The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
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Synopsis:
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.
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.
Review:
The Next Best Fling was an adult romance that had elements of fake dating, sports romance, and a love square in the pages. This story was a quick read that you could easily binge on the beach.
He wants the bride, she wants the groom. But what if all they really want. . . is each other?
Theo Young was an ex-NFL player whose brother was getting married. And he was in love with the bride to be. Marcela Ortiz had previously dated the groom, was besties with him, and she was still in love with him. This setup for a drama filled book. Yet when everyone assumed Theo and Marcela were together, they went with the farce. And end up trying not to fall for one another in the process.
“You’re not awful.” His fingers brush my hair away from my tear-stained face. “We’re in the same boat. And it’s gonna sink no matter who knows.”
I adored Theo; he was sweet, kind and had a huge heart. Marcela had a lot of internal thoughts that I felt like I could skim. I just couldn’t connect with her all the way. Especially since she kept truths from Theo, whereas Theo laid his cards toward the bride on the table. Yet Theo and Marcela’s moments together were steamy and fun. I liked how they tried to put one another’s nerves at ease while forming what felt like a true friendship.
I never saw him coming.
With adorable dates, spicy scenes, and heartfelt conversations, this book had a lot going for it! But with all the drama, which was considerable, there were also self-sabotage moments that just didn’t sit well with me. Plus, there was an epilogue at the end, but I felt like there wasn’t any part of their future secured. It felt more like an additional chapter. While this book didn’t necessarily resonate deep within my heart, I feel like plenty of people will still adore this story!
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
