Having been born and raised in Puerto Rico, I was so excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, that excitement was rather short lived. This was kinda cute, but filled with inaccuracies about my beautiful island and its people. Having an actual Puerto Rican from the island fact check the author on the extensive amount of PR info she throws at you would have been greatly beneficial to the final product. Overall, it just didn't work for me.

This beautifully crafted novel that navigates the complexities of love, identity, and the bonds that tie us to our roots.

What I loved most about this book is how it beautifully explores the intersection of culture and personal growth. The characters are wonderfully relatable, and their relationships are depicted with such authenticity that I felt every joy and heartache alongside them.


If you’re looking for a heartfelt read that celebrates love in all its forms and the journey of self-discovery, Love of My Lives is a must-read! Highly recommend!

This was a cute summer read. Wasn’t out of this world amazing but it was still a fun quick read. If you wanted a book that would distract you for a few hours this would do the trick

Love of My Lives excels in its portrayal of Puerto Rico, immersing readers in a vibrant and atmospheric setting that mirrors Madi's inner turmoil. The novel brings the island to life with its rich descriptions of beaches and cultural rituals, creating a vivid backdrop for Madi's journey. This setting not only highlights the contrast between her life in the U.S. and her transformative experiences abroad but also enriches her quest for personal fulfillment and connection.

The dynamic between Madi and her new love interest is heightened by this evocative environment, adding depth to her emotional journey. The cultural and sensory details of Puerto Rico enhance the romance and self-discovery themes, making Madi's struggle for authenticity and meaningful connection all the more poignant and engaging.

The magical elements in this story really brought it to fruition and even though the writing was a little rough and hard to get into, I liked it overall.

First of all, I have to say that I loved the setting of Puerto Rico in this book and I want to book a flight ASAP! Unfortunately, this novel just did not deliver for me overall. I didn't feel any chemistry between Madi and Peter, and it's hard to get into a romance when you aren't rooting for the couple.

"Love of My Lives" by Yamile Saied Mendez transports readers to the enchanting setting of old San Juan and la Isla del Encanto, where Madi Ramírez embarks on a journey of self-discovery and love that defies time and expectations.

Madi seemingly has everything she could want—a fulfilling career, a successful boyfriend named Jayden, and a wedding on the horizon. However, despite Jayden's proposal, Madi can't shake the feeling that something is missing. Ever since a dream visitation from her wise abuela years ago, Madi has been searching for a love that ignites her soul, one that resonates with the initials "JR" that appeared in her dream.

When a business trip to Puerto Rico arises, Madi sees it as an opportunity to scatter her abuela's ashes on the beach and perhaps find the clarity she seeks about her relationship with Jayden. But fate has other plans for Madi when she encounters someone who makes her heart race and her soul feel alive—someone who feels like a destined match, except for the absence of those significant initials.

As Madi navigates the beauty of Puerto Rico and grapples with her conflicting emotions, "Love of My Lives" weaves a captivating tale of love, destiny, and self-discovery. With lush descriptions and vibrant storytelling, Mendez invites readers to escape into a world where the magic of true love knows no bounds.

This book was a bit hard to get into the beginning due to the main character wanting to meet someone so bad. I do love Yamile's writing style and further down into the book we learn more about the main character. I love how it's set in PR, did enjoy this book a lot.

I just could not focus on making my way through this one. I might switch to audiobook to finish this one once I'm out of my current reading slump. But for now, I just couldn't finish the print version.

“Love of My Lives” is an adorable, romantic story written by Yamile Saied Méndez.

It tells the story of Madi who is in search of a soulmate. Her beloved abuela comes to her in a dream and solidifies the idea of the initials JR to Madi. When her boyfriend Jayden (JR) dumps her instead of proposing, she is devastated that her dream may no longer come true.

Madi then takes a business trip to Puerto Rico, her family’s home country, and sparks fly with a new man (not JR). Will Madi be able to give up her strict expectations for a chance at a new life?

This book perfectly encapsulates the idea that not everything goes according to plan in life. It was a joy to read through Madi’s journey. It made me reflect on my own as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed it.

Love of my Lives had a unique premise that sounded so interesting. Madi’s Abuela comes to her in a dream and tells her that her soulmate will have the initials “JR”. Madi goes on to only date men with the initials JR and even gets close to marrying one. When that relationship fails she takes the opportunity to go on a business trip to Puerto Rico to recover her heart and reconnect with her heritage.

She feels an instant connection with someone but thinks it won’t work because his initials are JR. Is it not fate? Or did her dream not get it right? The rest of the book explores this relationship, Madi as a person, Puerto Rican culture, and the concept of soulmates.

I appreciated that the book had mental health representation and it has a great cast of secondary characters. I laughed out loud multiple times and the closed-door scenes are perfect for someone who enjoys a sexuality-positive book but doesn’t enjoy explicit scenes.

I did find myself frustrated with Madi, at times. She acted juvenile and needed to learn to be her own person before jumping into another relationship. I had trouble getting through the book and while it’s not a miss for me, it’s also not a favorite.

I loved the setting and the culture. Unfortunately I just didn’t connect with the characters and had to DNF.

The precious cover and author I've previously heard great things about really drew me in to requesting this book! However, it really did not work for me... I couldn't bring myself to root for any of the characters and could not believe the main character was in her thirties. It was honestly giving YA in my opinion! However, I did find the parts of the book about Madi's grandmother to be sweet. I did also like how the book title was incorporated into the story, as I always love when that happens! All in all, this romance was not for me, but I would absolutely give this author another try.

Love of My Lives by Yamile Saied Mendez was a book full of diversity in the Puerto Rican setting. The situations leading to the romance felt so unrealistic and then for Madi to propose to a man she met a week ago after saying she was in love with someone else felt strange. The ending was really rushed and I could have read that alone and gotten the idea of the whole book. It wasn't for me.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

So, I had this book on my shelf. However, I forgot that there is a timeline till when I could download the book. And yep, it ran out and I couldn't download it.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the possibility of reading this ARC.

First I would like to say that this book ended up being a story about Madi finding herself and I really enjoyed that. It was surprising but at the same time what felt right for the story and needed to be done, I loved that the author went with it.

I also love being able to see myself (or at least parts of myself) in female protagonist when i read a book so it was really nice.

This was just such a sweet and emotional book!

Madi is finding herself after a breaking up with her boyfriend (who she hoped would be her fiancé). I love that this book was more about Madi and looking after herself then it being a romance. It overall just made me so happy to read. I love a little eat pray love, turned romance!

Thank you to the author Yamile Saied Méndez, publishers Kensington Books, and also to NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of LOVE OF MY LIVES. All views are mine.

ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ʟɪᴠᴇs is both a playful romance and a clever fantasy scifi mashup with elements of time travel and dream walking. I had so much fun riding the wave of this story! I wasn't expecting any fresh takes on favorite tropes, but that's what I found!

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. This book begins right at the inciting incident. It's very propulsive. It sort of reminds me of the movies. I love how it drops me right into the deep development of the protagonist,

2. I love that this is at least in part a story about a girl getting her mensus. There are not enough of these stories, and so this part of life remains shrouded in mystery and myth. It could do with a little romanticizing.

3. This book, from the beginning, is completely romantic. Pages after losing her aunt, fmc finds her in a dream so real it fills her bed with sand. There she sees the love of her life: Quote loc. 172

4. I adore the feminist thread throughout this book! Not too in your face, but omnipresent: Quote loc. 1220

5. The story starts with a prediction, which sort of becomes the primary conflict, in a way. I just love how all this plays out.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. She talks about saliva a lot. Too much. Okay it's only three times, but it's pretty gross.


Rating: 💭💭💭💭 / 5 vivid dreams
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Sep 30 23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
💓 love stories
⏳️ time travel
💤 dream walking
💇‍♀️ girl's coming of age
👭🏽 feminist stories

Final 2.5/5

I really enjoyed Twice a Quincera, so that made me want to read this one. However, as a romance, this was a bit of a snoozefest and did not measure up to Twice a Quincera at all and the magic with that one.

I was never invested in Madi as a person, and I was never invested in her and Peter.

I did appreciate the culture infused in the book and the discussions on the sociopolitical and economic happenings and environment in Puerto Rico.