I feel more and more like I was made for you: LOVE IN FOCUS.

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a surprisingly good read--it was different and cute! I loved how it didn't follow all the predictable romance paths while still talking about tropes.

Gemma's boyfriend of seven years suddenly breaks up with her, just as she's assigned to write a story about modern love at the magazine where she works. Then she's paired with a photographer who just happens to be her ex-girlfriend, Celeste, who broke up with her college and disappeared without a word.

At first I thought this was going to be one of those annoying romances where our duo dances around their misunderstanding (the college breakup) without ever discussing what really happened. But, instead, these two actually talk to one another and resolve their miscommunication fairly quickly. It was very refreshing!

Celeste and Gemma have a crackling tension between them from the moment they reunite. The writing is pretty basic, but it's a sweet story. Not to mention, the representation is excellent: bisexual and lesbian characters, along with Asian rep. Both Celeste and Gemma are real people and neither are a jerk. Each have jobs, with their workplace depicted in fairly realistic terms. Yes, they have a backstory but it doesn't dominate the entire plot. Same with their emotional trauma, which doesn't fully overshadow everything. They have friends and believe in therapy. How lovely!

The story also alternates between Gemma (first person) and Celeste (third person) which is a nice twist and gives us a unique perspective into both women's thoughts.

Overall, this is a lovely second chance romance, brimming with great tension and two lovable characters!

I received a copy of this book from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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