This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan

No, this has nothing to the controversial Blake Lively movie. I’d actually argue it is more well-written than that storyline but I digress.

Soledad feels like her marriage to Ethan has been on rocky ground, and though she has been trying to improve herself to attract her husband all over again.

Until she finds out he’s been embezzling funds from his company, is facing major jailtime and he cheated on her. She found out that last one in the worst way- he gave her an STD.

And the man who is putting her husband in jail is Judah Cross, an attractive, sensitive father to two autistic sons.

I’ll admit I don’t read many contemporaries so I might be wrong, but this felt like a refreshing narrative that sidesteps common tropes while delivering on equal romance and heat.

Foremost, Soledad and Judah love their kids. I think that’s common in romance, but it feels somehow more palatable here? Maybe it’s because the kids were older and the protagonists were older so no harried parent with under 10 child. But rather two mature adults navigate the new shift in their lives and figuring out how to put their kids first. Actually, family in general is a big part of the story as those who lift you up and let you vent as you find your way.

Soledad moreso as Ryan delivers ample page time to Soledad putting herself first after spending so much time trying to fix a relationship with a man who was hiding so much. A man that was her only relationship since college. She can’t get right back into the dating scene. And Ryan commits to that while building up the delicious tension between her and Judah.

Because it isn’t an easy situation with Judah being involved with putting Ethan in jail and the ensuing investigation. One that briefly puts her on the suspect list too but the best part is that they’re adults. They communicate! They act their age and it makes the book and the romance so much more satisfying when they do get together.

As mentioned before Judah’s sons are both autistic in differing ways on the spectrum. Obviously, I cannot comment on the authenticity but since the author is basing it on her own life with lots of input from the community and the organization, I think it is satisfactory as it is a normalized but important part of Judah’s narrative. It doesn’t make his life difficult as often portrayed on tv but it’s just life. Like having a kid with a disability or a language barrier or anything, there are simply extra things he has to consider but they’re the center of his life and he wouldn’t change a thing.

Basically, I’m a newfound fan and I can’t wait to read the backlist of her work as well as her upcoming novel-Can’t Get Enough.

Familia by Lauren E. Rico

Like anyone who wants to have some fun, Gaby sends her DNA to a gene ancestry website only to find out she has a sister out there. A sister who has been trying to contact her for years after she went missing as a baby and their father was shamed for the loss and “murder.”

Gaby doesn’t believe she’s the missing Marianna, Isabella is looking for but as a journalist she’s interested in looking for the real story so she heads to Puerto Rico to find out the truth.

Rico weaves an intriguing tale, going back and forth between the past and present and reveals in the maxim that there’s more than two sides to a story. Each new revelation reveals more questions and more supporting players to what happened that fateful night.

This is bolstered by the present day conflict as Gaby doesn’t want to have an unknown family especially Isabella whose fierceness intimidates her. Moreover, Isabella is haunted by the loss of her sister and her father who’s shame prevented him from being the father she needed so she slightly resents Gaby who lived a happy, comfy, financially stable life in America like a princess. Isn’t it just like family, love and jealousy can mix together for the most heated fights.

Alongside the human drama of classism and family ties is that the pure love shining through the prose of Puerto Rican traditions and landscapes of which the author is from, highlighting that the poverty on the news is only one side of the story to the warm community that hold you up through your struggles.

Salsa Stories by Lulu Delacre

Carmen Teresa recieves a journal for her New Years present prompting her family to tell childhood stories from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and more and the food that brings people together during celebrations.

A nice story parents can share with their kids, even pormpting their own recollections coupled with detailed family/friends recipes from the author It will make you hungry for sweet natilla though.

Some other authors I’ve mentioned

Nuestra América: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States by Sabrina Vourvoulias

Si Se Puede: The Latino Heroes that Changed the United States by Julio Anta

Priscilla Olivieras, Zoraida Cordueva, Adrianna Herrera, Mia Sosa, Liana De La Rosa, Jennifer De Leon, Abby Jiminez, Angie Cruz, SIlvia Moreno-Garcia, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Julia Alveraz, Xochitl Gonzalez, Sandra Cisneros, Angelina M. Lopez, Sabrina Sol, Diana Munoz Stewart, Alexis Daria, Natalie Cana, Jo Segura, Elizabeth Acevedo, Meg Medina, Isabel Allende and I’m sure there’s many many more. Seeing this list, I clearly need to add more latino authors. So if you have any suggestions, write in the comments.