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A review by missdevo
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
5.0
This book seriously spoke to my soul. The character of Marcela feels so familiar to me because I can see so much of my own experience in her. For this to be Gabriella Gamez's debut novel makes me excited to see more from her! I know that we all share large parts of the human experience, but as a seriously bookish girl who grew up plus size and Mexican-American, this story felt almost created for me.
The way that Gamez writes the inner thoughts and feelings of Marcela as she navigates the world feels authentic to the point that she could have been reading my diary. It's so real. The 1st person POV we get only from Marcela really drives the emotional tension as we try to figure out the motives of those around her through her eyes. Her world is colored by her experiences as a bigger girl, and they felt very familiar to me. I really appreciate the nuanced characterization Marcela is given. It's not one cliche after another, and it eventually causes her to challenge why she's been settling for less. This is one of the first times in my adult life that I've read a book where I really felt like I had so much in common with the main character. I also loved that the story is dramatic and messy, and had real stakes to it.
There's an argument to be made that Theo could be one of the great book boyfriends. He falls first, and we love that for Marcela. He sees her in a way that no one really has before. He appreciates her enough to make a real effort to woo her. Theo is the essence of "if he wanted to he would" in this novel. Is there anything sexier than a man who listens and pays attention to what you care about and value in the world?
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written spicy rom-com. This book contains some of my favorite tropes, the long term pining, the angst of unrequited love, best friend's older brother, and more make for an engaging read from start to finish.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Gabriella Gamez, and Forever(Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC opportunity.
The way that Gamez writes the inner thoughts and feelings of Marcela as she navigates the world feels authentic to the point that she could have been reading my diary. It's so real. The 1st person POV we get only from Marcela really drives the emotional tension as we try to figure out the motives of those around her through her eyes. Her world is colored by her experiences as a bigger girl, and they felt very familiar to me. I really appreciate the nuanced characterization Marcela is given. It's not one cliche after another, and it eventually causes her to challenge why she's been settling for less. This is one of the first times in my adult life that I've read a book where I really felt like I had so much in common with the main character. I also loved that the story is dramatic and messy, and had real stakes to it.
There's an argument to be made that Theo could be one of the great book boyfriends. He falls first, and we love that for Marcela. He sees her in a way that no one really has before. He appreciates her enough to make a real effort to woo her. Theo is the essence of "if he wanted to he would" in this novel. Is there anything sexier than a man who listens and pays attention to what you care about and value in the world?
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written spicy rom-com. This book contains some of my favorite tropes, the long term pining, the angst of unrequited love, best friend's older brother, and more make for an engaging read from start to finish.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Gabriella Gamez, and Forever(Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC opportunity.