⭐⭐⭐☆
This one is a straightforward friends-to-lovers romance, written pretty well. The common factors in all of J. J. Arias' books are fully intact in this one too — Cuban-American MCs, great chemistry and some explicit scenes of intimacy.
Tori (Victoria) and Mia (Maria) are high school friends. Tori is gay with a huge crush on Mia. Mia is straight (as far as she knows) who is slightly beyond-the-norm physical with Tori — which is pretty much torture for Tori. So, as soon as they go to their respective colleges, Tori ghosts Mia. And thus things stand, till Mia makes a reappearance into Tori's life. Which is when Mia first gets to know about Tori's sexuality, questions her own past physicality with Tori and things start changing.
I enjoy Arias' writing style on the whole, but there are some parts in this book that made it a little bit of a force-myself-to-read situation. For one, till a little over a third or so of the book, it felt like Mia was alone in the relationship. Which makes me both, sad and mad. Of course, the author takes pains to make sure we know about Tori's headspace too, but if you put yourself in that situation (I do), you wonder how Mia is able to keep chasing Tori.
Then there is the whole Mia and her losses story. It is in the background while the romance is the focus... and then suddenly it takes centre stage for a bit, then it fades back into the scenery again. It feels like this one should've actually been written as two books — one dealing with just the romance, and a second, more in the literary fiction genre, dealing with Mia, her life, emotions, resilience and rebuilding.
Also the frequent refrain of Mia doing something (kissing Tori, hugging her...or really anything) for "all the times she didn't" got a bit much. The first time — very nice, The second, okay-it's-been-said-before-but-I'll-live-with-it. After that, please-enough-already.
I'm seriously uncertain about how to rate this book. On one hand, J. J. Arias' books always have excellent chemistry — as does this one. On the other, there are those parts — though well written — that strike a note of dissonance in the flow. It didn't let me settle into either storyline completely. But maybe that's just a me problem.
For a recommendation, the best I can say is: Have at it, if you really want to.
⭐⭐⭐☆
