Thank you @netgalley and @tbrbeyondtours for the digital copy and chance to review!

This was the cutest YA romance novel! My only complaint: it wasn’t long enough!

The story of a Bad Boy in a band who is secretly a softie meeting and falling for a music critic is one that stole my heart! Daniel aka Rotten and Sasha are queer couple goals! This is an inclusive romance of two Brazilian teens both in the music industry who both find themselves in a relationship together for selfish reasons only to come out on the other side madly in love.

I loved the Brazilian representation! I also loved the queer representation, Sasha being Pansexual and Rotten being Demisexual.

It is a quick read that is perfect for YA readers or anyone who loves a feel good story! Best of all, the 90’s movie reference/scene is the best part, in my opinion!

I enjoyed this YA contemporary. I liked the pop culture references and the setting. I felt the story to be relatable in a lot of ways in how social media portrays celebrity. Those of us on the outside of fame tend to believe everything we see on the internet and forget that they are real people. I liked how this story shed light on how that affects both the inside and outside of fame.

Sasha is presented with the opportunity to receive a scholarship, the one thing that could change her life, but in order to be in the running she needs to expose Daniel, the hottest celebrity. When a chance encounter puts her right in his path she soon realizes getting the scoop may not be as easy as she though.

I liked this plot, characters, and cultures we see in this YA contemporary. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a light and fluffy quick paced read.

My Rating: 4/5

Bad at Love is a sweet story with lovable characters serenaded with surprises. I highly recommend adding this cute summer romance with heartwarming characters finding themselves in this musical journey of love to your TBR.



Thanks to the publisher and TBR and BeyondTours for the eARC of this book!

Characters

They filled bad at Love with characters that I loved reading about. Daniel and Sasha were both fantastic, and a supporting cast of characters that made the story fun for me to read surrounded them. My favorite character was Sasha because she wanted to live out her dream as a writer and a journalist, and I related to her. Daniel was also sweet, and he was just trying to live his life and find out about himself. Both Sasha and Daniel went on journeys in this book, and I loved seeing where they ended up at the end of the novel.

Plot

The story of Bad at Love was one about finding love and finding yourself when the world is rough for you. There was also a music element, and as a fan of music, I love seeing new stories that have a music element. Bad at Love was also a light and fun story about teenagers in LA just trying to live their lives, and I loved it.

Writing

The writing in this novel was fantastic. There was a mixture of fun scenes with a light-hearted tone, and this was a break from the scenes that were heavy scenes. I loved the heavier scenes as well because they made the story feel real.

Romance

One of the characters in this novel is Demi-sexual, and I loved seeing the romance in the novel. Sasha and Daniel made a cute couple, and I loved their romance. They had their struggles, but I felt that these struggles made the story real. This was one of the rawest romances I’ve read in YA, and I just loved it.

Enjoyment & Recommended

This book was very fun, and I enjoyed my time with it. If you enjoy a romance with characters who are fun but still have their struggles, I recommend this book for fans of YA Romance with light and heavy themes.

This was really cute! I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the representation for both characters and felt like it was exactly what YA should be - it reaches the target audience without being too over the top. What the characters go through felt real to me. I would definitely recommend to teen library patrons.

This book was a really an adorable read. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the Brazilian culture. This book in brief was about a new popstar trying to manage being put in with a well-established group and him trying to find himself and his persona all while trying to navigate a relationship with someone he just met. The author introduces the male main character as being demisexual. Which is unimportant but interesting none the less to learn a little more about this subject matter.

The female lead on the other hand is trying to get out of her current situation by better educating herself but to accomplish this she needs to do things that do not agree with her moral compass. While she started out pretending to like the male lead, she could not help but fall for him and see him for who he really is.

This was a quick read with great characters and a great plot. Enjoyed reading about their experiences.

I would be happy to have this in my classroom library. It is full of culture between both characters and such a sweet love story. I listened to some of the audio and really enjoyed the narrators. Short and sweet and great for students.

✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

🎶 What's your kind of music?

I'm so grateful to be a part of the #badatlove tour with @tbrbeyondtours! I've been looking forward to reading this book by @gabhi, and now it's one of my favorite YA Romances! 🥰

📝 After winning MAKING MUSIC, a reality singing competition, Brazilian Rotten wonders how he will find his voice within his band. He loves playing the guitar, but everyone thinks he's a notorious player. Rather than setting everyone straight, he keeps silent.

Sasha helps Rotten out one night, but she is NOT FALLING for his bad boy antics. She has much more to focus on, like getting into college. Both have ulterior motives to know one another, yet will their hearts want something more?

What I 🤍:
🎸 Famous Musician
🏆 California Music Scene
💕 Swoony, Precious Romance
🧳 Discussion of Immigration Challenges when coming to the US (Language, Race, Culture, Separation of Family)
🏳️‍🌈 Pansexual/Demisexual Representation

I adored this book! Going into it, I thought it would just be a cute romance, but it was SOOOO much more! Some heavier topics were discussed in such a powerful way. My favorite scene was when Rotten talked about moving to the US from Brazil and how his skin color and accent can change people's perspectives.

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Steaminess: 🔥 (Kiss)
Read If ➡️: You want a cute YA Romance with an emotional punch!

By far one of the best author's notes and message to readers. I love Martins' message that we all have a little of Rotten and Sasha in us. We just need to be who we are, and it's okay to be that.

🌟 Bad at Love is out now! 🌟

This was a cute, fun book to read. It was quick and flowed nicely while the characters were diverse and relatable without trying too hard. I love that communicating and speaking up for yourself is a main theme point in the story and that sometimes what others perceive you as can be the total opposite of who you actually are. Here is a playlist that compliments the book.

Ain't It Fun - Paramore
Mu Gusta (with Cardi B & Myke Towers) - Anitta
Mind Over Matters - Anthony Ramos
I Want You to Want Me - Letters to Cleo
Gold - Chet Faker
You're My Best Friend - Queen
It's You I Like - Ellie Schmidly
As Long as You Love Me - Backstreet Boys
Don't Speak - No Doubt
Can't Take My Eyes off You - Frankie Valli

ARC cedido pela editora em troca de uma resenha honesta. Thanks Penguin Random House.

Gabriela Martins é uma autora brasileira que está publicando no mercado internacional e que posso dizer: está representando o Brasil muito bem.



Daniel é tratado pela imprensa como um bad boy. Desde que chegou do Brasil para participar de um reality show musical e entrou para a Mischief & Mayhem, ele se sente deslocado. Fugindo dos tabloides, Daniel acaba esbarrando em Sasha, uma garota latina que estagia em um site de fofocas. Quando os companheiros de banda de Daniel o desafiam a passar o verão com a garota, o guitarrista vê a oportunidade de se impor mais. E quando o chefe de Sasha fica sabendo do possível romance oferece a ela uma bolsa de estudos em troca de um segredo do namorado famoso. Ambos têm seus próprios interesses, mas acabam curtindo a companhia um do outro.



Eu achei essa história bem legal por retratar a latinidade e abordar algumas questões acerca de imigração, preconceito e o sentimento de não pertencimento. Porém, a autora falhou em dois momentos: ao não abordar tanto sobre a família de Sasha e ao não aprofundar a discussão sobre a demisexualidade dos personagens. Sem nenhuma explicação o termo está lá jogado e sinceramente é algo que poderia acrescentar a narrativa.



Sasha é uma protagonista que eu creio que vai suscitar muita identificação. Ela é descente de imigrantes, sua mãe engravidou cedo e acabou sendo abandonada por seu pai. São apenas as duas que dividem as contas em casa e por isso, ela acaba aceitando a proposta de seu chefe, pois não conseguiria pagar uma faculdade.



Daniel, por sua vez, imigrou com a irmã para participar de um reality e não é nada do que os tablóides falam dele. O rapaz não bebe, não tem mil namoradas e não tem amigos. Ele vem de uma família que negligenciou os filhos emocionalmente e isso acabou acarretando uma espécie de solidão nele.



A relação entre os dois vai sendo construída pela identificação. Eles acabam vendo que tem muitas coisas em comum e isso os aproxima. Esse livro não tem cenas mais quentes, então vamos ter um livro PG 13 com um summer love leve e descontraído.



Eu recomendo se você está procurando algo leve e divertido sem muito o que pensar para ler.

3.5 stars

This is a solid YA romance with just enough tension and some great representation: in other words, another fun read from Martins!

Sasha and Daniel (aka "Rotten") share perspectives in this YA romance with a whole lot of music and big-problems-for-young-folks running through it. Both characters are likeable and experiencing disparate struggles, including their union. Their meet cute requires some real suspension of disbelief, and the celebrity element does in general here. Move beyond this and find a charming, speedy read that features two queer characters with representation readers don't see often, even in YA. Truly, this is a real highlight for me and one of the reasons I expect I'll be recommending it more often to students than I would have otherwise.

This is a pretty succinct book, and I really appreciate this because the mega novel in YA has me exhausted these days. However, I could have done with a little more plot development (which is the sacrifice in this one).

I loved Martins's debut and definitely enjoyed this, and her work will continue to have a home on my to-read list!

This was a great contemporary YA novel, that I would definitely recommend reading!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was the peeeerfect summer read! It had fun adventures in the music industry, a diverse set of characters, and a heart in the midst of it all. Plus, it's compared to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!

I love that this book takes place in the same universe as Like a Love Song. We get a glimpse into the lives of some of the characters we fell in love with in that book which is always nice.

Daniel is the sweetest guy ever! Throughout the book, he has a rep as this bad boy musician that is so far from the truth. This man is kind, sensitive, and just the biggest cinnamon roll. He was the perfect opposite to Sasha, our other protagonist. Sasha is on a mission to ruin said cinnamon roll which makes for an interesting story! Sasha and Daniel each go through their own arcs as they try to figure out what to do with each other and what to do with their futures.

There's also talk of white privilege and how that plays into Daniel (who looks more white) immigrating from Brazil and Sasha (who looks more like a person of color) living in the states her whole life. This, coupled with their personal troubles and growth give this book so much heart and makes the characters incredibly real. I love that we're able to get this glimpse into their minds and their hearts.

I love the famous person trope so this book was right up my alley. We get some "behind the scenes footage" as Daniel works on his music and with his band in LA. We also get to see a bit of the celebrity industry through Sasha's eyes as she tries to write the story that will gain her the recognition she craves. I always love being able to spend some time in the entertainment industry through books so this was a real treat for me.

Overall, this was a great read for summer or anytime really! I loved the characters and loved the adventure that I was able to take through them. I would absolutely recommend this book!

<i>" It’s not adorable, per se. … It’s sweet. There’s a difference, I think. Puppies are adorable. Being adorable is effortless. You just are. But sweetness takes effort."</i>
.
My Rating : 3.75/5 🌟🌟🌟✨
.
A fake Bad boy Rockstar Daniel, who is in need of a real connection; A musical journalist intern Sasha, who is in need of a great article, BUT get's a great guy instead. I mean I'm not kidding. Brazillian Main characters, Demisexual Rockstar, Pansexual Journalist, and a little run in at a club alley leads to shy smiles, great dates, and a heartbreak. I really loved how the main characters were portrayed and the flaws and strengths they both had.
.
Coming to the characters, Daniel was such a great character who wants people to see him and not the persona created for him. Sasha just wants to go to college and the author did a great job adding the complex personality and character arcs for both of them. I loved how they became friends and then opened up to each other gradually. A bet gone wrong, a drunken night and a misunderstanding all changes the course of the character's lives. With a lot at stake, the relationship had an expiration date and an inevitable betrayal and heartbreak. But reading about it broke my heart OMG. The writing style was simple yet impactful, and I was totally rooting for Daniel to get his happiness.
.
Although I loved a lot of things, I absolutely did not agree with that ending. I wanted more grovelling, and more communication between the characters, especially after the media circus and what they both went through (especially my baby Daniel) but I get why the author ended it that way. (But I'm still salty okay?? ). If you are looking for a simple yet complex story with diverse characters and representation, and chaotic decisions, then this book is for you!! I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait for more by this author !!
.
.
Thank you PRH International and Netgalley for the gifted arc copy!!

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for my e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

When Daniel moved to LA from Brazil to join the band Mischief & Mayhem, he becomes the tabloids’ bad boy. Paparazzi follow him and girls swoon over him. He feels he’s not part of the band because when the group talk about their music they don’t bother to ask for Daniel’s opinion. He’s always left out but he understand that, because he knows that he was the last minute addition to Mischief & Mayhem. He’s always quiet when it comes to opinion. He never tell what’s in his mind. When he and Sasha got their first date he wants to see her again. After they met multiple times he can already open up himself, and when the band are talking he starts talking too and give suggestions with the group.

Sasha hates bad boys and was an intern in writing a story about celebrity gossip magazine. Sasha really wants to work were she’s been an intern, and when Lloyd saw the photos and videos of Sasha and Daniel, he offered her a scholarship, if she can get some secrets from Daniel and publish it. He also wants them to look like they really dating and just playing along. She was so kind and sweet. She doesn’t care how Daniel talk, or if some words are wrong.

Overall, I love this book. It was so cute. They both do wrong things but they both learned. I loved how important their dreams and how important they are to each other.

Bad At Love is such a feel good read, very reminiscent of 90's rom-coms, especially 10 Things I Hate About You & She's All That. I adored every minute and unlike a lot of YA romance, it wasn't entirely unrealistic! It's such a cute read and exactly what I needed.

This was literally one of the worst books I've ever read. There were so many problems! First off, this book is so cringe. Like it was hard to read sometimes because of how cringey it was. Secondly the chapters literally didn't connect. It feels like the author sat down and wrote what she wanted to have happen in each chapter. Then didn't bother connecting the chapters to each other. Also, the first 30% of the book dragged ass. Last but not least I liked the concept for this book, but I felt like it would've been better if the characters weren't teens. If the characters would've been like 18 or 19 the book would've been better.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finding fame as a member of Mischief & Mayhem on the reality tv show, Making Music!, was a dream come true for Daniel. He uprooted his sister, and moved to LA for the opportunity, learning English as quickly as he could, and can't thank her enough. But having to be known as Rotten, the bad boy of the group, rubs the wrong way at times, and he hates the paparazzi following, and the tabloid headlines. When he comes across Sasha as he's trying to hide from the cameras, and ends up bringing her into the limelight, he ends up making a bad bet with his band mates that he can date her for the summer. The only issue - Sasha is a journalist, and getting the scoop on Rotten would cement her career, and land her a scholarship for college. As Sasha tries to get closer, they soon realise their feelings are very much real, and the secrets they're keeping may pull them apart for good.

When I started reading Bad at Love, I wasn't too sure what to expect. I haven't read anything from this author before, but heard glowing things, and honestly, I'd forgotten what the book was about - other than the fact that one of the characters was in a band. It took a little while to get into, but once I was at about chapter 5 or so, I didn't really want to put the book down. I loved both Daniel and Sasha, and they were so real, reading this was like seeing them in front of my eyes. Both had secrets, that is true, and if they had spoken to each other a lot of conflict could have been avoided, but it was understandable why they were wary with each other. Sasha really disliked bad boys, and what the tabloids had been printing about Rotten seemed to cement all her fears of him, so falling for him, or rather, for Daniel, was like a nightmare. This was the perfect summer read, and I adore how vibrant the characters and story was. I'll definitely be looking for more of Gabriela's books in the future!

I read Gabriela Martin's previous YA novel Like a Love Song two months ago and absolutely loved it, so I was super excited to read Bad At Love this summer. While I don't think the novel completely lived up to my expectations, it was still a very cute, heartfelt read. I don't think I've ever read about a main character who works in music journalism before, so that was really cool to learn about in this novel.

I also adored the discussions of exploring Brazilian identities and how the three Brazilian characters in this book have different relationships with their Brazilian heritage. The queer rep in this book (pan MC, ace love interest, lesbian side character) was outstanding as well, just like in Like a Love Song. This is another YA book with incredible demi rep and I'm so happy to see Daniel become more confident in his identity as someone on the ace spectrum.

As for the reasons why I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would, I wish the resolution between Daniel and Sasha was drawn out more. Aside from the fact that I'm not a fan of really public apologies, Daniel immediately accepting Sasha's apology felt very abrupt for how hurt he felt by Sasha's actions. I think a more private, drawn out apology that allowed both parties time to heal would have felt more natural for their relationship. Otherwise, the writing style (specifically in the Daniel and Sasha's inner monologues) seemed a little off to me. Some of the dialogue also felt awkward, which was throwing me off as I read the novel. Nevertheless, I'm still excited to read Gabriela Martins' future works. I'd give this 3.75 stars rounded up.

Having loved Like A Love Song, I was really looking forward to Gabriela's next book and I have to say I'm starting to like short contemporaries now! Bad At Love is a sweet, cute romcom with a tangible character traits. I loved the shy guy with a fake bad boy persona in a band and a girl chasing her journalist dreams pairing and what it entails for the two of them to clash. Love the representation in the book and how inclusive it felt; it's about accepting the differences with identities as well as characters just existing in their element. I do wish the book was more emotionally deep even if it was meant to be short. But if you're looking for something short and fun (like I was when I decided to read this book) or a light hearted read to get back into reading, I'd recommend this!