javier Baez is a pretty well known baseball player from the last decade. I feel like that could have taken, like, one google to figure out. 
  • This title does not make sense. He never really dumped her. And it is not about that. At all. 

LONGED FOR:

  • Less jumping timelines
  • More chemistry and understanding as to why these characters are together besides time known 
  • A different title that actually relates to the books 


Will I read the next one? : Nope. I’ve now read 3 books by Sosa (DNF-ed one) and her writing is just not for me. 

*Thank you to Putnam Books & NetGalley for providing this ARC!

 
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