Sisterhood of Reading

Before the Storm- Maria Rigou

Rating- 🤩🤩🤩🤩
Spice- 🌶️🌶️
Format- Ebook
Genre- Romance: second chance, Latina FMC, small town, shared grief, brother’s best friend

First off, I have to say a huge thank you to Love Notes PR  and Maria Rigou for the opportunity to read this book! I will always support Latina authors and love to see books that represent Hispanic culture.

In the small town of Tres Fuegos, Lucia is a doctor at the local clinic. She suddenly moved back to town, insisting that it’s to be closer to family for her brother’s wedding, but really she is running away from her grief. The grief of losing a patient that she cared so much about. She had just finished her pediatric residency and was looking forward to working in pediatric oncology but she met a young girl who changed her life. When Lucia couldn’t save her, she questioned everything and couldn’t get past her grief.

Francisco is a lawyer from a prominent political family. His father will do anything to keep his political career, including covering up the child he had from an affair. When Francisco finds out about the girl he forms a relationship with her and her mother. When she gets sick, his father forbids him from going to see her because he is worried that someone will find out about her. Francisco doesn’t listen and goes to see her as much as he can. His sister doesn’t make it and his grief of losing her is unbearable. Near the anniversary of her death, he decides to take a vacation. He ends up the Tres Fuegos for vacation and his friend’s wedding, but really he is running from the grief of losing his little sister.

When Lucia and Francisco see each other at the same wedding, they pretend like they don’t know each other, when really it’s been 3 years since they last saw each other. Lucia was the doctor that treated Jazmin, Francisco was the brother who came to visit. As they start spending time together again, the challenges of their unresolved grief comes between them. They realize that the only way to build a future together is to heal from the past. 

This second-chance, small-town romance was so sweet. Both Lucia and Francisco go through so much but their friendship and relationship is gold. The one critque that I would have about this book is the way that flashback are written. At times it can me difficult to differentiate between what is happening in the present and where it transitions to a flashback and back to the present. Over aII, I loved this book and definitely recommend.