I wasn't sure if I was gonna like this since both the MC and LI spend a large chunk pining over other people but to my surprise, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

The entire premise is that this woman's best friend is getting married and that's great, except she's in love with him. When she catches her best friend's brother monologuing to himself about how in love with the bride he is, she stops him from breaking up the pair and instead helps him out. A platonic night turns into everyone thinking they hooked up so they decide fake dating/fake flinging? Is a good way to get through the wedding of their nightmares.

But it turns out neither of them were ready for the hope and the promise of a new relationship. And neither one was ready for the brightness that each other would bring into their lives. Neither one was ready to admit that the decade (s) they spent pining was a waste of time until they were forced to realize it.

This does have a fat main character but I really got the impression she was more midsize. And just going off the cover I would classify this as a mid-size representation not fat rep which is unfortunate. Not that we don't need midsize size representation but I just want fat characters. Genuinely fat characters. If you can find clothing in a store, you're not fat.

Anyway that's really my own personal gripe and unrelated to the book itself. Technically this has plus size representation if that's what you want to call it and there is some internalized and externalized fat phobia happening throughout the book. I do think this book would have benefited from a dual POV. I think that that is partly my own desire to see people be so unapologetically attracted to fat people and I absolutely die every time we get POVs like that. I think it would have added a lot to this book and to my own joy.

As a whole I think this is a really beautiful book. It isn't a favorite of mine but it is one I would recommend to people who like a complicated rom-com.

Overall this was a very sweet read. I thought Gamez did a great job of having the characters reacting in a very realistic way to a very absurd situation. While there is a third act breakup, it did feel like the right decision for the characters and not at all a miscommunication trope. A quick read, and I couldn't put it down!

This was a very fun and sweet read. What starts out as fake dating turns out to be so much more. I loved our main character. I absolutely loved all of the work she did as a librarian and it was so endearing to read how much she loved the her work with the kids.

These two. Loved watching their relationship develop. It was funny and fun and he’s such a cinnamon roll. But also the spice 🔥 Everything I want out of a romance.

The Next Best Fling was fun and lighthearted with a unique twist on love triangles. There were things I enjoyed and things I didn’t really like but for a debut novel, it was ultimately pretty solid.

The story flows really well for most of the book and the chemistry comes very easily with Theo and Marcela as they bond. Marcela was so passionate about her work as a librarian and I loved the scenes between her and her best friend.

HE BUYS HER BOOKS! That’s all you need to know about Theo.
”You should never be without your favorite books. If you’ll let me, I’ll make sure each and every one of your all-time favorites are always signed by their author. Because you deserve to have special books in your personal collection.“

The love triangle was more like a love square and could be pretty messy at times. There was a lot of miscommunication, which is personally my least favorite trope. It could be frustrating due the drama, unnecessary secrets and self-sabotaging behavior.

There were great forms of representation like Latinx and a plus-size FMC. As a curvy girl myself, I felt these scenes were very relatable. I liked that along with the romance this book was about embracing change and insecurities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for granting me an ARC to review!

Just the collection name of Librarians in Love had me interested. I appreciated the growth in Marcela over the book and could relate to the idea of having that one ‘what if’ crush that you realize was better in your head than real life. Theo’s character arc was a bit confusing from being the playboy to saying he can’t promise he won’t develop feelings (combined with what Marcela stopped him from doing) felt disconnected.

Overall I thought this was a cute read. I have been recommending it to those looking for a bookish romance. For me, it was just alright.

I absolutely loved the concept and plot of this story, especially with a plus-size heroine at its heart! Marcela is in love with her best friend Ben—who just got engaged to another woman. Meanwhile, Theo, Ben's older brother, finds himself falling for Marcela, even though he’s engaged to someone else. Amidst all the juicy twists and turns, this book delivers a tender love story about trust, self-love, breaking free from unhealthy relationships, and discovering what real love looks like. One of my favorite aspects was how Marcela's relationship with her body was thoughtfully woven throughout the narrative. As a plus-size woman myself, I found the way her journey was portrayed incredibly validating. This book gave me all the feels, and I couldn’t get enough!

This was cute! The premise was a bit messy (they both are in love with one partner in a couple that is engaged, and the guy is the brother of the groom-to-be, yikes!) and I think it could have been handled really poorly but I actually feel like it worked. A bit too quick on the romance considering the set-up, and I think some of the conflict and the fmc had me rolling my eyes, but the resolution was really satisfying!This was cute! The premise was a bit messy (they both are in love with one partner in a couple that is engaged, and the guy is the brother of the groom-to-be, yikes!) and I think it could have been handled really poorly but I actually feel like it worked. A bit too quick on the romance considering the set-up, and I think some of the conflict and the fmc had me rolling my eyes, but the resolution was really satisfying!

This was a fun read and I loved both our MCs. It was a little weird at first to be rooting for Marcela and Theo to be together knowing they both had feelings for other people. However, I thought Gamez does a great job at really teasing apart their feelings and showing the reader over and over again that these two are choosing each other. I did feel like the third act break up was a little forced and I felt like all the relationship building they had been doing could have easily overpowered the little friction between them. This was a debut romance and I would 100% read more from Gamez in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever publishing for the ARC. Publication date was July 9, 2024

This book was so fun and flirty, but at the same time had a lot of depth. I absolutely adored both of the main characters and I loved both of their journeys. I felt like this book showed an emotional main character in such a positive light and I loved that. Also the chemistry between these two was so well done! Not only did they have a physical attraction but I loved how they got to become friends as well. This book was one of my favorite romances as of late for so many reasons. I loved the plus size female character, the emotional male main character and the self love journey that the two main characters went on. This was so fun and also heart warming.

I really enjoyed this one.
it was an easy read and i was hooked from the beginning. I cant wait to read more from this author

The description of this novel really sucked me in! The writing and the story felt so fresh, which excited me and kept me engaged the whole time! The tropes were executed really well, and the characters had the right amount of chemistry to not feel forced or overdone.
Everything about this delivered exactly what I was needing, and while it wasn't what I would consider a "perfect" read, it fulfilled every bit of what I expected.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved that the female main character was a plus size woman with the love of books! I loved Theo just as much as Marcela. I’m sure there are many people out there that feel their best friend is their soul mate, and they just string them along. Ugh and just want for the surprise in the box. Ugh so sweet! I absolutely loved this and can’t wait to read the next one!

Thanks NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a chance to read the book in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

Although I was able to finish this book, I found it lacking. I truly did not like the characters or the obsession with YA novels. I enjoy them but would not want a date in that section

DNF @ 21%

I just couldn't get into this. I am sure other people will enjoy it, it just wasn't for me

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. The cover was cute and as a reader I loved the idea of FMC being a Librarian. HOWEVER, 2 of the 4 people in the love square aggravated me to no end. Ben and Marcela friendship was trash. Ben and Theo's relationship was trash. Marcela being lying to dang near everybody and pining over this man for almost a decade. I just can't deal...

I was so, so excited to get this one, but honestly, it just didn’t hit the spot for me. It’s definitely a me thing, nothing at all against the book! It just wasn’t for me.

A tale of unacquainted love and two people trying to move on finding solace in each other.

This story will pull at your heartstrings while having you laugh at the same time.
The characters were easy to relate to with a storyline I could see taking place in real life. You can feel the chemistry between Marcie and Theo throughout the pages.

A cute spicy love story to get lost in and avoid everything else around you.

CW: Fatphobia, body image and abandonment

The story revolves around Marcela Ortiz, a librarian who's been nursing a secret crush on her best friend for years. When her best friend gets engaged, Marcela decides it's time to move on. Enter Theo Young, an ex-NFL player and the older brother of the man she's been in love with. When Theo shows up at the engagement party with intentions of confessing his feelings for the bride-to-be, Marcela steps in to stop him, leading to an unexpected and tantalizing twist. In a twist of fate, Theo and Marcela pretend to be a couple, triggering a chain of events. As they navigate their sham relationship with Ben attempting to separate them, unexpected complications arise, including their own growing affection for each other. Ben was the worst person on the planet because of the way he treated Marcela and his brother Theo. The Next best Fling was a sweet and steamy romance. I'm looking forward to the next book Gabriella Gamez writes.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez

The Next Best thing is a fun romance. The story has a mix of different tropes, with not exactly enemies to lovers but she disliked him in the beginning. It was also an in love with someone else trope, fake dating, best friends brother, librarian FMC, ex football player. The book started very strong diving right into an engagement. Marcela has secretly had a crush on her best friend forever, so when he shows her the engagement ring, she realizes her hopes of becoming his wife are no longer going to happen. Ben has no clue that she’s in love with him. When Theo, ex football player, is ranting about his love for the Ben’s future wife, Marcela quickly takes him home. I mean what’s worse then being in love with your best friend, but being in love with your brothers fiancé definitely tops that.

As they fake a relationship, they both begin to discover that they really like each other. This was a nice relationship build up. The story was fun and easily kept you engaged. If your looking for a light book than this is it.