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Mutual Discord
Not yet published
Expected 18 Aug 26A girl’s girl influencer gets a serious reality check when she discovers she’s fallen for her best friend’s boyfriend in this forbidden friends-to-lovers romance.
Sofia Mendoza has had enough. She’s done watching male co-workers steal credit for her talent, and now she’s going to do something about it. No one knows she’s the brains behind a popular video series highlighting and celebrating women in history who’ve been erased from their own inventions and discoveries. Her family and friends still think she has a successful corporate job and if they discover she is supporting herself by creating social media content, they’d be stunned.
Keeping her online persona a secret is lonely, but when she sparks a virtual friendship with an anonymous follower—A—first in her comment section with his insightful perspective, then in their private video chats, where he proves to be witty and catfish level good looking, the chemistry between them ignites.
But when her old friend, Caitlin, arrives for a visit, Sofia’s lies threaten to unravel. A is Alex Castillo, her best friend’s boyfriend. Alex doesn’t reveal that he knows her, and Sofia realizes he may be keeping secrets, too. With their friendship now in real life, can they keep their attraction in check?
Sofia Mendoza has had enough. She’s done watching male co-workers steal credit for her talent, and now she’s going to do something about it. No one knows she’s the brains behind a popular video series highlighting and celebrating women in history who’ve been erased from their own inventions and discoveries. Her family and friends still think she has a successful corporate job and if they discover she is supporting herself by creating social media content, they’d be stunned.
Keeping her online persona a secret is lonely, but when she sparks a virtual friendship with an anonymous follower—A—first in her comment section with his insightful perspective, then in their private video chats, where he proves to be witty and catfish level good looking, the chemistry between them ignites.
But when her old friend, Caitlin, arrives for a visit, Sofia’s lies threaten to unravel. A is Alex Castillo, her best friend’s boyfriend. Alex doesn’t reveal that he knows her, and Sofia realizes he may be keeping secrets, too. With their friendship now in real life, can they keep their attraction in check?
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 18, 2026
About the author
Liana De la Rosa
14 books894 followersLiana De la Rosa wrangles her children by day, and writes USA Today Bestselling romance by night. For details on her current project, visit her at lianadelarosa.com or find her on social media under @LianainBloom.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars.
"Mutual Discord" by Liana De la Rosa is a sloooooooooooooooooow burning forbidden romance between Sofia (FMC) and Alex (MMC), her best friend's boyfriend. Sofia was recently fired from her job when a male coworker stole her presentation, and she called him out, getting fired in the process. That night, she gets drunk and uploads a TikTok video about an historical female figure whose accomplishments were stolen by a man. That video went viral, so while she looks for a new job, she keeps uploading videos about women who have been overlooked or lost to the annals of history. She begins a chatting relationship with an unnamed user on TikTok, who just so happens to be her best friend's boyfriend! There's instant chemistry between Sofia and Alex online and when they meet in person. Unfortunately, he is dating her best friend, Caitlin, who is a social media influencer with tons of followers and opportunities. Sofia doesn't want to step on Caitlin's toes by mentioning her successful TikTok series. Caitlin asks Sofia to show Alex around Phoenix while she travels for work. The more time they spend together as friends, the more they discover how much they have in common, the more they flirt, the more their feelings grow into something more. Sofia and Alex have wonderful banter and chemistry together, despite the fact that Alex is in a relationship. I loved De la Rosa's commentary on women who have been "lost" to history because men stole their ideas or stardom or discoveries. There is also a fair bit of commentary on our current political state and administration just how messed up and backwards it is that the accomplishments of people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are being minimized and erased because of the actions of mediocre, unqualified white men. CALL THEM OUT, LIANA!!! I adored both Sofia and Alex as individuals. Alex is a great book boyfriend. He is patient, interested, and kind. I also loved how immersed in Puerto Rican culture and heritage this book is, from the food to the language to the music to the holidays. Unfortunately, there is a lot of filler in this book. Conversations are repeated, the same situations recur, and a lot of social media jargon is recited over and over again that could have been left on the cutting room floor to make things flow more smoothly. The book's end "problem" is easy to spot. I saw it coming from a mile away, so while the characters go bonkers and have a frequently inner turmoil, I was sitting here not sweating anything. Overall, this is a good book, albeit a little slowly paced and with a few unnecessary pages here and there.
Thank you to NetGalley, Liana De la Rosa, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"Mutual Discord" by Liana De la Rosa is a sloooooooooooooooooow burning forbidden romance between Sofia (FMC) and Alex (MMC), her best friend's boyfriend. Sofia was recently fired from her job when a male coworker stole her presentation, and she called him out, getting fired in the process. That night, she gets drunk and uploads a TikTok video about an historical female figure whose accomplishments were stolen by a man. That video went viral, so while she looks for a new job, she keeps uploading videos about women who have been overlooked or lost to the annals of history. She begins a chatting relationship with an unnamed user on TikTok, who just so happens to be her best friend's boyfriend! There's instant chemistry between Sofia and Alex online and when they meet in person. Unfortunately, he is dating her best friend, Caitlin, who is a social media influencer with tons of followers and opportunities. Sofia doesn't want to step on Caitlin's toes by mentioning her successful TikTok series. Caitlin asks Sofia to show Alex around Phoenix while she travels for work. The more time they spend together as friends, the more they discover how much they have in common, the more they flirt, the more their feelings grow into something more. Sofia and Alex have wonderful banter and chemistry together, despite the fact that Alex is in a relationship. I loved De la Rosa's commentary on women who have been "lost" to history because men stole their ideas or stardom or discoveries. There is also a fair bit of commentary on our current political state and administration just how messed up and backwards it is that the accomplishments of people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are being minimized and erased because of the actions of mediocre, unqualified white men. CALL THEM OUT, LIANA!!! I adored both Sofia and Alex as individuals. Alex is a great book boyfriend. He is patient, interested, and kind. I also loved how immersed in Puerto Rican culture and heritage this book is, from the food to the language to the music to the holidays. Unfortunately, there is a lot of filler in this book. Conversations are repeated, the same situations recur, and a lot of social media jargon is recited over and over again that could have been left on the cutting room floor to make things flow more smoothly. The book's end "problem" is easy to spot. I saw it coming from a mile away, so while the characters go bonkers and have a frequently inner turmoil, I was sitting here not sweating anything. Overall, this is a good book, albeit a little slowly paced and with a few unnecessary pages here and there.
Thank you to NetGalley, Liana De la Rosa, and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Want to Read
February 3, 2026this sounds so messy and so good I NEED IT
arc-tbr
February 28, 2026
May 29, 2026
Thank you to Berkeley Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for this advanced copy. This was a lot of fun and I flew right through it. I loved Sofia and Alex. Sofia was a very relatable character for me. Never feeling good enough and comparing herself to those around her - been there. A good reminder that comparison is the thief of joy. That was so true in this because Sofia and Alex almost missed their happily ever after. Yes, there was a miscommunication trope but I didn’t mind it. It was done differently than it normally is because we as the readers also didn’t know the information that Sofia didn’t know, whereas, normally, the reader is aware and one of the MCs is not. Hopefully I’m making sense.
Other things I loved
- the Latin culture representation
- the Matilda project highlighting all the women in history who have not been properly credited with their contributions to inventions or new ideas
Other things I loved
- the Latin culture representation
- the Matilda project highlighting all the women in history who have not been properly credited with their contributions to inventions or new ideas
Want to Read
January 2, 2026"A feminist, forbidden love contemporary romance, in which a Latina influencer who highlights the theft of women's scientific contributions finds her own heart stolen by the one man she can never have."
June 3, 2026
I want to start off this review by saying that I absolutely adore Lianas historical romances so when she announced her next release was a contemporary romance and it sounded interesting I knew I had to try get my hands on an arc!
I’m a lover of realistic plots and messy characters so this sounded right up my street. I liked a lot of things about this book but there was a few instances where I didn’t fully Get It.
I loved that this was single pov. I think it worked well, we got to know Sofia, who she is, who she cares for and as someone who is crying out for more fleshed out fmcs in contemporary romance this was great. She’s a little TOO self deprecating at times though and while a lot of people may be able to relate to it I think that kind of personality and attitude can work in drips and drabs, not for almost an entire book. Alex on the other hand never felt like a fully developed person to me and it wasn’t down to the single pov it was down to him being written as this ultra green flag, perfect specimen of a man where he had zero faults. There was no real back and forth no real banter going on between them and i just felt like he was sofias shadow if anything.
The writing is a little stiff at parts and I thought that Liana would have lended her great prose she normally has in her historicals here but I felt like I was being told what I should be feeling towards the characters rather than just feeling the emotion myself.
The romance. I loved the slowburn, it worked well given the miscommunication going on throughout the book and while I love messy characters I’m not sure that really corresponds with miscommunication that lasts almost 90% into the book. I find it hard to be convinced that two characters belong together when they both enter somewhat of a relationship not on the same page and scared to breech subjected that should have been brought up way before feelings started getting involved.
The sex. I don’t really remember previous books by this author having cringe sex scenes? Alex has that classic issue of being a man who’s completely out of character in the bedroom but I actually preferred his bedroom character because he had more of a personality. I would say the spice is mild and doesn’t take over much of the plot or feel gratuitous.
Overall I’m a little bummed I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I’ll continue to read Liana because I love her stories I just don’t think this was for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for sending me the arc. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75⭐️/ 2-3🌶️
*Thank you to Berkely Publishing for this free book.
Right away, I genuinely enjoyed the commentary this story had from being Latino/ Latina to the history behind so many incredible women who made innovations that we may know or not know at all. There was also the interesting way how despite Sofia being laid off work, she found herself in a niche position with her videos to educate, inform, and spread her passion to speak about a variety of amazing women and their stories.
Not going to lie, I was a bit intrigued to see how the story would unfold with Sofia developing feelings for her friend’s boyfriend which meant, FORBIDDEN ROMANCE! Instead, the story surprised me with the direction it took in terms of Sofia and Alex eventually getting together. Now, I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say, I didn’t like how it played out. One word, miscommunication! I feel like if this story was rewritten in a way that would have cleared things up between Sofia and Alex, it would have been better in my opinion. I think the way Sofia and Alex’s romance early on was sweet and it was clear right away how sweet and attentive Alex was with Sofia. The only downside for me when it came to the romance was how things weren’t laid out clearly for all parties involved. So, unfortunately the plot twist in this book didn’t land its mark with me.
The one thing I will say that I enjoyed about this book was the way it discussed Latino/Latina culture, and even digging into other aspects of it. Being a Latina, I could relate to some of the things Sofia, Alex and Denise (Sofia’s friend) talked about. The stand out moment for me was when Sofia, Alex, and Alex’s sister were talking about what makes someone Latino/Latina. Sofia really nailed it when she spoke about how often times Latino’s are put down for not being Latino enough or not being Latino at all for their lack of education in their culture or maybe not having the best time speaking the language. I’m paraphrasing, but the way Sofia said it, really encapsulated a lot of feelings that I feel on a daily basis. I also loved how this book explored Puerto Rican culture, and a bit of Mexican culture as well. My biggest takeaway from this book was the stories of the women Sofia researched and spoke about in her videos to the culture of being Latino/Latina, or in Sofia’s case more about her Puerto Rican culture as she helped Alex connect with it (*Alex was also Puerto Rican).
Although the ending of I should say the plot twist towards the end of this book wasn’t my favorite, I would still say this was a good book that had a lot of interesting educational moments from Sofia’s videos she made. I also enjoyed seeing Sofia take her passion for the women she spoke about and later made it into a bigger role in her career. Alex was a sweetheart and the type of man any of us would love to date, and he was equally endearing and passionate too. Sofia and Alex’s story may have started out unconventionally, but it made for some interesting moments throughout this book.
*Thank you to Berkely Publishing for this free book.
Right away, I genuinely enjoyed the commentary this story had from being Latino/ Latina to the history behind so many incredible women who made innovations that we may know or not know at all. There was also the interesting way how despite Sofia being laid off work, she found herself in a niche position with her videos to educate, inform, and spread her passion to speak about a variety of amazing women and their stories.
Not going to lie, I was a bit intrigued to see how the story would unfold with Sofia developing feelings for her friend’s boyfriend which meant, FORBIDDEN ROMANCE! Instead, the story surprised me with the direction it took in terms of Sofia and Alex eventually getting together. Now, I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say, I didn’t like how it played out. One word, miscommunication! I feel like if this story was rewritten in a way that would have cleared things up between Sofia and Alex, it would have been better in my opinion. I think the way Sofia and Alex’s romance early on was sweet and it was clear right away how sweet and attentive Alex was with Sofia. The only downside for me when it came to the romance was how things weren’t laid out clearly for all parties involved. So, unfortunately the plot twist in this book didn’t land its mark with me.
The one thing I will say that I enjoyed about this book was the way it discussed Latino/Latina culture, and even digging into other aspects of it. Being a Latina, I could relate to some of the things Sofia, Alex and Denise (Sofia’s friend) talked about. The stand out moment for me was when Sofia, Alex, and Alex’s sister were talking about what makes someone Latino/Latina. Sofia really nailed it when she spoke about how often times Latino’s are put down for not being Latino enough or not being Latino at all for their lack of education in their culture or maybe not having the best time speaking the language. I’m paraphrasing, but the way Sofia said it, really encapsulated a lot of feelings that I feel on a daily basis. I also loved how this book explored Puerto Rican culture, and a bit of Mexican culture as well. My biggest takeaway from this book was the stories of the women Sofia researched and spoke about in her videos to the culture of being Latino/Latina, or in Sofia’s case more about her Puerto Rican culture as she helped Alex connect with it (*Alex was also Puerto Rican).
Although the ending of I should say the plot twist towards the end of this book wasn’t my favorite, I would still say this was a good book that had a lot of interesting educational moments from Sofia’s videos she made. I also enjoyed seeing Sofia take her passion for the women she spoke about and later made it into a bigger role in her career. Alex was a sweetheart and the type of man any of us would love to date, and he was equally endearing and passionate too. Sofia and Alex’s story may have started out unconventionally, but it made for some interesting moments throughout this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 Stars
…This poor man thinks he’s just in the longest courting ritual of the modern age while girlie pop is living through a Shakespearean drama of her own making…
The whole premise of Mutual Discord is that Sofia and Alex have a little online attraction going on that seems harmless if intense. And then Sofia meets up with her best friend for dinner and lo and behold, she brings along her new boyfriend…Alex.
Here’s the deal though:
With the ‘forbidden romance’ trope shoved to the side, this is really just a sweet slow burn between Alex and Sofia. Sofia is going through a lot of personal changes and refuses to use her words in most situations let alone ask for clarification regarding Alex’s supposed relationship with Caitlin. She’s also suddenly lost her job, gone viral on Tik Tok, is earning a seemingly sustainable income from it, and keeps every feeling she has bottled up as a way of coping, so I want to give her some grace…but her inner monologue could be very annoying and repetitive.
Alex is a fantastic hero who deserves everything but actually wants to make sure Sofia knows she deserves the moon and he would give it to her if he could. That man is smitten and respectful and hot as fuck. When I couldn’t stand Sofia’s obtuseness, I kept reading for Alex…I’m going to keep thinking about Alex for a while sighs.
The story takes place over nearly a year, but with a few time jumps and pacing issues, it doesn’t feel like that - more like 6 months. But after nearly a year, is revealed and all is forgiven in the final two chapters of the book. Alex and Sofia get to live happily and hotly every after.
All of this would make you think I didn’t enjoy the book. But I…did? I complained loudly and often about Sofia’s every decision. I bemoaned the mixed signals Alex was getting. I criticized the lack of communication between everyone in this book. But I couldn’t put it down. It was a car crash I couldn’t look away from and will probably reread.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!
…This poor man thinks he’s just in the longest courting ritual of the modern age while girlie pop is living through a Shakespearean drama of her own making…
The whole premise of Mutual Discord is that Sofia and Alex have a little online attraction going on that seems harmless if intense. And then Sofia meets up with her best friend for dinner and lo and behold, she brings along her new boyfriend…Alex.
Here’s the deal though:
With the ‘forbidden romance’ trope shoved to the side, this is really just a sweet slow burn between Alex and Sofia. Sofia is going through a lot of personal changes and refuses to use her words in most situations let alone ask for clarification regarding Alex’s supposed relationship with Caitlin. She’s also suddenly lost her job, gone viral on Tik Tok, is earning a seemingly sustainable income from it, and keeps every feeling she has bottled up as a way of coping, so I want to give her some grace…but her inner monologue could be very annoying and repetitive.
Alex is a fantastic hero who deserves everything but actually wants to make sure Sofia knows she deserves the moon and he would give it to her if he could. That man is smitten and respectful and hot as fuck. When I couldn’t stand Sofia’s obtuseness, I kept reading for Alex…I’m going to keep thinking about Alex for a while sighs.
The story takes place over nearly a year, but with a few time jumps and pacing issues, it doesn’t feel like that - more like 6 months. But after nearly a year, is revealed and all is forgiven in the final two chapters of the book. Alex and Sofia get to live happily and hotly every after.
All of this would make you think I didn’t enjoy the book. But I…did? I complained loudly and often about Sofia’s every decision. I bemoaned the mixed signals Alex was getting. I criticized the lack of communication between everyone in this book. But I couldn’t put it down. It was a car crash I couldn’t look away from and will probably reread.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After Sofia loses her job for speaking up about a male coworker stealing her ideas, she accidentally goes viral talking about women throughout history whose accomplishments were erased, overlooked, or credited to men instead. What starts as one frustrated late-night TikTok turns into an entire platform centered around educating people on forgotten women in history, and honestly? That aspect of this book became one of my favorite parts.
I genuinely loved how much I learned while reading this. The discussions surrounding Latina history, Puerto Rican culture, identity, family, and the way women’s contributions are so often minimized added so much depth to the story. It never felt heavy-handed or forced either. It felt passionate, intentional, and incredibly real. There were multiple moments where I found myself wanting to stop and Google the women Sofia talked about because I was just so fascinated by their stories.
And then there’s Alex 😭
The chemistry between Sofia and Alex was there immediately, but what I really loved was how much of their relationship was built through conversation, friendship, support, and genuine interest in each other. Alex was patient, attentive, encouraging, and so clearly saw Sofia for who she was long before she fully saw herself that way.
That said… the miscommunication aspect definitely tested my patience a little at times 😂 I spent a large portion of the book internally screaming “JUST ASK HIM.” But honestly? The emotional connection between them was strong enough that I was still completely invested in seeing how everything would unfold.
I also really appreciated how much this story focused on Sofia finding her voice again after being dismissed and underestimated for so long. Watching her slowly step into her confidence while embracing both her culture and her passion for educating others was probably my favorite part of the entire book.
Overall, this ended up being so much more than just a romance for me. It was thoughtful, educational, emotional, and full of conversations that actually mattered while still giving me a relationship to root for.
Thank you so much to Berkley, NetGalley, and Liana De la Rosa for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I genuinely loved how much I learned while reading this. The discussions surrounding Latina history, Puerto Rican culture, identity, family, and the way women’s contributions are so often minimized added so much depth to the story. It never felt heavy-handed or forced either. It felt passionate, intentional, and incredibly real. There were multiple moments where I found myself wanting to stop and Google the women Sofia talked about because I was just so fascinated by their stories.
And then there’s Alex 😭
The chemistry between Sofia and Alex was there immediately, but what I really loved was how much of their relationship was built through conversation, friendship, support, and genuine interest in each other. Alex was patient, attentive, encouraging, and so clearly saw Sofia for who she was long before she fully saw herself that way.
That said… the miscommunication aspect definitely tested my patience a little at times 😂 I spent a large portion of the book internally screaming “JUST ASK HIM.” But honestly? The emotional connection between them was strong enough that I was still completely invested in seeing how everything would unfold.
I also really appreciated how much this story focused on Sofia finding her voice again after being dismissed and underestimated for so long. Watching her slowly step into her confidence while embracing both her culture and her passion for educating others was probably my favorite part of the entire book.
Overall, this ended up being so much more than just a romance for me. It was thoughtful, educational, emotional, and full of conversations that actually mattered while still giving me a relationship to root for.
Thank you so much to Berkley, NetGalley, and Liana De la Rosa for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve read this author’s historical romances for years and was super excited to check out her contemporary romance release as well. Mutual Discord is a contemporary, forbidden (her best friend’s boyfriend), friends to lovers romance with a little side of hidden identity (they start off as anonymous TikTok friends).
Sofia gets fired from her job after a male coworker steals her work on a project and passes it off as his own, when she confronts him about it she is the one told she’s not being a “team player” and is let go for being confrontational about it. Later that night at home she has some drinks and takes to TikTok where she shares a story about a real woman in history who had her accomplishment attributed to a man instead. It goes viral and she decides to start a whole series focusing on real women throughout history who/ success stories or accomplishments had been lost to time, forgotten, overlooked, attributed to male counterparts, etc. There she gains a new follower “A” and they start to hit it off. Around the same time her former college bestie is in town and brings her new boyfriend Alex, who is also “A”.
This was a cute one! If you’re a fan of friends to lovers, this book is absolutely a good rep of that trope! The romance bit of the story is slow moving since she knows he’s dating her friend. But it was sweet seeing their friendship form, seeing her show him around the area since he had recently moved to Phoenix, sharing Puerto Rican food with him since he wasn’t raised with an emphasis on that aspect of their shared culture. I enjoyed all the tidbits and stories of strong women throughout history! He’s a sweet hero, very attentive and supportive which is always so nice to see. A very easy read to get pulled into with low angst, I flew through this one!
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
Sofia gets fired from her job after a male coworker steals her work on a project and passes it off as his own, when she confronts him about it she is the one told she’s not being a “team player” and is let go for being confrontational about it. Later that night at home she has some drinks and takes to TikTok where she shares a story about a real woman in history who had her accomplishment attributed to a man instead. It goes viral and she decides to start a whole series focusing on real women throughout history who/ success stories or accomplishments had been lost to time, forgotten, overlooked, attributed to male counterparts, etc. There she gains a new follower “A” and they start to hit it off. Around the same time her former college bestie is in town and brings her new boyfriend Alex, who is also “A”.
This was a cute one! If you’re a fan of friends to lovers, this book is absolutely a good rep of that trope! The romance bit of the story is slow moving since she knows he’s dating her friend. But it was sweet seeing their friendship form, seeing her show him around the area since he had recently moved to Phoenix, sharing Puerto Rican food with him since he wasn’t raised with an emphasis on that aspect of their shared culture. I enjoyed all the tidbits and stories of strong women throughout history! He’s a sweet hero, very attentive and supportive which is always so nice to see. A very easy read to get pulled into with low angst, I flew through this one!
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After being wrongfully laid off from her marketing job, Sofia channels her anger and passion into a TikTok series highlighting female pioneers forgotten by history. There she begins a rapport with an anonymous user who Sofia’s followers desperately want her to do a live with. When Sofia and the anonymous user decide to meet over Zoom she is taken aback by the handsome man on her screen. Then by pure happenstance the anonymous user ends up accompanying her best friend Caitlin when catching up with Sofia. Now that Sofia and Alex have met in person, Sofia has no idea what to do, especially when Caitlin asks her to show Alex around Phoenix and the Puerto Rican scene the city has to offer. Sofia reluctantly agrees, trying to curb her attraction to Alex as he and Caitlin seem to be dating. But as Sofia and Alex discuss their careers, Puerto Rican heritage and meet each other’s families their relationship becomes more important than Sofia could ever have imagined. Her resolve to not get involved with Alex becomes almost unbearable. Will Sofia end up being the other woman, or is everything not what it appears?
With her trademark fiery female leading the charge, Liana de la Rosa delivers a luscious and complex contemporary romance that will stick with you after finishing. The complex issues of gender discrimination and prejudice in the workplace, immigrants connecting to their heritage and familial expectations are discussed in a refreshingly honest way. Like Sofia I find it hard to be my own cheerleader at times, and I love how Alex pushes her to let her start shine. Alex is not intimidated by the strong feminist Sofia is, and I love it! I already want to read this again!
With her trademark fiery female leading the charge, Liana de la Rosa delivers a luscious and complex contemporary romance that will stick with you after finishing. The complex issues of gender discrimination and prejudice in the workplace, immigrants connecting to their heritage and familial expectations are discussed in a refreshingly honest way. Like Sofia I find it hard to be my own cheerleader at times, and I love how Alex pushes her to let her start shine. Alex is not intimidated by the strong feminist Sofia is, and I love it! I already want to read this again!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 3⭐️
Spice: 2+ scenes
Tropes
-miscommunication
-strangers to friends to lovers
-best friends boyfriend??
-slow burn
-women empowerment
Please be warned, there are some spoilers. You have been warned. Don't read anymore if you don't want this spoiled.
The miscommunication in the trope could have been avoided if Sofia just asked the questions on her mind. And normally I wouldn't be so annoyed by this, but they are in their 30s. I'm more mature than these two at 26. And I say this as someone who is open with everyone and expects that in return.
I knew from the moment Caitlin brought Alex to the meetup that they were NOT dating. It was VERY obvious. And I get it, maybe they were new to the relationship and what not. But when your best friend is always on the move and doesn't talk about her "Boyfriend" then just ask her. Your going to tell me that you're not comfortable calling out your best friend about a boy? Is she even your best friend? Plus, Alex is literally giving all of his attention to Sofia. It so obvious that he wants her. The man wanted to spend Christmas with you instead of with his "girlfriend" like how does that not send up alarms? The entire book could have been 200 pages shorter.
I did enjoy the women empowerment aspect of this book. Uplifting womens voices that have been written over in history because of a man. I loved learning about new women and their inventions that have made our everyday lives easier. And I loved that Alex was so supportive in Sofia's platform.
Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley for the earc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Spice: 2+ scenes
Tropes
-miscommunication
-strangers to friends to lovers
-best friends boyfriend??
-slow burn
-women empowerment
Please be warned, there are some spoilers. You have been warned. Don't read anymore if you don't want this spoiled.
The miscommunication in the trope could have been avoided if Sofia just asked the questions on her mind. And normally I wouldn't be so annoyed by this, but they are in their 30s. I'm more mature than these two at 26. And I say this as someone who is open with everyone and expects that in return.
I knew from the moment Caitlin brought Alex to the meetup that they were NOT dating. It was VERY obvious. And I get it, maybe they were new to the relationship and what not. But when your best friend is always on the move and doesn't talk about her "Boyfriend" then just ask her. Your going to tell me that you're not comfortable calling out your best friend about a boy? Is she even your best friend? Plus, Alex is literally giving all of his attention to Sofia. It so obvious that he wants her. The man wanted to spend Christmas with you instead of with his "girlfriend" like how does that not send up alarms? The entire book could have been 200 pages shorter.
I did enjoy the women empowerment aspect of this book. Uplifting womens voices that have been written over in history because of a man. I loved learning about new women and their inventions that have made our everyday lives easier. And I loved that Alex was so supportive in Sofia's platform.
Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley for the earc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars, but rounding down for my frustration at Sofia being so obtuse. This was an easy read and I enjoyed the author’s writing, but I have one major gripe and a couple smaller ones. Alex is an amazing book boyfriend. That man is SMITTEN and super respectful. He deserves someone who communicates better.
(This is the paragraph with spoilers.) It was obvious to me from the start that Caitlin introducing Alex to Sofia was her setting them up. I could not figure out where Sofia got the idea that Alex and Caitlin were dating outside of her bringing him to dinner. He was clearly very into Sofia and was confused whenever she brought up Caitlin. Also, she intentionally avoided the subject with both of them. So dumb. Girl, you’re in your thirties. Use your words.
Outside of that obtuseness, I really did like Sofia. As previously mentioned, Alex was fantastic. Sex scenes were hot (once they got there — it was a slow burn). I did find some of the dialogue and inner monologue to be repeated quite often, to the point where it was a bit annoying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!!
(This is the paragraph with spoilers.) It was obvious to me from the start that Caitlin introducing Alex to Sofia was her setting them up. I could not figure out where Sofia got the idea that Alex and Caitlin were dating outside of her bringing him to dinner. He was clearly very into Sofia and was confused whenever she brought up Caitlin. Also, she intentionally avoided the subject with both of them. So dumb. Girl, you’re in your thirties. Use your words.
Outside of that obtuseness, I really did like Sofia. As previously mentioned, Alex was fantastic. Sex scenes were hot (once they got there — it was a slow burn). I did find some of the dialogue and inner monologue to be repeated quite often, to the point where it was a bit annoying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Sofia goes viral when she ends up giving a history lesson (about a woman who was not properly given due, are we even surprised?) on TikTok after being fired from her job thanks to a male co-worker stealing her idea and pawning it off as his own. Emboldened by the response from other women, Sofia starts to post more videos about women that weren't given their props....throughout history. When she connects with mysterious A over his videos, she doesn't ever expect to meet him in real life. But when A, Alex, enters her life as her best friend's boyfriend, Sofia must do everything in her power to not fall for this man that makes her heart beat a little bit faster and whose support always makes her feel seen.
Liana De la Rosa is an insta-buy author for me....and this book sucked me in so damn fast that I could not put it down until the last page. I hope that we get to see more from some of the other characters in this book....just so I can see what Sofia and Alex are up too :)
Thanks to Berkley for the ARC!
Liana De la Rosa is an insta-buy author for me....and this book sucked me in so damn fast that I could not put it down until the last page. I hope that we get to see more from some of the other characters in this book....just so I can see what Sofia and Alex are up too :)
Thanks to Berkley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Berkley for the ARC 🤍
This one had me hooked for one reason: the push and pull between Alex and Sophia. The tension wasn’t just flirty—it came from real differences, which made every interaction feel layered and meaningful.
Fair warning… this is a slow burn. Like first kiss at 70% slow. But if you love yearning, quiet pining, and a “will they, won’t they” that actually makes you work for it, this delivers.
Alex completely stole the show for me. Patient, attentive, and so in tune with Sophia without her needing to say a word. His kind of love? Steady, selfless, and quietly intense. The type who would rather stay her friend than lose her entirely—and you feel that the whole time.
That said, the pacing didn’t always work for me. Some sections felt repetitive and didn’t really move the story forward, which pulled me out at times.
But the emotional payoff and that final twist? Worth it.
overall: a character-driven romance built on tension, growth, and two people learning how to meet in the middle 🤍
This one had me hooked for one reason: the push and pull between Alex and Sophia. The tension wasn’t just flirty—it came from real differences, which made every interaction feel layered and meaningful.
Fair warning… this is a slow burn. Like first kiss at 70% slow. But if you love yearning, quiet pining, and a “will they, won’t they” that actually makes you work for it, this delivers.
Alex completely stole the show for me. Patient, attentive, and so in tune with Sophia without her needing to say a word. His kind of love? Steady, selfless, and quietly intense. The type who would rather stay her friend than lose her entirely—and you feel that the whole time.
That said, the pacing didn’t always work for me. Some sections felt repetitive and didn’t really move the story forward, which pulled me out at times.
But the emotional payoff and that final twist? Worth it.
overall: a character-driven romance built on tension, growth, and two people learning how to meet in the middle 🤍
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating 3.75 ⭐️
This was my first Liana De La Rosa book and I absolutely loved it.
Mutual Discord is a forbidden romance ( best friend's boyfriend), friends to lovers and it also has hidden identity, three tropes that I absolutely love and it was done so so well here.
Their romance is slow moving, but it was so good to see they become friends and in the end their relationship form. Alex is such a perfect man and I absolutely loved seeing him hype Sofia up and be there for her everytime.
The friendly banter, the tension, the chemistry, the spice. Everything was so so good.
Unfortunately, without giving any spoilers, even if I saw what would be the twist at the end I honestly didn't love at all how it went down and the miscommunication really drove me mad. As someone who loves miscommunication in a book, this definitely made me hate it because there is no way two best friends wouldn't communicate about something like this.
Actual rating 3.75 ⭐️
This was my first Liana De La Rosa book and I absolutely loved it.
Mutual Discord is a forbidden romance ( best friend's boyfriend), friends to lovers and it also has hidden identity, three tropes that I absolutely love and it was done so so well here.
Their romance is slow moving, but it was so good to see they become friends and in the end their relationship form. Alex is such a perfect man and I absolutely loved seeing him hype Sofia up and be there for her everytime.
The friendly banter, the tension, the chemistry, the spice. Everything was so so good.
Unfortunately, without giving any spoilers, even if I saw what would be the twist at the end I honestly didn't love at all how it went down and the miscommunication really drove me mad. As someone who loves miscommunication in a book, this definitely made me hate it because there is no way two best friends wouldn't communicate about something like this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley PRH for this ARC.
I really enjoyed this cozy romance. The characters were thoroughly fleshed out, completely endearing, and had interesting backstories. I was really rooting for them all along.
The "twist" was not a shock, and I predicted it right at the beginning of the story, but even still, I could empathize with the struggle our FMC was going through and I was on the edge just waiting for her to get her shit together and figure things out.
This was a quick read—on the shorter side, but just paces so well and was a page turner.
And I gotta shout out how much I love the minority representation, not just the Latine stories, but highlighting women in science and women trailblazers in general was so fun to read. The author included a list in her final acknowledgements of all the great historical women referenced and a brief description of their contributions. Which I so appreciated.
I do believe I'll be looking into other works by this author, after how much I enjoyed this one.
I really enjoyed this cozy romance. The characters were thoroughly fleshed out, completely endearing, and had interesting backstories. I was really rooting for them all along.
The "twist" was not a shock, and I predicted it right at the beginning of the story, but even still, I could empathize with the struggle our FMC was going through and I was on the edge just waiting for her to get her shit together and figure things out.
This was a quick read—on the shorter side, but just paces so well and was a page turner.
And I gotta shout out how much I love the minority representation, not just the Latine stories, but highlighting women in science and women trailblazers in general was so fun to read. The author included a list in her final acknowledgements of all the great historical women referenced and a brief description of their contributions. Which I so appreciated.
I do believe I'll be looking into other works by this author, after how much I enjoyed this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sofia is honestly such a relatable main character. A woman fed up with being overlooked at work who goes off and builds something on her own terms, a video series celebrating women that history basically erased. I loved that angle, it gives the story a lot more heart than your typical romance.
The online friendship turning into something more is really sweet to follow. The banter is fun, Alex is charming, and the fact that neither of them knows who the other is at first makes the whole thing feel exciting.
My one issue is the miscommunication side of things. Once the secret starts unraveling, both characters spend a lot of time not saying things they really could have just said, and that kind of tension is not really my thing. I kept wanting to shake them both a little.
But honestly it was a good read overall. Sofia is the kind of heroine you genuinely want to see win, and the premise around women being erased from their own discoveries gives the book something real to say. If miscommunication drama does not bother you, you will probably enjoy this even more than I did.
Thank you Berkley Romance & NetGalley for this ARC!
Kudos for this amazing cover btw!
The online friendship turning into something more is really sweet to follow. The banter is fun, Alex is charming, and the fact that neither of them knows who the other is at first makes the whole thing feel exciting.
My one issue is the miscommunication side of things. Once the secret starts unraveling, both characters spend a lot of time not saying things they really could have just said, and that kind of tension is not really my thing. I kept wanting to shake them both a little.
But honestly it was a good read overall. Sofia is the kind of heroine you genuinely want to see win, and the premise around women being erased from their own discoveries gives the book something real to say. If miscommunication drama does not bother you, you will probably enjoy this even more than I did.
Thank you Berkley Romance & NetGalley for this ARC!
Kudos for this amazing cover btw!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh the whole, I enjoyed this book and loved all of the Puerto Rican representation. The descriptions of the food had my mouth watering. Secondly I really liked Alex and think he's a great guy. BUT I spent more than half of this book giving it the side eye because who does all that with a best friend's boyfriend? Talking, going to eat, going to games, etc. but THEN I got to the miscommunication part and I had to roll my eyes. In a way this book redeemed itself but I was left with a bitter aftertaste and that doesn't make me want to give this a higher rating. Like, can you all be adults and talk to each other to find out each other's situations and what is going on in their lives? I thought you were friends? Do friends not talk about details like boyfriends and dating, etc.? Anyway, that's my rant over.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I want to thank Berkeley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this, the push and pull between alex and sophia is what had me coming back for more. this was a slowwww burn!! first kiss was 70% in. this could have been a 5 star but I think the book was filled with a lot of filler chapters, just repetitive nonsense that needed to be left out. there was a whole chapter of her just on facetime with her mom and nothing that moved the story further happened. alex was the absolute best representation of a man written by a woman. he was patient and attentive, he knew what sophia needed and was thinking without her even voicing it, and his yearning was so palpable but he was totally content with just being her friend if it meant he could have her in his life. the plot twist in the end is definitely worth the “will they, won’t they?”
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May 4, 2026Liana De la Rosa has crafted a deeply resonant story that is so much more than a traditional romance. While the central love story is captivating—expertly navigating the complexities of misunderstandings and the fallout of miscommunication—what truly set this book apart for me was its tribute to the "hidden" women of history. De la Rosa brilliantly highlights the brilliance of women who were overlooked in their time despite achieving extraordinary things. I especially appreciated the author’s note at the end, which provides further insight into the real figures who inspired a powerful, well-researched, and emotionally satisfying read that honors both the heart and the intellect.
I received a free copy of this book from berkleypublicity@penguinrandomhouse.com via @NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book from berkleypublicity@penguinrandomhouse.com via @NetGalley for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ll honestly read anything Liana De la Rosa writes at this point. Her historical romances completely hooked me, so I was beyond excited to pick up her upcoming romance novel. Even with all my excitement, I was still a little hesitant because one of the tropes featured isn’t usually a favorite of mine. Still, I trusted the author enough to keep reading — and I’m so glad I did.
I definitely wasn’t disappointed. While I do wish the author had handled or clarified the trope a little differently, I could understand the direction she was going with it by the end. The romance itself was beautiful and felt perfectly developed, aside from one small moment that didn’t fully work for me. Overall, I truly had such a fun time reading this and it reminded me why I enjoy her writing so much.
I definitely wasn’t disappointed. While I do wish the author had handled or clarified the trope a little differently, I could understand the direction she was going with it by the end. The romance itself was beautiful and felt perfectly developed, aside from one small moment that didn’t fully work for me. Overall, I truly had such a fun time reading this and it reminded me why I enjoy her writing so much.
June 3, 2026
Mutual Discord by Liana De La Rosa was such a joy to read. The story is engaging from the start, easy to follow, and filled with passion. What stood out most to me was how beautifully Latin culture was woven into the narrative. It felt authentic, intentional, and deeply relatable.
Sofía and Alex completely stole my heart. Their journey is the kind that keeps you on your toes., rooting for them every step of the way. The slow burn romance is packed with longing and emotional tension, making every moment feel earned.
As a Puerto Rican reader, I connected with so many aspects of the characters and their experiences. This is a modern, heartfelt romance that balances chemistry, family, culture, and authenticity exceptionally well. A wonderful read that left me wanting more.
Sofía and Alex completely stole my heart. Their journey is the kind that keeps you on your toes., rooting for them every step of the way. The slow burn romance is packed with longing and emotional tension, making every moment feel earned.
As a Puerto Rican reader, I connected with so many aspects of the characters and their experiences. This is a modern, heartfelt romance that balances chemistry, family, culture, and authenticity exceptionally well. A wonderful read that left me wanting more.
May 25, 2026
It’s a good thing I’m not a plot-minded reader because the miscommunication trope in this was truly ridiculous. To be fair to the book, it kind of breaks the fourth wall to acknowledge it, but overall the tension was absolutely lacking because it was so (hopefully purposefully) obvious to the reader. Some of Sofia’s personal turmoil helped make it a liiiiittle more convincing, but not by much. But it was an easy and enjoyable read all the same, which is really what I was after.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Honestly, this trope irks my very soul. I complained frequently and loudly. But I knew Liana wouldn’t let me down. She reminds us that even strong women are allowed to be fallible and should be called in for it. The novel did feel like a love letter to my lovely desert state and that always makes for a fun read.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
SOFÍA GIVING ALEX A TOUR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE NOT TO BRAG BUT LIANA ONCE GAVE ME THE VERY SAME TOUR 🥹
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March 23, 2026NETGALLEY ARC
Want to Read
May 15, 2026I've loved Liana De la Rosa's historical romances, and I'm so excited to see how that translates to a contemporary setting! I have an ARC so I'll be reading and reviewing this soon! 😍😍😍
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm a huge fan of historical romance series The Luna Sisters- so of course I was beyond excited to get my hands on this new *contemporary* novel by De la Rosa.
I loved the Puerto Rican representation - both the main characters Sofia and Alex, and the extended family members are part of the Puerto Rican diaspora.
The social media aspect was fun too. And of course I fell for Alex, the perfect book boyfriend, a feminist, sexy and sweet guy who only has eyes for Sofia since day one.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the Puerto Rican representation - both the main characters Sofia and Alex, and the extended family members are part of the Puerto Rican diaspora.
The social media aspect was fun too. And of course I fell for Alex, the perfect book boyfriend, a feminist, sexy and sweet guy who only has eyes for Sofia since day one.
Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
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