American Love Story by Adriana Herrera (American Dreamers, Book 3)

Thank you to LA Public Library (@lapubliclibrary).

Adriana Herrera has a knack for really spicy romance.

I come to her books for the hot explicit content. Patrice and Easton do not disappoint in that way, at all. Read this book on a chilly day to keep warm. (*fans herself*)

What caught me off-guard, in the best way, was the depth of conversation about the current cultural and political climates. There were many moments that made me look inward and evaluate my biases. The conversations the MCs were having about being an interracial couple with jobs and passions that did not seem like they could co-exist.

I like a HEA, but I love a complex, human, messy, at times sad, love story -Sky

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The “current cultural and political climates” Sky is referring to are the racially motivated traffic stops made against black and brown people by white cops, which escalate into harmful and dangerous situations for those people of color. Herrera continues to do a great job of creating situations that apply tension to the MCs without the characters experiencing any physical trauma. Yes, I recognize that what Patrice experiences in this book is emotional/mental/psychological trauma, but I feel that it’s extremely important to emphasize the protection, security, and safety of black bodies.

Patrice Denis is a Haitian economist and social activist, who has just moved to Ithaca to pursue a tenured professorship at Cornell and maybe also the hot ADA, Easton, he hooked up with last summer. Easton is not shy about wanting more of Patrice, but his job as a District Attorney put them on opposite sides of hot-button racial issues.

This book was a lovely read. The external conflict, though an important one, didn’t hold much tension for me, but that might be because of my white privilege and that I don’t have to worry when I see red and blue in my rearview. I related more to Patrice’s internal conflict of being closed off by fear.

Scroll a few months back for our reviews of American Dreamer, (Book 1 in the series) and Book 2, American Fairytale. Also stay tuned for our review of Book 4, American Love Story. - Ford