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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I had been meaning to pick up West Side Love Story for a couple of months now but never got around to it.
Lo and behold, today was the day I was just in the right mood to read a short contemporary romance with substance and this book came to my rescue.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow paced for me because truly I couldn’t figure out wth was happening. Although I am familiar with the tragic Romeo and Juliet, I drew up a complete blank when it came to West Side Story. I am judging this book without ever finding out what retelling it’s supposed to be.
I really liked the Mariachi component and the competition between the main characters. I especially liked the sibling bonding in this one and since they weren’t blood related, it was all the more special to see how supportive and loving they all were towards each other. I was expecting a bit more angst tbh and it’s my fault for assuming it to be a enemies to lovers romance so I enjoyed it lesser than I had hoped to.
But it was indeed a cute story to dive into if you want to read a light hearted romance with a HEA and a diverse cast!
Lo and behold, today was the day I was just in the right mood to read a short contemporary romance with substance and this book came to my rescue.
The beginning of the book was a bit slow paced for me because truly I couldn’t figure out wth was happening. Although I am familiar with the tragic Romeo and Juliet, I drew up a complete blank when it came to West Side Story. I am judging this book without ever finding out what retelling it’s supposed to be.
I really liked the Mariachi component and the competition between the main characters. I especially liked the sibling bonding in this one and since they weren’t blood related, it was all the more special to see how supportive and loving they all were towards each other. I was expecting a bit more angst tbh and it’s my fault for assuming it to be a enemies to lovers romance so I enjoyed it lesser than I had hoped to.
But it was indeed a cute story to dive into if you want to read a light hearted romance with a HEA and a diverse cast!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
It wasn’t a terrible romance, but there were so many moments where the author would hype up some thing and then just recap that it happened in the beginning of the next chapter, I felt like I was missing out on the book that could’ve been.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was really cute and I love the found family but I really don’t like insta-love so when a book has that it’s an immediate 3 star or lower rating but I liked every other aspect of this book.
TW: gentrification, ICE, parental abandonment, foster care
TW: gentrification, ICE, parental abandonment, foster care
I was not sure about a Romeo and Juliet retelling from the start, but honestly, I loved this book! West Side Love Story follows Mariana Capuleta and Angelo Montero as the two are part of rival mariachis during the battle of the bands. The Montero and Capuleta families have been at odds for years, thanks to a bitter rivalry between Mariana’s father and Angelo’s uncle. But the two are consistently brought together and end up falling for each other. While this is a love story, it is also a story of family. The Capuleta family adopted children and gave them a loving home, and it was great to see the bond between all of the sisters, especially Mariana and Nina. I also loved the relationship between Angelo and his sister Brenda. This was a fun read with the antics of the rival families, but it also touched on harder conversations like the gentrification of the neighborhoods the families grew up in and how that played a part in the character's story. I really appreciated how that became an aspect of the story since it is such an important discussion. I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read Cat’s next story!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The only reason I didn’t DNF this book is because the cover is red, white, and blue and I needed that for a challenge.
It wasn’t horrible, and the last third was better, but it was a cringy retelling of Romeo and Juliet for the most part.
It wasn’t horrible, and the last third was better, but it was a cringy retelling of Romeo and Juliet for the most part.