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allingoodtime's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
4.0
When I read the first book in this series, A Proposal They Can’t Refuse, I knew I’d love the Vega family and their friends more and more as this series progressed. You don’t have to have read the first book to read and love this one, but I’m enjoying getting to know this boisterous cast of characters.
While I enjoyed the first book, I liked this one even more. It’s another slow burn, but with the amazing chemistry that Saint and Lola have there were plenty of sparks leading up to their fire. They were both being careful before jumping in, with good reason. Saint is a single father and Lola is the woman who disappeared on him back when they were just out of high school. Lola’s father was the local gang/drug lord and she has always wanted to make sure the stereotype she lives under doesn’t rub off on those she loves. Lola and Saint are thrown back together when their grandfathers decide to wage a prank war against each other in their senior living home. There is angst and fun along with yearning and old hurts.
Something I noticed before and that came back to me while reading this book, the author does a beautiful job of incorporating the multilingual aspects of the characters and their community. I’m one of those readers who always wants to know what everything means. Be it the mention of a tree I’m unfamiliar with or a sentence in a language I don’t speak, I tend to stop reading and look it up. My brain has a hard time moving past it if I don’t. The author artfully weaves these multilingual conversations together with plenty of subtext and responses in English that I never questioned what was being said. She does it without having the characters repeat or interpret the Spanish, but in a way that is organic and feels like a naturally flowing conversation. That alone shows me her talent.
I appreciate the way the characters in this story always own up to their shortcomings once they realize what they are. Not only that, but their community is open to accepting the apology and not holding past mistakes against them. Lola is an extremely strong and independent woman who will fight with a single-minded focus to help those who are usually ignored or dismissed. While Saint believes in the things Lola does, his focus centers more on his family and his fierce protective nature when it comes to all of his cousins and siblings. Neither realize how much air they can take up when they are on a tear. This makes them perfect for each other while also making them terrible for each other. This book is about them finding that happy medium that allows them to find joy in life instead of always being “on”.
There are so many characters in these books I want to see get their HEA. Hopefully, they all will in time.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Misogyny
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