I absolutely LOVED this book. I'm a huge fan of this whole series, because the author somehow manages to tell authentic, romantic, HOT stories while also balancing more serious issues of mental health, social justice, and institutional racism (among others). American Love Story is a standalone but I definitely recommend the other two books in the series (American Dreamer and American Fairytale) just to get a better view of the world and the friendships among these characters. Still, those books are certainly not required before diving right into American Love Story.

The romantic leads in this book are wonderfully written and fully fleshed out. Easton is a literal dreamboat cinnamon roll of a guy. Seriously, he was amazing. And Patrice -- oh Patrice. He was a bit more complicated and moody, which means that watching his growth was super satisfying.

The book deals with serious issues, specifically regarding overpolicing of brown and black bodies and the criminal justice system, but it still strikes a great balance between real-world issues and swoon-worthy romance. I definitely recommend this and the rest of the series to any fans of hot contemporary romance!

To simply say that I loved this book does not begin to do justice to the story Herrera created. In this contemporary romance, she not only delivered touching and relatable characters, she presents issues that are in demand of attention in our world today. The romance and the need for change are perfectly balanced in a way that one highlights the others. It was truly an impactful and moving reading experience.

I am so looking forward to the next book in the wonderfully written series.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this title via NetGalley. All comments and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am happy to give my honest review.

I have read all of this series and I am in love with this author's writing. I was so happy to be given this advanced copy and it did not disappoint.

Patrice is an immigrant from Haiti and a recent PhD grad. He accepts a position in Ithaca at Cornell University, the same town that his best friend Nesto (from the first book) lives and works. The summer before this book Patrice has a short affair with assistant district attorney Easton but doesn't really pursue more when he moves back full time.

Easton wants to continue a relationship with Patrice and struggles with the guilt of feeling entitled. He is white and his family has money but all he wants to do is to fairly represent the judicial branch as an ADA. He is under major stress covering for his DA boss who is on medical leave but still meddling.

Patrice is very involved on Black Twitter and as an advocate in his community. Tensions come to a head as young men of color are being pulled over by law enforcement at an alarming rate in Ithaca. Patrice and Easton know that something needs to be done but they are at odds because of their beliefs and jobs. The angst was realistic and I was rooting for them to work together to find a solution.

I identified a lot with Easton as someone who wants to do good work at the expense of my energy levels. He worked long hours and hard to fight for his underrepresented clients. He owned his mistakes and tried never to take advantage of the money/status his family afforded him. I really liked him with Patrice who was grumpy, closed in, and passionate for his community. I'm glad they got through their differences and made leaning on each other a priority. That epilogue was great too.

3.5 stars!

Adriana Herrera's American Love Story is a powerful romance novel that's timely and should be something we all read and acknowledge. It doesn't hide behind platitudes. It's a real, raw look into America right now and the systemic racism that exists in towns and cities and law enforcement. I really enjoyed these characters.

So, why 3.5 stars? I got frustrated with the constant back and forth, and never felt like the romance was moving forward.

Patrice is Haitian-born, having sought refuge in the U.S. He's also an activist and isn't afraid to make the local law enforcement aware of its own racism. So Patrice is thrown for a loop when he starts falling for an up-and-coming white assistant district attorney, Easton. They had a hot-and-heavy sexual chemistry previously, and having a second chance to start something new, together.

Easton is very aware of what's NOT being done in his city when racially motivated traffic stops are on the rise. He's very aware of his privilege in being able to do something about it, as well. But with a supervisor not motivated to take action and rock the boat with the police department, and the police department having their own way to "handle it," Easton finds himself in a tight spot. Made all the more when a relationship with Patrice seems more and more impossible.

There's a lot of chemistry between these two and they sit down and have conversations that need to be had. I loved that about these two. But it's also something I didn't like about these two where their relationship was concerned. It seemed like they had an epiphany and were ready to move forward, but every interaction and every conversation led them right back to where they started. All forward momentum was lost, and it got so frustrating.

I knew where both were coming from and I understood it, but I really wanted them to move a step forward every once in a while. By 50%, that hadn't really happened.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, and I am excited to read more from this author. This book shines the light on something that can't be solved overnight, but it opens the gateway to conversations we all need to have--an awareness of self and community that we all need to have--and the path to the journey forward to change. It makes this a novel I won't soon forget.

Wow! This book is timely, thought-provoking, complex, emotional, with a hot m/m couple and a superb diverse support cast!
The social, emotional, interpersonal, historical, political aspects are all spot on and beautifully woven into a romance with characters who are perfect for each other as they fight (seemingly on different ends) for their love, values, justice, and so much more.

This was my first book by Adriana and it won't be the last. It can be read as a standalone. However, why limit yourself to just one book when you can indulge in the entire series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this book before official publication. This review is based on my own thoughts and opinions.

P.S. I've left a review on Goodreads already and will publish more as the book goes live.

Okay, so the first thing I will say about this book is that if there were more than five stars to give, I would give them. Second, just buy it and read it. It’s amazing. Seriously amazing. I adored the first two books in the series but this one is my favorite, and honestly one of my favorite books of the year, hands down. So, so, so, good.
Patrice and Easton’s story was beautiful and well balanced and perfect. I felt every emotion, every bit of their arcs, how hard Easton tried and how much fear of failure, of not being enough and how brilliant, and driven and sensitive Patrice was, of how much he’d seen and how terrified he was of getting hurt and how guilty he felt at grasping at happiness. There are parts I’m still gasping about because I felt every single emotion with them.
And the way the book addressed racism in law enforcement, how there are not only plenty of people who do terrible things intentionally, there are also plenty of people with the best intentions, doing an important, serious job, who care, who still fail, who don’t do enough out of fear or misguided practically, and, who, end up injuring, endangering, and terrorizing the exact people they are supposed to protect, is just done so well, and in such a realistic way. The story is important and necessary to read, for everyone, but especially for everyone in law enforcement and in the justice system.
Now yes, the emotions and feels are going to last forever and are so intense and wonderful, but don’t think that the book is all gloom and doom and tears and serious political issues. There’s still lovely romance and hot love scenes and adorable banter. All the balance is there and well-crafted and just wonderful.
In summation: read the book. Seriously. Read it over and over and over.

Activist college professor falls in love with a rich ADA. This story is everything. The characters' voices remind me of my friends from the heights while addressing current issues of systemic racism, queer problems, and how do you help everyone with out losing yourself in the process. Well written with a well paced and well developed plot and excellent character writing. Seriously worth dropping your current read to pick this one up.

This was an incredibly deep and lovely story about two men finding a way to bridge realistic differences. All too often, the issues keeping the protagonists apart are shallow or easily solved but the differences here were extremely complex. I loved the style of the writing and the way the author kept both characters true their basic personalities while giving them the ability to bend. Their relationship was both passionate and meaningful on an emotional level and resulted in a completely satisfying happy ending.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2019/09/whatcha-reading-september-2019-part-one/

Mentioned book in SBTB’s bimonthly Whatcha Reading Post:

“In romance, I’m reading Adriana Herrera’s American Love Story (out in October) ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). I’m enjoying it so far, and here are two things I appreciate outside the angsty romance: 1) the book is set in Ithaca, and it’s a throughly weird and thrilling feeling to read about your former home and have the details be right; and 2) the book does not shy away from tackling issues like racial injustice, and it feels so right and true to life. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s worthwhile and thoughtful in a way that I’ve rarely encountered. I haven’t finished yet, so I’m hopeful the book stays strong.”

This is the best Dreamers book yet!! And that cover? I cannot get over the beauty and that wonderful smile!!

Patrice is a new professor at Cornell in Ithaca and he came to America from Haiti when he was six with his mother. He has strong activist roots as a Black man and focuses his research on things like implicit bias and being an immigrant. Almost two years ago when his best friend, Nesto, set up his food truck in Ithaca Patrice came to help and met Easton, a white assistant district attorney whose family runs a local winery. They’ve had a relationship strong on the sexual chemistry and weak on communication, but now that Patrice is in Ithaca to stay, they start getting to know one another outside the bedroom.

One of the strongest things about this series has been the friendships between Juan Pablo, Nesto, Camilo, and Patrice, a group of young Afro-Latinx Caribbean immigrants who have built a strong familial bond between themselves. They are each other’s support network and the people they know have their back no matter what happens. This series is also a love letter to mothers who give their all to their children. Patrice’s mother was the mistress of an influential man in Haiti, which was a big part of how they were able to get out of Haiti when political changes were happening, but she also worked her hardest to ensure her son would get the best education possible and that she’d be able to support herself and him in achieving their goals.

I really liked how much this book in particular looked at how inaction from people in positions of power when communities, especially Black and Brown communities, are being harmed can seem like ignoring the situation or even encouraging that harm to continue. A central part of the story is how the local cops have started “”routine stops”” that are mainly targeting Black and Brown young men, and the sheriff is afraid to do much more than slap some wrists and the district attorney, Easton’s boss, is afraid to say anything because she doesn’t want to lose the support of local law enforcement with their cases, and Easton feels conflicted as he wants to speak up, but isn’t sure what to say and isn’t allowed to because of the local politics. This book, I feel, really looked at the complexity of those situations, but also pulled no punches with how those kinds of situations affect Black and Brown communities especially and negatively impact the local community as a whole.

At it’s center, though, this is a romance. I loved seeing Easton and Patrice slowly and gradually lower their walls around each other and work on communicating feelings and experiences, rather than just letting their bodies do their talking.

Overall, definitely my favorite of the Dreamers series and a book that really makes me think about the casual racism and implicit biases that turn “routine traffic stops” into “life or death.”

3.5* A good read, but also one that made me feel uncomfortable with the racial undertones.

I'm a 50yo British Asian and I'm coming at this book after DNF'ing book 1 and appreciating book 2, and without personally experiencing, thankfully, any of what apparently goes on (as seen in the media) in the US with regards race and racial incidents. Cop-stops do have their uses, but there needs to be reasonable cause; my family and I witnessed one in broad daylight on a Sunday, which was justified, produced a huge machete, and in which the driver and his 2/3yo child were treated well. In this tale, it felt as if the cop-stops were being carried out by a series of cops with nothing but delusions of grandeur and privilege and racist motives, and that young Latino and black men were being victimised on purpose. It upset me, and like the kids (they were all young teens/men, other than one character) I think I'd have been scared in their positions, not knowing what might go down. Is this (mirroring?) RL America in 2019? The author's note seems to suggest so, and I think it's brave of her to feature a tale with this, but it also got tiring that it happened time and time again in what seemed like a small town. Surely if the cop/s in question were racist or unconsciously racist (I think it's the former), they'd be put through appropriate training by their superiors? Surely when the DA's office was involved and urging some action, the local law enforcement top guy should have intervened? Are politics and popularity and the vote more important than racial unrest and victimisation and injustices? What about having a conscience and doing the right thing? Has the country learned nothing? It was mind boggling the way racism seemed to be portrayed and not acknowledged by those elected to protect and serve, and worse, perpetrated by some of the same.

I do think the author speaks with a voice of experience, being from the Caribbean herself and living in the US, but... it made me think twice about how I view the US. And, the issue was kind of bigged up and then allowed to fade into the background, which tbh, was more than a small irritant for me. The subject of much of the book, that got about 5 instances of page-time, just faded away without any resolution, which was unsatisfying.

Turning to the characters: I'm not the only one who thought Patrice was prejudiced to a (justified? justifiable?) degree; his friend Priscilla (the upcoming lead of book 4, out in 2020) told him so and told him what he needed to do to repair his relationship with Easton, echoing my thoughts. He was stubborn, quick to anger, prideful (his childhood and relationship with his father have their part to play), judgemental, prejudiced in his own way and hotheaded - are these characteristics of a professor? Yes, I knew that Patrice was an activist but goodness, he was all social justice warrior and not much of anything else. I didn't like how he treated Easton, blowing (no pun intended) hot and cold and how Easton kept coming back for more. I think this tale tried a bit too hard to be too much, and it all felt a little unbalanced. I did get that Easton didn't have a great relationship with his parents, but was his confidence and sense of worth that eroded that he'd put up with Patrice's treatment of him time and time again? Was this a deliberate reversal? A weaker, in some ways, white guy, with a black guy being the more dominant character?

The tale itself wasn't about the leads' romance; it was all about Patrice and his issues and causes, some of which, yes, were to be admired. The epilogue, 6 months after the issue with the cops fades away, was unsatisfying on a differing level. The guys, yes, were making inroads into a more equal relationship, but things were progressing really, really slowly. There wasn't hearts and roses here, but realism. A realism that I appreciated but that made me think that this wasn't yet a HFN, despite mention from one guy (I forget who) that the other was it for him. They seemed to be trying too hard to accommodate each other, and I wasn't convinced that their issues, the imbalance wouldn't recur and Easton wouldn't get hurt again.

I do admire the author's stance in her books about things she clearly feels passionate about, and that do need to be eradicated, and hers is an impressive debut.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series, exploring the US immigrant experience, since reading book #1 – American Dreamer. I think Herrera is writing some of the most complex, realistic romance out there right now and American Love Story kicks it up yet another notch.

Patrice, a Haitian-born activist, moves to Ithaca, NY to become an Ivy League professor & possibly to see where things go if he just so happens to run into his former hookup, DA – Easton Archer. Which, because of mutual friends, he does. But things don’t go smoothly despite their intense chemistry.

Easton comes from money and privilege and is considering a run for ADA. Although he’s a good man and aggressively prosecutes cases of domestic violence and sexual assault – he feels fairly helpless and when it comes to a string of racially profiled traffic stops in his town. It’s not that he doesn’t care or that he doesn’t see what’s happening - but he’s able to take a wait and see attitude (in deference to his superiors) because it doesn’t affect him. Until it does. Being with Patrice, opens his eyes to a system that he believes in but now sees that he can and must to do better.

But man, is it a struggle to get to. Patrice, as a Black Lives Matters activist, struggles in a way that I think is very common for most people involved in social justice or other causes. He’s angry and fighting the good fight but at a personal cost to himself. It’s hard to balance that activism and let yourself be happy when there’s so much work to do. Especially, if you feel like the person you love, is in position to help, could do more - faster. He has so much on his plate and constantly feels like he has to be on top of everything, be better than his white counterparts and never let anyone down. There’s also a fair amount of, not shame, but in letting Easton learn how he and his mom escaped the Haitian Revolution to come to the US, that he might be deemed not good enough or judge his mom - who Patrice loves more than anything.

Patrice tends try to get ahead of being let down or rejected by having high standards. In doing so, he judges others too harshly for not meeting them and, instead lets <i>them</i> down. As he does with Easton over and over again. Easton has always been judged and deemed lacking by his father and Patrice’s constant judgement both awakens Easton to the big picture but also cuts deep at an already exposed wound.

I’ve always mentioned, in my previous reviews for the series, how fast this author gets the relationship going and then throws in the obstacles and makes them earn the HEA. Well, these two are almost doomed from the start but Herrera deftly unpacks all the issues one by one and builds this beautiful and solid relationship.

Yes, they hurt each other but both men are willing to take advice (from the wonderful supporting characters – a BIG feature in this series) and grow, say they’re sorry and do the work. They even go to couples counseling – something rare in romance where great sexual chemistry seems to solve all ills.

A few other things I want to touch on quick because there are so many things this book does well….

Privilege – some people take this word as an insult or get defensive but American Love Story shows that it doesn’t mean you haven’t or can’t experience pain or that it’s less than just because you have privilege. Patrice learns that Easton’s privilege certainly didn’t protect him from his father or mean that he can’t understand or learn empathy for others. And Easton learns that his privilege allows him faster access to certain situations and solutions that Patrice and PoC just don’t have in their fight against injustice. It’s not about hurling it as an insult or judgement but leveraging it to help uplift others.

Activism – I was very involved in animal welfare (shelter work) years ago, and it was so completely draining that I didn’t even want to look at an animal for years & it made me hate people. Social justice and activism – even if it’s done casually - can be exhausting if you don’t protect yourself. Everyone wants problems solved and they’ll let you do ALL the work if you let them so they can say they did something to ease their conscience yet walk away. But letting others help, letting some things go, learning to trust was hard but necessary lesson Patrice learned. You are also allowed to take time off to recharge and be happy. Or else what kind of future are you fighting for?

Layers of diversity/privilege – This was a super fascinating and relevant plot point. The ADA, DA (Easton) and Mayor are all part of the LGBQT+ community and when the racial profiling accusations are first reported – the first impulse is to lay low and see how it plays out because they don’t want to rile the police or community any more because it was difficult to get to their positions as openly gay/lesbian. They didn’t want to lose the hard fought for acceptance or funding for their (important) programs. You can't just fight for your own cause then stop - the I got mine mentality. You need to keep using your voice to lift others.

And oh yeah – American Love Story was hot as hell and super romantic! *wink*

I think Adriana Herrera is a brilliant writer of complicated but real romances that are compelling and uplifting and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

A wonderful third installment in this m/m romance trilogy about Caribbean immigrants in New York. This wasn't the type of romance I usually read where it's all swooning and pining in fantasyland. Instead the author gives us a romance that confronts the really hard stuff of relationships - differing backgrounds, values, expectations and tough defensive walls around the characters, plus the very real conflict of being a black activist in a relationship with a white District Attorney while the local police force are harassing local men of colour. At times I wasn't even sure that the main characters should be together, but that made it all the more satisfying when they worked through their issues to get their happy ending.

American Love Story is so good. It's the story of a social justice activist-professor-Haitian immigrant and an assistant district attorney from a privileged background. It clear from the second chapter that they're both very into each other, but Patrice (the professor) has trouble compromising his ideals and Easton (the ADA) represents the system into which systematic bias is built. Their struggle to grow for each other is set against a backdrop of racist traffic stops in Ithaca, NY.

What I loved about this book was the way their angst was understandable. At no point did I think that one of them needed to just get over himself, because the internal conflict was so completely valid. I also loved that both characters really worked to deserve the other.

While I was reading, I was appreciating the story, but not feeling totally drawn in. Then, at about 80% through the book, something happens. And the depth of my emotional reaction to it startled me, demonstrating to me how much the characters had gotten their claws in me.

This is not a fluffy book. For me, it was not a fast read. But it is so good and a truly American Love Story for our world today.

This was a great third installment in the series. Patrice and Easton were great characters, both were engaging and likable. I enjoyed seeing them come together despite their different backgrounds, all a very enjoyable read.

I loved this third entry in Adriana Herrera's series. The two heroes, Patrice and Easton, are both principled, strong-willed, and caring and emotional men, fully aware of the differences in their backgrounds. But they cannot deny the spark between them, even when real-life issues intrude. The story includes timely occurrences of racial profiling in upstate New York, This is a story of love and trust and choosing to be happy. I cannot wait for the next entry!

American Love Story is so special and darling. I liked the differences between the main characters. The tenderness the author allowed Patrice. The courage she lent his character was moving. Easton's dedication toward change made me admire and like him very much. I knew Herrera would be the perfect author to tackle such topic of morality and responsibility. Thank you so much.

This was my favorite book of the series (so far). I have to say that reading it around the time of the 5th anniversary of Michael Brown's death and living near Ferguson MO gave it even more resonance. Serious props to Adriana Herrera for a sensitive, intelligent book that shines on a light on troubling issues like Driving While Black while also highlighting the amazing richness that immigrants bring to our country. And doing it with a hot love story as well!

Although frankly the romance between Patrice and Easton was often very frustrating. There was a lot of wavering and I-want-you-can't-have-you on Patrice's part, and Easton was infinitely more patient than he needed to be. Plus there was a lot of telling not showing around their relationship; the two would exchange a few words and then be off into their own heads, angsting about their feelz. But they were both strong characters and I was happy to see them together at the end. Easton had to recognize his white privilege and take risks through his position as assistant DA to address racist law enforcement practices, and Patrice had to realize that his activism (and his past) didn't rule out a relationship with Easton. (view spoiler).

The next book, American Sweethearts will focus on the last member of the four BFFs, Juan Pablo, and will be MF instead of MM. A bit of a surprise, but I'll be there. Note to Ms. Herrera: I wouldn't mind a story about Ari and Yin (featured in this book and American Fairytale). They're young, sweet and in love, but it can't be that easy for two immigrants from different cultures, can it?

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

It's been a long time since I have been as captivated by a novel as I was by this one. That the author has created these unapologetically emotional, passionate characters and made them both men is remarkable, given the state of masculinity in the US these days. It shouldn't be remarkable, but it is.

I have written this about both of her previous novels, but I will say it about this one as well. I love, love, love that she has created deeply emotional men and that not once does anyone disparage them for those emotions. No one calls them weak, no one criticizes them, no one questions their masculinity. And nowhere, not once, does anyone call them feminine and use it as an insult. Hallelujah. The world needs more novels like this. The world needs a lot more men like this. (We need more men like this in M/F romances too.)

If she had just stopped there, the novel would have gotten 5 stars from me. But she went on to create something even better, a story that weaves in some of the reality of living in brown or black skin in the US, the reality of what it means for a white person to be an ally, a neighbor, community member.
And even deeper and richer, what it means for a white person to be a true friend or a true partner with a person of color.

Thank you for the chance to read this in advance of publication. I truly enjoyed it.

This unbiased review was provided in exchange for an advanced readers copy from Netgalley.

AMERICAN LOVE STORY, this is my first book in this series. I'm not generally a big fan of book in POV, I did struggle a bit to get into the story. I loved the premises of the book, mixte M/M couplé. I'm sure if you read the other 2 books in the series, you we love this one also.
I voluntarily reviewed this ARC and the opinions expressed here are all mine.