Score: 4.25/5 Bookmarks

Steam Level: 🍆🍆🍆 /5

Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Collins Audio for gifting me with review copies of A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria.

This is the second in the Primas of Power series, but I think it works really well as a stand-alone novel if you haven’t read You Had Me at Hola. That being said, if you haven’t read the first book, why not?!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has nuanced and loveable characters who show tremendous growth and learning throughout the story. It has a second-chance romance, and some wonderful (if sometimes difficult) familial relationships. And it has plenty of steam too. 😉

Michelle Amato is working freelance, doing graphic design and social media jobs here and there, after burning out at her day job. She’s not had a lot of luck in love lately either and definitely has some trust issues in that department.

After 13 years away, Gabriel Aguilar, Mich’s best friend, comes back into her life to ask her to work on a campaign for his chain of gyms. But what starts as a business arrangement quickly turns into more as their history, and their chemistry resurfaces. Can they be colleagues with benefits, or are they destined to both catch real feelings? To top it off, Gabe has been estranged from his family this whole time…and they happen to live next door to where Mich is staying.

This book deals with some pretty heavy topics, but it does so with a gentle hand. It was an absolute pleasure to read, and I fell in love with all of the characters (main and supporting) pretty quickly.

The audiobook was narrated by Seraphine Valentine, who also narrated You Had Me at Hola. She is an absolute delight to listen to, so if audiobooks are your jam, I definitely recommend this one. It comes in at just under 10 hours long, and you’ll fly through it in no time. You can grab the audiobook here, or click the button below for a physical copy.

Synopsis:

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.

Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?