Cochina by Jaime Martinez

     Okay, so I'm approached by Marbro Enterprises on creating some hype for Jaime Martinez's Cochina.  I'm happy, as always on being approached by author's and their reps.  What I didn't not imagine was how Cochina [which, by the way is derogatory for 'dirty girl' and worse...] was unreal!  Oh my goodness!

     The story focuses a set of siblings: Lola, Marisol and Josephina Valdez.  They're from Little Mexico, in Chicago and so are their husbands - except for Marisol, who's unwed.  They fought to go from broke to ballers, but that's not enough.  From name dropping on anything material, to eyeballing every hot and hunky man on two legs, these made women seem hungry but only want real love.

     But there are secrets that divide them.  Some of the secrets are so deep (the ones they know of) that it pains them whenever there's a family get together.   A few secrets are just un-freaking-real and should be deal breakers...      I can honestly say, Martinez puts together some calamitous situations.  From the background of the sisters, to the creeping of the family members, this story is dirty, Dirty, DIRTY and befits the title!  Every last characters has issues, but dang if they just didn't handle things right at all.  Nah, that fight scene in the Player's Box was epic!  I just wish Lola had some pugilistic skills.  Ha!  But seriously.

     Every time I thought a situation was going to come to some sort of solution, something else would hit that would make me drop my jaw even lower!  Or with Marisol, her final mistake before the book ended...   The story was wild but good.  I can't lie, I was hooked.  Urban fiction and I normally don't get along, because the genre is too much like real life, but I couldn't put this book down.  It was raunchy, culturally inspiring (though not my culture), and unlimited, sexual liberation.

     There's just three things I was not happy with: the cliffhanger ending, the lack of translation and the editing.  The ending I felt, needed a bit more of a... well, an ending.  There was no sort of closure, offering up a curt, door slam to the face, that left me dumbfounded more than hanging.  I felt as though the climactic rage I was looking for was about to begin, but suddenly the line just went dead. (more reason to move on to the next book?)

     Now because I am from California, I knew many of the phrases used in Cochina, by  Mexicans.  My issue is that I am not fluent in Spanish, Mexican or Portuguese.  So when I'm reading, my flow is flustered by having to use my iPhone/iPad translator to figure out what someone said.  I love that Martinez shared the natural lingo, but for the average morena like me, it's a bummer not knowing what's being said.
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      Lastly, I was irked by the many end quotes(") in place of apostrophes (').  There are also periodic words missing from sentences.  I know how that happens because, I too am known for being on such a roll, my fingers hit the wrong key, or leave a word or two from a sentence.  The flow can leave you breathless, and in near arthritic pain from the speed.  Not one time did the quotes hurt the story; they were just distracting.  

     Anyway, check out Cochina.  The story will surprise you in so many ways, you may see some situations coming, but dang!  
​I'm off to the next read!

*A Guest Blog is next.
Cochina
Jaime Martinez
J. Martinez Books
April 21, 2015