A review by bookedwithbonnie
The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

 

Two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.

Seriously - a great debut by Gabriella Gamez. So much emotion and growth in our main characters! Marcela and Theo make each other better people, they can be themselves and see what it's like to have honesty and trust in a relationship, even if it's terrifying at times. They were embracing change and insecurities, and we are here for it!! 

Our antagonist was such a narcissist and a lot of it was written so subtly that it's easy to see how he was able to keep Marcela close by, knowing her history with her dad, and not letting her move on from him in the first place. The way he treated his own brother and fiance!! Hello, RED FLAGS! 

And Marcela was written so beautifully - the moments we get about her body image/confidence and her first time being intimate with Theo are so real. They aren't moments of weakness because our FMC is strong, but it's a realization so many of us women have and it was great to see this representation in a romance novel. 

While I loved Marcela and Theo together, I wish we had seen a little more chemistry between the two. Theo's grand gesture was sweet but Marcela's was a little weird for me... And there were many times where being reminded about who they were trying to get over was a little repetitive. 

Give this one a read if you're on board with:

- A Love Square 

- Plus Size FMC

- Best Friend's Brother

- Fake dating/Rebounding together

Thank you, NetGalley and Forever Publishing, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Can't wait to see what comes next in Librarians in Love!