Reviews with content warning for Cursing - Velvet Was the Night

The book was a good read and the two main characters were quite layered but the ending was a little disappointing. Although, I'm partial to a certain kind of ending so it may be the ending was just not my cup of tea.

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lelyreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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girlonbooks's review

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mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

🐈🐈🐈 Three Stars (As rated in Leonora’s cat)

Maite knows big love is out there; she’s read about it in all her favorite comic books. But the pieces of romance she’s found IRL are just so… boring! She goes from her job to her home to her mother’s house and back again, always imagining that something unusual might whisk her into a whirlwind of intrigue. When her neighbor, Leonora, asks that she cat-sit for a long weekend, Maite agrees simply because she has nothing better to do. But when Leonora doesn’t return as planned, Maite uncovers a lot more excitement than she was prepared to handle. If only a dashing young man were to come to her aid. Or maybe even three?

“She had peered into the soul, the life, of another human being, and she had cut out a part of them and they’d never know it.”

I both loved this book and I didn’t. I wanted it to end and I didn’t. Before I say anything else let me make it clear that I am a SMG Stan for life! The woman can write and well. I would read a grocery list if it had her signature at the bottom. For whatever reason, however, this story just didn’t have me very gripped. I did finish it, though, so it deserves at least 3 stars for that. Also, the narration was seriously top notch and I really knew these characters by the end. So def go the audiobook route if you’re able and maybe don’t expect this book to change your life. To sum up: While I honestly relate to and agree with a lot of the criticisms about this book I’m also not honestly able to say I didn’t like it. I guess whatever spell Moreno-Garcia has on me is there for the long haul (Not that I’m complaining?) because I’ll probably buy every book she ever writes.

✨ Read this book because: you have often longed for your life to be more like a movie or can relate to a starry-eyed Latina getting herself into a real big mess.

✨ Content warnings for this book: violence, organized crime, state sanctioned violence, corrupt government, kidnapping, sexual content, medical stuff, gun violence

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rebeccaxpaige's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is a dark, almost Breaking Bad-esque novel with two different POVs with similar objectives. A missing woman and mysterious film cause mayhem.

I was impressed by this book and how Garcia was able to paint a consistently dark and mysterious atmosphere. It was also somewhat unnerving but I found myself heavy invested in both Elvis and Maite’s stories. Elvis is a long time thug as he calls himself- a criminal who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Then we have Maite, a secretary who wants nothing more than to leave her current employment and perhaps do something else.
Though I am not sure what that is.

This story is mysterious, thrilling and rich. My only critique would be that I needed more emotion evoked in the language- it would have made the story much more impactful. Though, I’m still giving it 4 stars.

This is a wonderful read, so please read it.

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vampires's review

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4.25

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gitli57's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

This was my sixth Silvia Moreno-Garcia book. Whatever genre she is bending next, you can count on her to know it well enough that she can both celebrate and subvert it with ease. In Velvet Was the Night, the genre is noir with elements of pulp and historical fiction. My favorite Moreno-Garcia books are Prime Meridian, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Beautiful Ones. I would place Velvet Was the Night just behind those, but it is still another success for this gifted young writer.

If you enjoy slow burn noir with an interesting cast of characters and a strong sense of time/place/culture or if you just like cool books set in Mexico, check this out. Meanwhile, I will look forward to my seventh Moreno-Garcia book...

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evavstheworld's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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