Book Review­: Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins – A Top-Tier Celebrity Fake-Dating Romance that is Fluffy as it is Sweet and Sensitive

Synopsis:

Fake boyfriend. Real heartbreak?

Natalie is living her dream: topping the charts and setting records as a Brazilian pop star…until she’s dumped spectacularly on live television. Not only is it humiliating—it could end her career.

Her PR team’s desperate plan? A gorgeous yet oh-so-fake boyfriend. Nati reluctantly agrees, but William is not what she expected. She was hoping for a fierce bad boy—not a soft-hearted British indie film star. While she fights her way back to the top with a sweet and surprisingly swoon-worthy boy on her arm, she starts to fall for William—and realizes that maybe she’s the biggest fake of them all. Can she reclaim her voice and her heart?

Reading Like a Love Song felt like a big warm hug. I think I spent most of my time reading this book grinning from ear to ear. It was just so delightful, fun, and fluffy – the perfect balm for any bad or heavy day – and I can confidently say that this will be a romance that I will recommend for years to come.

Book Recommendations – 12 Wholesome, Healing Reads for a Sad Day

In case you’re new to the Pond’s book recommendation posts, the recommendation posts are brought to you by Varian, the Pond’s very own Toadshifter who is knowledgeable in all kinds of magic! One of Varian’s ambitions is to get better at sewing, hence why whenever Varian has come up with their latest costume, they will always recommend a few books that inspired them!

Reading can be hard. When life becomes overwhelming and the world starts falling apart around us, sometimes we don’t really want our stories to also be about a squad of rebellious teens leading revolutions and defending the world from apocalyptic threats or corrupt governments. Sometimes, we just need a story to help us be warm for a while, to be soft places to land.

Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Gabriela Martins, Author of Like a Love Song – On Writing Romance for Teens, Queer Friend Groups, & Belonging

Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.

Pride Month is a month-long event at The Quiet Pond, where during the month of June, queer authors and bookish content creators are invited to celebrate being queer, queer books, and their experiences of being a queer reader. Find the introduction post for Pride Month at The Quiet Pond here.

Hello friend, and welcome back to our vibrant Pride Month series here at The Quiet Pond! We’re starting off our lineup of interviews this year with a very special guest, whose delightful debut will be the perfect queer summer read come August—especially if you’re a romantic at heart like we are. Today, we have the honor of hosting an interview with the lovely Gabriela Martins, who is here to talk about her upcoming queer Latine YA romance Like a Love Song!