A best friend's brother book with unrequited love, trust issues, and a hot man that looks like a mixture of Thor and Captain America? I'm in. I'm all in.

When Marcela's best friend of 10 years (that's she's secretly been in love with the entire time) announces his engagement to Alice, his girlfriend of almost as long, Marcela tries to be happy for him. But when she catches his brother, Theo, about to tell Alice that she's making a mistake, their plan to stop meddling in the relationship of two people they care about becomes more than they had bargained for.

I almost came to tears over the sweetness that is Theo Young. His love for Marcela is so evident over and over again, showing that the person Ben, his younger brother, painted him to be couldn't be any further from the truth. I loved this book. 6 stars. My only note is that I need a scene of him in the Captain America costume (which I was worried wouldn't reappear, but when it did I giggled and kicked my feet).

The Next Best Fling was a cute quick read. A nice palette cleanser if you're reading a heavy series. I loved Theo I thought he was a great character. Marcela was okay, though to be honest I was a little annoyed that she took so long to be honest with Theo.
I pity Ben, I understood why he acted the way he did - hopefully, he gets to find his happiness particularly away from his family because of the problems he has with them.
3 star book!

One thing I loved about this story with Marcela and Theo is how they both come together with their own insecurities and struggles. The premise is a little unique in that Marcela is secretly in love with Theo's brother and Theo is secretly in love with his brother's fiancée. From the moment the two meet, I fell for their banter, interactions, and watched them slowly learn more about themselves and each other. Gabriella did a fantastic job of creating an engaging story that kept me turning the pages and wanting to find out what will happen next for Marcela and Theo. For a debut novel, Gabriella created a wonderful story that drew us readers in to the world where I was rooting for Marcela and Theo!

Loved this book! A plus sized librarian and an NFL football player caught in the crosshairs and unrequited love. It was messy, but not overly so. I cannot wait for the next book!

This was a fun book, I enjoyed majority of it. Sometimes it did feel like it was dragging a bit but overall I did enjoy it. The storyline was interesting and watching the characters grow and learn was nice. Overall I would definitely recommend this book to people in the future.

I was hoping for a cozy romance and ended up with a love hate relationship with this book. And honestly that’s the best kind of relationship. First off, this book talks a lot about boundaries and being honest. I didn’t think a fake dating/friends with benefits romance book would get into emotional cheating. And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the main character when I started.
Does she love to read? Yes. Is she awkward and dorky? Yes. Is she plus size with self esteem that fluctuates? Yes. But I couldn’t stand her relationship with her best friend that she was pining for. It was giving the vibes like “Something Borrowed,” the movie/book. I really struggles with her constant white lies and having a decent guy who was completely open with her. Was it complicated because he loved her love interest fiancé? Absolutely yes. But pushing through the book I respected that the author addresses that. So if you’re against emotional affairs, this may not be the book for you.
I will say once you get past that, you really see a chemistry from the two main characters that just feels natural. There’s no unrequited love by chapter two but there is attraction. And it just overall felt like a good story arc. The main character redeems herself and I really enjoyed that the author puts all what if away for both characters. You’re left feeling like they chose each other because they wanted each other. Communication being a big deal for a man! Hallelujah! The love interest had faults but he was open with them. Overall I loved this book and really left me feeling satisfied. The spice is there but the communication is better.
Cant believe this is a debut author! She really nailed it from someone who reads a lot of romance books. Can’t wait to read her next story!

I did not like this book. I really wanted to like this book. The premise of a plus size librarian falling for the brother of her friend/ex, who happens to be a retired football player, is a good idea.

However the friend/ex is an absolutely horrid friend and the heroine just allows it because she's got confidence issues. It's 2024 and I know that women still have confidence issues, especially plus size women, but the way this woman was written made me want to throw my phone across the room at several points.

The football playing brother has his own issues as well, but he is still one of the better characters in this book. The same can be said with Marcela's best friend, Angela.

I will say that after the halfway point, the book quickly got better and wrapped up in a nice neat HEA bow, but getting there was a struggle.

If you can handle a self-conscious character that has massive communication issues, then you might actually enjoy this book. I apparently cannot handle it.

This book was impeccable!!! Like ever in my life have i wanted to be a FMC more than I wanted to be Marcela! Loved the plus sized rep and a youth librarian…I AM SCREAMING! I have read this book from front to back twice already and it is sure to be added to the comfort read list!

very interesting tropes!!! i loved it!! it was very fun to read and i would definitely read more books by this author!!

I really enjoyed Theo and Marcela's story! Fake dating tropes are my fav and this didn't disappoint. Marcela is in love with her BFF, Ben, who is Theo's brother. Theo is in love with Ben's fiancee and drama ensues. I love the inclusivity of diverse characters and a happy ending. Buy this book! I can't wait for the next installment.

This was a fun, enjoyable read. There were moments that felt like they dragged a bit, in terms of the plotting but Marcela was a fun character to follow and I especially appreciated the inclusivity of different character types.

A cute twist on the fake dating trope. I loved how Marcel’a and Theo were in the same situation and so neither had the upper hand. I love how Theo ended up being the sweetest.

There were so parts that I found myself a little bored. The story line did have me want to yell Just communicate already.!!!! Overall it was an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed reading this first installment of a new series. I was drawn in by the personalities of the main characters as well as the fact that their careers are not often found in other romance novels. I appreciated the specificity of the setting and the care with which some issues were treated.

When the best friend and brother of the groom end up faking a relationship to hide their feelings for the newly engaged couple neither of them expects their explosive chemistry they share. But can helping each other get over someone else really lead to a happy ever after together?

Marcela was a character whose self doubts really resonated with me and when I sometimes wanted to shake her, I couldn’t help but understand her. Theo and and Marcela’s romantic journey was frustrating at times but filled with sweet moments and gestures and some hit you in the face steam. I was undeniably invested. Looking forward to seeing what Gamez writes next.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! As a librarian, the female main character was relatable,. but I also enjoyed the dynamic between Marcela and Theo. I liked that they had real problems, but in the end everything worked out. Excited to read more from this author in the future!

I loved this book, and I think you will, too. There's so much to love about it. I picked it up and couldn't put it down

Loved this so much. The diversity and representation were excellent, and the story just pulls you in. The complications of the love square - sometimes had me cringing from secondhand embarrassment but that just shows how well told the story was. Definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series!

This book had all my favorite tropes. Such a fun read! Really excited to get a physical copy to put on my shelf.

This was a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down. I also appreciated the plus size representation. I loved reading how Marcela and Theo helped each other grow and found love in a mutually respectful relationship.

If you like messy complicated drama, then I’d definitely recommend this book!
Despite how complicated things were for the characters, I really appreciated how Theo and Marcella wanted better for themselves, even if they didn’t know the healthiest ways to get there. I liked the empathy they showed one another, it’s nice to see that in books.

I also LOVED the bookish aspects and the representation we got with Marcella’s character!!!! (Like loved x12788)

I can’t wait to read book 2!

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for my ARC 🥰.

3/5⭐️