Out of Focus

Love in LA #3

by Cristina Santos

Can two people, brought together by chance and mutual need, overcome their differences and find a love that defies the odds?

Rafael and Charlie are two souls destined to collide. He is a vibrant Brazilian CEO with a deep seated desire to find love. She is a British redhead navigating life in finance while trying to prepare for a potentially monotonous relationship. The pair couldn't be more different. Or so they think.

Their meet-disaster cements them as frenemies, yet their intertwined circles force constant interactions, sparking tension and unspoken attraction.

When Charlie finds herself in LA grappling with her struggles with intimacy, she reluctantly turns to Rafael. In return, Rafael, desperate to complete a sentimental family project, seeks Charlie's meticulous assistance. As they work together, their barriers begin to crumble, finding themselves in unexpectedly intimate situations, their connection deepening with every shared moment.

Through heartfelt conversations and tender experiences, Charlie discovers that life with Rafael might hold the joy and fulfillment she never knew she was missing.

"Out of Focus" is a touching story of two individuals learning to embrace their differences, finding love and acceptance in the most unexpected places.

This is book 3 in the Love in LA Series and can be read as a standalone (though there will be spoilers for the first two books).

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Slow Burn, Found Family, Contemporary Romance, Forced Proximity, Friends To Lovers

456 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2024

About the author

Cristina Santos is a mom of two little boys who hopefully will never read her books. She is married to the man of her dreams and lives lakeside with all her wild boys (pup included) in Nova Scotia, Canada. She loves a good sunset and will forever and ever and ever believe in the power of playlists, 90’s romantic comedies and love stories.

Reviews

[Shanna Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

• 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 (𝟙𝟟 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞)
• 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
• 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘆/𝘀𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲
• 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀
• 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗽
• 𝗛𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 "𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻"
• 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗠𝗖 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵!
• 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗠𝗖

"𝑰𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔."

This book was BEAUTIFUL! Putting this review into words will not do this book justice! Cristina Santos did an amazing job on this book. She brought to light some VERY sensitive topics and it was done so beautifully. She wrote two very loveable characters that many will be able to connect with and understand their struggles with everyday life. I will be raving about this book for a very long time!

》🅰🅱🅾🆄🆃 🆃🅷🅴 🅲🅷🅰🆁🅰🅲🆃🅴🆁🆂:

Charlie's character was so perfectly written. I connected with her so much. Her neurospicy behaviors while navigating everyday life are definitely something I could relate to. My heart broke for her so many times watching her understand body language, jokes, and relationships. But as heartbreaking as it was Charlie understood herself. She knew exactly what she needed when she felt out of control or overwhelmed. I just loved her so much!

“𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏."

Rafael!!! This MAN! He had the most beautiful soul! And it was so easy to see why his friends and family loved him as much as they did. And when Charlie started finally seeing the man everyone else saw I melted for this man. He was determined for her to see him as a safe place/person! And boy did he succeed. This man even researched autism after finding out that she was on the spectrum so that he could understand it better!

"𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒇*𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔."

I loved watching their relationship grow from misunderstood enemies to friends to lovers! I was hooked from the very first encounter.

"𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒛𝒛𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑨 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝑰 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”

This was my first Cristina Santos book! And it absolutely won't be my last!

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ This is the first book I read from Cristina Santos, but it will definitely, definitely not be the last!

I feel like I need to clarify something before starting this review. My ultimate favourite books always have a few things in common:

- It's written by a woman ☑️
- It has sensitivity and respect at the core of its values ☑️
- It displays some beautiful examples of diversity, and endeavours to step away from biases like sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and/or any other attack on our lovely Alphabet Mafia (aka the LGBTQIAP+ community), etc. ☑️
- It is a romance (or has a leading romantic aspect) ☑️
- It's adult / explicit and has some spice to it ☑️

As you can see, this book checks every single one of my boxes, so really, I knew within the first hundred pages that this was probably going to be a 4+ star read. It reminded me so much of Chloe Liese's (one of my top 5 authors of all time!) books. What I didn't know was that I would finish this book having fallen head over heels for these characters, that their struggles and quiet moments would bring me sorrow and peace in equal measure, and that I would have this absolutely massive book hangover!! I might have to reread this book again within the span of a week (which I haven't done since I was a teen and discovered the Twilight books lol) because I miss these two so much already! Charlie and Rafael are incredible characters, beautiful inside and out and so perfect for each other... every detail about themselves makes this story so much sweeter.

I feel like this is a series -and an author- that I cannot let pass me by. I am so very glad I applied for this eARC because, even if I always give my honest and unbiased opinion on every book I read, sometimes it's hard to finish ARCs when I'm not really feeling them - and I often struggle to DNF them. This book, however, sucked me right in and I haven't been able to stop reading since. Seriously, this is one of those books that make me frustrated I have a life and responsibilities to attend to that require me to put down my Kindle for even 5 minutes lol.

I will find a way to read every single book in this series, and I cannot wait for Arthur's book and the Machado Brothers Series!!

🌶🌶🌶 - This book is the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. It is explicit/open door, but it's a semi slowburn, and does a wonderful job at that. Consent is my #1 k¡nk and this one de-li-vered! Rafa really is THE book boyfriend!

*Thank you so much Net Galley for the eARC!

[Cristina Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you ready for our golden retriever, Rafael and his secretly soft black cat, Charlie?

[bgroww · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shiiiit. I loved this so much. LOVVVVED it.
This is one of the best representations of neurodivergent characters I’ve read. Charlie is soooo real. And Rafael is the ultimate book boyfriend.

Five stars. Easy. SOO fucking good.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review. And I also wanna thank the author for this copy of the book:

This was a big one and very emotional. I knew the length but I wasn't expecting feeling as much as I did.
Rafael is a dream man, a book boyfriend, that man is perfection. He's so perfect that there's no doubt he's fictional, unfortunely.
I loved him. He was so obsessed with Charlie. He did everything for her, no matter what it was, he was there. That man was in love and his actions and words more than showed it.
I just loved the way he loved her. Wholeheartedly and completely, without reservations. I want a Rafael Machado.
Charlie was used to her routines and her order but Rafael but her adjust a little. For him. He never demanded she'd be any other person than herself. It took sometime but she saw it. And it was her love for him that finally made her strong enough to go after what she wanted.
I loved them together and I'm obsessed with their love

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Thank you to luna literary for the arc

[Andie | justgirliesmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cristina’s best work yet!

OOF solidifies Cristina as the Slow Burn master. Never have I enjoyed every second and yearned for more at the same time. I fear that all other slow burns will be unsatisfactory.

Raf is the biggest golden retriever. Every girl deserves a man like him. The one who will switch sandwiches with you even if he’s allergic to yours. Raf is the epitome of devotion.

Charlie is a girlie pop just trying to figure life out. She dreams of life with the utmost romance and desire, but is unsure if she will ever find it. On the brink of settling and questioning all of her life’s choices, she is an incredibly relatable and lovable FMC. I could go on about her for hours!

I miss this book already. As I told Cristina, I would read encyclopedias on their relationship. I miss them already and want to re-read asap!

Tropes:
- Frenemies to Lovers
- Intimacy Lessons
- Idiots in Love (let’s bring this back!)
- Slow Burn
- He falls first & harder
- Foreign Nicknames
- Autism & ADHD Rep

Thank you to Cristina Santos and NetGalley for supplying me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Apoorva Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a beautiful representation of love so pure that makes you sob and also makes you realise that you don’t need to do grand gestures to show that someone means a lot to you.

Rafael is such a thoughtful sweet and mushy human who was misunderstood by Charlie because of their first meet but when they both take a step after 3 years to start afresh as Charlie is in LA after leaving London and her Finance Job and a Open Relationship Boyfriend their.

Charlie is also an author but that secret is something no one knows, though everyone knows she write as a coping mechanism for her Autism and ADHD.

When Charlie asks Rafael’s to help her in inspiration for her character, he is more than ready but how it shifts from him finding dates for her to him being one is a gorgeous journey readers get to witness.

I absolutely adored this book and all the small things he did for Charlie. I also liked how Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia was represented and how the characters found a way to live a happy life.

I believe Rafael is the softest of the three and I loved how smitten he was.

The entire scene where he was doped up with medicines and him saying all the sweet things was the best moment.

Not to forget the spice because oh my god it was hott in there.

This is another book by Cristina that I will recommend to everyone <3

[Meg &#x1f940; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in devastatingly heartwarming love with this story. From start to finish, I was completely enamoured with the storyline, the characters, the romance, the culture, the representation… everything!! Nothing was out of place and every aspect of the story had a flawless flow to it. The authors writing style was phenomenal and easy to keep up with, which is always a plus for me as a reader who is very specific with writing styles.

The neurodivergent representation was spot on. ADHD and Autism can be hard to represent in books without the deeper aspects of it being overshadowed but, in my opinion, this author incorporated the realistic struggles with ADHD and Autism while highlighting how relationships can still be beautiful and successful.

The main characters were incredible. Charlie and Rafael are the perfect pair, each bringing a beautifully unique aspect to the relationship. I love how immersed in each other’s lives they are and how seamlessly they slotted into a relationship with one another. The side characters were super intriguing too and I’ll definitely be going straight to their books, which have already been published 🤩🤩

There was some downright filthy spice in this!! Not overly kinky but completely free from abandon and very passionate. Definitely enjoyed seeing how both characters’ personalities reflected in the bedroom and I was actually quite surprised by the dynamics ;)

Highly recommend!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
���️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐|4🌶|2🥵

This book is so good.
Raf is the perfect book boyfriend 😍
He is so tough, but he is also so sensitive. He is a guy who can show his feelings, including crying 🩷 Yes, men are allowed do cry! And it shows how strong they are when they do it. He is a family guy. He loves his granny. And also his siblings and his niece. He also loves his friends like they are family.

Charlie is Maeve's (book 2) twin sister and Raf was Maeve's bodyguard and is also friends with Owen (book 2) and Adam (book 1). He is part of this found family. When they met, 3 years ago, Charlie instantly hated him, because of a mistake (so much I tell you), but she doesn't know it. And yes, he is a little Brazillian Casanova 😎

I loved how they interacted with each other. Even while she still hated him 😁
And OMG, this first date... I'm talking about Charlie and Raf's first date, not the date she has with someone else, that was crap. But holy crap, this first date... OK, I'm honest, the first part isn't for me, but I know you all would ABSOLUTELY love this part. I loved the second part, the restaurant. I love food, but I love "normal" food. I don't like all these fancy restaurants with all the fancy food. I'm very picky so... But this fancy restaurant has NORMAL food! 🤩 So, please give me the address of this restaurant, so I can make a reservation should I ever be in LA. Yes, Yes, I know, unfortunately, it's just fictional 😭

There is this meet cute between Raf's niece Cece and Charlie. Cece is also on the autism spectrum.

But not everything is cute. There is the thing with Robert. Charlie's "boyfriend" in London. One of the reasons why she is taking a time-out in LA. And also one of the reasons why she needs "lessons"... 😎

I loved seeing both couples from the previous books all the time. Incl the babies 🩷

I'm now waiting for the next book/series. All the Machado siblings 🤩


Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...

[‎⋰˚☆ alo ₊˚✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

esto me dio la mega mala cb JAJAJAJAJAJAJA el relationship entre estos dos is what dreams r made of <3 al principio she made up una imagen de el que honestamente i thought que era valida porque el tipo was way too cocky and annoying con ella pero he was hiding everything about himself cb 😭 y en una llegan a un truce pa ser friends y el lo
suelta todo and god bless him ambos estaban tan nerviosos y no sabian que hacer con tantos feelings porque they’ve never fallen in love azi and been honest with people que no son familia so this was very very nice to me 🥹 el tiene dyslexia/adhd y ella autismo/adhd y la manera en que se apoyaban y querian was so refreshing!!!!!! maybe love is real <3 lo unico que me no me gusto es que this was waaaay to long y entonces rafael termino sufriendo demasiado con los mixed que ella estaba dando y env llego a ser el y yo me mato Y YA pero el se mantuvo open y dijo voy a dejar mi todo and just hope for the best


“May I touch you?” I swear I feel my panties disintegrate.

EXACTO!

[Musicblasterkid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Christina Santos book and I want to apologize for not reading her work sooner. I was not familiar with her game lol and I will spend the rest of my life ensuring that I read and recommend her books.

Rafael is one of the best book boyfriends that I've read this year. He was absolutely perfect and the perfect match for Charlie. He provided her the assurance that she needed in him and his love for her. He was so thoughtful, always putting her needs first, making sure that she was taken care of, and making his actions and love for her clear. I mean their first date showed just the extreme level of care this man has for her. MAJOR SWOON

Although it did take Charlie a while to adjust to him and be more comfortable with him, when they both fell in love it was *chef's kiss*. I loved them together and want to read more stories like this.

[Melly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been so amazing! Lost love found will always have a special place in my heart! Out of focus was such a beautiful book! Cristina never disappoints and her writing is beautiful. You could tell she takes time and does her research.

Raf and Charlie are absolutely everything! I love these two so much they are such lovable characters and I know so many people will relate to them. Raf is the ultimate book boyfriend! Their banter was so good. This was a slow burn but a great slow burn I loved all the nicknames Raf had for Charlie. They were so cute. The friend group is just great and so special I loved all their interactions.

I could go on and on, but I don’t wanna give away too much, but please go read this book in fact read the entire series!!

Tropes:
💛Frenemies to lovers
💛Secret relationship
💛Dating/spice lessons
💛Autism/ADHD rep
💛Brazilian MMC
💛Banter
💛He falls first
💛Slow burn

[booksarebetterjess · Rating 5 out of 5]

OUT OF FOCUS
✨✨✨✨✨✨
4.5 stars, slow burn spice

there is a new book bf competitor entering the romance arena and his name is rafael guilherme machado. 🥵 nothing but green flags and a filthy mouth.

i absolutely adored out of focus - it starts out with a great enemies to lovers vibe and moves so sweetly into 'teach me' how to be in a relationship. its hot, swoony, full of heart, family/found family.

charlie leaves London and comes to LA to visit her sister and get some distance from her situationship with robert. she quickly bumps into (literally) her frenemy, brazilian god, rafael. what starts out as dislike, soon turns to friendship and then more.

this story was beautiful.

[Briar Reeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

『Writing:』5/5
『Spice:』4.5/5
『Tension:』5/5
『Sad:』2/5
『Funny:』5/5
『Overall:』5/5

'*•.¸♡ read this if you like ♡¸.•*'

❥ sloooow burns
❥AuDHD rep
❥ he falls first

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : This is How You Fall in Love - Jeremy Zucker + Chelsea Cutler

｡･ﾟﾟ･Quick Plot･ﾟﾟ･｡
Robert is finally ready to marry Charlie - but not because he loves her. It’s because she holds the key to taking over his dad’s business. When she goes to LA to be with her sister while she gives birth, she allows herself time to realize what a dirtbag Robert is. When she runs into Rafael (literally), her sisters bodyguard and one of her sisters best friends, she’s on edge again. Raf always gets under her skin, and she’s not expecting anything to be different about this trip… but it is.

*+:｡.｡　Characters　｡.｡:+*
Charlie - beautiful rep of AuDHD. I felt very seen and it wasn’t offensive or over the top. I loved that.
Rafael- swoon. Swoonswoonswoon. SUCH a great example of the perfect cinnamon roll guy without being a pushover.


❣ Quotes❣
“You want to know what a relationship is like? This is how it should be. With your man desperate to taste you.”

“Yes. Yeah. I’ll stay still. I’ll be good.”

“Is that so? You going to lasso the moon and make it so the sun doesn’t rise?”

'*•.¸♡ things I liked ♡¸.•*'
I loved the AuDHD rep. I know I keep mentioning it, but it’s beautiful and I love that a lot of Charlie’s reactions etc are how I’d act. I love the found family aspect. I love how Raf’s family is.

→ things I didn't like ←
That I can’t keep reading about their lives forever. Some books just stick with me like that. I get so sucked in, I want to follow the characters forever and watch their lives play out. This is absolutely one of those books.

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶Summary︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

I loved this book so much. I recently went through the worst thing to happen in my life and couldn’t even think about picking up a book & this is the first one I read since it happened.
Charlie and Raf will now always be the characters that helped comfort me, and I’ll remember that forever.

I HIGHLY recommend this book.

[Mallory Moureau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Cristina Santos for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up.

Out of Focus is book #3 in a series but can be read as a standalone (which I did).

This book is centered around Charlie (Charolette) and Rafael. A few years ago, they met in an awkward way and have butted heads since.

Charlie needs to get away from her life in England to figure out what she really wants for herself and heads to LA to be closer to her twin sister and best friend. Naturally, she runs right into Rafael (literally).

Charlie needs help learning more about relationships and romance for a book she’s writing and asks Rafael for help. Cue the best “fake” date ever and all the swooning over that book store move.

This book was really great. The start of it was a little slow with the history of their early interactions feeling a little redundant but that information ended up coming back up later so it was worth it.

The book had a large neurodivergent representation- autistic, ADHD and dyslexic - which I think was handled really well. Both Rafael and Charlie were so thoughtful on how they handled learning about it and adapting moving forward.

The friend group was really special and I know if I read the first 2 books I would have loved them even more. Rafael’s family was really fun.

Some of favorite things in this book are the nicknames and Charlie having no filter (Rafael’s reaction to it)

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing and my absolute favorite of the series. I loved every single thing about it! First of all, the cover is simply gorgeous. I have read the first two books in the series and loved them, and I was so excited to read about Rafael and Charlie. I think one of my favorite things about this book is the representation. Both Rafael and Charlie have ADHD, Rafael is dyslexic, and Charlie is autistic. I love when books fetaure neurodivergent characters and the author handled this so well. I feel like Charlie was quite accurately portrayed, and her strengths and weaknesses with autism were handled with the utmost care. Rafael and Charlie know each other because of their mutual friends, but they have always shared a dislike for each other. However, Charlie enlists Rafael's help with her romance novel writing, and Rafael in exchange asks for Charlie's help with a family project. What began as a reluctant deal to help each other, becomes an actual attraction and eventually love. Rafael was such a sweetheart and literally the perfect man, despite Charlie thinking differently of him from the beginning. To be considered is to be loved, and Rafael embodies this statement. At first glance, it seems like these two would not get along at all and couldn't be any different but it turns out they have more in common than they think. I loved their journey, because they began as enemies, then friends, then more, and it was just so beautiful from start to finish. I seriously did not want it to end! Cristina Santos is such a wonderful writer, and I really felt so connected to the characters and so immersed in the story. I loved getting to see and hear about the characters from the previous books; it was like coming home to family. This book is just so special to me and I know I will be thinking about it forever!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cristina Santos for the eARC of this book!

[mei_li_terature · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~ ARC REVIEW ~~ 4.25 ⭐️

This book was such a nice surprise. I’m not gonna lie I was a bit afraid of how the ADHD/autism rep will be written. But, the neurospicy rep in Out of Focus was so SPOT ON.
It brought us a ton of cute interactions between the two MCs, and I did have tears in my eyes a few times.

Raf is the perfect book boyfriend, sweet, attentive to her every need… I could go on and on about it but we would be here for a while. I’m weak when MCs use foreign nicknames and this time was no exception, I was waiting for the next nickname he would find for Charlie.
Now, he definitely fell first and HARDER, and I was here for it.

Charlie is our sweet AUDHD-er, and is in consequence really honest and has absolutely no filter, which I found refreshing. This also made their interactions way more real and I LOVED IT.

This book is on the slower end of the slow burn spectrum but it was perfect for Raf and Charlie. I loved their dynamic throughout the whole book and particularly liked their « teaching » spicy scenes. The « romance coach » role wasn’t overdone and was overall really cute.

I also loved the found family aspect and hope we will see more of the Machado brothers in the future.
Out of focus was my first Cristina Santos book and even though its the third book in the Love in LA series, I will definitely pick up the first two in the near future.

Thank you Cristina for providing me with an e-arc of this book to review.

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ Clearing my ARC Backlog ~

⋆｡°✩ Spoiler Free Reviews ⋆｡°✩

I was kindly provided with this book (censorship is BS and I hate it but here we are!)

I am unequivocally in love with this book. 100% enamoured.
Tropes for this one; enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy X sunshine, past & present timeline, VERY GOOD neurodivergent rep, intimacy lessons, golden retriever MMC X black cat FMC.
Smut was 2/5 on the spice scale and it’s a HEA.

Charlie is our FMC and when I tell you.. I have never related harder to a character. She is me, I am her, and the representation HIT SO WELL. Her autism and ADHD felt so real, so indicative of real life.. I felt cheated that she isn’t real because I want her to be my bestie!

Rafael was our MMC and I’m on my knees for this man. There is nothing hotter than a neurodivergent man doing his best, obsessed with consent, doing right by the FMC and he gives her nicknames?? On the floor, in a puddle, obsessed.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of Focus" by Cristina Santos is the final installment in the Love in LA series, concluding the stories of Charlotte Howard and Rafael Machado.

Charlie and Raf crossed paths years ago, and their initial meeting didn’t go well, leading to a strained relationship despite their shared social circle. Now, Charlie has returned to LA from London to reassess her life and future. Struggling with intimacy, she reluctantly asks Rafael to be her tutor in a practice relationship that unexpectedly turns genuine and significant. But what will happen when she goes back to London?

This series is sure to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. It features meaningful and realistic themes, endearing cinnamon roll heroes, strong and determined heroines, and an exceptional found family trope.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of Focus is a sweet and swoony romance and it’s the third in the Love in LA Series by Cristina Santos.
This series was an unexpected surprise for me this year and having the honour to read this ARC was truly a gift.

Reading these books was like a warm hug to me. The characters Cristina writes are so relatable and I absolutely adored them all.
I was already fond of Rafael and Charlie from the previous books, but in this one they completely stole my heart.

Charlie is smart and funny and Rafa is the perfect book boyfriend. They both have ADHD, Rafa is dyslexic and Charlie is autistic, and the neurodivergent representation was very accurate. It made me love this story more, because I could feel their struggles, weaknesses and strengths individually and as a couple.

Their relationship was beautifully portrayed. I loved their friendship, their sincerity and honesty with each other, how they supported one another and how they realised they loved each other.

I know I’m repeating myself here but I just loved everything about this book. The playlist, the chapter titles, the nicknames, their relationship, the neurodivergent representation and the Brazilian culture (YAY 🇧🇷).

The scenes with Rafa’s vó were touching. They reminded me of my grandmas. One of them is still alive, but she can’t cook anymore. Her pão de queijo was the best. Actually everything she cooked and baked was delicious. And the other one… I miss her bolo de fubá, her food and her hugs. Saudades, vó Zilda 🫶🏻

Cristina is a wonderful writer and this book is my favourite of the series. It’s a heartwarming and steamy story that made me giggle and kick my feet!
I’m very excited for it to be released into the world! And I can’t wait for the Machado family books!
(Cristina, eu preciso de uma cena 🔥 com brigadeiro, bjs).

What you’ll find:
💛 Frenemies to Lovers
🧋 Secret Relationship
💛 Dating/Spice Lessons
🧋 Autism & ADHD Rep
💛 Brazilian MMC
🧋 So many nicknames
💛 Caretaking
🧋 Banter
💛 He falls first (and way harder)
🧋 She reads to him


*I received a complimentary copy of this book and no positive review was required. All opinions are my own.

[Natalie (Novels__&__Needles) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC.

💛 Frenemies to lovers
💛 Autism & ADHD representation
💛 Spice lessons
💛 He falls first, and hard
💛 Found family
💛 A grumpy cat

Well this was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The characters were really well thought out and had a great dynamic on the page, both together and apart. Their love for each other was beautiful.

The neurodivergent aspect of both Rafael and Charlie was very well portrayed and I thank Cristina for the time taken to research all of the differences covered in this book, it’s nice to see more representation in characters we grow to love.

[Katelyn Kongable · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight. I will say that it started a little slow for me in the beginning when they were "enemies" but when they communicated about both of their Neuro diversity that is really when the story starting to shine. The author did an excellent job with the autism and ADHD representation. We also got a little bit of dyslexia and allergy representation as well. Rafael is the absolute perfect book boyfriend. The FMC is a romance writer and they have a checklist of items they need to do so she can get inspiration for her books and he nails everyone. A definite must read!

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

The is the third book in the series and can be read as a stand alone- I received this book as an ARC and that’s how I read it. I absolutely loved it!

I have never read a book with a miscommunication trope that I enjoyed yet here we are. Raf and Charlie had the best banter with the enemies to friends to lovers trope.

While I didn’t know the back story for the other characters since I read this one first- I WILL be reading the previous ones because I can’t get enough of her writing

[Melissa Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for an ARC of this!

UHM hello new obsession. Rafael was absolute perfection and the way he cared for Charlie and gave her the space she needed to get to where he was, was amazing! I need to go back and read book 1 from the series, but I will definitely be picking up anything Cristina Santos writes.

[Meli · Rating 5 out of 5]

No because tell me why I cried multiple times during this book 😭 This was so well written and I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of myself reflected in both the MCs. I love them so so so much and I wish there was a whole series on just their domesticity bcs they're everything.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Natalia Forciniti · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️: 9/10 🌶️: 3/5 😭: 1/5 🤣: 2/5

Tropes:
🧡 Frenemies to lovers
💙 Found family
🧡 Secret relationship
💙 He falls first
🧡 Slow burn
💙 Tutoring

“The truth is, I want Charlie consumed by nothing but me. I do. I want to watch her let go, and I want to be the reason she can.”

(ESP) Tercer libro y final para esta serie bellísima! La historia de Charlie y Rafael es preciosa.
Luego de un comienzo de relación complicado deciden, por el bien del grupo de amigos, intentar mejorar la misma y vaya si lo logran!!! La realidad es que son perfectos el uno para el otro. El nivel de entendimiento que tienen entre ellos es increíble y fue muy bello leerlos. Debo decir que los personajes masculinos de Cristina se superan libro a libro y eso que la vara estaba muy alta. Imposible no enamorarse de Rafael desde las primeras páginas. Debe ser uno de los personajes más dulces que he leído y a la vez es un fuego que más se puede pedir.
Y las chicas… necesito estar en su grupo de amigas porque son increíbles juntas.
Mención especial para Ana María que es todo lo que está bien y creo que a todos nos hará recordar un poco a nuestras abuelas. La amé y espero seguir leyendo de ella!
No les voy a mentir, los libros de esta autora no son cortos pero tiene la capacidad de transmitir tan bien las emociones que realmente vivimos junto a los personajes su historia y nos termina resultando breve y con ganas de leer un poco más de ellos. Habiendo acompañado su carrera soy testigo de cómo ha crecido y no dudaré nunca en recomendarla.
Un cierre de serie precioso!! Y ahora a esperar los libros del resto de los Machado.

(ENG) The third book and the end of this lovely series! The story of Charlie and Rafael is a beautiful one.
After a rocky start, they decide to try to improve their relationship for the good of the group of friends, and they succeed! They're absolutely perfect for each other. It's so lovely to read about how much they understand each other.
I have to say that Cristina's male characters are getting better with each book. It was impossible not to fall in love with Rafael from the very first pages. He's one of the sweetest characters I've ever read, and at the same time he's a firecracker. What more could you ask for?
And the girls! I'd love to be in their group of friends because they're amazing together.
I loved meeting Ana Maria, who is just the loveliest person. She reminds me a bit of my grandmother. I loved her and look forward to reading more from her!
I have to be honest, these books aren't short, but the author has a real talent for evoking emotions. We really feel like we're living the story with the characters, and before we know it, we're done and want to read more. I've followed her career and seen her grow, and I'd recommend her books without hesitation.
What a beautiful ending to the series! I'm so excited to see what the Machado family has in store for us next.

💚 I'm so thankful to the author for sending me the eARC!

[Melanie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sept 19, 2024

Have I gushed enough yet about this book- OUT OF FOCUS by @cristinasantosauthor yet? I could obsessed over it all day every day. Raf and Charlie are my favourite couple of hers AND RAF takes the top spot of favourite book boyfriend 😍🥹 Cristina’s Love in La series is probably my most favourite series I’ve read this year ❤️

I don’t think I will have the space I need to gush even more about this book, nor do I have the right words to say just how much I love this book. So just believe me when I say I LOVE this book A WHOLE LOT.

There are so many swoon worthy moments in this book. To name a few that are my favourite: the door lean that Raf does, the spin, their first date in which they go to a bookstore and he buys two copies of all the book she picked up but then put back so that she can read them to him and he has a copy (!!!!!!), alllllll the nicknames he has for Charlie, how he is the only one who really gets Charlie and her autism/adhd, his cat that he most definitely does not name after Charlie. I could go on and on (notice how these are all things raf does?!) but Charlie reads to Raf (!!!!), takes care of him, and surprises him all the time with the most simplistic of things. I also loved all the cooking moments with Raf’s family with Charlie 🥹 I also just love Raf’s family in general ❤️

I think Cristina did a great job with the care she put into with the autism/adhd rep, as well as Raf’s struggle with reading. And with integrating Brazilian culture into this book, I was hungry for all the recipes Charlie and Raf made together! I also loved loved loved seeing cameos from Adam, Elaina, Owen and Maven!!! Their supportive friendship bond is seriously top tier ❤️

I was messaging Cristina constantly while reading this book, and I had the best time! One of my more consistent comments I made while reading was “poor Raf” multiple times cause Charlie really makes Raf work for it!!! Without even realizing it. But Raf is SO DOWN BAD for Charlie and I love it (and him) so so much. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🥹🥹

Go read this book now!!



Aug 19, 2024
This book was everything I wanted hey so much more. My most anticipated book of the series, and will be one of my top favs of the year. I love Charlie and RAF and the love they find within each other. Also, I am claiming Rafael as mine!!! He is my favourite!!!

[Rania yousife · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came across this book when i was scrolling Instagram and saw hoe beautiful the cover was.
I saw the trope/representation of the book and was like , yesss!!!


When I was reading it , I had some points ( well , I think I have been having those for a while now .)

At first , I hate the FMC.
then when they started being friends, I was like , huh , okay it's getting better.

Things I didnt like that much about the book :-

-The writing style , or was it the execution of the book ? There was something off. I wasn't sure what thought. The language was easy , but I was struggling with whatever was going in the book.
-The book was too long . Like , please I just wanted it to end. I think they could have ended the book at chapter 55 ( not sure if it the one. What I mean , the last chapters were not necessary , Just them confessing to each other was enough and they could have jumped to the epilogue ( or maybe not , no need for epilogue.)
- Raffael might be toooo kind and good?
well , this might get hate from people. I know we love a sweet man who is so down for the FMC , hell , I would want a man who is obsessed about me and consider me the reason of his existence. but Raf was too much , or maybe the presentation of his character wasn't it.
Why was he doing the effort ? yes yes I know , we are in a time were they say the man should do 100% of the effort or something like that , but , it felt like he was doing 200% . Again, love it . But , at the same time , some of his action was too much. And it might be understood that people who partner up with ones who have autism are going to be doing lots of efforts for the later. ( Again , I don't mean it in a bad way , but Raf's actions made me feel that he was doing a lot and it was exhausting. )




Things I liked about the book :

-Raf's family . they are loving and caring of Raf.
-the Coffee man , I want to try his drinks.
-Raf , coz he was so caring ( even though he I said it was too much )
-the scene where she told him be a good boy and he said he will be a good boy . ( ughhhhh .. my new obsession .)

[M.A.P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie & Raf have taken up permenant residence in my brain. It's fine, I renovated and welcomed them with a full spread and a bottle of bubbly.

The burn is slow but not a minute of it was wasted. It's all purposeful and tension filled and DELICIOUS! I LOVED how Cristina built Raf & Charlie’s relationship, not just as lovers but as friends. It was poignant, beautiful and fun.

I’m also obsessed with how she handled all the little details of what makes them unique without it ever feeling forced or "quirky". The ADHD rep was spot on and nuanced and Charlie’s autism was handled with respect and care. The way Cristina acknowledged her sensitivity readers alone was an indication of the care she took in crafting every single facet of who these characters were. They felt real which made every step of their journey all the more impactful.

I am also so grateful to her for not having a big "breakup" scene. It was super refreshing, especially after the slow burn nature of the book.

The call backs and the appearances by Elaina, Adam, Owen and Maeve were fantastic and Raf's family, omg I cannot wait for more with them. They are exactly who I want to read about. I'm going to have to do some more renovations though because I have a feeling I'll be inviting them into stay as well.

I loved it, I loved every single part of Out of Focus. (Except Robert, what an absolute knobhead.)