Genre: Contemporary Romance, MM Romance
My Review - 5 Stars
I’ve been anticipating this book ever since the series was announced because of the social worker hero. Herrera just graduated with her MSW and has worked in the field of intimate partner violence for a while before that. Fiction so often gets social work wrong and I was hopeful this one would get it right. And boy were my hopes exceeded!
American Fairytale is a romance between a billionaire and a social worker that really wrestles with the financial disparity between them. With that disparity comes potentially complicated power dynamics when billionaire Tom makes a sizable donation to the organization Camilo works at. But there’s more to Tom than meets the eye and because of that, he does as good a job as he can at interrogating his privilege and minimizing the risks for Milo. Would that all billionaires behaved this way…
One of the reasons Tom and Milo work so well together is because of the way they see each other and are able to be fully themselves. Tom is white-passing Dominican-American (his white American father moved to the DR where he met and married his Dominican mother; he grew up in the DR and came to the US for college) and feels like he’s always one or the other in business, where appearing white helps get him ahead, and in his personal life. Milo is Cuban Jamaican and I loved hearing the story of how his parents met and especially how his mother Dinorah came to the US from Cuba on her own as a Marielita, a slice of history I’d never heard about before. Milo has a very close relationship with his mom but he also looks out for her because of her depression and anxiety. Tom and Milo both have things in their lives past partners haven’t necessarily understood but they aren’t barriers for one another and this was so nice to see.
This isn’t to say it’s all sunshine and roses for these two. While Tom initially seems perfect, he very much isn’t. He has to learn money doesn’t solve everything. And Milo has to learn how to let other people in and when it’s the right time to accept help. Their central conflict felt so real and I could clearly see where they were both coming from.
I adored Tom and Camilo but especially Camilo because of the way he practiced social work. What I found most fascinating in how Herrera structured the story is how client-centered and strengths-based it is in what she reveals about his work. While Tom and Milo both have loved ones affected by partner violence, his clients are never trotted out with their stories or put on display. Instead we see them at a dance class or in their apartment going hard after that fresh start. It was beyond refreshing to read a story to took clients’ agency to this degree.
As with the first book in the series, the side characters are a delight. Tom has such a wonderful group of friends and it was great seeing him as a single father, sharing responsibilities with his ex. I loved the glimpses we see of Nesto and Jude, as well as Juan Pablo and Patrice. It was interesting that Camilo’s friends are less central now, with both Nesto and Patrice in Ithaca. And yet they’re still clearly a priority for one another. It was an unexpected look at how friendships can change but continue to grow no matter where life takes us.
Herrera is clearly an author to watch and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
CW: domestic violence, references to microaggressions and racism
Synopsis
Fairy-tale endings don’t just happen; they have to be fought for.
New York City social worker Camilo Santiago Briggs grew up surrounded by survivors who taught him to never rely on anything you didn’t earn yourself. He’s always dreamed of his own happily-ever-after, but he lives in the real world. Men who seem too good to be true…usually are. And Milo never ever mixes business with pleasure…until the mysterious man he had an unforgettable hookup with turns out to be the wealthy donor behind his agency’s new, next-level funding.
Thomas Hughes built a billion-dollar business from nothing: he knows what he wants and isn’t shy about going after it. When the enthralling stranger who blew his mind at a black-tie gala reappears, Tom’s more than ready to be his Prince Charming. Showering Milo with the very best of everything is how Tom shows his affection.
Trouble is, Milo’s not interested in any of it. The only thing Milo wants is Tom.
Fairy-tale endings take work as well as love. For Milo, that means learning to let someone take care of him, for a change. And for Tom, it’s figuring out that real love is the one thing you can’t buy.
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Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
