e-Audio, 11:10:28
Narrated by: Gisela Chipe & Andre Santana
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Published by: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Read from: June 21-23, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: PRH Audio (I received a free e-ALC from the publisher and their app. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Toxic Relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Friends to Lovers, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Sparkly Covers, Realistic Fiction, AdultThe USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man is back with a fun and flirty rom-com about a pact between friends that goes awry when one of them unexpectedly announces they’re getting married.
On the eve of their college graduation, best friends Javier Báez and Marisol Campos swore never to date someone the other doesn’t approve of. Now, ten years later, Javi has a problem. Mari, the woman he’s secretly pined for since sophomore year, is planning to marry—and Javi didn’t even get the chance to vet the Pedro Pascal knockoff.
Mari, a successful entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles, is no longer seeking Javi’s dating advice or waiting for him to declare his love for her. Instead, she’s made a different pact—with herself. And to succeed, she’ll need to build a future with someone else.
With his life and theater career finally on track, Javi’s ready to confess his feelings. Except Mari’s changed the script and moved on without him. Which means he has eight weeks to convince her this marriage is a flop. And if Javi has to ruffle some feathers to help Mari avert a disaster, well, he’s up for the challenge. After all, isn’t that what best friends are for?
*MY THOUGHTS*
This was so much fun! I swear the next time someone says they hate friends to lovers because there’s no angst, I will make sure they have this in their hands. Because let me tell you this one had all of that and then some!
OK so the thing I liked most about this was Javier. He was hilarious and he did literally everything to make her smile. They were the cutest from the friend zone to the end, it was so easy to see the love they had for each other. And it was so easy with them them. When they began to transition to the romance part, it was like nothing because they were already there! They are the literal reason I love friends to lovers so much!
Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all fun and games. There was also a bunch of family stuff happening. THAT’S where the angst went. And even though the focus isn’t on them, it doesn’t make it less. There’s still some drama and I was still upset at them for not originally listening to the other. Her family is a piece of work. I wanted so bad to stay mad at them too, but I couldn’t. And really, only one of them deserves the vitriol I was sending through them anyways
The writing style was what got me hooked tho. I loved the way it went over their years as friends. I think it really aided in the way we saw them fall for each other. By the time they finally let everything out, I felt like the other friends in this story lol Like we were all in on the joke but only SHE didn’t know. They were so cute.
When they finally got together, they SAW each other and gave the other what they needed. And that is IT for me. It’s just something about a supportive partner. ESPECIALLY when the thing they’re supporting isn’t even completely finished…. This book is the perfect romance book to add to your Summer Reading TBR!
Overall, I give this
