Amor and Summer Secrets

It's the summer after her first year in high school, and all Mariana Ruíz can think about is her best friend Madison's upcoming Sweet Sixteen. It's going to be the event of the summer with every perfect detail catered to Madison's expensive needs. But then Mariana's parents force her to accompany her brother Vince on a summer-long vacation to Puerto Rico. Mariana is outraged and devastated; she doesn't understand why she has to miss her friend's birthday blowout to spent time with Puerto Rican relatives she's never met before and frankly has no desire to meet. But she has to go, against her will, and at first, Puerto Rice is everything Mariana has dreaded: conversational limitations due to the language barrier, cramped quarters she has to share, and muggy weather. But gradually, Mariana realizes she can't spend the summer pining for her hometown and its luxuries and stars to embrace her family and her ethnicity. And she just might get some new friends in the bargain. Amor and Summer Secrets was a cute and well-written story. I really liked Mariana's character; sure, she was spoiled and annoying at times, but she knew her flaws and genuinely tried to be a good person. I could easily relate to her struggles, especially the ones involving her family, friends, and boys. The problems Mariana deals with may see a little generic, but Wallach presents them in a realistic way that makes them appear fresh. I would've liked more development of the minor characters, particularly Lilly and Vince, because they were hard to understand at times, but their characterization was in the end adequate. I also liked how Mariana grew to accept and love her cultural identity. And of course, there's enough romance, drama, and secrets to keep the plot interesting. I definitely recommend Amor and Summer Secrets and can't wait for the sequel, Amigas and School Scandals. Fans of Cruel Summer by Alyson Noël and Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs will also enjoy this novel with similar themes.

to my teen years. Makes me wish and feel like I was there with Mariana! Couldn't put it down! Read it in 2 days and wished i had the next one to keep going! Awesome read Diana, keep it up and keep 'em coming!

In Philadelphia an argument occurs between forty-five years old Lorenzo Ruiz and his eighteen years old son Vincent over what is family and their heritage. Lorenzo having arrived in Camden as a ten year old accomapnying his older brothers and their parents never looked back. However the fight shames Lorenzo who ignored his roots and Americanized his offspring. To atone for his slap at his DNA pool, he decides to send Vince and his other child fifteen-year old Mariana to spend time learning their heritage. Instead of hanging out with her friends and attending sweet sixteens, an unhappy Mariana and a euphoric Vince are shipped to some distant relatives she never met in Puerto Rico for the summer. Mariana feels punished for her father's sins and in the remote mountain home of her great aunt and uncle finds herself bored and lonely. There is no air except the occasional breeze that blows hot; no fast food only ultra spiced meals she cannot pronounce; no English except for cousin Lilly; no privacy or even posters on walls. So why she wonders is she having the greatest summer of her life. The characters especially Mariana make for a strong entertaining contemporary tale. Vince sets the tone with his bet on the flight down that his sulking sister will cry on the way home because she will be sad that the most wonderful summer of her life is over. The story line contains a strong cast that provides deep insight into Puerto Rican extended families with a divide between those living on the island and those residing in the States. Diana Rodriguez Wallach provides a superb intelligent tale about how friendships make a place feel like home even when you first believe the Doors are right that "People are strange when you're a stranger". Harriet Klausner

Mariana Ruiz doesn't know why she's being exiled to Puerto Rico for the summer. She should be at home, helping her best friend, Madison, celebrate her Sweet Sixteen. Instead she's sent to visit relatives she's never met before, most of whom don't even speak English. Mariana is part Puerto Rican and part Polish, but the only Spanish she's ever picked up has been from her classes at school. Her cousin, Lilly, speaks English, but Mariana doesn't trust her motives, and keeps her distance, despite Lilly's attempts to be friends. Instead she helps her aunt plan Lilly's Quinceanera. An unexpected romantic surprise awaits Mariana at Lilly's party, and soon she finds she's enjoying the summer she never wanted to happen. But along with amor, she also finds out about a family secret that shocks her. This fast-paced and tension-filled story pulls the reader into Mariana's world, as she experiences her first adventure off her own turf and finds love. Amor and Summer Secrets is an enjoyable read, and once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. The first of three books, it will leave you wanting to read more from this talented new author. Reviewer: Alice Berger, Bergers Book Reviews