Guest post written by The Next Best Fling author Gabriella Gamez
Gabriella Gamez is a Mexican American author living in South Texas. She writes about incredibly messy, well-meaning women trying their best and accidentally falling in love. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee, wasting too much time playing video games, and obsessing over other people’s books. She also goes by Gabby.
Releasing July 9th 2024, The Next Best Fling sees two broken hearts decide that the best way to get over their first loves is with a no-strings-attached relationship in this spicy and charming debut romance.
The book community can moan and groan about love triangles all they want—I’ll be on the couch with my Kindle and a snack because I eat it up every single time. Whether it’s time to move on from an unrequited love, exes who stick around to wreak havoc when someone new enters the chat, a main character torn between two siblings, or even a love square, there’s something so captivating to me about these complicated dynamics of the heart.
Love’s a mess, and sometimes we’re not sure what we want until we navigate our way through it. I had a blast exploring the messier dynamics in The Next Best Fling, and it’s one of my favorite aspects to read in romance books.
Here are some messy romances that had my eyes glued to the page, and if quite a few of these also involve fake dating? I guess you could say I have a type.
Complicated Exes
Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake
After a (failed) one night stand with an unlucky in love romance author leads Stevie’s friend group, including her ex who’s now dating within said friend group, to believe she’s finally moving on, Stevie will have to fake date the woman to save face. Luckily, Iris is in desperate need of inspiration for her next book, and what better way to beat her writers block than living out a beloved romance trope?
The Bright Falls series explores the joys and complexities of queer friendships in beautiful and fascinating ways. Stevie is put in an awkward position, but it’s made even worse when her ex’s jealousy comes out once Stevie and Iris start fake dating. I loved the way Iris helped Stevie through her anxiety, and it was so satisfying to watch Stevie break down Iris’s walls and convince her she’s worthy of love. And while the series overall is fever hot, this book is the hottest by far.
Only For The Week by Natasha Bishop
Janelle is completely over her ex. Is it a little weird that he’s now engaged to her sister? Completely, but she’s always known he was wrong for her on some level, despite all the pitying glances she now gets from her friend group. When her ex’s best friend and best man, Rome, joins everyone for the destination wedding, they can’t deny their attraction to each other. After all, he’s always had a thing for Janelle even when she was with his best friend. Their friends might think the worst of Janelle if they knew what was going on between her and Rome, but their fling will last only for the week leading up to the wedding, so it’s no problem…right?
Rome is the book boyfriend we all deserve. Renting a yacht all because Janelle’s one wish for the wedding getaway was to read in peace by the water? The definition of if he wanted to, he would. He stands firmly beside Janelle as she discovers the true reason her sister has become so cold with her recently as the wedding date creeps closer and closer.
Brothers
My American Duchess by Eloisa James
Merry Pelford is infamous in English society for jilting two fiancés, which is why she intends to make it down the aisle with her third come hell or high water. Enter the aforementioned hell and highwater: The Duke of Trent, AKA her current fiancé’s older brother, who has his eye set on Merry after a chance encounter leaves him wanting more. But the consequences of their attraction might be even greater than they both realize…
Something I love about historical romances is that they’re always going to have the most delightfully unhinged plotlines. There is a point in this book where I audibly gasped, shouted “no way” and paced the length of my bedroom. Just when you think this book is going one direction, the rug gets pulled out from underneath you. Just trust me on this one, Eloisa James is a staple in hist-rom for a reason.
The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath
Edward has always held a torch for his twin brother’s wife, Julia. But when an expedition abroad goes terribly wrong, his brother’s dying wish is for Edward to take his place as the Earl of Greyling until Julia delivers her baby safely to term. As Edward is pretending to be the Earl and falling for his brother’s wife more and more every day, he knows he can’t keep up the ruse for much longer. But the deception may be too great for Julia to ever look past, no matter how conflicted her heart.
Speaking of unhinged plots? Lorraine Heath hasn’t met a line she’s not willing to cross for the sake of a really good romance. Not everyone will be able to get behind Edward’s actions, but this book was so expertly crafted that I could not put this book down until the conflict was resolved and he and Julia had their well-deserved HEA.
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
What’s more humiliating than being left at the altar? Being a wedding planner and a jilted bride at the same time. So when Lina receives an opportunity to change the downward trajectory of her career, she’ll do anything for the chance to prove herself. Even if it means collaborating with Max, her ex fiancé’s brother, the man who encouraged him to leave her at the altar…
Packed with Mia Sosa’s sparkling brand of humor and hijinks, this is the perfect set up for an incredible forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers rom-com that explores Lina’s long-held grudge as she begins to thaw and Max’s rocky sibling relationship as he reckons with the fact that he’s falling for his brother’s ex fiancé.
Unrequited Love
Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina Kumar
After Meghna’s best friend, writing partner, and object of her affection gets engaged, she knows it’s time for her to move on. After agreeing to let her parents introduce her to a potential match, she meets Karthik, who isn’t interested in forming anything real but is looking for a way to get out of his mom’s matchmaking schemes. Maybe fake dating someone else will make Meghna forget all about her crush and get Karthik’s mom off his back. That is, if they don’t accidentally fall for each other in the process.
A delightful twist on My Best Friend’s Wedding—Meghna and Karthik’s banter and sizzling chemistry won me over immediately. It was so lovely to watch Karthik convince Meghna that she deserves so much more for herself than the scraps she receives from her best friend/unrequited love.
The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
Joy has secretly been in love with her best friend, Malcolm, for forever, but when he announces that he’s found the love of his life, she’s crushed. Even worse, he wants Joy to go on a weekend getaway with his newfound love and a man named Fox, who has a complicated relationship with Malcolm’s girlfriend. After forming a tentative bond, Fox proposes they pretend to have a fling to get make Malcolm jealous, but surprise themselves when they realize they might actually be right for each other.
Joy knows her approach to relationships is different from others because of her asexual identity, which is partly why she clings to the idea of Malcolm because of their shared experiences and years of friendship. But it isn’t until she meets Fox that she realizes she’s been doing herself a disservice by holding herself back from other opportunities for love. The complicated dynamics between these four characters are explored with humor and self-reflection, and it was incredibly beautiful how the resolution between everyone was handled with so much care.
