Hot Tamara

I have been waiting for this book for a very long time and finally here it is. I finished it in one night I just could not put it down. I can't tell you how much I LOVED this book. I related to Tamara in so many ways and I wish I could find a guy like Will. Thanks Mary for such a fun and wonderful book I can't wait till the next book comes out.

This book was awesome. The steamy romance scenes were VERY well written. I was on a 3 hour flight and I picked the book up in the airport. I read the whole thing on the plane. I couldn't put it down. Even when the flight attendant came to get my drink order. The plot kept me captured and turned a long, boring flight into one of romance and excitement. DEFINITELY worth reading!!

Mary Castillo's HOT TAMARA is one of the most charming stories I've read in a long time. Before I read the excerpt on her website, before I subscribed to her newsletter a year ago, I knew this novel was destined to be a "must read" in chick lit history. Tamara Contreras is a twenty-six year woman faced with decisions regarding future aspirations that threaten her relationship with her old-fashioned mother and her love for an old high school crush, Will Benavides. "Hot" Tamara is a character who essentially has been ignored in contemporary lit (i.e. successful Latinas who don't speak any/little Spanish, and who are more American than Latino, but still Latino). Unlike Hollywood which continues to perpetuate stereotypes and fails to "see" the rest of us Latinas who exist out there, Mary Castillo defies convention with Tamara. Castillo's characters -- from Will to Isa to Las Senoras -- are well-rounded and believable with flaws and dreams that read like real people. Even Tamara's parents, characters which are usually relegated to the background in many books, come alive. Castillo uses the right amount of wit, humor, and conflict to move her plot toward a sweet, satisfying ending. FIVE STARS, TWO THUMBS UP, AND ORALE!!

Hot Tamara has something I've been looking for in popular fiction lately--Warmth. Tamara's relationship with her close-knit Mexican-American family is right on and very familiar to me. And "Will" is so hot and so cool, I was rooting for him from the moment I met him. The author manges to weave together Tamara's career struggles, her budding romance, and her family dynamics in a way that feels much like real life, with moments of anger and sadness contrasted by moments of reconciliation and triumph. I also enjoyed the "bonus footage" at the end of the book with information about the author and her own romance, the "soundtrack" to Hot Tamara, and, in true Latin style, even some words from her mother. All in all, a very satisfying read.

I had been anxiously waiting for this book and was so excited when I finally I got it! I read it in one night and really enjoyed it. It's about a young woman in her 20's establishing her place in the world, ditching a comfy life with her parents for the challenge of a new career, city and friends. I connected because I could relate - I went through similiar experiences during that time in my life. It brought back so many memories. I love Tamara, she is such a fun character to follow! Thank you Mary, looking forward to your next book!