Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-0-7582-2553-5
Pages: 296
Price: $9.95
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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 