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sailormar's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beautifully written, a cast of characters to love, shake your head at, then love again, the hard fought personal growth, and the sexy steamy hot chemistry between the main characters - WOW. bonus points if you like healing family wounds, witchcraft/brujeria, and ghosts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism
katiemack's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't like this one as much as the previous installment--probably because Alex is a more appealing character than Gillian and because the story here is more fractured and difficult to follow. The chemistry is certainly palpable, though, and the second-chance romance trope works smoothly. There's also some magical realism mixed in with the romance that continues the theme of ghostly mischief from book 1--the appearance of La Llorona and other spiritual elements is intriguing, though Gillian and Nick getting physical during the appearance of said elements feels...icky?
This is a solid second installment in the series, so grab this if you enjoyed the first one. Can't wait to read Sissy's book!
I didn't like this one as much as the previous installment--probably because Alex is a more appealing character than Gillian and because the story here is more fractured and difficult to follow. The chemistry is certainly palpable, though, and the second-chance romance trope works smoothly. There's also some magical realism mixed in with the romance that continues the theme of ghostly mischief from book 1--the appearance of La Llorona and other spiritual elements is intriguing, though Gillian and Nick getting physical during the appearance of said elements feels...icky?
This is a solid second installment in the series, so grab this if you enjoyed the first one. Can't wait to read Sissy's book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Drug abuse and Death
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What I loved: beautiful exploration of the complex feelings of growing up in a small town and whether or not you have to leave to find yourself, nuanced examination of Mexican-American history in the Midwest and the challenges in building generational wealth for marginalized folks, excellent reflection on the trauma of children who "parent" younger siblings due to familial circumstances and the resulting life-long impacts of these experiences.
What I strongly disliked: the intimacy and how it seemed to distract from emotional development rather than contribute to it, the mystery twists at the end that felt overdone, and the use of hygienic language during a discussion of STI status (MMC says he's "clean" for her).
I will also note the storyline involving the FMC's autistic son occasionally used language that needed a sensitivity check with an autistic reader (description of him as high functioning vs having low support needs, etc).
Overall, this just felt uneven, and while I loved Lopez's return to Freedom, I struggled with the romance between our MCs.
What I strongly disliked: the intimacy and how it seemed to distract from emotional development rather than contribute to it, the mystery twists at the end that felt overdone, and the use of hygienic language during a discussion of STI status (MMC says he's "clean" for her).
I will also note the storyline involving the FMC's autistic son occasionally used language that needed a sensitivity check with an autistic reader (description of him as high functioning vs having low support needs, etc).
Overall, this just felt uneven, and while I loved Lopez's return to Freedom, I struggled with the romance between our MCs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Minor: Pregnancy
evelync's review against another edition
4.0
Gillian has always worked so hard to be perfect and to have a perfect life. So when she finds herself coming back home to Freedom, Kansas, divorced, penniless, and with no magic, she feels like she has utterly failed in every aspect of her life. In order to break her curse Gillian is determined to get good at being bad; so when she runs into Nicky Mendoza, her childhood friend and first lover, she knows he is just the person she needs to help her. But he is also dealing with a curse of his own.
Y’all Gillian’s journey in this book brought me to tears! As the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter’s oldest daughter, Gillian has always felt a heavy sense of responsibility to fix things and to be the strong one. So when her life falls apart she thinks she has to fix things on her own. When she finally confides in her family we see a weight being lifted from her shoulders that allows her to start forgiving herself and to learn to trust others and accept their help.
Angelina truly does a beautiful job creating a series rich with history, Mexican folklore, and brujeria! And I love seeing Milagro Street as it continues to come alive again!
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the arc.
cw: infidelity, misogyny, narcissistic ex who is verbally, emotionally and financially abusive, addiction, death by overdose, grief, racism, ableism, attack by an animal
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Ableism, Infidelity, Racism, and Grief
sdupont's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I found the pacing of this book to be slower than After Hours on Milagro Street. The pacing made it harder to get into this story. I wanted more angst out of this second chance story, if felt that there wasn’t much getting in Gillian and Nicky’s way other than the pacing of the novel. That being said I liked Gillian and Nicky for each other they were very supportive and were in tune to what the other needed. Bonus points for how great Nicky was with her kids. I did enjoy the book and will say this one still delivers the hotness that the last book did! Fans of After Hours on Milagro Street will enjoy this sequel.
*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Classism, Addiction, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity and Death
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5 stars
2.5/5 spice
Magical and empowering... loved everything about this book. OMG...
Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Second chance
Brujeria
Latinx rep
Latinx folklore
Hurt/healing
Dual POV
This one brought so much to the table, and I was ready to eat it up. The folklore, the magic, the romance, the family dynamics... I was pulled in and didn't want to leave.
I actually went in semi blind with this one. I loved the first book and was excited for Gillian's story. And OMG, did this one exceed my expectations.
Gillian is soooo relatable. She was forever trying to upkeep her image of perfection but finally crashed down after her divorce, forcing her to struggle to find herself again and reconnect with everything she thought she didn't want or need. I loved reading about her brujeria and how it became the root of her journey. Break the curse, and she'll get her magic back.
And then there was Nicky... who was plagued by past sins that resulted in him castrating his own happiness so he could pay his debt. The guilt and responsibility of losing his brother was heart-wrenching, but it was interesting to see how it all manifested into something tangible like the cadejo. It was also nice to read how Gillian was the only person who ever helped him with his demons... she knew what he needed, and they were each other's safe space.
Aside from the building tension and romance, the story was enthralling on its own. There is enough of a plot and character development that the spice is just an added bonus. It wasn't overdone and blended perfectly with the story.
Overall, I loved this book, and I highly recommend this for anyone who loves second chance romance, brujeria, Latinx folklore, and big family dynamics.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions of spousal abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional abuse. Sexual content, brujeria/magic, explicit language
2.5/5 spice
Magical and empowering... loved everything about this book. OMG...
Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Second chance
Brujeria
Latinx rep
Latinx folklore
Hurt/healing
Dual POV
This one brought so much to the table, and I was ready to eat it up. The folklore, the magic, the romance, the family dynamics... I was pulled in and didn't want to leave.
I actually went in semi blind with this one. I loved the first book and was excited for Gillian's story. And OMG, did this one exceed my expectations.
Gillian is soooo relatable. She was forever trying to upkeep her image of perfection but finally crashed down after her divorce, forcing her to struggle to find herself again and reconnect with everything she thought she didn't want or need. I loved reading about her brujeria and how it became the root of her journey. Break the curse, and she'll get her magic back.
And then there was Nicky... who was plagued by past sins that resulted in him castrating his own happiness so he could pay his debt. The guilt and responsibility of losing his brother was heart-wrenching, but it was interesting to see how it all manifested into something tangible like the cadejo. It was also nice to read how Gillian was the only person who ever helped him with his demons... she knew what he needed, and they were each other's safe space.
Aside from the building tension and romance, the story was enthralling on its own. There is enough of a plot and character development that the spice is just an added bonus. It wasn't overdone and blended perfectly with the story.
Overall, I loved this book, and I highly recommend this for anyone who loves second chance romance, brujeria, Latinx folklore, and big family dynamics.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
Trigger/Content warnings:
Mentions of spousal abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional abuse. Sexual content, brujeria/magic, explicit language
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Death
lit_with_lauren's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Drug use
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