Big Chicas Don't Cry

by Annette Chavez Macias

Four cousins navigate love, loss, and the meaning of family over the course of one memorable year in this heartfelt family drama.

Cousins Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie are inseparable. They aren’t just family but best friends—sharing secrets, traditions, and a fierce love for their abuelita. But their idyllic childhood ends when Mari’s parents divorce, forcing her to move away. With Mari gone, the girls’ tight-knit bond unravels.

Fifteen years later, Mari’s got the big house and handsome husband, but her life is in shambles. Erica’s boyfriend just dumped her, and her new boss hates her. Selena can’t seem to find her place in the world—not Mexican enough for her family, not white enough for her colleagues. And Gracie is a Catholic school teacher with an all-consuming crush, but she can’t trust herself when it comes to romance.

As rocky as the cousins’ lives have become, nothing can prepare them for the heartbreaking loss of a loved one. When tragedy reunites them, will they remember their abuelita’s lessons about family and forgiveness—or are fifteen years of separation too much to overcome?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Latinx, Audiobook, Book Club, Chick Lit

367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2022

About the author

Annette Chavez Macias writes stories about love, family, and following your dreams. She is proud of her Mexican American heritage, culture, and traditions, all of which can be found within the pages of her books. For readers wanting even more love stories and guaranteed happily ever afters, Annette also writes romance novels under the pen name Sabrina Sol. A Southern California native, Annette lives just outside Los Angeles with her husband, three children, and four dogs.

To learn more about Annette and her books, visit www.authorannette.com. Or follow her on Instagram at @authorannette.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I truly wanted to love this book. As a Latina who grew up with cousins that I considered my sisters, and then later we drifted apart, this book should have been right up my alley. But my god, was it dry. I felt like I was slogging through someone's boring little diary. After a while, even the "big" scenes didn't feel big to me. It's was like a stale piece of pan dulce.

[Emma.catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book I had no idea it would be set during Christmas…I got lucky 🍀 It was the perfect introduction to a Mexican style Christmas 🎄

But moreover, ‘Big Chicas Don't Cry’ is a multigenerational story about four cousins navigating love, loss, and the meaning of family over the course of one memorable year in this heartfelt family drama. 15 years ago: cousins Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie were inseparable best-friends. Now: Mari is gone and their tight-knit bond is broken. They all live totally different lives. But despite their differences, one tragic thing will bring them together. When tragedy reunites them, will they remember their abuelita's lessons about family and forgiveness? 💖 ✨

"When will you learn that living with something you don’t love is not living at all?” 🙌🏽

The first half of this book covers a broad-sweeping view of each of the cousins lives. They live somewhat separately, but none as distant as Mari. Then, over the course of the whole book we dive deeper into each of their lives, uncovering both their struggles and achievements. However, one major theme stood out to me: that Latinas are expected to carry the heavy burdens of life’s struggles, staying strong no matter what.

“Family is the most important thing in this world. Sometimes, though, you don’t realize it until you don’t have it anymore.” 💔

I have read a few of Annette’s books and loved all of them, however, I did find this one a bit harder to get into. I found it difficult to follow the 4 different POV, as they all followed a similar theme. Some of this confusion did rectify itself overtime but I still found it hard to follow at times. That being said, it was still very enjoyable to read and all 4 woman all show a great level of resilience.

As with Annette’s other books she did a fantastic job at representing the Mexican-American culture. I find it fascinating to read this genre and love learning more about this cultures traditions. Furthermore, Annette always likes to leave us with little pieces of wisdom throughout the story 😌

"A gift is a gift, and you should always be grateful for anything someone gives you out of love. The day you tell someone what to give you is the day you no longer get gifts out of love, but rather obligation. Well, for me, I’d rather have the love.” 💖

Overall, this was a beautifully written story that reflects realistic modern day challenges that define families across the world. Yet, Annette goes a step further and gives a voice to the struggles that are unique to the Mexican-American community.

"Lesson one: Never let your guard down. The second you think you’re in control—bam! Chaos ensues. Lesson two: Logic doesn’t always win arguments. Sometimes you just have to accept that no matter what you say, you can’t change minds. Lesson three: It never hurts to ask for help. Especially from the Big Guy." 🙌🏽

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Reese Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the story of these four cousins dealing with life, love, family, and career. A warm, emotional ride filled with heart and humor.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the four different characters in this was going to bog down this story that is only 360 some odd pages. But surprisingly it worked out so amazingly well. I think it worked so well since this is all set in one year of their life. Which I loved that it wasn't over the course of multiple years. I can not say much about the aspects of culture since I did not grow up in the Mexican-American heritage. But even though I didn't I could just tell how much the author put into this story. It was so full of love and more. This was a great story for this summer!

[Sofía · Rating 1 out of 5]

no hate to the author, but she is not one for subtleties. this book is written like she wanted a second grader to understand what was going on (except for some scenes, obviously.) i’m also not one for the excessive spanglish throughout the book, overall, i didn’t like the writing style.

it’s definitely a quick read, and i sort of liked the stories, however the lack of character development was disappointing. also some of them were annoying lol (i’m looking at you Erica)

anywho, twas fun, but i didn’t necessarily enjoy it that much, too many eye rolls for me

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be a modernized Little Women. A tale of 4 family members who are unique and love one another, supporting each other as they become their best selves. Unfortunately, the four main characters were all pretty similar and showed very little growth.

Technically, they were all in different situations, but the themes of being underappreciated in their professions, afraid to communicate their wants and needs effectively in all of their relationships and being immature with guys was prevalent amongst all the cousins.

I just wanted one of them to stand up for themselves in a calm, well thought out way instead of biting their tongue till their anger built up, and they blurted out something unproductive. And I expected happy endings, not "I guess we can deal with this" endings.

[Heather Marshburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like any of these characters…i thought they were all whiny, a bit petulant, and somewhat spoiled. The story line was also somewhat predictable.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOON
Big Chicas Don't Cry available September 1st,
2022.
What I loved:
A story about four cousins navigating through life
from childhood to adulthood.
As a Mexican woman I loved the Mexican culture
at the center of the story, there's a scene where
one of the cousins approaches her great-
grandma and "Ponds face cream danced across
my nose" totally relatable! My grandmother uses
Ponds and the fragrance is unforgettable. The
cooking scenes all touched me, especially
bringing in armfuls of raisins for the sweet
tamales. The strong family bond between cousins
and aunts and nieces was very relatable. Mexican
culture has cousins raised as sisters and the
author did a wonderful job of showcasing the
bonds that bring them together.


What I didn't like:
Spoilers follow *
I felt the four women didn't have enough
character development. They are all professional
women and all at some point encounter some
form of being overlooked or flat out disrespected.
They express anger and indignation but don't
stand up for themselves towards the beginning. In
Mexico there's a phrase, "calladita te vez más
bonita", translates to "you look prettier when you
don't say anything". I wanted better for them.

Three of the four cousins seemed to be in love
with guys who have done absolutely nothing to
win them over. Erika's love interest she overhears
him calling her a "mediocre reporter" and up until
the end of the book he has stood her up for his
ex-girlfriend and put her opinion over Erika's in
professional matters. Even then in the same page
when he finally shows up she's leaning on his
shoulder, head-over-heels for him.
Gracie the entire book is portrayed as prudent
and rational. The new teacher at her school
happens to be a guy who in grade school treated
her badly. There's never much a resolution or
closure on how he treated her in grade school
and before we know it she's pregnant and he tells
her he's not ready and hopes she doesn't expect
anything from him.

Marisol lost her identity being a trophy wife and everything she went through during the book doesn't
mean much because without much effort on Esteban's part they seem to be rekindling their relationship.

[Marisol M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Big Chicas Don’t Cry” follows four Mexican-American cousins throughout a one year time period in their lives. They are making strides professionally, learning about love, and the importance of family. This book was a beautiful representation and reminder of what it means to be Mexican-American in all aspects of life. It illustrated the importance of honoring traditions within our culture while also honoring our individual choices and dreams/pursuits. Annette Chavez Macias did a wonderful job incorporating Mexican traditions here and there that added that extra bit of authenticity. As a woman and as a part of the Mexican community, I felt seen, heard, and understood. I greatly enjoyed this story. I enjoyed the four cousins and their individual journeys and saw myself in all of them. This book made me cry, reminisce, reflect, swoon, and root for this family. If you have the opportunity I would recommend picking this book up.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure I have the words to explain the joy this book brought me. It captures the love and struggles of a large Mexican-American family. The Spanglish immediately made me happy and then the tamales scene captured my heart and was confirmation that what I was seeing in this book was a slice of what it’s like to be Mexican-American and have a large loving family. Then each of the four protagonists captured a different aspect of those experiences. From what It’s like to be falling in love, to dealing with racism in the workplace, to struggling in a marriage, and working on being true to yourself. I laughed, I cried, I saw parts of myself, my family, and my friends all in this wonderful book.

Content warnings: death of a family member, grief, sexual harassment

[Brittany Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So relatable and beautifully written. Makes me miss my “welita” so much! Thank you, ACM ♥️

[•.~*Izzy*~.• · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a heartbreaking and bittersweet book that i related all too well to. definitely was hard to read bc it made me so emotional, but still a great book nonetheless

[edith saraí munoz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall, there were no serious character development or plot development. This book was simply a novela. If that's your cup of tea, this might be your kind of book. But if not, I would not recommend.

First off, I love reading books by Latino authors. What I dont enjoy, is when Latino authors portray our stereotypes and suddenly we can't be anything but our stereotypes. There is more to being Latino than our stereotypes. For example, the title. Hinting at "Big Girls Dont Cry" and further repeating the cycle that in our culture, we can't feel our feelings and shouldnt cry. Big "chicas" can cry. We need to end the cycle of staying within our four corners and seeking to break the cycle.

I felt like none of these characters are self aware. All need therapy and need to learn how to be honest with themselves because they’re just lying to themselves and ,as a reader, I did not like that. I feel like their lives revolve around drama , which then doesn’t surprise me why they’re in the situations they’re in. And all the stories revolve around love, and all of the men they were dating were awful men except maybe Selena's man. There are good men out there. Anyways, there is more to life than love. In addition, the author was not consistent with its writing, especially with transitioning from English to Spanish and vice versa. Sometimes it was sentences in Spanish, then it was a sentence in English with "said in Spanish" after, and by the end everything was just in English. So, a little more consistency would have been better. I also felt the author trying to hard (IMO) with the code switching. There were somethings that were so cringey and that as a Latina, I would never say like "Pinche Asshole."

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I've interacted with the author on SM, and was given the ARC, which I truly appreciated, in exchange for an honest review. Here we go.

4.75 stars (and yes I always round up)

I loved so much about this. This is more WF, with an emphasis on the central four FMCs and the joys, frustrations and above all, love that is shared with each other and their entire family. It made me nostalgic, it made me smile, it definitely made me remember good times within my own family, even if it would've have been making coquito and pasteles, not tamales, but the heart of it was the same. I'm Latina, and there's nothing more special to me than when I feel seen in a book. And bonus, it has just enough romance to keep my interest because I'm almost exclusively a romance reader. Did I want more romance? Yep, but I also get that it wasn't centered around that, and that's ok. I struggled a little esp during weight/dieting talk but that's my own special trigger, so I tend to avoid that in books. That's the only bit that wasn't my jam, but overall, I definitely recommend, esp if you're in the mood for good WF with excellent Latinx representation.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book that made me feel so many deep feelings.
This book was a joy to read, with each alternating chapter being a different POV of the cousins, it gave an in depth look at each of their experience.
I was truly touch at the many messages I can take away from this book. Mostly, that I am my culture as I rise, fall, conquer or miss out on. These little daily intersections of Mexican American culture in the cousins' lives truly touched me, it reminds me of me and my family and my best friends. We mix American culture with our heritage, we try to make our parents proud, but just like the girls are learning, we have to make ourselves proud first.
I cried, laughed, and was fully invested in Big Chicas Don't Cry. It has all the elements that I love in women's fiction. I def recommend this to all.

[lacie.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Chicas Don't Cry is a story that centers on the ups and downs of life of the Garcia girls - four cousins whose lives are upturned as teens and again as adults after the loss of a loved one. I heard about this book through IG along with a list of other books to be read during Hispanic Heritage Month. I was so excited to read this book, but it certainly left me wanting. The book picked up around 50 percent but even that went from about 5 mph to 6 mph.

The storytelling was told from the perspective of each cousin - Erica, Salinas, Gracie and Mari. I listened to this book on Audible, and still kept getting the details of each cousin confused. I think four perspectives was a little much for the novel.

The story itself was pedantic and predictable. Furthermore, the characters did not develop much over the course of the story. I rolled my eyes so many times throughout Gracie's story - she was so whiny and naive. We never really hear the rest of Mari's story and there were other details that were left out. Salinas and Erica's stories were the most interesting, but I kept getting them mixed up. I think this story was just not as interesting or engaging as it could have been. True rating 2.5.

[Bader Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

a pleasant surprise

For anyone with family; for any culture; a beautiful, messy story.
I related to my own family experiences growing up and the wonder of knowing that family is the most important.

[Tina Castaneda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually giving this one 4.5-4.75 because of the family dynamics and how nostalgic it felt to me. Being raised with girl cousins and sister around the same age and how our lives all went different ways but every time we are together we are reminded that family is everything♥️
Ms. Annette has become one of my favorite authors😊

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a departure for me compared to all the books I read this year. I'm so glad I read it. The story was fun, easy to read, lovable, and humorous. I loved all the food talk and making of the tamales. I love that it was a different style of story (4 main characters) with a culture not always shown fully. I loved that the Mexican culture stayed strong throughout. I especially loved Erica and Welita.

My issue with the book was that there were four main characters in a 360 page book. So, lots of times, the stories seemed rush and other times it wasn't. With the exception of Nathan, I didn't really get the love interests or why they deserved any of these strong women. I could see Gracie's guy coming a mile away, because he never seemed like he was in it. Esteban was obviously my ex husband, but even Chris was not great. But my least favorite character was Mari. I could have done without her story and honestly, I didn't care. I never liked her from the beginning and she never really improved for me throughout her story; she was the one I would most identify with in multiple ways (husband and father). But she was selfish, whiney, and rude and I get it that she was controlled and she had to deal with a tough childhood, but come on. She never really apologized for her behavior...except to herself. Thus, she never really developed for me. Also, her story was the only one not really concluded. Does she go back to her controlling husband (which that won't change btw...he will go back to his old ways in a year)? Does she open her bakery? Everyone got a full conclusion and she had open questions.

With that, I'm so glad I read this Latina strong romance story, multiple stories. I recommend this book for sure.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg omg omg

I randomly came across this one on my IG book page and of course I wanted to support a Latina woman author! 💕

I didn’t expect to love it as much! I was sucked into the drama from the beginning!

Erica - yaaaaaas! I loved her ending as cheesy as it was!
Gracie - I need an ending for her… also fuck the school..
Selena - omg, yes - she was pissing me off 😭 giiiiiiirl, Nathan wants you and you just making it harder for yourself! I’m glad you came to your senses 😌
Mari - first off, shitty of Chris for doing what he did. My heart broke for her! I truly felt her pain - she must have felt like a never ending cycle in her repetitive relationship.


I feel like the ending was a big fat cliff-hanger 😫 I need to know about all the cousins’ endings! Especially Gracie! Literally only reason it’s a 4/5!

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

𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜

Big Chicas Don't Cry
Annette Chavez Macias
⭐⭐⭐⭐

•Contemporary fiction
•Family drama
•Foodie love 😋

This emotional, culturally-rich novel following four Mexican-American cousins made for a wonderful bookclub pick! Told in multi-POV, I enjoyed following along as these four women navigate love, loss and family.

I read this with the @indiespines bookclub in September.

Thank you @booksgoodonyou for gifting me this book 🥰

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars.
I received this book as a reward for completing my library's summer reading program. It was an engaging way to spend time poolside. I loved the setting of "primas" in a large Mexican-American family. The role of cousins in our culture feels unique and was presented well here. Maybe the author tried too hard to explain herself and the romance elements were a little too on the nose for me, but I really enjoyed this overall.

[Jessica Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ꜱᴏᴄᴄᴇʀ, ʙᴇᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀᴄᴏꜱ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴄᴏᴍʙɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ,”
👆🏻👆🏻ain't that the truth 🥴

It follows the story of 4 cousins, touches on each of their personal lives as well as their story together as cousin and their story as a family.

This book has ALOT to follow you have to follow the story closely so you can keep up & not get lost but it's interesting through and through.

A few years back I read another Mexican American centered book, "I'm not your perfect Mexican daughter by Erika Sanchez and while I enjoyed it, it was definitely more YA and from the POV of a 1st generation MA so It wasn't as relatable as I would have liked. Big chicas don't cry follows the perspective of MA women in their mid 20s-30s. She sprinkles in situations that 2nd generation Mexican Americans can relate to while telling a story.

if you want smut/spicy but not full on "neon God's" smut this one has🌶️/5 at best. Good for more conservative people who want just a lil spice in their lives.

[Jeanine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the Garcia cousins. Reading this book was like being in a Spanish Telenova. Mari’s husband’s best friend and business partner loves Mari. Mari loves Esteban. Selena is not Mexican enough for her family but not white enough for her coworkers. Erica’s boyfriend of two years dumps her two days before Christmas. Gracie teaches first grade at the same school that she attended.
When tragedy sends the familia into a tailspin, who can a person depend on? Su familia, por supuesto!😉

[Addie Woolridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honest and relatable, Big Chicas Don’t Cry stole my heart. The women at the center of the story will remind you of spending time with your closest loved ones and best friends in all their messy and sweet glory.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book surprised me! I am a sucker for book covers and this one is gorgeous! Honestly, it is why I picked up the book while I was perusing shelves at the book store a while ago. The story of four Mexican American cousins - how one becomes estranged and how they all return to each other - grabbed me from the beginning. While each cousin has her own challenge - realizing she wants more than the life of a rich, socialite wife (Mari) or grappling with embracing love after having her heart broken (Erica) or realizing she can feel desire for someone (Gracie) or acknowledging that she wants more than the no strings attached lifestyle she thought she did (Selena). It was the perfect balance of young women exploring who they are and who they long to be…sprinkled with romance, friendship, Mexican American culture, and familia. Loved this book! Highly recommend this perfect summer read! I would love to see this made into a film!

[Tamisha booklovertamisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about family, love, and loss. The four cousins: Grace, Erica, Selena, and Mari, all had their own personal struggles, but at the end of the day, they are family.

I was most interested in Mari’s story. I wanted to see her find her voice and find her way back to her family. I cringed every time she held back on her dreams.

I related most to Selena. Her free spirit and love for shopping made her my favorite. Her relationship with Nathan was 🌶️🌶️!

I loved how the family came together over food. The tamales and bunuelos had me hungry, lol. The family bond that started with Welita and traveled down to Araceli was heartwarming. @authorannette did a great job highlighting the importance of family sticking together when things get tough!

[readwithtrinnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[MiMi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Chicas Don’t Cry was so so good. It reminded me of a time when my grandmother was alive and we always celebrated the holidays at her place. All the times we helped pick fruit from the backyard to make jam or pie. The prepping of the main dishes and sides for Thanksgiving or Christmas. She was the glue that held our family together. When she passed away everyone slowly went their separate ways.

Big Chicas don’t cry is about 4 cousins: Mari, Erica, Gracie, and Selena. They were favorite cousins through and through. When Mari’s parents divorced she moved with her mother but before she left the cousins made a promise to each other, that they would always be there for each no matter what.

Fast forward 15 years and the cousins are now grown women and navigating their adult lives. Whether it be their love lives, careers, or aspirations they confide in each other, we’ll all except one. Mari has made up any and every excuse from meeting up or talking with them; even when the family get together for events. Then, something happens to one of the most important family members. Meanwhile, one cousins life is in shambles, one is dreaming of leaving her job, another is secretly in love with someone she shouldn’t be catching feelings for and the other is thinking she’s going to be a virgin for the rest of her life.

Lots is going on but through it all they are reminded the meaning of family and keeping them close to your heart no matter what.

Such a sweet story and to know this was the author first book she started but it took the longest to write and then even get published. A very nostalgic read

[Jennifer Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed that this book was so relatable. Topics including real life scenarios like family drama, relationship issues, and loss.