It's the last book in the Dreamers series and I would say it's the perfect one to end this wonderful series.

Priscilla and JuanPa have been on-again-off-again several times in their lives and while everyone around them already knows these two are the Endgame for each other, they had to fully realize it within themselves. And it's not just a spur of the moment epiphany, I think. JuanPa had to grow up, to change for the better by himself before he became the man Priscilla deserved. And these changes baffled Priscilla, who thought she already knew him through and through. She was happy her old friend (and ex) improved so much from what she remembered, but then that made her question her own self, if she's content with where she was, or was there something else she could have and do. And I loved it! 🥰

I made it sound like they were navigating personal emotions separately, and well, there's that a little bit, but Adriana Herrera writes these two with such chemistry and emotional/sexual tension that makes a great romance. Every time they're apart and longing to be with the other, I felt that too, AND when they finally come together, it felt so real and beautiful to me. 💕

Other parts I loved about this are the richness of the cultural diaspora, the steamy parts (of course!), the Bi Rep (which i think was more clear on JuanPa than on Priscilla, but it's all good), and the HEAs of everyone in the previous books (Camilo's especially!) I highly recommend this and it's probably my 2nd fave Dreamers book, after American Fairytale. 😉

Quick Synopsis: Priscilla and Juan Pablo have been on again/off again for years, but the last time was the last time, unless... So now they're at Milo and Tom's wedding (the best!!) and Juan Pablo's grown up and gone to therapy and wants this next shot to be the real thing. Priscilla doesn't know if she can trust it. When they get back home to their real life, Priscilla has a lot of real world stress pressing into her and she doesn't know if she can trust those problems to Juan Pablo.

My Thoughts: As always, Herrera's writing means the characters in this books feel like real people. Priscilla and Juan Pablo have this deep and complex history that has left Priscilla unable to really trust Juan Pablo. She's also got this need to show her parents that she's in a stable job and that she's done what they wanted for her. The problem is, being a detective isn't exactly fulfilling her anymore. This book is a lot about Priscilla figuring things out for herself and there's a lot of conflict between her and Juan Pablo because he never wanted her to go into law enforcement. There were times where I felt like we had missed information that would have helped us to better understand because for all but the prequel part of this book, we see Juan Pablo as he is now, in the present, after having gone to therapy for ages. Juan Pablo has done the work to be a good partner and he's ready for that. The problem is, again, that Priscilla can't trust him.

I think if second chance romance wasn't a trope I usually dislike, this book would have been five stars. There's so much good in it. I really love the casual queerness even in a m/f book. I love that Priscilla is trying to teach more people how to love themselves and how there is a lot of casual sex positivity. I love the friendships and seeing Milo and Tom get married. I hate that this was our last book in this series because the community of these characters is one of the best parts of the entire series and I'm not ready to let that go. Fortunately, re-reads are always available.

Anyway, I definitely recommend you read this entire series and I'm grateful to Netgalley and Carina for the opportunity to read this early.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. American Sweethearts by Adriana Herrera is the fourth book in her LGBTQIA romance Dreamers series.
It can be read as a standalone, but I am definitely going to read the rest of the books in the series as I enjoyed this one immensely, and I need to know more about the other romances between the friends who play supporting characters in this book. This is a second chance at love story. Lovers and best friends from the time they were teens, Juan Pablo Campos and Priscilla Gutierrez are reunited when close friends of theirs have a destination wedding. Priscilla knows their physical attraction is off the charts, but she thinks the problems that broke them up make a relationship impossible, but what she doesn’t know is the Juan went and got counselling after their breakup, and he is willing to put the work in to make sure they get their happy ever after. Real, raw and super-steamy, this book was one I hated to put down, and if not for the wonky eye, probably would have devoured it in one sitting. Publishing Date March 30, 2020. #NetGalley #AmericanSweethearts #AdrianaHerrera #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram #CarinaPress #LGBTQIARomance #HarlequinRomance

the dreamers series comes to a close with american sweethearts, and it's long-time, on-and-off again lovers, priscilla and juan pablo getting all the attention now. so you all know how i feel about second-chance romances, but it's not that i hate them all. it's just that there are so many done wrong. adriana herrera gets it right. yeah, some of their past is there, but it never overwhelms what happens in the here and now, and it's not that the characters make the same mistakes with a miraculously different outcome. it's that they put the work in to make it work.

the last time they broke up, juanpa realized he needed to make some changes. his very real concerns and not unreasonable anxieties were expressing themselves as anger and judgment and kept pushing away the one person in his life that he wants to keep close.

but for her part priscilla is holding on to her pride a bit too hard, life changes and sometimes the things we thought we wanted most aren't actually what we want in the end.

most of the conflict has to do with priscilla's work as a police officer. it's something she's clearly not happy with, and she's found a passion outside of her work at the precinct. but because she stuck to her pact with juanpa to join the police academy and he didn't, she feels like it's been a point of contention for so long between them, she doesn't know how to let it go without feeling like she's admitting she did something wrong.

and honestly, that speaks to me, because *no one* likes to be wrong. and it's more complex than that, because she wasn't wrong when she made the choices she did, and juanpa wasn't wrong to have made the choices he did. they were young and wanted different things and didn't talk to each other openly.

but juanpa has put a lot of work into being open and priscilla has to figure out how to match him and trust that the work he has put in is here to stay. because aside from their communication problems, they are clearly on the same wavelength everywhere else. especially the bedroom. where they are simply hot, hot, hot.

**american sweethearts will publish on march 30, 2020. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
This series is so good. Watching Juanpa and Pris circle one another made me want their story. I knew that they had history and had been off and on for years until something happened that sent Pris running and Juanpa looking at himself. .
I loved that Juanpa has been working on himself. He is in therapy and is not ashamed. He can see how this pattern that he and Pris have been in hurts them both. Instead of reacting, he thinks about the situation.
Pirs is a cop with a sexual health side hustle. She teaches classes for older people about masturbation and enjoying sex as they get older. This is her passion. Being a cop is not what she had hoped it would be. There is so much sexism and racism hat she has to f=deal with on a daily basis that she is tired.
This book does so many things right. The friendships are fantastic, It is sex positive and hot. The issues are so honest. I love the families and the thoughtful way that Juanpa approaches this relationship while trying to avoid all the old patterns that continually wrecked them.
THis book gets all of it right and the sexy times are extremely well done. I love this author and will read anythign she writes.

A bittersweet end to one of my favorite series of all time.

The mystery of Juan Pablo and Priscilla's on again-off again, love/hate relationship is solved! The moment these two characters were introduced in American Dreamer, the first book in Herrera's Dreamers series, I was DYING to know their backstory.

I loved getting to know JuanPa and Pris, the last two single members of the tight group of friends from NYC. The love-hate is strong! They are so obviously meant for each other, even then they are at each other's throats. The sexy times are hot and kinky (hello, sex toys!), and the tender moments are sweet but not sappy.

The social justice themes continue in American Sweethearts. Herrera has a way of weaving important, relevant issues into her romance without coming off as lecturing. I've learned a lot from this series.

A steamy second chance romance involving childhood sweethearts and a bisexual Afro-Latinx hero, American Sweethearts has a lot going for it. We follow Priscilla (a NYPD officer with a big heart and a side-gig in sex ed) and Juan Pablo (an athletic trainer with complicated feelings about the police force) who were childhood best friends, high school sweethearts, and have been on and off over the years. Their sexual chemistry has never been the issue, but maybe now things are different enough they can make it work.

There is definitely a lot to like here. The characters are well developed, the difference between sex and emotional intimacy is clearly distinguished, it deals with larger thematic issues involving social work and criminal justice, and it is very sex positive. It's also casually queer with queer friend groups (from other books in the series) and celebrates positive sexuality for brown and black bodies. There were a few things that made this less of a hit for me, although these won't necessarily bother every reader.

First, be aware that this book is quite steamy, and definitely not in a vanilla way. I didn't think anything was mishandled and this is very good about clear consent etc. That said, if you are used to more basic fare in the bedroom, this might come as a bit of a surprise. We get references to various sex toys including prostate massagers and this is the first book I've read with a scene involving pegging. (If you don't know what this is, do what I did and look it up on wikipedia. I would probably advise not using Google) Again, not poorly handled I think, but not something I was expecting and probably not the sort of thing I would typically seek out. Your mileage on this will vary.

The other thing is that second chance romances can be a bit of a hard sell for me, and I'm not sure I can fully get behind this one. Usually if people keep breaking up there is a good reason for it. I was definitely convinced that Juan Pablo had grown and changed through therapy and hard work, but I didn't feel the same way about Priscilla and the way she handled conflict and big feelings could be pretty toxic. I think if she also had a growth arc I would be more on board with it, but right up to almost the end she was doing the same way and it didn't feel healthy to me. I know all their friends and family wanted them to finally end up together, but I wasn't convinced it was the right move. That said, I like a lot of what the author is trying to do here and I will probably try more from her and see how I get on with it. I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

American Sweethearts by Adrian Herrera
Dreamers #4

JuanPa and Pris have known and loved one another for years. Their relationship has been plagued with on again off again love-hate periods that have made them both feel it just wasn’t worth it to be together only to be drawn to one another again without seeming to avoid the magnetic pull they feel. I have to say I don’t remember much about the two of them from previous books and didn’t see what the two saw in one another except history and intense chemistry although perhaps there might be more. I also felt that JauanPa had jumped through hoops to be what Pris wanted but didn’t see Pris doing much giving on her side.

The book introduces the two and the cast and crew from the previous books on a private jet set to fly to the Dominican Republic for the wedding of their friend Camilo. The whole group and their parents spend time together on island then head home again. There is talk of their jobs and friends and some time spent together and a case that is bothering Pris but in spite of their time together and how hot they are for one another – at least in the bedroom – I don’t get why they are REALLY together and what they have to sustain their relationship.

I did enjoy the other books more than this one and think it might be because I could relate to the characters and the relationships they developed with their love interests in a way that I had trouble doing with JuanPa and Pris. I might have liked more about the two as individuals in their respective jobs or more time with them actually talking about their career goals and dreams of the future. I guess I felt I needed more about them and felt I had that with the characters in the previous books.

Did I enjoy this story? So-so
Would I read more in this series? Perhaps

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

2-3 Stars

This whole series has been phenomenal and this book is no exception. This book is perfection, definitely a favorite of the year. JuanPa and Pris have known each other since childhood and have a long history of explosive chemistry and love followed by fights and heartbreak. This story is about them finally coming to a place where they can finally make their relationship work. There are so many things right with this book and how this relationship is handled I don’t even know where to start.

The chemistry is undeniable between them, you can feel the connection off the page, but you can also easily see where they have run into trouble in the past. Herrera does an awesome job navigating the waters of what is essentially a long term relationship even though they have been off and on frequently. Though we weren’t there to personally see JuanPa’s journey dealing with toxic masculinity and his own baggage, Herrera does a great job of showcasing how he might have acted to a situation in the past and how he’s made such progress in how he is acting now. And oh my god, he’s such a good man *cue tears.* He’s not perfect of course but he’s such a good fit for Pris. He owned up to his issues and became a fantastic partner just right for Pris.

This book followed more of Pris’s journey to living a happier and better life and how she works through her own issues and hang ups. How she learns she can open up fully and trust in the changes JuanPa has made to better himself, that she can lean on him for support. It’s beautiful watching these two rebuild a solid foundation to their relationship, one step at a time. And wow was it sexy! The heat between these two was off the chain and had you flying through the pages.

Absolutely recommend this book (as well as the series in general) and can’t wait to read whatever else Adriana Herrera puts in front of me.

Looking for a damn good, wonderfully steamy, thoughtfully constructed romance?  Look no further – here comes Adriana Herrera with her terrific American Sweethearts.

Priscilla – Pris - Gutierrez and her best friend since childhood and on and off boyfriend Juan Pablo – J - Campos had always planned to join the police academy together and become NYPD officers.  It’s a plan that’s blown apart when Juan Pablo applies to grad school instead, and leads to their friendship, arrangement and future plans falling apart.

Years later, Juan Pablo is a physical therapist with the New York Yankees, and Pris is a detective with the NYPD who also runs a side business - a sex-positive toy shop -  and produces a blog and podcast that examine her feelings about her blackness (she and Juan Pablo are both Afro-Latine; Pris is also a first-generation American), sex, and queerness.  When the book opens, they are heading to the Dominican Republic on a private jet to the wedding of their close friend Milo (American Fairytale). Neither Pris nor J have ever forgotten or fully gotten over one another, and the close quarters are not quashing those old flames.

Both Pris and J are in a personal state of flux.  Pris keeps questioning her position on the force thanks to a child abuse case she’s working, which is being tainted by upper brass negligence and bullheadedness, plus the racism and misogyny she faces on a daily basis.  The weight of her parent’s expectations and disappointment also keep her on the squad.

J, meanwhile, has been through a string of casual affairs, but none his previous partners can hold a candle to Pris. He’s been through therapy to outgrow his negative behaviors, and is trying to learn how to listen to Pris and take her needs into account.

Everyone else – from their matchmaking moms to their close friends – seems to see that J and Pris belong together. Soon, their love/hate, friends with benefits relationship begins to shift and grow. But will they be able to sit down and work out their misunderstandings and misgivings before the trip is over?

American Sweethearts has a great combination of sexy, gutsy romance between two adults who have baggage and growth under their belts, strong friendships, unbreakable family bonds and a sharp probing of social issues.  It’s a brew cooked up by Herrera with tender loving care and the end result is one of the best contemporaries I’ve read thus far this year.

I liked the love language the characters use with one another – from J being so prepared for Pris’ period that he keeps the tea she uses in his house to the she has to carefully learn how to make room for him in her life. The mutual pining between them is high in quality, with a nice, slow-burning yearning that makes the book melt-in-your-palm good (there’s a scene where Pris pegs J that will leave the reader drooling).  They have their reasons to avoid finally Saying The Thing and embarking on a romance; Pris is bad at giving herself over to another person, to rely on them; J has to grovel, a lot, for his horrible earlier behavior.  They both come off as realistic grown-ups.

For followers of the series, we get a little extra time with Easton and Patrice (American Love Story) as well as Milo and Tom.  J and Pris’ families play a big role in the book, and their moms are both delights.

The setting establishes both the beauty of the Dominican Republic and the busy, bouncing melting pot that is New York with a deft hand. American Sweethearts does a good job tackling a variety of serious topics such as sex positivity, sexism, racial and justice-based inequity, and the lives of first generation immigrants in America.

Overall, American Sweethearts is a handsome read about relatable characters you’ll root for.

Buy it at: Amazon or shop at your local independent bookstore
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I was really looking forward to Juan Pablo and Priscilla’s story and I loved seeing glimpses of their friends’ happy endings continuing, but this book didn’t feel like a fit for me.

American Sweetheart is a second chance romance between Juan Pablo, an Italian-Puerto Rican physical therapist for the Yankees, and Priscilla, a Dominican NY cop who does sex education and advocacy on the side. They’ve had an on-again-off-again dynamic since they were teens but kept hitting bumps because JuanPa came across as unsupportive of Priscilla’s career and Priscilla having trouble leaning on her support system.

I think my biggest issue and why I enjoyed this less than I hoped is I saw a lot of physical chemistry but the emotional chemistry often felt like I was told it was there rather than feeling it. I love the friendship between Pris and JuanPa, especially as they rebuild and retrust each other, and I loved how supportive JuanPa was of Priscilla through everything she was going through and the choices she was trying to make.

I adore Adriana’s books and strongly recommend every one in the Dreamers series. There’s great elements of discussion of social advocacy and the communities people build. I also like how with Priscilla we see how she struggles to feel like she won’t be a disappointment to her parents because they came to the states with little and had to work hard to give Priscilla a good life. This book in particular also talks about how justice system can be hard to work in because when you see a bad situation your hands are tied by rules and protocol that may make it harder to do what you feel is right.

I enjoyed this book for the friendships and found family, and the social justice and sex positivity, but I was less invested in the romance in some ways. I still definitely recommend this book and your mileage may vary on the romance.

First, I want to state that I am a huge fan of this author. I love this series and have been so looking forward to this book. Unfortunately I did not enjoy it. I felt no connect to the characters. In the previous books the chemistry was snapping. The characters so well developed they were basically reading me the book. I felt none of that here and was left so disappointed. These are personal preference issues and I’m sure this book will still be well received by many. I will not be sharing my opinions in the form of a review of this title outside of NetGalley.

American Sweethearts is the story of Priscilla and Juan Pablo who have the most complicated history when it comes to their hearts and chemistry. Except that now, things are changing since Juan Pablo has taken it into his hands to mature as a man and has started seeing a therapist. This change happens off-page and there is the result of Juan Pablo's effort in how he grows as a friend to Priscilla. What I liked so much about this book was how it focused on their relationship not only as lovers, but as friends as well. When it comes to romance, platonic love is so important as a base to me as a reader, and this is what American Sweethearts delves into so perfectly.

The two's lives are intertwined since they share the same friend group and during one of their close friend's wedding, they are enmeshed into another affair that has their bodies and minds begging for more.

Juan Pablo offers Priscilla the court, tells her that he will welcome any kind of relationship she wanted with him, and Priscilla, due to the stress of her job as a detective for the NYPD, seeks him out at moments of stress. What used to be more agonizing conversation regarding her work since Juan Pablo has tried in the past to steer Priscilla away from her work as a cop, now turns into comfort as he apologizes for the past and how he'd ever made her feel like he didn't care for what she thought.

That, to me, is the winning point of American Sweethearts; how Juan Pablo's growth isn't a turbulent thing that puts their relationship in danger, but rather, it's so steady and strong that it gave me swoon-worthy moments where he took care of her and her needs even during times where most men would cringe.

If you're looking for a romance that focuses on rebuilding the basis of a relationship of a couple with history, familial relationships that are diverse as well as comforting and healthy, and a sizzling romance full of sex-positive attitude, then pick up a copy of American Sweethearts.

American Sweethearts by Adriana Herrera

Oh my gosh, I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for JuanPa’s book. Okay, it’s only been a year since American Dreamer, the first book in the Dreamers series, but needless to say, current events have made the twelve months between March 2019 and March 2020 feel like a decade. Anyway, when I saw the excerpt for this book at the end of American Love Story, it made me even more excited for this book.

JuanPa and Pris have been on-again-off-again for YEARS, like since they were teens. They have a lot of history, and now they’re both headed to a super posh wedding in the Dominican Republic. Both of them are determined to be cordial to each other while keeping their distance, but neither of them factored in that their scorching chemistry never waned.

So OF COURSE they hook up in the DR, and now they have to go back to NYC and figure out where they stand with each other.

I should point out that the other books in the Dreamers series are m/m, but this book is m/f. However, JuanPa is bi and there’s a super hot pegging scene at one point. Oh, I should also point out that Pris’ side hustle is holding sex positive workshops where she teaches abuelitas about sex toys.

Because this is a second-chance romance, there’s a different dynamic. There’s a sense of familiarity because JuanPa and Pris already know everything about each other, but their relationship has failed before and so they have to work twice as hard to make sure they avoid dealbreakers from the past.

JuanPa and Pris are supported by an awesome cast of secondary characters: there’s the six guys who make up the three couples from the previous books, but JuanPa and Pris’ parents also make appearances. This plays into the second-chance dynamic because they’re all secretly rooting for JuanPa and Pris to get back together.

I would absolutely recommend American Sweethearts. This book can be read as a standalone, but whether you start with this book or read the series in order, you are in for a treat—the Dreamer books are among some of my favorite contemporary queer romance novels. I am looking forward to reading more from Adriana Herrera in the future.




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

I have been anticipating this book since the 1st book in the series, when we met Juan P and Pris :D And i enjoyed it! The crew reunites for Camilo and tom's wedding and it was just so beautifully done. the entire ceremony :D

Now to our MCs...

1st off: I DID NOT KNOW JUAN P WAS QUEER!!! I picked up a vibe and then it was pretty much confirmed when he mentioned a guy he was with.
2nd off: He loves being pegged by Pris! Yes helloooo. We get a pegging scene my friends! I loved that.

so this one is a second chance at love story. Juan and Pris very clearly still got that chemistry and love for each other, but there was tension between them because of Pris' job. I liked how these two found each other again when Juan P is now in a good place and working on himself, and Pris is trying to figure out some stuff with her day job and her side hustle.

Get you a man as supportive as Juan, seriously. He is so down for Pris and her needs and I loved how she was working on herself too. The growth of these two! :)

We get cameos from out faves from books 1 to 3 and it so funny that everyone is rooting for Pris and Juan to get together, that when they do so covertly, everyone basically already knows what's up.

their rekindled relationship isn't without it's ups and downs and struggles, which made this feel so real to me. Nothing just falls into place, they both have to work at this. they falter but eventually talk it out. communication for the win!

While I did enjoy this one I do want to point out that there was a scene where Priscilla thinks of her vagina as "lady parts" and honestly I wish authors would retire this phrasing forever. It was especially jarring in this book because there is a trans side character so...come on people! Let's be a bit more mindful of this.

I'm sad the series is over and I hope we get little sneak peeks into everyone's lives somewhere down the line

I love the Dreamers series. I'm not enjoying this book.

At the 50% mark, I'm still so curious about both of these characters and who they are. There's so much 'other' happening here, however, their love story is lost.

I like all the things the author is talking about in this novel, unfortunately, the dialogue/diversity/queer representation/body positivity/race relations/misogyny/...and so much more - instead of enhancing this story, distract and overwhelm it. The characters feel like archetypes vs. actual people. The novel is talking AT me rather than TO me.

I'm convinced that if I provide a negative review of this novel, or even a so-so review, it will only present an opportunity for someone to lecture me about my bias against A, B, C, D, E...truly, the options are endless. I try to read books with an open mind and heart, but this book is ripe for a reviewer misstep. I want authors to confront challenging content, and when they do it well, I'm all in. I wouldn't say this one is doing it well, and for this reason (and others), I'm out.

At 50%, the romance - my primary interest - is underdeveloped and underwhelming. It's a C (so far), but I am DNF'ing it.

American Sweethearts is wonderful. Juan Pablo and Priscilla have been on-again/off-again since age 15, but they've always been explosive together. After a bad break two or three years ago, they find themselves together on a luxury jet down to the Dominican Republic for a destination wedding. They're drawn together and find themselves thinking about what-if.

One of the great things about this book is that we don't see the male lead realize he needs to change, we see him after he's gotten it together. The story really focuses on Priscilla's realization that he's changed, and her personal growth. And I really enjoyed that.

It's sizzling, it's sweet, he takes care of her when she gets the cramps. It's great, you guys.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

I've been a huge fan of Adriana Herrera's books since day one, and I was super excited for American Sweethearts. It did not disappoint! Though there were parts of the 'will they or won't they' that felt repetitive, I still really enjoyed the dynamic between Pris and JuanPa. I would have loved to see more of their conflict because it did feel like a lot of things just got told to us instead of shown, and that's really my only issue with this book.

Besides that, it was perfectly steamy and romantic, and the HEA felt earned and real. Also, Herrera does a fantastic job depicting the internal struggle of first-generation Americans -- reading about Pris's journey felt like reading about myself at times, and I'm so grateful to see these topics explored in a romance. Overall, I loved this book and was definitely emotional when it was over. Definitely recommend!

Included in SBTB’s New Releases for March 2020 (Part 2): https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2020/03/marchs-new-releases-part-two/

This second chance story is my first book from this author. I thought the concept was wonderful, the writing was very authentic and representative of Caribbean American communities. The book also tackled some taboo LGBTQ topics affecting POC. The sexual openness was sizzling and refreshing. However, this book couldn't really be read as a stand-alone story and really feel connected to the characters. The book doesn't really get into their back story except for one chapter in the book so you're left reading through a whole lot of "much has happened between us" but no details. The ending was also very abrupt. The story ends just when I thought they were going to really start exploring some of their past issues and moving into a place of growth, especially for Priscilla. I'm giving this four chilli peppers of hotness.

I received a free ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own. Follow me on Goodreads

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