Reviews

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera

ladysadiereads's review against another edition

4.0

TL/DR Review
Stars: Four and a Half
Series: American Dreamers - Book One
POV: dual first
Steam: medium - multiple intimate scenes, no kink, some dirty talk
Tropes: opposites attract, competence kink, food as love, only exception
For Fans Of: Better Than People by Roan Parrish
Theme Song: You Can’t Hurry Love by the Supremees
Subgenre: contemporary/ Queer
CW/ TW: toxic religious trauma, toxic family trauma, micro-aggressions, racial profiling

jrv45's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

emilyredwood's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

piperclover's review against another edition

I find Nesto as a character annoying especially when he's calling a city council woman derogatory names because she inquired about his permits to be selling food from a food truck. It would be reasonable for her to inquire about that so his sexist response is insufferable.  Maybe this goes on to be a case of racial profiling where this council woman is white and saw this latino man selling food and automatically assumed that it was illegal but I can't stand his reaction so much that I don't even care to find out. 

mixedgirlreading's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Religious bigotry

prebeartobemoosified's review against another edition

2.25

this book was p clunky and i didn’t love the writing, but there were sweet moments. it felt p long. i liked how it focused on the faults/life problems of both of them. there was a surprising amt of, not graphic but definitely described, sex which i don’t have a problem with but was kind of surprising. i thought it would be more of a roan parrish sexing. i liked nesto a lot (even if i thought both of their voices were awkward). i liked his story, i liked his friends. i liked jude too but idk. he felt kind of whiny? 
idk i’m p drawn in and we all know how i feel ab a romance series so i’ll probably read the rest v soon. 
there are better romance series to read i feel. probably the spy one i read last year is my fave. 

elisquared's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

smod's review against another edition

emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

birdabouttown's review against another edition

Just not really caring about these characters

mynameisprerna's review against another edition

4.0

I listened to the audiobook while mostly following along with the e-book.

I really loved the story and the characters, but some of the writing felt stilted and a lot of the sex felt clinical. I know this author is popular, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series with hopes that these facets improve.

Jude and Nesto are two guys who have always deprioritized love.

Spoiler

It was really nice to watch them realize what love could actually be. For example, when the inn backs out on their commitment with his truck, Nesto thinks “Today I’d talked to my mother, to the guys who called to check in, I even talked to Pri, they all tried to cheer me up and got nowhere. A minute of talking to Jude and I was feeling like a different person.”

I read this book as part of the #23for23 challenge to read more books by POC authors about POC characters. One of my favorite parts of this book was how present Nesto’s culture is. While I expected Spanish phrases and Caribbean foods, I especially appreciated the little things

Spoiler

like the discussion about why Nesto is always asking Jude if he’s happy: “Are you happy, baby?” Occasionally Nesto would ask me that out of the blue, at random moments, and I’d say yes automatically, but always thought it was such an odd thing to ask. “I am actually. I feel happy. Why do you always ask me that?” He shrugged. “It’s a Dominican thing I guess. We always ask each other. ¿Estas contento? ¿Te sientes bien? It’s important to ask, if the person you’re with is happy, if they’re okay. Those things shouldn’t be taken for granted.” I looked at him again, his dark eyes so intent on me. “No, they shouldn’t be.”

I loved getting to know this tight knit group of friends.

Spoiler

Jude recognizes and values the intimacy this friend group shares. “In that moment I felt glad for Nesto and a bit sad for myself, because he had people in his life who knew his story. Who understood the ways in which he was strong and the ways in which he wasn’t, and they still loved him. Not despite, but because of it.”

I’m glad we’ll get to continue with them all in subsequent books.