This book was good... really good. I honestly didn't like it as much as the first, I think because there was a definite lack of "the gang". I missed having more of that wonderful group of friends from American Dreamer. They are here, just not as much as I hoped. Also, Camilo is hard to love... he was harder for me to connect with because he is very ridged in his beliefs and never asks for help and won't accept it when it's offered. Really ridged. Whereas Thomas just wants to help because he loves hard and deeply, but also doesn't realize that sometimes his money makes his offer for help a little bit hard to deal with.

The conflicts that Camilo and Thomas have are obviously resolved, this is a happy ending, but the journey there is a difficult one. Still, I loved reading this. I love how much I could connect with their culture, their drive to do good in the world, and how much they clearly loved each other. A great addition to this series and I can't wait for the next.

I LOVE THIS STORY! This story starts out with a dirty talking one-time event and then morphs into a sweet love story. This couple is just adorable without being too cute. I loved that the characters were older and knew what they wanted. I loved Camilo Santiago Briggs and respected the way he stood up for himself. I really liked that Thomas Hughes was aware of the advantages white privilege gave him even though he felt like he was passing. This story covers a lot of ground but the heart of it is the love story between Tom & Milo. Highly recommend.

If you liked American Dreamer, you’ll probably like American Fairytale, too.

Just like the first book, this one has a very realistic feel, in spite of the fact that one of the main characters is a multimillionaire. That would be Tom, whose upbringing in the Dominican Republic has left him a very down-to-earth person even though he’s become very wealthy. He’s a good match for Camilo, who earns a decent salary but still struggles with making enough to support himself and help out his mother while living in New York City.

Sparks fly between the two of them from their first meeting, which ends in an encounter that is muy caliente. (Can I just note how much I’m enjoying dusting off my Spanish as I’m reading?) The heat continues throughout the book, but their relationship is also filled with moments that left both Milo and me swooning. Tom is a sweetheart, and he treats Milo like he’s precious. That instinct is ultimately the source of the conflict between them, though, because Milo is proud of his ability to stand on his own two feet and doesn’t want Tom to take care of him.

I don’t want to give too much away about the story, but I have to admit that the major crisis point didn’t quite work for me. Tom goes too far with his caretaker instincts and is roundly criticized by just about everyone for it. I grew up relatively poor myself, and I understand the instinct not to want to ask for help. But if other people are willing and able to help you, at what point does a refusal to accept it just become stubborn pride? Nobody really brings that idea up to Milo, though, which sort of left me wondering if it was a cultural thing.

As with American Dreamer, Tom and Milo’s story is rooted in the immigrant experience and celebrates the rich diversity of the world both men live in. Milo’s mother came to the US from Cuba, and his father was Jamaican, and he’s rightfully proud of his heritage. Tom’s mother is Dominican, but his father is white and from the United States. One of the more interesting conversations between Milo and Tom in the book revolves around the benefits and personal costs to Tom of being able to pass as white in a world that privileges that part of his identity.

If that sounds deep, don’t worry, there are plenty of lighter moments, including some adorable interactions with Tom’s four-year-old daughter. And as I’ve already mentioned, there’s a hefty helping of spice, too, particularly one scene after Milo sends Tom a video of himself dancing. ¡Qué calor!

¡Lo recomiendo! (If you guessed that means I’m recommending the book, you’d be right. 😊)

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Excellent read! This is the second book in the Dreamers series but it is easily read as a standalone. It's a great M/M contemporary romance. It's set in NYC but the characters are proud of their ethnicity and it plays a huge role in who they are. Camilo (Milo) and Thomas are an intriguing pair. Milo comes from a single parent middle class home and works as a social worker. Tom is a billionaire with all the high society trappings around him. Their attraction is intense but when it turns out Tom is the new benefactor for one of Milo's projects they need to put their attraction aside. Can they accomplish that? Read their story and find out. I highly recommend it.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, this one comes out tomorrow!! I'm madly in love with this series right now and was so excited to get an ARC of "American Fairytale". It is a bit like a fairytale, but one they have to work for and I love it. Camilo and Tom are fantastic and their connection jumps off the page. But I love their differences and how they each have to learn to work through them... because that's life. Especially when they have such differing backgrounds. Not only do we have socioeconomical differences, we have family ones, too and I loved that neither of them completely changed theirselves as so often happens in fairytales. Plus Libe is amazing and going to run the world one day 😍. We get to check in with the four best friends (helllllooo Patrice I am ready for you) and we get to meet Tom's crew who are so great as well. It's another stellar addition to this series and I am chomping at the bit for book three now because Herrera has a way with words!

when milo and tom first meet in american fairytale, it's this instant connection and crazy hot hook up. and then it's complicated. milo is a social worker dedicated to helping women out of abusive situations, who works hard to help his mom and does the best he can with what he has and tom is the man with the purse strings, who has the means of solving all the problems with merely opening his wallet.

this difference between them is the heart of their conflict. milo and tom have more than enough love and chemistry and commitment between them. but milo is proud and he doesn't want tom for the money. the last thing he wants is tom's money. and tom, he's a fixer and he doesn't always grasp that sometimes even though he has the means to solve a problem, he needs to take a step back and let milo fix them on his own. milo doesn't want a white knight swooping in to save the day. he wants a partner.

and tom wants to be that partner. but he also can't stand being forced to sit on his hands when he can make everything better. why wouldn't that be the right thing to do? it's a testament to the author that she makes this conflict work on both sides. milo and tom aren't wrong, their difference in life outlook and philosophy is clear and neither position is invalid. and the only way things will work is if they compromise, and it's hard work to compromise. they have to want it, they have to mean it. and they have to prove it.

i so enjoyed milo and tom's journey, i continue to adore the latinx/caribbean representation in these books.

**american fairytale will publish on may 20, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

The second book in the Dream series is just as great as the first one. The tile first for the book. It's romantic, have old an old fashion way of courting and sweeping somewhere off their feet. Miles is a social worker and Thomas is a billionaire who donates a large sum of money to a charity where Miles works. Unknown to both men they have hooked previously and Miles have doubts about working together and how it will affect their donations.
I loved seeing the characters from the previous books and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I really enjoyed this. Camilo is sooo damn extra but i loved that guy. How could i not. I liked Tom too, but damn my dude kept messing up so muuuuch. If anyone ever tried ordering food for me, didn't even give me a chance to get an opinion in I would be pissed. And Camilo is rightfully so.

Now as Tom kept messing up I realized ok people make mistakes yes, multip;e times too but omg I just wanted him to get it together ASAP. I felt it for Camilo who wanted to express his hurt but felt like maybe he was overreacting. I could relate to that a lot, and Tom truly exasperated me those times but I didn't hate him, was more frustrated with him. And I was glad that not only did Camilo call him on his BS but his friend Priya did it multiple times! Go Priya!

As with book 1, the family and friend relationships in this serious are so precious to me. I appreciated so much that Camilo and his guys are so affectionate with each other and just real. no sugar coating. They were so funny as well. I can't wait for their books. We've been teased for Patrice and Easton so i'm readyyyy.

We also get to meet Camilo's coworker and friend Ayako and i just adored her and I ship her with a certain friend of Tom's so we'll seeeee. ;)

I felt like Tom truly did, finally see the error of his ways, and i do wish he'd respected Camilo's decision to not have him just toss money at a problem, earlier. Since Camilo kept saying it made him uncomfortable. Even as the decision Tom made without Camilo's input was to help out Camilo's mom was a giant overstep i feel like i'm satisfied Tom gets it.

Read the little sneak peek for book 3 so i'm just waiting now.

American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera
Dreamers #2

Great meet-cute when Tom and Camilo meet at the fundraiser...I knew they would end up together since the blurb f or the book SAYS they will so what could have been a hot one time thing did end up more...still...great meet-cute. From there the romance progressed slowly through work involvement, hit a few bumps in the road and eventually overcame the main issue to achieve a HEA for the couple. The book dealt with LGBTQIA issues, workplace ethics and romance, money in relationships, family, depression, intercultural issues and more.

What I liked:
* The honesty, caring and sharing of Tom and Camilo in the relationship they were building
* Tom – great book boyfriend
* That both men felt they could be themselves when together
* supportive friends of both Tom and Camilo
* Libe – Tom’s daughter
* The backstories of the parents of Tom and Camilo
* Work ethics of both men
* multicultural aspects of relationships
* more

What I didn’t like:
* Camilo’s need for control over issues I sometimes felt he should have loosened up a bit overcame
* Feeling that there must have been more backstory to the secondary characters supporting of both Tom and Camilo that we were not privy to...and why had those friends not made Tom and Camilo aware of character issues they could have worked on before this book came along
* Not always knowing what the foreign phrases meant and some of the slang that I have not heard before

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

FYI – “American Fairytale” is the second in Adriana Herrera’s Dreamers series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

“American Fairytale” draws together two strong characters into a romance that definitely holds your interest. I like the flow of the plot and especially enjoy how the author portrays the characters’ rich Latinx culture and background – Camilo’s Cuban heritage as well as Tom’s Dominican heritage. And as the author notes, this book is a love story to strong Latinx women.

Camilo and Tom meet hot n’ steamy (can you say smokin’ bathroom blow job with a sizzle of dominance) in the midst of a black-tie gala, and then meet again – to their horror – when Tom turns out to be the wealth White Knight who has donated buckets of money to build a shelter for survivors of domestic abuse to the agency that employs Camilo. Camilo worries that his boss will learn of their prior involvement, but then again, Camilo worries about everything.

Camilo is a porcupine of emotion – prickly, irate, pissed off, worried, upset, mad, pouty – basically anything life-related bumps into Camillo’s thick pelt of spiky emotions and it sets him off. IMHO, Camillo is one of those people who starts with the absolute worse-case scenario in any given situation, and hangs onto that with all they’ve got. Simply put, Camillo is exhausting.

Millionaire Tom is incredibly wealthy and extremely generous in using his money to help people, but he has a tendency to throw money at a problem. And one of the central issues of this story is how Tom uses his money to “help” Camilo, only to have Camilo rail against having control taken away from him. And Tom also has some real tone deafness when it comes to keying into the feelings of others.

Tom and Camilo have a deeply satisfying sexual relationship; their problems begin when they leave the bedroom. But eventually, slowly and at times with lots of aggravation (I think this is the sort of book where either Tom will drive you crazy, or Camilo will drive you up a wall because of their dynamic), they eventually work it all out. I could have done without about 50% of the drama, but overall, this was a very satisfying read. 4 stars.

When I saw American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera on Netgalley, I sent a request right away. I was very excited when I was approved, and I decided to start with American Dreamer, the first book in the Dreamers series. It was already in my TBR queue, but I bumped it to the top. After reading American Dreamer, I was even MORE excited to read American Fairytale.

Camilo is a social worker, and as the story begins, he has just received an invitation to attend a posh benefit/fundraiser. Camilo is a hard worker, but he’s looking forward to having a good time. He does not intend to hook up with a handsome stranger, but such things aren’t usually planned in advance. He doesn’t think he’ll ever see the guy again, and that’s okay, because Milo isn’t really looking for a relationship because he’s too busy with work and taking care of his mother.

So, imagine his surprise when the handsome hookup is the major donor for the domestic violence shelter that Milo has been hoping to build for years.

Tom might be a billionaire, but he and his friends built their business from scratch. He’s excited to see Milo again because he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about him since their hookup. But he also has a lot going on, and a new relationship isn’t a top priority.

Ostensibly, Milo and Tom need to meet periodically to discuss the progress of the project, but they realize that their attraction hasn’t diminished at all since the hookup; if anything, it’s even stronger.

They’re so happy together, and it seems too good to be true. Will they be able to find their fairytale ending?

This book was amazing- so lovely and tender. I’m going to have to be vague because I don’t want to give too much away, but even the conflict came from good intentions. Milo and Tom have scorching chemistry, but more importantly, they have a good rapport, and even though they’ve just met, they get along like old friends. They come from similar backgrounds: Milo’s mom came from Cuba, and Tom might look like a blanquito, but he’s a Dominican. The pillow talk in Spanish was so sweet.

I liked when Milo’s friends from the first book made cameo appearances. It was nice to “see” Nesto and Jude again, as well as Juanpa and Patrice.

I would absolutely recommend American Fairytale. I think it’s helpful to read American Dreamer first, but it’s not mandatory; Fairytale functions well enough as a standalone. I loved every minute of this book, and I have to tell you that when things got rough, I was sobbing- full on ugly crying. Herrera is one of my new favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read the next books in the Dreamers series!




I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Ok I came away with this kind of hating both heros. Tom keeps throwing his money around and making decisions without anyone's input or respecting anyone's boundaries in really unnecessary ways. And seriously who orders for someone at a restaurant and how hard would it have been to just ask if you could treat someone to the chef's table at a fancy restaurant. Most reviewers seem to write a lot about what an idiot Tom is and give Milo all the passes. I do not give Milo any passes. Yes, you can be mad that your boyfriend is not respecting your boundaries, that's reasonable. However, the reader is constantly told that the reason that Milo doesn't want Tom paying for anything (except all of their dates, those are fine) is because his mom was in an abusive relationship where the man used wealth as a way to abuse her. Great, ok, so what the reader should recognize is that this means that Milo is afraid that the only reason Tom isn't abusive is because Milo isn't allowing him to pay for things (except, again dates). That's a super large lack of trust to build a relationship on and it is never brought up and they never discuss it between themselves. I can only believe it's because the author was making a point about wealth disparity in relationships and bringing that up undermines her own argument. However, it undermined it for me anyway. Also there's a moment at the end (spoilers I guess) where Tom makes plans with Milo's mother. He doesn't ask Milo if it's ok and this is somehow a problem. Milo does not recognize that his mother is a grown woman. Yes, she has depression, however, she is still a grown woman who can make her own decisions. I do not understand how in any way this was Tom's fault but the book/author tells us that Tom went out on a dangerous limb doing this.

The writing for the most part is pretty good. The story does drag a little. I love the cast of characters in this book. Lots of actual diversity done well.

I mean, REALLY. I didn’t think anything could top American Dreamers but now I have to think way too hard about which of these I loved more! Herrera is a master of romantic relationships with real, deep, and thoughtful issues that couples have to deal with. Just the right amount of drama/angst and grab-the-fan HEAT. So so steamy! Loved it and can’t wait for book 3!

Herrera is so brilliant at developing characters and a community that makes you want to sink into her books so you can spend time with these characters who feel so real. I loved seeing Nesto and Jude from American Dreamer (and Patrice and JP), but I also loved getting to meet new characters, from Tom's friends to Milo's coworkers at the Shelter. The romance in American Fairytale lives us to the title in many ways, but I love how both Tom and Milo have their flaws and those things that hold them back from one another. That said, I did feel like for the most part it was Milo taking issue with something that Tom did, which makes it seem like Milo was perfect. I feel like that's not normally something I notice, but because the conflict(s) that arose were similar, it was very apparent. I, personally, think I would have preferred the final conflict to have been handled differently, but for the most part, I thought the book was incredible.

Also, there's this absolutely amazing paragraph (maybe two) where Milo explains why it's so important that they host a dance class at the DV shelter and I wanted to pull a full on Tom what's his face and jump on a couch because YES. It's so unfair that poor people (and there's an extra burden when it's poor POC) are given this message that they don't deserve happiness because it's wasteful and not meant for people trying to figure out how to pay all of their bills. I loved that paragraph a whole, whole lot and would highly recommend.

American Fairytale is the second installment of Adriana Herrera's American Dreamer series. I read the first book, American Dreamer, and fell in total love with Nesto and Jude. This book is a perfect followup to the brilliance of her debut novel.

American Fairytale centers on the relationship between Camilo (Milo) Santiago Briggs, a Cuban/Jamaican social worker, and Thomas Hughes, a wealthy, Dominican/American tech ceo who, together with his two friends and co-owners, sells their company for an obscene amount of money. Milo and Thomas have an explosive hook up that, over the course of the novel, results in a relationship based on hard-earned understanding and mutual respect.

There is so much to unpack in this novel, so much that is done well. The negotiations between Milo and Thomas, given the huge wealth differential, the cultural understandings that can only come from people who share a similar background. Kudos to Herrera for representing mixed identities in romance, something that doesn't get depicted often. Both protagonists are of mixed parentage and this influences the way they navigate through the world and their romance.

The only tiny complaint I have is that, at the end, I grew a bit exasperated with both characters - Thomas was being a bit pig-headed about throwing money at problems after he was told, over and over, not to do so. Camilo, though, was a bit stubborn about accepting help and complicates his existence in consequence. However, this also made the novel more realistic because, hello, sometimes our biggest obstacles to happiness lay not in external conflicts but in our own inability to get over intrinsict flaws that cause to repeat the same damned mistakes over and over. Refreshingly, our protagonists are guilty of just that.

And can I say, I love an m/m romance that features every kind of relationship, including straight ones in a non-toxic way? Especially friendships with straight women. Imma get up on my soap box so stop reading if you don't want any part of this:

I get the feeling sometimes in m/m romances that women and straight folks are characters-non-grata and I get this profoundly but in the real world, things are a bit more nuanced. Yeah, CIS-hetero folk as a collective give non-binaries a hella lot of trouble in the real world but many also fucking love the LGBTSTGNC (and yes, I found the most inclusive acronym because it's my soapbox and I can) people/relatives in their lives I can say that, among my people, we got each other's backs and we are a part of each other's lives so yay to Herrera for depicting that.
Ramble over. I can't wait to get that third book in my hands!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a hard-working New York City social worker and a self-made and very wealthy man looking to fund worthwhile causes, who can't help falling in love despite perceived conflicts of interest. Milo and Tom have already made a connection before they realize they will be working together, but their attraction is off the charts and cannot be denied. This is the second book in this series, and the author tells brilliant stories of friends who become families, all with distinct and proud immigrant backgrounds. I am looking forward to the next installment!

I really enjoyed this story. It was exceptionally well-written and had a great storyline. I really connected with all of the characters and it flowed nicely.

This book might be one of the cutest romances I’ve read in a while. American Fairytale was exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now because it was not only an easy and quick read, but also put me in the most optimistic and happy mood. Happily-ever-afters have a lovely way of making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I’m glad to say I could walk away from this book feeling much lighter than I did when I got into it.

American Fairytale follows Camilo Santiago Briggs, a social worker, and Thomas Hughes, a self-made millionaire and businessman. They meet under fairly casual circumstances, not expecting the other to leave such a strong impact on them. When their paths cross again, they must not only find a way to put aside their own flaws and baggage to make a relationship work, but also find ways to fit into the unfamiliar worlds they present to each other.

The concept of one half of a couple being ultra rich has been done so often that it’s pretty much considered a trope in the writing industry. Personally, I don’t have a problem with this trope at all. But there are certain important aspects of it that are rarely dealt with that make me uncomfortable – perhaps because they’re brushed aside or because they are difficult conversations to have. More often than not, the half of the couple that has less money is easily demonised (by readers and by characters in the story) for not accepting the well intentioned charity of the richer half. This is something I’ve always found alarming. Putting money in the middle of a relationship can completely change the nature of it, and people on the less privileged end are entitled to feel wary.

American Fairytale did not hesitate to hit those nails on the head. Without giving any spoilers, I was so impressed with how both Camilo and Thomas handled the conversations about their different monetary backgrounds, the privileges and power held in the relationship, and how to work around them in a healthy manner.

Another aspect of the storytelling that I thoroughly enjoyed were the side characters. Both Camilo and Thomas’ friends are incredibly amazing people, who are so supportive of those they love and this new relationship. At the same time, they do not hesitate to provide the honesty and constructive criticism they owe to their respective friends. I loved how they could give honest feedback to Camilo and Thomas in a way that they might not have been able to give to each other (especially in the start of the relationship and during that one argument).

The book did an excellent job of not only showing the honest transparency of their friendship, but also provided an alternate point-of-view to the problems Thomas and Camilo faced. It also helped the reader understand what both parties are going through, and neatly showed how everyone sees the situation so we can quickly find a solution. After all, there were no “bad guys” – it was difficult situations they had to learn to work around.

I also really appreciate the way the book handled mental health and conversations about abuse. These conversations are important to me and I am grateful that the author treated them with absolute respect. In general, the book has a lot of uplifting, important, and positive messages about society and culture, and it’s what made me love this book even more. There was so much rich history of New York that went into the story. There were also so many cultural elements that were included, given the incredibly diverse cast of characters. I can’t stress enough how much POC (and intersectional minorities amongst POC) deserve happily-ever-afters and cheesy fairytales – and this book gave us exactly that.

This was my first Adriana Herrera book, and suffice to say, I am very much looking forward to reading more. You don’t want to miss this adorable romance between two very different people who find the strength and love to make a seemingly-impossible relationship work so well. Check out American Fairytale, which releases on 20 May 2019.

Trigger Warning: This book discusses depression and domestic abuse (not described) from a non-POV perspective.

*~~*ARC kindly provided by the author to me in exchange for an honest review *~~*

- Full Review to come, closer to RD
- LOVED it so much
- felt so seen with the display of Milo

<a href="">Review</a> originally posted on my blog with added content <a href="https://mikkuchan.wordpress.com/">Mikku-chan / A world full of words</a>

Thanks to Carina Press for the advance copy of American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera, released on 20th May. I loved American Dreamer, the first book in this contemporary m/m romance series about latinx immigrants in New York, and American Fairytale is a great followup.

The book starts with Dominican tech billionnaire Thomas and Cuban-American social worker Milo hooking up for some no-strings sex at a charity gala, only to find out that Thomas is the donor funding Milo's domestic violence shelter refurbishment and they'll have to work together.

Thomas and Milo's romance develops as their project meetings quickly become more like dates. I got nostalgically excited that their first date was at Red Rooster which was the first stop on my honeymoon, and that Thomas lived in a Harlem brownstone right by the one we stayed in, so that added a sweet personal touch to my enjoyment.

Conflict comes when Thomas tries to solve every problem by throwing money at it and making decisions for everyone, and Milo struggles to ask for help and with giving up his fierce independence. The couple tend to get stuck on this issue repeatedly, which was a little frustrating as a reader. But as a relationship therapist I appreciated this and found it pretty realistic - big issues don't just get solved after one talk and people do get stuck repeating their mistakes.

I also appreciated the setting - Milo and Thomas supporting domestic abuse survivors, and the portrayal of how domestic violence had impacted their own families. American Fairytale is a story that really highlights the importance of family, both birth and found, and Milo and his mother's relationship was particularly touching.

American Fairytale doesn't gloss over the challenges to a relationship that come from wealth and class differences, and challenges the traditional romance idea that everyone wants to be rescued by a handsome rich prince. My only reservation is that I wasn't convinced that the couple's issues had been resolved by the end of the book, and I couldn't understand how the big romantic gesture really changed things, so maybe it's more of a HFN than HEA.