A Lot Like Adios (Primas of Power #2) by Alexis Daria

This was a very cute read. I’m not sure it’s as fun as You Had Me at Hola but I had a good time just the same. At first I wasn’t sure of the whole setup for the second chance part of the second chance romance, but as it went on, and we got the flashbacks to the fanfic chapters, it really did start to grow on me.

I thought something that was done very well was Gabe’s journey through the rebuilding of his relationship with his parents. I’m a big fan of boundary setting, family or no, but I also know that people can grow and change and I was glad to see his parents had mellowed as they aged. I was a bit confused as to why they didn’t reach out to Gabe as his dad was the one who told him to never come back, BUT for the purposes of this story I guess it made sense.

Gabe’s renewal of his relationship with Michelle and his parents, seemed to kickstart his growth, I think had he got himself a proper therapist and not got tips off one of his clients, it might not have taken him 9 years to see his parents again or 13 years to figure out his feeling for Michelle.

At the beginning I thought Michelle wasn’t all that respectful of Gabe’s boundaries. She railroaded him into going out to the Bronx to the house that is NEXT DOOR to the people he hasn’t seen in 9 years, and is clearly distraught at the prospect of seeing them. I get her being hurt that he left, and I get that she doesn’t fully understand the extent of the fallout but she was super dismissive. Once she learnt how upset he was at the prospect of seeing his parents though she became very supportive. And then she became super open and communitive.

I did find the end started to get a little repetitive, especially surrounding Gabe’s decision with the gym. Michelle just went off and got her business up and running and Gabe spent like three chapters obsessing. Sure, it was a big decision but I didn’t need that much inner turmoil for that point to be made.

The end was lovely though, and I enjoyed how everyone got their HEA, including Gabe and his parents.

Ava was a total sweetheart so I’ll absolutely be picking up the third book in the trilogy, Along Came Amor.

Synopsis:

Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.

Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?