I only regret that I jumped right into this book without having read the previous ones in the series. It works fine as a stand alone, but seeing the cameo's from the previous couples and references to past events made me wish I had the full story.

Adriana Herrera wrote complex characters who aren't going to be "fixed" by finding love, who have to work for their happy ending, and who have to have hard conversations in order to be together. Easton and Patrice have very real conversations about their different backgrounds and what that means for them to be together, while also recognizing their own flaws and the things they still have to learn. I just love that Herrera could write an interracial couple in today's tense society without making everything seem to be magically fixed once they're together.

Thanks to Carina Press and Netgalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Audio: I had to triple check, but there is a single narrator for this dual POV book, but he is able to seamlessly and consistently narrate in different voices for Easton's and Patrice's POVs and speech.

*ARC from Carina Press with thanks*

Damn I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy cute romcoms as much as the next person but there are times it's nice to read something with a bit of bite. And this book has plenty of bite. It's steamy and angsty in places but heart warming on the whole.

Our protagonists are Easton and Patrice, two men from different paths of life who are drawn to each other and have to navigate the obstacles in their way. I loved that the obstacles in the way of their romance is largely to do with their own insecurities and hang ups. The romance development had everything I love; they talked, they learned to communicate better, they worked for their happy endings and learned to establish boundaries. I am all for portrayals of healthy relationships in romances novels and this has it in SPADES.

My favourite thing about this novel though was that it had so many PoC characters without them ever being reduced to tokenism or exoticism. What do I mean by that? Well, the PoCs are loud and proudly PoCs, who have the weight of history and culture behind them. They don't exist to be described as "chocolate skinned hunks" or have their culture brought up as "quaint or cute" quirks of personalities. Patrice is Haitian, and he is comfortable in his skin and with his history.

I really liked that bit where he talks about missing Haiti even though he was only a child when he left it. The fellow diasporan in me felt that like a kick to the chest. I just, this was a book with diasporans without it being about diasporan if that makes sense? And I love it for that because it's so good to see people like me live their life.

Adriana Herrera is quickly solidifying her status as one of the most important new voices in romance. Her latest novel, 'American Love Story,' follows the premise of its predecessors: it features a protagonist of Caribbean heritage and tackles issues of racism and immigration while fleshing out a riveting romance. I love Herrera's ear for dialogue, and I'm always amazed at her ability to detail intimacy and sentimentality without being treacly. I anxiously await the next publication in the series!

If you’re looking for a satisfying romance this fall, I’d recommend Adriana Herrera’s latest. American Love Story has it all: heart, humor, heat, and heroes you won’t soon forget. Newly appointed Ivy League professor Patrice Denis isn’t looking for a distraction, but he can’t seem to avoid bumping into former hookup Easton Archer, the local assistant district attorney. Despite the attraction between them, Patrice is wary of getting involved, especially when local police officers beginning racially profiling boys of color in the community. As an activist, Patrice is quick to condemn the traffic stops, and he’s disheartened when Easton won’t do the same, despite their agreement of a clear bias and prejudice being present on the force. As someone who is dating in the hellscape that is 2019, I felt strong resonance with Patrice’s desire to find love that didn’t compromise his values and ethics. I particularly loved the balance Herrera struck between Patrice staying true to himself and moments when he made excuses because he struggled to believe he deserved to be happy. It was Patrice’s convictions, growth, and heart that truly made this book a standout for me. Herrera portrays a realistic relationship where love alone doesn’t solve problems and both partners need to work to listen, share openly and honestly, and compromise. With so much to love, is it any surprise this is one of our must-read fall romances? This is the third book in the Dreamers series, and (now that I’ve gotten my hands on the first two) I’m eagerly looking forward to falling in love with the rest of Herrera’s characters and stories.

This one is amazing.
Review when I'm less overwhelmed by all the feelings in my heart.

***
I guess it took me over a month to get my brains together enough to put my feelings to paper.

Part of it was that I gushed IRL a lot (HI MOM), and then I had to wait to see what they thought of it, and so on and so on.

I adored this book.

Like, happy squeeing, while I was reading, loved it. I loved it so much, I read it three times in the span of less than a week. I went back again to reread my favorite parts. I really, really, really loved it.


Part of it was the build-up of course. Patrice and Easton have been dancing around each other since the first book in this series, and, as it turns out, had a summer fling kind of thing after that fateful first meeting. We learned in book two that the merry gang <i>knew</i> Patrice was having feelings, but that he didn't want to deal with them, mounting the tension. And then we learn how Easton feels about their months together and apart, and it's SCORCHING from the first paragraph.

I was so hooked.

A big part of it was that all of my qualms of the first two books weren't present here. No pacing issues or weird discrepancies between show and tell. No imbalanced focus of the character growth between the characters. I feel Adriana Herrera really hit her stride here. Everything just flowed so effortlessly.

Which is good, because this romance deals with heavy themes and very timely issues. Patrice is a black activist and Easton is a white prosecutor and their lives aren't easily intertwined, especially with a brewing conflict in the city where they live. Not only that, but there's also a very big class issue, Easton had a rich and privileged upbringing, where Patrice grew up with a single, immigrant mom. They're both very aware of their differences and the difficulties that would await them if they decide to have an actual relationship.

But the heart wants what the heart wants.

And after the initial "we shouldn't! fuck you're hot! we mustn't! fuck I want you! I can't!" dance of seduction and attraction and getting to know each other, they decide to go for it.

The character growth and relationship development is just so good, you guys. They both grow and change and learn and become slightly better versions of themselves. What's more, the underlying issues are real and fright and hard to deal with. The subplot of young people of color being unfairly stopped by local police officers really puts the differences between them on sharp, and the impact it had on both of them and their relationship felt very true.

Even more, because this felt so vivid and scary and true, the romance felt that much stronger. Patrice and Easton deal with real struggles and problems, and that made me fall for them and root for them so much more.

I don't know if my words to this book justice honestly. My heart went through the whole gamut of emotions. Glee and excitement and butterflies and fear and anger and disappointment and happiness and love and sadness and frustration and determination and so much fucking love.

I can't explain it much better than: I read it thrice in about a week, and loved it more every time.

Like the previous two Dreamers books, American Love Story is the perfect mix of romance and tough issues. Adriana Herrera is an excellent writer, and I'm very excited to read more from her.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

In American Love Story Adriana Herrera takes two lovers and writes them into a world that wrestles with the questions that feel all too-familiar in our IRL life: what does “driving as a black man” mean and necessitate? What is the experience of living in the United States as a black man? And what does that kind of hyper-vigilance, strategizing, and of course, the anger, resentment, frustration, sadness, etc. engendered by both, do to a relationship between a black man and a white man of privilege?

Patrice is a Haitian refugee who’s lived in the US since the age of 6. Now a college professor at Cornell, he’s also known for his activism and is a well-known contributor to Black Twitter.

Easton is an ADA who chose the difficult life of a prosecutor, despite the fact that he comes from a very wealthy background. He cares about the issues that Patrice cares about, but he’s also mindful of his role as an ADA who doesn’t/can’t speak for his whole department and he’s self-conscious of his own uncertainty regarding what to do and say.

One year ago, they set the sheets on fire. Now, after Patrice has moved to Ithaca, he and Easton must face not only their baggage, but also the critical issues within the community that could very well divide them. Key among them is driving while black. Members of the local police department are stopping men of color for slight speeding incidents and then harassing and treating them offensively, and Patrice, Easton, and others don’t doubt that the events are racially motivated.

American Love Story is a romance that we need. It’s a story that really hits me, as I’ve tried to understand my own white privilege more and how my armchair outrage isn’t enough at the best of times, much less the worst. Easton means well, but he’s reminded (as I was) that that doesn’t really mean anything, not when people within a community are (and feel) targeted, threatened, and oppressed based on how others perceive their skin complexion—or on the basis of anything at all. As he learns, action is required.

Herrera offers so much wisdom within this romance, like this line: “A black man had to always think about the space he was in,” which smacked me right in the gut. She also tackles the topic of emotional pain itself in a stunning way, and none of those powerful words and ideas detract from the passionate and exciting relationship between Patrice and Easton, which moves forward with wonderful steam even in the midst of the turbulent events they’re trying to navigate.

4.25 ⭐️ out of 5.

This was the first book by Adriana Herrera I read, and the third in the series but it can easily be read as a standalone. It took me a little while to get into but once it gained traction, I enjoyed it tremendously.

The protagonists had an affair prior to the event of the book and so there was no meet-cute, no getting to know each other, and no growing attraction, because it was all already there. Thanks to this clever plot device we get to the conflict right away which hits the heart of one of the most urgent current issues in American society: the fraught relations between people of color and the law enforcement.
The heroes have vastly contrasting backgrounds: Easton was born into a rich, white, influential family while Patrice is a black Haitian immigrant who grew up in poverty with his single mother. Both heroes overcome the limitations of their origins though, Easton by turning down the family's legacy and working for the DA's office, Patrice by becoming an economics professor at an Ivy League college. Patrice is also an activist for race issues, concentrating his efforts on the apparently racially motivated traffic stops that increasingly happen in their community.
This puts him at odds with Easton who is part of the system Patrice is fighting and causes him to push Easton away who for his part grows progressively frustrated with his impotence to bring about a change in the matter.
Both heroes are beautifully layered, each with strengths and weaknesses which blend seamlessly with their characters and propel the story forward. With each conversation, each encounter the reader watches their relationship evolve and strengthen, all the while carefully maintaining an even power balance. I found myself agreeing with whoever's POV I was reading at the time, nodding along with the inner monologue. Both characters grew exponentially during the story, but completely organically and so the climax of the conflict was inevitable and felt like it couldn't have played out any other way. The HEA was supremely satisfying and I truly loved the epilogue which was structured around their homework for couple's therapy. A large cast of complex side characters fleshed out the story and helped give a deeper understanding of both the main characters and the struggles they were facing.
In summary, a beautiful book which I wholeheartedly recommend.

Okay. I read this a couple weeks ago and I STILL can't fully put into words how amazing it was and how much I loved it. So. Much. Patrice and Easton are heart eyes times a million. All of the characters in this series are so well-rounded and people you would meet on the street in real life, but Patrice and Easton...you KNOW them by the end of this book. Every struggle, every feeling and emotion, their thoughts... it's so spot on. I connected with both on many levels and gah! The love is strong. But more than fantastic characters and a stunning love story, this book is so damn important. It doesn't shy away from a huge problem in this country and the fact that something has to change. It's not preachy or pushy, it just is. Romance novels can be a great vehicle for important topics and this is no exception. This book has a little bit of everything and I am holding these two very close to my heart.

And can we talk about that cover? 😍 I can't wait to add the paperback to my shelves.

This is the third in Adriana Herrera’s Dreamers series, which I have probably already raved about in this space. (Fact check: I have.) American Love Story follows scholar and activist Patrice Denis, who has taken a job at Cornell for reasons not wholly unrelated to the hot Ithaca ADA, Easton Archer, whom he used to bone. Their relationship is complicated not just by Easton’s job as a representative of a system Patrice loathes, but by a recent uptick in unwarranted traffic stops of black and brown men in Ithaca — which Easton’s boss is reluctant to address.

Despite this being all the way in my wheelhouse, American Love Story is my least favorite in the series so far, only because I had a hard time getting a grip on Patrice’s character. Most of what we learn about him is told, not shown, from his job to his personality. I wanted to know more about his scholarship (important, apparently?), his online presence (ditto), his history of cutting people out when they disappoint him (considerable?). Without that, his character lacked some of the wonderful specificity of Herrera’s other characters.

Even so, I got all verklempt at the end of the book when Easton and Patrice are finding their way back to each other and sorting through how not to damage each other in this same way next time. I still love this series and can’t wait for the final one! Social workers should always write the books!

Oh man, I wanted to love this so much, but it didn't quite click for me. First of all, the good: the family dynamics for both protagonists are fleshed out and so is their circle of friends. (I haven't read the first two books in this series and it worked just fine as a standalone, if that's a concern.) The dialogue is lively and the central conflict (Patrice is a professor-activist protesting unjustified traffic stops of Black drivers, Easton is the town's ADA who is also opposed to the traffic stops but doesn't feel empowered to blow up his department's relationship with the local police by openly condemning them) works to create believable tension without making either protagonist look like a monster. The primary thing that didn't work for me was the POV style. It's alternating first person, which I don't love but can deal with for the space of one book, and the prose (not just the dialogue, which wouldn't bother me at all) is vernacular to the point of being grammatically incorrect -- sentences that are fragmentary or need more conjunctions than they have, stuff like that. It gets my back up but I know it would be fine for most readers, so take my opinion with a large grain of salt! I also didn't love Easton's passive-aggressive martyr complex, or the way it made Patrice look like a jerk for not being as initially invested in their relationship when Easton really should have backed off (!!!big warning sign in my book!!!) but I was rooting for their happy ending, and I was glad to see that it included working through their issues in couples counseling rather than expecting the HEA to magically descend from the heavens.

I’m kinda in love with the Dreamers series. American Love Story is the third book, which runs along the same time line as American Fairytale.

Patrice and Easton had an on again, off again history. Patrice cares about Easton more than he wants to admit… at least to himself. His friends know better though. There’s a reason why Patrice chose the position he did and it wasn’t just to be close to Nesto. Easton, on the other hand, knows exactly how he feels about Patrice and where he wants their relationship to go.

A lot happens in American Love Story and I spent a fair amount of time getting frustrated with Patrice. I wasn’t the only one. His friends and family worried about him too. He was passionate and he fought for the rights of people who were discriminated against. He had and was living it himself, so he knew what it was like. He also had a habit of putting that passion and drive ahead of his happiness. They all knew that he had strong feelings for Patrice and he made him happy. He just kept coming up with excuses for why it would never work instead of taking things day by day and enjoying the moment.

Easton was passionate too and he wanted to do more about the events that were hitting close to home, but he was stuck. It took things hitting even closer to make him really understand. His gut reaction almost cost him Patrice for good…

Like I said, I’m loving this series and even though American Sweethearts is going to be a little different than the rest, I’m still glad that there’s more to come 😉

I liked this a lot more than book 2 “fairy tale,” which I didn’t finish. I think the author has valuable, much-needed stories to tell. However, her writing style just doesn’t work for me. She tells more than shows. For instance, in this novel “love story,” Patrice goes to the courthouse to sit in on Easton’s case and listen to his closing statement. Patrice tells us how great and inspiring Easton’s speech is, but the author doesn’t show us this speech—we don’t hear it. I liked how this novel brought all the feels. It was entertaining, romantic, and compelling. There were also quite a few teaching moments, which the author did well to humanize. There were some moments, though, that I preferred the author to have shown, perhaps in flashbacks, rather than telling us in dialogue what had happened.

American Love Story is the third novel in the American Dreamer’s series. I’ve enjoyed this series so much, both for its multicultural aspects but also for the relationship between the stories and social issues. Every story in this series addresses some aspect of power and race, featuring leads from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. But nowhere is this concern illustrated more powerfully or compellingly as in the romance between Professor Patrice Denis and Assistant District Attorney, Easton Archer.

The relationship between Denis and Archer throws into sharp relief the power imbalances and the issues of institutionalized racism and the responsibilities of those in power to agitate and work in favor of change. Even allies who see the aggressions and identify with the victims at times hesitate to act because of internal pressures that hinder positive change. The police harassment of young men of color (specifically, black men) in the fictionalized version of Ithaca, New York offers the opportunity to both test the growing relationship between Denis and Archer, as well provide an illustration of how environments in which police feel enabled to profile and misuse their power are often allowed to flourish from fear of reprisals, or simple indifference.

The actions (or lack thereof) on behalf of the DA’s office and the Sheriff’s office have real consequences on the circle of friends that constitute the core characters of this series. But the consequences on the central love story are direct and immediate, and drive the romantic plot forward. It’s a credit to Herrera’s writing that she can center the issue of power and law enforcement in a narrative that never forgets that it is, in fact, a love story first and foremost. The attraction between Denis and Easton is explosive and leaps off the page, but there is also real respect between the two leads. I’ve read reviews calling out Denis, for being strident in his beliefs and allowing them to potentially sabotage a relationship he deeply wants and needs. But the fact is, if you live our life constantly aggrieved by microagressions and victimized for things you can’t control (your race, culture or sexuality), then situations that are merely abstract for some become realities for others. You live this reality in your skin every day and I absolutely love that the novel doesn’t relent in showing this.

And yet, despite the constant possibility that things will go sideways, love flourishes. Denis and Archer share a relationship that is built on mutual trust, vulnerability and the desire to learn and grow, to be active in their support, not only of each other, but of their goals. Easton, as a privileged white man, does not hesitate to be humble, to admit he is still learning, and willing to be guided. His allyship is a verb and exists independent of his relationship with Denis. It makes their romance that much stronger because they already come to it with similar values.

Romance, at its heart, is always about the negotiation of power. Romances contend with the power structures that inform the settings and cultures of the main characters, whether the author is conscious of this or not. What I find refreshing about Herrera’s romance is that this negotiation of power is the center of the narrative, with consequences that reflect what is happening in the broader culture. It is a different kind of idealization from the one we come to expect in romance. This version of the romance fantasy says that, even in an imperfect world, where injustice is a rot that must be battled constantly, love and dignity can flourish. One informs the other, but in the best scenario, both love and justice will prevail.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was gripped by this m/m romance from the first pages - a sizzling relationship that I was rooting for from the beginning, and the realistic issues getting in their way. I loved that this book does not avoid issues of systemic racism and the tensions that brings into an interracial relationship.

Audio review:
Story – 5
Performance – 5
Overall – 5

Angsty goodness, wonderful story, wonderful audio performance.

American Love Story is the third book in Adriana Herrera's Dreamers series but you don't need to read the others to enjoy it. I'm a bit late posting this review and here's why: While I got an advance copy of the book from NetGalley for review purposes, I decided that I really wanted to listen to this one instead of read it. Because I like to listen to audiobooks with as little interruption as possible it took me a while to make time for this one.

As I said in my review of American Fairytale, when I read American Dreamer, book one in this series, I was a little frustrated because I didn't know how to pronounce all of the various ethnic names in the book. This is MY problem, not the author's; I just always want to know the proper way to pronounce things even if I can't say them correctly myself. So, once again I wanted to listen to the book so that I could better embrace the story.

Sean Crisden totally outdid himself with his performance of American Love Story. The many voices he did were fantastic. I loved his performance of American Fairy Tale, and really didn't think it could get any better but it did.

Please read the book blurb as it describes the story much better than I can. Easton Archer and Patrice Denis (pronounced Denee) seem like complete opposites. Easton is white, wealthy and grew up with lots of privilege. Patrice was born in Haiti and he's a university professor who had to work hard to get where he is. He's an activist fighting for justice for people of color. His activism could negatively impact Easton's career and derail their tenuous romantic relationship.

When a crisis happens, it threatens to destroy Easton and Patrice's love story. For a while it seems like the relationship won't survive but this is a romance and covered by the Carina Press Romance Promise of an HEA/HFN. While American Love Story was a bit angsty (I actually like a bit of angst in the books I read), it wasn't overwhelmingly so and the good feels and sexy time more than made up for it.

I am so happy to know that there will be a fourth book in this series; I can't wait to read it.

A review copy of the ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

This is my favorite of the series so far! I empathize with both characters struggle to believe they deserve happiness. The relationship between the four core friends continues to be a beautiful thing to witness. I can't wait for Juanpa's story!

This is one of the best romances I’ve ever read and also such an important book. The balance between those two elements is perfect.

This book along with this relationship examines everything that needs to be put under a microscope in modern society. Their struggles are real and difficult and their love keeps them going despite their many obstacles.

Anyone who claims this book is preaching or that Patrice doesn’t act like a professor or that Easton is unrealistic...I don’t know what you’ve read but I know you need to read it again while examining your own personal biases. And that’s me being polite.

Read this. Think about it. Examine your own thoughts and relationships and views of the world. Then read it again.

You do *not* want to wait to read this!

I completely fell in love with both Easton and Patrice and loved how honest and forthright they were. Particularly Patrice does not hold back about stating his opionion.
The way Herrera addressed the power dynamics between Easton and Patrice is something I haven’t seen a lot of in romance and I simply adored it.

Full review to come!

A very powerful read! The romance was handled nicely and did not overshadow the importance of the plot.