Practically Paradise

by Sariah Skye

Fifteen years ago as a kid, I fell for my older brother’s best friend, Javier Rivera despite the fact that he couldn’t stand me.

Now grown up, our tentative association has turned into an outright rivalry, egged on by my brother and friends. Surely, he can’t still hold a grudge over that… thing… that happened when we were kids, right?

Wrong.

So, waking up in bed next to Javi, married, during a tropical getaway with my brother and his other friends certainly can’t be the very worst thing to ever happen to us right?

Ha.

We were drunk, barely remember a thing, except for the hot night we’d shared, and the rings on our fingers.

No one seems very surprised by the impetuous decision we barely remember, so what will everyone say when they learn it was fake? What will happen to Javi and I in the end? How did we end up here—married?

And what happens when I just don’t want it to end?

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2024

About the author

**Update** ALL "Curse" books will be on audio; Invisible and Inevitable are already available, Insatiable is in production and should be available by year's end, and Invincible will be available a couple of months after release. **

Sariah Skye physically resides with her family in southern Minnesota but mentally everyone is pretty sure she’s from Uranus. She’s a typical quirky Aquarian that swears too much, loves wine, shiny objects, and hates sarcasm and never, ever uses it.
She also loves Star Trek, Doctor Who, ‘90s reruns, and Imagine Dragons (probably a little too much).
In addition to all this oddity she’s an unprofessional obsessive fangirl, loves reading, hates anything domestic, and loves her pretty pink straitjacket. Oh, and she loves to chat with her unwilling kidnappees—err, “fans”, online at various places, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram .Or drop her an email at sariahskyeauthor@gmail.com or private message her on Facebook.
She also has a private group called the Shenanigan Squad for anyone who might possibly want to follow her works, progress, or just share a silly meme war (though she really doesn’t understand why anyone is there, she loves them all nevertheless). If you want to join, you’re more than welcome:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/11818...

You can also sign up for her newsletter, and maybe she’ll actually remember to send one out one of these days: http://eepurl.com/cqSJWD

Reviews

[Dani (Daniiireads)]

- brother's best friend
- woke up married
- hate to love (sorta)

Honestly, this really would have benefited from including Javi's POV because for basically the entirety of the book he's an immature douche. Overall though, I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't for me.

[Alix]

This was...probably more for someone else. The premise and tropes were great, but the execution and pacing felt off. I just didn't get all the push and pull. The author addresses all the miscommunication via the characters, but there was way too much of it. The resolution kinda came out of nowhere for me too.

[NitaBee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew is on a bro’s vacation with his older brother Connor, Connors best friend Javi and some other guys.

There is tension between Andy and Javi. Hot, angry, sexually pent up for ten years tension.

Puerto Rico holiday drinking ends up with them waking up with each other - smashed, hungover, memory loss ….and married!

“I raised my palms in surrender. “I was drunk—shit! You’re a bitch in the morning, aren’t you?” “Well when I find myself somehow married to some bastard that I can’t stand the sight of, yeah, I’m going to be a dick!”

I literally can not see how these two are going to fall in love. I don’t know what Javi’s issue with Andy is, but Andy’s issue of them from the past was more embarrassing than anything else.

Seriously what is Javi’s problem?! Argh

Anyway, they decide to remain married for six months for reasons, which honestly sounds terrible since there is quite an amount of dislike emanating, especially from Javi. Andy is a mixture of dislike, attraction and past embarrassing memories.

Omg - does Javi really hate Andy all these years for being a horny 14 year old boy with a crush on him? He seriously can not be hanging on to anger issues just because of that?! I’m really struggling with Javi and I need it to be resolved soon because I’m getting real tired of his shitty remarks like perv , pathetic, hornball etc.

I’m so tempted to skip ahead to see if he’s worth this.

Ok so Javi’s reason for being a prick is because years ago, drunk Andy rejected him. Andy doesn’t remember this . I’m like omg finally I know why you were a dick. Not sure if this will make Javi redeemable, but there’s hope.

So these two idiots have liked each other for years but lots of miscommunication ensued to make their relationship what it is at the moment.

Halfway through Javi has like a personality transplant or something, they communicate and have sexy times.

“Well… pretending to be married while actually being married…but kind of pretending. Going to need so, so much therapy… “

Andy for most of this book has accepted that he’s hopelessly in love with Javi. Now they are giving this marriage a six month expiration date - with possible renewal - I think he’s spiralling at the thought that this might not last forever.

The rest of the holiday Andy and Javi are in a loved up romantic bubble with a lot of sex. Until the last day where everything completely explodes and Andy’s heart gets shattered.

Javi has impenetrable walls and when he gets hurt, he goes back to being that dismissive jerk with no feelings. He doesn’t fight for their love , jumps to conclusions and can be cruel.

“What can I say? It was fun while it lasted.”

I feel so sad for Andy with his heart broken like this. And once again angry at Javi for not listening, instead blaming Andy and assuming the worst of him.

After 3 weeks of ghosting him, there Javi is, like nothing happened. He admits he’s not good with emotions.

“Like you said, we get our asses into therapy or something, because we need to figure this communication thing out,” I said, laughing.”

So …. They love each other, they are going to go straight to engaged/ married for real and work on their communication.

Maybe this book being told from only Andy’s perspective made it harder for me to relate to Javi, I’m not sure but I couldn’t connect with him. The ending felt a little rushed.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd buy this if the MCs were 15. I don't buy it for 30 and up. The reasons for their rivalry are so kiddish they have no business still holding on to it.

There were parts of this that felt like 15 year olds cosplaying as 30 year olds. Like the constant bickering. Over objectively very silly stuff.

Then there were parts that were refreshingly pragmatic. Like Andy freaking out about getting married to someone he's known since he was a child but not known KNOWN.

Like does he squeeze the toothpaste from the middle(yes), is he into PDA(yes), does he understand that Andy would like some privacy in the bathroom(no), are they actually compatible beyond the passion that's fueled their rivalry for years(undetermined).

And their friend group is also really juvenile, but ultimately nothing excuses Javi's words when he found out what they'd done.

I don't know why Javi equated his emotional constipation to 'being like a toddler when it comes to emotions'. Can't think of anyone LESS emotionally constipated than toddlers. They absolutely, definitively do NOT have a handle on that shit.

Also, it's a cop out. I'm sorry I was a dick to you, but you make me lose all logic. What? That's the apology? That it's secretly Andy's fault?

“Yeah, well… maybe get therapy?” I suggested bluntly.

Was a good response. Except, of course, for the fact that he folded SPECTACULARLY like 2 minutes later.

Even Javi was shocked. That's how bad it was. He was like... I can grovel a bit maybe...? And Andy was basically doing cartwheels and going all.... Nah, nah, it's all good, I can just let it go.

Dude. Act like you've been here before💀(which, technically, he probably hasn't but STILL)

Okay so, overall. Sometimes I like when two MCs are so ludicrously incompatible but they love each other so FUCKING much and they just force it until it fits(I'd rather you be unhappy with me than happy with anyone else —I know, I KNOW🙈).

This wasn't one of those times. They're not even incompatible so much as Javi is unbending BUT Andy let's him get away with so much! It's not 50/50 suffering.

At first I was a bit irritated with Andy's evident holding back due to fear of being hurt by Javi but towards the end, I wished he'd kept a little bit more of that self-preservation.

Or like, at least go to therapy first like you've said, not just immediately exuberantly agree to marry this man who blows his lid and keeps you in the blast radius long after the explosion.

But congrats on the engagement, I guess.

The worst part is, a common thing Javi says the entire time to Andy?

"Godammit, you're so easy."

Can't argue that. Knows his man.

I obtained a review copy of this from GRR.

[Precious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expect beach shenanigans, miscommunication, drunken decisions and a whole lotta hate between two peeps who actually love each other.

Andy has loved his brother's best friend, Javi since he was a teen. He still does after all these years where the two had a falling out and basically fought and argued whenever they were in the same room with each other. They reunite once again when Conner, Andy's brother, strings them along for a two-week vacation which is where things take a turn both Andy and Javi weren't expecting.

This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed seeing how civil Andy and Javi can be when they aren't arguing. But I kinda feel like the arguing was some sort of foreplay, to be honest, and I liked that. The ending felt a bit too quick but the way these two could see each other even when they tried so hard not to was sweet.

This is a low angst, medium read where a big chunk of the book is set during their two-week vacation.

//ARC Review//

[Catarina Águas · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review

3.5 stars

It was a good book but Javi was a problem.
We only have Andy's pov so all we saw was Javi being hot and cold and a jerk. There was no justification for anything and that was not good.
Andy had been in love with Javi for more than a decade and he literally had no hopes of anything happening between them.
Then things progressed and Javi continued to be hot and cold. And then he broke Andy's heart. God, I felt awful for Andy, he didn't deserved it. And there was no grovel, like why????
I liked their banter, they were hilarious, at least we had that.

[bubblegumpopper · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's promise in the story idea, but the execution was a bit rough. The character dialogue was wooden at times and it didn't feel like two people talking, but very clearly felt like two contrived characters being puppeted into a conversation. It just didn't feel organic. Javi and Andy's rivalry turned romance also felt really jerky and didn't evolve naturally. They were far too adversarial at the start to make it believable that they'd readily agree to get married, even drunk off their asses. Then even when they were supposedly falling in love with each other over the course of the rest of their vacation in Puerto Rico, they were constantly sniping at each other. I didn't hate this, but it didn't give me the warm fuzzies that I want in a romance and it just left me kind of annoyed with these two characters.

***

I was provided with an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Leilani Noack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so good. I love the banter between the two main characters. But man finding out that little twist towards the end kind of hurt me and made me want to hug Andrew. My first book from this author and it didn’t disappoint.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

********** Contains Spoilers**********

This is the first book that I’ve read by Sariah Skye and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed Andy and Javi’s story but man do they need to work on their communication skills and they’re their own worst enemies, as they keep taking what the other says the wrong way. They definitely aren’t great at dealing with big emotions. This book is told from Andy’s POV but I would’ve loved to get Javi’s POV so we could to see what his true feelings are for Andy and why there’s so much animosity after all these years. As a teen Andy fell in love with his older brother Connor’s best friend Javi despite the fact that Javi couldn’t stand him. He still has feelings for Javi after all these years but he ignores it since whenever they’re together they seem to constantly be at each other’s throats. I suppose as the saying goes, there’s a fine line between love and hate.

They’re both on a two week vacation with Connor and their friends, or as Connor has dubbed it a ‘brocation”. Things aren’t off to a great start with them constantly snipping at each other and to make matters even worse they wake up in bed together, completely hungover with wedding rings on their fingers. To say they don’t react well to the news that they got married while completely sh*t-faced is an understatement. I loved seeing them get along and their constant bickering is definitely a form of foreplay for them. All I can say is that I definitely would’ve knocked those interfering a*seholes out for what they pulled. Like who the f*ck would do that? I’m looking forward to reading more books from Sariah in the future. I’d recommend this book and author to others.

******I received a complimentary copy of this book through GRR. I would still happily review this book even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******

[Hope Reads27 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I at times liked this book but for the most part I struggled with it. Javi who is suppose to be a 30yr old adult acts like a child for the majority of the book. He acted like an ass to Andy growing up and then asks Andy out when Andy is in his 20s, when Andy rejects him Javi is embarrassed and acts like a bigger ass to Andy. Now in their 30s they get accidentally married and when Andy asks if they can stay married Javi says flat out no. But when it’s convenient for Javi he then readily agrees. Then the third act break up happens and Javi completely ruins the progress he and Andy made. They were ready to have a relationship and start a life together and he says so much hateful shit. He completely ghosts Andy, Andy who was the one hurt tries to contact Javi and see if they can repairs stuff but noooo Javi doesn’t contact him. Then out of the blue Javi talks to Andy and explains he’s a toddler with his emotions and he’s sorry he said some harsh things. His excuse is there’s something about Andy that messes with his thinking😒. Bam let’s get married. He legit proposes to Andy with the same ring he threw at Andy when he broke up with him 🙃. And of course Andy says Yes.
Andy was childish too and he had a habit of storming off instead of having an actual conversation.
Also the “prank” was super messed up, what the hell were they thinking.

[Debra Guyette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew has loved his brother’s best friend, Javi, for about fifteen years. For some reason though, Javi turned on him and their conversations are rude, insulting and just nasty. Now they are both grown but have not outgrown their animosity for each other. Andrew, Connor (his brother), Javi and some other friends travel for a “brocation” in Puerto Rico. The first night, they all drink too much and Javi and Andrew wake up together in bed with rings on their fingers. Neither one is happy but soon realize they must go with it for a variety of reasons. Then, a betrayal happens and all bets are off.

This was tough to read in parts particularly towards the end. Their animosity towards each other was quite real and seemed never ending. When they woke up with rings on their fingers, both men needed a bit of a nudge to communicate with each other. Both had some misconceptions about the past and they needed to clear that up. Andrew will truly touch your emotions. You cannot help but feel bad for him. The good part is the ending. It is fantastic and will leave you with a smile.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Genre: M/M Romance
Format: E-Book

Character Development: 3/5
Plot: 3/5
Writing Style: 2.5/5
Spice Level: 2/5
Overall Rating: 3.5/5

This was a new author for me. I wanted to love this book more than I did. I love a good brother's best friend book. However, the miscommunication throughout this book really ruined it for me. Andy would finally be open with his feelings for Javi and then Javi or Andy would ruin the moment. I understand the need to build tension but it was just the same thing over and over. You can have the miscommunication trope with less of the same scenario over and over. If you take out all the back and forth, it is a nice summery vibes read with a bit of humor sprinkled in.


Tropes:
• Brother's Best Friend
• Surprise Wedding
• Enemies to Lovers
• Beach Vacation
• HEA


Cheating: No
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: Single (Andy's) POV (First Person POV)
KU: Yes (at time of review 12/20/24)
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like a car wreck I couldn't look away from. All the characters are immature, not just the main two. We only get Andy's side of things, but I don't know if seeing Javi's side would even help. They don't get along at all. All the insults and fights between them made me uncomfortable. There's a big difference between teasing someone and it being taken the wrong way versus being outright awful to someone. These guys were awful to each other, and the reason why Andy thinks Javi hates him is really illogical. Then, when we do get insight into why Javi is so mad at Andy, the actual reason isn't much better. These guys don't talk about anything and spent all their time in bed. Like I'm glad they're in therapy at the end of the book, but they should've been barely dating not living together married. They barely know each other in any real, practical way. They're in lust, not love. Also, as an aside, the revenge they get on Connor was ridiculous and overdone. To be fully frank, I'd have more patience with this couple and the plot if they'd been 15 or even 18, not 30.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

The blurb on this one caught my attention, and even though enemies to lovers usually isn’t my favorite, I was intrigued enough to pick this one up. I will say that this book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were parts I really liked and parts that didn’t work as well.

The crux of this book is based on miscommunication and a stark lack of communication. What began their feud is different for each man, and it’s not at all what either man thinks. On top of that, instead of actually talking, they spend a good deal of the book getting mad at each other and walking away. I expected miscommunication to play a role in this book, so I wasn’t surprised to see it. I was, however, surprised to see how much of it there was and I would have liked to see some of the communication that eventually happened to come earlier in the story.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.

[Didi Ps · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a younger kid, Andy had a crush on his brother’s best friend, Javier, which eventually turned into a rivalry.

Strangely enough, & some time later while on vacation, they end up in bed together, after a drunk night where they can’t remember a thing… & married!

It’s a mistake, obviously, and they wonder what will happen when everyone finds out…

But… what happens if they decide that it’s… not a mistake?

I love these types of stories, they’re always fun to read.

I didn’t like it how when they finally decided how to proceed, Javier continued to call Andy “Peaches” even after knowing that he didn’t like that nickname.

I especially liked how they tried to figure things out & all the bumps & snarky arguments they had along the way. The twist near the end of their vacation, though? Wow...

My favorite line was near the end, “Takes a real a**hole to lie about tacos.”

I received this free ARC, and this is my honest review.

[Amanda Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practically Paradise by Sariah Skye is a fun, beachy rom-com full of miscommunication, drunken antics, and enemies-to-lovers vibes that hit just right.

Andy has been in love with his brother’s best friend, Javi, since his teenage years. But after a big falling out, the two can’t seem to be in the same room without bickering—like, major sparks-flying kind of bickering. Enter Andy’s brother Conner, who ropes them into a two-week vacation together, and suddenly, those arguments start feeling a lot like foreplay. Spoiler: they totally are.

The book is a fun read, with the perfect balance of banter and heartfelt moments. Watching Andy and Javi navigate their love-hate dynamic and slowly drop their walls was so satisfying. Sure, the ending wraps up a bit fast, but the way they finally see and accept each other makes up for it.

If you’re in the mood for a low-angst, medium-paced romance set against a tropical backdrop, this is the perfect pick!

[Bene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a single POV, brother’s best friend, enemy to lovers, waking up married, story.

Andy and Javi go to Costa Rica for a "brocation" organised by Connor, Andy’s brother and Javi’s best friend. Andy and Javi hate each other, they are always fighting! But in truth, Andy has had a massive crush on Javi since they were teenagers. The second morning, after a very drunken night, they wake up in the same bed and married. But somehow, they decide to try to get along and have fun.

The story is entertaining and easy to read, but it was too frustrating with too many misunderstandings and miscommunications and some not very believable situations. We only have Andy's POV, but Javi appears as not likeable at all. He is rude and mean to Andy and it's hard to understand who Andy is so attracted to him. Both characters act as teenagers and not as grown adults, they are 31 and 33.

I got an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Tanya Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This was difficult for me. Since it's entirely from Andy's POV, Javi kept coming up with dialogue and actions completely out of the blue. The source of Andy's animosity is totally illogical. I mean, Javi walked in on Andy jacking off when Andy was 14 and Javi was 15 or 16, and a 15-year feud is the result. Dang, Andy can hold on to a grudge longer than my mother. You just want to sit them down, duct tape then to their chairs and their mouths shut and pound some sense into them. They are supposed to be 29 and 31 for Pete's sake. Don't get me started on Connor and his band of merry idiots. The most mature in the group is the extended family back home. Javi and Andy's revenge on Conner is epic.

[P Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book and I really enjoyed it.

The tension between Javi and Andy was super intense. Trust me, sitting back and waiting for those fireworks to finally go off, was seriously no hardship. These two guys were a whole lot of fun as they went head to head. I enjoyed the bickering, teasing, bantering and not to mention the explosive chemistry these two shared.

I got a bit teary eyed towards the end with how things unfolded. I wasn’t expecting things to go downhill that fast but when it did, my heart shattered. I wanted to give Andy a massive hug.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I wouldn’t highly recommend it.

*I voluntarily read this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's*

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new to me author but it was a cute book. It featured a brother’s best friend/hate to love you/drunken wedding vows storyline, all while on a sunny San Juan vacation meant as one last hurrah to get all the guys together before having to go their own ways.

There were a few continuity issues where one thing was said then, in the next paragraph, it was contradicted (undressed then wearing basketball shorts or shirtless and then he removed his shirt) but other than momentarily grabbing my attention, it wasn’t a big deal. It was an easy, light read, nothing too deep, all told through Andy’s perspective. I kinda wish we could’ve gotten Javi’s perspective too, I think it would’ve made for a more engaging book but that could just be me.

[Tanya Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
This was difficult for me. Since it's entirely from Andy's POV, Javi kept coming up with dialogue and actions completely out of the blue. The source of Andy's animosity is totally illogical. I mean, Javi walked in on Andy jacking off when Andy was 14 and Javi was 15 or 16, and a 15-year feud is the result. Dang, Andy can hold on to a grudge longer than my mother. You just want to sit them down, duct tape then to their chairs and their mouths shut and pound some sense into them. They are supposed to be 29 and 31 for Pete's sake. Don't get me started on Connor and his band of merry idiots. The most mature in the group is the extended family back home. Javi and Andy's revenge on Conner is epic.

[Miss E]

This book had me laughing out loud, crying and turning pages nearly faster than I could read them.
I enjoyed Javi and Andy’s journey and could at times almost unalive certain interfering someones.
This vacation to gather all his brothers friends before they all leave for their individual live’s next steps, is set up to be epic.
To Andy it is almost an epic disaster.
But fate has a hand in it all and it might just work out - maybe. If they don’t hide too many secrets that is.
Definitely recommendable for lovers of snark, witty banter, and love that overcomes even the most stubborn nerd.
An MM romance with a guaranteed HEA. What more do you need?

[Vols77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it left me wanting more. It had great potential with the two characters but I needed them to act more like adults than emotionally immature 15 year olds. I enjoyed the story as the arguing and premise of a drunk decision resulting in fake marriage intrigued me and the spice was off the chart. It is my first book by this author and it entertained me enough to want to read more by this author. I did receive and ARC and leave this honest review.

[Linda A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a yoyo of emotions for the main characters.
Unrequited love, hope, disappointment and anger.
Andrew's older brother, Connor and Javi are best friends and have been for many years.
Andrew has had a massive crush on Javi for almost as long.
After a drunken night, Javi and Andrew wake up married. The men try to navigate this shocking turn of events with disbelief and a lot of enthusiasm.

I received this book from GRR
This is my honest review

[T Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dislike between the m/c’s in the beginning of the story was strong enough to make you question it. As they settled in it all made sense. Soon drama strikes and therein lies the angst. This book isn’t a riveting story but it is sweet enough to keep you engaged. The love story and finally the HEA is worth waiting for. I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.

[Thurman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was a train wreck. The premise was good but the miscommunication did this book in. And only Andy's POV didn't help. Javi was a jerk and should have stayed a single jerk. The story would have been more believable if they were in their teens, not their 30s.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through GRR.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ rounded upto 4.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it was a good enough read but MCs came across as immature especially Javi, I think it might have been better with dual pov rather than just Andy’s side of things as Javi doesn’t rate to well from it but some of the other characters are very immature as well. Okay read.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew and Javi have known each other since they were kids and have never really gotten along. There's fire between them as adults, but I never totally bought that translating into confronting and solving the issues between them in a lasting fashion. There are lots of tropes here and I enjoyed this as a quick read.

[Henna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book, with a lot of banter. A nice take on surprise marriage and brother's best friend.

Story is written completely from Andy's POV so sometimes it was a bit difficult to understand where Javi was coming from. All is revealed in the end. I liked their verbal matches, and the heat.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He had a crush on him for such a long time and they still holds a grudge about what happened. Now he is about to wake up in bed with the very same man with rings on their fingers, after a steamy night. Now how is it all going to go now so follow them as they decide what to do next