4⭐️

This is a best friends brothers, plus size spicy romance. I really loved Theo and Marcie. I fell in love with Marcie alone just for her being a book lover. Marcie has been in love with her best friend for years and he gets engaged. Theo is in love with his brothers fiance and goes to confront his brother and fiancé when Marcie enters… I really love Theo and was really nice to see a MMC so upfront and honest.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. I really loved reading this.

This was a simple, fun, easy and quick read. The perfect type of book for your holiday, beach, pool kind of read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

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ARC Review

I had expected this to skew more towards RomCom. Instead it's a romance with messy messy people and messy messy problems. Not everything is resolved or wrapped up in a neat bow, which I really like.

There is just a bit too much constant analysis before and after every line of dialogue and at times it was a bit of a slog to get through.

Basic info:
- Contemporary romance.
- Single POV, 1st person, single timeline.
- Part of a series of standalone books.

Tropes and hooks:
- Curvy, Latina FMC
- Librarian FMC
- Complicated/messy relationships (a kinda love square)
- Best friend’s brother
- Friends with benefits
- Ex-football played MMC
- Fake dating

Summary:
This book follows Marcela who is in love with her best friend Ben. Ben is about to marry Alice. Theo Ben's brother is in love with Alice. Marcela saves drunk Theo from confessing his feelings during Ben's and Alice's engagement party. From there on they start to get to know each other and become friends and maybe even something more. Besides the romance, the book explores Theo's relationship with his family and his failed career but also Marcela's insecurities about her body and her abandonment (by her dad) issues.

My thoughts:
This book was very easy and fast to read. If you like drama, angst, and messy (telenovela-like) relationships with a mixture of healthy and not-so-healthy relationships this one is for you. Marcela as a librarian and book lover in general represents us all. Theo starts as a little bit of a grump since Marcela doesn't really know him and his struggles but he quickly becomes boyfriend material. He is truthful about his feelings and very patient with Marcela. Theo and Marcela are cute together and it's nice to see them get to know each other, become friends, and slowly morph into something more. Finally, I appreciate that there were no pining women one against another because we all know that the square in question has only one rotten angle.

I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to everyone involved in ARC's distribution. All opinions are my own.

“He wants the bride, she wants the groom. But what if all they really want... is each other?"

An endearingly sweet romance that plays on and highlights the complications of love.

I loved that this story had a mixture of love, lust, messiness and angst. The characters felt full, and I enjoyed that they all had different motivations and character developments that kept the story moving. I was initially worried how the premise of the characters would develop, however that worry was quickly squashed as I was sucked into the story of the two main characters.

I have a soft spot for each of the main characters, the characters in this story truly shone and carried the pacing and flow of the story. I loved their scenes together, it was so sweet to see them supporting each other and how their relationship bloomed. I wanted our main female character to be happy and to work through her challenges - I appreciated the conversations around body image and how they were discussed. Although this does explore the tropes of "love squares" and push and pulling, I really enjoyed how the romantic scenes were done - I think that these 'tropes' added to how the story unfolded and how the tension built as the relationships between the characters faced more pressure and frayed.

The one thing that I would have loved was more insight into some of the characters' pasts. Whilst there was enough insight given to justify motivations and actions of the characters, I would have really loved to have more insight into the history of things that transpired.

Overall, if you are looking for a romance with a slow building romance with scenes of pining and angst, please pick this up!

Thank you to Dialogue Books for the eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

A new author for me, but one who told a clever story . Life is messy, and we are far from perfect as human beings, so it is really refreshing and honest to read about two imperfect people. Theo and Marcella have spent huge portion of their lives what if ing. Then fate draws them together and they begin to realise that maybe the didn't miss out on the perfect person. This is about realising your self worth and not accepting that you are bound by how other people perceive you.
Excellent book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

What a great debut novel! Fun, cute and spicy, romance lovers will be swooning over Theo by the end of this book!

There's definitely alot of messy, complicated feelings & relationships throughout this book. It's basically a love square which isn't something I read often. I'm still not 100% sold on this trope (?), but I did enjoyed seeing how all of the relationships unfolded. One trope that I *DO* love is fake dating, so I was all over Theo & Marcela choosing this route! I was slightly worried when it became a "re bound" relationship, but actually, I really believed in the MMC & FMCs feelings as time passed.

The next best fling was an easy read, with plenty of banter and tension. The author has done a brilliant job for her first romance novel and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Renegade Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Marcela is someone who has pined for many years after her best friend. However, she very much has kept it to herself and accepts it may never be - no matter how much she wishes it could be so. Something I really appreciated about her character was the fact that she could have been a total bitch and made Ben and his fiancée’s life hell by being clingy and demanding of his attentions. Instead, she is the total opposite. She roots for them, even if it hurts to do so, and wishes them nothing but the best. However, this does feed into her issues surrounding self-esteem. Like many women, she hates how she looks compared to others and feels she is unworthy of love. I so love that she is proved wrong. She is determined and witty and just utterly brilliant to read about. Being a librarian, she sounds like the perfect friend but someone who is passionate about not only her dreams but those of others? That right there is perfection.
Theo seems rather rough around the edges but when you get to know him, there is no doubt that he is an absolute teddy bear. And not just because of his size. As an ex NFL player, you would think he would perhaps be cocky or intimidating but that could not be further from the truth. He’s considerate and charming and certainly fictional because how could a man ever be so wonderful? I would certainly love to have a Theo by my side.

I’m getting more into adult romance now so when I stumbled across this one and saw it was a smutty book including a librarian? I just knew I needed to read it. And I’m so glad I did! I think the plot was great. From the very beginning it sucked me in and I was always loathe to put the book down and continue with real life. I think it addressed some important issues like controlling behaviour and lack of self-esteem (mostly regarding body image) very well and sensitively, giving the story some depth that helped keep everything interesting and engaging. The characters were great too! Naturally, there was more focus on our main pair but I liked that we truly got to know other characters in the story - especially when it comes to a certain best friend! Would not mind that ball of sass on my side! The romance was just brilliant for me. The yearning for the one they can’t have, then the yearning for the one they want but believe they can’t have. I love me a fake dating story but this one just seemed to be elevated and all around amazing. The spice was so nice too. It never felt like it was overdone or in the wrong place. It was well timed and actually interesting to read because it was so varied! The ending was surprising in its direction but I think it worked so, so well for how the story went down. I find myself utterly desperate for more Marcela and Theo content! More, more, more!

Overall, The Next Best Fling is an absolutely gorgeous adult romance I highly recommend you read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Renegade Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

Thanks so much to Dialogue Books, NetGalley and Gabriella Gamez for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own!

What an interesting read, I don’t think I’ve read a love square before and whilst I’m usually not a fan since someone is left heartbroken but Gamez does an excellent job at tying up loose ends.

The story started a little slow and definitely picked ho towards the middle. I loved Theo’s attention to detail when it came to Marcela but I didn’t quite understand Marcela’s reluctance to give into their romantic relationship, I felt like it dragged on a little bit too long.

Ben was the ultimate villain, and Gamez does an excellent job at creating two very opposite characters when it came to the brothers. I enjoyed how their relationship progressed and the language used for the love confession was beautiful.

A good read.

Marcela is a librarian who’s obviously obsessed with books but sadly her love life isn’t one to write about at the moment. She has had a crush on her best friend Ben for almost a decade but things get even more complicated when he announces his engagement to his longtime girlfriend Alice. When she is invited to the engagement party and stumbles into Theo, Ben’s brother rehearsing a speech to convince Alice to not go through with the wedding Marcela intervenes. Theo then admits that he has been in love with his brother’s fiancée for a long time. The pair then decide to be each others rebound and keep things casual but Marcela has never been one for flings and Theo doesn’t turn out to be the heartbreaker everyone claims him to be…





This book was honestly a great read! Both the MMC Theo and the FMC Marcela were walking green flags and they were soo cute together. I liked seeing that the MMC was the patient one and waited for the FMC to work through her personal issues. That man was sold the very first moment he saw her tbh
The writing style was very fluent and I will be reading more from this author in the future 🤩

"The Next Best Fling" is an exceptional read! From the moment I started, I was drawn into a world of charming characters, swoon-worthy romance, and remarkable depth.

Marcela, the spirited youth librarian, wins Theo's heart with her infectious passion for her job. Her dedication to fostering a love for literature is undeniably endearing. Theo, the genuine and handsome hero, captivates with his honesty and warmth.

The novel brilliantly blends light-hearted cuteness with a meaningful exploration of serious topics. Marcela and Theo's journey goes beyond romance; it's about confronting insecurities, embracing change, and finding the courage to follow your heart.

Their chemistry is palpable from the start, but their relationship stands out for its authenticity. Grounded in mutual respect and genuine affection, their connection feels real and raw. You can't help but root for them.

Three and a half stars for this one. Marcela is in love with Ben who is her best friend and not her boyfriend. At Ben'engagemrmt party, Marcela reacquaints herself with Ben's brother Theo who has secretly been in the love with Ben's fiancée his entire life. Cue a fake dating scenario between Marcela and Theo which is OK but feels very drawn out at times throughout the book. Theo is holding in the way he handles his emotions and Marcela is overdramatic, after a while, you're willing them to get together so they can start acting like grown ups. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy

Thank you Netgalley for this advance reader copy. Definitely worth it!
This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Gave me mixed emotions from happy to sad…
I was rooting for this fake romance to become real.
From the beginning of this book, I swept away. It has an irresistible romance and heartwarming charm. You can finish this book in one setting. It was a fun read! Definitely looking forward to more from this author! 🩷

I’m not the hugest fan of romances that begin with one of the MCs in love with someone else. The fact that they both did in this book could have put me off but I was actually intrigued from the moment I read the description and have been eagerly waiting to read this book and although im definitely still not a fan of that sort of plot line, this book won me over!

The main reason why it didn’t bother me was they incredibly open communication and the way they both knew what they were getting into. Seeing them open up and fall in love with each other was adorable. Theo was so cute and such a nice guy - I loved his honesty and how he fought for Marcela. She was a bit more closed off and her fear of abandonment made it harder for her to to be as open as Theo but they truly brought the best out of each other and made each other want to be better and finding love and happiness along the way was a great bonus.

I really enjoyed their character developments. Marcela, especially had a tough realization about her relationship with her best friend and how toxic it was and thought it wasn’t easy, she eventually was able to put herself first and let it go. Similarly, Theo also had to get some space from a not very healthy dynamic with his brother but I wish we’d count out more about what brought the brothers to where they were.

Overall, a really enjoyable read. If you’re looking for a romance with two lovely characters who are honest each other and have great chemistry, check this one out.

This review is for The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez which releases in the UK on the 9th July! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Dialogue Books for giving me an eArc copy for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the authors debut novel, and what a way to start! I read this in one day and honestly couldn’t put it down.

The main thing I loved about this story were the characters. I loved the diversity of characters we see, and I do have to say Angela was my favourite. She was my unproblematic Ace queen, and I connected with her the most. Seeing how she described learning about her sexuality, and how she figured out she was Asexual really resonated with me. Especially when she talks about still wanting to find love, and realising that not wanting sex, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want love. I also have a soft spot for Theo, he was such a cinnamon roll and I love a male main character who is such a sweetheart and willing to do anything for their partner. I love how this story was a good combination of romance and some more difficult topics, such as fatphobia (both external and internalised) and abandonment issues. It was a really good balance of witty banter and deep discussions about their feelings, being as honest with each other as they can.

Some aspects of the storyline did really frustrate me, such as the characters love for self sabotage. It was also just kind of a mess, with a lot of people kinda doing shitty things to each other. The drama of the storyline and the situation they were already in was already enough, the main character then also self sabotaging herself just seemed a bit much.

I did really enjoy this book, and can’t wait to read the next in the series. I hope the next books focuses on Angela, as I can’t wait to see her have a happy ending!

Marcela and Theo's story lived up to my expectations. It was a pleasant and fast-paced read, touching on some heavier themes while still providing a bit of a refreshing break. I wasn't sure about Alice and Ben at first, but Alice's redemption arc turned out nicely. The beginning might be a bit tough if you're in a reading slump, but once the protagonists meet, it becomes a really enjoyable story to read.

3.5 stars

I knew this would be messy when I came into this story because loving your best friend without them knowing and then hooking up with his brother - fake or not - will naturally lead to messy situations when the plot devices for drama are activated. Add in the MMC also being in love with his best friend marrying his brother, and wow was this quite the concept. So if you like complicated drama in your romances, then you're in luck because this sure delivers on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Marcela's feelings for Ben made me uncomfortable for most of the book, and I was grateful the author focused on her eventually recovering from her obsessive crush on a toxic man who had conditioned her into being his second-best for the longest time. I appreciated Marcela taking off her rose-coloured glasses and how she dealt with the grief and anger she felt as things played out for the pair. That being said, I was often exasperated by the pacing of this for her, and how clearly toxic Ben's mere existence was in her world. And whilst her female bestie did tell her contradicting evidence to what she believed, she never really pushed her enough from the comfort zone and allowed Marcela to dwell far too long there. A lot of this could have been resolved and years not wasted if Marcela had better support around her. However, I say this from a logical standpoint, as someone looking in on this story, and for what we receive, the resolution of this "friendship" is satisfactory enough.

I really enjoyed the banter and tension between Theo and Marcela, but I did struggle to fully invest in their overall chemistry. The personal issues they both had, when being honest with each other felt rewarding enough, and I liked the easy friendship Theo and Marcela fell into. The passion was written well, but their emotional connection did take a few too many hits for it to feel like a healthy approach for either of them to fall in love. I think with a bit of a longer pace to the love story, it might have felt more believable to me. But again, within the parameters, I enjoyed Theo, and I'm happy enough with how this story closed up.

The self-sabotage plot device felt like a little too much for a story that was already riddled with complex character connections, and I would have preferred a healthier obstacle than throwing more at a female character to deal with. As a curvy woman myself, sometimes I was able to relate to Marcela. Still, her actions often felt too erratic and then her feelings would be unnecessarily hurt, and I wish the author had allowed the characters to have some time out from the constant rush of feelings and needless hurt, especially from themselves. Again, this is mostly a pacing issue, and given this is a debut novel, I'm confident Gamez will gain further experience and find a better rhythm in subsequent books.

This is a solid start to the series, and for fans of complicated family dynamics and messy feelings, The Next Best Fling will definitely give you a good time.

3.75

I adored this. Highly entertaining, absolutely enjoyable, packed with feels and enough emotional rollercoasters to last me a month.

I don't always read M/F romances because I have a tricky relationship with seeing my body represented on page. But romances with great rep are the exception to that rule: a Latinx, fat protagonist? Who loves and respects herself, but still manages to be vulnerable and insecure and relatable? Who's also a librarian? SIGN ME UP.
I adored Marcela. She was the absolute best, and although I kinda wanted her to come clean with Theo from the start, I absolutely cheered for her, and her HEA, from the very first page to the last.
And THEO. God, what a freaking delicious morsel of a man. He made me swoon so freaking hard. How does one find a person like him?!!!! Somebody tell me.
I also LOVED their relationship and dynamic so so much. A hint of fake dating (and friends with benefits!), plus a whole lot of unexpected chemistry, attraction and feels. I loved how their relationship felt realistic and relatable, but also goddamn dreaming and swoony at the same time.


Their relationship was fraught with misunderstandings and insecurities at times though: I was on the edge of my seat in those moments, and let me tell you, I wanted to knock some sense into Marcela's head more than once. I still adored seeing everything unfold on page.
I mostly wanted to run over that weasel Ben though. I despised him with my whole heart. He was HORRIBLE, and I can't believe Marcela spent all these years pining for him. Alice I can believe, but BEN? Ugh. What a horrid little man. On the other hand, I loved all the other side characters and I'm absolutely looking forward to seeing a few of these faces again.

All in all, "Best Next Fling" was a hoot of a book, wholly heartfelt and swoony, fun and enjoyable. The perfect feel-good summer read!

Marcella is in love with her best friend, but that same best friend has just gotten engaged to a girl his brother is in love with. Enter this fake dating romance.

I really liked the premise of this book, but overall found it a bit too messy and at times a bit toxic to fully root for it.

Marcella was an interesting FMC and her friend Angela stole the show, but I did find Theo lacking a little. Something about the pace just didn’t sit right with me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dialogue books for the ARC.

This was a cute, swoon worthy romance book with its fill of complication and drama! ❤️

Theo wants his brothers bride to be and Macella wants her best friend the groom to be, but they find each other and help each other navigate through their world of feelings and hurt! 🥹

This is a fake dating/friends with benefits/rebound book and it's so cute, I loved reading their story and how they helped each other out of messy situations and made each other better with patience and support and also the chemistry between them! I loved that Marcella was a plus sized FMC and I felt every single one of her insecurities! The book was filled with toxic relationships, sexual tension, banter, good friends and love 🔥

The story line was cute and well written and I read it within 24 hours, I would I have liked more spice but overall it was a great book and I would certainly recommend it to anyone! 🫶🏻

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review ❤️