AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS is a second chance story which delves into the on-again, off-again relationship of Juan Pablo and Priscilla Gutierrez. Ironically, this story is also the first in the series to have a male/female at the center, but characters from the earlier books make an appearance. In fact, the reason for going to the Dominican Republic is for the wedding of Camilo Santiago Briggs and Tomas Hughes (AMERICAN FAIRYTALE). However, all that I have grown to love about Adriana Herrera’s work is present, so I know her fans won’t be disappointed.

Priscilla and Juan are complex complicated characters and so is the relationship between them. Both of them are carrying baggage that affects the nature of their relationship. Their journey to love is not an easy one, but it progresses with growth and maturity in the way each of the protagonists deal with their conflicts, both internal and external. In Ms. Herrera’s deft hands, the story’s happily-ever-after is satisfying and realistic.

The story takes place in the Dominican Republic and New York, both of which play significant roles in emphasizing the book’s themes and message. There is so many things I would love to discuss about this book (Priscilla’s and Juan’s history, the child abuse case Priscilla is working on, Priscilla’s relationship with her parents and Juan’s transformation from playboy to a man who is ready to embrace a serious relationship), but you will have to read the book to find out. I will definitely not spoil your enjoyment!

AMERICAN SWEETHEARTS may be read as a stand-alone, but to experience the full range of Ms. Herrera’s talent, I would recommend you read the other books in the series. They are must reads.

American Sweethearts is a sweet and hot m/f romance about childhood friends trying to figure out a something like tenth-chance romance. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the three m/m romances earlier in the Dreamers series, but appreciated the focus on the male character's growth and work on himself to be a better partner and I liked him much more than the usual heroes in m/f romances - for once I felt like the hero actually deserved the heroine!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
If all women in m/f romance were as fabulous as Pris in this book, I would read a whole lot more m/f romance. Pris is everything I’ve ever wanted in a girl crush. She’s funny, she’s clever, she’s fierce, she’s independent, and she has a kick ass job. Pris also has an impressive side hustle. I’ve swooned over the men in this series from the beginning but this time, it was definitely Pris who won my heart.

There’s nothing wrong with JuanPa, but like too many men, he’s only just starting to become an adult in his mid-30s and he has a whole lot of growing up to do before he can meet Pris as an actual partner. I love his growth in the book, but I loved Pris more. I love the lifetime of relationship that continues to pull JuanPa and Pris back into each other’s and I love their shared history and culture.

I also really love that neither of these characters are perfect. Pris is prickly and unforgiving and she likes to pick fights. JuanPa is trying hard to make up for years of broken trust. There is something raw and real about the two characters as they fight for the relationship they know they can have.

I usually hate the sex in m/f romance but I really loved that the sex in this book manages to be crazy hot while also feeling realistic and woman centred. Even the kink feels organic rather than sensational. Previously, I’ve really only read this kind of sex in lesbian writing and I absolutely loved it here.

I’ve been a massive fan of this series since the beginning and I love that the author has written a female character as compelling as the men in her previous books. It sounds trite and reductionist to praise this series as ‘Woke Romance’ but I absolutely love the fresh voices and the characters who actually reflect the people I know and love in my own life.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series, and is an interesting addition to the series. As we get to catch up with all the previous couples in the early stages of the book, I think it would be wise to read them in order – it would also make more sense of the level of closeness of these friends and families.

JuanPa – I do believe that these characters have more nicknames and short forms than in any other book I have ever read – and Priscilla have been close since they were little, and they have had an on and now off relationship for years, and their families remain convinced that they should be together. In actual fact, so do they, but too many upsets and disappointments litter their past, and JuanPa's arrogant attitude has just made Pris too cautious to contemplate it ever working.

As he works at building trust, and she recognises how much he has grown, the hope that they will perhaps find a way forward grows. There are some very moving touches, like how he's decorated his home. I really liked Pris and her strength as a person. The pressure that they live under due to their families hopes and dreams for them is beautifully written. It is not something which can be easy to have lived with, and becomes even stronger as their friends couple up, and their careers take off.

Such a sweet, hot, and carefully written story – all the richer for having read the earlier ones, and absorbed the values that this community live by.

This is the conclusion of Adriana’s debut Dreamers series and it’s just all so, so good. The entire series is such a delicious steamy read while also doing important social justice work and she does an amazing job walking that fine line. In this finale I loved Prisilla’s internal conflict of loving her work of helping people on the police force and not wanting to let her parent’s immigrant American dream down but also wanting to follow her OWN dream. It’s complicated and messy, which I’m always a fan of because life is complicated and messy and Adriana Herrera writes that perfectly. JuanPa was excellent as a supportive MC who has learned his lesson and just wants to show her that he has. And how much he is into Pris is just seriously the hottest thing ever.

This well written book with great characters the are well developed and engaging and the storyline flows smoothly from beginning to end! This book has all the feels and hit me where it counts, go one click your copy today and find out for yourself!

I received an ARC of American Sweethearts by Adriana Herrera from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Adriana Herrera’s American Dreamers series was in my top reads of last year. I loved the stories of these immigrants finding their Happily Ever Afters. I was thrilled to get an ARC of this book. Unfortunately the arrival of the ARC coincided with the beginning of the pandemic and my brain shut down so it took me a while to be able to finish this story. But it was through no fault of the book itself.

This is a second-chance love story between Juan Pablo and Priscilla, who were on and off from their teen years. They story picks up where they are completely broken up and have been distant from each other for a long time. They meet up again at a friend’s wedding (the hero of the second book in the series, Milo), and sparks fly. More than sparks though. Priscilla can tell Juan Pablo has changed. Come to find out he’s had a lot of therapy and has been consciously working on making himself a better man — for himself and for Priscilla. He is not ready to give up on them, but he never pushes her. He’s done that in the past and everything blew up. This time, he lets her come to him and is just a supportive friend and lover. There’s a fantastic scene where he takes care of her while she’s having cramps.

Priscilla is a great character. She’s a cop who has a side hustle teaching sex classes to minorities, particularly immigrants, and she has a blog and podcast. She teaches sex-ed through a social justice lens. She’s increasingly unhappy in her day job. Juan Pablo thinks she could make it a full-time career out of it, but he doesn’t push her, much. The recovering fundamentalist in me had trouble understanding sex-ed as social justice, but I think I get it. I want to get it.

Through the book, there’s no manufactured drama or angst. It’s just two grown-ass people learning to communicate and make each other a priority while also taking care of themselves. That’s what I love about Herrera’s books. They are grown-ass people, having grown-ass relationships and sexy times together.

I give this book 4 Stars, and I highly recommend that you read it. It’s one that I can tell will grow on me with future re-reads so I might bump it up to 4.5. If you haven’t read the rest of the series, start with American Dreamer. It’s my favorite of the bunch.

2 stars for the first 1/3 of the novel
4 stars for the last 2/3 of the novel
So... 3 1/3 stars overall

I received an advance galley with the first chapter of this book via Netgalley, and ended up purchasing the entire book.

This fourth and last installment in Herrera's American Dreamers series features the two still romantically unattached members of a tight NYC Caribbean Black/Latinx friend group: Dominican-American police detective Priscilla (cousin of Nesto, one of the protagonists of the first book, American Dreamer) and Puerto-Rican-American bisexual physical trainer Juan Pablo, the don't-take-anything-too-seriously funny guy of the group. Priscilla and Juanpa have been best friends since childhood, and dated from the age of 16 until after college, until Juanpa broke his promise to join the NYPD with Priscilla. Since then (for 13 years!) the two have had an on-again, off-again romance, although all the back-and-forthing has become pretty old to Priscilla. After the last "off-again," she read the "fuckboy" his walking papers, and has been surprised to discover that for once he'd listened to her, and actually kept away.

After a brief prologue which sets up, but doesn't actually show (!), Pris and Juanpa experiencing their first break-up, 13 years ago, the book opens with the entire friendgroup and their parents on a private jet to the Dominican Republic, on the way to a week's wedding celebration for Milo (, book #2) and his prince charming, Tom. This first third of the novel is largely a gift for fans of the previous books, with the whole crowd together celebrating, and not a lot of plot or relationship movement/development for the protagonists of this one. The author expects readers to remember things from previous books (such as what Juanpa actually did for a job), instead of signposting/reminding them, which might work well for those who don't read a lot of other books while waiting for Herrera's next installment, but made me have to go back and flip through previous books to understand.

By the end of the week's celebrations, Pris and Juanpa end up jumping into the sack again (or rather, into a pool cabana), even despite Pris's telling herself and Juanpa that she wouldn't. And even though between bouts of hot sex, Pris confides to Juanpa about her worries about her job, Pris ghosts him once they're back in New York.

I found it difficult to feel engaged by Pris and Juanpa's relationship at this point in the story, in large part because we're never shown how they act when they're together, romantically, or how or why they explode when they fall apart; we're just told about it. I didn't know enough about the characters yet to actually make the back-and-forthing feel more than simply annoying. But I've never been in a back-and-forth romance; perhaps those who have will better relate to this pattern than I was. The pattern does seem more common in romance novels featuring characters from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds than in ones with more privileged, cis white het protagonists— pointing to the additional strain that black and brown bodies (as Pris names them) face as they negotiate personal relationships?

The story started to work better for me once Pris and Juanpa agree to try and get back to being friends, rather than severing all ties, several weeks after they return to NYC. We get to see them interacting on their own, just the two of them, and get to see their comfortable, yet sexually potent, friendship on the page. We also get to see how Juanpa has begun to try and change, interrupting his usual pattern of hitting verbally back whenever Priscilla makes a defensive comment or verbal attack, a change that Pris notices and that makes her more willing to give romance yet another try. (I did wish Herrera had mentioned at the beginning that Junapa had actually been taking steps to understand his own hangups by seeing a therapist, though, instead of dropping it in at the 50% mark!) And by the book's very end, we see that Priscilla's own emotional issues have played a large role in why their romantic relationship keeps falling apart. Was so glad that they were finally able to feel safe enough with each other to show their vulnerabilities, and to explain directly what was so upsetting about the other's behavior/assumptions to one another.

The subplot about Priscilla becoming discontent with her career and wanting to make a change, but feeling trapped because she doesn't want to disappoint her parents, who gave up so much to immigrate to the U.S. so that she could have a more financially secure life, serves both to explore Priscilla's character and to highlight an important issue for many second-generation American "dreamers."

I love this book. I love it hard. The romance between Juan Pablo and Priscilla was everything I love in a romance. But, what really struck a cord with me was Priscilla's struggle. There's this pressure that we as immigrants, or as the children of immigrants, put on ourselves. A pressure to make something of ourselves. A pressure that quite often takes a very specific shape and form. A pressure that can at times weigh us down more than we know how to deal with. I really felt Priscilla's struggle as she decided what to do with her life. Struggling between her passion and her stable career that she'd also worked really hard to build. This struggle drives the book for me and really hit a cord within me.

But, of course, we can't move on without talking about the love story, because I loved it so much!! Juan Pablo and Priscilla have a long and complicated history. This is a second chance romance, except it's more like a millionth chance romance. You don't get to see Juan Pablo as he goes through the process of growing and becoming the man that can be in a stable relationship, but you certainly get to see the fruits of his labor. You see it every time he reacts in a way that is unexpected to Priscilla and you're also proud of him, even though you don't know the 'before' Juan Pablo. I love that throughout this book, he really becomes her rock, he's there to hold her up no matter what her choices are. He's there to hold her up, but also just to be at her side while she soars and I loved that.

Besides all the amazing growth and development you see in these characters, I can't walk away from this review without tell you about their sexy times, because man were they hot. I didn't need more, but I definitely wouldn't have been mad at it cause these two have crazy fire chemistry.

I'm so sad that this is the last book in the series. I've loved getting to meet this friend group and I'll definitely miss them. Also, if you've read the prior books, I dare you not to tear up at the wedding scene. I mean, it was just all kinds of lovely.

I've been waiting for JuanPa’s book with alternate joy and sadness. Joy, because he will round out the dynamic foursome that form the central protagonists of Herrera's American Dreamers series, a series that has brought me an immense amount of joy; but also sadness because it will soon be over (thought I notice there is a Christmas novel being planned for release, so this takes some of the sting out of the series coming to an close).

When I saw the excerpt for this book at the end of American Love Story, I knew I was going to love it.
JuanPa and Pris have been dating on and off for most of their lives. They and their family have a lot of history and it is interesting to note just how vested their respective families are in the outcome of their relationship.

JuanPa and Pris meet on a private plane after having had their last breakup over a year before. The plane carries not only their families but also the Patrice and Easton (American Love Story) to the Dominican Republic for the wedding of Camilo and Thomas (American Fairy Tale). Nesto is already there with Jude (American Dreamer), coordinating the catering for the event. It's amazing because all the couples from the previous books play their parts in this novel.

Meanwhile, JuanPa and Pris try to play it cool but their chemistry gets the best of them - and the reader. The remainder of the book deals with how their going to make it last this time.

This is definitely a second -chance romance, and in this dynamic, Juan Pa has really done the hard work of trying to be a different man for Priscilla. Here, it is Pris who has to re envision what she wants out of life, what sacrifices she is willing to make to live authentically and how vulnerable she is willing to be to accept the love she wants.

The sex-positivity is amazing in this book. Priscilla engage in what Herrera has referred to as sex activism - based on the work of Audrey Lord. Pris runs sex positive workshops teaching elderly clients about sex toys. It is this side hustle that presents her with her internal conflict - should she give up her career as a police officer, a job that she not only once loved but also honors her family's ambitions for her (her father is a retired police officer). As the daughter of Dominican immigrants, expectations for her success are high but what if her definition of success is different from the one her family has envisioned for her? And can she risks the collective dreams of her family if there is a possibility of failure?

The sex positivity doesn't end there. While the other books in the Dreamers series are m/m, this one is m/f. However, JuanPa is bi, and there is an incredible pegging scene that blows the roof off the hotness in this novel.

As I've already mentioned - everyone wants these two to win. The sense of community in this series culminates with the families and friends all conspiring to help these two idiots build a love that lasts. But first they have to get out of their own way. Juan Pa fighting his old, bad habits and Pris learning to be vulnerable, take risks and give herself permission to live authentically is one of the best plot arcs in this entire series.

Adriana Herrera delivers the goods in this installment of a series that has nothing short of excellent. I never want it to end.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Just when I thought the series couldn't possibly get any better, Herrera drops THIS on us. An absolute steamy, "lifelong loves find each other again" wonder. It's the first book in the series with a m/f romance, but don't fret ~ there is 100% nothing typical about this story. All of the characters from the previous books feature prominently and new characters add so much richness to the Dreamers world. All in all, a masterpiece.

I have to be honest, this wasn't my favorite book out of the four, but I still consider it the perfect ending the Dreamers series. Readers who have followed the Dreamers already know Juan and Pris. I suppose that you could read this as a stand alone, but there was a lot of build up to this point.

Juan and Pris have been in a love/hate relationship forever. They grew up together and couldn't get away from each other, whether they wanted to or not. Their families were too entangled with one another - which is one of my favorite parts of this series.

The main thing that separated them emotionally was Pris' job. It was their "dream" to go into the police force together, until Juan did an about face. After that, everything centered around the choices that they had made when they were younger. They both moved on, but they kept gravitating toward each other. The attraction and sexual tension between the two of them was off the charts. When they were forced together at a family gathering to celebrate a wedding, that attraction became too much to ignore. Pris thought she was prepared to keep it casual and walk away. What she didn't know was that Juan had made a concerted effort to make himself worthy of Pris' love and he wasn't about to give up.

The Ethnic background of all the characters in the Dreamers series was a huge part of each of their stories. The individual books centered around each character's dream, but it was more than that. Each character was determined to make their parents proud - because giving each of them the opportunities that they didn't have was each of their parent's dreams for their children. I personally loved that aspect. There's a definite message there...

Full review published on the Book Queen's Book Palace Blog 4/3/20
CW: The main character investigates a case of suspected childhood sexual abuse.

American Sweethearts is the soul-stirring and deeply satisfying fourth and final installment in Adriana Herrera’s award-winning Dreamers series, which centers on a tight group of Afro-Caribbean friends finding love and living out their own version of the American dream in New York. All of the protagonists of these books are Caribbean immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants. All are striving towards and hustling to forge their own path. Though these characters face challenges stemming from or in some way related to race and their immigrant identity, that identity is also a constant source of pride and joy. The cultures of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti are all represented and celebrated in some way in these books. The fourth book steadfastly upholds this and all the traditions that make this stunning series stand out including rock solid found family, memorable characters, and a social justice center leavened by heat and humor.


This time the story centers on Priscilla and Juan Pablo, former childhood sweethearts who’ve been in a volatile, love-hate, off and on relationship since they were teenagers in the Bronx. They’re now in their mid thirties. Two decades is a long time to be feuding with someone you love, and Priscilla in particular, is more than tired of the struggle. In her words, Juan Pablo has been, and to her knowledge when the story opens likely still is, a “fuckboy.” The last time they got together less than a year ago left some deep scars and not a small amount of hostility. Readers of the earlier books can attest to that tension. The sparks, however, are also very much still in force.

This final chapter in the Dreamers series focuses primarily on how these two people, who have never really fallen out of love, find their way back together despite those two decades of drama, pain and mistrust, but it’s also the story of how one of those characters, Priscilla, navigates a life-altering reevaluation of her life’s work and future path. That multilayered setup is one of the book’s greatest strengths. This is truly grown-folks business in the best sense of the term, and that’s not that prevalent in romance.

With experience and history comes baggage, however, which these characters have in spades. Each encounter carries echoes of the past. Each text message merits second guessing and strict scrutiny. Further complicating the story, one of the problems Priscilla and Juan Pablo face is beyond their control. Nothing they do, no reunion, no matter how tentative can ever be low stakes. The duration of the relationship and the closeness of their crew amplify the typical issues involved in a childhood sweethearts, second chance romance. This is no ordinary love connection. They grew up just blocks apart. Their families and close knit group of friends are intertwined. His parents adore her. Her parents love him. Both their mothers dream and scheme about grandkids. Priscilla’s cousin Nesto is one of JuanPa’s best friends (and the protagonist of book 1). Everyone around them feels deeply invested in the idea of them being together.

Throughout the Dreamers series, that close-knit multicultural community around these characters has played a central role. Their circle is beautiful and rock-solid, and it’s wonderful to see these characters surrounded by love. It’s especially meaningful to see that community uphold queer characters of color—all of the central couples in the earlier books have been male/male, and Juan Pablo is bisexual. But the flipside of support is that kind of omnipresent family and friend circle can also be intrusive. In this case it heightens the stakes and the stress of every decision JuanPa and Priscilla make. It’s interesting to see those dynamics represented so well on the page.

With all that history and all that community, this reunion is a very tall order, but the way that the story is told does justice to its complexity. American Sweethearts employs first person narration with the different points of view represented in alternating chapters, which works well in this context. We get to see where each person is, where the gaps are and what draws them together, all things that are important with the second (ok 12th) chance at love.

Ultimately unlike the other three books in the series, American Sweethearts isn’t about whether two people will fall in love or even whether Priscilla and Juan Pablo will or won’t fall in love again. The more interesting question is how two people who’ve been at odds for so long can turn that around and make it last. That’s a question of character, of psychology, the human aptitude for change, self awareness and growth. American Sweethearts is very much character driven. Everything hinges upon internal changes within people who love each other, but haven’t been very good with each other. That’s why having the inside track on each individual's thinking is everything. There are great insights to be gained through this dual first person approach and it’s done well here.

For these reasons—its authenticity, the candid and joyful handling of the characters’ sexuality and struggle, the character study and psychological insights, and the humor—American Sweethearts is a fitting ending to a series that masterfully combines the fun, gooey, romantic stuff with plots that are firmly grounded in reality. It’s not a perfect book—there’s a little too much left unsaid about their past for that—but it is a very strong one.

If you’re a fan of the series and of character-driven stories, and you don’t mind that it’s a little lighter in plot, you’ll love it. If you haven’t read the other books, however, this one might not work that well as an introduction. The reunion of all the couples is sweet but it gets a little repetitive, especially if you aren’t familiar with the struggles they went through to arrive at those picture-perfect happy endings. I still highly recommend reading American Sweethearts, but you should read the other books first.

4.5 stars

Tropes: Second chance romance, childhood sweethearts, forced proximity.

I have loved this series of a group of Afro-Latinx friends and their search for not only love but also meaningful careers and lives, and the final entry is no exception. Juan Pablo Campos and Priscilla Gutierrez are finally able to work through what has kept them apart and what always brings them back together, with both showing growth and maturity in their personal lives. Having all of the friends and their partners from previous entries playing a big part throughout the story is an added and most appreciated bonus! I cannot wait to see what author Adriana Herrera comes up with next.

Teenage sweethearts turned awkward frenemies, Priscilla Gutierrez and Juan Pablo Campos can’t seem to make their friendship (or relationship) work. When not throwing barbs at one another, they can often be found giving in to the electricity between them, bringing their love/hate relationship off the charts. As Pris grows frustrated with the perfect life and career she built for herself, she begins to wonder if something deeper with the man that’s been right under her nose for years might not make her happy after all.
Adriana Herrera’s entire Dreamers series has been a crowd pleasing favorite, and Sweethearts is a great addition.

I can't even tell you the last time I read a M/F romance, but I fell so hard for the characters in this series that I had to read this one, too. It did NOT disappoint!

It was so refreshing to see two characters realistically owning the issues/problems they each brought to the relationship without using each others' flaws to tear the other down. Both Priscilla and Juan Pablo were so fully fleshed out as people, I had to keep reminding myself that I don't actually know them!

Although we didn't get to see most of Juan Pablo's growth because it occurred before the story started (A+ points for a guy going to therapy), the story realistically captured how he still struggles with some of the things he's been working on, including his need to sweep in and "save" Priscilla. The way her struggles in law enforcement played off her other dreams for her life and were tied up in what she saw as her obligations to her family were incredibly well done. At first I was a little upset that we didn't get to see the outcome of the case she was working, but I realized it was never about the case.

I'm sad that the series is over, but I guess that's what re-reads are for!

I've loved every book in this series!

American Sweethearts is the fourth 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. I am fortunate that the audiobook became available through my local library, but it is totally worth a credit if you are an Audible subscriber.

Once again, Sean Crisden outdid himself with his performance of this book. The many voices he did were fantastic. American Sweethearts was different from the first three in that it was an M/F story while the others have all been M/M. Even though I read mostly M/M books these days I knew that I had to read the final book in this series and I am so glad I did.

Please read the book blurb as it describes the story much better than I can. Second chance stories and friends-to-lovers are my two favorite romance tropes. Priscilla and Juan Pablo were friends when they were young and then they became lovers. They ended up wanting different things and parted (that's over-simplifying it).

The story is rich in the details of their relationship and what really caused them to part. How they've changed, and how they will work things out this time around, was really good to read. I should also mention that the book is also hot as fire. When Juan and Pris got it on I needed a fan. 😊

I'm a little sorry to see this series end but Adriana Herrera has gained a new fan and I'm looking forward to reading more books by her.

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***

I rarely read MF books anymore but I can say I really enjoyed American Sweetheart. It's a second chance romance between two best friends and lovers. Juan Pablo and Priscilla were childhood sweethearts but they decided to their careers. They ended back together at friend's wedding. The book is a sweet romance and it was great seeing the previous characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

This is steeeeeaaaaamy. And really very good. It’s not so much a second chance romance as an umpteenth chance romance as these two try and figure out if they can put their fractious history behind them and finally make it work and I liked it a lot. It’s incredibly sex positive and also deals with what to do when it turns out that your dream career maybe isn’t the right thing for you any more (or maybe at all) and what you do next when it’s your identity and it’s what your family wanted for you.

I haven’t read any of the others in the series, but I suspect if you have this has a lot of call backs and probably the resolution to a coupling you’ve seen fighting in the background in the previous books!

What a bittersweet end to an impressive series. Adriana Herrera has given us an immeasurable gift with each installment of the Dreamers series and I am sad to see it come to a close but also delighted Juan Pablo and Priscilla finally got their HEA.

J and Pris have had a fairly antagonistic relationship in the previous three books but here they’re trying to be on their best behavior for Tom and Milo’s wedding in the Dominican Republic, although snark and skepticism still slip through, especially on Pris’s part. They’ve had an on and off relationship since they were 14 but two years ago it became decidedly off as Priscilla had enough of Juan Pablo’s sketchy ways. Now 35, she’s reevaluating every part of her life, particularly her career as a cop, and she misses her friend. And he misses her too and wants to show that he’s changed.

Actions speak louder than words, especially given their history, but words still matter. J has gone to therapy and he’s made some overt changes in his life, including the way he decorates his home, just like they’d always discussed. He has the tea Pris usually drinks when she has cramps and a hot pad and is ready to nurture her. This was so sweet to see. He’s clearly a different man! But he struggles on the communication side of things and I really loved watching him figure out how to express himself, even when he overstepped his bounds.

Pris’s journey is more about making peace with the need to take a risk. Not only with giving Juan Pablo a second chance but turning her side hustle as a sex toy shop and podcast into her full-time gig. It’s a big risk regardless but it feels especially big because she doesn’t want to let her immigrant parents down and it doesn’t have the same stability or even prestige that being a cop has. She’s carrying such a big burden on her own and I loved watching her let J in and help carry the load. (Some of the references to Priscilla's cop cases could be triggering. Please see the content warnings for more detail.)

Those two have ferocious chemistry, making for some very hot and memorable scenes. There are ups and downs along the way, making for a very satisfying HEA. I love that Pris doesn’t want to have kids and they’re both fine with being a child-free couple—this is always great to see in romance.

Like I said, I’m very sad to see this series end but what a delightful ride it’s been. I can’t wait to see what Herrera does next!

A final note, more for myself than anything else. Professional ethics, particularly for health care workers, matter a great deal to me and I was concerned during the chapter where Juan Pablo is training Yariel Cuevas, a Yankees player, and we learn that they used to hook up. Physical therapists cannot date their clients and that wouldn’t change while working for a baseball team, even if he only provides PT on the off-season. So I clarified the nature of Juan Pablo and Yariel’s relationship with Herrera. She told me they casually hooked up when Yari was in his rookie year and J was not working with him as his PT. So phew! No ethical violations there. Fun fact: Yariel will get his own story in the He’s Come Undone anthology, which I cannot wait to read.

CW: racism, microaggressions, references to child abuse cases, case involving suspected child predator and a 12 year old who gets pregnant and miscarries and runs away, reference to the predator being stabbed ostensibly in self-defense, hero’s cop father was shot in the line of duty and ultimately retired from the force, heroine almost shot on the job two years prior, colorism

Amazing book! I loved this book the most and even though it was m/f it was still really queer and didn't hide it! I want more books like this!