Review: The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez
Thank you Forever Publishing for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
A former NFL player wants to tell his brother’s fiance he’s in love with her. But the brother’s best friend is also in love with the groom! I was ready for DRAMA in this book and couldn’t wait. While this book was enjoyable, it didn’t totally hold my attention. I loved the premise and the characters, but just didn’t connect with how the story unfolded. The characters are so great though and I was ready to throttle Ben. Overall, an enjoyable read that will make you swoon!
Synopsis:
“Librarian Marcela Ortiz has been secretly in love with her best friend for years—and when he gets engaged, she knows it’s long past time to move on. But before she gets the chance, she has a bigger problem to contend with in the form of Theo Young, ex-NFL player and older brother of the man she’s in love with. When she discovers Theo's plans to confess his feelings for his brother’s fiancée at their engagement party, Marcela is quick to stop him—despite how tempting it is to let him run away with the bride-to-be. She manages to convince Theo to sleep off his drunken almost-mistake at her place and when they arrive at a family brunch the next day together, everyone wrongly assumes they hooked up.
Since Theo needs a cover for his feelings for the bride and Marcela needs a distraction from her unrequited feelings for the groom, they decide to roll with the lie. Until one late night at a bar, they take it a step further and discover a layer of attraction neither realized existed. Soon, they find themselves exploring the simmering chemistry between them, whether in library aisles or Marcela's bed. There are no boundaries for the rebound relationship they form—just a host of complicated feelings, messy familial dynamics, and uncovered secrets that threaten to tear them apart before they can even admit to themselves that their rebound is working. Maybe a little too well. “ —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Set Up/Premise—I picked this up because I was so ready for a fake dating moment! When I read the synopsis, it felt like it was going to be a very cinematic story and I was so excited for it.
The Dialogue—I really liked how the dialogue flowed and wished there had been more of it!
What Didn’t Work for Me:
The Pacing: This book had all the right ingredients to make me love it, but it wasn’t put together in a way that peaked my interest. Sadly, I felt like the pacing was totally off which lost the tension I love when these tropes work together.
The Conflict—It felt a little weak and didn’t keep my attention.
Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
emotional abuse, fatphobia, body image