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The Midnight Strike #1
Please Don't Go
He felt like he was drowning.
She was about to drown.
Josefine Resendiz, is struggling to figure out her life. Between her complicated relationship with grief and not having a single clue how to feel what she can't understand, she's sinking and isn't sure how to float back up to the surface.
Daniel Garcia, shortstop, a budding ray of sunshine, and potential first round pick for the MLB Draft, has life figured out. At least, that's what everyone assumes. On the surface, he's the embodiment of happiness and life. But beneath it all, guilt and grief have been consuming him since his brother passed away. Unsure how to deal with his feelings, he bottles them up and masks the pain of haunting reminders behind a mask of smiles.
That's until he stumbles upon Josefine on Christmas Day. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be there but neither was she, at least not for long. The night evolves into something neither one of them expected and when morning comes, she's nowhere to be found.
He can't stop thinking about her. She wants to forget him. But fate seems to have plans for them.
Once the semester begins they find out they have a class together, and avoiding Daniel becomes hard when they're paired to be hiking buddies. Much to Josefine's chagrin, she likes him more than she cares to admit. And Daniel is struggling to keep everything he's bottled up around her.
Hesitantly and unknowingly, they're opening up old wounds they wanted to keep closed. Feeling grounded around each other. And unintentionally falling in love.
She was about to drown.
Josefine Resendiz, is struggling to figure out her life. Between her complicated relationship with grief and not having a single clue how to feel what she can't understand, she's sinking and isn't sure how to float back up to the surface.
Daniel Garcia, shortstop, a budding ray of sunshine, and potential first round pick for the MLB Draft, has life figured out. At least, that's what everyone assumes. On the surface, he's the embodiment of happiness and life. But beneath it all, guilt and grief have been consuming him since his brother passed away. Unsure how to deal with his feelings, he bottles them up and masks the pain of haunting reminders behind a mask of smiles.
That's until he stumbles upon Josefine on Christmas Day. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be there but neither was she, at least not for long. The night evolves into something neither one of them expected and when morning comes, she's nowhere to be found.
He can't stop thinking about her. She wants to forget him. But fate seems to have plans for them.
Once the semester begins they find out they have a class together, and avoiding Daniel becomes hard when they're paired to be hiking buddies. Much to Josefine's chagrin, she likes him more than she cares to admit. And Daniel is struggling to keep everything he's bottled up around her.
Hesitantly and unknowingly, they're opening up old wounds they wanted to keep closed. Feeling grounded around each other. And unintentionally falling in love.
591 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2025
4195 people are currently reading
40952 people want to read
About the author
E. Salvador
5 books1,355 followersE. is a Mexican-American romance author who loves a good happily ever after and iced coffee with light ice.
When E. is not overthinking or creating multiple Pinterest boards for the hundred book ideas she has, she's writing or reading. And when she's not doing any of those things, she's spending time with her two sons and husband.
When E. is not overthinking or creating multiple Pinterest boards for the hundred book ideas she has, she's writing or reading. And when she's not doing any of those things, she's spending time with her two sons and husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,623 reviews
March 20, 2026
“If you let me in, I’ll hold a flashlight, and we’ll find a way out together.”
NO STOP I CANNOT MY BABIESSSSS WENT THROUGH SO MUCH I CANT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME A BOOK MADE ME CRY THIS MUCH!!! hands down one of my favorite romance books ever, Josefine and Daniel are my new Roman Empire I will never get over them. I truly cannot put my feelings into words it just one of those books you have to read to fully encapsulate the emotions do the story justice.
This story navigates the reality of two people deeply struggling with their mental health, battling depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief in completely different ways and the author did mental health rep so so so right. It hurt but it felt so real and I appreciate that so much. Nothing was glazed over or glamorized and they don’t really on one another to heal their broken bits when the time came to face the truth that they both needed help. It’s not an easy read but it’s such a healing one and so worth it in the end.
This is what I mean when I say I want PATHETIC YEARNING AND LONGING AND PINING!!! Daniel Garcia is the standard and one of my new favorite book men. I cannot stop thinking about him!! Because what do you mean she was about to take her own life until he found her and pulled her from the edge?! And now leaves sticky notes for her reminding her how happy he is that she’s here, meal preps her 3 meals a day because her depression makes it hard to eat, burns CDs for her with only happy music, gets her her favorite flowers every month, moves in with her because after her mom died she had nobody else?!!! All while battling his own grief and darkness in silence?! No I cannot. The way his breath catches whenever he looks at her?? Clenching his fists to keep from touching her? Turns into a stuttering mess around her?!!
Also… MEN. WHO. WHIMPER!!!!! He also loves that she’s a little mean and literally cherishes all her rough edges and dark parts.
And the way they literally love each other so deeply I feel it in my bones. Their chemistry was palpable from page 1. Golden retriever MMC with a dark soul and black cat FMC who doesn’t let anyone in is my favorite dynamic in romance books. They are soulmates in every lifetime.
Okay I honestly can’t recommend this book enough but warning it does read a little wattpaddy so I understand that the writing might not be forever everyone but it was for me!!!
Also the found family and friendships and girlhood!!! Ugh I love them all so much and need book 2 ASAP!!
“Because, Josefine, you’ve rewired the way I feel touch. Touching anyone that isn’t you feels overwhelming and so wrong. It’s like my brain can’t process that it’s not you. I don’t know how to make sense of that but I don’t want to touch anyone that isn’t you. You’re incomparable.”
“I know it’s hard for you to open up. I know it’s scary and I know this is probably a lot for you, but I am here and as long as you want me in your life, I’m not going anywhere. So…” I bring my lips to her forehead and kiss it but let them linger there. “I’ll give you a moment. Take your time. I have forever.”
NO STOP I CANNOT MY BABIESSSSS WENT THROUGH SO MUCH I CANT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME A BOOK MADE ME CRY THIS MUCH!!! hands down one of my favorite romance books ever, Josefine and Daniel are my new Roman Empire I will never get over them. I truly cannot put my feelings into words it just one of those books you have to read to fully encapsulate the emotions do the story justice.
This story navigates the reality of two people deeply struggling with their mental health, battling depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief in completely different ways and the author did mental health rep so so so right. It hurt but it felt so real and I appreciate that so much. Nothing was glazed over or glamorized and they don’t really on one another to heal their broken bits when the time came to face the truth that they both needed help. It’s not an easy read but it’s such a healing one and so worth it in the end.
This is what I mean when I say I want PATHETIC YEARNING AND LONGING AND PINING!!! Daniel Garcia is the standard and one of my new favorite book men. I cannot stop thinking about him!! Because what do you mean she was about to take her own life until he found her and pulled her from the edge?! And now leaves sticky notes for her reminding her how happy he is that she’s here, meal preps her 3 meals a day because her depression makes it hard to eat, burns CDs for her with only happy music, gets her her favorite flowers every month, moves in with her because after her mom died she had nobody else?!!! All while battling his own grief and darkness in silence?! No I cannot. The way his breath catches whenever he looks at her?? Clenching his fists to keep from touching her? Turns into a stuttering mess around her?!!
Also… MEN. WHO. WHIMPER!!!!! He also loves that she’s a little mean and literally cherishes all her rough edges and dark parts.
And the way they literally love each other so deeply I feel it in my bones. Their chemistry was palpable from page 1. Golden retriever MMC with a dark soul and black cat FMC who doesn’t let anyone in is my favorite dynamic in romance books. They are soulmates in every lifetime.
Okay I honestly can’t recommend this book enough but warning it does read a little wattpaddy so I understand that the writing might not be forever everyone but it was for me!!!
Also the found family and friendships and girlhood!!! Ugh I love them all so much and need book 2 ASAP!!
“Because, Josefine, you’ve rewired the way I feel touch. Touching anyone that isn’t you feels overwhelming and so wrong. It’s like my brain can’t process that it’s not you. I don’t know how to make sense of that but I don’t want to touch anyone that isn’t you. You’re incomparable.”
“I know it’s hard for you to open up. I know it’s scary and I know this is probably a lot for you, but I am here and as long as you want me in your life, I’m not going anywhere. So…” I bring my lips to her forehead and kiss it but let them linger there. “I’ll give you a moment. Take your time. I have forever.”
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December 28, 2025dnf (for now!!!!) i’ll be back when i’m in the mood.
August 15, 2025
6 FUCKING ⭐️
this might be the best romance book I read this year
this might be the best romance book I read this year
Read
October 21, 2025pre-read:
my first e. salvador book! also, just look at the cover 😩 it may seem simple but i’m absolutely loving it so much! the blurb really got me interested 👀 hope it’s even more interesting on the inside 🤞🏼🥹
my first e. salvador book! also, just look at the cover 😩 it may seem simple but i’m absolutely loving it so much! the blurb really got me interested 👀 hope it’s even more interesting on the inside 🤞🏼🥹
September 20, 2025
Honestly guys, I liked this a lot 🥹 I was drawn in from the very first chapter and kept wanting to know where the story was going to take me with Danny & Josie 💛
This book dives into the struggles of grief, ptsd, death, suicide. It heavily emphasizes the impacts of these and the importance of mental health.
As for the MCs, I honestly loved the black cat x golden retriever energy we got with them. I really liked Daniel and I enjoyed seeing him fall in love with Josie and her with him. He was so patient, persistent, and gentle with her.
This was a slow burn!!! And let me just tell you.. girllll, the spice.. was spicing. Whewwwww. My man was not above begging or getting on his knees 🙂↕️🙂↕️ I went into this not sure if there was any spice at all or if there was, I expected it to be mild. I was very wrong 🫦
Bryson: “She was my girlfriend first. We have history.”
Danny: “Well, now she’s your ex and one day she’ll be my wife. She moved on; it’s time you do too.”
My jealous, possessive kingggggg😫 Loved him.
I think this book absolutely had 5 star potential, but here are my 2 small critiques:
— It dragged on a little towards the end, but I also read this nearly 600 page book in less than 24 hours so I mean…🤷🏻♀️ But yeah, I guesssss(?) it could’ve been condensed some.
I think the length of the story will probably lose some people along the way or cause them to lower their rating, but obviously it didn’t bother me one bit 😂
— I do wish the MCs’ story explanations of what happened to them was maybe spread throughout the book instead of at the very end because it felt like too much at once. I didn’t have a lot of time to digest it so it lessened the emotional impact a little bit.
Overall, I really did enjoy this. Like I stated above, it has its flaws and little things that could be improved, but all in all, I still felt so invested in the characters and was rooting for them! 💛💛
This was my first book by this author, and I’m really excited to see who she announces book 2 will be about.
This book dives into the struggles of grief, ptsd, death, suicide. It heavily emphasizes the impacts of these and the importance of mental health.
As for the MCs, I honestly loved the black cat x golden retriever energy we got with them. I really liked Daniel and I enjoyed seeing him fall in love with Josie and her with him. He was so patient, persistent, and gentle with her.
This was a slow burn!!! And let me just tell you.. girllll, the spice.. was spicing. Whewwwww. My man was not above begging or getting on his knees 🙂↕️🙂↕️ I went into this not sure if there was any spice at all or if there was, I expected it to be mild. I was very wrong 🫦
Bryson: “She was my girlfriend first. We have history.”
Danny: “Well, now she’s your ex and one day she’ll be my wife. She moved on; it’s time you do too.”
My jealous, possessive kingggggg😫 Loved him.
I think this book absolutely had 5 star potential, but here are my 2 small critiques:
— It dragged on a little towards the end, but I also read this nearly 600 page book in less than 24 hours so I mean…🤷🏻♀️ But yeah, I guesssss(?) it could’ve been condensed some.
I think the length of the story will probably lose some people along the way or cause them to lower their rating, but obviously it didn’t bother me one bit 😂
— I do wish the MCs’ story explanations of what happened to them was maybe spread throughout the book instead of at the very end because it felt like too much at once. I didn’t have a lot of time to digest it so it lessened the emotional impact a little bit.
Overall, I really did enjoy this. Like I stated above, it has its flaws and little things that could be improved, but all in all, I still felt so invested in the characters and was rooting for them! 💛💛
This was my first book by this author, and I’m really excited to see who she announces book 2 will be about.
February 7, 2026
౨ৎꨄ︎ 5 stars (very, very close to 6 stars)
i finished this last night, but i needed a minute (read: hours) to get my thoughts together and my emotions in check. when i tell you that i was CONTINUOUSLY CRYING since chapter 51… such raw scenes and dialogues. e. salvador broke me on several levels.
this book is joining my favorites list without a doubt. it’s so beautiful, so marvelous. listen, i understand that people either love or hate it. but i’ll be dramatic and say that this officially has a special place in my heart.
as i hinted - and as the blurb promises - this book deals with heavy topics. i definitely, definitely recommend checking trigger warnings! you follow the main characters through grief, and you get to feel it with them to the very bottom. but on the brighter side, you don’t only cry while reading this! you can also expect so many cute dialogues, funny moments and, to my surprise, very, very spicy scenes. i’m not a saint, i have read so much smut in my life, but given the heavy themes, i won’t lie - i was very, very surprised!
both josie and daniel caught my attention from the first, very heartbreaking, scene. there isn’t a single thing that would make me hate them. they both struggle in life, and they both experienced something bad and traumatizing, but then they meet each other and the connection is so strong that they soon become friends. and then something more. of course, this is a romance book, but it’s not just love they find; it’s a safe space, the will to finally be happy.
at one point, i was a little worried there were still so many pages remaining. i thought „why? what more can happen?“, but then i soon understood. i didn’t expect to be hit with a new row of emotions. salvador did an excellent job when it comes to dealing with grief, guilt and mental health. daniel’s story broke me. over and over again.
this book only has one small flaw and it’s the writing - i think there’s still room for improvement. it doesn’t make the book bad at all, but there were times when i found myself confused, or times when i needed better descriptions of things. but honestly, that’s nothing against the book! i still enjoyed and loved it.
────୨ৎ────
౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: i fear i’m going to cry while reading this. a lot. but it’s been on my tbr for months, it’s time! also, i love the cover so much. so cute <3<3
i finished this last night, but i needed a minute (read: hours) to get my thoughts together and my emotions in check. when i tell you that i was CONTINUOUSLY CRYING since chapter 51… such raw scenes and dialogues. e. salvador broke me on several levels.
this book is joining my favorites list without a doubt. it’s so beautiful, so marvelous. listen, i understand that people either love or hate it. but i’ll be dramatic and say that this officially has a special place in my heart.
as i hinted - and as the blurb promises - this book deals with heavy topics. i definitely, definitely recommend checking trigger warnings! you follow the main characters through grief, and you get to feel it with them to the very bottom. but on the brighter side, you don’t only cry while reading this! you can also expect so many cute dialogues, funny moments and, to my surprise, very, very spicy scenes. i’m not a saint, i have read so much smut in my life, but given the heavy themes, i won’t lie - i was very, very surprised!
both josie and daniel caught my attention from the first, very heartbreaking, scene. there isn’t a single thing that would make me hate them. they both struggle in life, and they both experienced something bad and traumatizing, but then they meet each other and the connection is so strong that they soon become friends. and then something more. of course, this is a romance book, but it’s not just love they find; it’s a safe space, the will to finally be happy.
at one point, i was a little worried there were still so many pages remaining. i thought „why? what more can happen?“, but then i soon understood. i didn’t expect to be hit with a new row of emotions. salvador did an excellent job when it comes to dealing with grief, guilt and mental health. daniel’s story broke me. over and over again.
this book only has one small flaw and it’s the writing - i think there’s still room for improvement. it doesn’t make the book bad at all, but there were times when i found myself confused, or times when i needed better descriptions of things. but honestly, that’s nothing against the book! i still enjoyed and loved it.
────୨ৎ────
౨ৎꨄ︎ pre-read: i fear i’m going to cry while reading this. a lot. but it’s been on my tbr for months, it’s time! also, i love the cover so much. so cute <3<3
September 6, 2025
gaaaaah i loved this so much - danny and josie have my whole heart, please! *cries* this is genuinely the first book in a minute that had me shedding some tears while reading - i was a snotty mess in the last stretch 😭 now, the writing wasn’t without some flaws but this is one of those cases where story and characters >>> perfect writing. i was pulled in by the first few chapters and how josie and danny first meet - and i continued to stay invested and immersed in the progression of their relationship, their individual arcs, the friendships and everything else that was going on.
josie was the perfect black cat. i find that a lot of times, fmcs with this characterization can be portrayed as overly argumentative and obstinate for no logical or a poorly documented reason, or just because - and then they come off as rude and harsh while the book tries to sell this as “grumpy”. also, sometimes a “grumpy” character in a contemporary romance is horrible to people in the book and the author tries to excuse or explain away their behaviour in the writing by trying to pin this on the fact that the person is suffering from unaddressed trauma. with great relief, i can say that none of this happened in here and josie’s characterization fell into neither of these situations. she was withdrawn and not sunshiney but her standoff-ish nature was well motivated by her dealing with complicated grief and having a hard time trusting people after bad experiences in the past, but she wasn’t taking this out on people or behaving very poorly because of this. watching her slowly open up, bloom and find happiness over the course of the story as the right people find their way to her and she gradually lets them in and builds that trust with them was just sooooo 🥹. the writing also made it feel organic in its pacing and did a really great job at humanizing her. she was just someone i was rooting for so bad! i loved her dry sense of humour, her resilience, her spirit, and i found her to be written in a way that was incredibly relatable.
daniel jesus garcia…WHAT A MAN. i just KNOW he went to the isaiah rhodes school for DOWN-BAD-obsessed-acts-of-service-backwards-cap-wearing-sad-boy-golden-retriever baseball players. this man 😭 he was just so sweet and goofy and funny and so incredibly loving - the perfect book boyfriend istg. and he knew how to throw down and was sexy as fuck 🤪 his acts of service, his little post-its that he kept leaving josie to remind her that someone is glad she’s here, she’s alive, she’s loved, his gifts and cards, just his general attentiveness, respect for consent and gentle nature - it was all so endearing and attractive. this man was so obsessed he ran to her house to bring her a rhinestone that fell off from her make up at a party just to have an excuse to see her again AND he kept said rhinestone in his wallet afterwards 🥹 GIVE ME MORE PATHETIC MEN LIKE THIS. and then… 😭😭 i just wanted to give him the biggest hug. he was also going through a lot and needed someone to do the same for him as he did for others and remind HIM of the things he reminded josie of every day. this man has my whole heart y’all.
together, josie and danny had fantastic chemistry, they were so sweet and cute and cozy together, they had the perfect balance of mutual hurt / comfort, there was yearning, there was angst…and they were HOT. listen, the spice in this book had me running laps lol. i really appreciated the pace of their relationship development because the burn was slow. yes, there is an insta connection but it’s written in a way that makes sense and i wouldn’t categorize it as insta-lusty per se. their connection also gets fleshed out and deepened really well over the course of the story. mutual attraction does become apparent to reader pretty early, but the transition from friends to more felt appropriately gradual to me and the spice only hits much deeper into the book. since the book is long, that means you’re waiting just shy of 300 pages for that first kiss and grind, even longer for something more to happen and i was satisfied by the pace and the anticipation it inspired and built up as i was waiting for the tension to break…and listen…when it does break and that spice hits, it did NOT disappoint. these two were sexy as hell and the spice was quite explosive (more so than i was expecting - this is my first book by this author so i had no reference). like with most books, i really only enjoy the spice when two things are present: it’s written to my liking (language used, level of detail, nothing cringey, vibes, etc) AND when i believe in and have been enjoying the chemistry and build-up between the characters before the spice hits - and this book satisfied both, so it was all *chef’s kiss*. the balance between sex / lust and emotional connection / actual ROMANCE was done to my liking as well - the latter was not forsaken for a disproportionate focus on the former. more than anything though, i was deeply invested in wanting to see them be happy and ok individually and together - and if a story can get me to care about the two mcs and their relationship to elicit that response from me, then the book did what it needed to do.
i loved the way mental health, anxiety, depression and grief were represented in this story - and both characters had rich arcs and development over the course of the book. i also appreciated the message that while positive romantic love can be transformative and healing, sometimes it can’t be the sole thing to heal you if you are in the worst of places - it can be a motivator and a positive influence on your life, as well as reinforce that you have support and care, but you also need to address your own mental health to find well-rounded happiness, be the best version of yourself that you can be for yourself and for your loved ones, and that it’s ok (and essential really) to get external help if you can / if it’s available to you. sometimes in romance books, one of the mcs is in a bad place and they fall in love over the course of the book and that ends up being the sole explanation for how this person has a personal hea, but i appreciated that in this book, there was a little bit more to it, and the writing handled the individual journeys of both josie and danny in the way that i would have wanted them to be handled by the end, by balancing love and treatment. also, the third act in this book (and subsequent resolution) both felt appropriate and neither of the main characters’ actions made me want to slap someone upside THEIR head or shake MY head at their (or the author’s) tomfoolery, which is a great feat - as a lot of third acts do tend to make me feel either way.
i really enjoyed the side characters in this as well - the friends added a lot of fun and humour to the story and i love the little found family they had going on (which i’m looking forward to seeing more of in future books). usually with sports romances, and even more so with college ones, the group of male friends / teammates linked to the mmc tends to give me the ick because of how writers often depict how they talk about girls / women, their overinflated egos and a ton of bro nonsense that i don’t care about, but that ick never came up for me in here - i really liked these guys, they were a fun bunch! and the girl gang with vi and pen was so endearing and i loved how they gave josie a safe space to land when she hadn’t had quality female friendships before them. all these friendships really shone for me in the last stretch of the book the most 🥹 i can’t wait for future installments in the series. i can tell the second book is probably going to be angel x pen, but i also really want a book for noah and for vi (not necessarily those two together but i DO need love stories for both)!
as someone who doesn’t typically like sports romances, i found the sport balance in here to be to my liking as well - it wasn’t too overpowering. i’m also starting to realize that baseball (while i don’t understand much) is a sport i find quite pleasant in romance books compared to some of the usual suspects (hockey, american football, etc).
now, the book is loooooooong, and this may be where it loses some people, but i ate up all near 600 pages of this! i don’t have an issue with long books if i’m enjoying what’s going on and they, more often, lead to pacing i’m more comfortable with than in shorter romances (where kisses and spice are already cropping up < 100-150 pages in, which can sometimes feel too fast for me). i do think there were some things that could have been edited a bit better and perhaps led to some pages coming off the final product, but i wasn’t put off by the length overall. and as i said, the writing wasn’t always perfect. it could have been smoother and a little more finessed. there were lots of closely repeated words / phrases (which is something that typically makes my eye twitch and causes me to rate a book down), there were a few spelling errors / a word missing in a sentence here and there (i read this on ku so maybe this isn’t an issue in the physical copy), some sentences that could have been structured a bit better and there was a touch of over-explaining things that needn’t have been and some redundancies, but the writing had a lot of heart, emotion and a well-documented connection, even if it wasn’t always immaculate from a technical standpoint - and sometimes, the former is just that more important. i really fell so hard for these characters and this story.
oh, and also - HELLO - the cover of this book is gorgeous. i may need to buy the physical because i need this on my shelf!!!
josie was the perfect black cat. i find that a lot of times, fmcs with this characterization can be portrayed as overly argumentative and obstinate for no logical or a poorly documented reason, or just because - and then they come off as rude and harsh while the book tries to sell this as “grumpy”. also, sometimes a “grumpy” character in a contemporary romance is horrible to people in the book and the author tries to excuse or explain away their behaviour in the writing by trying to pin this on the fact that the person is suffering from unaddressed trauma. with great relief, i can say that none of this happened in here and josie’s characterization fell into neither of these situations. she was withdrawn and not sunshiney but her standoff-ish nature was well motivated by her dealing with complicated grief and having a hard time trusting people after bad experiences in the past, but she wasn’t taking this out on people or behaving very poorly because of this. watching her slowly open up, bloom and find happiness over the course of the story as the right people find their way to her and she gradually lets them in and builds that trust with them was just sooooo 🥹. the writing also made it feel organic in its pacing and did a really great job at humanizing her. she was just someone i was rooting for so bad! i loved her dry sense of humour, her resilience, her spirit, and i found her to be written in a way that was incredibly relatable.
daniel jesus garcia…WHAT A MAN. i just KNOW he went to the isaiah rhodes school for DOWN-BAD-obsessed-acts-of-service-backwards-cap-wearing-sad-boy-golden-retriever baseball players. this man 😭 he was just so sweet and goofy and funny and so incredibly loving - the perfect book boyfriend istg. and he knew how to throw down and was sexy as fuck 🤪 his acts of service, his little post-its that he kept leaving josie to remind her that someone is glad she’s here, she’s alive, she’s loved, his gifts and cards, just his general attentiveness, respect for consent and gentle nature - it was all so endearing and attractive. this man was so obsessed he ran to her house to bring her a rhinestone that fell off from her make up at a party just to have an excuse to see her again AND he kept said rhinestone in his wallet afterwards 🥹 GIVE ME MORE PATHETIC MEN LIKE THIS. and then… 😭😭 i just wanted to give him the biggest hug. he was also going through a lot and needed someone to do the same for him as he did for others and remind HIM of the things he reminded josie of every day. this man has my whole heart y’all.
together, josie and danny had fantastic chemistry, they were so sweet and cute and cozy together, they had the perfect balance of mutual hurt / comfort, there was yearning, there was angst…and they were HOT. listen, the spice in this book had me running laps lol. i really appreciated the pace of their relationship development because the burn was slow. yes, there is an insta connection but it’s written in a way that makes sense and i wouldn’t categorize it as insta-lusty per se. their connection also gets fleshed out and deepened really well over the course of the story. mutual attraction does become apparent to reader pretty early, but the transition from friends to more felt appropriately gradual to me and the spice only hits much deeper into the book. since the book is long, that means you’re waiting just shy of 300 pages for that first kiss and grind, even longer for something more to happen and i was satisfied by the pace and the anticipation it inspired and built up as i was waiting for the tension to break…and listen…when it does break and that spice hits, it did NOT disappoint. these two were sexy as hell and the spice was quite explosive (more so than i was expecting - this is my first book by this author so i had no reference). like with most books, i really only enjoy the spice when two things are present: it’s written to my liking (language used, level of detail, nothing cringey, vibes, etc) AND when i believe in and have been enjoying the chemistry and build-up between the characters before the spice hits - and this book satisfied both, so it was all *chef’s kiss*. the balance between sex / lust and emotional connection / actual ROMANCE was done to my liking as well - the latter was not forsaken for a disproportionate focus on the former. more than anything though, i was deeply invested in wanting to see them be happy and ok individually and together - and if a story can get me to care about the two mcs and their relationship to elicit that response from me, then the book did what it needed to do.
i loved the way mental health, anxiety, depression and grief were represented in this story - and both characters had rich arcs and development over the course of the book. i also appreciated the message that while positive romantic love can be transformative and healing, sometimes it can’t be the sole thing to heal you if you are in the worst of places - it can be a motivator and a positive influence on your life, as well as reinforce that you have support and care, but you also need to address your own mental health to find well-rounded happiness, be the best version of yourself that you can be for yourself and for your loved ones, and that it’s ok (and essential really) to get external help if you can / if it’s available to you. sometimes in romance books, one of the mcs is in a bad place and they fall in love over the course of the book and that ends up being the sole explanation for how this person has a personal hea, but i appreciated that in this book, there was a little bit more to it, and the writing handled the individual journeys of both josie and danny in the way that i would have wanted them to be handled by the end, by balancing love and treatment. also, the third act in this book (and subsequent resolution) both felt appropriate and neither of the main characters’ actions made me want to slap someone upside THEIR head or shake MY head at their (or the author’s) tomfoolery, which is a great feat - as a lot of third acts do tend to make me feel either way.
i really enjoyed the side characters in this as well - the friends added a lot of fun and humour to the story and i love the little found family they had going on (which i’m looking forward to seeing more of in future books). usually with sports romances, and even more so with college ones, the group of male friends / teammates linked to the mmc tends to give me the ick because of how writers often depict how they talk about girls / women, their overinflated egos and a ton of bro nonsense that i don’t care about, but that ick never came up for me in here - i really liked these guys, they were a fun bunch! and the girl gang with vi and pen was so endearing and i loved how they gave josie a safe space to land when she hadn’t had quality female friendships before them. all these friendships really shone for me in the last stretch of the book the most 🥹 i can’t wait for future installments in the series. i can tell the second book is probably going to be angel x pen, but i also really want a book for noah and for vi (not necessarily those two together but i DO need love stories for both)!
as someone who doesn’t typically like sports romances, i found the sport balance in here to be to my liking as well - it wasn’t too overpowering. i’m also starting to realize that baseball (while i don’t understand much) is a sport i find quite pleasant in romance books compared to some of the usual suspects (hockey, american football, etc).
now, the book is loooooooong, and this may be where it loses some people, but i ate up all near 600 pages of this! i don’t have an issue with long books if i’m enjoying what’s going on and they, more often, lead to pacing i’m more comfortable with than in shorter romances (where kisses and spice are already cropping up < 100-150 pages in, which can sometimes feel too fast for me). i do think there were some things that could have been edited a bit better and perhaps led to some pages coming off the final product, but i wasn’t put off by the length overall. and as i said, the writing wasn’t always perfect. it could have been smoother and a little more finessed. there were lots of closely repeated words / phrases (which is something that typically makes my eye twitch and causes me to rate a book down), there were a few spelling errors / a word missing in a sentence here and there (i read this on ku so maybe this isn’t an issue in the physical copy), some sentences that could have been structured a bit better and there was a touch of over-explaining things that needn’t have been and some redundancies, but the writing had a lot of heart, emotion and a well-documented connection, even if it wasn’t always immaculate from a technical standpoint - and sometimes, the former is just that more important. i really fell so hard for these characters and this story.
oh, and also - HELLO - the cover of this book is gorgeous. i may need to buy the physical because i need this on my shelf!!!
August 26, 2025
I’ve got to stop letting tik tok recommend me romance books
January 7, 2026
₊˚ʚ👙 ༘˚｡⋆🏟️⋆→
five monterey coastal stars
please check tw before reading!
⋆.˚ I couldn’t remember what feeling alive was like until she came into my life.
tropes ⋆˚࿔
⟢ mental health rep
⟢ found family
⟢ black cat x golden retriever
⟢ strangers to lovers
thoughts ⋆˚࿔
reading this book was definitely a roller coaster of emotions, just from the get-go of meeting the fmc, we are thrown into a world of grief, loneliness, and fighting her inner demons to find a reason to live. normally, a book is hard to get into from the first chapter because it's literally my breaking point of whether I want to continue reading or not, but this one definitely made me cry. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt tears rolling down my face. I am so emotionally invested in both the mc's story that every emotion they felt, I feel like I was feeling it tenfold. e. salvador I gotta give you a round of applause. 👏🏼 she made mental health the number one trope. this is something I appreciate so much because romance books tend to be more on the lighter side, but this one had a bit of everything in it. the way she developed the character's story was quite impressive because she made it realistic and ensured that both mc's are getting equal attention.
characters ⋆˚࿔
⋮ 𝐣𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐳 ── ⟡ ˙🌼 ̟
oh, josefine if only I could reach you through the pages of the book and give you the biggest hug ever. I felt emotions that I didn't know existed just being inside josie's head. It is tough to see from the point of view of a character who's on the brink of giving up :( I am so glad she found her sign to stay, and her seeing danny was truly a blessing. as much as she was labeled as this very black and white complex character, I see her. she lost her mother and felt like the world was against her. the only other person whose shoulder she could've leaned on was too busy cheating on her and degrading her, saying the worst of the worst. she just needed somebody, anybody, to see her. even though she found danny in her worst, she finally found someone who sees her for who she is, who adores her, who appreciates knowing that she is alive every day. In that she found everlasting friendships not only with pen and vi but also with danny's best friends. 😖❤️🩹
⋮ 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚 ── ⟡ ˙⚾️ ̟
danny is the type of person you wish you had by your side. he shines like no other. he truly has the biggest heart of all the mmc's I have ever read about. after the whole cliff scene in the first few chapters, he made sure to constantly go back to check that josie is all right. I'm so glad faith brought them back together, and if that means faith has this crazy thing of popping tires just so their worlds align again, then, so be it, because wow, their love story is so good.
the last 75% of the book and seeing everything come to light with how danny really feels on the inside hurts so much. 😕 he believes that he didn't deserve anything good that the world offers him because of an incident that forever changed his life. finding out the reason behind his fears of the water and about his brother made me feel for him in so many ways. he has been plastering on the brightest smile just so people wouldn't see he suffered. the story ended with him getting the help he needed, reconciling with his dad, and accepting that the trauma he faced was something…acceptance is hard if it’s something you aren’t seeking.
fav quotes ⋆˚࿔
⤿ I hold her, wishing I could take all her pain away. I hold her like my life depends on it. I’ll hold her until morning if I have to.
⤿ I love being around you and doing things with you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.
⤿ I was high, not on drugs but on Josie. She just makes me feel alive and on top of the world. It’s like she injected herself in my veins and all I feel is euphoria rushing through my body.
⤿ If we’re not married by the time we’re thirty, we’ll get married. And we’ll have four babies like we talked about.
⤿ Because I want you to know you’re all I care about. All I think about. All I want.
⤿ You deserve good things, Daniel. You deserve to be happy. I’m sorry it couldn’t be with me.
⤿ I just know Danny would do anything for you. You could kill someone and he wouldn’t question it; he’d probably grab a shovel. That’s the kind of bullshit he’d do for you.
final thoughts ⋆˚࿔
I know this is my first read of this year, but I know this will be on my top five because I haven't felt this way, this opinionated, and this emotional in so long. every character in this book, whether it be side characters or the main character, contributed to making this whole experience everything I wished for in a book. I appreciated every interaction, whether it was between the girls or the guys. I will never get over this book and is now a book that I feel the most maternal about🤱🏻.
★: 5/5 mcu stars.
pre-read⋆˙⟡
first read of 2026, and this book is already so good it's setting my year of well, that's for sure!!
happy new year my baes, wishing us all a good reading year mwah 😚💗
please check tw before reading!
⋆.˚ I couldn’t remember what feeling alive was like until she came into my life.
tropes ⋆˚࿔
⟢ mental health rep
⟢ found family
⟢ black cat x golden retriever
⟢ strangers to lovers
thoughts ⋆˚࿔
reading this book was definitely a roller coaster of emotions, just from the get-go of meeting the fmc, we are thrown into a world of grief, loneliness, and fighting her inner demons to find a reason to live. normally, a book is hard to get into from the first chapter because it's literally my breaking point of whether I want to continue reading or not, but this one definitely made me cry. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt tears rolling down my face. I am so emotionally invested in both the mc's story that every emotion they felt, I feel like I was feeling it tenfold. e. salvador I gotta give you a round of applause. 👏🏼 she made mental health the number one trope. this is something I appreciate so much because romance books tend to be more on the lighter side, but this one had a bit of everything in it. the way she developed the character's story was quite impressive because she made it realistic and ensured that both mc's are getting equal attention.
characters ⋆˚࿔
⋮ 𝐣𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐳 ── ⟡ ˙🌼 ̟
oh, josefine if only I could reach you through the pages of the book and give you the biggest hug ever. I felt emotions that I didn't know existed just being inside josie's head. It is tough to see from the point of view of a character who's on the brink of giving up :( I am so glad she found her sign to stay, and her seeing danny was truly a blessing. as much as she was labeled as this very black and white complex character, I see her. she lost her mother and felt like the world was against her. the only other person whose shoulder she could've leaned on was too busy cheating on her and degrading her, saying the worst of the worst. she just needed somebody, anybody, to see her. even though she found danny in her worst, she finally found someone who sees her for who she is, who adores her, who appreciates knowing that she is alive every day. In that she found everlasting friendships not only with pen and vi but also with danny's best friends. 😖❤️🩹
⋮ 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚 ── ⟡ ˙⚾️ ̟
danny is the type of person you wish you had by your side. he shines like no other. he truly has the biggest heart of all the mmc's I have ever read about. after the whole cliff scene in the first few chapters, he made sure to constantly go back to check that josie is all right. I'm so glad faith brought them back together, and if that means faith has this crazy thing of popping tires just so their worlds align again, then, so be it, because wow, their love story is so good.
the last 75% of the book and seeing everything come to light with how danny really feels on the inside hurts so much. 😕 he believes that he didn't deserve anything good that the world offers him because of an incident that forever changed his life. finding out the reason behind his fears of the water and about his brother made me feel for him in so many ways. he has been plastering on the brightest smile just so people wouldn't see he suffered. the story ended with him getting the help he needed, reconciling with his dad, and accepting that the trauma he faced was something…acceptance is hard if it’s something you aren’t seeking.
fav quotes ⋆˚࿔
⤿ I hold her, wishing I could take all her pain away. I hold her like my life depends on it. I’ll hold her until morning if I have to.
⤿ I love being around you and doing things with you. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.
⤿ I was high, not on drugs but on Josie. She just makes me feel alive and on top of the world. It’s like she injected herself in my veins and all I feel is euphoria rushing through my body.
⤿ If we’re not married by the time we’re thirty, we’ll get married. And we’ll have four babies like we talked about.
⤿ Because I want you to know you’re all I care about. All I think about. All I want.
⤿ You deserve good things, Daniel. You deserve to be happy. I’m sorry it couldn’t be with me.
⤿ I just know Danny would do anything for you. You could kill someone and he wouldn’t question it; he’d probably grab a shovel. That’s the kind of bullshit he’d do for you.
final thoughts ⋆˚࿔
I know this is my first read of this year, but I know this will be on my top five because I haven't felt this way, this opinionated, and this emotional in so long. every character in this book, whether it be side characters or the main character, contributed to making this whole experience everything I wished for in a book. I appreciated every interaction, whether it was between the girls or the guys. I will never get over this book and is now a book that I feel the most maternal about🤱🏻.
★: 5/5 mcu stars.
pre-read⋆˙⟡
first read of 2026, and this book is already so good it's setting my year of well, that's for sure!!
happy new year my baes, wishing us all a good reading year mwah 😚💗
January 14, 2026
i think this book had potential but just wasn’t written very well? truly the sentence formatting in a lot of the book was just not good 🫠 Phrases were repeated over and over to make the point instead of implying the point 😔 did not love this 1.5/5
February 4, 2026
jarvis is really holding the gang together
to everyone who compared the mmc in this book to isaiah rhodes… THANK YOU!! between that comparison and the cover of this book i knew this would be a banger, the length scared me for awhile there but now that i’ve finished i can honestly say i would read more about these two!!
chapter one really knocks you on your ass and let’s you know what you’re in for with this book, you’re in for real life, real emotions, and real issues. as someone who deals with depression i really was astounded by how well e. salvador wove conversations about anxiety, loneliness, emptiness, and grief, so seamlessly into the book. josie is dealing with the loss of her mother, and the loss of the life she knew, as well as some major guilt and loneliness. one fateful night, on a cliff, she meets daniel. daniel, daniel, daniel, he may look like he has it all together given that he’s a hotshot d1 baseball player but he is struggling a lot. given the loss of his brother, and the anxieties and sadness he keeps hidden, he’s not doing well.
these two are genuinely made for each other and this book will stick with me long after i’ve read the last page. the romance was so pure and perfect. every scene in the story felt perfectly placed, i wanted for nothing. we had wonderful representation, beautiful characterization, and some of the hottest sex i’ve read in awhile. don’t let the heavy topics fool you, danny and jos are HAWT!!!
now, in all seriousness, please check trigger warnings before starting this book. the detail everything is discussed in makes for a raw book but it can be mentally hard to read at times. i simply cannot wait to read this authors entire backlist while i await the next installment in this series, i need books for every single friend. yes, the isaiah rhodes comparisons were correct and if that says anything it says that ive found something to fill the void windy city left in my heart…
to everyone who compared the mmc in this book to isaiah rhodes… THANK YOU!! between that comparison and the cover of this book i knew this would be a banger, the length scared me for awhile there but now that i’ve finished i can honestly say i would read more about these two!!
chapter one really knocks you on your ass and let’s you know what you’re in for with this book, you’re in for real life, real emotions, and real issues. as someone who deals with depression i really was astounded by how well e. salvador wove conversations about anxiety, loneliness, emptiness, and grief, so seamlessly into the book. josie is dealing with the loss of her mother, and the loss of the life she knew, as well as some major guilt and loneliness. one fateful night, on a cliff, she meets daniel. daniel, daniel, daniel, he may look like he has it all together given that he’s a hotshot d1 baseball player but he is struggling a lot. given the loss of his brother, and the anxieties and sadness he keeps hidden, he’s not doing well.
these two are genuinely made for each other and this book will stick with me long after i’ve read the last page. the romance was so pure and perfect. every scene in the story felt perfectly placed, i wanted for nothing. we had wonderful representation, beautiful characterization, and some of the hottest sex i’ve read in awhile. don’t let the heavy topics fool you, danny and jos are HAWT!!!
now, in all seriousness, please check trigger warnings before starting this book. the detail everything is discussed in makes for a raw book but it can be mentally hard to read at times. i simply cannot wait to read this authors entire backlist while i await the next installment in this series, i need books for every single friend. yes, the isaiah rhodes comparisons were correct and if that says anything it says that ive found something to fill the void windy city left in my heart…
September 4, 2025
does it make me a bad person if i found this book to be too corny 😭😭😭 like ok yes good message but come on this was very much insta-love to the max
August 17, 2025
DNF on 50%
It is just soooo boring
I expected so much more after reading two books by E. Salvador before
It is just soooo boring
I expected so much more after reading two books by E. Salvador before
October 8, 2025
When I heard about this book, I stopped everything and picked it up right away. I was prepared to be giggling and kicking my feet reading this, I DID NOT expect to be emotionally wrecked.
This story was overwhelmingly beautiful. It did have moments that made me giggle and kick my feet, but it also had moments that made me cry both from happiness and sadness. I absolutely loved how Josie and Daniel were two sides of the same coin. Showing different ways of how people handle their depression. As someone who has been a Daniel, I really loved how real and vulnerable the story got.
I loved both Josie and Daniel. Josie was very closed off and struggling with her mother’s death but she tried every day. She loved and cared in a way she could. Danny was also dealing with his own grief but he kept it all to himself and only showed the world the happy, bubbly version of himself. I loved the black cat x golden retriever vibe but I also loved how they saw past each other’s fronts and saw who they really were. Their romance was adorable. Perfectly developed and I loved that although they were hesitant at times, they would at least try to communicate with each other. I also loved to see the characters growth at the end of the story.
All of the friends were just as loveable and I’m really excited to read about whoever comes next in this series.
This story was overwhelmingly beautiful. It did have moments that made me giggle and kick my feet, but it also had moments that made me cry both from happiness and sadness. I absolutely loved how Josie and Daniel were two sides of the same coin. Showing different ways of how people handle their depression. As someone who has been a Daniel, I really loved how real and vulnerable the story got.
I loved both Josie and Daniel. Josie was very closed off and struggling with her mother’s death but she tried every day. She loved and cared in a way she could. Danny was also dealing with his own grief but he kept it all to himself and only showed the world the happy, bubbly version of himself. I loved the black cat x golden retriever vibe but I also loved how they saw past each other’s fronts and saw who they really were. Their romance was adorable. Perfectly developed and I loved that although they were hesitant at times, they would at least try to communicate with each other. I also loved to see the characters growth at the end of the story.
All of the friends were just as loveable and I’m really excited to read about whoever comes next in this series.
August 19, 2025
an absolutely breathtaking story and one of my faves from this year (and maybe ever 🥹🥰)
not for the faint of heart - there is a very long list of triggers and they kick off on page one - lots of talk of depression and grief
BUT if you’re okay with that (or even prefer that like me), you’ll find a beautiful romance between two very broken people finding solace and light with each other 💓 there is a lot of emotional intimacy, including many heartfelt conversations discussing desires and dreams and fears. BUT sweet mother mary the spice?!?! holy hot shit my god it was 🔥🔥🔥 the perfect beautiful mix of both
I cannot rec this enough. It was almost 600 pages but absolutely flew by and was SO ADDICTING
not for the faint of heart - there is a very long list of triggers and they kick off on page one - lots of talk of depression and grief
BUT if you’re okay with that (or even prefer that like me), you’ll find a beautiful romance between two very broken people finding solace and light with each other 💓 there is a lot of emotional intimacy, including many heartfelt conversations discussing desires and dreams and fears. BUT sweet mother mary the spice?!?! holy hot shit my god it was 🔥🔥🔥 the perfect beautiful mix of both
I cannot rec this enough. It was almost 600 pages but absolutely flew by and was SO ADDICTING
March 17, 2026
A romance story focused on the character’s internal struggles and emotions. A black cat and golden retriever dynamic where she’s the grump.
For the Windy City fans.
Jose has pushed everyone away in profound grief and is saved by stepping off the edge by chance by Daniel Garcia, a star shortstop hiding his own survivor's guilt.
Both of these characters are fully realised and struggling to stay afloat (for Daniel, I mean that both figuratively and literally).
Whilst dealing with heavy matters, the writing is genuine and filled with finding lightness.
It’s crazy how something cataclysmic can make you physically feel like the world has stopped moving, but the reality is that it’s only you who stopped.
The writing is additive and beautiful, if occasionally toeing the line of cheesy during the steamy scenes. The author writes about depression, loneliness, anxiety, and panic attacks with care.
It did get slightly repetitive after the 60% mark and I also wish we got more on the sports aspect as it is marketed as a college sports romance with elite athletes. It didn’t need to be thaaaat long.
I’ve seen other reviews saying the sentence structure was odd and repetitive. I recommend the audiobook as it wasn’t as noticeable that way.
Audiobook arc gifted by Libro.fm.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
For the Windy City fans.
Jose has pushed everyone away in profound grief and is saved by stepping off the edge by chance by Daniel Garcia, a star shortstop hiding his own survivor's guilt.
Both of these characters are fully realised and struggling to stay afloat (for Daniel, I mean that both figuratively and literally).
Whilst dealing with heavy matters, the writing is genuine and filled with finding lightness.
It’s crazy how something cataclysmic can make you physically feel like the world has stopped moving, but the reality is that it’s only you who stopped.
The writing is additive and beautiful, if occasionally toeing the line of cheesy during the steamy scenes. The author writes about depression, loneliness, anxiety, and panic attacks with care.
It did get slightly repetitive after the 60% mark and I also wish we got more on the sports aspect as it is marketed as a college sports romance with elite athletes. It didn’t need to be thaaaat long.
I’ve seen other reviews saying the sentence structure was odd and repetitive. I recommend the audiobook as it wasn’t as noticeable that way.
Audiobook arc gifted by Libro.fm.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
August 8, 2025
This book was one of the best I’ve read all year! Danny, a college baseball star, and Josie, ex-swimmer and fellow college goer, meet in the midst of Josie at her most vulnerable. This interaction sets the course for what turns into their slow burn relationship, from strangers to tentative friends to lovers.
One could argue Danny is the sunshine and Josie is the grump, but ultimately both characters are dealing with grief and their mental health in the only ways they know how. The author did a great job of showcasing how the outward presentation of someone struggling varies. You have the boy who smiles and laughs all the time but is slowly drowning on the inside. You have the angry girl who is clearly struggling but no one truly understands the depths to which her anger and sadness lies. The mental health representation, woven into their romance, was absolutely relatable and the author did not shy away from the true effects that ignoring your health has on your life and attempts to heal.
That aside, Danny and Josie were kindred spirits who truly understood each other. Literally the entire friend group knew before them that they’d become a thing. The friend group themselves were an amazing found family and I can’t wait for their books. There were so many little things I could rave about but it’s a great experience to dive into how lovely this author’s writing is!
What to Expect: college baseball, strangers to friends to lovers, mental health representation, found family, grumpy/sunshine, sad boy/angry girl, acts of service, swim lessons (and so much more!)
Trigger Warnings: Please read the author’s warnings at the start of the book. Some of the topics/scenes are tough and the author is thorough in letting readers know what to expect.
One could argue Danny is the sunshine and Josie is the grump, but ultimately both characters are dealing with grief and their mental health in the only ways they know how. The author did a great job of showcasing how the outward presentation of someone struggling varies. You have the boy who smiles and laughs all the time but is slowly drowning on the inside. You have the angry girl who is clearly struggling but no one truly understands the depths to which her anger and sadness lies. The mental health representation, woven into their romance, was absolutely relatable and the author did not shy away from the true effects that ignoring your health has on your life and attempts to heal.
That aside, Danny and Josie were kindred spirits who truly understood each other. Literally the entire friend group knew before them that they’d become a thing. The friend group themselves were an amazing found family and I can’t wait for their books. There were so many little things I could rave about but it’s a great experience to dive into how lovely this author’s writing is!
What to Expect: college baseball, strangers to friends to lovers, mental health representation, found family, grumpy/sunshine, sad boy/angry girl, acts of service, swim lessons (and so much more!)
Trigger Warnings: Please read the author’s warnings at the start of the book. Some of the topics/scenes are tough and the author is thorough in letting readers know what to expect.
September 8, 2025
You’re not hiding. I’m not running. We’re here, together, and I’m not overthinking your hug and you’re not faking your smile for the sake of pretending to be happy. We’re far from perfect and we’ll never be and that’s okay. We’ll keep working things out, finding out what works and what doesn’t. And we’ll do it together.
4 ⭐️
I knew this was going to be an emotional romance, because of the trigger warnings, but I appreciated how the author was able to add some fun into the mix, making this a heavy yet lighthearted read.
We meet Josefine at a very dark time in her life, and at the start of the first chapter, we find her at rock bottom. Daniel witnesses something that scars him, and he’s determined to insert himself into Josefine’s life and help her in any way he can. This marks the beginning of a - reluctant on Josefine's part - friendship that slowly grows into something more than either of them anticipated.
The mental health issues were beautifully portrayed and very realistic. Both Josefine and Daniel have been touched by grief, which has inevitably changed them. This, coupled with other issues from their past, has made their minds dark places to inhabit. Throughout the story, we see how they have chosen to deal with their problems: Josefine feels empty and lost, with no purpose or will to live; Daniel, meanwhile, masks his feelings with a smile and a sunny disposition. Josie pushes people away, while Daniel surrounds himself with others, always helping them. With each other’s support, they slowly begin their healing journey, finding ways to cope with their grief and traumas. It’s not an easy journey: there’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of pretending and denying feelings for the sake of avoiding dealing with them. Eventually, however, they realise that hiding is not a healthy way to live, and that in order to get better they must navigate the darkness of their minds to find a glimmer of light.
Josie is a loner. She’s grumpy, finds it hard to make friends and interact with others, mostly due to the way she was raised. However, once you get to know her, it becomes clear just how amazing she is. She has a big heart, is determined, is a hard worker and has a good sense of humour. I think she just needed someone to see beyond the walls she built to feel comfortable enough to be herself around others. She thought she was hard to love because no one had ever loved her enough. She didn’t know how to love because she had known no love in her life, which is heartbreaking. But Daniel loved her easily and accepted every part of her without question. The friends she made did the same. Josie gained a family and found her place in the world.
Daniel is pretty much a golden retriever, but a depressed one. Everyone thinks he’s so happy and carefree, but he’s just mastered the art of hiding how he truly feels. It took him a long time to open up to Josie because he didn’t want to burden her with his feelings. Eventually, he fell off the deep end and was forced to confront his problems. Daniel was always there to help others, but he didn’t know how to help himself. Thankfully, his friends, family and Josie were there to soften his fall.
The romance was lovely and wholesome (and very spicy! Though I should mention that I sometimes found it a bit too spicy and didn't always love the sex scenes). It's a slow burn, but a good one! Daniel was persistent; no matter how many times Josefine told him to leave her alone, he always stayed. He constantly told her that she mattered and left her cute post-it notes saying "I’m so happy you’re here” 🥹 He slowly tore down her walls, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist him. They're so cute together! They helped each other, healed each other, comforted each other, and loved each other the way they both deserved to be loved.
I also loved the secondary characters and how much they added to the story, giving it a sense of family and togetherness. After that epilogue, I’m really curious to know who the next book is going to be about 👀
I think the book dragged in places; it's a very long romance. However, I loved reading it. I didn’t mention it before, but for those who like knowing these things, it's also a sports romance – he’s a baseball player and she’s a former competitive swimmer.
I recommend checking the trigger warnings before starting this book - please always make sure you prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. Don't do what Josie and Daniel did - if you need help, please ask for it. There's always someone willing to lend a hand. You are not alone.
4 ⭐️
I knew this was going to be an emotional romance, because of the trigger warnings, but I appreciated how the author was able to add some fun into the mix, making this a heavy yet lighthearted read.
We meet Josefine at a very dark time in her life, and at the start of the first chapter, we find her at rock bottom. Daniel witnesses something that scars him, and he’s determined to insert himself into Josefine’s life and help her in any way he can. This marks the beginning of a - reluctant on Josefine's part - friendship that slowly grows into something more than either of them anticipated.
The mental health issues were beautifully portrayed and very realistic. Both Josefine and Daniel have been touched by grief, which has inevitably changed them. This, coupled with other issues from their past, has made their minds dark places to inhabit. Throughout the story, we see how they have chosen to deal with their problems: Josefine feels empty and lost, with no purpose or will to live; Daniel, meanwhile, masks his feelings with a smile and a sunny disposition. Josie pushes people away, while Daniel surrounds himself with others, always helping them. With each other’s support, they slowly begin their healing journey, finding ways to cope with their grief and traumas. It’s not an easy journey: there’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of pretending and denying feelings for the sake of avoiding dealing with them. Eventually, however, they realise that hiding is not a healthy way to live, and that in order to get better they must navigate the darkness of their minds to find a glimmer of light.
❝ I didn’t only learn how to live again, I learned how to love, and opened myself to being loved. ❞
Josie is a loner. She’s grumpy, finds it hard to make friends and interact with others, mostly due to the way she was raised. However, once you get to know her, it becomes clear just how amazing she is. She has a big heart, is determined, is a hard worker and has a good sense of humour. I think she just needed someone to see beyond the walls she built to feel comfortable enough to be herself around others. She thought she was hard to love because no one had ever loved her enough. She didn’t know how to love because she had known no love in her life, which is heartbreaking. But Daniel loved her easily and accepted every part of her without question. The friends she made did the same. Josie gained a family and found her place in the world.
❝ Maybe she wants to purposely stay in the shadows because she thinks that’s where she belongs, but that would never work for her because I see her. She is light, a blinding color that’s hard to ignore. Like a lighthouse guiding you home. ❞
Daniel is pretty much a golden retriever, but a depressed one. Everyone thinks he’s so happy and carefree, but he’s just mastered the art of hiding how he truly feels. It took him a long time to open up to Josie because he didn’t want to burden her with his feelings. Eventually, he fell off the deep end and was forced to confront his problems. Daniel was always there to help others, but he didn’t know how to help himself. Thankfully, his friends, family and Josie were there to soften his fall.
❝ “Please stay you. I like your soft heart.” I smile, the anger fading away. “
My soft heart?” Her face flushes and she casts her gaze down. “Yeah, you have this thing where you see the good in things. I don’t want that to change about you.” ❞
The romance was lovely and wholesome (and very spicy! Though I should mention that I sometimes found it a bit too spicy and didn't always love the sex scenes). It's a slow burn, but a good one! Daniel was persistent; no matter how many times Josefine told him to leave her alone, he always stayed. He constantly told her that she mattered and left her cute post-it notes saying "I’m so happy you’re here” 🥹 He slowly tore down her walls, and she wasn’t strong enough to resist him. They're so cute together! They helped each other, healed each other, comforted each other, and loved each other the way they both deserved to be loved.
❝ “I’m so happy you’re here, Josefine.” Those words are all it takes to confiscate the little bit of air left in my lungs. I know he’s not saying that because I’m here at the party; he’s saying that because I’m here. I’m alive. ❞
❝ She’s therapy and medicine all in one. I feel anchored and high all at once with her. ❞
I also loved the secondary characters and how much they added to the story, giving it a sense of family and togetherness. After that epilogue, I’m really curious to know who the next book is going to be about 👀
I think the book dragged in places; it's a very long romance. However, I loved reading it. I didn’t mention it before, but for those who like knowing these things, it's also a sports romance – he’s a baseball player and she’s a former competitive swimmer.
I recommend checking the trigger warnings before starting this book - please always make sure you prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. Don't do what Josie and Daniel did - if you need help, please ask for it. There's always someone willing to lend a hand. You are not alone.
March 15, 2026
Listen—I know this book isn’t going to be for everyone, but I am definitely not one of those people. I loved it.
Did it need to be almost 600 pages? Probably not. And yes, the writing has its flaws. But this is one of those cases where the story and the characters completely win you over. Daniel and Josefine have genuinely embedded themselves into my soul 😭
Daniel… my pathetically down-bad, acts-of-service, falls-first-and-falls-hard golden retriever of a man. I am so sorry, Daniel Jesus Garcia—I was very unfamiliar with your game. If you know me, you know this is exactly my type. He must have went to the same university as my other favorite short-stop, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing sad boy, Isaiah MF Rhodes, so you already know I was seated.
And let’s talk about the mouth on this man… absolutely filthy. Lord have mercy 😮💨 But at the same time he’s meal-prepping for her because she forgets to eat?? Sir. I’m unwell. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Now Josie—my girl, my black cat, my soul sister. I adored her. Watching her character arc, seeing her slowly work through her insecurities and learn to let people in, was so beautiful. She grows so much throughout the story while still staying completely true to who she is. And I especially loved how patient Dani was with her, particularly when it came to her discomfort with physical touch (which was very relatable).
These two truly deserved the world, and I’m so happy they found each other.
And the found family in this book? It gave me life. I’m already so excited to continue with the rest of the series 🤭
“I’m so happy we’re here”🥹
Did it need to be almost 600 pages? Probably not. And yes, the writing has its flaws. But this is one of those cases where the story and the characters completely win you over. Daniel and Josefine have genuinely embedded themselves into my soul 😭
Daniel… my pathetically down-bad, acts-of-service, falls-first-and-falls-hard golden retriever of a man. I am so sorry, Daniel Jesus Garcia—I was very unfamiliar with your game. If you know me, you know this is exactly my type. He must have went to the same university as my other favorite short-stop, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing sad boy, Isaiah MF Rhodes, so you already know I was seated.
And let’s talk about the mouth on this man… absolutely filthy. Lord have mercy 😮💨 But at the same time he’s meal-prepping for her because she forgets to eat?? Sir. I’m unwell. 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Now Josie—my girl, my black cat, my soul sister. I adored her. Watching her character arc, seeing her slowly work through her insecurities and learn to let people in, was so beautiful. She grows so much throughout the story while still staying completely true to who she is. And I especially loved how patient Dani was with her, particularly when it came to her discomfort with physical touch (which was very relatable).
These two truly deserved the world, and I’m so happy they found each other.
And the found family in this book? It gave me life. I’m already so excited to continue with the rest of the series 🤭
“I’m so happy we’re here”🥹
September 15, 2025
“You know, you are loving. Don’t ever feel like you’re not. I don’t need you to be loud about loving me or do big gestures to show me that you do. I know that you do, in the way you hold me, how you see me, how you let me in, how you accept me for me. You are loving, Josefine, and I’m privileged to be the one you choose to love.”
4.5 stars !
When I tell you the last 20% of this book made me physically ill. Somebody give me Daniel Garcia because I need that man.
Anywayssss before you read PLEASE look at the tw because this book is heavy from the first chapter. The author handled all of the topics with care and the story was so wonderfully crafted.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say other than it’s probably the best romance book I’ve read all year (tied with gloves off I think…) the acts of service and love between the characters was unmatched.
Now I can’t forget about Angel because he was just an AMAZING character. That next book better be about him and Pen (also I am sat for a book about Noah)
4.5 stars !
When I tell you the last 20% of this book made me physically ill. Somebody give me Daniel Garcia because I need that man.
Anywayssss before you read PLEASE look at the tw because this book is heavy from the first chapter. The author handled all of the topics with care and the story was so wonderfully crafted.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say other than it’s probably the best romance book I’ve read all year (tied with gloves off I think…) the acts of service and love between the characters was unmatched.
Now I can’t forget about Angel because he was just an AMAZING character. That next book better be about him and Pen (also I am sat for a book about Noah)
October 2, 2025
tiktok stop lying to me
October 19, 2025
it was just so boring and im annoyed because look how hot he is on the cover
August 12, 2025
4.5☆
i had the pleasure of reading this as an arc. as someone who fell in love with a few characters from e. salvador’s previous work, this meant so much to me.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
daniel garcia and josefine resendiz. two of the most relatable characters that i have had the pleasure of reading about. these two absolutely found their way into my heart and they’ll remain there. i fell in love with the both of them and the strength and resilience they both showed throughout the book.
daniel, my angel baby. one of the most angelic characters i have ever read about. he’s one of the most selfless individuals; constantly putting those he loves above himself, going above and beyond for those he cares for. always plastering on a smile so he doesn’t have to show how he truly feels. seeing the growth and the ability he has had to overcome the grief and the guilt he experienced after his brothers death is everything, he deserved his happy ending.
and josefine, my black cat. i absolutely adore her inside and out. she went from being alone and not really having anyone to truly having the best group of people in her life. i am so happy that daniel never gave up on her because she needed him, as he needed her. seeing her open her heart to him and the friendships she has built warmed my heart.
these two are so adorable. an acts of service king he is. a man that cooked for her because she lived off of takeout and frozen meals. a man who left post-it notes around her house to remind her he was happy she was there and she deserved good things. a man who would buy her flowers just because, and always replace them whenever they died. a man who kept a gem that she had on her makeup in his wallet just because it was hers. a man who bought her a teddy bear because she never had one growing up. just a man, truly what he is.
── .✦
”I see you, Jos.”
”I want you to know that I see you too.”
i had the pleasure of reading this as an arc. as someone who fell in love with a few characters from e. salvador’s previous work, this meant so much to me.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
daniel garcia and josefine resendiz. two of the most relatable characters that i have had the pleasure of reading about. these two absolutely found their way into my heart and they’ll remain there. i fell in love with the both of them and the strength and resilience they both showed throughout the book.
daniel, my angel baby. one of the most angelic characters i have ever read about. he’s one of the most selfless individuals; constantly putting those he loves above himself, going above and beyond for those he cares for. always plastering on a smile so he doesn’t have to show how he truly feels. seeing the growth and the ability he has had to overcome the grief and the guilt he experienced after his brothers death is everything, he deserved his happy ending.
and josefine, my black cat. i absolutely adore her inside and out. she went from being alone and not really having anyone to truly having the best group of people in her life. i am so happy that daniel never gave up on her because she needed him, as he needed her. seeing her open her heart to him and the friendships she has built warmed my heart.
these two are so adorable. an acts of service king he is. a man that cooked for her because she lived off of takeout and frozen meals. a man who left post-it notes around her house to remind her he was happy she was there and she deserved good things. a man who would buy her flowers just because, and always replace them whenever they died. a man who kept a gem that she had on her makeup in his wallet just because it was hers. a man who bought her a teddy bear because she never had one growing up. just a man, truly what he is.
── .✦
”I see you, Jos.”
”I want you to know that I see you too.”
October 2, 2025
3.75⭐️ Randomly picked this book completely based on the cover, and I was pleasantly surprised!! An extremely deep + emotional romance (with a lot of heavy topics) between two college students Josefine and Daniel. Both struggle a lot with metal health problems: grief, depression, suicidal thoughts, etc., most of the book surrounds these topics.
While I enjoyed the book, the use of mental health carried a lot in the progression of the story. This resulted in a lot of repetitive dialogue and scenes, it was a lot of telling you how the characters feel (over and over and over again) in the same exact words/phrases. It could have been condensed into fewer pages by removing all the repetition. I enjoyed the relationship between the Josefine and Daniel, as well as the friendships/side characters, I just wish there was a little more to the story.
While I enjoyed the book, the use of mental health carried a lot in the progression of the story. This resulted in a lot of repetitive dialogue and scenes, it was a lot of telling you how the characters feel (over and over and over again) in the same exact words/phrases. It could have been condensed into fewer pages by removing all the repetition. I enjoyed the relationship between the Josefine and Daniel, as well as the friendships/side characters, I just wish there was a little more to the story.
January 7, 2026
✨🌼💛
5 Strictly Yours Stars
💛🌼✨
Excuse me. I need everyone to read this book right now. If this doesn't make "the best of 2025" lists by the end of the year I will be very surprised. This was an experience. An emotional, sweet, vulnerable, adorable, funny, sexy, angsty, beautiful experience. Did this book make me cry? Yes, yes it did. And I'd do it again. Loved the sports backdrop, the Hispanic representation, the banter, the angst, the bilingual characters (hero also speaks Italian), the character growth, the music playlists, the comfort and healing, the tight-knit Mexican family, the immigrant experience. BASEBALL THIGHS! Iykyk. I could go on. The pining was 10/10, the bantering among the teammates was 10/10, the evolution from tentative friends to "I need you" love was 10/10. This book deals with mental health so just know that before going in. The first chapter is very emotional so check trigger warnings. Josephine Resendiz is struggling badly and in a really bad place when Daniel Garcia finds her on the cliffside on Christmas Eve where he insists on being her friend. They keep running into each other after that and their journey goes from there.
I normally am not a fan of black cat x golden retriever dynamics because feelings feel one sided and I don't particularly like grumpy heroines. In fact, I avoid them like the plague but Josie was one of those rare exceptions. Her vulnerability, loneliness and grief just grabs at you and you are rooting for her. She's guarded and standoffish for good reason and greatly misunderstood but she has a soft heart. Seeing her slowly find her confidence again and soak up love and affection that she's starving for was very satisfying to see. I loved this girl so much. She's not bubbly but learns what she likes and gives it back tenfold. She thinks she's not worth anybody's time but she really is and the hero (and her new circle of friends) makes sure she knows her worth. She's only known the cold detachment of a mother who treated her like a nuisance and friends who bailed on her and a boyfriend who treated her like shit. So kindness and sincerity is very hard for Josephine to accept. I love that all Danny wanted to do was be her friend first and make her smile and just be a listening ear. This is very much a strangers -> friends -> lovers romance. Nothing is skipped over. It's the kind of slow burn I liiiiiiive for. He's her champion and while he's very intrigued by her and is falling for her he very much wants to be her friend first and foremost. And which is reason #34567 why Daniel Garcia is book boyfriend material and why I adored him so much. Lord this hero was so loveable and memorable. He's very much a golden retriever and the good guy who puts his own feelings last which breaks your heart given all the grief he's carrying around. I loved that even though the heroine has her walls up she validates his feelings and doesn't push back once feelings are verbalized which is usually the dynamic you get from reverse grumpy x sunshine/black cat x golden retriever trope, which was another surprise for me. Did I mention I like being surprised?
Honestly this book kinda kept me on my toes as there were so many moving parts and places E. Salvador could have taken this and she kept surprising me. You have the 2 conniving ex's (h's ex & hr's ex) who keep sniffing around that made me really nervous they would play a part in the conflict and I'm so glad they didn't. The only conflict is internal, not external. This is very much a comfort love story about finding not just your person but yourself and healing. Both characters are dealing with grief and not handling it well. Josie lost her mother and still coming to terms with it since her mother treated her like an athlete rather than a daughter who needed love. Danny is still grieving over his brother and hiding it from everyone and doing a poor job of facing it. He's struggling with survivor's guilt and gets severe panic attacks. Danny is deathly scared of water and that's where our heroine comes in trying to teach him to swim. Josie, a former Olympian swimmer who quit the swim team is now a swim teacher for kids. I loved how serious yet patient she was about wanting to teach Danny how to swim to protect himself. They respect each others boundaries so well it's really sweet.
There's just so much to immerse yourself with in this book I don't even know where to start. Just to clarify since I'm shit with reviewing books I love, while this does deal with grief this is very much a comfort romance and filled with so many sweet happy moments that have you grinning ear to ear. I loved that both the hero and heroine are athletes. Danny is a shortstop baseball player and captain of his team at his university and hoping to make the MLB once he graduates. Josie is a former Olympic swimmer whose mother was a famous Olympian swimmer. While both Danny and Josie are Latino, the way they were raised and environment they grew up in couldn't be any more different. Danny and his siblings grew up in a loving yet humble home with strict parents who worked hard to put food on the table and ended up starting a successful business selling Mexican bread (their Bakery truck sounded so fun and delicious!). While Josie was raised by a mother who was very bitter about being a single mom and trained her daughter as an athlete rather than a daughter and lived in a fancy seaside house that lacks color or warmth and strict rules to keep it spotless at all times (I'm pretty sure the mother had some kind of OCD complex with how obsessed she was about cleaning). I just wanted to give Josie a hug so bad, you could feel this girl's isolation and loneliness so much. Danny teaching her how to create her own space and decorate her home was great to see. While this does check off tropes we all love to see it didn't feel like a checklist while reading it if that makes sense. Characters don't act OOC just to check off a cutesy trope, everything feels earned. The author does a really great job of making scenes feel so original, unique and intentional. Salvador really paints the picture and it really helps you dive right into the story and these characters' heads. While I do think this needed another round of editing considering some awkward wording and grammar issues, I am very impressed with the heart, depth and emotions she pulled out.
There were so many faucets of this book that worked for me. From Danny's sweet disposition who wants to make everyone happy from his family to his teammates and best friends but carrying a huge burden and guilt on his shoulders that he's trying very hard to hide. You see the slow cracks and fissures build up over time so the 3rd act conflict that comes to head doesn't feel like a nasty surprise. Also, I was obsessed with the height difference here considering both are tall (6' 5 and 5' 10). I adore Danny's friends/teammates and can't wait to see what E. Salvador has in store for them. Angel, Noah, Kai and Grayson cracked me up and the group text messages was delightful. All these guys are scene stealers. This is the kind of sport romances I love, the teammates camaraderie, the goofy ribbing and just being there for each other. I also appreciated the diversity to the group of guys. Really curious to see who is gonna be paired up with who but I already get a feeling I know who Angel's heroine is if the hints here were anything to go by. Also, the way music is used throughout this book was a great choice and just *chef's kiss*. This managed to do exactly what I was hoping to get in Rewind It Back (which was marketed around music) but failed catastrophically. This is how you utilize music and songs to invoke culture, memories, nostalgia and feelings. The songs played in the background or mentioned really heightened the emotions, the culture and college party atmosphere. Anyways I've rambled enough, READ THIS BOOK PLEASE.
Trigger warnings:
“I’m so happy you’re here, Josefine.”
Excuse me. I need everyone to read this book right now. If this doesn't make "the best of 2025" lists by the end of the year I will be very surprised. This was an experience. An emotional, sweet, vulnerable, adorable, funny, sexy, angsty, beautiful experience. Did this book make me cry? Yes, yes it did. And I'd do it again. Loved the sports backdrop, the Hispanic representation, the banter, the angst, the bilingual characters (hero also speaks Italian), the character growth, the music playlists, the comfort and healing, the tight-knit Mexican family, the immigrant experience. BASEBALL THIGHS! Iykyk. I could go on. The pining was 10/10, the bantering among the teammates was 10/10, the evolution from tentative friends to "I need you" love was 10/10. This book deals with mental health so just know that before going in. The first chapter is very emotional so check trigger warnings. Josephine Resendiz is struggling badly and in a really bad place when Daniel Garcia finds her on the cliffside on Christmas Eve where he insists on being her friend. They keep running into each other after that and their journey goes from there.
He stares at me like I'm his most prized possession, something delicate, something important to him. And I hate that because I'm not special, yet he makes me feel like I am.
“I care so deeply for you and it’s not because of how we met. I care for you more than I care about anything or anyone. I need you to understand that I’d do anything for you. I need you to understand that I don’t regret what I did and wouldn’t change anything about it.”
“Please stay you. I like your soft heart. You have this thing where you see the good in things. I don't want that to change about you.”
“Say something to me,” I say before he gets the chance to get a word out.
“Sto facendo di tutto per non baciarti in questo momento.”
“I needed this. I needed you,” he murmurs against my chest, the deep rasp of his voice vibrating against me.
“It’s just a hug,” I heedlessly reply.
“A hug that came from you. This is all I wanted.”
“Because, Josefine, you’ve rewired the way I feel touch. Touching anyone that isn’t you feels overwhelming and so wrong. It’s like my brain can’t process that it’s not you. I don’t know how to make sense of that but I don’t want to touch anyone that isn’t you. You’re incomparable.
“You’re a big deal to me, so I’m going to make it one. And I want you to be clingy, just for once, be clingy for me, Jos.”
I normally am not a fan of black cat x golden retriever dynamics because feelings feel one sided and I don't particularly like grumpy heroines. In fact, I avoid them like the plague but Josie was one of those rare exceptions. Her vulnerability, loneliness and grief just grabs at you and you are rooting for her. She's guarded and standoffish for good reason and greatly misunderstood but she has a soft heart. Seeing her slowly find her confidence again and soak up love and affection that she's starving for was very satisfying to see. I loved this girl so much. She's not bubbly but learns what she likes and gives it back tenfold. She thinks she's not worth anybody's time but she really is and the hero (and her new circle of friends) makes sure she knows her worth. She's only known the cold detachment of a mother who treated her like a nuisance and friends who bailed on her and a boyfriend who treated her like shit. So kindness and sincerity is very hard for Josephine to accept. I love that all Danny wanted to do was be her friend first and make her smile and just be a listening ear. This is very much a strangers -> friends -> lovers romance. Nothing is skipped over. It's the kind of slow burn I liiiiiiive for. He's her champion and while he's very intrigued by her and is falling for her he very much wants to be her friend first and foremost. And which is reason #34567 why Daniel Garcia is book boyfriend material and why I adored him so much. Lord this hero was so loveable and memorable. He's very much a golden retriever and the good guy who puts his own feelings last which breaks your heart given all the grief he's carrying around. I loved that even though the heroine has her walls up she validates his feelings and doesn't push back once feelings are verbalized which is usually the dynamic you get from reverse grumpy x sunshine/black cat x golden retriever trope, which was another surprise for me. Did I mention I like being surprised?
He's only staring at me like I'm everything he's prayed for.
Honestly this book kinda kept me on my toes as there were so many moving parts and places E. Salvador could have taken this and she kept surprising me. You have the 2 conniving ex's (h's ex & hr's ex) who keep sniffing around that made me really nervous they would play a part in the conflict and I'm so glad they didn't. The only conflict is internal, not external. This is very much a comfort love story about finding not just your person but yourself and healing. Both characters are dealing with grief and not handling it well. Josie lost her mother and still coming to terms with it since her mother treated her like an athlete rather than a daughter who needed love. Danny is still grieving over his brother and hiding it from everyone and doing a poor job of facing it. He's struggling with survivor's guilt and gets severe panic attacks. Danny is deathly scared of water and that's where our heroine comes in trying to teach him to swim. Josie, a former Olympian swimmer who quit the swim team is now a swim teacher for kids. I loved how serious yet patient she was about wanting to teach Danny how to swim to protect himself. They respect each others boundaries so well it's really sweet.
She gives me an okay sign, her eyes shining with mirth.
Dios, no tengo suficientes palabras para explicar qué tan hermosa es.
“Please, Josefine, just say it once. Only once, that’s all I want. Please say it,” he pleads incessantly and then switches to Spanish. My weakness.
“Por favor dímelo. Nomás una vez. Hago lo que tú quieras.”
There's just so much to immerse yourself with in this book I don't even know where to start. Just to clarify since I'm shit with reviewing books I love, while this does deal with grief this is very much a comfort romance and filled with so many sweet happy moments that have you grinning ear to ear. I loved that both the hero and heroine are athletes. Danny is a shortstop baseball player and captain of his team at his university and hoping to make the MLB once he graduates. Josie is a former Olympic swimmer whose mother was a famous Olympian swimmer. While both Danny and Josie are Latino, the way they were raised and environment they grew up in couldn't be any more different. Danny and his siblings grew up in a loving yet humble home with strict parents who worked hard to put food on the table and ended up starting a successful business selling Mexican bread (their Bakery truck sounded so fun and delicious!). While Josie was raised by a mother who was very bitter about being a single mom and trained her daughter as an athlete rather than a daughter and lived in a fancy seaside house that lacks color or warmth and strict rules to keep it spotless at all times (I'm pretty sure the mother had some kind of OCD complex with how obsessed she was about cleaning). I just wanted to give Josie a hug so bad, you could feel this girl's isolation and loneliness so much. Danny teaching her how to create her own space and decorate her home was great to see. While this does check off tropes we all love to see it didn't feel like a checklist while reading it if that makes sense. Characters don't act OOC just to check off a cutesy trope, everything feels earned. The author does a really great job of making scenes feel so original, unique and intentional. Salvador really paints the picture and it really helps you dive right into the story and these characters' heads. While I do think this needed another round of editing considering some awkward wording and grammar issues, I am very impressed with the heart, depth and emotions she pulled out.
I cup his cheek, rubbing slow, gentle circles. “You’re not alone, Daniel.” And I’ve never felt more seen. But does he feel seen? “I’m here,” I opt for saying instead of asking.
His eyes have always been so bright; I never noticed the shadow hiding behind them. It feels like a stage lighting tech, who makes sure the spotlight is on everyone, making sure they’re getting enough of it while he stands in the background. The shadows.
There were so many faucets of this book that worked for me. From Danny's sweet disposition who wants to make everyone happy from his family to his teammates and best friends but carrying a huge burden and guilt on his shoulders that he's trying very hard to hide. You see the slow cracks and fissures build up over time so the 3rd act conflict that comes to head doesn't feel like a nasty surprise. Also, I was obsessed with the height difference here considering both are tall (6' 5 and 5' 10). I adore Danny's friends/teammates and can't wait to see what E. Salvador has in store for them. Angel, Noah, Kai and Grayson cracked me up and the group text messages was delightful. All these guys are scene stealers. This is the kind of sport romances I love, the teammates camaraderie, the goofy ribbing and just being there for each other. I also appreciated the diversity to the group of guys. Really curious to see who is gonna be paired up with who but I already get a feeling I know who Angel's heroine is if the hints here were anything to go by. Also, the way music is used throughout this book was a great choice and just *chef's kiss*. This managed to do exactly what I was hoping to get in Rewind It Back (which was marketed around music) but failed catastrophically. This is how you utilize music and songs to invoke culture, memories, nostalgia and feelings. The songs played in the background or mentioned really heightened the emotions, the culture and college party atmosphere. Anyways I've rambled enough, READ THIS BOOK PLEASE.
“I know fate is real. I know because you exist.”
Trigger warnings:
January 9, 2026
rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
It's been a HOT minute since I've read a GOOD romance book. This was phenomenal.
This book has me believing in love again. I'm beyond obsessed. I was not expecting this beautiful and emotional love story. I was giggling and kicking my feet, and at other times I was in a puddle of tears. Crying so hard I couldn't even continue reading the book. It's such a beautiful yet heartbreaking story. I would HIGHLY recommend checking the TWs because this book deals with some heavy topics.
I can't even continue writing this review because I'm just so emotional over this book. I'll come back and finish this one day.
It's been a HOT minute since I've read a GOOD romance book. This was phenomenal.
This book has me believing in love again. I'm beyond obsessed. I was not expecting this beautiful and emotional love story. I was giggling and kicking my feet, and at other times I was in a puddle of tears. Crying so hard I couldn't even continue reading the book. It's such a beautiful yet heartbreaking story. I would HIGHLY recommend checking the TWs because this book deals with some heavy topics.
I can't even continue writing this review because I'm just so emotional over this book. I'll come back and finish this one day.
December 7, 2025
me and romance books that deal with grief are like this 🤞🏻
i have such a soft spot for romances that address big feelings and all the complex human emotions we are constantly battling and this one gave me it tenfold! i ate it up. i loved how with daniel and josie we got to see two opposites sides on how grief can be.
as someone who tends to avoid thicker books, this one served it to showed me pretty efficiently that when it’s needed and well used, a bigger story can be perfectly done. every page felt so important to their own character’s arc and their development as a couple.
i really really loved this story and i’m SO excited for the future books from the series! i already can’t wait to revisit josie and daniel from other character’s pov. andddd i feel like i must read all e. salvador’s books now!
i have such a soft spot for romances that address big feelings and all the complex human emotions we are constantly battling and this one gave me it tenfold! i ate it up. i loved how with daniel and josie we got to see two opposites sides on how grief can be.
as someone who tends to avoid thicker books, this one served it to showed me pretty efficiently that when it’s needed and well used, a bigger story can be perfectly done. every page felt so important to their own character’s arc and their development as a couple.
i really really loved this story and i’m SO excited for the future books from the series! i already can’t wait to revisit josie and daniel from other character’s pov. andddd i feel like i must read all e. salvador’s books now!
December 17, 2025
If you know me you know I’m a sucker for a relatable or emotional read. This was definitely both for me.
The beginning starts off strong and had me hooked, but somewhere in the middle it began to feel a little long and repetitive. However, I REALLY enjoyed the story and what it conveyed. I love that the author dove into grief, the ptsd that it can bring, and even how non-linear healing from it is. I loved that she showed through Daniel how heavy and damaging it can be to always feel like you have to be strong and put together.
Also, the epilogue?! Very cute and makes me wonder which one of Daniel’s friends the next book will be about. Very excited to read more
The beginning starts off strong and had me hooked, but somewhere in the middle it began to feel a little long and repetitive. However, I REALLY enjoyed the story and what it conveyed. I love that the author dove into grief, the ptsd that it can bring, and even how non-linear healing from it is. I loved that she showed through Daniel how heavy and damaging it can be to always feel like you have to be strong and put together.
Also, the epilogue?! Very cute and makes me wonder which one of Daniel’s friends the next book will be about. Very excited to read more
March 7, 2026
first 5★ read of the year!!😭😭😭😭
dannyjosie i love you so so so much!! this book hooked me since the very first chapter. it was so much more than just a college sports romance. it's emotionally heavy but it's so beautiful and healing to read about danny and josie.
dannyjosie i love you so so so much!! this book hooked me since the very first chapter. it was so much more than just a college sports romance. it's emotionally heavy but it's so beautiful and healing to read about danny and josie.
February 11, 2026
₊˚⛅.ೃ࿔*:🌻･ A college romance ft. a grumpy former swimmer and a sunshine baseball player ₊˚⛅.ೃ࿔*:🌻･
I got to read Please Don't Go, my second E. Salvador book, and yeah it was so peak. I absolutely loved everything. The page count might be something scary for many readers, but to be honest, it doesn't feel that much! As soon as you start reading, the pages go by so fast and you finish chapter after chapter, wanting to read more and more. The story of Josefine and Daniel is so soft and I seriously loved every minute spent reading about them ☾𖤓
If you love grumpy girl x sunshine boy trope, this book is IT. It does it so well! You have a grumpy sad girl who barely smiles and when she does she starts doing it with him. She's lonely after her mom died and has basically no one, so she doesn't feel like she has any reason to keep living. One night, Daniel finds her ready to jump off a cliff and manages to bring her back from the edge. That's the beginning of the story. Because of the content inside the book, definitely keep in mind that there is suicidal ideation, dead of a loved one, and that the heroine does try to kill herself at the beginning of the story. I don't want anyone to come into the book expecting a cute romcom when it's not. The heaviness of these topics is very much present throughout the whole book, on both characters.
The romance itself is very soft and warm though. There's barely any big issue trying to sabotage their relationship. Yeah, there are some things here and there but I definitely think that these two are so solid and as a reader you get the sense that nothing will ever mess this up! I did love the angst of them not knowing or not believing, really, that they could have feelings for each other - ooof that was so good. I love that it didn't even cross their heads that the other could feel the same so in that sense you can expect miscommunication lmao but it's a good miscommunication because they just feel sad while you as a reader know they love each other so much ☼.°༄
For the ones who love a clingy boyfriend who resembles a Golden Retriever, this one is for you.
I got to read Please Don't Go, my second E. Salvador book, and yeah it was so peak. I absolutely loved everything. The page count might be something scary for many readers, but to be honest, it doesn't feel that much! As soon as you start reading, the pages go by so fast and you finish chapter after chapter, wanting to read more and more. The story of Josefine and Daniel is so soft and I seriously loved every minute spent reading about them ☾𖤓
If you love grumpy girl x sunshine boy trope, this book is IT. It does it so well! You have a grumpy sad girl who barely smiles and when she does she starts doing it with him. She's lonely after her mom died and has basically no one, so she doesn't feel like she has any reason to keep living. One night, Daniel finds her ready to jump off a cliff and manages to bring her back from the edge. That's the beginning of the story. Because of the content inside the book, definitely keep in mind that there is suicidal ideation, dead of a loved one, and that the heroine does try to kill herself at the beginning of the story. I don't want anyone to come into the book expecting a cute romcom when it's not. The heaviness of these topics is very much present throughout the whole book, on both characters.
The romance itself is very soft and warm though. There's barely any big issue trying to sabotage their relationship. Yeah, there are some things here and there but I definitely think that these two are so solid and as a reader you get the sense that nothing will ever mess this up! I did love the angst of them not knowing or not believing, really, that they could have feelings for each other - ooof that was so good. I love that it didn't even cross their heads that the other could feel the same so in that sense you can expect miscommunication lmao but it's a good miscommunication because they just feel sad while you as a reader know they love each other so much ☼.°༄
For the ones who love a clingy boyfriend who resembles a Golden Retriever, this one is for you.
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