American Sweethearts

Herrera finds passion in familiarity and lets romance arise from personal growth in the authentic, swoon-worthy love story between second-generation Latinx New Yorkers that closes her Dreamers series (after American Love Story). As love-struck teenagers, Priscilla Gutierrez and Juan Pablo Campos planned their future together, both dreaming of joining the NYPD until a family trauma led Juan Pablo to back out of applying to the academy at the last minute. The couple’s tumultuous relationship has been on-again-off-again for the two decades since, as Juan Pablo has been unable to accept Priscilla’s high-risk career. When a wedding in the Dominican Republic throws them together during a decidedly “off” period, they begin to rebuild. Now a successful physical therapist, Juan Pablo’s newfound willingness to let Priscilla take the lead in her own life, and his encouragement that she should turn her side gig leading sex-education workshops into a full-time career, allows them to settle into a dynamic that actually works. The couple’s families and mutual friends gently tease them toward each other in a heartwarming show of community support, and the diverse cast and casually queer hero (Juan Pablo’s exes include men as well as women) are rendered with loving care. The eventual sex scenes are creative, high-intensity, and sure to please romance fans. Inclusive, optimistic, and scorching, this romance sends the series out on a high note. Agent: Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker. (Apr.)