Do you ever like the second book in a series more than the first? That’s what happened for me with A LOT LIKE ADIOS by Alexis Daria. I enjoyed the heck out of YOU HAD ME AT HOLA, but book two really blew me away. I loved so much about this book, but especially the wonderful way it tackled the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, and how Michelle and Gabe reconnected after years apart. The family dynamics add a whole other layer to love, too. This book is sexy and delightful

A steamy second chance romance that I mostly really enjoyed. Ugh but sometimes I just wanted to shake Gabe lol!
Michelle and Gabe were childhood best friends until Gabe moved across the country after graduation without a word. After 10 years, they get in contact again when Gabe’s gym contracts with Michelle to design a campaign for their NYC gym opening. They QUICKLY start a friends…(or coworkers?) with benefits situation and as can be expected, feelings get tangled and complicated more so when the two families get involved.

Alexis Daria's new book is sexy, heartwarming, and full of passion.

This book will always have a special place in my heart. Gabriel and Michelle's characters are extremely relatable, and such amazing Latinx and bisexual rep! I saw so much of myself in Gabriel, especially with his struggles and complicated relationship with his parents. The history and budding relationship between these two was incredible and so well done; it felt like they were old school friends of mine that I had known forever.
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I cried, laughed, blushed, and cried some more while reading. Alexis Daria knows how to write relatable stories with beautiful, steamy romances.
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This story isn't just about the romance; it's about family, growth, and grief. Learning how to advocate for yourself, build relationships, and slowly rise from your trauma and pain. I don’t know how Alexis does it, but she is magic, and I am so grateful I am able to read her books right when I need them.

I devoured Michelle and Gabe’s love story. It was filled with so much friends to lovers/second chance yumminess. Mixed in with a dash of forced proximity and work romance. And the cherry on top? That was definitely the steam… 👌🏻🍒🔥

I love how Alexis incorporated the beginning of Mich & Gabe’s friendship in a time jump. You really felt their connection and it was so cool how she took these characters and had them bond over writing a fanfic together. Their instant messaging transcripts were the best and reminded me of my days on AIM (that’s AOL Instant Messenger for all you Gen Z friends 🙃)

This book was also funny. I about died laughing at the CVS scene (iykyk). There was so much humor and heart, I simply loved this book!

As a fanfiction writer, I am obligated to absolutely love this cute-as-everything novel. I love Alexis' work and enjoyed this one as much as You Had Me at Hola. If you love a low angst, fun and funny romantic novel featuring rich characters and a funny storyline, this one is a great read. I picked up the audiobook and enjoyed the performance as well.

3.5 stars?

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one.

I’m a bit conflicted about the romance, though I love both our MC’s (umm hello bi babes!!!!!!). Individually, I was really invested in them and in their lives. I’ve always loved Michelle (back in You Had Me at Hola), and Gabe stole my heart in this one and I wanted to protect him at all costs (though there were times I wanted to shake him tbh).

Above all, I mostly appreciated Gabe’s journey and that the author allowed him to figure his own shit out. It ~might have~ wrapped up a bit more nicely than I anticipated, but it was still all his own.

Everything else was good? Didn’t really care for the fanfic though. Perhaps it was just odd pacing within this book, but it was still enjoyable!

I enjoyed this book. It was nice and steamy but also a strong love story and I especially liked the relationship that was built between Gabe and his parents by the end of the story. Engaging and a quick read. I'd read more from this author.

I listened to the majority of this and switched to print at the end because I wanted to finish it because it was so good!. First, the narrator is fantastic (great job, Seraphine Valentine!). Great job with accents and conveying emotion and easy to understand (even at a faster playback speed). Second, this book is steamy!! For a steam scale… I tend to read little (maybe 2-3 steamy scenes in a book) to no steam. This is is probably medium - definitely more than I’m used to, and I believe it worked with the story.

This is the second in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. However, it is fun to see characters from the first book and reading the series in order will add to this book. I loved getting to know Michelle better. It’s kind of a second chance romance and kind of friends to lovers. Michelle and Gabriel were best friends growing up, had one steamy encounter and then he moved across the country. Fast forward 13 years and he’s back in NYC and (-talk about coincidences😉) is working with Michelle. Suffice to say, sparks fly quickly! Gabriel also has some family drama to deal with. I loved how the steam started quickly (first half of the book) and the real issues (trust and relationships) were more of a focus in the second half. It was really well done.

This is a great addition to the series!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The way I squealed when I found out Daria was working on the follow-up of You Had Me At Hola. And then the way I doubled squealed when I was given access to check out that sequel! This "Primas of Power" edition features prima Michelle Amato, the cousin of Jasmine Lin Rodriguez, and her woes about her abandoned relationship with her best friend, Gabriel Aguilar.

I would say this story revolved more around Gabe than it did Michelle. With You Had Me at Hola, we had a nice balance between Jasmine and Ashton's story. In A Lot Like Adios, we have to break down why everything turned out the way it did for both parties, and that mainly had to do with Gabe leaving and ghosting everyone.

One part of the story that got me in a tearjerker moment is when Michelle and Gabe finally laid it out on the table. I won't detail it to stray away from the spoilers, but I can personally say it was a real emotional moment. I'm not a crier of books, but I actually FELT.

Overall I gave this a 4-star rating. It's a standalone sequel with friends to lovers, fake dating, parent peer pressure, and a lot of sex. We can't forget the smut!

A wonderful follow-up to "You Had Me at Hola," "A Lot Like Adiós" is a fun, swoon-worthy trip through a rekindled romance between two former friends. While I think that the pacing was a little too quick in the beginning (hence the 4 stars), by the middle of the book, I felt like I understood each of the characters, the depth of their feelings for each other, and the stakes. Alexis Daria's authorial voice shines through these characters, and she leaves you feeling warm and excited for her next release.

Second chance love with some forced proximity and just one bed added in!

Gabe and Michelle were best friends as kids and teens who had a moment of almost more but then he left to follow his dream. Now he’s back and Michelle wants closure…and maybe a second chance.

I loved the development of this story from friends to almost strangers to business partners to friends with benefits to lovers. The honest discussions of fears, sexuality, sexual needs and wants, and mental health in terms of work life balance were so well done and yet were seamless. Once again there is unapologetic use of the Spanish language by these amazing and nosy and loud and a tad messy LatinX families.

I am so ready for Ava’s story!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria delivered on the estranged friends to lovers trope with an absolutely marvelous success. I think the trope is one that's difficult to pull off given that you have to have a good reason for the estrangement, excellent chemistry, and time and space to work through all the things that the estrangement brought up and A Lot Like Adiós handled that well. Was the ending 100% perfect for me? Maybe not, but it was so close that it may as well have been.

Michelle and Gabe grew up next door to one another, but when he moved away to college, they lost touch. And honestly, "lost touch" is a very mild term to describe the way Gabe cut off Michelle. So when he reaches out because his business partner realized Mich is the one that put together this incredible marketing campaign a few years ago and he wants Michelle to take on the gym that Gabe and he co-run, Gabe is... well, a lot of things. And honestly, so is Michelle. The two wind up in New York and uncover a lot of demons and feelings and it's electric in a lot of ways.

The characters in this book have such deep back stories and individual arcs and I loved the way Daria played with them and let them explore those issues both together and apart. I love the way she weaved in the fanfiction they used to write together. In essence, I loved a lot of this book, like the whole thing. I loved the exploration of family and I wish we had gotten to see a little more of Gabe's relationship with his sister. I do want to expound a little more on the family thing though because there is a plot line here that I think could really set someone back if they're not expecting it, however, it is a bit of a spoiler so if you don't want to know anything, please skip the next paragraph.

Gabe hasn't spoken to his father in nine years. Or his mom, for that matter, and has only seen his sister and her kids a couple times in that span of time. Essentially, their estrangement is due to the fact that Gabe's father never really seemed to approve of Gabe's plans for his life and a whole bunch of resentment that boiled over and exploded at his sister's wedding, cumulating with Gabe's dad telling him not to come back. I thought it was interesting how Daria explores this pain in both Gabe's relationship with Mich, who never really got it in the past, and the way Gabe eventually is sort of forced into confronting his family. Ultimately, this plot line resolves well and I didn't think it came across as forgiveness is necessary and that you must allow toxic family members into your life, but I know that the particular subject of family is very sensitive and for some people, this storyline may be something they want to avoid for a bit.

The last few things I want to say are that this book delivers on the spicy content in a way that I thoroughly appreciated and even when Michelle and Gabe weren't doing anything particularly exciting, the way Daria writes their physical attraction to one another has the sexual tension screaming off the page. Additionally, I loved that both Michelle and Gabe are bi because I love to see that representation. And finally, I love the Primas of Power and I can't wait to read Ava's book! So, all in all, I wholeheartedly recommend this one!

4 spicy stars

This romance has some hot and spicy parts, but some story chops to go along with it!

Gabe is the founder of a popular gym in LA, and he’s headed back to New York (where he grew up) to pursue opening a second location. He left the Bronx on bad terms after high school, abandoning his best friend Michelle and turning his back on his demanding family.

Turns out Michelle has turned into a dynamite marketing and design consultant, and she’d be perfect for planning the new gym in NYC. Gabe decides to work with her, and you can guess that sparks will fly! First, he has to apologize for abandoning her, but things quickly heat back up with the two of them on unfinished business. He also has to patch things up with his family.

This was a fun story with Latinx characters who have strong family roots. I enjoyed the characters and wondered how Gabe and Michelle might make a long-distance romance work. Or would Gabe leave town again and say adios to Michelle?

What better way to kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month than with some steamy telenovela-ish stories by Alexis Daria! I loved You Had Me At Hola so I was thrilled to get an E-Arc from @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks .

This story follows one of the Primas of Power, Michelle. As a graphic designer she is hired by The Agility Gym to promote their new location in NYC. The only problem is the co-owner just happens to be her long lost best friend Gabe. Will their past feelings get in the way of the job they have to do?

I loved the friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes here. The chemistry between Gabe and Michelle is 🔥🔥🔥. There are also themes of familial obligation and parental expectations which I can totally identify with! 🤣 I love this series but the books can be read as stand alone. A lot Like Adios by @alexisdaria is out now.

Have you read this series? Are/were you a soap opera fan? I think I briefly watched All My Children back in the day. Do they even still air those? 🤣

#alotlikeadios #alexisdaria #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookcommunity #bookish #bookshelf #booksbooksbooks #bibliophile #booklover #booknerd

Thank you, Avon Books, for the gifted copy of A lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Friends to Lovers/Forced Proximity
Pub Date: 9.14.21
Star Rating: ☆☆☆5
Steam Rating: 🔥🔥🔥

“Sure, she was an emotional mess inside, but at least she felt pretty.”

I loved reading You Had Me at Hola last summer and was anxious to get to A lot Like Adios, and it turned out to be the perfect palette cleanser for all the wild thrillers I’ve been reading lately.

Daria didn’t hesitate to jump right into a steamy scene between the two protagonists and pretty much kept up with it throughout the entire book. While I didn’t love the dirty talk, it was still a fun story to read.

⬅️➡️Past and Present chapters
🔥 Steamy
🙅🏽‍♀️ Cringy sex talk
🗣 A lot of miscommunication
🤷🏽‍♀️ Weird chapters with a script that the characters are writing
😂 Funny family interactions

I recommend you read A Lot Like Adios if you enjoyed You Had Me at Hola, Simmer Down, and Dial A for Aunties.

I felt more chemistry with these two after one chapter than I have in some entire romance novels!

Seriously! I've been a fan of Alexis' novels since her debut and this novel in particular reminded me why. She knows how to write balanced, genuine romances that pull a reader in from the start.

There are a lot of tropes at play here (friends to lovers, second chances, fake dating) but the story always feels organic. I always worry with second chance romances that I won't see the connection between the two leads; sometimes authors think it's enough to mention the shared past to establish that connection -- not the case here! There's a great mix of past and present experiences to help cement that romance but also provide some solid character growth.

Just like the first book in the series, I loved how these two talked about their intimate moments and needs with each other throughout. There's also an incredible amount of diversity throughout this book when it comes to race and sexual orientation. Whereas the first book focused a little more on racial prejudices, I felt like this one focused more on the family core and how that can be strained over time; which is universal for all cultures.

I missed that telenovela aspect of the first book a bit here but I was still entertained reading it with the addition of the fanfiction chapters.

Another great book by Alexis Daria -- and I can't wait for the next one!

I have to admit I am not entirely sure how I feel about A Lot Like Adios. I loved You Had me at Hola, and this one just didn’t live up to that.
When the book started, I really did not like Michelle. She was very black and white and did not give Gabe a chance to explain anything. While I liked her as the book went on, my first impression of her (in this book) followed her as I read. On the other hand, I did like Gabe, and while he had his flaws, I did understand his actions. I think my main problem is that I just didn’t feel the chemistry between these two. There was certainly steam in this book, but I just didn’t feel like these two really loved each other.
I did like how everything turned out. No spoilers, but I liked how the resolution was done, and I felt like it made sense for all characters. One of my favorite things about this book, much like with You Had Me at Hola, was how family played such an essential part in the story. I loved seeing Gabe and Michelle interact with their families.
Admittedly second chance romance is not my favorite. Still, I think this book does an excellent job of quickly resolving the initial reason the two were not together. Still, I do think, especially for Michelle, that all was not forgiven.

Very sweet romance, with an unconventional pattern! Also, very inclusive, and can tell the author worked hard on the representation.

A lot like Adios is a smart and sexy story. I love that Michelle and Gabe have to confront family expectations and that each of them has a different relationship with their families. Gabe's journey was especially touching because he comes to the realization that he does want to be close to his family and that maybe he misjudged them. At the same time his father changes, says I am sorry. It modeled such healthy behavior and really made me fall in love with Gabe's journey in the story. I also love that Michelle is such a strong and complex woman. She might have hidden insecurities but she is willing to grow and push for what she wants. It was such a pleasure to read A lot like Adios!

Mich has been trying really hard to keep her work/ life/ romance in balance. She never sleeps over with the people she dates, she doesn't bring anyone home to meet her family, and she avoids heavy thinking work by taking easy jobs for her graphic design business. That is until she gets an unexpected email from her former best friend/ unrequited crush Gabe. It's been thirteen years since she made out with him and he left the next day. How will she handle working with him? How will Gabe handle being back home, right next door to his family he left and has spoken to in nearly a decade?

Pros: Romance scenes on point, the longing is on point. As always, I love her side characters (like Gabe's dad and Mich's parents more than our main characters). I enjoyed the overall story and her writing is really strong in this. It was a well written tale of two former crushes becoming one solid and working through it couple. I like that they were both career driven and they could be silly around one another.

Cons: Having only two weeks to fall in love feels a little fast, so the pacing didn't feel quite realistic to me. I know they had been yearning for another but that doesn't always do it for me.

6/10 would recommend if you enjoy diverse romances, second chances, serious longing, and finding your truest self.