This one was soft, emotional, and totally hit me in the feels. If you’re a fan of friends to lovers with a fake dating twist, you’ll want to read this book immediately.

Martina and Jacinto have been best friends basically forever, and watching them slowly realize there might be something more between them was the sweetest kind of torture. The fake relationship setup brings all the tension and “wait… is this real?” moments I crave in a romance. Add in a small town setting and a wave of local gossip, and I was hooked.

This story is full of quiet, powerful moments, like lingering touches, soft glances, and deep vulnerability. It’s not flashy or over the top, but that’s what makes it feel so real and intimate. Both Martina and Jacinto are working through fears that feel so relatable: hers of being left behind, and his of wanting something that might actually matter.

I will say it’s a slower burn, and if you love emotional depth, internal conflict, and that aching tension that comes from two people afraid to ruin a good thing, this book delivers.

💐 Expect:
Friends to lovers
Fake dating
Small town gossip
Quiet, tender romance
Emotional growth
Vulnerable, layered characters

It’s a beautiful story about taking chances and choosing love, even when it scares you. Sweet, a little angsty in the good way, and full of heart.

Thank you to Maria Rigou for the eARC of this book.