Alexis Daria continues to cement her reputation as a master of contemporary Latino romance with A Lot Like Adios, the second installment in her Primas of Power series. Following the success of You Had Me at Hola, which introduced readers to the Rodriguez family dynamics, Daria shifts focus to Michelle Amato’s story while maintaining the series’ signature blend of family drama, cultural authenticity, and swoon-worthy romance. While the upcoming Along Came Amor promises to complete this powerful trilogy, this second book stands as both a worthy successor and a deeply personal exploration of what it means to return home.
The Heart of the Story: More Than Just a Second-Chance Romance
Michelle Amato has built a successful freelance graphic design business after burning out from corporate life, but her love life remains conspicuously empty. Enter Gabriel “Gabe” Aguilar, her childhood best friend who disappeared from her life thirteen years ago when he left the Bronx for Los Angeles. When Gabe’s celebrity gym needs a marketing campaign for their New York expansion, Michelle finds herself face-to-face with the one man who could make her believe in happily-ever-after again.
What sets A Lot Like Adios apart from typical second-chance romances is Daria’s unflinching examination of how trauma, family expectations, and cultural identity shape our capacity for love. This isn’t simply a story about childhood sweethearts reuniting; it’s a nuanced exploration of two people who must confront the wounds that drove them apart before they can build something lasting together.
The story begins with an email that changes everything: “Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.” Those four simple words carry the weight of thirteen years of silence, and Daria expertly uses this digital reconnection to mirror how modern relationships often begin—tentatively, through screens, before evolving into something real and vulnerable.
Character Development: Flawed, Real, and Utterly Human
Michelle’s Journey: Breaking Free from Emotional Walls
Michelle Amato emerges as one of contemporary romance’s most relatable heroines, precisely because she’s not conventionally heroic. Her struggles with anxiety, her tendency to keep people at emotional arm’s length, and her complicated relationship with her marriage-obsessed family feel authentically drawn rather than contrived for plot convenience.
Daria doesn’t shy away from showing Michelle’s less admirable traits—her stubbornness, her capacity for holding grudges, and her fear of vulnerability. When Michelle tricks Gabe into staying at her parents’ house in the Bronx instead of a Manhattan hotel, readers can simultaneously understand her desperation to keep him close while recognizing the manipulation inherent in her actions.
The author’s treatment of Michelle’s anxiety is particularly noteworthy. Rather than presenting mental health as something that love can “fix,” Daria shows how Michelle’s anxiety medication and coping strategies remain part of her daily routine even as she grows emotionally. This realistic portrayal adds depth to a character who could have easily become a manic pixie dream girl stereotype.
Gabe’s Complexity: Success Doesn’t Heal All Wounds
Gabriel Aguilar’s character arc proves equally compelling, though perhaps more challenging for readers to embrace initially. His success as a gym owner in Los Angeles hasn’t healed the wounds inflicted by his controlling father or his guilt over abandoning Michelle. His return to the Bronx forces him to confront not just his romantic feelings, but his entire relationship with family, identity, and home.
Daria skillfully reveals Gabe’s emotional landscape through his physical responses to familiar places and people. His panic attacks when faced with potential encounters with his parents, his muscle memory of sneaking through backyards, and his automatic switch to Spanish when emotions run high all demonstrate how deeply our origins shape us, regardless of how far we travel.
Cultural Authenticity: The Bronx as Character and Setting
Perhaps nowhere does Daria’s expertise shine more brightly than in her portrayal of Bronx Latino culture. Having grown up in the borough herself, Daria brings authentic detail to everything from family barbecues that spirally into impromptu parties to the specific dynamics of multigenerational households where privacy is a luxury and family business is everyone’s business.
The food descriptions alone—tostones, arroz con gandules, café con leche—serve as more than cultural window dressing. They’re emotional anchors that ground both characters and readers in a specific place and time. When Gabe’s mother makes conchas specifically for his visit, the gesture carries the weight of years of missed meals and unspoken love.
The bilingual dialogue flows naturally throughout the narrative, never feeling forced or performative. Daria trusts her readers to understand emotional context even when specific Spanish phrases aren’t translated, creating an immersive experience that honors the reality of code-switching families.
The Primas of Power Series: Building a Literary Universe
Connection to You Had Me at Hola
While A Lot Like Adios functions as a standalone novel, readers familiar with You Had Me at Hola will appreciate the deeper context provided by Jasmine’s established relationship with Ashton Suarez. The cousins’ dynamic—Ava as the peacemaker, Jasmine as the successful actress, and Michelle as the guarded one—feels lived-in and authentic.
The series structure allows Daria to explore different aspects of modern Latina identity. Where Jasmine’s story in You Had Me at Hola focused on public relationships and career pressures, Michelle’s journey examines the weight of family expectations and the courage required to pursue unconventional paths.
Anticipating Along Came Amor
While Along Came Amor hasn’t been released at the time of this review, A Lot Like Adios effectively sets up Ava’s story through careful character development. Ava’s role as the emotional caretaker of the cousin trio, her recent divorce, and her career as a middle school teacher provide rich ground for exploration in the series finale.
Strengths That Elevate the Narrative
Realistic Family Dynamics
Daria excels at portraying families as complex ecosystems where love and frustration coexist. Michelle’s parents aren’t villains for wanting traditional happiness for their daughter, just as Gabe’s parents aren’t evil for having high expectations. The author’s nuanced approach to generational and cultural conflicts feels refreshingly mature.
The extended family scenes—particularly the quinceañera and the neighborhood barbecue—pulse with authentic energy. These aren’t sanitized family gatherings but chaotic, loud, loving affairs where multiple conversations happen simultaneously and everyone has an opinion about everyone else’s business.
Professional Life Integration
Unlike many romance novels where careers serve merely as plot devices, A Lot Like Adios takes Michelle’s work seriously. Her freelance graphic design business isn’t just a way to pass time until love arrives; it’s a passion project born from corporate burnout and a desire for creative autonomy. Similarly, Gabe’s gym represents his attempt to build something meaningful while escaping family expectations.
The marketing campaign that brings them together provides more than convenient proximity—it becomes a metaphor for rebranding themselves and their relationship.
Areas Where the Story Falters
Pacing Issues in the Middle Third
While the beginning and ending of A Lot Like Adios crackle with energy and emotion, the middle section occasionally feels rushed. The transition from professional collaboration to romantic involvement happens quickly, sometimes at the expense of deeper emotional development.
The fake dating subplot, while entertaining, feels somewhat contrived given the characters’ history. Readers might question why two people with such a complicated past would agree to such an elaborate deception, particularly when Michelle has worked so hard to maintain boundaries with her family.
Repetitive Internal Monologue
Both Michelle and Gabe spend considerable time rehashing the same fears and doubts, particularly regarding their thirteen-year separation. While this reflects realistic anxiety patterns, it occasionally slows narrative momentum. Michelle’s repeated concerns about Gabe leaving again and Gabe’s ongoing guilt about his past choices begin to feel circular.
Convenient External Conflicts
Some plot elements feel designed more for dramatic tension than organic story development. Gabe’s business crisis and the pressure from his investment partner arrive at precisely the right moment to create obstacles, but their resolution feels somewhat rushed and convenient.
Heat Level and Romance Development
Daria demonstrates considerable skill in building sexual tension between characters with complicated history. The author doesn’t rush into physical intimacy, instead allowing emotional connection to develop naturally. When Michelle and Gabe finally reconnect physically, it feels earned rather than gratuitous.
The steam level is appropriately high for contemporary romance, with several detailed intimate scenes that serve character development as well as reader satisfaction. Daria’s approach to writing physical intimacy feels both passionate and respectful, avoiding common pitfalls of unrealistic expectations or problematic dynamics.
Comparison to Contemporary Romance Landscape
A Lot Like Adios occupies similar territory to authors like Adriana Herrera, Priscilla Oliveras, and Sabrina Sol in terms of cultural authenticity and family dynamics. However, Daria’s background in television writing brings particular strengths to dialogue and pacing that set her work apart.
The book shares DNA with Christina Lauren’s contemporary works in terms of emotional depth and Tessa Bailey’s recent output in terms of steam level, while maintaining its own distinct voice and cultural perspective.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Addition to the Latinx Romance Canon
A Lot Like Adios succeeds primarily through the strength of its character development and cultural authenticity. While the plot occasionally relies on convenient coincidences and the pacing isn’t always perfectly calibrated, the emotional core of the story remains compelling throughout.
Daria’s greatest achievement lies in creating characters who feel like real people with complicated histories rather than romance novel archetypes. Michelle and Gabe’s relationship develops with the messiness and uncertainty of actual human connection, making their eventual happiness feel earned rather than inevitable.
Perfect for Readers Who Enjoy
- Second-chance romance with emotional depth
- Authentic Latino family dynamics
- Contemporary romance with professional elements
- Character-driven narratives over plot-heavy stories
- Moderate to high steam level
Best Avoided by Readers Seeking
- Fast-paced adventure or suspense elements
- Minimal family involvement in romantic relationships
- Straightforward romantic development without complications
- Low steam contemporary romance
A Lot Like Adios is a good read for its genuine emotional resonance and cultural authenticity, despite some structural weaknesses. It’s a satisfying middle installment that builds effectively on You Had Me at Hola while setting up what promises to be an engaging conclusion in Along Came Amor. For readers seeking romance that honors the complexity of family, culture, and personal growth, this book delivers exactly what it promises—a love story that feels like coming home.