Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins is a sweet story about being one’s true self. I loved the complex choices the main characters are presented with, and the representation throughout the book is fantastic. This one has been pitched as YA How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, so if you love this type of rom com, this is definitely one to check out!
Title: Bad at LoveAuthor: Gabriela Martins
Publisher: Underlined
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: August 30, 2022
Rating:
Ever since Daniel moved to L.A. from Brazil to join the band Mischief & Mayhem, he’s become the tabloids’ bad boy. Paparazzi follow him and girls swoon over him . . . except for Sasha, who hates bad boys. When a chance encounter brings them together, Sasha sees an opportunity to get close to Daniel and write a story that will make a name for herself at the celebrity gossip magazine where she interns. But Daniel is surprisingly sweet and extremely cute—could she be falling for him?
The truth is: Daniel is hiding something. When Sasha discovers his secret, will she follow her heart or deliver the hottest story of the summer?
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❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins
After moving to LA to join a boy band, Daniel finds himself swarmed by the paparazzi. When he’s photographed with Sasha, a journalist, while trying to hide from the cameras, Sasha is given a complicated opportunity: get close to Daniel and write about him, and in exchange, she’ll receive a major scholarship to fund her college education. At the same time, Daniel’s bandmates make a deal that if he can keep dating Sasha for the entire summer, they’ll put the song he helped write back on the album. However, as Sasha gets to know the real Daniel, she realizes that his bad boy image is not true to life and must make some difficult decisions about what she truly wants, all while confronting the secrets they keep from each other.
❀ Lovable Main Characters
This book has such lovable main characters, and I enjoyed both Daniel’s and Sasha’s internal conflict. In the band, Daniel has a reputation as the bad boy, but while both the media and his own bandmates are convinced that he’s a player, he’s the opposite of his image: a sweet, demisexual guy who loves rom coms and crochet. I especially felt for Daniel as the dynamic within his band is explored. He is a last-minute addition, and he doesn’t always feel like part of the group. In Sasha’s case, she faces some difficult decisions as she is presented with an opportunity she can’t easily pass up. As the chance to afford going to college–and the chance to follow her dreams–means going behind Daniel’s back, the story becomes tense as Sasha tries to figure out what it means to follow her heart. Through both of these characters, there are rich conversations about identity, and I loved the casual representation throughout the book as a whole.
❀ A Heartfelt Story
Bad at Love by Gabriele Martins is a heartfelt story about identity and chasing your dreams. I loved the concept of a journalist and a musician, and the main characters are well-developed. This is a short and sweet read that is perfect for those looking for something a little more lighthearted.
QUOTES: Bad at Love by Gabriela Martins
“I should be the one getting the exclusive. But you can’t get the shot when you’re part of it.”
“Ready or not, it’s time to find out if Cinderella has any interest in me after midnight.”
About Gabriela Martins
Gabriela Martins is a Brazilian kidlit author and linguist. Her stories feature Brazilian characters finding themselves and love. She was a high school teacher and has also worked as a TED Ed-Club facilitator, where she helped teens develop their own talks in TED format. She edited and self-published a pro-bono LGBTQ+ anthology (Keep Faith) with all funds going to queer people in need. When she's not writing, she can be found cuddling with her two cats or singing loudly and off-key. Gabriela is the author of Like a Love Song.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
I really feel for Sasha and the choices she has to make!
Yes! It is definitely an interesting storyline! 🙂
The main character sounds great. Also, the cover gives us major Mean Girls vibes.
For sure!! I get that, too! 🙂
I’m so happy you loved this one because I want to read it! I was hoping for NG approval but looks like I’ll be getting it from my library. Great review!
I hope that your library has a copy! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Great review, Olivia! I had no idea that Gabriela Martins had released another book. I’m so out of the loop! But it sounds like a really wonderful read.
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…My Favorites Books That I Read This Summer!
Thanks, Stephanie! I feel that!! 🙂
interesting characters
For sure! 🙂
I feel like this is the first I’ve heard of this one, and based on your review I’ll have to check it out! Great review! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature) recently posted…ARC Review: A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
I hope that you love it, Lisa! 🙂
This sounds like a very good read!
this looks and sounds super sweet
thanks for your review. sounds interesting.
thanks for your review. this sounds like a good book my son used to love to color, draw patterns for me to count cross stitch, sew, read and make paper airplane’s and models. now in his thirties he still loves to read (a lot) and his passion is sewing. he sews for WW2 and Civil War reenacting for mens cloths. he has become a seamstress in his own right and is well respected in the reenacting community for his thoughts to details and providing great clothing
I love the cover. It sets the mood for the book.