Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

*Spoiler free*

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?

I sort of read this one on a whim. I had heard a lot good things about it. It sounded like something I wouldn’t usually pick up, but I still might enjoy if I gave it a shot. And I’ve been trying to read more books like that!

This book feels very personal. It feels a little autobiographical. Everything about it felt like it came from such a deep place from the author. It was really awesome to read.

I really enjoyed the writing. Moreno is such a fantastic writer. The scenes go by so quickly, but everything is so vivid. I had such a clear picture of Port Coral, of the ocean, of Rosa’s home, and every other place there was. It was easy to picture everything and it was easy for everything to come to life.

I liked Rosa a lot. She’s confident in what she wants to do and what who she is but at the same time, she questions everything. It’s a weird combination, but it works and it made her seem really human. She’s a normal Cuban teen trying to make decisions and trying to figure out her life. They might not be perfect, but she’s trying. She’s easy to fall in love with and relate too, even if you’re not going through the exact same things she’s going through. Rosa is also casually bi and it was so awesome to see that! It’s a single line, but it was kinda big for me.

There are so many side characters in this book. I was worried in the beginning as more and more kept getting introduced, that I would lose track of everyone. But, it wasn’t hard to keep everyone straight! Moreno does a great job of introducing characters and making it clear who they are.

So many pastries and food this book. I’m a pretty picky eater, besides when comes to desserts, and even I thought the descriptions were really good haha. And there were so many desserts. So many. I would like Alex to bake me something.

There were a lot of sideplots that kind of felt like they were part of the main plot, but I feel like they all fed into Rosa finding herself. The line between was kind of blurred. One plot point sort of came out of nowhere. I didn’t really see it coming. It was important to the story and I think it’s important that it’s there, I just think the transition could have been a bit smoother. Other than that, I loved Rosa’s journey and I’m really happy with how it ended.

Overall, this book was really good and I really liked. Everything was so vivid and a cat even made an appearance!

Don’t Date Rosa Santos comes out May 14, 2019! You can add it on Goodreads and pre-order a copy in the meantime!

Thank you for reading!