Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Full Moon Over Freedom

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.

Content Warnings

sdupont's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.*

Content Warnings

what_karla_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

More...