September Reading Wrap-Up

You didn’t think I forgot to tell y’all about what I read in September, did you?!

I had an awesome time reading the following 6 books:

• The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle

• When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

• The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne

• You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom by Vincent Tirado

• The Dating Prohibition by Taj McCoy

• You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue

As you can see, I read a mix of historical fiction, romance, suspense, horror, and magical realism! If you already follow me, you probably noticed that I already posted a review for You Should Have Been Nicer To My Mom for the Latine Heritage Month posting challenge. I also interviewed Nikki Payne in anticipation of The Princess and the P.I. release, so please go and check those out!

Here are the rest of my reviews:

The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick is the perfect YA read for fans of Bridgerton & Jane Austen! 

Miss Stella knows exactly who she is & what she believes. She's strong-willed, witty, & beautiful! Despite the fact that she's a Black girl in 1860s London & inherits a great estate, she refuses to marry anyone in order to seal the deal. Stella knows she's in a vulnerable position but she also knows that following society's conventions could leave her in a loveless marriage to some controlling jerk, which would take away the freedom she currently has. I really enjoyed getting to know her! If this sounds up your alley, I realllllly think you should pick up this book.

When the Tides Held the Moon

I love this book! It's a fascinating & powerful historical fantasy romance that I think everyone should read.

Benigno “Benny” Caldera came to NYC for a better life after the hardships he faced in Puerto Rico. The San Ciriaco hurricane hit the island hard. Benigno works as a blacksmith & is tasked w/ constructing a tank for a Coney Island attraction. His design grabs the attention of the man who commissioned it for a mysterious new show he's planning. The man lures Benigno into a job at his establishment, Luna Park, w/ the promise of much better pay, which is where he meets a diverse group of performers. What the owner fails to tell his new hire & his current employees is that he plans to capture a real-life mermaid to display.

This story revolves around Benigno, the merman he comes to know as Río, & the crew of performers as they come to terms w/ what it really means to be free in a society that deems all outcasts. It's a beautiful story! There was so much fantastic representation in this book: the MC is a gay Boricua, the performers include folks from places like South Asia & Eastern Europe & some of them were also queer and/or disabled.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a fantastic choice for readers who want romance, social commentary, found family, & empowerment!

The Princess and the P.I. blends romantic comedy w/ suspense & social commentary incredibly well. I loved just about every minute of reading this book! It's a continuation of the love stories of the Bennett family.

Maurice Bennett is all grown up & running the detective agency he dreamed of for years. There's just one problem, he can't sleep. A case he failed to close 3 years ago still haunts him every day & night. Since then, he's been wrapped up w/ investigating cases of infidelity. On the day he decides he wants out, he witnesses something wild.

On the anniversary of her brother's death, Fiona Adai is determined to take back the invention (a tech vest) that is her brother's legacy. Unfortunately, her meticulously thought out plan goes down the drain when she tries to steal the vest off of the CEO & he drops dead in front of a huge crowd at a tech expo. Now, Fiona is suspected of murder! Maurice saw the whole thing & realized that she was a part of the same cult church that covered up the case he tried so hard to solve 3 years ago. He decides he will help Fiona prove her innocence in exchange for her help at his agency.

There's so much to love about The Princess and the P.I.! For one, Fiona is a hot nerd who can hold her own w/ Maurice. She's very perceptive & I loved seeing her become a confident woman after having been shamed for being herself & her interests suppressed for most of her life. She & Maurice have explosive chemistry so the slow burn was excruciating but paid off, in my opinion! I don't want to give too much away so I'll just say that if you're a fan of Jane Austen's books and/or Nikki Payne's previous novels you absolutely need to run & get The Princess and the P.I.

The Dating Prohibition is a super spicy romance featuring the brother's best friend trope! 

Kendra back in her hometown to get started on her dream of opening a speakeasy bar & supper club. While she's happy to see her friends & family again, living in her brother's in-law suite brings back the feelings of living in his shadow. Everyone still calls her by her childhood nickname like nothing has changed! Things have changed for her longtime crush & big brother's bestie B.J. Seeing Kendra again gives him intense & complicated feelings.

Kendra and B.J. are like magnets! I enjoyed their chemistry & their playfulness but I think Kendra's convos w/ her girls were probably the funniest parts. I really liked Kendra's drive to get her business running & B.J.'s academic research. 

There were a few issues that I don't think were really resolved (no spoilers) & some small details that didn't work for me. Regardless, I still think this is a solid contemporary romance that is great for foodies!

You Dreamed of Empires is a short and very trippy book! I enjoyed the way historical fiction blended into magical realism whenever the characters consumed psychedelic foods. Essentially, it’s about the emperor of the Aztec empire Moctezuma and his people “welcoming” Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his people to Tenochtitlan. At this point in Moctezuma’s life, he is relying more and more on hallucinogens in his everyday life and although they are used in practice by the spiritual leaders in his society, he seems to be indulging more than necessary. The story centers around his sister/wife, princess Atotoxtli, dining with the conquistadors and their two translators, Friar Aguilar and Malinalli, an enslaved Nahua princess, at a welcome meal. 

This book has made me curious about the Indigenous perspectives of European colonizers in fiction, so I’m gonna be diving into those stories when I get a chance.