e-Audio, 09:28:13
Narrated by: Valentina Ortiz
Release Date: October 31, 2023
Published by: Harlequin Audio
Read from: November 15-17, 2023
Vega Family Love Stories, #2
Source: Library’s Libby
TW: Panic Attacks/Disorders, Gun Violence, Cursing, Fatphobia, Body Shaming, Homophobia, War, Mental Illness
For Readers Interested In: 2SLGBTQ+ (Bi), Neurodiverse Rep (there’s rep in the child who has anxiety/selective mutism. It’s also present in the MMC as well), Social justice, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Latinx- Puerto Rican), Realistic Fiction, Romance, Family Diversity (Single Dad), AdultSantiago “Saint” Vega gets a second shot at love with Lola León, but when duty to his family forces him to do something she’ll never forgive, will everything he’s built come crumbling down?
Years ago, Santiago “Saint” Vega walked away from the girl he loved to fulfill his duty. Now the word duty has become both his motto and his albatross. He’s already struggling to build bridges between his drifting family, take on more responsibilities at his uncle’s construction company, figure out why his daughter refuses to talk at school and curtail his mischievous abuelo’s escalating pranks. Then she walks back into his life.
Social justice advocate Lola León has returned to Humboldt Park for two reasons: to help care for her dear abuelo and to serve the community center she loved, particularly the shelter for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youths. When she finds out that the Vegas are responsible for endangering both, she is more than ready to go to war, even if Saint— the boy she never forgot—is standing at the front of the battlefield.
Neither of them expects to become allies in saving the shelter, helping Saint’s daughter or ending the decades-long feud between their grandfathers. They definitely don’t expect all of their old feelings to come rushing back. As Saint and Lola enter combat, they can’t help but wonder where the other’s true allegiance lies, and whether they’ll win these battles only to lose the war and, ultimately, each other.
*MY THOUGHTS*
It took me a minute to read this because I didn’t LOVE the first one. As a matter of fact I think the only thing I really liked was the abuelos so I was nervous to see if they were back or if they were there at all. But I needent have been worried. Not only were they there, but I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. I’m thinking it was the social justice component.
I can say with certainty that I liked these characters more than the first ones. Saint was most definitely someone I related to. I also have anxiety, so I felt literally everything that he did. I also really felt the way he went hard for Rosie. I’m not a single parent, but I am a parent and he felt so authentic and real. Especially in the one scene at the end where everything else didn’t matter. I quite literally said the same words along with him. But I guess because I related to him so well its no surprise that I thought the same thing he did about Lola. I understood why she was the way she was, but I also didn’t agree at all about her not saying anything knowing that those people might be visiting her. Especially with Rosie around. I just thought she should have been more careful. And before y’all attack me, she thought the same too, she even mentioned it. I just think that’s something you don’t play with.
The plot was just ok for me tho. It dragged a little in the middle when the focus was still mainly on them fighting and the abuelos. But it wasn’t too bad. Because once the romance started heating up, things got so much better. I did appreciate that Caña made her a social justice advocate for her community. And even more than that, I loved that Caña didn’t shy away from talking about the work she was doing in it. That also felt real. Especially with the fight to Right all the wrongs that have come to light across the world. This was the perfect read to figure out how to be a better advocate. Now don’t think her way is the ONLY way to do it. I’m just saying she could be used as a good example. There was also a gentrification conversation happening. It was a pretty big part of the plot so I thought it would be more involved, but it only made appearances in spurts here and there.
The narrator was also really good. I’ve listened to two other books by them so it was easily recognizable, but it was still good. I don’t know how they managed to get the voice of Saint so well. It was so so good. I think if I had been reading this I would have given this a 3, but because I was listening and the performance was done so well, I changed it.
This book was fun. I had some doubts about it but I should have known not to worry. All this really did was set me up to get ready for the next book. And Idk if you heard about it, but man it sounds so messy. AND I’M HERE FOR IT lmao And we got a little sneak peek into who it is at the end. I really hope it is actually them!
Overall, I give this
