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All at Once
A steamy and sparkling coming-of-age rom-com from debut author Katherina B.
A woman in her mid-twenties with ZERO romantic experience embarks on a summer vacation to Spain to have a chance with her college crush only to be “stuck” with his annoyingly charming (and maybe devastatingly hot) best friend.
One summer in Spain could change everything...
Jasmine Baker has craved one thing her entire life: to fall in love. Sadly, this dream has felt entirely unattainable since she hasn’t even had her first kiss despite being *gasps* 25.
But this year looks more promising when she runs into her college crush Enrique Alonso who invites her to stay at his family’s resort in Marbella, Spain. With a sudden push to experience more firsts in her life and a chance at romance, she surely must be dreaming.
Until this dream abruptly turns into a nightmare when she meets his best friend Luca Rivera who doesn’t know how to stop pushing her buttons. But just like Jasmine’s complicated upbringing, there might be more layers to this vacation than even a professional overthinker like her could’ve imagined.
In a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and navigating love at a later timeline than expected, Luca might be her biggest surprise yet. Or a conflict that has Jasmine questioning what’s really fate after all these years...
A woman in her mid-twenties with ZERO romantic experience embarks on a summer vacation to Spain to have a chance with her college crush only to be “stuck” with his annoyingly charming (and maybe devastatingly hot) best friend.
One summer in Spain could change everything...
Jasmine Baker has craved one thing her entire life: to fall in love. Sadly, this dream has felt entirely unattainable since she hasn’t even had her first kiss despite being *gasps* 25.
But this year looks more promising when she runs into her college crush Enrique Alonso who invites her to stay at his family’s resort in Marbella, Spain. With a sudden push to experience more firsts in her life and a chance at romance, she surely must be dreaming.
Until this dream abruptly turns into a nightmare when she meets his best friend Luca Rivera who doesn’t know how to stop pushing her buttons. But just like Jasmine’s complicated upbringing, there might be more layers to this vacation than even a professional overthinker like her could’ve imagined.
In a coming-of-age story about self-discovery and navigating love at a later timeline than expected, Luca might be her biggest surprise yet. Or a conflict that has Jasmine questioning what’s really fate after all these years...
498 pages, Paperback
First published January 14, 2025
1210 people are currently reading
12956 people want to read
About the author
Katherina B.
3 books65 followersKatherina B. writes new adult romance fiction that finds the perfect balance between steamy and heartfelt, feels nostalgic, and most of all surprises you in some way.
Instagram and TikTok: @authorkatherinab
Instagram and TikTok: @authorkatherinab
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 349 reviews
gave-up-on
February 17, 2025DNF @ 24%. The premise of this book was amazing. It's about a 25 year old heroine who FINALLY gets to experience all of her "firsts". The dedication page took my breath away.
Sadly, this is a love triangle, and I didn't sign up for that lol. I lost interest when the heroine kissed one boy, vented about it to the other, and can't pick between the two.
Sadly, this is a love triangle, and I didn't sign up for that lol. I lost interest when the heroine kissed one boy, vented about it to the other, and can't pick between the two.
June 9, 2025
You want to get revenge on your worst enemy? Give them this book to read. It was straight torture for me. It was pages upon pages upon pages upon pages of conversations that said a whole lot of nothing and would repeat every couple of chapters. I read the exact same thing like 5 different times. All about her being SCARED, like I get it, she’s scared because she has no romantic experience but the amount of times she brings it up was so annoying. The amount of Taylor swift references was extremely unnecessary and felt forced. Their “banter” was just petty arguments that immature children have. The book could’ve been cut in half (which would’ve been fantastic) if the characters learned to have to proper adult conversation. This girl literally ran away from her problems so many times, like please have your tantrums in your room where no one can see you. Also, the Enrique plot was so horribly written and felt like the author forgot about it. Absolute waste of time.
February 12, 2025
I usually don’t write reviews, but for this book I’ll happily make an exception. First of all if you are a swiftie, add this to your tbr asap! I loved how every chapter started with a Taylor song.
The author described how she was advised not to write a book about a 25-year old with no experience, but still went through with it. This book gave me comfort and I’m sure many people will feel seen after reading this story. I could really sense how she wanted to write for everyone who feels like a ‘late bloomer’.
The book is a bit slow paced but I didn’t mind it at all since the communication between the characters is very well done. This story also discusses topics like childhood trauma and doing things at your own pace. I’m not really a fan of love triangles but it didn’t bother me in this story. This book had so many cute and romantic chapters and the love interest is an absolute sweetheart. I’m excited about new releases from Katherina B. in the future!
The author described how she was advised not to write a book about a 25-year old with no experience, but still went through with it. This book gave me comfort and I’m sure many people will feel seen after reading this story. I could really sense how she wanted to write for everyone who feels like a ‘late bloomer’.
The book is a bit slow paced but I didn’t mind it at all since the communication between the characters is very well done. This story also discusses topics like childhood trauma and doing things at your own pace. I’m not really a fan of love triangles but it didn’t bother me in this story. This book had so many cute and romantic chapters and the love interest is an absolute sweetheart. I’m excited about new releases from Katherina B. in the future!
May 19, 2025
My mom didn’t raise a quitter but I wish she did because I didn’t want to finish this book
January 23, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
For a debut novel, i thought it was so good! I adoreeeeee Luca. He's literally everything. 😭 the banter between him and Jasmine was a literal chefs kiss 💋. I get that it was a love triangle, but I do wish that Enrique played a bigger part. I felt absolutely nothing from him. I also do feel like the book was just a little slightly long. But other than that, I loved it! 🫶 and I can't wait to see what else this author will write. 😊
For a debut novel, i thought it was so good! I adoreeeeee Luca. He's literally everything. 😭 the banter between him and Jasmine was a literal chefs kiss 💋. I get that it was a love triangle, but I do wish that Enrique played a bigger part. I felt absolutely nothing from him. I also do feel like the book was just a little slightly long. But other than that, I loved it! 🫶 and I can't wait to see what else this author will write. 😊
March 8, 2025
This was unnecessary long. Also, lets not make Tayler Swift songs your whole personality... please...
May 4, 2025
She was cute but few things left me feeling meh…
1) the Taylor Swift bits were far overdone (even for me)
2) I could never tell if this was aiming on more YA or new adult romance
3) some weird breaking of the fourth wall
4) why was this damn near 500 pages 😅
1) the Taylor Swift bits were far overdone (even for me)
2) I could never tell if this was aiming on more YA or new adult romance
3) some weird breaking of the fourth wall
4) why was this damn near 500 pages 😅
January 15, 2025
"All At Once" by Katherina B. is a refreshing coming-of-age romance that bridges the gap between YA and adult fiction—perfect for anyone navigating life in their twenties.
The book strikes a great balance between heartfelt moments, witty banter, and summer romance vibes. It also touches on the challenges of self-discovery, family, and romantic relationships, making it feel grounded and real (without being too serious).
With tropes like:
- Acquaintances to lovers
- Love triangles
- Slow Burn
- Clumsy/Quirky FMC
- LOTS of Taylor Swift references (A bit too much for my taste...)
It’s a story that shows it’s never too late to experience your “firsts” or find the courage to be selfish and chase your dreams. I wish a book like this had been around when I was younger—I could see myself really enjoying it then...
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thank you Katherina B. and Bookfunnel for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
The book strikes a great balance between heartfelt moments, witty banter, and summer romance vibes. It also touches on the challenges of self-discovery, family, and romantic relationships, making it feel grounded and real (without being too serious).
With tropes like:
- Acquaintances to lovers
- Love triangles
- Slow Burn
- Clumsy/Quirky FMC
- LOTS of Taylor Swift references (A bit too much for my taste...)
It’s a story that shows it’s never too late to experience your “firsts” or find the courage to be selfish and chase your dreams. I wish a book like this had been around when I was younger—I could see myself really enjoying it then...
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Thank you Katherina B. and Bookfunnel for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.
January 11, 2025
I enjoyed that the premise of the book focuses on first time love and life adventures with a character who was in her mid twenties. The main character was so relatable and I found myself rooting for her throughout the book. There was witty banter, great chemistry throughout the book and slow burn 🔥 Thank you so much Katherina for sending me your book! I highly recommend it!
January 5, 2025
There are not enough books about experiencing your firsts later in life. Finally, a book about how it feels to feel as though you're way behind in your life based on your experiences or lack thereof.
May 20, 2025
Feels like a rough draft that accidentally got published.
January 19, 2025
This book is quite literally one of my favorite reads thus far. I loved everything about it from the characters to the plot to the scenery. Jasmine's story really made me feel seen because of how similar my life is to Jasmine's. I've never felt as connected to a character as I did with her. Luca is also definitely in the top 10 of the best book boyfriends for me. I loved his character as well and how understanding he was with Jasmine. Thank you Katherina B. for writing a character that is so scarily relatable that it almost had me thinking that you got inside my head, took all of my thoughts, and wrote them all into this perfect book. I definitely recommend this book it was a genuine 5 star read for me! To those who feel behind in life, you aren't, you are exactly where you need to be.
June 29, 2025
The premise of this debut was pretty solid but the execution and writing felt strangely weak for me. Romance books really should not be more than 400 pages because this was unnecessarily long and exhausting by the 60% mark. For the most part, it was predictable and slow but the author has potential. But I really loved the refreshing Spain vacay setting in this and really wanted more from that.
Jasmine and Luca had a great slow burn romance and I admired how they naturally connected throughout the book. The banter was great and I loved how honest they were each other. Their chemistry was a little rocky at first but I was pretty much hooked in at the halfway mark.
Luca was such a lovable MMC! He was so sweet, open with Jasmine, and understood her so well. Jasmine, considering her struggle with the lack of romantic experience, was a bit more difficult to understand. I related with her experience on transitioning from a strict immigrant household to finding her own independence. But there were some aspects to her character that I found very annoying at the beginning, including her thought process and decisions between the two men. I respect that the intention was to show her sheltered life and inexperience but it was repetitive as a huge chunk of the plot.
I would have liked to see more of Jasmine’s individual growth through this first trip abroad (something that was emphasized but not often shown) rather than her time being spent with just the men. I was scared about a potential love triangle, because it’s one of the worst tropes ever, but it was reassuring that there was zero chemistry between Jasmine and Enrique. I preferred them more as friends and I liked that Jasmine was able to experience all her firsts, including nonromantic ones. I would have appreciated if there was some closure too since Enrique and Sophia literally disappeared from the book after Luca and Jasmine got together.
Maybe it’s just me, but it felt unrealistic that all of this happened within just two weeks. Because of the book’s length, it felt like the events were happening over at least a month. And as someone who’s not a hardcore Swiftie (I do like some of her music, though) , the Taylor Swift references were so cringey and excessive. This was really more of a 2.75/5, if I’m being honest, but I’m rounding up because there was no third act conflict.
That epilogue was cute AF though and I loved every wholesome moment between Jasmine and Luca. This was a cute summer read but it’s honestly a hit or miss, depending on your mood.
Jasmine and Luca had a great slow burn romance and I admired how they naturally connected throughout the book. The banter was great and I loved how honest they were each other. Their chemistry was a little rocky at first but I was pretty much hooked in at the halfway mark.
Luca was such a lovable MMC! He was so sweet, open with Jasmine, and understood her so well. Jasmine, considering her struggle with the lack of romantic experience, was a bit more difficult to understand. I related with her experience on transitioning from a strict immigrant household to finding her own independence. But there were some aspects to her character that I found very annoying at the beginning, including her thought process and decisions between the two men. I respect that the intention was to show her sheltered life and inexperience but it was repetitive as a huge chunk of the plot.
I would have liked to see more of Jasmine’s individual growth through this first trip abroad (something that was emphasized but not often shown) rather than her time being spent with just the men. I was scared about a potential love triangle, because it’s one of the worst tropes ever, but it was reassuring that there was zero chemistry between Jasmine and Enrique. I preferred them more as friends and I liked that Jasmine was able to experience all her firsts, including nonromantic ones. I would have appreciated if there was some closure too since Enrique and Sophia literally disappeared from the book after Luca and Jasmine got together.
Maybe it’s just me, but it felt unrealistic that all of this happened within just two weeks. Because of the book’s length, it felt like the events were happening over at least a month. And as someone who’s not a hardcore Swiftie (I do like some of her music, though) , the Taylor Swift references were so cringey and excessive. This was really more of a 2.75/5, if I’m being honest, but I’m rounding up because there was no third act conflict.
That epilogue was cute AF though and I loved every wholesome moment between Jasmine and Luca. This was a cute summer read but it’s honestly a hit or miss, depending on your mood.
January 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️
This coming of age story is about Jasmine Baker, a 25 year old woman who spontaneously runs into an old college crush. Is running into Enrique fate? It must be when he invited Jasmine to Spain to stay at his family’s resort. One flight later and Jasmine finds herself on an adventure of a lifetime. Upon arriving at the resort, Jasmine quickly meets Enrique’s hot best friend Luca and they don’t exactly start off on the right foot… Until she can’t get him out of her head. In this rom-com, Jasmine dreams of falling in love and experiencing all of her firsts. Including her first kiss. But who will it be with? You’ll have to read it to find out!
This book had me giggling at 3 am and I loved everything about it. The characters are so funny, sarcastic, and relatable. It was such a great read and exceeded my expectations. The author did an amazing job discussing topics such as love, intimacy, anxiety, and navigating life at a later timeline than expected. You can tell how much thought and attention to detail went into writing this. I think many people could relate to feeling behind in certain aspects of their life like Jasmine.
•Banter
•Slow burn
•Rom/Com
•Love triangle
•Self discovery
•Summer romance
•Taylor Swift songs/references
•The true definition of a man written by a woman *chef’s kiss*
Seriously! If you’re a Swiftie, this HAS to be added to your TBR list. The Taylor Swift songs for each chapter is iconic 🫶🏻
🌶️ 🌶️
This coming of age story is about Jasmine Baker, a 25 year old woman who spontaneously runs into an old college crush. Is running into Enrique fate? It must be when he invited Jasmine to Spain to stay at his family’s resort. One flight later and Jasmine finds herself on an adventure of a lifetime. Upon arriving at the resort, Jasmine quickly meets Enrique’s hot best friend Luca and they don’t exactly start off on the right foot… Until she can’t get him out of her head. In this rom-com, Jasmine dreams of falling in love and experiencing all of her firsts. Including her first kiss. But who will it be with? You’ll have to read it to find out!
This book had me giggling at 3 am and I loved everything about it. The characters are so funny, sarcastic, and relatable. It was such a great read and exceeded my expectations. The author did an amazing job discussing topics such as love, intimacy, anxiety, and navigating life at a later timeline than expected. You can tell how much thought and attention to detail went into writing this. I think many people could relate to feeling behind in certain aspects of their life like Jasmine.
•Banter
•Slow burn
•Rom/Com
•Love triangle
•Self discovery
•Summer romance
•Taylor Swift songs/references
•The true definition of a man written by a woman *chef’s kiss*
Seriously! If you’re a Swiftie, this HAS to be added to your TBR list. The Taylor Swift songs for each chapter is iconic 🫶🏻
February 28, 2025
I don't usually post reviews. I'd just like to say that marketing the book to a vulnerable group of women only to deliver...this.
I'm sorry, I wrote better books when I was 10 years old. The book had potential, I absolutely adored the dedication. Everything after that was just a hot mess
I'm sorry, I wrote better books when I was 10 years old. The book had potential, I absolutely adored the dedication. Everything after that was just a hot mess
March 13, 2025
DNF. It’s about a 25 year old yet she acts like she’s 15. The writing tracks that way as well.
March 30, 2025
nice idea but no romance on the planet needs to be almost 500 pages
June 10, 2025
0 stars. So poorly written. The pacing, the plot, etc. I think the book I wrote in 5th grade was better than this. So unrealistic. I love a good rom com book that doesn’t make sense but this was beyond anything I’ve ever read. Also the constant references to Taylor Swift and being “hip” mentioning high school musical, cheetah girls, suite life of Zach and Cody, etc I lost brain cells. And that’s saying something because I fell down our basement steps today and hit my head. I can’t believe I have to claim I even read this book.
Read
January 15, 2025All at Once is now live!! Paperbacks and ebooks are available on Amazon, and the book is also on KU! This book is for all the women who have ever felt behind from others your age. If you also like these tropes, you will enjoy this book:
💛 Love triangle
💛 Next door resort suites
💛 Enemies-to-lovers
💛 Lots of banter
- Katherina B.
💛 Love triangle
💛 Next door resort suites
💛 Enemies-to-lovers
💛 Lots of banter
- Katherina B.
February 20, 2025
Literally had to DNF this book which i NEVER do. This was a tough read, i got about halfway through and i just could not continue. The main character is quite frustrating to try to feel any sympathy for in regards to her childhood and lack of experience. I enjoyed Luca’s character and enjoyed his development throughout the book but felt the plot was fleeting.
July 11, 2025
I understand what this book was trying to do, but for me it just fell flat.
basically, this book is advertised as a romance for people who have never been in a relationship before. great. thats something that we dont see often, and it takes away the oft-seen 'toxic ex' trope thats often hanging over the protagonist's head.
so why did I feel cheated?
I don't appreciate a book that assumes i'm stupid, for one thing. everything was explained and over-explained to within an inch of its life, and this book could have very easily been half as long as it was. there were chunks of writing that just went over the same thing again and again, and if it wasn't done that way, it was done in the form of a cringey conversation between two characters.
Secondly, the main character meets one of two(!) love interests on the very first page. not to be a hater, but doesn't that kind of defeat the whole point of her never having been in a relationship??
third: it tried way too hard to be relatable. wayyyyyy too hard. STOP mentioning the Eras Tour, STOP having massive chunks of writing where you're trying to talk about struggles, STOP talking about things that constantly remind me I'm in the 21st century!!!!!! it drags the book down, makes it super dated, and is just rarely ever done well. so just avoid it like the plague.
fourth: the playlist/music aspect was just a bit weird. the dedication was so sweet, and I can tell she wanted this book to have the vibe of a Taylor swift song/ appeal to swifties like me/ be part of one of those TikTok lists that's like 'if you like this song/album then read this...' but you can't just force something upon the reader. let them make up their own mind. and if you ARE going to sell a vibe, at least make it believable. to be fair, I liked the playlist given at the start of the book because it was diverse and divided into each week of the character's holiday. however, the song recommendations at the start of each chapter? every single one of them was a taylor swift song, for one. and secondly, none of them made sense. like, if you're going to put a song down for a chapter, then surely the chapter should have the vibes of the song?? guess not.
number five: the characters. neither of the love interests were particularly great in my opinion, although it was made obvious which one she'd end up with the moment he stepped onto the page. granted, he was very sweet and thoughtful, and call me a hater, but it was almost too much. too unrealistic, and not in the cute way. just in an unrealistic way. and as for the main character herself, I couldn't even tell you what she looked like. I dont know anything about her other than she's scared (of what, im not too sure)
six: the writing. in the nicest way possible, did this author even have an editor? or at least a beta reader? there were SO many errors, the writing style was trying to be cute or profound but just missed the mark, and the dialogue itself was just cringe. I can tell she was going for cute witty banter but it just was weird.
its really a shame, because this book could have been a really sweet take on something we don't see talked about as much :/
basically, this book is advertised as a romance for people who have never been in a relationship before. great. thats something that we dont see often, and it takes away the oft-seen 'toxic ex' trope thats often hanging over the protagonist's head.
so why did I feel cheated?
I don't appreciate a book that assumes i'm stupid, for one thing. everything was explained and over-explained to within an inch of its life, and this book could have very easily been half as long as it was. there were chunks of writing that just went over the same thing again and again, and if it wasn't done that way, it was done in the form of a cringey conversation between two characters.
Secondly, the main character meets one of two(!) love interests on the very first page. not to be a hater, but doesn't that kind of defeat the whole point of her never having been in a relationship??
third: it tried way too hard to be relatable. wayyyyyy too hard. STOP mentioning the Eras Tour, STOP having massive chunks of writing where you're trying to talk about struggles, STOP talking about things that constantly remind me I'm in the 21st century!!!!!! it drags the book down, makes it super dated, and is just rarely ever done well. so just avoid it like the plague.
fourth: the playlist/music aspect was just a bit weird. the dedication was so sweet, and I can tell she wanted this book to have the vibe of a Taylor swift song/ appeal to swifties like me/ be part of one of those TikTok lists that's like 'if you like this song/album then read this...' but you can't just force something upon the reader. let them make up their own mind. and if you ARE going to sell a vibe, at least make it believable. to be fair, I liked the playlist given at the start of the book because it was diverse and divided into each week of the character's holiday. however, the song recommendations at the start of each chapter? every single one of them was a taylor swift song, for one. and secondly, none of them made sense. like, if you're going to put a song down for a chapter, then surely the chapter should have the vibes of the song?? guess not.
number five: the characters. neither of the love interests were particularly great in my opinion, although it was made obvious which one she'd end up with the moment he stepped onto the page. granted, he was very sweet and thoughtful, and call me a hater, but it was almost too much. too unrealistic, and not in the cute way. just in an unrealistic way. and as for the main character herself, I couldn't even tell you what she looked like. I dont know anything about her other than she's scared (of what, im not too sure)
six: the writing. in the nicest way possible, did this author even have an editor? or at least a beta reader? there were SO many errors, the writing style was trying to be cute or profound but just missed the mark, and the dialogue itself was just cringe. I can tell she was going for cute witty banter but it just was weird.
its really a shame, because this book could have been a really sweet take on something we don't see talked about as much :/
February 26, 2025
DNF 70% in
I really did not want to dnf any books this year but my God I almost called MTV for a Catfish episode after being so brutally CATFISHED by this book.
I usually don’t mind a modern day reference once or twice in a book but I cannot with all the unnecessary Taylor swift mentions every single page?? don’t get me wrong I love Taylor, folklore is my child but it became quite clear very quickly that the author was throwing in Taylor references to make it more appealing? I liked the idea of a Taylor song linked to every chapter but Taylor herself couldn’t make me finish this book at this point.
omg did I power through this until I couldn’t anymore. From the start you get roped in with quotes and dedications to people who haven’t had a romantic experience yet. Cool like yes okay relatable. By the second chapter the fmc is already in a convo with a potential love interest? I’m sorry the whole first chapter was about how she never gets approached by guys and now shes talking to a potential love interest already? I thought this was supposed to be a relatable story for girls who are yet to have any romantic experiences? It’s not gonna be relatable if the fmc is on her way to Spain by the time we’re at chapter 5 or 6. Then she ends up in a love triangle? Yep super relatable happened to me the other week!
The writing after doesn’t get any better with pages of meaningless conversations that I’ve started to skip over. I took a week long break from this book just to cleanse my brain and maybe go back in with a fresh perspective but it’s literally sucking the joy of reading out of me.
I really tried my hardest to keep going but I physically just can’t anymore 💔
I really did not want to dnf any books this year but my God I almost called MTV for a Catfish episode after being so brutally CATFISHED by this book.
I usually don’t mind a modern day reference once or twice in a book but I cannot with all the unnecessary Taylor swift mentions every single page?? don’t get me wrong I love Taylor, folklore is my child but it became quite clear very quickly that the author was throwing in Taylor references to make it more appealing? I liked the idea of a Taylor song linked to every chapter but Taylor herself couldn’t make me finish this book at this point.
omg did I power through this until I couldn’t anymore. From the start you get roped in with quotes and dedications to people who haven’t had a romantic experience yet. Cool like yes okay relatable. By the second chapter the fmc is already in a convo with a potential love interest? I’m sorry the whole first chapter was about how she never gets approached by guys and now shes talking to a potential love interest already? I thought this was supposed to be a relatable story for girls who are yet to have any romantic experiences? It’s not gonna be relatable if the fmc is on her way to Spain by the time we’re at chapter 5 or 6. Then she ends up in a love triangle? Yep super relatable happened to me the other week!
The writing after doesn’t get any better with pages of meaningless conversations that I’ve started to skip over. I took a week long break from this book just to cleanse my brain and maybe go back in with a fresh perspective but it’s literally sucking the joy of reading out of me.
I really tried my hardest to keep going but I physically just can’t anymore 💔
February 16, 2025
Books with Taylor Swift references attract me like moths to a flame and this one was full of them. So naturally, I ate this book up and loved every second of it.
Jasmine’s story resonated with me on such a deep personal level. The way her parents put her on a pedestal, unintentionally stunting her growth, felt all too familiar. As someone who also feels like a “late bloomer” and struggles with the pressure of where I should be in life, this book hit home in ways I wasn’t expecting. I found myself highlighting so many quotes and passages that perfectly articulated my own thoughts and feelings.
The one thing I’d change about this book is the love interest’s name and that’s only because he shares a name with my dog which made for a weird reading experience for me at times but even that couldn’t take away from how much I loved him and his dynamic with Jasmine.
This is one of those books I’ll be recommending to everyone who has ever felt like they’re falling behind, like they’re not quite where they’re supposed to be. It’s a story that made me feel seen, understood and a little less alone.
Jasmine’s story resonated with me on such a deep personal level. The way her parents put her on a pedestal, unintentionally stunting her growth, felt all too familiar. As someone who also feels like a “late bloomer” and struggles with the pressure of where I should be in life, this book hit home in ways I wasn’t expecting. I found myself highlighting so many quotes and passages that perfectly articulated my own thoughts and feelings.
The one thing I’d change about this book is the love interest’s name and that’s only because he shares a name with my dog which made for a weird reading experience for me at times but even that couldn’t take away from how much I loved him and his dynamic with Jasmine.
This is one of those books I’ll be recommending to everyone who has ever felt like they’re falling behind, like they’re not quite where they’re supposed to be. It’s a story that made me feel seen, understood and a little less alone.
January 19, 2025
ay this was very refreshing and i read it all in one sitting 😭 i loved the characters and how they balanced each other out <3 el trauma de ella y sus intimacy issues were handled very nicely y no la infantilizan ni la hacen una dumb dumb when it comes to sex she’s just curious y el pana es un green flag cabron like how he handled her confessions y questions? NEED HIM! i wish emotionally intelligent men were real 😔 also esto empieza como un love triangle pERO LIKE no es annoying como tsitp JAJAJAJAJAJ AH Y EL BANTER WAS SO GOOD!!!
aqui los quOTES 🤩
“Do you know how alienating it feels to not be able to do things that come so naturally to people your age? To feel so terrible watching things happen for everyone around you, while you just sit and watch no matter how fucking hard you’re trying to be like them?”
He glances down at my lips. “If I try to kiss you…,” he whispers, before looking into my eyes. “Will you stop me?”
aqui los quOTES 🤩
“Do you know how alienating it feels to not be able to do things that come so naturally to people your age? To feel so terrible watching things happen for everyone around you, while you just sit and watch no matter how fucking hard you’re trying to be like them?”
He glances down at my lips. “If I try to kiss you…,” he whispers, before looking into my eyes. “Will you stop me?”
April 2, 2025
2,5 stars
An easy read when you just need to escape reality. I like a good from-haters-to-lovers-story.
I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles, but this one was okay.
My biggest problem with the book was the main focus of Jasmine to find a boyfriend and do all of the firsts. I don’t know what I hoped for? Maybe that she would learn to be confident and loved by herself first?
At the end of the book she says that you don’t need to rush and no one’s ever “behind”. But that’s kind of what she did? She met a man, who “saved” her and changed her whole life. I know that one person can change your life and that love is something really special, but I don’t know if that’s the message the book is transporting.
An easy read when you just need to escape reality. I like a good from-haters-to-lovers-story.
I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles, but this one was okay.
My biggest problem with the book was the main focus of Jasmine to find a boyfriend and do all of the firsts. I don’t know what I hoped for? Maybe that she would learn to be confident and loved by herself first?
At the end of the book she says that you don’t need to rush and no one’s ever “behind”. But that’s kind of what she did? She met a man, who “saved” her and changed her whole life. I know that one person can change your life and that love is something really special, but I don’t know if that’s the message the book is transporting.
March 9, 2025
I have a love-hate relationship with this story; that’s for sure.
For starters, the premise of the book is excellent. A 25-year-old girl with zero romantic experience traveling to Spain for one man only to fall for his best friend, finding true love in the process, is a pretty good hook. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have read this book if I hadn’t found the author’s little blurb of it on Instagram. Safe to say, it’s intriguing.
Let’s start with the positives. The characters are pretty fleshed out.
Jazmine, while scared and insecure about her lack of romantic experience, is still confident. It was a nice change of pace to read about an extrovert for once since a lot of novels feature introverts, where life just sort of…happens to them. Jazmine isn’t like that. She takes action. She bumps into an old crush from college and actually engages . He invites her to stay at his family’s hotel for a vacation, and she actually accepts. Jazmine is quite a direct character. She���s very bold in a lot of her interactions. However, that’s why I find it unrealistic for her to have so little experience, especially given that she wanted romance and sought it out since she was younger. She is so open about her emotions; it’s hard to believe she was that scared about expressing herself to her crushes when she had no problem flirting with her old college friend even before arriving to Spain.
Luca is also very interesting. While on paper he is a perfect love interest, Jazmine is fixated on his best friend. As such, he doesn’t really want to take things further. However, he reaches her how to surf, he lets her go inside his apartment, he takes her out for ice cream, he has deep conversations with her, and he eventually becomes the first person in Spain to learn the secret of her inexperience. Luca is a great character because he has his own fears himself. He’s experienced tragedy and heartache, which has made him more closed off. The more we learn about him, the more we understand why he is the way he is and why he’s initially so harsh with Jazmine.
All of this to say, the characters in this novel are fleshed out pretty well. This isn’t even talking about Enrique, Jazmine’s first love interest. He’s also given a decent amount of depth. While I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles (Especially ones involving two best friends), this one was handled with grace and made sense for the context of the story. We saw two different versions of Jazmine with these two men.
Those are the positives of this book. The reason I have a love-hate relationship with it is partly because of the writing style.
The book, for starters, is just too long. 50-100 pages could have been cut and the story would have had the same impact and message. The dialogue felt pretty repetitive on numerous instances, particularly scenes between Jazmine and Luca. It is pretty realistic to have long conversations with people, essentially saying the same thing over and over in different words, but no one wants to see that in a novel because it gets old quickly and tedious to keep reading. A lot of the dates between Jazmine and Luca could have been cut short. The dialogue could have been significantly condensed. And even the epilogue could have been shortened or deleted altogether since it didn’t feel too essential.
Furthermore, for a book set it Spain, it doesn’t really delve into the Spanish culture. Most people around Jazmine speak perfect English, to the point where she hardly knows any Spanish and still manages to get by. Jazmine doesn’t face too many conflicts in a new space. She gets everything handed to her rather conveniently, which makes this book feel really unrealistic. Residence? She’ll stay in a hotel. Tour guide? These two men will gladly show her around without issue. Money to spend on vacation? She inexplicably has lots of it even though she’s unemployed and desperately looking for a new job.
The references in this book were also a little too much. I love Taylor Swift. Huge fan. I share the protagonist’s love for her music. But naming every chapter after a Taylor Swift song, mentioning her constantly, adding her songs to numerous scenes, and essentially making the title of the book a reference to her song feels a little bit much.
Overall, the book is a fun read even if it is unnecessarily long. You get attached to the characters and root for them to get together. The end definitely dragged on for a little bit. While I do appreciate the lack of a third-act breakup, this really made the second half of the book mostly boring and lacking in plot. The writing style could definitely use some work, particularly with dialogue. And finally…most of the references could have been edited out. Would I recommend this book to a friend? Yeah, probably. Is it one of my favorites? Not particularly. Romance can, and has, been written much more beautifully and concisely.
Should you read it? That’s up to you. I don’t need a book to be a literary masterpiece to enjoy it, and I presume that neither do you. I say that if you’re as hooked on the premise as I am, you’ll have a relatively good time. Just don’t expect a masterpiece.
For starters, the premise of the book is excellent. A 25-year-old girl with zero romantic experience traveling to Spain for one man only to fall for his best friend, finding true love in the process, is a pretty good hook. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have read this book if I hadn’t found the author’s little blurb of it on Instagram. Safe to say, it’s intriguing.
Let’s start with the positives. The characters are pretty fleshed out.
Jazmine, while scared and insecure about her lack of romantic experience, is still confident. It was a nice change of pace to read about an extrovert for once since a lot of novels feature introverts, where life just sort of…happens to them. Jazmine isn’t like that. She takes action. She bumps into an old crush from college and actually engages . He invites her to stay at his family’s hotel for a vacation, and she actually accepts. Jazmine is quite a direct character. She���s very bold in a lot of her interactions. However, that’s why I find it unrealistic for her to have so little experience, especially given that she wanted romance and sought it out since she was younger. She is so open about her emotions; it’s hard to believe she was that scared about expressing herself to her crushes when she had no problem flirting with her old college friend even before arriving to Spain.
Luca is also very interesting. While on paper he is a perfect love interest, Jazmine is fixated on his best friend. As such, he doesn’t really want to take things further. However, he reaches her how to surf, he lets her go inside his apartment, he takes her out for ice cream, he has deep conversations with her, and he eventually becomes the first person in Spain to learn the secret of her inexperience. Luca is a great character because he has his own fears himself. He’s experienced tragedy and heartache, which has made him more closed off. The more we learn about him, the more we understand why he is the way he is and why he’s initially so harsh with Jazmine.
All of this to say, the characters in this novel are fleshed out pretty well. This isn’t even talking about Enrique, Jazmine’s first love interest. He’s also given a decent amount of depth. While I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles (Especially ones involving two best friends), this one was handled with grace and made sense for the context of the story. We saw two different versions of Jazmine with these two men.
Those are the positives of this book. The reason I have a love-hate relationship with it is partly because of the writing style.
The book, for starters, is just too long. 50-100 pages could have been cut and the story would have had the same impact and message. The dialogue felt pretty repetitive on numerous instances, particularly scenes between Jazmine and Luca. It is pretty realistic to have long conversations with people, essentially saying the same thing over and over in different words, but no one wants to see that in a novel because it gets old quickly and tedious to keep reading. A lot of the dates between Jazmine and Luca could have been cut short. The dialogue could have been significantly condensed. And even the epilogue could have been shortened or deleted altogether since it didn’t feel too essential.
Furthermore, for a book set it Spain, it doesn’t really delve into the Spanish culture. Most people around Jazmine speak perfect English, to the point where she hardly knows any Spanish and still manages to get by. Jazmine doesn’t face too many conflicts in a new space. She gets everything handed to her rather conveniently, which makes this book feel really unrealistic. Residence? She’ll stay in a hotel. Tour guide? These two men will gladly show her around without issue. Money to spend on vacation? She inexplicably has lots of it even though she’s unemployed and desperately looking for a new job.
The references in this book were also a little too much. I love Taylor Swift. Huge fan. I share the protagonist’s love for her music. But naming every chapter after a Taylor Swift song, mentioning her constantly, adding her songs to numerous scenes, and essentially making the title of the book a reference to her song feels a little bit much.
Overall, the book is a fun read even if it is unnecessarily long. You get attached to the characters and root for them to get together. The end definitely dragged on for a little bit. While I do appreciate the lack of a third-act breakup, this really made the second half of the book mostly boring and lacking in plot. The writing style could definitely use some work, particularly with dialogue. And finally…most of the references could have been edited out. Would I recommend this book to a friend? Yeah, probably. Is it one of my favorites? Not particularly. Romance can, and has, been written much more beautifully and concisely.
Should you read it? That’s up to you. I don’t need a book to be a literary masterpiece to enjoy it, and I presume that neither do you. I say that if you’re as hooked on the premise as I am, you’ll have a relatively good time. Just don’t expect a masterpiece.
April 2, 2025
2 no offense
April 16, 2025
2-2.5. Just very cringe….
August 12, 2025
Easy read but just did not spark joy
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