ambershelf's Reviews (1.3k)

When Orquídea Divina invites her kids and grandkids to her funeral, they expect to learn about their matriarch's deepest secrets. Instead, Orquídea is transformed into something magical, leaving her descendants, the Montoya family, with more questions than answers. Seven years later, when Orquídea's grandkids are living their best lives blessed by her gifts, a hidden figure begins to tear through the family tree to destroy Orquídea's lineage. To uncover the secrets behind the family curse, the Montoyas must now travel to Ecuador to discover Orquídea's hidden past.

INHERITANCE is an ambitious story about uncovering family secrets and finding one's roots with a splash of magic. The book alternates between her grandkids' present-day POVs and Orquídea's past. With a wide cast of characters, because Orquídea has five ex-husbands

Former beauty queen turned refugee Xuan Trung is obsessed with Vietnamese zodiac signs. She frequently gives unsolicited advice to her three daughters on their careers, housing, and love lives based on their birth dates. Yet, all of Xuan's daughters diverge from her expectations, and none are concerned about their zodiac signs or their Vietnamese lineage.

NEW YEAR is a debut with a captivating premise but one that reads like two books, sadly. The first half of the book is written from Xuan and her three daughters' perspectives through different points in their lives. Tran beautifully depicts various historical events like the Vietnam War, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina, and the impact on the Trung household. The second half of the book is told in reverse chronology, where the readers get glimpses of Xuan's maternal ancestors all the way back to the Trung Sisters' Rebellion in 40 AD.

Considering NEW YEAR to be a strongly character-driven book, I wish there were more on Xuan and her daughters in present-day New Orleans. The first 50% emphasize their struggles as immigrants and first-generation Vietnamese-Americans, and I would've loved to see more development in their stories. Similarly, the second half reads more like a character parade as the readers only spend a few paragraphs with the Trung Sisters and their descendants.

Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

In her mid-50s, Cara Romero loses her job at the height of the Great Recession. After setting up her sessions with a job counselor, instead of job-hunting or practicing interviews, Cara begins to share the story of her life. Over the subsequent 12 sessions, Cara narrates her love affairs, family struggles, and neighborhood gossip.

WATER is a humorous and delightful read that demonstrates Cara's resilience in the face of loss and estrangement. The story is narrated in an interview style from Cara's perspective, with additional details sprinkled with the paperwork she files through the reemployment program. What struck me the most in WATER is the kindness and compassion Cara shows to those around her despite being down on her luck. Even when faced with challenges, Cara uses her confidence and wisdom to sail through the storms and spreads her passion to her loved ones.

WATER is a short yet thought-provoking book that made me cry, made me laugh, and had me rooting for Cara every step of the way.