Thanks to Netgallery for the e-ARC of Sleeping with The Frenemy, in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start by saying that reviewing this book is not easy. Being puertorican, and searching for puertorican representation in traditionally published books is a difficult task, so when I decided to give this one a try, I was more than excited for it. But this was just not for me. The book follows Leo and Sofi, who have been in an "on-and-off" relationship for years. After their meddling grandparents decided to "help them see they belong together", they are conveniently become roommates. Of course there is tension, and some angst but that was not enough for me to enjoy the book or story. The characters were too immature for my liking and the miscommunication was just too much for my taste. The tropes seemed forced, and to be honest even some of the spice felt like it was just there to be there. I don't know, I am just sad that I didn't enjoy it at all. But even though this book was not for me, that doesn't mean it can't be your cup of tea.

TROPES:
- Second Chance Romance - kinda? IDK
- Best Friend’s Brother
- Family Meddling - (I do have an issue with Latinx family/Puerto Rican families ALWAYS being represented as meddling, overly involved in others issues and not caring about peoples feelings and thoughts...but that is a discussion for another day)

This book was really sweet! There was a lot I really liked about it. I loved the Puerto Rican rep, and the Spanish. I loved Leo and Sofi together, even though they’re for sure their own worst enemies.

It got a little tough to follow, and I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I wanted to be.

The copy I received had quite a few grammatical errors in it, which I assume have been corrected before publication.

This novel almost-perfectly encapsulates contemporary romance in 2024; the main couple starts off as a situationship with some messy, one-sided feelings at the start, almost all the characters are people of color and first or second-generation immigrants, and there's plenty of career insecurities.

Sofi has been best friends with Leo's sister Kamilah for years, and she's also had an on-again off-again thing with Leo for years. After her falling out with Kamilah in A Proposal They Can't Refuse (I'd recommend reading this series in order), they've reconciled, but Sofi and Leo are still on shaky ground. Cue some meddling grandparents and whoops, they're roommates now... with a dog too.

I liked Sofi; she's a bit prickly and definitely the more guarded one in the relationship. It's in part due to her relationship with her absentee dad who she's tired of pleasing, and wants to part ways with on a career level. Leo on the other hand is very much a "I may be pretty but I'm not dumb, MOM" hero. He's a charmer and a flirt but has trouble being taken seriously by the people around him (there's a moment of reconciliation with his family re his childhood ADHD diagnosis as well). He's also the one pushing for a real relationship with Sofi while Sofi shies away. I did find it funny when Leo was being super tragic about how he's her *dirty little secret* but ultimately, what I liked is that it's not just Leo who is put in a position to grovel (and there is a grovel!); Sofi has to come to terms with why she keeps pushing people away in order for them to get their HEA.

On a rep level, there's fantastic first and second-gen Puerto Rican and Dominican-American rep, and the cultures are portrayed with a lot of love. I also really like how intentional Natalie Caña was about writing the diversity within the communities, for example, Sofi identifies as both Latina and Black, and her grandmother is white but both are Dominican.

My one note is, this book clocks in at almost 340 pages and I did feel that the plot got pretty meandering at times, especially with all the side plots; it seemed to lean more into a slice-of-life contemporary romance than a romcom.

The sex:

Pretty hot, especially considering this is being marketed as a romcom; I love when the main characters have a *history* and Leo isn't afraid to lean into that when it comes to seducing Sofi after over a year apart. There's also a good bit of good girl-bad girl stuff going on, considering Sofi is quite straitlaced on the outside, and Leo kind of coaxes her to let go of her inhibitions in the bedroom. We also get a good amount of dirty talk in Spanish aaaand there's face-sitting!

Thank you to Harlequin for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.75/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Publication Date: October 29th

Meddling Papo is back and this time he has help! I was so excited for Leo & Sofi’s book! I love their banter and their will they won’t they energy so much.

Also just love the Vega Family and sibling dynamic they crack me up so much but I also love how supportive they are of one another.

Now for Sofi & Leo, omg the adhd rep, the depression rep, the need for control and perfection and love ugh it was just tugging at my heart so much. And their love declarations?! Oh I’m such a sucker for a good declaration and these too had me sobbing at 1 am. I definitely relate to Sofi a lot and it was a joy (and sometimes too close to comfort) to read about her finally accepting and being open to love.

I like the serious topics discussed in this series while also still being a highly romantic book I still think it’s so refreshing to see these things discussed especially in the aspect of how they relate to our romantic relationships.

Overall, it’s literally like reading a pure early 00s rom com so much heart, laughs, tears and leaves you blissfully hopeful for love.

The Vega family love stories follow the Vega siblings finding love, rediscovering themselves and also dealing with their meddling, match-making Abuelo. While the books themselves are romance books, they do touch on topics like gentrification, unhoused youth, anxiety, the harm done to brown communities, grief, the military, policing of black and brown communities, PTSD, and racism which I all find to be really relevant and important topics to read about from all viewpoints. 🩷

Thank you to HTP for the ARC.

The Vega Family series is one of my favorites. Natalie Caña beautifully weaves family, friendship and community into every love story that she writes, and Sleeping with the Frenemy is no exception.

Leo and Sofi had a frenemies with benefits situation going until she moved to Paris almost two years ago. Now she’s back and they are trying to navigate the new normal while sharing an apartment. There is a lot of hurt lingering between them, but their attraction is a tangible force that pulls them back together over and over again. The flirty banter is fantastic and the nicknames are top tier.

Abuelo Papo finds a new partner in crime when he meets Sofi’s grandmother, Doña Fina. The matchmaking shenanigans are more subtle in this book, but they lead to the introduction of one of my favorite new characters. Tostón steals the show!

This book is messy and real; I loved every moment of it. The Vega family will live in my heart forever.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: second-chance romance, close proximity, best friends brother
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Sophi and Leo have had a tumultuous relationship for about a decade, made more complex that Leo is her best friend's brother and she doesn't know about her relationship with Leo. When they two are forced to become roommates while Sophi is planning Kamilah's wedding, the two are forced to figure out what went wrong and how they can be together.
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Overall this was really cute. I appreciated the complexity of Leo and Sophi's relationship and I actually liked how they worked out conflict. This was a good second chance romance so if you like that trope, you might want to check this one out! While it is a third in a series, I don't think you need to read the other two, but they are also good!

3.0

Second Chance Romance
Best Friend’s Brother
Family Meddling

Thanks To NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy for review

As a person who doesn’t love a lot of angst in her stories, I don’t think this one was for me.
Basic choices that the characters were making made it hard for me to read. The miscommunication trope was beyond strong in this. The main couple at times were intensely stubborn for no reason except to make their lives harder. At some point it wasn’t trauma stopping them from making good choices. It was ego. The FMC, Sofi, had daddy issues and trauma that she pushed onto Leo, The MMC, was unfair. He was going through something and even though even was keeping it to himself, Sofi often punished him for it, I guess?… In one specific case, she rips into him because he “disappeared” and “disappointed” her like her father…c’mon. It definitely skewed my view of her and made it so while I understood her issues with her father and the insuring trauma it caused, she’s an adult who was aware of the choices she was making and made them anyways. It was a bit painful because other parts of the story were amazing. I actually think that the main couple had tons of chemistry but I was so blinded at times by how mean Sofi could be and self centered. She made Kamilah’s issues from the previous book all about her. I don’t know… I wanted more from the story as a whole. Leo’s storyline was ok from what I remember. I liked the fighter fighter recovery plot, and his ADHD side plot. Both were actually done pretty well and I enjoyed reading those. The good moments between Leo and Sofi were great. I loved that Leo loved Sofi and her attitude and was for the most part understanding. The family meddling wasn’t all that bad in my opinion.
Side Characters were so much fun and loved seeing them, can’t wait to read more about them in the future.

Very Different From Previous Books. Still Solid In Its Own Right. The first two books in this series dealt with vastly different types of relationships than our MCs here have. In the first book, it was a friends to lovers situation, while in the second book it was a S L O W burn second chance situation. Here, its more of a situation situation. As in, this is a couple that has been fucking for *years* behind the backs of the siblings of one of them - one of those siblings being the best friend of the other. More on a situational level though - both were available and attracted to each other and had an opportunity, so mutual itch scratching was had. Fair enough, and that back story alone makes this *wildly* different than the other books here.

And because of that back story, this is perhaps the spiciest entry into the series. So those looking for the no sex/ "fade to black" type books... this aint fucking that. Instead, it more readily takes scenes from a Fifty Shades type environment, and that alone should tell most anyone what to generally expect there.

Still, this book and these characters have history within the series, and that is well respected here. The characters from the prior entries all show up in appropriate enough places, and indeed certain elements of prior storylines come into play heavily in this book - so absolutely read this series in order.

Overall a fun, spicy, story whose every element blends the Puerto Rican background of these characters with their current Chicago home quite well. Very much recommended.

This was definitely my favorite book out of the series and I don’t say that with any disrespect to Kamilah & Liam or Saint & Lola!! I loved being immersed into the Vega family and being pulled along for their—mainly the grandparents—shenanigans. The family and friend support systems are some that people can only dream of because the Vegas are one of a kind.

Sofi & Leo—who we find out towards the end are Leo’s, as am I and wow did I also do some reflecting and see a lot of myself in them especially Sofi—are the couple we follow in this novel. Sofi is stuck working for her father, feeling lost in her relationship with him and in her career as it was forced onto her and not something she has any interest in. Leo is a firefighter who got shot off duty but is fighting to go back, struggling with his mental health and feeling like he has nothing but his love for his choice of career.

As Sofi decides to come back home, stay with family, rekindle her friendship, figure out what she wants in her life, and plan a wedding, she now needs to figure out how to not fight against her feelings for Leo. As for Leo, his main priorities are to figure out his next steps in his firefighting career and get the woman of his dreams.

Leo & Sofi are so stubborn but like I mentioned before I saw so much of myself in them. Sofi was like a building full of mirrors I couldn’t get out of. I loved that she graced herself with patience as she did to others because she deserved it and how she had all of this support that always showed up. Same for Leo. They both would get lost and forget about the love and support they had around them, even from one another, but they would show up, day & night no matter what.

I can say sooo much because I wholeheartedly loved this book so much. La cultura, la comunidad, the representation of family and health of all kinds!! Caña just gets better and better and I’m so thankful to have been gifted this eARC. A million times over, thank you to Natalie Caña, Harlequin Publishing, and NetGalley! 🩷

“Your only job in this life is to make yourself happy without hurting others. Do what you gotta do, bebé. Y a los que no les gusta, que se joden.”

4.5⭐️

This series has become a favorite of mine and I have absolutely adored spending time with these characters throughout each book. Sofi and Leo’s book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and gosh, Natalie delivered a heart achingly beautiful second chance love story. I loved reuniting with these dear friends and joining in with the Vega family as they loved, encouraged, protected, and celebrated each other.

Sofi and Leo’s story is particularly emotional as they’ve been estranged for over a year and during that period, have done self reflection and taken time to remind themselves of who they are, what they want, and that running away from potential hurt and heartbreak can hurt more than allowing others to see your true self and heart. It was so moving seeing Sofi and Leo’s family and friends rally around them as they supported and remind them both that while life can leave each of us a little bruised and broken, it does not diminish our worth and that we each of worthy and deserving of loving and being loved.

These books are so incredibly special and I love how they celebrate friendship and family in every form, while also delivering fantastic banter, sizzling steam, matchmaking grandparents (my fave!), and important commentary on social justice and community activism.

I was so excited for the next book in this world of Natalie Cana and I absolutely adored it! Leo is possibly my favorite Vega, he is just so loveable and getting to see Sofi take charge of her own life was such a treat. We of course get the classic grandparent meddling that we have come to expect in the Vega family and theres even a cute stray dog!! I really never want the books about this family's antics to end!!

good romance and loved how they found love and each other. They survived their trials and found their way back to each other. another great romance.

Yep- it's a second chance forced proximity romance but it's also a story about family. Sofi and Leo are both dealing with issues beyond their control, notably he is recovering from being shot, but their connection goes deep and now they are sharing living space. And getting ready for his sister Kamilah's wedding, Kamilah who used to be Sofi's bff before a misunderstanding. Luckily, Papo Vega is always willing to poke his nose in! This is sweet, it's a little spicy and it's got great atmospherics. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A fun read.

I am not a contemporary romance girly, but this was a refreshing take of the genre and i loved the representation. it felt much more real and not surface level like so many romance novels.

Overall. I enjoyed this book. It's not my fave of the series, but I still think the same tone is kept in this book that is similar to the others which I liked. I enjoyed the heart Natalie puts in her books. I love the Latinx representation she gives. I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited to see that Leo and Sofi were getting their own book, and given the premise I was THRILLED. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my entire expectations.

I enjoyed seeing Sofi and Leo get their ending because I LOVE that they had known each other for years and came back to each other.

Leo warmed my heart because I really could feel his love for Sofi, as a couple they were giving off "Black cat & Golden Retriever" vibes.

There were a lot of instances where I didn't find myself agreeing with the characters actions. Which I think really impacted my review. I understand that no one is perfect, but there were several instances that made me scratch my head and think to myself "really?"

I enjoyed afro-latina rep! I always loving reading books featuring fellow latinas.

Also Leo, and his ADHD is something that I appreciated seeing. I don't think ADHD within the latinx community is talked enough about so I was glad to see this be mentioned!

I was excited to read this book even though I didn’t care for Sofi after how she reacted to what happened with Kamilah. She could’ve been more understanding and sympathetic to her best friend. But I loved Leo in the previous books and wanted to see how things were for him. This was a good, steamy read that shows how love can be a journey and if you’re willing to go on it, you can find your HEA. I’m glad Leo and Sofi figured it out. Now I want to know if they’ll be another book and if one of the twins or a cousin gets the next book!!

ROMANCE PERFECTION!

This couple is messy, and secretive, and steamy, and delicious.

This book is the perfect combination of a deep and detailed story and beautiful culture representation.

I can now safely say that no two of Natalie Caña's characters are ever alike. All very vivid and deep in each book.

Leo and Sofi are hot hot hot. Filled with stolen glances, jealous moments, and breakdown of walls that will go into my memory forever.
Superb Puerto Rican representation. The best book yet.

This is kind of a frenemies to lovers/second chance romance trope all in one. I love the Vega family a lot, this whole series has been excellent and I'd love for there to be more in this world, surrounding these cast of characters but the author's note did make it sound like this series was a 3 and done.

I really liked the 2 MCs, both have issues with feeling less than and not good enough, Leo with his entire family and Sofi with her dad. I adored the friendship aspect, Sofi and Kamilah had a falling out at the end of book 1 and this is the book where all of that gets resolved and I really liked how that played out. I love the big family dynamics though sometimes it does make it hard to keep track of who everyone is.

All in all, this was a winner.

ARC from publisher, review is all mine

Content Notes: Hero recuperating from injuries related to a gunshot wound; toxic parent;

First thing’s first: I adore Leo. It was so hard to witness him being rejected, embarrassed, and dismissed by Sofi over and over again. Granted, she has issues with abandonment and not feeling deserving of love with no strings, thanks to her self-righteous, gaslighting, guilt trip inducing father, who only involved himself in her life once she was older to use her for his benefit. Does that excuse her behavior towards Leo? Not in my book. He makes it clear that he wants her for a long time, not just a fling, and puts his foot down about accepting anything less. Nevertheless, with the help of his scheming abuelo and her observant abuela, Leo still goes above and beyond to prove to her that he wants her. Sofi just has to get out of her own head.

Friendship and family dynamics play such a huge role in their journeys, both individually and with each other. But if you ask me, Sofi was a goner the moment Leo first sang for her. 💜