i've been looking forward to this book since i first heard about it on lyla lee's instagram and i really enjoyed it! i loved that the characters were in their late 20s the most as someone who is also in her late 20s. also loved the relationship between gemma and celeste, but also loved that we got to see their professional lives outside of their relationship.

Adorable second chance romance and just the palate cleanser I needed coming off a string of thrillers.

Thank you so much to Forever books for this early copy, you run a wonderfully diverse influencer program.

Gemma and Celeste’s college relationship ended abruptly and without explanation. 7 years and a broken engagement later, Gemma finds herself unexpectedly partnered with Celeste on a dream work project. Close proximity and long buried affection for each other test their ability to remain professional.

I love a good second chance romance and I thought that the magazine project was an interesting way to both showcase their own professional talents, while uncovering the veiled emotions both of them were feeling.

I appreciated that there weren’t a lot of misunderstandings which I hate, and overall they pretty openly shared what was on their minds. Discovery of self was also a main theme, which I think is important in any healthy relationship. Add in a couple likable side characters and medium spice and I had a good time with this one.

2.5 ⭐️
I liked the initial set up of this book and was excited to get into it, but it ended up falling very flat for me. Celeste and Gemma are exes who have been broken up for 8 years, and we’re told that a lot. I honestly didn’t really feel the connection between them at any point during this though, besides their attraction towards each other. I needed more of the author showing me they had an emotional connection rather than just telling. This isn’t to say though that there aren’t good emotional beats in the story, because I did enjoy some of the revelations the characters experienced while doing their interview series.

Celeste’s chapters were so few and far in between and the POV change from first to third was jarring. Lastly, I don’t want to go into spoilers but the last 15-20% brought it down for me.

I think this just wasn’t for me, but if you enjoy second chance romances that are quick and easy to read you will probably find enjoyment in this.

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee was a really easy-to-read, bingeable sapphic romance. The story follows Gemma, who’s navigating a tough breakup with her fiancé and boyfriend of seven years. It all get even more crazy when Gemma is assigned a work project where her ex and “the one that got away,” Celeste, is hired as the photographer.

This was a quick read, and I really appreciated the way the story is set up—mostly from Gemma’s POV, but occasionally switching to third person for Celeste’s chapters. I liked getting a glimpse into her mind, even if it was only in brief moments. Their connection felt very meant to be and romantic and it was sweet to watch them come back together. I also loved that both characters are POC, with a lot of Korean culture woven in, especially representing the queer Korean community. That felt so authentic and intimate to read.

As cute as the story was, I did struggle with the writing style. It felt choppy at times and a little disorganized. There were moments where the tone and voice seemed to shift, which threw me off. And when it came to the romance, I missed the build-up and yearning. Given the trauma and heartbreak Celeste and Gemma experienced in their past relationship, it didn’t feel authentic for them to jump into a physical relationship so quickly. I really wanted more tension and build-up before those intimate moments.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot, the side characters, and the cultural elements, but I’m not sure this will be one of my favorites.

This is more like a 3.75. It was a cute, quick read of a romance.

Gemma and Celeste are college exes who haven’t seen each other in 8 years, not since the night Celeste packed and left without a word but for a breakup over text. Worlds collide again in the present when they’re paired up for a work project, right as Gemma’s been dumped by her fiancé of 7 years. The attraction is still there and almost too much to bear - but neither one of them is looking for more than casual. Nothing can go wrong, right?

High points of this book: the representation of Korean culture, the project of Modern Love in Focus itself and how the characters interacted with it, and the actuality of taking time to heal yourself.

I’m not Korean myself, but there’s some similarity in family dynamics in Filipino culture how it was portrayed in the book. Both Celeste and Gemma were acutely aware of never really seeing older Asian queer couples as healthy examples because it’s just not talked about, and that played a role in their feelings on relationships.
I also really liked that they both took the time and initiative to get themselves into therapy and figure shit out.

However, the writing got a bit redundant and repetitive for me at times. I know they’re exes. Why am I constantly being reminded? I also think there were quite a few stereotypes being brought up that I didn’t think were necessary per se or at least could have been phrased differently. “Astrology is a common gay pastime” or maybe just people like astrology?

I was excited about this because it’s Asian representation and sapphic representation. While there were aspects I enjoyed, the writing itself was hard for me to get through at times. I’d maybe recommend this if someone is looking for a cute sapphic romcom.

while i can’t fully relate to every aspect of this book, seeing sapphic characters, especially ones of color, get their moment in a space where they rarely do, makes my heart want to burst with pride and happiness.

i loved celeste and gemma’s story so so much. their relationship, even after 8 years, was one that could easily prove the “right person, wrong time” theory. the two of them getting their own closure from each other, growing together as friends and completely different people than they were before, and growing separately and healing before starting a new relationship was so important and was so well written.

this was such an easy and fun read, and i cannot wait to add this beautiful book on my shelf when the time comes <3

I thought the premise of this book was great and it was definitely a cute read!

I really enjoyed the main characters and appreciated that they're backgrounds were well developed. It was easy to understand their wants and motivations since we were able to learn about their pasts and previous experiences. I loved the diversity of all of the characters and really enjoyed reading about the main character's project to directly address what love means for the queer community. The side characters also felt fleshed out in their own way and were given lives of their own to live, as opposed to just being their for the main characters, which was really nice to read.

My main issue with Love in Focus is just that I didn't really connect with the main character's relationship. Despite their backgrounds being deep, their relationship felt very surface-level. We know that they have been together previously, for quite a long time, and that it didn't end well, but I feel like not enough was done to address that and feel that it was appropriate for them to be together again. I feel like if they had addressed their issues with how their past relationship had ended and what transpired after that more, it would have been easier to feel invested in them getting back together again.

A couple minor issues that I had that may be more personal were the POVs and the ending. For some reason it really bothered me that one POV was in first person and the other was in third. It made reading the story very choppy for me and took me out of the reading experience every time the chapters switched. I'm not normally someone who cares if a story is written in 1st or 3rd POV, but the switching just didn't work for me. The ending involved lots of time jumps and a much quicker progression of the MCs feelings towards each other. I didn't hate it, but it also didn't seem like the best ending to me.

All things considered, this was a sweet read (with some spice!) and I'm always happy to see more diverse romance novels.

I've read 2 other sapphic books by Lee that I enjoyed, so I was glad to get an arc for this. I didn't realize it was an adult story, so that was a pleasant surprise! I'm also super grateful the protags were older than you normally get in romance novels. Unfortunately, it's pretty rare to get stories with characters over 25 and these 2 were 29. This book has Korean bi female rep and Korean lesbian rep.

What I liked:
- Gemma is pretty well developed. We know her goals, her background, her friends are present enough that she has a pretty well established world around her.
- I liked the job set up and the project Gemma and Celeste work on is pretty interesting. I liked that we actually get to read about the interviews and I liked how diverse the couples were. Queer & straight, BIPOC, old & young.
- I loved Val and Kiara. I thought they were adorable and I loved how supportive they were. They were also given enough details that it didn't seem they existed in the story solely to support Gemma. They had lives of their own.
- I liked how much we see of the city around Gemma. I haven't been to San Francisco, but there was a lot of imagery that I appreciated and it described the city as more diverse than I usually see it described in some other books I've read.
- Celeste was hot. *shrug*
- There was a clear throughline and set timeline. I've read a few books that felt aimless and I didn't realize how much I appreciated knowing where the story was headed. We know they're working together for the project and that's (supposedly) it for their time together.

What didn't entirely work for me:
- Celeste's chapters were so short. I don't really feel that we got as much of a chance to get to know her. About halfway through, it's revealed she grew up in South Korea and then worked to learn English so she could go to school in a country more diverse. I wished we'd gotten more of that. I wished we got more of Min-joon. She felt a lot less developed as a character compared to Gemma.
- For how little they interact and how much Gemma just doesn't confront him, James didn't feel that significant as a character. I think I expected something more explosive or dramatic or even just more avoidant. I expected Gemma to confront him more earlier. Especially with how direct she was with Celeste about their past issues.

Overall, I enjoyed this. It was a quick read and I finished it in a few hours. There were some things I wish were expanded on more, but if you're looking for a cute, sapphic read with characters that actually have developed frontal lobes, it's a recommend. I will read anything Lee releases, to be honest.

Gemma y Celeste fueron novias en la universidad hasta que, un día, Celeste se fue sin despedirse y sin dar ninguna explicación. Pasaron siete años y cada una siguió su vida: Gemma se convirtió en columnista de consejos y Celeste en una fotógrafa famosa. Ahora deben trabajar juntas, lo que podría ser la oportunidad perfecta para descubrir qué sucedió y finalmente cerrar esa etapa de sus vidas.

La mayor parte del libro está narrada desde el punto de vista de Gemma, lo que le da un protagonismo mayor. Sin embargo, esto hace que no lleguemos a conocer del todo a Celeste, lo que dejó algunas dudas sin resolver.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

not only is this cover gorgeousssss, i absolutely adored love in focus!! from the beginning i was so interested in where the story was going to go, how these characters were not only going to find themselves but find themselves IN love. and it just fit so well. i loved the ending, and am so excited for more from lyla lee. thank you netgalley for the arc!

i loved this book. i tend to read about straight couples so it was a nice read to get out my comfort zone. the reason i had to give this book a 3 stars was because i felt like it was a very character driven book, I tend to like books with more plots and about characters, but this one seemed to mainly just be about the characters and not the plot to the story, I also would have loved to be able to read about her past relationship with her ex-boyfriend just to get a inside and on who our main character was and more about her and what's she's like. When reading it, I felt like the chapters were dragging on and it seemed to be a lot of filler words or just sentences that didn't make sense, but overall, it was a nice read

📸ARC Review✍🏼 5/27 Release

🌟Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
💧Drip-o-Meter: 💦💦💧
💗Something I Loved: Gemma and Celeste were once college roommates turned sweethearts, ridiculously in love until Celeste disappeared, breaking up with Gemma over text before ghosting her. Gemma moved on but never truly got over the heartbreak so when Celeste shows up 8 years later (shortly after the end of Gemma’s 7 year relationship) only to be paired with Gemma on a work project, drama ensues. But what I liked is that it’s the good kind of drama, not the annoying miscommunication kind. Instead of holding grudges for way too long, they fairly quickly addressed the elephant in the room… clearing the air, apologizing, and starting over without their past hanging over their heads. It’s not entirely smooth sailing after that but I did enjoy how “grown up” they acted about their history.
🫤Something I Would Have Changed: There were definitely some continuity errors, although this was an ARC so it’s possible these things will be changed by the time it’s published, and I found it odd that Gemma’s chapters are written in first person and Celeste’s are written in third. It wasn’t enough to take me out of the story but especially at first it definitely caused me to do a double take.
🥰Favorite Moment: The last “Modern Love in Focus” interview with an elderly lesbian couple, Keiko and Nat. Seeing queer elders in the media still seems far too rare so I appreciated that kind of representation. They were also just the absolute sweetest and I know for a fact that if they were real I’d be trying to weasel my way into their family.
🌶️Spiciest Scene: Chapter 33 when Celeste teaches Gemma about strap-ons. For how tame the majority of the book is, the spice (this chapter in particular) is actually pretty graphic.
📚Standalone vs. Series: Standalone
📖Would I Recommend: I think so. I can’t say it was my favorite book of the year or anything but it was entertaining and for the most part enjoyable. It did read as more of a YA novel to me and I struggled a bit with the writing but overall I still wanted to see how it played out between these two.
💬Tropes: Second Chance, Forced Proximity, Workplace Romance, Roommates to Lovers to Exes to Lovers

Gemma is a relationship advice columnist who day in and day out is required to provide the best love advice to her readers. But how do you keep this up when your fiancé of 7 years ups and breaks up with you. What’s worse is you are co-workers and find out after your abrupt break up that he has already moved on. Gemma needing to pick her head up and just keep moving forward gets offered a chance to pair with a photographer for an up and coming spread for Valentine’s Day spotlighting relationships of all kinds. This was a dream come true job until she introduced to the photographer. She not only knows her, but they have history.



Celeste is the one that got away. The one and only girl that helped Gemma understand that she was Bi in college and after spending the a year in college finding who she really was with the help of Celeste, she ups and leaves without a backwards glance. Gemma realizing that she needs this job and the positive outcomes that will come, decides to work with her Ex.



What comes after is a beautiful love story of second chances and pushing past your previous fears. Gemma and Celeste have loved each other since the very beginning, but needed time to realize that it was always each other.I really enjoyed this book and excited to add it to the ARCs for the year. Love in Focus written by Lyla Lee is due to release on 5/27/2025.

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 heartwarming sapphic romance included forced proximity and a second chance love story that felt both realistic and rewarding. Told in dual POV, Love in Focus follows Gemma and Celeste, former roommates to lovers to exes to coworkers, as they navigate unresolved feelings, emotional baggage, and the possibility of something more.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the friendship between Gemma, Kiara, and Val—it felt so genuine and supportive. The story also beautifully highlights the importance of seeing older sapphic couples, especially people of color. The Asian and bi representation was another layer that made this book stand out.

If you love sapphic romances that explore growth, healing, and pursuing connections even when it’s complicated, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Cute multicultural sapphic novel about two exes who reunite for a work project.

The writing does come off as YA, other than the explicit steamy scenes. I did enjoy the project aspect and how it affected and resonated with both Gemma and Celeste. Soft and lighthearted.

This was a cute and steamy read.

Following two exes who are forced to work on a project together after not seeing each other for eight years. The writing was the thing that had me struggling the most. It felt a little fake and childish, I couldn’t really connect with it. I however wanted to see where Gemma and Celeste would end up in and was able to get through the book. I’m not saying it’s bad or that you shouldn’t read it! If you enjoy this type of writing then it’ll be a cute read.