Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet, mariachi retelling? With a badass side character named Cat? That’s what this half-Mexican girl’s dreams are made of. I was already a fan of Priscilla
Oliveras and when I saw the premise of her latest book I was immediately sold. First of all, I loved that this story was retold as a romance rather than a tragedy. I also adored the all female mariachi band and their various homages to the QUEEN of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla. When I was reading I could perfectly hear the songs I grew up listening to in my head, and now I need to find a mariachi band who will play her songs for me.
Aside from my nostalgia this was such a sweet enemies to lovers romance. I appreciated that this wasn’t your typical enemies to lovers - Mariana and Angelo never hated each other, the hate came from their families. Instead, they were instantly attracted to each other and had to figure out how to balance that attraction, their new friendship/partnership in trying to create piece among their families, and their rivalry as competitors in the mariachi competition. I thought Angelo was an amazing book boyfriend with so much patience and love. And Mariana’s love for her family was so beautiful.
Not only were there references to so many things I love and a solid enemies to lovers romance, but there were so many important topics brought up. Mariana’s family, the Capetulas, were not actually a biological family, but a group of foster sisters taken in by the Capetulas. How beautiful is that? This book also discussed gentrification and showed both sides of it so well. Finally, who can resist a group of strong women and all of the girl power this story had. I cannot wait to see Cat’s story and where that takes us!
A huge thank you to Amazon Publishing for my advance copy.
Oliveras and when I saw the premise of her latest book I was immediately sold. First of all, I loved that this story was retold as a romance rather than a tragedy. I also adored the all female mariachi band and their various homages to the QUEEN of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla. When I was reading I could perfectly hear the songs I grew up listening to in my head, and now I need to find a mariachi band who will play her songs for me.
Aside from my nostalgia this was such a sweet enemies to lovers romance. I appreciated that this wasn’t your typical enemies to lovers - Mariana and Angelo never hated each other, the hate came from their families. Instead, they were instantly attracted to each other and had to figure out how to balance that attraction, their new friendship/partnership in trying to create piece among their families, and their rivalry as competitors in the mariachi competition. I thought Angelo was an amazing book boyfriend with so much patience and love. And Mariana’s love for her family was so beautiful.
Not only were there references to so many things I love and a solid enemies to lovers romance, but there were so many important topics brought up. Mariana’s family, the Capetulas, were not actually a biological family, but a group of foster sisters taken in by the Capetulas. How beautiful is that? This book also discussed gentrification and showed both sides of it so well. Finally, who can resist a group of strong women and all of the girl power this story had. I cannot wait to see Cat’s story and where that takes us!
A huge thank you to Amazon Publishing for my advance copy.
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
This book is a fun twist and retelling of Romeo and Juliet between two rival families and Mariachi groups, The Capuletas and Monteros. This story is rich in Mexican culture, mariachi music, and San Antonio representation.
This book dragged on a bit for me. Some parts were repetitive, and I had trouble connecting to the romance. I found the characters did not have much depth to them. Overall, I liked the book and appreciated this retelling since it is rich in culture and heritage.
It's always exciting to read a retelling of a classic. This book was a fun retelling of Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story.
The tropes present were:
- Forbidden love
- Forced proximity
I loved this idea of having competing and rival Mariachi bands. I liked the picture the author painted of the culture and the importance of their heritage. It helped me to really see the story and what it would be like if I was really there watching the Battle of the Mariachi Bands.
The tropes present were:
- Forbidden love
- Forced proximity
I loved this idea of having competing and rival Mariachi bands. I liked the picture the author painted of the culture and the importance of their heritage. It helped me to really see the story and what it would be like if I was really there watching the Battle of the Mariachi Bands.
4.75
This modern-day mexican retelling of Romeo and Juliet combines the love of music and familia with the struggle of choosing loyalties based on a feud that is generations old, while falling in love with the "enemy".
Will this prohibited love make Angelo and Mariana choose to put themselves first, instead of always prioritizing others?
The conflict, budding romance, and resolution did everything they needed to do to make this story feel complete.
This modern-day mexican retelling of Romeo and Juliet combines the love of music and familia with the struggle of choosing loyalties based on a feud that is generations old, while falling in love with the "enemy".
Will this prohibited love make Angelo and Mariana choose to put themselves first, instead of always prioritizing others?
The conflict, budding romance, and resolution did everything they needed to do to make this story feel complete.
3.5 ⭐️ (Kindle Unlimited)
This book is so rich in culture and it taps so well into the problematic about gentrification that so many Latinx communities are living today. I started reading it and switched to the audiobook half way through. Somehow it got very slow and difficult get through some of the chapters. Even so, I really thought it was a sweet romance.
This book is so rich in culture and it taps so well into the problematic about gentrification that so many Latinx communities are living today. I started reading it and switched to the audiobook half way through. Somehow it got very slow and difficult get through some of the chapters. Even so, I really thought it was a sweet romance.
Sadly not my favorite R&J retelling, and I love the forbidden romance trope! I really liked the premise, dueling mariachi bands with an old family feud and two people from the warring families falling in love despite the animosity between their parents & in this case, the uncle. But the execution sadly fell flat for me.
I loved the Latinx spin on this well-known tale, and reading about the culture and family dynamics by an author of that same background. I wished there wasn’t always a translation after most of the Spanish phrases…I felt like that slowed down the story a bit (I don’t mind looking up words and phrases I don’t understand). I also liked Mariana’s character a lot and could really relate to her need for putting others above herself and eventually learning to bring down her walls for Angelo. And I truly adored the tale of sisterly love between her adopted family!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Angelo. I felt like he had no real personality outside of being the perfect man with zero flaws. The generations-long family feud was resolved so quickly and too easily. The story seemed like it couldn’t decide what direction to go in - to focus on the mariachi band competition or the family dynamics, or the family feud. As a result, there was a mix of all three. I was also really confused what was going on with Angelo and his uncle and the whole financial situation with the Capuletas. Maybe I missed something crucial somewhere.
The writing was also heavyhanded and very telly many times and drew me out of the story.
But my biggest gripe was that I didn’t feel anything when I read this story. I wanted to root for Mariana and Angelo to fight for their love and push through their and their families’ differences to be together. I wanted to feel the tension between the two families. And I wanted to feel anger at the Monteros for what they did to the Capuletas. Sadly, I didn’t feel any sort of tension or a fear that they would be found out when they were together, that *I* also wanted to appreciate the stolen moments they had, and I wanted so badly to feel that.
3 stars overall - I finished the book, but it just wasn’t for me.
I loved the Latinx spin on this well-known tale, and reading about the culture and family dynamics by an author of that same background. I wished there wasn’t always a translation after most of the Spanish phrases…I felt like that slowed down the story a bit (I don’t mind looking up words and phrases I don’t understand). I also liked Mariana’s character a lot and could really relate to her need for putting others above herself and eventually learning to bring down her walls for Angelo. And I truly adored the tale of sisterly love between her adopted family!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Angelo. I felt like he had no real personality outside of being the perfect man with zero flaws. The generations-long family feud was resolved so quickly and too easily. The story seemed like it couldn’t decide what direction to go in - to focus on the mariachi band competition or the family dynamics, or the family feud. As a result, there was a mix of all three. I was also really confused what was going on with Angelo and his uncle and the whole financial situation with the Capuletas. Maybe I missed something crucial somewhere.
The writing was also heavyhanded and very telly many times and drew me out of the story.
But my biggest gripe was that I didn’t feel anything when I read this story. I wanted to root for Mariana and Angelo to fight for their love and push through their and their families’ differences to be together. I wanted to feel the tension between the two families. And I wanted to feel anger at the Monteros for what they did to the Capuletas. Sadly, I didn’t feel any sort of tension or a fear that they would be found out when they were together, that *I* also wanted to appreciate the stolen moments they had, and I wanted so badly to feel that.
3 stars overall - I finished the book, but it just wasn’t for me.
slow-paced
West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras
“Their shared understanding of the sacrifice of putting familia before self. His unexpected humility in admitting his struggles with parenting his sister. How right it had felt to simply hold his hand, see her interest and longing mirrored in his eyes. None of it mattered. He was a Montero.”
Be still my heart! A star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet reimagining, set in modern day San Antonio against the backdrop of mariachi music. This book was incredible!
Mariana Capuleta and Angelo Montero are the main characters. Their families are longstanding rivals in both their business and musical interests. The two MCs find themselves drawn to each other, admiring each other’s musical talent and dedication to family, but knowing they can’t be together. With both Capuleta and Montero families involved in a mariachi battle of the bands, Angelo and Mariana are forced to work together to keep tensions low while their attraction runs high. Keeping their feelings and budding relationship a secret from their rivaling families takes a toll, driving them apart. In the end, love finds a way forward. West Side Love Story was a sweet and heartfelt story with wonderfully diverse characters, and thoughtfully touched on issues of gentrification, immigration, and familial obligation.
Romancelandia can, let’s be honest, be very white (and heteronormative). I loved that the Spanish phrases and words woven into the text were completely natural and reminiscent of how my friends and I spoke growing up in Mexican-American communities on the West Coast. The descriptions of family dinners and mariachi music reminded me of Saturday evenings at my abuela’s house listening to the grown ups gossip with Pedro Infante in the background. I will come back to this book again and again.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
“Their shared understanding of the sacrifice of putting familia before self. His unexpected humility in admitting his struggles with parenting his sister. How right it had felt to simply hold his hand, see her interest and longing mirrored in his eyes. None of it mattered. He was a Montero.”
Be still my heart! A star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet reimagining, set in modern day San Antonio against the backdrop of mariachi music. This book was incredible!
Mariana Capuleta and Angelo Montero are the main characters. Their families are longstanding rivals in both their business and musical interests. The two MCs find themselves drawn to each other, admiring each other’s musical talent and dedication to family, but knowing they can’t be together. With both Capuleta and Montero families involved in a mariachi battle of the bands, Angelo and Mariana are forced to work together to keep tensions low while their attraction runs high. Keeping their feelings and budding relationship a secret from their rivaling families takes a toll, driving them apart. In the end, love finds a way forward. West Side Love Story was a sweet and heartfelt story with wonderfully diverse characters, and thoughtfully touched on issues of gentrification, immigration, and familial obligation.
Romancelandia can, let’s be honest, be very white (and heteronormative). I loved that the Spanish phrases and words woven into the text were completely natural and reminiscent of how my friends and I spoke growing up in Mexican-American communities on the West Coast. The descriptions of family dinners and mariachi music reminded me of Saturday evenings at my abuela’s house listening to the grown ups gossip with Pedro Infante in the background. I will come back to this book again and again.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
3 stars.
“One step forward, two steps back. A sometimes tiring, patience-testing dance when it came to dealing with your past.”
Highlights:
- competing mariachi bands
- Lots of Hispanic culture
- Foster family rep
My thoughts:
Mariana and Angelo meet eachother and instantly connect but when they realize who eachother is and the rivalry between them, Mariana really struggles to let Angelo close to her.
We have a retelling of Romeo and Juliet (yes- also West Side Story- but this felt much more Romeo and Juliet for me than WSS). The premise- Angelo’s Tio and Mariana’s dad are former best friends and former business partners. Inseparable until Arturo (Mariana’s dad) betrayed Hugo (Angelo’s Tio) by stealing the woman he loved.
I thought this book was cute. I loved the Hispanic culture and the Spanish lingo thrown in. I grew up with my parents speaking English with Spanish thrown in- and that aspect felt very real with how my family talks to eachother. The mariachi story line was cute. The rivalry between the two families definitely felt very angsty. Mariana and Angelo had an instant love vibe (not my favorite trope)- but they spent so much time with Mariana pushing him away that it didn’t feel too fast for me. It actually took a long time for anything to happen between the two MCs.
The pacing of the book felt a bit touch and go but overall, I think this was a cute book with a unique setting.
“One step forward, two steps back. A sometimes tiring, patience-testing dance when it came to dealing with your past.”
Highlights:
- competing mariachi bands
- Lots of Hispanic culture
- Foster family rep
My thoughts:
Mariana and Angelo meet eachother and instantly connect but when they realize who eachother is and the rivalry between them, Mariana really struggles to let Angelo close to her.
We have a retelling of Romeo and Juliet (yes- also West Side Story- but this felt much more Romeo and Juliet for me than WSS). The premise- Angelo’s Tio and Mariana’s dad are former best friends and former business partners. Inseparable until Arturo (Mariana’s dad) betrayed Hugo (Angelo’s Tio) by stealing the woman he loved.
I thought this book was cute. I loved the Hispanic culture and the Spanish lingo thrown in. I grew up with my parents speaking English with Spanish thrown in- and that aspect felt very real with how my family talks to eachother. The mariachi story line was cute. The rivalry between the two families definitely felt very angsty. Mariana and Angelo had an instant love vibe (not my favorite trope)- but they spent so much time with Mariana pushing him away that it didn’t feel too fast for me. It actually took a long time for anything to happen between the two MCs.
The pacing of the book felt a bit touch and go but overall, I think this was a cute book with a unique setting.