Synopsis
Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat.
But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.
As her college decision looms, Rosa collides – literally – with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?
Review
I joined @ImmortalBiblio this month to read Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno. I definitely wanted to read a contemporary book, this came at the precise time. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover. One of the aspects I loved about the book was the family dynamic as we experience Rosa’s relationship with her grandmother Mimi. Another aspect that I connected with was Rosa’s enthusiasm to learn about her culture and family history.
“Everything I knew about Cuba came from this coastal town, hundreds of miles from the island that was so unknown to me. I met my culture in the food I ate at our table, the songs that played on my abuela’s record player, and the stories that flowed through the bodega and Ana- Maria’s lively home. But I couldn’t find my family in those stories. I couldn’t find me.”
My favorite part was how the journey Rosa went through made her see her family in a different way while also accomplishing her goal to visit Cuba. She was able to figure out what to do about her college and her relationship. “Without Mimi, I didn’t know where and how Port Coral fit in my life anymore.”
I recommend this to anyone that enjoys contemporaries as this has been my favorite one this year, I went through it so quickly. I can’t wait to read Nina’s next book, I really loved her writing.
Don’t Date Rosa Santos
Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Goodreads
Nina’s Social Media
Book Lover Book Reviews 