love in focus is a cute, second chance romance involving two women who are close to thirty that end up working together after their break up eight years ago. celeste, a photographer, gave up on love pretty early after the fall out between her parents as well as her own relationship ending in shambles with gemma. gemma, a romance advice columnist, is a hopeless romantic who gets dumped out of nowhere by her fiancé of seven years. the both of them are roped into a work place relationship that involves spending a lot of time together. all this time they realize they may have never been over each other.

this was overall a very cute read, i enjoyed the characters as well as the side ones. it was cliche like a hallmark movie with a lot of diverse representation. it was a beautiful mix bag of people who had their own flaws and goals in life. i didn’t think it was amazing but it was cute! it’s a good quick read for anyone that wants something fluffy and romantic.

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on how absolutely wonderful the cover of this book is - it is PERFECT. I adore every aspect of it.

A romcom with bisexual/queer and Asian rep that gives the vibes of west coast The Bold Type (tv show) mixed with the banter of Ali Hazelwood is exactly what I never knew I was missing.

Gemma and Celeste getting their second chance romance was everything. It was also refreshing to see a bisexual lead actually interact and have romantic feelings towards both men and women - often it feels like authors will simply toss in a line about a character being bi but then throw them into a straight presenting relationship just to check the diversity box. Lee does a really good job with respectful representation and it means so much, especially now.

The pacing and character development was done well, I did feel like James was a little more underdeveloped than he could have been but that's just an opinion and I do think the book is still strong anyway. Some of the writing felt choppy with the switch between 1st and 3rd person (although I do understand the purpose and I do think its a stylistic choice that just didn't vibe with me personally).

Overall with this being my first introduction to Lyla Lee I'm really impressed. I do feel like the book could have been a bit longer but I flew through it and I'm really looking forward to reading more from her in the future

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee is a sapphic second-chance romance that captured my attention from the first chapter. I enjoyed other works by the author (I'll Be the One; Flip the Script), and this book bringing together creatives Gemma and Celeste did not disappoint.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Gemma doesn’t believe true love exists—or at least she isn’t sure it’s in the cards for her—after her seven-year relationship implodes, and she has no idea why. To make matters worse, she has to pair up with Celeste, her college ex, on the most important work assignment of her career. Gemma hasn’t talked to Celeste since she ghosted her in college. Chaos and adorable romantic drama ensue.

I saw the cover of this book and immediately added it to my TBR, so I was beyond excited when Forever made it available for review via NetGalley. This book was a bingeable, fluffy sapphic delight. I will also never look at an orange couch again without calling it a Clementine. 🍊 I’m not usually the biggest fan of second-chance romances, but this one charmed me greatly. It was a cute take on the “right one, wrong time” trope, and I loved that both of our main characters were such big romantics at heart. I also adored Gemma’s character growth, and the ending the author gave her just made my heart happy.

I think you will enjoy this book if you like the following tropes:

📸 Second Chance Romance
💕 Forced Proximity
📸 Sapphic Romance
💕 Columnist/Photographer
📸 Romantic Comedy
💕 Sweet and Spicy 🌶️

“I like that. One romance novel moment at a time.”

Gemma and Celeste’s story is one filled with so much growth and love. They may have broken up 8 years ago and now find themselves working on a project together, but that doesn’t deter them for learning and growing. They explore what a casual relationship can look like while interviewing couples in love for a work project. They finally talk through what happened when they broke up, what they want out of life, and how they can fit in each other’s lives. I enjoyed this different take on a second chance romance.

I appreciated the message of representation throughout this book. Gemma and Celeste get the opportunity to work with couples of all types during the Modern Love in Focus project. College students, a couple with children, older queer couples. We see all of the forms love can take and it gives us hope that a love exists out there for everyone. We also learn so much about Korean culture and the struggles of growing up in a traditional family. Overall, I adored this book and can’t wait to recommend to others.

Thank you so much to Forever and NetGalley for access to the eARC!

I don’t know if I should chalk this up to a mood read gone wrong or lack of reader-book chemistry, but this book was just okay to me. My biggest gripe was the switch from first person to third person for the Gemma and Celeste chapters, but I’m sure it won’t bother other readers nor impeded their ability to enjoy this book.

Second chance romance, sapphic relationship (lesbian woman x bisexual woman), discussions on biphobia, and non-romantic love and relationships aspects were all well done I think.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

Love in Focus follows Gemma and Celeste, two women who dated in college unexpectedly reuniting eight years later through work.

I was so excited to read this as I LOVED Flip the Script and this didn't disappoint. I loved Gemma and her best friends and Celeste surprised me by being one of my favorites in the whole book. I thought there was just enough work and enough of Gemma and Celeste reconnecting to make sense and I really enjoyed how they took their time finding themselves before going back to each other.

My only issue was Gemma's chapters were in first person while Celeste's were in third person. It did help me to figure out whose chapter I was reading but it made Celeste's chapters feel a little more distant than Gemma's which I didn't like as I really enjoyed Celeste as a character. But this wasn't a big deal as this was such a great read.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley again for the chance to read this early.

this was such an easy and fun read, and i cannot wait to add this beautiful book on my shelf when the time comes

This book is a good read. Gemma has broken up with a guy who she dated for seven years. While on the job, she pairs up with Celeste who’s gay and talented. There’s a connection between both Gemma and Celeste in the book. They’d both tried theirs hardest to keep their relationship strictly professional.

This story was so lovely and heart warming! I loved Gemma and Celeste from the beginning, and it was a honor seeing them reconnect and try to learn to trust love again. Second chance romance is one of my favorite genres and this was done so well! I also love a workplace romance. Chefs kiss!

This second chance romance follows two women thrown back together after not seeing each other for years after their breakup. The author does a great job at exploring their unresolved emotions about the circumstances of the breakup and the conflicted feelings about being in close proximity once again. I wish the POVs were a little more balanced and we had a bit more of Celeste's POV in the book. There was a lot of inclusion about their culture and how that impacted both their queerness and lives. I enjoyed them a lot.

Thank you to Forever Publishing & Netgalley for the eARC!!!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved our two main characters, Gemma and Celeste. I also really enjoyed the setting & the writing style!

I love the second chance romance trope & the tension and chemistry between Gemma and Celeste even after them not seeing one another for years was EVERYTHING!!! I really enjoyed watching them fall in love for a second time & end up stronger than ever! I also absolutely adored Kiara, Val and Burrito!

Definitely recommend picking this one up if you're looking for a cute second chance romance!

Thank you to Net Galley and Forever Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book it was a really quick read that was easy to get through. Gemma is going through a breakup and has to team up with her college ex to tackle a project for the company that they are both employed at. I loved that this book was a second chance sapphic romance, one of my absolute favorite tropes. This book has fantastic representation and all of the characters have good relationships with one another. The friendship between these characters are also really good, it explores romantic and platonic love. This was a really fun and steamy read. Although some parts were a bit choppy, it didn’t take away from the story. I just wish that there was a bit more yearning! Excited to read more by Lyla Lee!!!

Thank you so much Lyla Lee, and Netgalley for allowing me to read Love in Focus in advance, I loved this cute story so much.

Love in Focus releases May 27, 2025 and is now available for preorder. 🤍

4⭐

Thank you Lyla Lee, Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑭𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 is a sapphic second chance rom-com about two former roommates who were lovers and now exes are working together on a project and after not seeing each for eight years as they learn to navigate unresolved feelings, emotional baggage and more while trying not to fall for each other again.

This was a heartwarming read which included forced proximity as they had to work together and second chance love story that was both difficult and rewarding to read, given their past and emotional baggage.

Themes of identity, sexuality, love, independence, friendship and healing was explored throughout the book. Even when everything was complicated, making connections seemed worth it with exploration of growth and healing.

I enjoyed reading about the friendship between Gemma, Kiara and Val. It felt refreshing and genuine with a supportive background. The representation of the LGBTQ community and BIPOC community was something that was very well done. The importantance their presence of highlighted which was comforting to read about.

The tension and angst brewing between Gemma and Celeste was undeniable. They had such good chemistry and the romance between them undeniably yearning for each other. I love how they were there for each during highs and lows and how they learned their priorities and comforts with each other.

Reading this book overall felt like a rollercoaster of emotions and healing at the same time. For fans of contemporary romance with forced proximity, this one is for you.

This was the book that really got me out of a reading slump and I inhaled it within just two days. I even read some of it on my phone in between patients at work because it was THAT good!

The story starts out with Gemma, a bisexual woman who was recently dumped by her boyfriend/fiance of seven years, running into her ex-girlfriend, Celeste…only to find out that they both have to work together on a special project for Gemma’s company. As a woman in her thirties as well as bisexual, this book was EXTREMELY relatable and it had everything that I needed (even when I didn’t know that I needed it!). The chemistry between Gemma and Celeste is sexy, steamy and irresistible that I was so eager to find out what was going to happen next.

It is not every day where you find a bisexual lead who is constantly fighting against societal norms and she is just trying to find her own way through live and hoping to find love along the way.

This second chance romance was truly just alright. The 2 main characters had a lot of chemistry but they were kinda boring. There was no depth to anything, it all felt super surface level and lackluster. Also...why was one characters perspective in first person but the other character's perspective in third person??? Weird. Anyway, it entertained me through an entire flight from NYC to San Diego, so that means something I guess!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

she was cute but she wasn’t life changing 😛 i loved the queer asian rep and how it was woven into the story particularly, but the two fmc’s themselves were sometimes hard to root for 😭 it felt like everything was pretty solid about this story except them!

for james being the absolute villain he was, tell me why he’s completely irrelevant the entire book. that could’ve added EXCELLENT angst and was underutilized *side eye* i feel like celeste was more of a background character than the main love interest even in her pov. they’re in their late 20s but a lot of this read like younger gen z in the approach to love, romance, and dating in this day and age (derogatory). i wanted for affirmation from them than they’re flaky, will-they-won’t-they because i didn’t believe that they could pull it together!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

…but they did! this isn’t a negative review my bad ya’ll i had a good time i PROMISE. this is also short as hell i flew through this bad boy!!! oh oh also the spice was 😏 there’s a certain scene that rhymes with trap…hint hint wink wink that had me blushing and giggling up a storm 🙂‍↕️

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee is a heartfelt and layered second- hance sapphic romance that blends love, career ambitions, and emotional vulnerability against the backdrop of a beautifully depicted San Francisco. While it shines in its character development and thematic depth, there were a few areas where I wished for more.

Gemma is a strong, well developed protagonist. Her background, career as a relationship advice columnist, and friendships with Val and Kiara make her feel like a fully realized character rather than just a vehicle for the romance. Her work with Celeste on their project about modern love was one of my favorite aspects of the book. The diversity of couples they interviewed—queer, straight, BIPOC, older, younger—felt thoughtful and added richness to the story. Plus, we actually got to read about the interviews rather than just being told they happened, which made their project feel integral rather than just a plot device.

I also really appreciated the exploration of Korean culture and Celeste as a Korean FMC. As someone married to a Korean, I found these elements to be accurate and well researched, which made the story even more meaningful. Celeste’s background—growing up in South Korea, learning English, and choosing to study in a more diverse environment—added depth to her character and made her journey even more compelling. I only wish we had gotten more of this! Her relationship with Min-joon, for example, could have been explored further, as it felt like such an important part of her past.

Another standout was the setting. While I’ve never been to San Francisco, the way it was described felt more nuanced and diverse than how it’s often portrayed. The city became part of the story rather than just a backdrop. And, of course, Celeste? Hot. No notes.

The book had a clear sense of direction, which I really appreciated. Knowing that the timeline was structured around their project made the pacing feel natural, and it avoided the aimlessness that sometimes plagues second-chance romances.

Celeste’s chapters were disappointingly short, which meant I never felt like I got to know her as deeply as I wanted. She had all the ingredients of a compelling love interest, but I just wanted more.

Similarly, James didn’t feel as significant as I expected. Given how much of a catalyst he was for Gemma’s skepticism about love, I thought he’d either play a bigger role or have a more intense confrontation with her. Instead, he felt like a minor obstacle rather than a true emotional hurdle for Gemma.

Love in Focus is a well written, sapphic second chance romance with a great balance of emotional depth, career ambitions, and an engaging premise. The thoughtful inclusion of Korean culture and a well developed Korean FMC was a huge highlight for me. While Celeste’s character could have been more fleshed out and James felt underwhelming, the strong development of Gemma, the diversity of the love stories featured in their project, and the undeniable chemistry between the leads made it a compelling read. If you love second chance romances with tension, slow burn longing, and a vividly drawn setting, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lyla Lee, and Forever for the eARC of this book.

Lyla Lee is such a treasure. I love their writing style so much. Love in Focus was a fantastic second chance sapphic romance. I HIGHLY recommend