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thesapphicnarratives 's review for:
Love in Focus
by Lyla Lee
spoiler alert: this review contains plot details and discussion of key events.
this book is a second chance romance that honestly took me on a bit of a rollercoaster. while there were things i really appreciated about this book, there were also moments that left me feeling disappointed and, homestly, a bit frustrated. it's one of those stories where i can see what it was trying to do, but i'm not sure it fully got there.
let's start with what worked. the cover is eye-catching and just so pretty. it's what initially grabbed my attention, and i still think it suits the book well.
one of the strongest aspects of the novel was the korean representation. it wasn't just decorative or surface-level; it was fully integrated into the characters' lives and decision. celeste's connection to her culture played a big role in her personal arc, and that added depth to the story. it's not something i see often, and it was handled with care and intention.
the audiobook experience was mostly positive. i especially enjoyed natalie naudus as gemma. since most of the book is from gemma's pov, her narration felt natural and well-paced. catherine ho voiced celeste, and while her performance was fine, celeste's chapters felt a little out of place. the dual pov didn't feel balanced, and i honestly think the story could've worked just as well (maybe better) told entirely from gemma's side.
now onto the second chance romance part. this is where things got shaky for me. the original breakup didn't stem from a messy miscommunication; it was a flat-out failure to communicate. celeste left the country without telling gemma anything - no call, no text, no explanation. later in the book, celeste claims she always felt safe and open with gemma, which made her silence back then feel completely inconsistent. it just didn't add up.
what really took me out, though, was celeste's reaction to gemma dating a man after their breakup. as a lesbian, the way celeste framed it as "a lesbian's worst nightmare" felt both biphobic and lesbophobic. the biphobia is clear, this idea that gemma's attraction to men somehow invalidated their relationship, but there's also something deeply frustrating about how it portrays lesbians. like we're petty or threatened when our exes date men, as if our identity is fragile or reactive. it felt a harmful stereotype, and it wasn't interrogated or challenged at all.
on top of that, celeste spends a good chunk of the book acting like gemma was the one who let their relationship fall apart. when again, celeste left. without warning. without explanation. i felt like i was being gaslit on gemma's behalf. i was so annoyed i stopped taking notes in english and switch to tagalog in all caps just to get my frustration out.
that said, i did appreciate how the ending played out. neither of them was in a good place, and i'm glad the book didn't force a neat resolution right away. they take time to work on themselves before even attempting to try again. and when celeste is the one to reach out to gemma near the end, it finally felt like she was taking real accountability. that moment actually landed for me.
in the end, love in focus gave me a lot to think about. it's a mixed bag for me. i really wanted to love it, and there were elements that genuinely worked, especially the cultural representation and the emotional beats near the end. but the romance itself felt uneven, and at times, harmful in how it handled queerness and accountability.
i received an advanced listening copy of the book from netgalley and hachette audio in exchange for an honest review.
this book is a second chance romance that honestly took me on a bit of a rollercoaster. while there were things i really appreciated about this book, there were also moments that left me feeling disappointed and, homestly, a bit frustrated. it's one of those stories where i can see what it was trying to do, but i'm not sure it fully got there.
let's start with what worked. the cover is eye-catching and just so pretty. it's what initially grabbed my attention, and i still think it suits the book well.
one of the strongest aspects of the novel was the korean representation. it wasn't just decorative or surface-level; it was fully integrated into the characters' lives and decision. celeste's connection to her culture played a big role in her personal arc, and that added depth to the story. it's not something i see often, and it was handled with care and intention.
the audiobook experience was mostly positive. i especially enjoyed natalie naudus as gemma. since most of the book is from gemma's pov, her narration felt natural and well-paced. catherine ho voiced celeste, and while her performance was fine, celeste's chapters felt a little out of place. the dual pov didn't feel balanced, and i honestly think the story could've worked just as well (maybe better) told entirely from gemma's side.
now onto the second chance romance part. this is where things got shaky for me. the original breakup didn't stem from a messy miscommunication; it was a flat-out failure to communicate. celeste left the country without telling gemma anything - no call, no text, no explanation. later in the book, celeste claims she always felt safe and open with gemma, which made her silence back then feel completely inconsistent. it just didn't add up.
what really took me out, though, was celeste's reaction to gemma dating a man after their breakup. as a lesbian, the way celeste framed it as "a lesbian's worst nightmare" felt both biphobic and lesbophobic. the biphobia is clear, this idea that gemma's attraction to men somehow invalidated their relationship, but there's also something deeply frustrating about how it portrays lesbians. like we're petty or threatened when our exes date men, as if our identity is fragile or reactive. it felt a harmful stereotype, and it wasn't interrogated or challenged at all.
on top of that, celeste spends a good chunk of the book acting like gemma was the one who let their relationship fall apart. when again, celeste left. without warning. without explanation. i felt like i was being gaslit on gemma's behalf. i was so annoyed i stopped taking notes in english and switch to tagalog in all caps just to get my frustration out.
that said, i did appreciate how the ending played out. neither of them was in a good place, and i'm glad the book didn't force a neat resolution right away. they take time to work on themselves before even attempting to try again. and when celeste is the one to reach out to gemma near the end, it finally felt like she was taking real accountability. that moment actually landed for me.
in the end, love in focus gave me a lot to think about. it's a mixed bag for me. i really wanted to love it, and there were elements that genuinely worked, especially the cultural representation and the emotional beats near the end. but the romance itself felt uneven, and at times, harmful in how it handled queerness and accountability.
i received an advanced listening copy of the book from netgalley and hachette audio in exchange for an honest review.