The Spanish Daughter

by Lorena Hughes

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As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it’s not until his death that she learns of something else she’s inherited—a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed “París Chiquito.” Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband Cristóbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri’s claim to the estate…

When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband’s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father’s legacy in Ecuador. Though freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estate—newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father’s dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim…

Perfect for fans of Julia Alvarez and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this exhilarating novel transports you to the lush tropical landscape of 1920s Ecuador, blending family drama, dangerous mystery, and the real-life history of the coastal town known as the “birthplace of cacao.”

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Book Club, Historical, Audiobook, Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2021

About the author

Lorena Hughes is the award-winning author of The Queen of the Valley, The Spanish Daughter and The Sisters of Alameda Street. Born and raised in Ecuador, she moved to the United States when she was eighteen. Her novels have earned acclaim from outlets such as The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Woman's World, PopSugar and BuzzFeed. The Spanish Daughter was an Amazon Editors' Pick, a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books selection, a Once Upon a Book Club pick, and a Reading Group Choices Most Popular Books of the Year. Lorena can be found online at Lorena-Hughes.com.

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: It was good, not great. I have pretty much mixed feelings about every aspect of this book. So you may or may not read it depending on your reading preferences. Read on to know more.

Story:

Ecuador, 1920. Puri--short for Maria Purificacion deLafont--and her husband Cristóbal are on their way by ship from their native Spain to Ecuador, in response to a letter received from her lately-deceased father's lawyer, asking her to come and claim her inheritance. (Oh my! What a complex sentence!) But aboard the ship, someone attempts to murder her. When Cristóbal comes to her rescue, both the assailant and he end up dead and Puri is unexpectedly left a widow in the middle of nowhere. To safeguard herself from future attacks and from being a woman travelling alone in a new country, she takes over her husband's identity and disembarks the ship as Cristóbal. Can she find out the truth of who wants her dead?
The story is narrated in the first person perspectives of Puri, and her step sisters Anjelica and Catalina. The latter two perspectives begin a few years in the past, slowly making their way to the present timeline of 1920.

Pro: The book is a combination of multiple genres - historical fiction, mystery and family drama
Con: It works very well as a family drama, partially as a historical fiction, and not at all as a mystery.

Pro: The female mc dressed as a man for most of the story provides an entertaining historical insight. Some of her experiences are quite well written.
Con: There are way too many lines dedicated to comparisons between men and woman. Puri has constant refrains on things that men have easy, things that they have tough, and the same comparisons for women. It starts off well but soon becomes repetitive and irksome.

Pro: Puri seems like a strong and intelligent woman who wants to be independent in a day and age where women were expected to be puppets at the hands of their husbands. She makes an impactful mc in this regard.
Con: Her character isn’t sketched in a way that makes you connect with her realistically. For instance, her father is supposed to have abandoned her mother when she was just two. He settled in a new country and had a new family. Thereafter his correspondence with her was through sporadic letters. Yet, she feels only loyalty towards him rather than anger. Her feelings for Cristóbal keep shifting throughout the story.

Pro: A great part of the story deals with finding out who the mysterious assailant is. There are enough characters on whom the author throws a shadow of doubt, thereby attempting to give your brain cells a lot to chew upon.
Con: I could easily guess who the culprit was, once they appeared in the storyline. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ There were a few surprise twists but nothing quite astounding.

Pro: Having been written in first person voices of three female characters, the story has a lot of emotional pondering and secretive actions. To a certain extent, this enhances the mystery.
Con: A tiny part of me feels that the book might have worked better in third person narrative because none of the leading ladies were likeable (at least for me). They sounded really whiny at times. And none of the characters, main or secondary, were captivating enough to hold my interest beyond a certain level.

Pro: The biggest appeal of this book lies in the fact that a woman in 1920 Ecuador dressed up as a man to detect her potential killer. So it doesn’t fall into your typical historical fiction mould.
Con: The whole idea seems unrealistic on many levels. How did Puri disembark without the captain or any passenger even realising that she was dressed as the dead passenger? There’s a line saying that she gave away her gowns to other passengers. Didn’t anyone question why? Wherever there is doubt of how she passed off as a man, there’s content to show you that she was exceptionally tall for her gender or that she had a deep voice. But towards the latter half when she reveals her identity, her face is said to be delicate. She is said to have stolen the beard from a performing troupe on board and wears Cristóbal’s glasses to further add a layer of camouflage. How the heck did she see properly with those glasses? It was just farfetched and too convenient. Even beyond Puri’s disguise, there are many elements that don’t make sense. For instance, why would a woman of the 1920s tell her dead stepsister’s husband (whom she knows for just a few days) of how she lost her virginity? Didn’t she have any other shoulders to cry upon?

Pro: The historical aspects of a cacao plantation and chocolate making are excellently written.
Con: No con here. This is the best part of the book, though it makes just a brief appearance in the story.

Overall, I think I expected a lot, especially considering that this is an #OwnVoices book. So if you reduce your expectations and proceed without using your inner logical detective too much, you might just enjoy it more than I did. Just focus more on the history than on the mystery, and you ought to like it reasonably well.

I heard the audiobook, clocking at 9 hrs 45 minutes and narrated by Frankie Corzo. The narration was quite nice and her rendering of the Spanish words made me feel like she really knew her Spanish. (I have no idea if she was pronouncing them right because I don’t know Spanish. 😂) At the same time, keep in mind that there are multiple timelines and multiple perspectives. If you are a newbie audiobook listener, this audio production will befuddle you. Stick to reading instead.

3.25 stars from me.

My thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Spanish Daughter”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.



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[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, 2021 has been the year I’ve read several stories about women posing as men in the past. Here, Puri has learned of her father’s death and is traveling with her husband to Ecuador, where her father lived since she was two. But during the crossing, someone kills her husband in an attempt on her life. For her own safety, she begins to pass as her husband, because someone is obviously upset about her inheriting a portion of her father’s cocoa estate. When she arrives in Vinces, she discovers her father had a second family, with three additional children.
I was drawn to this novel based on a comparison to Julia Alvarez. And there is a similarity in style - a lush style of writing, well developed characters.
This story blends the mystery of who is behind the murder of Cristobal with a well researched historical story of the cocoa industry. Told primarily from Puri’s point of view, we also get glimpses into the thoughts and backgrounds of her half sisters.
The story is a slow build family drama, with the first half entirely taking up with setting the scene and introducing a wide range of characters.
Despite Hughes’ detailed descriptions on how Puri passed as a man, I was having trouble buying into it. It took a suspension of belief to think a fake beard was enough to fool people. I also think part of the problem was the narrator’s voice. Frankie Corzo narrates and she has a lovely feminine voice. Puri’s voice is supposedly naturally deep, but Corzo’s attempts to talk in a low, husky voice failed to convince.
I did appreciate the way that Puri passing as a man provided her (and us) an eye into the contrast between men’s and women's lives in the day. In scene after scene, she sees first hand the freedoms her sex is denied.
In addition to spelling out the differences between the sexes in the 1920s, the book also explores the differences between the classes.
While the mystery is very low key, there are plenty of suspects as everyone is hiding secrets. Overall, an enjoyable historical fiction that will provide 10 hours of entertainment.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this audiobook.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the rest of us, there's chocolate......

Lorena Hughes introduces us to Maria Purificacion de Lafont, a twenty-eight year old chocolatier who is an artisan in creating confections made with chocolate. Her little shop is located in her native Sevilla, Spain where she is the hostess. It is here where she and her writer husband, Cristobal de Balboa live and work in 1920.

But word is received that Puri's father has passed away where he ran a cacao plantation in Ecuador. Puri's parents were estranged and she has not seen her father since childhood. Though still married to Puri's mother, Don Armand had since had another family there. Puri and Cristobal were beckoned to Ecuador for the reading of the will.

Little did Puri and Cristobal realize that danger would be boarding that ship together with them. Just outside the waters of Cuba, an attempt would be made on their lives. Only Puri would be continuing on the voyage. She dresses as her husband Cristobal in order to protect herself from further danger. But once she does this, Puri must continue the charade even in front of her new family. Who is behind the plot to kill her? Puri is "dead" and Cristobal lives.

The Spanish Daughter is an entertaining read. It crosses back and forth from historical fiction with a bit of mystery inside. But there is not an absolute heightening of mystery or danger to carry the plot even towards the wrap-up in the ending. I settled on 3.5 Stars kicked up to 4 Stars because of the author's well researched view of Ecuador in 1920. Might I mention that cover is gorgeous as well.

Check out the Author's Notes that explain the spark that created this storyline. There was an actual Maria Purificacion Garcia who developed a cacao bean roaster in 1847. Women inventors were happening only to put the patent in their husband's name. Interesting......

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Lorena Hughes for the opportunity.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1920s Ecuador, The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes revolves around twenty-eight year old chocolatier Maria Purificacion de Lafont y Toledo (Puri) ,daughter of a French father and Spanish mother, who runs her own chocolate shop in Seville, Spain with her aspiring writer husband, Cristobal.

After the demise of her estranged father who abandoned her and her mother twenty-five years ago she inherits a large share of his cacau plantation in Vinces, Ecuador. En route to Ecuador, an attempt on her life results in the death of her husband whose body goes overboard along with their assailant. Sensing that her attack is linked to her inheritance she impersonates her late husband and informs her half-siblings, whose existence she was unaware of before reaching Ecuador that “Puri” passed away on the journey due to illness, while she tries to unmask the identity of the person who plotted the attempt on her life and murdered her husband. As the story progresses and we get to know more about the siblings-their pasts, their complicated personal relationships and how they truly feel about one another, long buried family secrets and deceptions are exposed . For Puri , keeping her true identity a secret becomes increasingly difficult as she tries to determine who she can actually trust and what she needs to do stay safe.

For the most part, the narrative is carried by Puri with some segments in the voices of her half-sisters Angelica and Catalina. In Puri the author creates an intelligent and brave woman who is
ahead of her time. While impersonating her husband she experiences first-hand how societal norms and expectations set for men and women are tilted largely in favor of men. Her experiences and interpretations of the same make for some very interesting and entertaining reading.

With the vivid backdrop of the cacao boom in the Guayas Basin of Ecuador, The Spanish Daughter is a very engaging work of historical fiction with an element of suspense that keeps you hooked till the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and finished it in a day.

Thanks to Goodreads, the author and Kensington Books for the Advance Reader’s Edition.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Purificacion de Lafont lives in Sevilla Spain, she’s married to Christobal de Balboa, and she owns a chocolate shop. In 1920, times are still tough in Spain after the end of the First World War, when Puri receives a letter from a lawyer in Vinces, Ecuador, a town known as “little Paris” and she’s inherited a share of her estranged father’s cocoa plantation.

Don Armand Lafront, abandoned his wife and Puri when she was two and moved to Ecuador. Puri’s closes her shop, with her husband Christobal they embark on the sea voyage to Ecuador and he plans to write his novel. They have no idea that Puri’s life’s in danger, when Christabal comes to her aid, he’s killed, and Puri’s left in shock and terrified. She decides to dress in her husband’s clothes, take on his identity until she finds out who wanted to kill her and why?

Arriving in Ecuador, she discovers her father was a rich man, she has three half siblings and she continues to maintain her disguise. Martin Sabater runs the plantation, he takes Puri on a tour, as a chocolate maker she finds, the process of growing, harvesting, fermenting and drying of the cocoa beans fascinating.

The house is full of tension and she uncovers her father had other affairs, he kept secrets and his eldest daughter by his “second wife” resented Puri for being his only legitimate child. Puri doesn’t feel safe at all, she’s cant confess who she really is, until she works out who’s wants kill her, and is it one of her father’s children, their spouse, a disgruntled employee and has someone been forging her father’s signature?

The Spanish Daughter is a story full of intrigue, secrets, deception, and of course deceit. It was based on author Lorena Hughes discovering a cacao bean roasting machine was patented by a woman in 1847, and she created her story around that vital piece of information. It’s really interesting that cacao growers in 1920’s Ecuador, had never tried the final product and despite making a fortune from harvesting cacao beans.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review, a light historical mystery, four stars from me, and I look forward to reading The Sister of Alameda Street, I didn’t realize it was by Lorena Hughes and I purchased it a few weeks ago!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ecuador, 1920. Maria Purificacion arrives in Vinces to claim her inheritance. While on the ship, her husband Cristobal perishes when trying to protect Maria. Now, she is disguising as her late husband since there was an attempt on her life. Once on the cocoa plantation, she learns that there is one caveat of the will she wasn’t expecting. She is to be in charge of her late father’s cacao plantation, holding 50% of assets. But since she is supposedly dead, she can’t claim it.

As Maria tries to unravel who is behind the attempt on her life, we get to know her half-siblings in flashbacks, which add to the constantly building suspense. The characters are interestingly developed; the story is engrossingly woven, making it a quick read. I constantly kept guessing who was behind the attempt.

However, when it comes to historical background, I wished it depicted vibrantly the town of Vinces known as Little Paris and the life on cocoa plantation and what it entails.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes is a wonderful book about a woman, Puri, who was born in the first family of her father in Europe. He chose his second family over her and her mother. As an adult the twists and turns begin when her husband is killed, which was meant for her. She goes to Spain as her husband to uncover family plots and dramas. All of this in order to inherit the families plantation in Ecuador.

[Paul E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly I enjoyed this story. You have to look beyond (what I feel are) some possibly ridiculous circumstances or situation settings (like the whole fake beard and mustache, I can't imagine anyone not seeing through that, especially during physical activities during hot and humid conditions. Maybe I'm missing something and they just had fantastic facial adhering glues and facial hair designs back in the 1920's. Anyway it took me a while to come to an agreement with that and it kind of chucks the credibility of the story).
However, the basic outline and plot of the story is fun and adventurous. I love the detail to the location (Ecuador) and the history of the cacao plant
all of this contributes to an atmospheric feeling wrapped up in a murder mystery/whodunnit. With minimal violence.
3 1/2 to 4 stars. Can't quite give it 4 but it's close.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spanish Daughter was an enjoyable read. At first I was a little put off because I felt like the author was repetitive and more telling than showing but the mystery kept me reading.

There were also decisions and comments made that I felt like would never happen in real life under the circumstances the FMC was in, but who knows. Not everyone thinks like I do!

It had some eye rolling, brief and nondescript sex scenes. But overall I liked the book and was dumbfounded when the villain was revealed!!

3.5 rounded up.

[Lydia Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. I couldn't stop reading it. A lyrical and nuanced study of family and belonging. Readers will fall in love with The Spanish Daughter's unique setting amidst the cacao plantations of Ecuador in 1920, its lush and vivid prose, and compelling and audacious heroine. I'm already looking forward to the sequel. A must read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Around the World

The Spanish Daughter is a historical mystery set in 1920s Ecuador by Ecuadorian author Lorena Hughes. The main character is Maria Purificacion deLafont or Puri, who sells her chocolate shop in Seville, Spain to move to Vinces, Ecuador with her husband Cristóbal de Balboa when she learns her father has left her a cacao plantation there. On the voyage she is attacked by a mysterious stranger and her husband is killed in the struggle. Fearing for her life, Puri decides to masquerade as her husband and try to uncover who was responsible for the attempt on her life.

When she arrives at the plantation she discovers her father Don Armand, who had left Spain many years before, has left her with three half siblings. The beautiful Angélica is very resentful of her Spanish sister and her large inheritance. Catalina is still unmarried and the locals revere her as a saint. Alberto, the brother, is becoming a priest. Lastly there is the handsome Marin Sabater who runs the plantation. The story is full of intrigue and buried secrets, and draws you into both the mystery and life on a plantation during the cacao boom in the Guayas Basin of Ecuador. I enjoyed the story and the audio narration by Frankie Corzo and would be happy to read another of Lorena’s books.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorena Hughes' The Spanish Daughter offers an engaging read. Not too demanding, but also fluff-free, the kind of story a reader can lose herself in for several hours. The central character Puri been running a chocolate shop in Spain in the years leading up to 1920, inspired by both her grandmother, who was a fine chocolate-maker and the inventor of a roaster for cacao, and her father, who left for Ecuador determined to build a cacao plantation and never returned. When her father dies, leaving a substantial chunk of that plantation to Puri, she convinces her husband Cristóbal that they should travel to Ecuador to make a living via this inheritance.

On the boat to Ecuador, an assassin attempts to kill Puri, but it's Cristóbal who dies. Knowing her life is under threat, Puri continues on her journey, dressing as Cristóbal for self-protection. When she arrives in Ecuador, Puri finds she has relatives she never knew of: two half-sisters and a half-brother. Before her disguise is uncovered, Puri needs to determine who tried to have her killed.

The remainder of the novel follows Puri's investigations and explores the lessons about gender that cross-dressing provides her. This balance between mystery and self-discovery works well—Puri, as her husband Cristóbal, is herself a mystery for those she investigates. Her new relatives and Martín, the manager of the plantation, all have things to hide, but do they include attempted murder?

If you like historical fiction, mysteries, novels with strong women, adventure fiction—you'll enjoy The Spanish Daughter. It would also make a great gift book for the holidays, offering an escape into a very different world for the recipient.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an audiobook for me and it was really, really good. I can’t believe how much I liked it. I mean I knew it was going to be an interesting read but this was great! The narrator, Frankie Corzo was excellent and I loved the writing. It was rich in cultural narrative and history. With compelling, vibrant characters that only created more mystery and wonder.
I’m really glad I found this author and look forward to reading her next novel. I highly recommend listening to this.
Thanks Recorded Books via NetGalley.

#TheSpanishDaughter #NetGalley

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

This book was good, but for some reason there was just something holding me back from loving it.

I admire Puri’s strength to take on the disguise of a man to uncover the truth about her husband. I do find it added a bit of a childlike quality to the book, maybe kind of? It’s hard to explain.

As an historical fiction novel that has nothing to do with a world war (yay!), I do think it gives an accurate perspective on women doing mens work and the differences in how women were viewed in the 1900s.

If you’re looking for some light reading with a plot that’s unique, this book is for you.

[Laura Snider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a period piece, based on a family who has made their money by growing the plant that is used to make chocolate. It is the first book I've ever read that takes place on a chocolate plantation. While I would have liked to know more about the life of those who worked on the plantation, this book focuses on the family who live in the main house.

The family relationships are strained from he start. The owner of the plantation is the father of one "legitimate" daughter, three illegitimate children (two girls and one boy), and one daughter that he doesn't acknowledge as his child. The bulk of the plantation is left to the "legitimate" daughter, who has to travel from Spain to collect her inheritance. An assassination attempt on the crossing leads to her decision to dress has her recently discussed husband, and pretend to be him as she investigates who tried to have her killed.

The whole premise of the book is unique, the story was well paced, and the characters were well-rounded. They all had their own little secrets that added depth, especially to the more traditional characters. I also felt like the discovery of the main character's gender (that she was a woman posing as her husband) would have had a bit more backlash in that time period. After all, they are still wearing corsets and dresses and are supposed to be a proper, upper class family. I also felt like the ending was odd. I won't give away what happened, but the event occurs abruptly with little to no warning, and it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

Despite the few shortcomings, I enjoyed the book. My biggest issues came near the very end, which was disappointing, but it didn't ruin the appreciation I had for the earlier parts of the book.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review on my blog here veganbookblogger.wordpress.com/2022/0...
This story taking place in the early twentieth century Ecuador is inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao.
Highly anticipated this book is a real standout in historical fiction.
A married young woman inherits a cacao plantation located in Ecuador and with a lifetime of the knowledge of chocolate making from her grandmother she is excited to open a chocolate shop in her native country of Spain. Not everyone is happy with her inheritance of the plantation though and is out to get her. Danger follows her days though when not she is killed but mistakenly her husband. Living in fear and in disguise as her husband in public can she stay safe and convince others she is her husband while she investigates the truth. Sometimes what you find is not what you're looking for but dark secrets instead that come to life.
While the pressure is off her as a female with the expectations to be meek and just obey, danger lurks around every corner as she learns the identity of her enemy.
Very intriguing read that I had a hard time putting down.

Pub Date 28 Dec 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually adored this one! Loved it! It had been on my TBR for forever, and I don't know why, but I was afraid I wouldn't love it. A prompt involving chocolate had me picking it up. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. And our heroine is both a pistol with incredible complicated vulnerable feelings. Tasted and textured like chocolate.

[Anna Lee Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lyrical and nuanced study of family and belonging. Readers will fall in love with The Spanish Daughter’s unique setting amidst the cacao plantations of Ecuador in 1920, its lush and vivid prose, and compelling and audacious heroine. I’m already looking forward to the sequel.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuostabi, kupina įvykių ir emocijų, įtraukianti knyga. ❤️

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Puri is two years old, Puri’s father travels to Ecuador searching for chocolate abandoning her and her mother. Her mother died, and her father never returned. When Puri is notified of her father’s death and his will, she sells her chocolate store and seeks to claim her inheritance. Puri and her husband, Cristobal, travel by sea when she is attacked by an assassin. When Cristóbal dies protecting Puri, she disguises herself assuming her husband’s identity. The killer had a piece of paper with Puri’s name and a check signed by her father from his local hometown bank. She suspects that someone wants her dead. Guayaquil and Vinces, Ecuador are very different from Sevilla, Spain in 1920.

In Vinces she meets Martin, her father’s administrator. At the cocoa plantation, she discovers a family she never knew existed - two sisters and a brother. Beautiful, poised, sophisticated, and popular Angelica is ambitious but to her father never measured up to his Spanish daughter. Angelica is married to the flirtatious and arrogant Frenchman, Laurent. Catalina is considered a saint as she had a vision of the Virgin Mary when she was a child. Their brother is a priest and ceded any claim to the estate. Everyone Puri meets has secrets from Martin, her family, Romano the cockatoo, Soledad the healer, Julia the maid, and Mayra the servant. Who wants her dead and why? Will her identity be uncovered before she discovers the truth? A story of betrayal, hope, and family.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hearing about her father’s death, Puri travels to Ecuador to claim her inheritance. She’s been left a sizeable cocoa plantation – a delight for this young chocolatier from Seville, Spain. Unfortunately, Puri soon learns that someone has been hired to get rid of her, mistakenly murdering her husband instead of her. In an attempt to seek answers, Puri disguises herself as her late husband and arrives in Ecuador under the guise of collecting the inheritance on behalf of his late wife. Discovering siblings that she was unaware of is just one of the shocks Puri faces.

Set against the lush backdrop of 20th century Ecuador, this own-voices author highlights the destructing force of harboured jealousy and the strengthening and rebuilding that can take place when we look for similarities rather than differences between us and our supposed enemies. Legacy and corruption go hand in hand in this absorbing read. Inspired by history and fleshed out by vivid descriptions, this Latinx historical novel was an informative read with a rushed ending and the potential for mystery and romance undeveloped. Regardless, it was a satisfying family drama laced with historical detail.

I was gifted this advance copy by Lorena Hughes, Kensington Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Publishes December 28, 2021.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of really implausible storylines and interactions between characters that just made it really hard to get into the story line. The main character is pretty flat and under developed. The best part of the book is the description of the cacao plantation and process.

[Margarita Gautier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia preciosa

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puri and her husband Cristóbal are on their way to Ecuador, where Puri is to claim a chocolate plantation that has been left to her, when her husband is murdered by the assassin sent for her. Determined to avenge him, Puri assumes Cristóbal's identity and goes to the plantation, where a trio of secret siblings is but the first of the surprises...

I was immediately intrigued by this book, because I'd never read anything with such a plot. Yet despite the intricacy of the premise, it is written in a straightforward manner that was easy to follow despite all the things going on. The various storylines and backgrounds of the characters are woven together in a cohesive fashion, and there were even points in the book where I gasped out loud, I was so shocked by the twists.

The linchpin of this novel is Puri, who is a quite endearingly ordinary person. She is a chocolatier who drops everything in Spain and rushes to Ecuador at her father's behest, even though he abandoned her and her mother when she was a child. Though I am not sold on the logistics of her cross-dressing, her plan did not seem hare-brained at all to me which is a first when it comes to ludicrous plans in mysteries.

I also found the various supporting characters intriguing, especially Puri's sisters who are given their chance to narrate the novel. I was especially interested in Catalina's experience of seeing the Virgin Mary and how it tied into the main plot. I did wish however that we saw more of Puri-as-Cristóbal bonding with the pair. The relationship between Martin and Puri, on the other hand, was well-developed, and I liked its resolution because it made sense considering Puri's circumstances when they met.

The mystery I found intriguing, but the reveals surrounding the burned-faced assassin were a little underwhelming, maybe because of the way Puri went about investigating it. I would have liked to see the ultimate revealing of the plot better developed, maybe more of an explanation of logistics. But I liked that the resolution to the mystery was not the resolution to the book as whole, as in the end this is as much a family drama as a mystery.

Overall, an engaging read with a unique premise and setting.

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the author’s other novel also set in Ecuador and featuring a young woman impersonating someone else after her father died. Lots of family intrigue and a dash of romance. All too similar to this story of a young woman who takes on his husband’s identity to find his killer among her relatives in Ecuador after, yes, the death of her father that abandoned her when she was two.

The only way to enjoy the book was to totally abandon reality. No way could she pass as a man with a fake beard and glasses! Even the opening set up on the ship was simply not believable. I didn’t really empathize with any of the characters who were liars, whiners and pretenders with daddy issues.

Sorry to be such a downer. I actually live in Ecuador and I would like to support an author from this amazing country. I did like the parts about cacao chocolate.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a mystery? I mean a really dang good mystery??? Well, in my opinion, this is one of them. AND, do you know a little about Ecuador And chocolate? You've come to the right place to find out - throw in a murder, inheritance, troubled siblings, and a woman dressed as a man who is trying to find out who killed her husband on the ship coming over to Ecuador to inquire about her inheritance. After arriving in Ecuador, Puri, the woman dressed as her husband is trying to sort out the answers to these mysteries. Good luck.
For more insight into the story read the other really good reviews.
Excuse my grammar - that ole Grammar site seems at odds with my writing skills. LOL

[kay! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have finally finished my first book of the year.

I loved it, utterly loved it. But... the ending was so abrupt and sudden... This was a five-star until the very end. It needed 50 ish more pages to properly wrap up the story and not a quickly written two-page epilogue.

The writing, atmosphere, characters, mystery- it's all there. Truly a beautiful book inside and out.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC 🌺

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Victorian mystery set in the cocao fields of a large plantation. I had never read a book that told of a woman posing as a man to solve a mystery.

Upon finishing the book, I discovered there is another book involving some of the same characters. On my list it goes.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book . . . I picked it up because it is about a part of the world and a crop that I am unfamiliar with (like most of us though, I love chocolate so looked forward to learning more about the cocoa bean plantations in South America.

I was disappointed in the "sense of place" that the author created -- she is a native of Ecuador and there was some history in this (story set c. 1920) but in many ways, the story itself could have happened anywhere. But . . . surprisingly of interest in the story, is the main character (Puri, the Spanish daughter) has her husband murdered, protecting her from an assassin, on the ship from Spain to Ecuador where she will claim her plantation inheritance. Puri assumes her husband's identity, wears his clothes, and convinces her deceased father's "second family" that Puri has died to try to solve the mystery of who among her half-siblings planned her murder. This leads to reflections on Puri's part about how very different society treats men and women; how she herself adjusts her thinking and actions based on gender expectations.

Author's notes at end of book did a good job of explaining the historical inspiration and background for the novel. And one thing that is rare nowadays, it seems, that I appreciate . . . book was moderate in length, author had good sense of timing. 3.5