Love of My Lives
Yamile Saied Méndez
Who hasn’t fantasized about finding a soulmate? In acclaimed author Yamile Saied Mendez’s charmingly romantic new novel, a young woman whose perfect partner literally appeared to her in a dream must search some unusual places—including the truths hidden within her own heart . . . Madi Ramírez has it all—a thriving career she loves, a successful boyfriend, and a wedding to plan—when he finally proposes. So why does she feel like there is something missing? Jayden even has the right initials—the JR that appeared to Madi years ago, in a dream visitation from her beloved, wise abuela. Madi’s friends think her expectations are too high—but she can’t help wishing for that dreamy feeling in real-life. Wishing that Jayden would show her a little more affection. That she could really believe they were meant to be . . . When a business trip to Puerto Rico presents itself, Madi is quick to take it. She can finally scatter her abuela’s ashes on the beach, as she wished. And maybe time apart will remind Jayden how much Madi means to him—and maybe he’ll begin to show it. But in Puerto Rico, Madi finds something—well, someone—else. A man who makes her heart beat triple-time—and who feels as right as someone Fated—except for those nagging initials . . . Brimming with the magic of old San Juan and la Isla del Encanto, The Love of My Lives is the perfect read for anyone who has longed for a legendary love story that transcends time and distance—and the powerful magic of steering their own dreams.
No posts yet
Kick off the convo with a theory, question, musing, or update
Your rating:
2/5. Releases 9/26/2023.
Vibes: vacation romance, magical realism, a very loving portrayal of Puerto Rico, and a chasteness but... not?
In a dream, Madi's abuela predicts that her one true love will be a man with the initials "JR'. Years later, Madi is engaged to a man with those initials, but doesn't feel right. Grabbing a business trip to Puerto Rico as an opportunity to scatter her abuela's ashes, Madi makes an instant connection that feels Fated... except for his initials.
Look, I know this premise is a stretch, but I love magical realism and I like it. Unfortunately, while I think Mendez can write a very good sentence, I did not connect with this book. It didn't really hit me as a romance, and it didn't hit me as an emotional "woman finding herself" book. I feel like a friend of mine would like this book--but I couldn't latch on.
Quick Takes:
--So here's my thing. I think that with the right spin, I could've bought that Madi believed in this prophetic dream well into adulthood--it would've been something I bought. But in a way, I didn't feel like Madi was a messy enough adult for me to buy that she'd put this much stock in the dream. This isn't a mildly important issue, this is her future partner. There are definitely women who would rely on that dream, but I don't know. I felt like Madi's personality just didn't gel with that level of spiritualism.
In the same sense, I can buy instalove, I'm not inherently against it. However, it's a hard sell. I don't feel like enough power was put into the connection between Madi and her love (holding back on who he is because like--spoilers). I just didn't believe this was anything other than good chemistry. Not even "bone me in a parked car half an hour after meeting me" chemistry. Just fine.
--That said, there is a lot of love put into Puerto Rico. You can feel the setting, you can sense the love Madi has for her experiences there (and her abuela). Not to be cliche, but it's arguable that the "love" of the book is Puerto Rico. And that's not a bad thing--but in order for this book to really embrace that, I think the plot would have to be re-tooled a bit.
Also, I have to say that the release date for this book... confuses me? It seems likes such a prime beach read; it's got a total summer vacation sensibility.
--I do think, as I said above, that Mendez has a lovely writing style. It's not flowery, but it's soothing and has a natural appeal. My issues are really with some choices made regarding story and character.
The Sex Stuff:
This book is closed door... but they do have sex. And a vibrator is mentioned, among other things. I was a little weirded out by that choice, to be honest. I get romances that are chaste. But when you make it clear that two people have sex and just don't show it... I don't understand. Not every sex scene needs to be super long (though I.... usually prefer those that are) but this felt like a bit of a bait and switch.
This wasn't a fit for me, but I did enjoy the descriptions of Puerto Rico.
Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#23for23
0I was really disappointed with this one. I don't usually love instant love type books, but will still enjoy them. Love of My Lives just really fell flat for me. I enjoyed the writing, it was descriptive and kept my attention but the plot is what fell flat for me. I felt as though the narrator, Madi, was unreliable. Per personal preference, I really didn't enjoy her view on love of your lives, as well as her view on the dreams she had. I thought her relationship with Peter wasn't realistic. She really only accepted him at the end after she realized he was indeed who she saw in her dream as a child. It just made her love for him seem conditional and not real. Overall, I had fun reading the book but didn't love how the plot played out.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
0Bad writing, silly plot, no character development whatsoever. I can't judge the accuracy of the setting, but it wasn't well integrated, it's all info dumping.
0
© 2024 Pagebound