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Matias and Claire give us an opposites-attract, second-chance romance (with a hefty dash of magical realism). It is a romance where Claire is the buttoned-up professional who has to have everything in order and doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks. Matias is a chaotic artist who embraces life and new things. They “meet cute” at an art gallery, and quickly find themselves in a relationship. Their relationship ends up being tested by tragedy when Matias has a life-threatening accident on a trip back home to Spain, Claire has to do what initially seems like an impossibility – make Matias fall in love with her all over again. Except this time, his life (and their love) is on the line.

I loved the growth of Claire’s character, and how she finally learns to crack open more of herself in the journey to save Matias. I also loved the moments we got from Matias’ POV as their initial love story unfolded in New York. Where things fell apart for me a bit was having extra POVs from Matias’ family members. The timeline jumps from the past with Matias’ POV and the present with Claire’s POV also pulled me out of the storyline. This story was both too much (extra information of viewpoints that did not add to the main love story arc) and not enough (I wanted more time with Claire and Matias before and after the incident). It didn’t feel as if we had enough time to invest in the love between these characters and the evolution of their relationship.

I liked the story and the idea of lost souls and second chances. This is a good book to read on the beach in the summer, with a romance that reminds you that even though you may not be perfect, you can still be someone’s “mi media naranja.”

*I read this early as an ARC via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own. Publication date is July 30th, 2024.