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As Long as You Love Me
How can rivals and opposites seem like they’re meant to be?
Catalina Diaz Solis needs just a few things to achieve her her student visa, a full-time job, and to get Gabriel Cabrera out of her head. Since leaving Venezuela after her brother was killed in a political protest, Cata has been working to finish her Engineering degree, and now she’s in line for a full-time job that will allow her to stay in the United States. A major wrinkle in her plans is Gabe, the campus babe. He’s always in Cata’s way, competing for top grades and poised to take the job at their internship.
Gabe seems to have it all; he succeeds without trying and is extremely good-looking. It makes hard-working Cata endlessly frustrated. But when Gabe needs a plus-one for his brother’s wedding, he strikes a Cata will be his fake date, and he’ll step out of the running for the job she desperately needs. As they attend events together, Cata discovers there’s more to her nemesis than she ever imagined. It’s all fun and games until Cata’s visa renewal is rejected, and Gabe complicates things with a new proposal that might either solve all her problems or destroy her dreams. Cata will have to put everything on the line to follow her heart.
Catalina Diaz Solis needs just a few things to achieve her her student visa, a full-time job, and to get Gabriel Cabrera out of her head. Since leaving Venezuela after her brother was killed in a political protest, Cata has been working to finish her Engineering degree, and now she’s in line for a full-time job that will allow her to stay in the United States. A major wrinkle in her plans is Gabe, the campus babe. He’s always in Cata’s way, competing for top grades and poised to take the job at their internship.
Gabe seems to have it all; he succeeds without trying and is extremely good-looking. It makes hard-working Cata endlessly frustrated. But when Gabe needs a plus-one for his brother’s wedding, he strikes a Cata will be his fake date, and he’ll step out of the running for the job she desperately needs. As they attend events together, Cata discovers there’s more to her nemesis than she ever imagined. It’s all fun and games until Cata’s visa renewal is rejected, and Gabe complicates things with a new proposal that might either solve all her problems or destroy her dreams. Cata will have to put everything on the line to follow her heart.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 12, 2023
12 people are currently reading
5976 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
August 28, 2023
Thank you so much to Wattpad Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
As Long as You Love Me is a perfect college academic rivals to lovers and fake dating romance! Academic rivals romances are my JAM and I was so excited to see one set in college. Aside from the amazing banter and fierce competition that Catalina and Gabriel deliver in this novel, we also get a sweet fake dating romance as the two struggle to fight their growing feelings for one another. I loved their dynamic and how smart and ambitious Catalina was while Gabriel would often drop everything to support her whenever she needed it. I do wish we got to see a little more of their dynamic during their four years of college together instead of having the book pick up during their last semester of senior year, but all their scenes together were so sweet!
I also really just loved Catalina as a main character. I related to her so hard about being the eldest daughter in her family and always feeling the pressure to help her parents and support her family in general. The struggle of juggling that, especially as an immigrant student, while trying to do well in school and secure a job after graduation so she could get her visa sponsored was very accurately portrayed. Her character trait of not feeling particularly attached to romance, dating, and ultimately marriage because she was so preoccupied with supporting her family and focusing on school was all too real.
Speaking of family, I really loved the strong of theme of family in this book, which is a very big part of every first- and second-gen immigrant's lives. The subplot of this story following the political unrest in Venezuela, how it affected Catalina's family, and seeing how instances like these make so many folks seek asylum in other countries was heartbreaking. I think this story overall painted a very realistic picture of the reality of being an American immigrant in today's day and age. Nevertheless, I'm so happy Catalina and Gabriel still got a HEA after everything that was thrown at Catalina. Seeing Gabriel patiently wait for Catalina in the two months she went back home to Venezuela was so incredibly sweet and overall their story made me cry so many times! I can't wait to see what other stories Marianna Leal releases next. I'd rate this 4.5 stars rounded up.
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As Long as You Love Me is a perfect college academic rivals to lovers and fake dating romance! Academic rivals romances are my JAM and I was so excited to see one set in college. Aside from the amazing banter and fierce competition that Catalina and Gabriel deliver in this novel, we also get a sweet fake dating romance as the two struggle to fight their growing feelings for one another. I loved their dynamic and how smart and ambitious Catalina was while Gabriel would often drop everything to support her whenever she needed it. I do wish we got to see a little more of their dynamic during their four years of college together instead of having the book pick up during their last semester of senior year, but all their scenes together were so sweet!
I also really just loved Catalina as a main character. I related to her so hard about being the eldest daughter in her family and always feeling the pressure to help her parents and support her family in general. The struggle of juggling that, especially as an immigrant student, while trying to do well in school and secure a job after graduation so she could get her visa sponsored was very accurately portrayed. Her character trait of not feeling particularly attached to romance, dating, and ultimately marriage because she was so preoccupied with supporting her family and focusing on school was all too real.
Speaking of family, I really loved the strong of theme of family in this book, which is a very big part of every first- and second-gen immigrant's lives. The subplot of this story following the political unrest in Venezuela, how it affected Catalina's family, and seeing how instances like these make so many folks seek asylum in other countries was heartbreaking. I think this story overall painted a very realistic picture of the reality of being an American immigrant in today's day and age. Nevertheless, I'm so happy Catalina and Gabriel still got a HEA after everything that was thrown at Catalina. Seeing Gabriel patiently wait for Catalina in the two months she went back home to Venezuela was so incredibly sweet and overall their story made me cry so many times! I can't wait to see what other stories Marianna Leal releases next. I'd rate this 4.5 stars rounded up.
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June 25, 2024
⭐ 4.5
This was a emotional book for me 🥺❤️🩹
As a Venezuelan person who experienced the entire political situation first hand and emigrated for a better future, this story touched me a lot. From the beginning to the end I identified with Cata, her thoughts, her problems, for me they felt very real and let's not even talk about Gabe who seemed like a super focused character. The story of these two being academic rivals and looking for the same job seemed funny to me, as well as how they do the fake dating, I liked it.
All this story seemed really good to me, I liked the main characters and their stories, their relationship growing little by little; a read that I saw lightly, I fell in love and had a very good time.
📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.
___________
Como persona Venezolana que vivió toda la situación política de primera mano y emigró para un mejor futuro esta historia me llegó muchísimo. Desde el principio hasta el final me identifique con Cata, sus pensamientos, sus problemas, para mi se sintieron muy reales y ni hablemos de Gabe que me pareció un personaje súper centrado. La historia de estos dos siendo rivales académicos y buscando el mismo empleo me pareció divertida, además de como llegan a salir falsamente me gusto.
Toda esta historia me pareció realmente buena, los protagonistas y sus historias me gustaron, su relación creciendo poco a poco; una lectura que vi ligera, me enamoro y pase un muy buen tiempo.
This was a emotional book for me 🥺❤️🩹
As a Venezuelan person who experienced the entire political situation first hand and emigrated for a better future, this story touched me a lot. From the beginning to the end I identified with Cata, her thoughts, her problems, for me they felt very real and let's not even talk about Gabe who seemed like a super focused character. The story of these two being academic rivals and looking for the same job seemed funny to me, as well as how they do the fake dating, I liked it.
All this story seemed really good to me, I liked the main characters and their stories, their relationship growing little by little; a read that I saw lightly, I fell in love and had a very good time.
📌I received an e-arc through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.
___________
Como persona Venezolana que vivió toda la situación política de primera mano y emigró para un mejor futuro esta historia me llegó muchísimo. Desde el principio hasta el final me identifique con Cata, sus pensamientos, sus problemas, para mi se sintieron muy reales y ni hablemos de Gabe que me pareció un personaje súper centrado. La historia de estos dos siendo rivales académicos y buscando el mismo empleo me pareció divertida, además de como llegan a salir falsamente me gusto.
Toda esta historia me pareció realmente buena, los protagonistas y sus historias me gustaron, su relación creciendo poco a poco; una lectura que vi ligera, me enamoro y pase un muy buen tiempo.
August 3, 2023
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Faking dating/ faking marriage
- He falls first and harder
- Strong FMC
This is the first Marianna Leal book I read, and I really enjoyed it. It was well written, and the story hooked me.
The book is really fun and cute, and I fell in love with Gabe. He's such a sweet guy. It's really nice to see Catalina getting to know him and realizing that she had the wrong opinion.
I really liked that the situation in Venezuela was portrayed, which is almost not spoken. And I think it's a topic that needs to be talked about.
I smiled several times reading this book, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you, Edelweiss, the publisher and Marianna Leal, for the ARC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Faking dating/ faking marriage
- He falls first and harder
- Strong FMC
This is the first Marianna Leal book I read, and I really enjoyed it. It was well written, and the story hooked me.
The book is really fun and cute, and I fell in love with Gabe. He's such a sweet guy. It's really nice to see Catalina getting to know him and realizing that she had the wrong opinion.
I really liked that the situation in Venezuela was portrayed, which is almost not spoken. And I think it's a topic that needs to be talked about.
I smiled several times reading this book, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you, Edelweiss, the publisher and Marianna Leal, for the ARC.
October 7, 2023
There were some things I enjoyed about this book - the Venezuelan heroine Catalina dealt with immigration hassles and family conflict that felt very realistic. Gabe was a great player hiding a heart of gold, and I loved how much he cared for Cata. Overall though, there was so much unnecessary drama, particularly in the last few pages. Also the heroine wanted to wait for marriage for sex in a way that felt puritanical and slut-shaming.
October 9, 2023
A typical rom-com formula, this book is enjoyable, albeit predictable.
Rivals to lovers, he falls first and harder. But our girl does catch up.
For my fellow spice fans, there isn’t much here. I recall only one steamy make-out scene and that’s all we get.
Rivals to lovers, he falls first and harder. But our girl does catch up.
For my fellow spice fans, there isn’t much here. I recall only one steamy make-out scene and that’s all we get.
February 1, 2024
I had fun with this one, it started off slow but when the fake dating plot started happening things picked up and it was much more enjoyable. This book is extremely low stakes, even when there was a major conflict that would all be resolved in like 2 chapters but honestly it didn't bother me too much. I hope there's like a spin off of this book with the FMC's twin sister I think that would be fun.
3.5 🌟
3.5 🌟
May 7, 2023
I really enjoyed this one! The storyline was super engaging and had a great mix of funny and serious moments.
Thankyou NetGalley and publisher for the advance reader copy.
Thankyou NetGalley and publisher for the advance reader copy.
September 5, 2023
Thank you to Wattpad Books for the ARC!
So, I have a confession to make. I only decided to read this story because I was a little bored, and a fake relationship story seemed like it would get me out of a writing funk.
I was very, very skeptical because of the background that I'd read on this story, but I was really hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Well, let's just say that this story certainly delivered!
Cata has overcome many obstacles in life and lives with the guilt and pain of losing her older brother. Gabe comes from a different world, he's successful and life seems to come easy to him. But, he also happens to be the one person that truly challenges Cata and brings out the best in her.
This story is 50/50 on fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers. The two tropes are interwoven so well that the plot progresses so naturally through the course of the story. The chemistry between Gabe and Cata is so well-written that you find yourself rooting for them from the very beginning!
My only critique is the fact that certain elements of the story were quite implausible, e.g. Gabe's Mom's dramatics. Her family gave waaaaay too much attention to her thoughts and opinions, especially when they were completely baseless.
4 ⭐️
NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
So, I have a confession to make. I only decided to read this story because I was a little bored, and a fake relationship story seemed like it would get me out of a writing funk.
I was very, very skeptical because of the background that I'd read on this story, but I was really hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Well, let's just say that this story certainly delivered!
Cata has overcome many obstacles in life and lives with the guilt and pain of losing her older brother. Gabe comes from a different world, he's successful and life seems to come easy to him. But, he also happens to be the one person that truly challenges Cata and brings out the best in her.
This story is 50/50 on fake relationship and enemies-to-lovers. The two tropes are interwoven so well that the plot progresses so naturally through the course of the story. The chemistry between Gabe and Cata is so well-written that you find yourself rooting for them from the very beginning!
My only critique is the fact that certain elements of the story were quite implausible, e.g. Gabe's Mom's dramatics. Her family gave waaaaay too much attention to her thoughts and opinions, especially when they were completely baseless.
4 ⭐️
NOTE: ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 22, 2023
This book was so enjoyable! I found Catalina relatable as an eldest daughter in a STEM program who is so preoccupied with succeeding and supporting her family that romance really isn’t at the forefront of her mind, or the top of her priorities. I also really enjoyed the academic rivals to lovers arc, and that he fell first (and harder 🤭). I appreciate how their relationship was well paced and Gabe was steady and supportive.
Not only was this a compelling romance, but it effectively detailed the political unrest in Venezuela and the effects it has on families and people of all ages. It was important to include these realistic experiences of immigrants in America and I appreciate the care taken with it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Not only was this a compelling romance, but it effectively detailed the political unrest in Venezuela and the effects it has on families and people of all ages. It was important to include these realistic experiences of immigrants in America and I appreciate the care taken with it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2023
A great academic rivals, fake dating romance!
October 13, 2023
⭐️: 5
🌶️: 0.5 (this is a clean, closed door romance. there are IMPLIED...feelings...of...certain areas. LOL. but there is no spice. There is one steamy makeout scene. But this is all tension and slowburn. Just know that going in!)
A fellow Wattpad author who has also been published by W by Wattpad Books! Of course I want to read it!
AND it's written by a Venezuelan author with a Venezuelan FMC? AND it's fake dating, academic rivals to lovers, opposites attract, reverse grumpy sunshine, he falls first, AND deals with real social issues?
SIGN. ME. THE. F. UP!!!
So I really enjoyed this book. Total side note...it was set in Orlando, Florida, and I recognized the karaoke bar with the live band at Universal City Walk, which is totally NOT that important, but considering my husband and I went there on our honeymoon, and that's where one of my fav scenes in this book takes place, I thought it was pretty cool.
First, before I say anything else, I learned SO much about the conflict in Venezuela. I had NO idea that there was so much political unrest nor that it was so dangerous for its citizens. In one part of the book, when Cata, the FMC, was considering the fact that she might have to return because of her student visa expiring, I felt knots in my stomach as she described what it was like there and how terrified she was. I have NO idea what that is like. NO context for that fear whatsoever. That's why no one with the privilege to have never faced that really has the right to judge anything she does plotwise to avoid that happening. There are a few things she does "quickly" and perhaps "rashly" and before I realized how dire things would be if she went back, I was like, "Whoa, slow down!" But then...I kept reading, and I was like, "HOLY F*CK, Kitty Cat, you do what you have to do." Just wanted to throw that out there before I say anything else about the plot. Because this part of it is so important.
Okay, the romance. I have to admit it took me a minute to get into the romance part of this story. It was not believable to me AT FIRST. I enjoyed this book more for the first half as a coming-of-age, college student-finding-herself story than a romance novel. Cata was SO mean to Gabe (MMC) for what seemed like NO reason at all. To his face, behind his back, in her head...she just had all these thoughts about him that seemed completely unfounded. But when you get into it a bit, it becomes a little more clear. Then, when the moment hits...you know the one. When the fake dating isn't so fake anymore...that's when it became believable to me. I loved Gabe from the beginning, I just didn't believe the chemistry til later.
As far as the INITIAL REASON for the fake dating, which I won't spoil...that was a little bit weak to me, but again...y'all, everything just got stronger a little bit further into the story.
OH and I hated his mother....grrrr.
I also cried several times. A true sign that I connected with the story. That counts a lot with me.
The writing was soooo good and readable! Excellent job, Marianna!
Thank you to Edelweiss, W by Wattpad Books, and Marianna Leal for the ARC! :)
🌶️: 0.5 (this is a clean, closed door romance. there are IMPLIED...feelings...of...certain areas. LOL. but there is no spice. There is one steamy makeout scene. But this is all tension and slowburn. Just know that going in!)
A fellow Wattpad author who has also been published by W by Wattpad Books! Of course I want to read it!
AND it's written by a Venezuelan author with a Venezuelan FMC? AND it's fake dating, academic rivals to lovers, opposites attract, reverse grumpy sunshine, he falls first, AND deals with real social issues?
SIGN. ME. THE. F. UP!!!
So I really enjoyed this book. Total side note...it was set in Orlando, Florida, and I recognized the karaoke bar with the live band at Universal City Walk, which is totally NOT that important, but considering my husband and I went there on our honeymoon, and that's where one of my fav scenes in this book takes place, I thought it was pretty cool.
First, before I say anything else, I learned SO much about the conflict in Venezuela. I had NO idea that there was so much political unrest nor that it was so dangerous for its citizens. In one part of the book, when Cata, the FMC, was considering the fact that she might have to return because of her student visa expiring, I felt knots in my stomach as she described what it was like there and how terrified she was. I have NO idea what that is like. NO context for that fear whatsoever. That's why no one with the privilege to have never faced that really has the right to judge anything she does plotwise to avoid that happening. There are a few things she does "quickly" and perhaps "rashly" and before I realized how dire things would be if she went back, I was like, "Whoa, slow down!" But then...I kept reading, and I was like, "HOLY F*CK, Kitty Cat, you do what you have to do." Just wanted to throw that out there before I say anything else about the plot. Because this part of it is so important.
Okay, the romance. I have to admit it took me a minute to get into the romance part of this story. It was not believable to me AT FIRST. I enjoyed this book more for the first half as a coming-of-age, college student-finding-herself story than a romance novel. Cata was SO mean to Gabe (MMC) for what seemed like NO reason at all. To his face, behind his back, in her head...she just had all these thoughts about him that seemed completely unfounded. But when you get into it a bit, it becomes a little more clear. Then, when the moment hits...you know the one. When the fake dating isn't so fake anymore...that's when it became believable to me. I loved Gabe from the beginning, I just didn't believe the chemistry til later.
As far as the INITIAL REASON for the fake dating, which I won't spoil...that was a little bit weak to me, but again...y'all, everything just got stronger a little bit further into the story.
OH and I hated his mother....grrrr.
I also cried several times. A true sign that I connected with the story. That counts a lot with me.
The writing was soooo good and readable! Excellent job, Marianna!
Thank you to Edelweiss, W by Wattpad Books, and Marianna Leal for the ARC! :)
May 30, 2023
3.75 ⭐
«Sometimes you just know that if you don’t make a bold leap, you can miss out on the best things in life. And I don’t want to miss out on a single second with you.»
This book is perfect for the lovers of the fake dating/fake marriage trope. Cata, the FMC, is an immigrant: she left her country because of political conflicts and is now a student of mechanical engineering. She is trying to obtain a full-time employee position in order to remain in the US after her graduation. The problem is that there's another person who's trying to achieve the same thing: Gabe has been Cata's academic rival for years and now is also her rival for the job.
Eventually, the two of them find a solution for their problems. Gabe and Cata strike a deal: Cata will be the fake girlfriend that he need for his brother's wedding, and Gabe will leave her the job.
I enjoyed this book, the writing was good, it was really fluid. This is a funny and cute romance (Gabe was soooo sweet 🥺), but in reality, the plot addressed to a lot of important themes, especially the terrible conditions of life in Venezuela, political crises, immigration, the presence of an authoritarian regime and the conseguent concept of “American dream”.
Thank you to Netgalley, Wattpad Webtoon Book Group and the author for granting me an eArc in exchange of an honest review.
«Sometimes you just know that if you don’t make a bold leap, you can miss out on the best things in life. And I don’t want to miss out on a single second with you.»
This book is perfect for the lovers of the fake dating/fake marriage trope. Cata, the FMC, is an immigrant: she left her country because of political conflicts and is now a student of mechanical engineering. She is trying to obtain a full-time employee position in order to remain in the US after her graduation. The problem is that there's another person who's trying to achieve the same thing: Gabe has been Cata's academic rival for years and now is also her rival for the job.
Eventually, the two of them find a solution for their problems. Gabe and Cata strike a deal: Cata will be the fake girlfriend that he need for his brother's wedding, and Gabe will leave her the job.
I enjoyed this book, the writing was good, it was really fluid. This is a funny and cute romance (Gabe was soooo sweet 🥺), but in reality, the plot addressed to a lot of important themes, especially the terrible conditions of life in Venezuela, political crises, immigration, the presence of an authoritarian regime and the conseguent concept of “American dream”.
Thank you to Netgalley, Wattpad Webtoon Book Group and the author for granting me an eArc in exchange of an honest review.
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August 12, 2023disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews, I feel like a peasant and don’t like leaving them and most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
This was a sweet closed-door new adult/college-aged romance! This was my first time reading from this author, and I adored the care she put into the tough topics like grief, loss, political turmoil, international student status, and being a young woman in a STEM-related industry. I believe she started on Wattpad, and I would definitely read from her again!
I enjoyed Cata and Gabe's academic rivals, forced-proximity, fake-dating dynamic, and their banter especially was so much fun! I did think that everything happened a bit fast, but I also believed them because I have experienced young love too. I work with international students at my work, so I appreciated the subplot of Cata's student visa expiring. This is the reality for so many students every day, and it can induce so much unnecessary stress and anxiety. I was really impressed with how Marianna tackled this.
I really felt for Cata when she either ruminated on or interacted with her family back home in Venezuela. Admittedly, I don't know much about the political climate in that country, so this book illuminated some of that for me, and it made me curious to do my own research to find out more.
I would definitely read more from Marianna in the future!
This was a sweet closed-door new adult/college-aged romance! This was my first time reading from this author, and I adored the care she put into the tough topics like grief, loss, political turmoil, international student status, and being a young woman in a STEM-related industry. I believe she started on Wattpad, and I would definitely read from her again!
I enjoyed Cata and Gabe's academic rivals, forced-proximity, fake-dating dynamic, and their banter especially was so much fun! I did think that everything happened a bit fast, but I also believed them because I have experienced young love too. I work with international students at my work, so I appreciated the subplot of Cata's student visa expiring. This is the reality for so many students every day, and it can induce so much unnecessary stress and anxiety. I was really impressed with how Marianna tackled this.
I really felt for Cata when she either ruminated on or interacted with her family back home in Venezuela. Admittedly, I don't know much about the political climate in that country, so this book illuminated some of that for me, and it made me curious to do my own research to find out more.
I would definitely read more from Marianna in the future!
November 26, 2025
I'm not going to write a full length review for this book, but I'll provide my thoughts briefly. This was a wattpad book turned published novel, I got it on-sale in my cities book festival this summer. It's a romance that tried to convey the weight of immigration and war, and all I will say is it didn't do it well. The author may be a child, wattpad is full of those, so I won't say anymore because writing is a very difficult thing to do, but if you're looking for a quick, very simple read that's what it will give you. If you're looking for a book with something beyond the surface, this isn't it.
September 5, 2023
As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal is a perfect example of two of my favorite romance tropes: enemies to lovers and fake dating.
Catalina is the perfect immigrant. She is getting good grades and staying out of trouble to achieve her goal of working and staying in the US. Her primary competition is the campus heartthrob, Gabriel. When Gabe proposes Catalina pose as his girlfriend at his brother's wedding, she agrees, only if he steps back from the job. He agrees.
What follows is a whirlwind of events that leads to the inevitable: is the relationship really pretend anymore? And when an emergency crops up with Catalina's family in Venezuela, will their relationship last?
I truly enjoyed this book. Catalina was a great protagonist, and Gabe was an amazing love interest. I loved how Gabe was always there for Cata, even if she didn't want him to be. The characters in the book were well-developed, and their love story felt well-paced and realistic.
If you're a romance reader and you enjoy these tropes, you should definitely read it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.
Catalina is the perfect immigrant. She is getting good grades and staying out of trouble to achieve her goal of working and staying in the US. Her primary competition is the campus heartthrob, Gabriel. When Gabe proposes Catalina pose as his girlfriend at his brother's wedding, she agrees, only if he steps back from the job. He agrees.
What follows is a whirlwind of events that leads to the inevitable: is the relationship really pretend anymore? And when an emergency crops up with Catalina's family in Venezuela, will their relationship last?
I truly enjoyed this book. Catalina was a great protagonist, and Gabe was an amazing love interest. I loved how Gabe was always there for Cata, even if she didn't want him to be. The characters in the book were well-developed, and their love story felt well-paced and realistic.
If you're a romance reader and you enjoy these tropes, you should definitely read it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.
January 20, 2024
we all know i don’t give out five stars very often but by god this book surprised me in the best way!! i absolutely adored the dynamic between cata and gabe, and the plot about her immigration to america and leaving her family behind in venezuela really moving. the only thing that was almost annoying was that the intermingled spanish never had translations, and sometimes there wasn’t enough context clues to understand it but even then i didn’t mind it all that much cuz what is google for? this book honestly was such a slay so it can take all my stars!!
July 15, 2024
This wasn’t really like the enemies to lovers trope that I usually hate lol! They were never really enemies, just competitive classmates/co-workers, which actually worked for me.
The main character was holding on to a lot of emotional baggage and responsibility and it was really good to see her let go of that some and get help from her friends and Gabe. The connection with her family and the issues in Venezuela were eye-opening and really added to the story.
And the love story was cute…not too overly done or miscommunications dragging things out.
The main character was holding on to a lot of emotional baggage and responsibility and it was really good to see her let go of that some and get help from her friends and Gabe. The connection with her family and the issues in Venezuela were eye-opening and really added to the story.
And the love story was cute…not too overly done or miscommunications dragging things out.
October 18, 2023
This book was everything and more. The cutest enemies to lovers romance. By the end of it I could not get enough of Gabe and Catalina!! The one thing that annoyed me is when books are in different languages with no heads up. If I need to translate I will, but a warning would be nice. Some of this book was in Spanish with no translation so please be aware. Other than that everything in this book was perfect. I loved the writing, it was fast pace, not too cheesy, and it had some twists and turns that kept you interested the entire book. It was a fast read for me and will definitely get you out of a reading slump. I loved the story because of how she fell in love with him. It wasn’t all at once or a quick omg realization it was slow and because of all the little things. It showed an accurate representation of how someone falls in love. Not only that, it gives a glimpse of real world problems that I won’t spoil. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
October 19, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
this was such a cute story !! i loved the rivarly between catalina and gabe, and i loved that they didn't lose the snarky banter as their relationship progressed. the fake dating aspect of their relationship was also really fun!
i love love loved catalina's character - she was so strong and resilient; her story tugged at my heartstrings, seeing her struggles of being an immigrant and wanting to do right by her family. i also really enjoyed seeing her friendship with maya and taylor and how she'd always turn to them for advice and they were always there to talk sense into her and give her the comfort she needed. and gabriel was such a sweet love interest, the way he cared for catalina even when they were solely rivals was so cute and it made my heart warm seeing how much he'd do for her.
definitely recommend for anyone looking for a college-workplace rivals to lovers / fake dating romance !!
this was such a cute story !! i loved the rivarly between catalina and gabe, and i loved that they didn't lose the snarky banter as their relationship progressed. the fake dating aspect of their relationship was also really fun!
i love love loved catalina's character - she was so strong and resilient; her story tugged at my heartstrings, seeing her struggles of being an immigrant and wanting to do right by her family. i also really enjoyed seeing her friendship with maya and taylor and how she'd always turn to them for advice and they were always there to talk sense into her and give her the comfort she needed. and gabriel was such a sweet love interest, the way he cared for catalina even when they were solely rivals was so cute and it made my heart warm seeing how much he'd do for her.
definitely recommend for anyone looking for a college-workplace rivals to lovers / fake dating romance !!
April 8, 2024
soooo good! the only thing slightly wrong was that she should have just told him she had feelings too instead of continuing to be kinda mean ? but they were very cute and the story was adorable and it was better than i expected!
February 28, 2024
A book that shows you just how much we will do and not do for our family and how much we are loved by the people that don’t share your blood. Such a good sweet book.
July 6, 2023
4/5 stars. i had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this and i found myself really enjoying the story. catalina was a great protagonist and i adored both her individual arc as a character and her relationship with gabe. i also adored the family storyline in this book, especially the growth of catalia's relationship with her sister. overall, i thought this was a super enjoyable read, and i definitely wouldn't mind reading more in this universe, especially books focused on cora and taylor/manny.
i received an arc through the bookstore i work for.
i received an arc through the bookstore i work for.
June 16, 2023
I loved it!! I loved the trope, the story, the characters and the banter💗🥹 This book had me blushing and wishing to be the mc so many times!!
July 31, 2023
*Advanced Readers Copy provided by Edelweiss+*
2.5
——————
This book was disappointing. It had potential, but that wasn’t met.
I really liked the aspect of this book involving the struggles of being an immigrant and what was going on in Venezuela. Those parts were definitely the main strength of this book and the only reason I haven’t given it a lower rating. My main issue is that, as a romance novel, the romance sucked.
The romance just didn’t hit for me. I loved Gabe, but the relationship was too one-sided. The entire story was just him doing everything for her and being generally amazing while she was an ungrateful bitch.
Towards the end of the book, she realized this and apologized, but she then kept doing the same stuff. I genuinely could not understand why he had feelings for her at all, especially as strong as his was. Like, he was sooo in love with her while I couldn’t think of a single reason why. And he had no real personality outside of doing things for her. She would keep fucking up and ending things, and then she’d come back and he’d take her back immediately. I felt so bad for the guy. And I lowkey hated Catalina, because she’s just a shitty and bitchy person, and the “character arc” she had just wasn’t enough.
Also the main couple had zero chemistry.
A bright side of this book is that I spent so much time on google translate trying to understand the many words and conversations that were in Spanish (and were not translated to us by the author), so now I actually know a few words 😂 Eventually, though, having to constantly translate stuff got annoying, especially because there were some lines that were important to the story and characters that were in Spanish and not translated by the author.
Anyways, the romance kinda sucked but, like I said, I think the parts of this book involving the issues in Venezuela and being an immigrant were really well done and kept me engaged, and I’d definitely be open to reading a book about Cora.
2.5
——————
This book was disappointing. It had potential, but that wasn’t met.
I really liked the aspect of this book involving the struggles of being an immigrant and what was going on in Venezuela. Those parts were definitely the main strength of this book and the only reason I haven’t given it a lower rating. My main issue is that, as a romance novel, the romance sucked.
The romance just didn’t hit for me. I loved Gabe, but the relationship was too one-sided. The entire story was just him doing everything for her and being generally amazing while she was an ungrateful bitch.
Towards the end of the book, she realized this and apologized, but she then kept doing the same stuff. I genuinely could not understand why he had feelings for her at all, especially as strong as his was. Like, he was sooo in love with her while I couldn’t think of a single reason why. And he had no real personality outside of doing things for her. She would keep fucking up and ending things, and then she’d come back and he’d take her back immediately. I felt so bad for the guy. And I lowkey hated Catalina, because she’s just a shitty and bitchy person, and the “character arc” she had just wasn’t enough.
Also the main couple had zero chemistry.
A bright side of this book is that I spent so much time on google translate trying to understand the many words and conversations that were in Spanish (and were not translated to us by the author), so now I actually know a few words 😂 Eventually, though, having to constantly translate stuff got annoying, especially because there were some lines that were important to the story and characters that were in Spanish and not translated by the author.
Anyways, the romance kinda sucked but, like I said, I think the parts of this book involving the issues in Venezuela and being an immigrant were really well done and kept me engaged, and I’d definitely be open to reading a book about Cora.
May 19, 2023
I wish I could give this book a better rating, because the writing was good and it addressed many important and too often under-explored themes that need to be more common in today’s literature. Unfortunately, I felt like the plot of the book was lost in the issues and traumas of the main character, her family and her country. Catalina is a first generation immigrant and university graduate, she fled her country because of political conflicts, she’s struggling to fit in and prove herself to be “worthy” of the American dream, and much more throughout the book.
I think that this novel should’ve been a coming of age novel, a book about a strong and independent latinx individual finding herself and her place in the world, not a romance story. I did not believe in Cata and Gabe’s story, and to be quite frank, this didn’t read like an enemies to lovers. They’re academic rivals for a bit, but not enemies. The romance felt forced, I did not feel the chemistry and I didn’t believe Gabe when he confessed his love for Catalina (I mean, he was dating a horde of women for years, but he swears he’s loved her since they met? I don’t trust him). At the end of the book, I was surprised to read a HEA. In the real world, these two would be at the top of a list called: Couples That Broke Up When The Story Ended.
Also, every trauma and obstacles that came Cata’s way were brushed off way too easily, it was quite unrealistic. The book deals with several sensitive issues (trigger warnings include: death, grief, SA, kidnapping, estranged relationship with family members) yet we never go in depth into the trauma caused by said issues, nor concretely how Catalina deals with them and it all feels just superficial and easy in my opinion.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, I simply would’ve preferred for the romance to be a subplot or absent altogether so we could focus more on the psychological aspects of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and Marianna Leal for granting me an eArc in exchange of an honest review.
I think that this novel should’ve been a coming of age novel, a book about a strong and independent latinx individual finding herself and her place in the world, not a romance story. I did not believe in Cata and Gabe’s story, and to be quite frank, this didn’t read like an enemies to lovers. They’re academic rivals for a bit, but not enemies. The romance felt forced, I did not feel the chemistry and I didn’t believe Gabe when he confessed his love for Catalina (I mean, he was dating a horde of women for years, but he swears he’s loved her since they met? I don’t trust him). At the end of the book, I was surprised to read a HEA. In the real world, these two would be at the top of a list called: Couples That Broke Up When The Story Ended.
Also, every trauma and obstacles that came Cata’s way were brushed off way too easily, it was quite unrealistic. The book deals with several sensitive issues (trigger warnings include: death, grief, SA, kidnapping, estranged relationship with family members) yet we never go in depth into the trauma caused by said issues, nor concretely how Catalina deals with them and it all feels just superficial and easy in my opinion.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable read, I simply would’ve preferred for the romance to be a subplot or absent altogether so we could focus more on the psychological aspects of the novel.
Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and Marianna Leal for granting me an eArc in exchange of an honest review.
April 11, 2025
This book was meant to be read by me!
Female in engineering ✅
Family from Maracaibo, Venezuela ✅
Went to UCF✅
The love interest is Gabriel and I’m Gabriela✅
Joking aside what a sweet book! Picked it up and couldn’t put it down. It did play at my heartstrings reading about Venezuela, Carlos, Cora, and the family strains. Gabe aka Gaby was so beautifully written, the female friendships, and Cata’s arc was beautiful.
Female in engineering ✅
Family from Maracaibo, Venezuela ✅
Went to UCF✅
The love interest is Gabriel and I’m Gabriela✅
Joking aside what a sweet book! Picked it up and couldn’t put it down. It did play at my heartstrings reading about Venezuela, Carlos, Cora, and the family strains. Gabe aka Gaby was so beautifully written, the female friendships, and Cata’s arc was beautiful.
April 11, 2023
As Long As You Love me was so much more than I had anticipated when I first read the description. I thought it was going to be a cute enemies to lovers fake dating story with a twist when it came to her immigration status. And it was that, but it was also so much more. I loved this book and these characters and their story. There were heartbreaking parts of this story and some really tough realities of what life in Venezuela can be like, as well as a wonderful representation of how families can be hard but also wonderful at the same time. Though this book was set up as an enemies to lovers, the way Gabe loves and cares for Catalina consistently throughout this book is swoon worthy. I liked that they didn’t spend the whole book fighting like cats and dogs, no one did anything inherently or purposely cruel to each other, instead they supported each other, apologized when needed and at the end of the day you knew there was a love there between the two of them in everything they did wether they realized it or not.
This book was a safe for work read that had a lot of heart and didn’t leave me longing for spice because the story itself was so engrossing and the characters so endearing.
This book was a great read and I do think people would be remiss not to check it out when it comes out on September 12th.
Thanks to NetGalley, W by Wattpad Books and the author Marianna Leal for providing me with a e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a safe for work read that had a lot of heart and didn’t leave me longing for spice because the story itself was so engrossing and the characters so endearing.
This book was a great read and I do think people would be remiss not to check it out when it comes out on September 12th.
Thanks to NetGalley, W by Wattpad Books and the author Marianna Leal for providing me with a e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, and Marianna Leal for a copy of As Long As You Love Me in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book, it touched on some heavier topics (the political unrest in Venezuela and immigration issues) while also keeping it lighter with the friendships and romance as well. I loved the three main friends, the FMC having two really great friends to lean on.
Gabe was a great romantic interest - academic rivals who do the fake dating thing which obviously becomes real. Their pairing was also a really great golden retriever - black cat vibe as well. You assume he’s a f boy at the beginning but slowly fall for him alongside Cata. He plays such a great supporting role while standing beside her and not giving up on her and not trying to dull her shine, loving her for being as driven as she is.
I wish we had gotten a little more with her family and sister at the end - I think there could have been a deeper dive here. It felt like there was a little too much inferred rather than shown which I think would have strengthened the story.
Note that if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll be looking some things up! I think it added a nice touch but there were moments where I wanted to make sure the context clues (and my Italian language fluency) were guiding me correctly.
Overall, thoroughly enjoyed the book. I couldn’t put it down once I really got started.
I really enjoyed this book, it touched on some heavier topics (the political unrest in Venezuela and immigration issues) while also keeping it lighter with the friendships and romance as well. I loved the three main friends, the FMC having two really great friends to lean on.
Gabe was a great romantic interest - academic rivals who do the fake dating thing which obviously becomes real. Their pairing was also a really great golden retriever - black cat vibe as well. You assume he’s a f boy at the beginning but slowly fall for him alongside Cata. He plays such a great supporting role while standing beside her and not giving up on her and not trying to dull her shine, loving her for being as driven as she is.
I wish we had gotten a little more with her family and sister at the end - I think there could have been a deeper dive here. It felt like there was a little too much inferred rather than shown which I think would have strengthened the story.
Note that if you don’t speak Spanish you’ll be looking some things up! I think it added a nice touch but there were moments where I wanted to make sure the context clues (and my Italian language fluency) were guiding me correctly.
Overall, thoroughly enjoyed the book. I couldn’t put it down once I really got started.
April 24, 2023
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. This post may contain minor spoilers.
Are you looking for a diverse enemies-to-lovers romance between coworkers with fake dating? If yea, look no further! This book has all my favorite tropes so it’s no surprise I loved it.
This was a super cute romance. Catalina needs this job to stay in the United States. Gabe needs a date for his brother’s wedding. So the two strike a deal.
While the romance is amazing, my favorite part is actually the family drama. Catalina fled Venezuela for a few reasons and hasn’t returned since. She has a rocky relationship with her twin sister and a horrible one with her dad. She’s still grieving her brother’s death and her mother refuses to pick sides. She has to learn to forgive her family and accept their shortcomings, while showing her own flaws. There’s a really touching scene towards the end where she reunited with them and they all have a heart to heart.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean romance filled with all the best tropes and a side of emotions.
Are you looking for a diverse enemies-to-lovers romance between coworkers with fake dating? If yea, look no further! This book has all my favorite tropes so it’s no surprise I loved it.
This was a super cute romance. Catalina needs this job to stay in the United States. Gabe needs a date for his brother’s wedding. So the two strike a deal.
While the romance is amazing, my favorite part is actually the family drama. Catalina fled Venezuela for a few reasons and hasn’t returned since. She has a rocky relationship with her twin sister and a horrible one with her dad. She’s still grieving her brother’s death and her mother refuses to pick sides. She has to learn to forgive her family and accept their shortcomings, while showing her own flaws. There’s a really touching scene towards the end where she reunited with them and they all have a heart to heart.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean romance filled with all the best tropes and a side of emotions.
May 16, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.
This book had the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes, which I love. I absolutely adored Gabe. He was so sweet and romantic. I also love how independent Cata was but she did need to learned to ask for help and not handle everything on her own. I liked the concept of the plot and the characters were so fun and relatable.
This was such a fun and fast pace read. I honestly couldn’t put it down and read it in one setting. It was funny, romantic, cute, and in some parts sad. I think if you love funny/sweet romances then you should definitely read this book.
4 stars!
This book had the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes, which I love. I absolutely adored Gabe. He was so sweet and romantic. I also love how independent Cata was but she did need to learned to ask for help and not handle everything on her own. I liked the concept of the plot and the characters were so fun and relatable.
This was such a fun and fast pace read. I honestly couldn’t put it down and read it in one setting. It was funny, romantic, cute, and in some parts sad. I think if you love funny/sweet romances then you should definitely read this book.
4 stars!
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