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So It Goes
At thirty-one, Aaron Santos has finally bought his family their dream house. This is the first place that’s felt like a home, and things are finally looking up. However, as much as he tries to be the best boyfriend and father, it never feels like enough.
Lucas Adams is happily married with a baby on the way. The life he’s created for himself is exactly the one he’d always longed for. He’s a successful full-time author who is delighted to meet his new next door neighbors, especially Aaron, who’s kind and intriguing.
Soon, Aaron and Lucas form a close friendship and realize that they have more in common than they thought. Together, they navigate suburban life with their respective families, through all the ups and downs thrown their way. But when both of them lose what is most precious to them, they find solace in each other to cope with the fallout, and discover that the love they feel for one another is stronger than any challenge they’ve ever faced.
Lucas Adams is happily married with a baby on the way. The life he’s created for himself is exactly the one he’d always longed for. He’s a successful full-time author who is delighted to meet his new next door neighbors, especially Aaron, who’s kind and intriguing.
Soon, Aaron and Lucas form a close friendship and realize that they have more in common than they thought. Together, they navigate suburban life with their respective families, through all the ups and downs thrown their way. But when both of them lose what is most precious to them, they find solace in each other to cope with the fallout, and discover that the love they feel for one another is stronger than any challenge they’ve ever faced.
673 pages, Paperback
First published February 14, 2022
23 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Isis Molina
2 books57 followersIsis Molina lives in Texas with her two black cats. She loves staying up late reading and enjoys watching scary movies. Writing queer Latino characters is important to her, and she hopes to continue doing it for as long as she can.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 16, 2022
I was excited to dive into this, as it's been HIGHLY recommended in several groups.
After reading all EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIVE PAGES, I just have to ask.....have those people read a good book in their lives? Is this the first book they've read? Or are they just telling lies?
This felt like a parody of every beautiful love story I've ever read. At one point I double checked that Weird Al didn't write it.
I almost quit at least 20 times. If it was two weeks later, I'd think this was an April's Fools joke.
This was a slow burn....and then end of the slow burn was a match that lit this dumpster fire.
I finished the book an hour ago and I've been trying to come up with just one redeeming thing to write a review on and there's just....nothing. .75 stars because the author spent time writing a book. Kudos to her. I, on the other hand, may never trust a Facebook group recommendation again.
After reading all EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIVE PAGES, I just have to ask.....have those people read a good book in their lives? Is this the first book they've read? Or are they just telling lies?
This felt like a parody of every beautiful love story I've ever read. At one point I double checked that Weird Al didn't write it.
I almost quit at least 20 times. If it was two weeks later, I'd think this was an April's Fools joke.
This was a slow burn....and then end of the slow burn was a match that lit this dumpster fire.
I finished the book an hour ago and I've been trying to come up with just one redeeming thing to write a review on and there's just....nothing. .75 stars because the author spent time writing a book. Kudos to her. I, on the other hand, may never trust a Facebook group recommendation again.
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February 1, 2022Writing this book was my comfort at the start of the pandemic. Now I get to share it with everyone else. I hope Aaron and Lucas give you all the warm fuzzy feelings they gave me.
July 9, 2023
I am so incredibly disappointed.
I spent hours reading all 850 pages of this book. I was invested in the characters, I laughed, I cried, and despite a few niggles I was having a pretty good time.
And then, Lucas' mother ended up in the hospital.
Lucas had left his family as a young adult because his parents neglected him and his sister was too busy trying to catch their parents' attention to be there for Lucas. That sister, Lucy, came back in Lucas' life after over a decade to attend Lucas' wife's funeral. She spent the entire day of the funeral trying to get Lucas' best friend into bed with her.
Aaron, who had a deadbeat father himself, told Lucas that he should try to reconnect with his family. Aaron would have blown a gasket had Lucas suggested the same thing to him, but luckily for Aaron, his father was dead. Anyway, Lucas tries to reconnect with his mother who needs care after an accident, and his mother is the most toxic person in the world. Lucy, meanwhile, says that Lucas should just get over himself and stop being angry at their father. That father shows up, proves what an asshole he is, and leaves forever again. Lucy does not apologize for any of this.
When Lucas is almost breaking under the pressure of living with his toxic mother, his mother and Lucy yell "SURPRISE!" and tell him their plan worked and they're happy he finally admitted he couldn't do the care himself. So his mother moves to be near Lucy and hires a nurse. Why couldn't she have hired a nurse before? Which part of this plan requires bullying Lucas until he breaks?
And which part, in all of this toxicity, manipulation and emotional abuse, makes Lucas think "I'm so glad to be with my family again!"?
Fuck Lucy. Fuck Lucas' mother. And fuck this toxic idea that being related to someone means you have to have them in your life, even when it's detrimental to your own mental health. He should have cut off his family for good. That would have made these 850 pages worth it.
On the topic of forgiving toxic family: Aaron's girlfriend took his son away from him, causing Aaron to sink into a deep depression and leaving his son (who was only six years old!) depressed as well. This girlfriend did not show back up until over a year later, and she was forgiven for the emotional damage she did to Aaron and to their son. She knew her son was depressed but refused to do anything about it because she didn't want to admit that she had been wrong in taking him away from his father.
None of these people should have been forgiven. Not Lucy. Not Lucas' mother. And not Aaron's ex-girlfriend either.
Do yourself a favor and don't invest your time and effort into reading 800 pages of sweet slowburn and 50 pages of forgiveness for people who don't deserve it.
I spent hours reading all 850 pages of this book. I was invested in the characters, I laughed, I cried, and despite a few niggles I was having a pretty good time.
And then, Lucas' mother ended up in the hospital.
Lucas had left his family as a young adult because his parents neglected him and his sister was too busy trying to catch their parents' attention to be there for Lucas. That sister, Lucy, came back in Lucas' life after over a decade to attend Lucas' wife's funeral. She spent the entire day of the funeral trying to get Lucas' best friend into bed with her.
Aaron, who had a deadbeat father himself, told Lucas that he should try to reconnect with his family. Aaron would have blown a gasket had Lucas suggested the same thing to him, but luckily for Aaron, his father was dead. Anyway, Lucas tries to reconnect with his mother who needs care after an accident, and his mother is the most toxic person in the world. Lucy, meanwhile, says that Lucas should just get over himself and stop being angry at their father. That father shows up, proves what an asshole he is, and leaves forever again. Lucy does not apologize for any of this.
When Lucas is almost breaking under the pressure of living with his toxic mother, his mother and Lucy yell "SURPRISE!" and tell him their plan worked and they're happy he finally admitted he couldn't do the care himself. So his mother moves to be near Lucy and hires a nurse. Why couldn't she have hired a nurse before? Which part of this plan requires bullying Lucas until he breaks?
And which part, in all of this toxicity, manipulation and emotional abuse, makes Lucas think "I'm so glad to be with my family again!"?
Fuck Lucy. Fuck Lucas' mother. And fuck this toxic idea that being related to someone means you have to have them in your life, even when it's detrimental to your own mental health. He should have cut off his family for good. That would have made these 850 pages worth it.
On the topic of forgiving toxic family: Aaron's girlfriend took his son away from him, causing Aaron to sink into a deep depression and leaving his son (who was only six years old!) depressed as well. This girlfriend did not show back up until over a year later, and she was forgiven for the emotional damage she did to Aaron and to their son. She knew her son was depressed but refused to do anything about it because she didn't want to admit that she had been wrong in taking him away from his father.
None of these people should have been forgiven. Not Lucy. Not Lucas' mother. And not Aaron's ex-girlfriend either.
Do yourself a favor and don't invest your time and effort into reading 800 pages of sweet slowburn and 50 pages of forgiveness for people who don't deserve it.
April 13, 2023
I like to write reviews a little while after I finish a book so I have time to dwell on the story. And even though I read this fairly fast, now that it’s been more than two weeks, I’m not sure if it was such a good book.
For starters it was pretty obvious how the story was going to go so the two MCs could be together. I’m not gonna spoiler it but really, if you’ve read it I’m sure you knew what’s going to happen.
The book is long. I think around 800 pages and it’s not a slow burn, it’s a turtle snail slow burn. Seriously. Be prepared to wait and wait and then wait a bit more.
Not to mention that it’s a tiny bit overly dramatic. But since, like I said, read it pretty fast, I’m going to vie it 3 stars for entertainment.
For starters it was pretty obvious how the story was going to go so the two MCs could be together. I’m not gonna spoiler it but really, if you’ve read it I’m sure you knew what’s going to happen.
The book is long. I think around 800 pages and it’s not a slow burn, it’s a turtle snail slow burn. Seriously. Be prepared to wait and wait and then wait a bit more.
Not to mention that it’s a tiny bit overly dramatic. But since, like I said, read it pretty fast, I’m going to vie it 3 stars for entertainment.
March 25, 2022
I read this when it was originally posted on AO3 and it is without a doubt one of the best stories I have read. I recommended it to so many people. I am so excited to re-read this published version!!!
March 29, 2022
I was very excited to start this book because it has my favorite trope - 2 married guys and neighbors fall for each other ; kind of like If we could go back by Cara Dee. Well, needles to say that this was nothing like Cara Dee’s book. Here we have stiff , amateurish and dry writing. The book is too long (850 pages) but nothing justifies the length, the author bored me with their wife/gf drama in the first 50% of the book (I don’t care about the wives in this kind of books, I mean in “If we could go back”we have wives too but the author didn’t “shove” them in our faces. Anyway, these guys have no chemistry, they were boring , the side characters were boring too , the the sex scenes were unremarkable and scarce. I skimmed through pages and pages of “Let’s not fuck , just kiss on the cheek cuz we’re 16 and virgins and we should take it reeeaal slow” till 70% of the book. 🙄 850 pages, need I remind you?? The premises were promising, the execution not quite. At least there was no MF sex on page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2022
Ok first off. This book is about 500 pages too long. (The ebook is 850 pages)
I get the author wanted to show a slow burn, friends to lovers story, but the content did not warrant 850 pages. It drug on and on, that it eventually became a slog.
Secondly, I say this as an AVID reader and lover of fanfiction, but this book reads like it was first a fanfic and then reworked into an original book. It has that very long, never ending, episodic story telling of a fanfic, rather than a cohesive encapsulated plot of a book.
It seems the author wanted to establish and show a lot, like they wanted to have the readers meet and see the relationship of the Gf/Wife to the two men, so as to not just brush them off. Which fine, but like…it took forever. (Tho I did like that Angelica, the wife of Lucas, was genuine friends with Aaron)
Then after both men were single again, the various scenes etc leading up to their relationship were repetitive.
In fact that is pretty much the whole book. Repetitive. So many random scenes of the two men going on how happy they were and being overly cheesy romantic, which fine but we dont need 50 scenes of it, especially in an 850 page book.
The relationship of the two men also is way less Romantic and Passionate and more ‘Super Unhealthy Levels of Codependency’ It just felt so forced, especially again when it’s constantly scene after scene of it.
The actual plot lines again are very episodic. Nothing that happens to the characters really tie together. Not sure if the author was doing that to convey more of a slice of life feel, but it feel like I was watching a book version of a Full House esque sitcom.
Overall, this book slowly became a spite read for me unfortunately. I just finished it because I had already put that much effort in. I am bummed because it could have had potential, it’s just under a lot of very unpolished stuff.
The cover art tho, I really love.
And despite me not liking it, kudos to the author for having the focus to sit and write 850 pages. That’s impressive.
January 18, 2022
I dont even know where to start on this review. Its been a while since I've read a book that just blew me away.
I definitely went into this book blind with no expectations and I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I loved how each character had growth and learned from their actions/past.
I absolutely loved how much emotion there was in the book. There were some parts that will make you sob 😭 , there are parts that will make you so angry 😠, and there are parts that will make you smile soo big 😊.
Karen - ugh man did/do I hate her.
Aaron - I felt he was naive for sure to start with. But he grew sooo much by the end of the book.
Beautiful HEA story.
I definitely went into this book blind with no expectations and I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I loved how each character had growth and learned from their actions/past.
I absolutely loved how much emotion there was in the book. There were some parts that will make you sob 😭 , there are parts that will make you so angry 😠, and there are parts that will make you smile soo big 😊.
Karen - ugh man did/do I hate her.
Aaron - I felt he was naive for sure to start with. But he grew sooo much by the end of the book.
Beautiful HEA story.
April 17, 2022
Way too long. Like way, way, w a y too long.
February 8, 2022
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Where to even start with this book? I’ve been holding off on writing this review because I’m struggling to find a way to accurately condense my reading experience into just a few words. To start with, So It Goes is marketed as an unconventional romance story with a slow burn. I didn’t go into it with much knowledge aside from the fact that the main characters would be neighbors and that both of them start out in relationships, which gave me pause because of how much potential there is for disaster with that sort of plotline. Little did I know that Isis was not joking by any stretch of the imagination; So It Goes is absolutely unconventional and the slow burn does not pull any punches.
One thing I was not at all prepared for was the length of the book. So It Goes is clearly a massive labor of love at around 700 pages. Most of the things that I’ve read recently have only a fraction of the word count and it really shows in the way things develop. There’s just so much you can do with all of that extra space and time, and Isis manages to stuff this book full of moments of joy, heartbreak, and tenderness. I was about a quarter way through the ebook when I first noticed the page count and immediately thought how can there be so much content left??? But I seriously underestimated Isis and the journey she was taking me on. Normally when I find a book I love, endings are extremely bittersweet because I’m left wanting so much more. With So It Goes, I could easily see myself reading another 700 pages of content if it existed, but the ending came at such a wonderful and natural stopping point that I was left completely satisfied and at peace. Having all that space to develop and build up the romance and the characters really made me appreciate everything so much more and had the added effect of making the time progression feel real, as if I was going through the journey with the characters day by day.
Unconventional is an excellent way to describe the book because it’s about so much more than any single relationship. It’s about love in all its forms. There are a number of questions and answers in the book about love and how it’s shared, whether it ever goes away or fades with time. About whether having loved someone means that you have less love to give (or perhaps more). I wasn’t expecting such a thoughtful meditation on the subject of love and so many demonstrations of it. Some of my favorite moments from the book have nothing to do with the central romance and everything to do with various characters and how much love they have to give. Aaron and Luc both own my entire heart, but it doesn’t stop there. Angelica is a national treasure and inspiration, I loved Ophelia and Rosa, and the kids stole the show in every scene that they were in. It’s rare for me to have an entire cast of characters that I want to give the world to even when they make me want to shout, but Isis made it happen. And it’s in part thanks to just how much heart there is in the story.
The actual writing of So It Goes occasionally suffers a little from growing pains. The dialogue in a few places can feel a bit stiff and there were a couple of moments where I thought certain choices didn’t feel completely justified. It mostly cleared up toward the middle and end, but certain spots in the beginning when the characters were first getting to know each other stood out to me. Perhaps it’s more of a reflection of my own experiences, but at times the dialogue or discussion of emotions felt a little too direct and smooth to be completely convincing. That said, I was absolutely invested even when I had questions or doubts about the way things were written and very little could have possibly drawn me out of the story at any point.
Until reading So It Goes, I never really understood the concept of a comfort read. For me, there are several novels that I adore in ways that are difficult to communicate, but I don't see myself rereading them any time soon if at all. This book was a game changer for me. The characters and journey became so deeply personal that I just know I will come back to it over and over again, 700 pages and all. Though my experience might not be applicable to all, I cannot stress enough how deeply So It Goes moved me.
Where to even start with this book? I’ve been holding off on writing this review because I’m struggling to find a way to accurately condense my reading experience into just a few words. To start with, So It Goes is marketed as an unconventional romance story with a slow burn. I didn’t go into it with much knowledge aside from the fact that the main characters would be neighbors and that both of them start out in relationships, which gave me pause because of how much potential there is for disaster with that sort of plotline. Little did I know that Isis was not joking by any stretch of the imagination; So It Goes is absolutely unconventional and the slow burn does not pull any punches.
One thing I was not at all prepared for was the length of the book. So It Goes is clearly a massive labor of love at around 700 pages. Most of the things that I’ve read recently have only a fraction of the word count and it really shows in the way things develop. There’s just so much you can do with all of that extra space and time, and Isis manages to stuff this book full of moments of joy, heartbreak, and tenderness. I was about a quarter way through the ebook when I first noticed the page count and immediately thought how can there be so much content left??? But I seriously underestimated Isis and the journey she was taking me on. Normally when I find a book I love, endings are extremely bittersweet because I’m left wanting so much more. With So It Goes, I could easily see myself reading another 700 pages of content if it existed, but the ending came at such a wonderful and natural stopping point that I was left completely satisfied and at peace. Having all that space to develop and build up the romance and the characters really made me appreciate everything so much more and had the added effect of making the time progression feel real, as if I was going through the journey with the characters day by day.
Unconventional is an excellent way to describe the book because it’s about so much more than any single relationship. It’s about love in all its forms. There are a number of questions and answers in the book about love and how it’s shared, whether it ever goes away or fades with time. About whether having loved someone means that you have less love to give (or perhaps more). I wasn’t expecting such a thoughtful meditation on the subject of love and so many demonstrations of it. Some of my favorite moments from the book have nothing to do with the central romance and everything to do with various characters and how much love they have to give. Aaron and Luc both own my entire heart, but it doesn’t stop there. Angelica is a national treasure and inspiration, I loved Ophelia and Rosa, and the kids stole the show in every scene that they were in. It’s rare for me to have an entire cast of characters that I want to give the world to even when they make me want to shout, but Isis made it happen. And it’s in part thanks to just how much heart there is in the story.
The actual writing of So It Goes occasionally suffers a little from growing pains. The dialogue in a few places can feel a bit stiff and there were a couple of moments where I thought certain choices didn’t feel completely justified. It mostly cleared up toward the middle and end, but certain spots in the beginning when the characters were first getting to know each other stood out to me. Perhaps it’s more of a reflection of my own experiences, but at times the dialogue or discussion of emotions felt a little too direct and smooth to be completely convincing. That said, I was absolutely invested even when I had questions or doubts about the way things were written and very little could have possibly drawn me out of the story at any point.
Until reading So It Goes, I never really understood the concept of a comfort read. For me, there are several novels that I adore in ways that are difficult to communicate, but I don't see myself rereading them any time soon if at all. This book was a game changer for me. The characters and journey became so deeply personal that I just know I will come back to it over and over again, 700 pages and all. Though my experience might not be applicable to all, I cannot stress enough how deeply So It Goes moved me.
March 15, 2022
The good life in suburbia, two men’s love for their children and for each other
Aaron Santos, Karen and 5 year old Danny move into their new dream house in Oklahoma and become acquainted with the neighbours, Lucas, his pregnant artist wife Angelica and their dog Daisy. Aaron and Lucas hit it off right away. Lucas is a writer of ‘comedy horror’ novels, and the two men enjoy a shared love of bad horror films. Aaron shares with Lucas that he’s bisexual and that he is not Danny’s biological dad, a painful subject.
Aaron loves Danny with a passion and wants to be a good dad, unlike his own deadbeat father, and there are other strains within the Santos family dynamic.
It’s very long, 833 pages. And a lot of the story is really ordinary stuff, people unpacking boxes, watching Scooby-doo, fixing lunch, taking the dog for walks, having BBQs and handing each other beers. Lucas helps Aaron pick up a swingset he’s bought off Craigslist. They swim in the pool, have potlucks with Ophelia and her wife Rosa. I don’t really need to know how everybody takes their coffee or when people take bathroom breaks.
Finally, in Part 3 a bombshell is dropped into Aaron’s life, and as he recovers, another bombshell falls on Lucas, but their friendship sees them though. In Part 6 Aaron has to make a heart-wrenching decision.
The Craigslist adventure was not as horrible as we expected (hoped?) it would be. The characters are lively enough to sustain interest, but I did find myself wishing for some vampires or a dead body or something, and I certainly wanted Aaron and Lucas to go ahead and bonk already.
This is a character-driven contemporary novel, maybe a romance, with some sexually explicit scenes. It is beautifully written in a distinct fluent style with a colloquial feel and a strong voice, and it’s perfectly edited.
The strength of this novel is the characters. They are sparkling, well-rounded and interesting from page one, with complex relationships, and I really cared how they all get on. The dialogue is natural and true to each character’s personality.
I was given an ARC by the author.
Aaron Santos, Karen and 5 year old Danny move into their new dream house in Oklahoma and become acquainted with the neighbours, Lucas, his pregnant artist wife Angelica and their dog Daisy. Aaron and Lucas hit it off right away. Lucas is a writer of ‘comedy horror’ novels, and the two men enjoy a shared love of bad horror films. Aaron shares with Lucas that he’s bisexual and that he is not Danny’s biological dad, a painful subject.
Aaron loves Danny with a passion and wants to be a good dad, unlike his own deadbeat father, and there are other strains within the Santos family dynamic.
It’s very long, 833 pages. And a lot of the story is really ordinary stuff, people unpacking boxes, watching Scooby-doo, fixing lunch, taking the dog for walks, having BBQs and handing each other beers. Lucas helps Aaron pick up a swingset he’s bought off Craigslist. They swim in the pool, have potlucks with Ophelia and her wife Rosa. I don’t really need to know how everybody takes their coffee or when people take bathroom breaks.
Finally, in Part 3 a bombshell is dropped into Aaron’s life, and as he recovers, another bombshell falls on Lucas, but their friendship sees them though. In Part 6 Aaron has to make a heart-wrenching decision.
The Craigslist adventure was not as horrible as we expected (hoped?) it would be. The characters are lively enough to sustain interest, but I did find myself wishing for some vampires or a dead body or something, and I certainly wanted Aaron and Lucas to go ahead and bonk already.
This is a character-driven contemporary novel, maybe a romance, with some sexually explicit scenes. It is beautifully written in a distinct fluent style with a colloquial feel and a strong voice, and it’s perfectly edited.
The strength of this novel is the characters. They are sparkling, well-rounded and interesting from page one, with complex relationships, and I really cared how they all get on. The dialogue is natural and true to each character’s personality.
I was given an ARC by the author.
May 25, 2023
I am exhausted after reading this book. Wow.
I went into this book after having it recommended to me, but had zero idea what it was about. After reading Part 1, if I didn't know it was MM I honestly wouldn't have seen it taking that turn. The first two parts are full of backstory and character building and while they are LONG, it's worth it.
The two MCs go through so much in the three years of this book. And it was long, but I don't see how it could have been shorter and honestly I loved the MCs so the more to read, the better. There is a very predictable event that happens to open up the possibility for the MCs to get together, an even though I knew it was coming from the first chapter, I still kept trying to convince myself that somethin else was gong to happen instead, and then cried when it did in fact happen.
There were more predictable parts, so I spent a lot of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop - BUT, it was still sooooo good. This is one of those books that you will think about long after it's over.
I'm also putting it out there to the audio gods that I would love to see this narrated by Chris Chambers - listening to his voice at 2x speed is just amazing.
I went into this book after having it recommended to me, but had zero idea what it was about. After reading Part 1, if I didn't know it was MM I honestly wouldn't have seen it taking that turn. The first two parts are full of backstory and character building and while they are LONG, it's worth it.
The two MCs go through so much in the three years of this book. And it was long, but I don't see how it could have been shorter and honestly I loved the MCs so the more to read, the better. There is a very predictable event that happens to open up the possibility for the MCs to get together, an even though I knew it was coming from the first chapter, I still kept trying to convince myself that somethin else was gong to happen instead, and then cried when it did in fact happen.
There were more predictable parts, so I spent a lot of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop - BUT, it was still sooooo good. This is one of those books that you will think about long after it's over.
I'm also putting it out there to the audio gods that I would love to see this narrated by Chris Chambers - listening to his voice at 2x speed is just amazing.
February 15, 2022
We are given a beautiful love tale, in fact numerous love stories, involving men and women, both sexes, as well as children. It's a long book, but it's well worth the read if you want to get to know our characters on a long-term basis. There are people of all sexual orientations and ethnicities in the world today. The concept of found or made families is also prominent. Tragedies, insecurities, issues with self-worth, and other forms of psychological abuse abound. In the novel, these difficulties are addressed directly, and the characters encourage one another to seek professional help. One of the most interesting characters is the therapist; despite the fact that we know little about her, she forces our men to confront their problems. Lucas and Aaron emerge as the show"s central figures. It's a joy to watch how their relationship and affection grows with time. Even when their lives are turned upside down, they have each others'backs as friends. Throughout the book, they both develop tremendously, which adds to the enjoyment of reading. As an added bonus, even though Lucas is wealthy, the family nonetheless lives in an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse part of Oklahoma City's Midtown.Although Aaron and Lucas' romance moves at a glacial pace, I was enthralled by the entire experience. As previously stated, it had a very realistic feel to it, with all of its highs and lows and everything in between. In the future, I intend to reread this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 30, 2022
Ms. Molina gives us a beautiful love story, actually several love stories featuring men and women, men and men, and most of all, children. This is a long book, and it is worth every word to get the depth of our characters over several years. There are people of every sexual orientation and many ethnicities. Mexican heritage is featured, as is the idea of "found" or created families. There are heartrending tragedies, insecurities and inferiority problems, and psychological cruelty and humiliation. These issues are addressed directly in the story, and the characters push each other to get professional help. The therapist is one of the best characters; even though we know nothing about her, she gets our men to face their issues. The main characters turn out to be Lucas and Aaron. How their friendship and love develop over time is beautiful. They support each other as friends through the tragic things that happen in their lives. They both grow so much throughout the book, which adds to the pleasure. I also liked that even though Lucas comes from money, they all live in a diverse middle-class neighborhood in Oklahoma City.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 23, 2023
3⭐️
For someone who couldn't decide on a book to read or find one that helm my attention I sure had a great couple of reading days. I cannot believe I read this mammoth of a book in a day. I have to admit though I did skim through quite a few parts and speed read others.
This was a good story. I liked the characters but this story was slightly similar to This will hurt by Cara Dee that I just read a couple of weeks ago what with neighbours/friends finding love with each other amidst family tragedy. I feel that my reading habit is like me seeing a blue car everywhere just because we have a blue car. I seem to read a lot of similar books at the same time. And that sometimes makes me not like a book as much as I would have if I had read it at another time. Also this book had its share of angst but none of it was to do with the love the MC's had for each other and there was almost overwhelming support for the two of them. It was like they lived in a world where they faced almost no homophobia (which is great but not the reality).
I liked the story overall. I had an issue with what happens in the 100 or so pages before the ending. It seemed a bit forced in but I quite liked the ending.
For someone who couldn't decide on a book to read or find one that helm my attention I sure had a great couple of reading days. I cannot believe I read this mammoth of a book in a day. I have to admit though I did skim through quite a few parts and speed read others.
This was a good story. I liked the characters but this story was slightly similar to This will hurt by Cara Dee that I just read a couple of weeks ago what with neighbours/friends finding love with each other amidst family tragedy. I feel that my reading habit is like me seeing a blue car everywhere just because we have a blue car. I seem to read a lot of similar books at the same time. And that sometimes makes me not like a book as much as I would have if I had read it at another time. Also this book had its share of angst but none of it was to do with the love the MC's had for each other and there was almost overwhelming support for the two of them. It was like they lived in a world where they faced almost no homophobia (which is great but not the reality).
I liked the story overall. I had an issue with what happens in the 100 or so pages before the ending. It seemed a bit forced in but I quite liked the ending.
January 19, 2022
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
This is the longest book I've read in a while. But it did not feel long while reading it. The pace of the story was great and the characters were so likable, they felt like a family, my family. I could not wait to find out what will happen next. It felt like I was catching up with my close relatives on the phone.
All of the characters felt like real people, people with both positive and negative qualities. I could not resent any of them because they acted like real people would, like I would. I could picture myself as any of these characters at some point so it would be hypocritical of me to hate/dislike them for being human.
The love story is definitely a slow burn but I loved every second of Aaron and Lucas' journey. As I already said, it felt so real with its ups and downs and all the moments in between. This is a book that I will definitely re-read again and again.
This is the longest book I've read in a while. But it did not feel long while reading it. The pace of the story was great and the characters were so likable, they felt like a family, my family. I could not wait to find out what will happen next. It felt like I was catching up with my close relatives on the phone.
All of the characters felt like real people, people with both positive and negative qualities. I could not resent any of them because they acted like real people would, like I would. I could picture myself as any of these characters at some point so it would be hypocritical of me to hate/dislike them for being human.
The love story is definitely a slow burn but I loved every second of Aaron and Lucas' journey. As I already said, it felt so real with its ups and downs and all the moments in between. This is a book that I will definitely re-read again and again.
January 18, 2022
So this book… this BOOK! Wow I don’t think there will be ever enough words for me to describe how much this book meant to me and how much I loved it! The Latin representation was one of the things that popped out to me and meant the world to me! The two main character Aaron and Lucas go through so much apart and separately that you can’t help but feel like you are also going on the journey, which makes the joyous moments that much more joyful and the heartbreaking moments that much more heartbreaking. There is character growth in this, there is heartbreak, there is anger towards characters, there is just a little bit of everything but it all makes sense. I was left with no questions by the end of this book and everything just truly came together. Isis did such a good job making this story come to life for me and I hope for all the other readers to come! ❤️
March 18, 2022
I absolutely adored this novel! The characterisations of the characters gripped me and pulled me in and the story kept me.
The emotional rollercoaster this created was Immense and I had to verbally vent about it several times when it had be so deeply gripped that I couldnt get past a particular heartache or shock without verbalising it first.
Karen's actions stunned me so much that I had to stop reading for a bit too process and yell cuz Holy Fuck!
But I loved the relationship between Lucas and Aaron, and the ups and downs and the absolute fucking Heart Break that had me Sobbing in my bed, because while I diets knew it was coming, I was Not Ready.
Anyway, i absolutely adored this and i can't wait until i can purchase the paperback version ❤❤❤
The emotional rollercoaster this created was Immense and I had to verbally vent about it several times when it had be so deeply gripped that I couldnt get past a particular heartache or shock without verbalising it first.
Karen's actions stunned me so much that I had to stop reading for a bit too process and yell cuz Holy Fuck!
But I loved the relationship between Lucas and Aaron, and the ups and downs and the absolute fucking Heart Break that had me Sobbing in my bed, because while I diets knew it was coming, I was Not Ready.
Anyway, i absolutely adored this and i can't wait until i can purchase the paperback version ❤❤❤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2022
Aaron and Lucas . . .
The length of the book certainly surprised me, but it was well done, captures the reader’s attention, and covers a lot of ground! We have neighbors Aaron Santos and Lucas Adams. Things are basically going well for each of them. Lucas is an author and enjoys meeting his new neighbors. He and Aaron become friends quickly and bond over the commonalities they find in their lives. When tragedy occurs, they turn to each other for comfort and find there is something more there than they had realized.
This story line was emotional and well-written. Although it seems really long (and is), it is worth the read. See where their journey takes them.
The length of the book certainly surprised me, but it was well done, captures the reader’s attention, and covers a lot of ground! We have neighbors Aaron Santos and Lucas Adams. Things are basically going well for each of them. Lucas is an author and enjoys meeting his new neighbors. He and Aaron become friends quickly and bond over the commonalities they find in their lives. When tragedy occurs, they turn to each other for comfort and find there is something more there than they had realized.
This story line was emotional and well-written. Although it seems really long (and is), it is worth the read. See where their journey takes them.
February 16, 2022
Uplifting 360 of life. Absolutely fantastic group of characters, main, supportive and found family. The author, created a feel good story that is true to live running the gamut of all the emotions. You are thrown through a tornado of emotions, lying, cheating, friendship, abandonment, death, hope, rejuvenation, faith, trust, despair, bravery, reconciliation, indifference, selfishness, sadness and hope, and you know things will work out, no matter what. We get to read about many combinations of relationships and delight in how the characters deal with them. Great story. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 1, 2022
very cute and emotional
This is a very cute and emotional story. I love their journey from how they met, their friendship and falling in love. The ups and downs and them always being there for each other.
Be aware, if you are an avid mm reader, this book might not be for you. It reads more like an mf ( lots of “blushes” and “let’s take things slow” after knowing each other for over a year).
But the meticulous way the story was written, makes it deserving of this 5 star. I can’t wait to read more (realistic) mm from this author.
This is a very cute and emotional story. I love their journey from how they met, their friendship and falling in love. The ups and downs and them always being there for each other.
Be aware, if you are an avid mm reader, this book might not be for you. It reads more like an mf ( lots of “blushes” and “let’s take things slow” after knowing each other for over a year).
But the meticulous way the story was written, makes it deserving of this 5 star. I can’t wait to read more (realistic) mm from this author.
February 18, 2022
This was my first time reading this author. They did a really good job with the story. I thought the characters were well crafted, thought out. I loved that Aaron and Lucas started as friend first. Overall, a really good read! Their story was really well written, the pacing flowed smoothly, highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 13, 2025
I have mixed feeling about this book. I love the main characters and their relationship but in many ways the timeline feels really compressed. A lot of issues are resolved very easily. It was nice that absolutely everything got tied up by the end but I somehow felt a bit cheated by that. It suddenly didn’t feel like real life any more. I know, I know, fiction isn’t real life. It just felt a bit too easy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2023
I’ve seen this book highly recommended in a FB group I’m in and was excited to read it. The overall storyline was good but it had a whole lot of extra stuff it didn’t need. The same story would have done great in half the amount pages. It got very boring and I ended up skimming through pages. It’s extremely slow burn and the “spicy scenes” are not spicy at all so that was a let down.
February 14, 2022
What an epic read. This book took me through the wringer and brought me to the height of emotions.
All the care and attention in creating this books and its characters bleeds through the pages.Just wow.
I received an arc through Booksprout and I am leaving a voluntary review.
All the care and attention in creating this books and its characters bleeds through the pages.Just wow.
I received an arc through Booksprout and I am leaving a voluntary review.
August 30, 2024
I got 21% through when I just couldn’t take it anymore. The character’s stories were boring and I bit one dimensional. Nothing really happened in this time. I was quite disappointed because I loved Cara Dee’s If We Could Go Back and these two books have similar plots. Sadly that’s where it ended.
June 26, 2025
If you like slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romances, then I'd highly recommend this read. It had rich character development and kept me engaged throughout the story.
May 28, 2022
I don't know where to start, this was one of my favourite reads of the year so far! This is a beautiful story of friendship, family, heartbreak, loss and love. I was amazed at how fast I went through the 850 pages of this story. It is a slow, slow burn, but incredibly worth it. This is another book I absolutely want to reread.
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