Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Full Moon Over Freedom

I find Angelica Lopez's integration of contemporary themes with Mexican spiritual/magical beliefs to be wonderfully compelling, and something that no one is really doing in the romance space. It's utilized so well in Nicky and Gillians story, and yet there's also room made for excellent character development and some HOT scenes as well.

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obstinateheadstrongcurl's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A small town, second chance romance between a former bad boy and single mum is not normally my jam (minus the bad boy part, I am Team Jess after all) but this book really delivered. Gillian is a bruja trying to get her magic back after leaving trash husband and moving back to her hometown with her two kids. Nicky is a world-renowned artist who is back in town to paint a mural for the town museum run by Gillian's family. The two grew up together and had a summer fling when they were teenagers. They reconnect and sparks immediately fly.
I loved these characters so much. Gillian works so hard to be there for her kids and rebuild her life, all while struggling to support her parents and sister as well. And Nicky wants to help out Gillian however he can while still protecting his heart.
My one critique with this book, and I don't even know if it's a critique so much as I just found the character annoying, but Alex drove me nuts in this book. She was so hard on Gillian, and it seemed like she had no compassion for what her sister was going through.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be continuing the series, event though I can't imagine anyone topping Nicky as the greatest guy to grace Freedom with his presence.

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katiemack's review

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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!

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yourbookishbff's review against another edition

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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.

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tostita's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This steamy, heartfelt, magical story of a woman reclaiming her power is even better than the first book in the series (and I loved After Hours on Milagro Street). The story features a second chance romance between childhood friends turned young lovers; a single mother and a smoking hot artist; a toxic ex; a fake engagement, but not between the two main characters; magic, history and a challenge to contemporary power structures. I thoroughly recommend it.

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what_karla_reads's review against another edition

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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

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sol_journal's review

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

*Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 21 July 2023

4 out of 5 stars.

I requested this after I read the free 1-5 chapter preview on NetGalley and realized I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I just didn’t take into account that I’m certainly not a romance first type of reader! That’s the only reason it took me so long to get through this read as I realized that the storyline was interesting, but the romance taking the front seat wasn’t really a writing style I, personally, enjoyed.

Putting my personal preferences aside- this was a good read! Angelina Lopez mixes some magic with the modern and it had me hooked to figure out what was happening and how it would play out.
Even the romance side was painted in a way that I could enjoy as somebody who doesn’t regularly read books that don’t fade to black. I loved the powerful main lead, loved the sister bonding, and, as a latina, loved the all-to-known family support even despite some differences we may have. I think that’s a large reason why I stuck it through despite it not being my typical read- because I love a good story with strong female characters and pairing it with a sort of tense yet supportive sisterhood relationship that mirrors my own siblings was a nice touch. Not to mention, we love a good romantic partner who knows what their significant other needs. This book genuinely made me want to go back and read the first in this (correct me if I’m wrong) interconnected series!

‘Full Moon Over Freedom’ was a delectable read that blended romance and a dramatic story wonderfully- and I’m kind of glad that this was my introduction into romance-focused reads as it’s truly made me interested to find a few more I may vibe with.

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sarah_thebooknerd's review

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challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense 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

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

2 🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

Angelina has a way of making you just want more immediately. I love her writing style and vivid ways I feel like I’m there and watching it play out.

Small town America has been whitewashed so much through our media and I love seeing Angelina showcase that there is so much of small town America that was build and surrounding around other cultures. I would love for us to honor the history and culture of an area and bring it back and honor that like Angelina shows vs pushing it out.

I loved the couple and build to them. The tension and longing was strong. I think what would have made this a 5 ⭐️ is more from Nicky. I think his character backstory and ARC needed a little more flushing out and it would have been perfect.

Overall though still such an amazing story and one that i will definitely add to my shelves when it comes out and I cannot wait for book 3!

CW: sexual content, addiction/ alcoholism, death of a family member, grief, attack by an animal, toxic relationship, ableism, gaslighting and narcissistic abuse

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