Caridad PiñeiroCritiques
Auteur de Snow Falling
Critiques
Contemporary romance. Own voices, Cuban descendants. Made into a Hallmark movie. Best friend’s sister troupe.
Tony Sanchez is an accomplished chef running a restaurant in New York. He’s home in Miami to mange his niece’s fifteenth birthday quinceanera.
Sara Kelly runs a local popular restaurant and she’s agreed to cater her niece’s quinceanera.
Two parties. Two 15 year old school rivals. Two chefs. One newspaper article to report on one of the events - but which one?
Tony and Sara’s older brother were best friends when growing up. Sara may have had a crush on Tony hen she was younger but she’s over it. Tony didn’t really notice Sara until now. She makes some excellent food at her restaurant and he realizes she’s going to be competitive. Which one will win the reporters eye when it comes to print time?
The slow burn romance between Sara and Tony is sweet as they become friends during their two events. Even better, is the friendship that develops between the two girls. It’s heartwarming.
The text contains a lot of phrases in Spanish which are easy to interpret in the settings and ongoing conversations.
Tres Leche recipe included at the end of the book.
At the Shore series book #2. Contemporary romance. Can be read as a stand-alone bit directly correlates events with the first so this would contain spoilers if that matters to the reader.
Connie Reyes spent at lot of summers with her friends Maggie and Ellen at the Jersey shores. They were and still are supportive friends. Back in their teens, when Maggie spent time with Owen, Connie naturally spent time with his brother Jonathan. They even had a teenaged fling but went their separate ways when she went to college. Connie is dedicated to be a good lawyer and is determined to make partner. Going back to the shore with Maggie and seeing Jonathan again won’t disrupt her life goals. At least it shouldn’t. But Jonathan wants to show Connie he’s been successful himself and maybe they can take up where they left off.
The timeline of this book is the same as the first book but from the perspective of this second couple. This was a bit disconcerting to me as I knew certain facts along the way. I felt almost disassociated from this couple as I perceived where we were along the storyline.
Connie and Jonathan both grew up with single parents but under much different circumstances. Their ideals are quite different but as teens, didn’t talk about reasons with any depth. Now that they are back together in a relationship their goals are different. He’s in it for love and a future. She is still focused on her career and not her actual life. They need to really talk and make some self assessments before they can do anything.
As with the first book, I fell for the hero in love and wanting his desire to give her everything.
At the Shore series book #1. Contemporary romance. Second chance.
The families of Maggie Sinclair and Owen Pierce own houses side by side on the Jersey shore. Maggie and Owen were once friends but a feud between their parents had them going in different directions before their college years. Now, many years later, Maggie and Owen are again friends and Owen is willing to help Maggie with her family business, even when it’s against his father’s wishes. Owen knows and trusts Maggie and is willing to put his long time friendship on the line.
I admired Owen and his ability to finally step up and ignore his father’s proclamation. It helped knowing how Owen felt. But they both knew that lies, or lack of full disclosure was going to come back and bite them. I don’t think Maggie was fair so I didn’t her actions.
Fortunately it’s a romance, and the two work out their relationship and get a second chance at love and a future together.
Throughout the story, we found out quite a bit about friends Connie and Emma. There were a few intriguing descriptions along the way that made me realize this was a series and that I would be reading book 2 next.
Dark Seduction series #1. Harlequin Nocturne Cravings. Paranormal vampire erotica. M-F-M.
Vampire Adrian offered Eliza a choice: die of a fatal illness, or become his consort and attend to his every need. She choose life. She didn’t realize being his consort meant listening while he fed and made love to other women.
Eliza sates her needs with her boyfriend John but she longs for Adrian.
Adrian feeds from other women and makes love to them in payment, but he longs for Eliza. He knows she watches him. When Eliza is ready to give up and leave Adrian, he surprises her with a sensual encounter between the three of them.
A passionate novella where they get what they crave: love.
South Beach Security series #3. Harlequin Intrigue category. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone.
John Wilson hires South Beach Security to help find out who is attacking or trying to steal his groundbreaking computer program. He will have to work with Mia Gonzales, though they have unfinished history. Someone is working against them and the saboteurs could be anyone.
Gripping action as John and Mia search out who would want to destroy him and how that person seems to know more than any outsider could know. From cyber searches, camera feeds, and car chases, John and Mia grow close as they work the puzzle.
Thrilling energy, sexy interlude, and gratifying conclusion. What more do you need in a Harlequin?
South Beach Security series #2. Harlequin Intrigue category romance. Romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone. Includes some dialog in Spanish without translation for the most part it’s easy to figure out the greeting or comment from the dialog. Trigger warning: domestic abuse.
Mariela Hernandez has a target on her back. She teams up with Ricky Gonzalez and his family’s security firm to keep safe from her abusive ex-husband.
Quick paced action and several steamy scenes make this romance a roller coaster ride of adventure. The Gonzales family is supportive of each other and adds a bit of drama and help when the danger gets closer.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
1st book in the South Beach Security series. Harlequin Intrigue. Romantic suspense.
Detective Trey Gonzales is investigating a human trafficking ring when is partner is killed. Detective Roni Lopez is brought in to help the investigation but she is also keeping secrets. First, that she’s been in love with Trey for years, and second, that she’s working to find the dirty cop that is leaking secrets. As the investigation goes deeper, the danger mounts and Roni can’t help but fall deeper in love.
Intriguing and suspenseful with a dark underground world of crime that Trey and Roni must infiltrate and survive. Trust and family mingle with police protection and night clubs of South Beach.
Not sure I liked that she had to dress a specific way to work undercover, but it was understandable.
When Shane is injured in Afghanistan effectively ending his military career, he decides to leave California with his canine buddy- Decoy, and head to Idaho, where he hopes to enter Decoy into the K-9 training program.
As he begins the training program, he acquaints himself with the other trainers, taking special notice of the attractive Piper Lambert. But Piper is still getting over the loss of her husband, who was killed in Iraq.
Piper is attracted to Shane but tries to keep him at arm’s length. Meanwhile, Piper begins to suspect someone has been hanging around her home when she’s not around. Is it just her imagination- or something more sinister?
This is a basic -traditional-romantic suspense novel- nothing especially unique- if I’m being honest- but it is still a solid novel, especially if you like stories that feature dogs and military heroes.
The suspense elements aren’t super intense, as we know the motive early on- we just don’t know specifically who Piper's stalker is. The chemistry between Shane and Piper is a bit thin, as it seems that while there is a physical attraction, Piper still seems emotionally attached to her deceased husband. That said, the pacing is even, as is the flow of the story, and it did hold my interest. I also appreciated the lack of strong language, graphic violence, and explcit sex- which made this a much more enjoyable experience.
I was very pleased to see a few Harlequin Intrigue offerings in the Kindle Unlimited program and was also happy to run across Caridad Piñeiro again- an author I read occasionally back in the day. I liked the mature characters, and a hero who is intelligent and has a broad vocabulary within this genre- and of course the dogs!! Overall, though it was bit predictable, it’s a quick, easy enjoyable story, and was it nice to read a nice romantic suspense novel again.
3.5 stars
Contemporary romance with intermittent passages from the 1950’s through present for background and character memories.
Jessie Russo grew up with the Italian side of her father’s family, but she knows nothing of her Cuban history on her mothers side. The subject was taboo until she meets Luis, her maternal grandmother’s right hand man. He’s in New York to try to reconcile the family before it’s too late.
It’s an emotional and devastating time of crisis as the political scene changed in Cuba and the family was torn apart. The story starts current day and we get the history in memories and back flashes from Carmen and her daughter Lara. Jessie plays intermediary between the generations with the hep of Luis who has worked for the family business in Miami since he was young.
Luis and Jessie end up spending a lot of time together as they help work through the emotional minefields.
A journey across time and family. Tears, cheers, and love.
Trey received a tip from his CI about women being trafficked, so he and Doug went to check it out. Trey felt something strange was happening, and Doug's actions added to that feeling. In the ensuing shootout, Doug was killed, and Trey was injured. While in the hospital, Trey discovers that Internal Affairs is investigating Doug.
Roni, who is best friends with Trey's sister and has been friends with the family for years, is asked to help IA with their investigation. The thought makes her uncomfortable, but she agrees, mainly to ensure they don't suspect Trey. Telling him is not an option, but keeping it secret eats at her because she had a crush on him as a teen, and those feelings have grown in the years since then.
I liked watching the development of the relationship between Trey and Roni. Trey had always looked at her as his little sister's friend, but that had changed since the shooting. He's a little freaked out by his sudden attraction to her and does his best to keep it under wraps. When Trey asks Roni to help investigate Doug's death, she's happy to help. This throws them together, and it isn't long before the sparks between them grow stronger. I liked how Trey was protective of Roni while still respecting her abilities as a cop. But their budding relationship hits a bump in the road when Trey learns of Roni's work with IA, and he wonders if he can trust her. I ached for them both as they faced this issue. I liked seeing them overcome this obstacle and realize the importance of their feelings. I loved the role reversal at the end.
The suspense of the story kept me hooked from start to finish. I could feel Trey's anguish at Doug's death and his rock-solid belief that Doug was innocent of any wrongdoing. As he and Roni began investigating, they quickly realized they didn't know who they could trust. The deeper they dug, the more complex the case became. Dead witnesses, a growing number of suspects, and attacks meant to stop their investigation kept me glued to the pages as the book progressed. An unexpected twist sent the investigation in a slightly different direction, and a nail-biting confrontation brought it to a fantastic conclusion.
#netgalley
The book opens as Shane and his dog, Decoy, are headed to Idaho to visit a friend. Shane feels a little lost now that he's been medically retired from the army, thanks to injuries he received on duty. If it hadn't been for Decoy, Shane likely would have died in the bombed-out building. Shane still has nightmares from that time, but Decoy is terrific support for him. During Shane's visit with his friend, Gonzo suggests that Shane and Decoy train for search and rescue and sends him to the Daniels Canine Academy. There he meets Piper, the woman who will do their training.
Piper is a widow. Her Marine husband was killed in Afghanistan four years earlier, and she still grieves for him. She moved to Idaho from California to start over and help her friend Emma with the DCA. She's not thrilled when she finds out she'll be training Shane. Too many military men remind her of her husband and how much she misses him. We also meet Chipper, the corgi/pit mix puppy that Piper adopts. On her walk home from work the day before Shane's arrival, Piper gets the creepy feeling that she's being watched.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Shane and Piper. He arrives early and sees Piper, Emma, and vet tech Tashya working with the puppies. He's immediately drawn to Piper, but her reaction to him isn't as warm, mainly because she is as attracted to him, and it makes her uncomfortable. She is determined to stick to training only and not let him get too close. His plans to join a SAR unit in Montana reinforce that desire. I enjoyed their training sessions. Shane and Piper quickly relax into their training partnership, which helps reduce the tension between them. It isn't long before the sparks between them grow stronger.
When Piper's feeling of being watched escalates into the knowledge that someone tried to break into her home, Shane's protective instincts kick in. And when her home is later entered and searched, Shane moves in to protect her. This also allows them to grow even closer. I liked how Piper gave Shane the understanding and compassion he needed to begin healing from his trauma. At the same time, Shane understands that everyone grieves at their own pace and gives Piper the space she needs. But as the danger intensifies, sooner or later, both realize that they need each other to move forward. I loved Shane's big moment at the end.
The suspense of the book was terrific. It started slowly, with Piper's feeling of being watched, then moved on to the evidence that someone had tried to get into her house. About this time, we get a peek into the mind of the person behind it all and learn what is driving him. We see his attacks escalate as he grows more desperate. Thanks to Shane's background, he can investigate his suspicions. I ached for Piper as she defended her husband against the implications while at the same time they were looking for the truth. The intensity ramps up as they identify a suspect, but he evades them. When the final confrontation comes, Piper is at the mercy of a desperate man. I liked seeing how, though everyone worked together to find her, it was Decoy who came up with the clue that saved the day. The ending was a nail-biter, and I was glued to the pages until it was over.
I loved the dogs in this book. Decoy is the perfect companion for Shane. They bonded overseas when Shane would feed Decoy, which led Decoy to find Shane when he was trapped. I was happy that Shane worked to get Decoy back to the States with him. It was sweet to see how Decoy would wake Shane up from his nightmares and give him comfort. Their bond was fantastic and will serve them well as a search-and-rescue team. I also adored Piper's puppy, Chipper. She was sweet and smart and a bundle of joy. It was fun to see her jump all over Decoy and watch him put up with it. It looked like Chipper learned a few things from Decoy also. I can't wait to get to know other dogs as the series continues.
The setting of this story is just wonderful. Who wouldn’t want their own private island. And the story itself is interesting. But I found the writing a bit overly dramatic and even eyerolling in places. Jessica’s mother is the one I wanted to slap through most of this novel. And no…I cannot remember her name. But, in my opinion, she had no reason to abandon her family. She thinks she was done wrong…but nope….you need to read this book to find out.
The narrator, Frankie Corzo is great. Perfect on the accents!
Need a good family drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
I found it interesting that Maisy stayed at the apartment and not Miguel's dad. The connection between Miguel and Maisy was evident from the start. Something about her got under his skin and roused his protectiveness. Mentally, Miguel fights the connection, not wanting to get involved in a relationship. An FBI agent herself, Miguel's mother died in the line of duty, and he never wants to put someone through that agony. He also has a job to do, and Maisy is a distraction he can't afford.
Maisy feels the connection as strongly as Miguel does. Part of her resists the attraction as she has plans for her future that don't include a relationship with anyone. But because of her past, Maisy understands the importance of Miguel's work. Even when she worries about him, she hides her fears and encourages him in his work. An unexpected link between Maisy's past and the current case created a situation where she had to face that past. I loved Miguel's support and the strength it gave her to make it through the situation.
I loved watching the relationship develop. Miguel and Maisy's concern for each other was sweet, and I enjoyed seeing them take care of one another. I laughed at the reactions of Miguel's BAU teammates who, accustomed to his solitary lifestyle, raised eyebrows at his overt affection for Maisy. The more time they spent together, the more Miguel wanted her in his life. As Maisy's feelings for Miguel grew, she didn't look forward to the end of the case and their inevitable parting. I loved the ending and the drama-free but emotional admission of their feelings for each other. Where it happened was especially appropriate.
The suspense of the story kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end. The first bombing raised questions in Miguel's mind and partially affected the direction of the investigation. An escalation in attacks increased the tension and also brought new leads to light. I agreed with Miguel's suspicion of a mastermind behind the attacks and who it was. I loved seeing the BAU's teamwork and dedication as they drew the net tighter. The intensity of the final confrontation kept me hooked until it was over.
Tony grew up in Little Havana in Miami, but it’s been several years since he’s been home. He’s a big time chef in New York City now, with a hit restaurant. Yes, he’s burnt out from the paperwork and business of running a restaurant, and he doesn’t get to cook like he used to, but that’s the price he’s willing to pay for the acclaim and success. When his sister calls and asks him to come home to help with the menu planning for his niece’s quinceanera (15th birthday celebration), he’s not sure he can leave the restaurant for that long. But he agrees. He could use the break and he hasn’t been home for too long.
Sara Kelly is Tony’s best friend’s younger sister and she has a restaurant in Miami. She had a crush on Tony when she was a teenager, but she’s over that now. Her restaurant specializes in upscale twists on comfort food and is crowded every night. Her niece is also turning 15, and Sara’s sister-in-law asks Sara to help plan the menu.
Tony visits Sara’s restaurant and is impressed with both the food, and his friend’s all-grown-up sister.
Everything would be headed to a happily-ever-after, except for a reporter. She’s assigned to write a story about the resurgence of quinceaneras among the Cuban population of Miami. When she hears that two acclaimed chefs are handling the two menus, she sees her angle. She deliberately baits Sara and Tony, putting them in competition with each other. She will only feature one chef in her article. Both of them need the exposure and publicity the article will garner. Tony wants to open a new restaurant in Miami, so he can return more often, maybe even move back, closer to family and Sara. Sara wants to open a second restaurant. She trains women who need job skills to work in her kitchen. With another restaurant, she can help more women and ease the crowding at the first restaurant.
Since this is a Hallmark Publishing book, of course, Tony and Sara are able to work out the competition and their relationship. This book was a bit of a departure for Hallmark, in that Cuban and Latin culture, language and food were all featured predominantly. It wasn’t just white people in a white town baking white cake (no offense to people who like white cake–I love it!) But it was refreshing to read about a different culture. And remind me how delicious picadillo and porchetta are. Not to mention that Cubano sandwich.
This was a fun book and I highly recommend it.
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not induce me to review it, either favorably or not.
Now, don't get me wrong, the path to any sort of happiness is littered with business deals, fatherly misguidance, past secrets, and current untold truths for these two, making it more a meadow of landmines than a walk through the park. BUT, as they say, the heart wants what it wants, and sometimes love CAN find a way, if the two souls are strong enough to see past the facades to the underlying feelings burning brighter than any old feud...and especially if those two souls have sisters from other misters and actual brothers watching their backs.
In the end, I was sold! From the star-crossed-potential-lover story to the heart felt battle to hang on to those things in life that mattered for memories sake, it make it care about the characters, their fates, and ultimately the fates of those in their surrounding family. Recommended for adult Contemporary Romance readers only because yeah...there's definitely some sexy times on that path towards a potential forever.
**copy received for review
I found the two protagonists to be rather boring and I was much more interested in the developing background relationship between Owen's brother and Maggie's friend than I was in the relationship between Owen and Maggie. I've been a romance fan for a while, but I skimmed most of this book.
I just loved Jonathan. Despite being disowned by his father, he’s managed to become very successful, taking his own path in life and doing things his own way. This path has given him a bit of reputation as a playboy and wanderer, but now he’s ready to put down some roots, and coming face to face with the girl from his past, he knows just who he wants to create a future with – if only he can get her to realize he can be a sure thing.
There were a lot of things about Connie that I loved, but boy she could get me a bit irritated. She’s struggled with relationships since her father abandoned her and her mother when she was young, and she’s determined to never put herself in the same position her mother found herself in, having to give up her dreams because of a man. I get that she was cautious but I really wanted her to just ask Jonathan what his plans were instead of assuming he wouldn’t want to commit…and don’t get me started on her dumping him when they had their first fling in college! What I did really like about her was watching her fight for her career, standing up for herself, and then being able to realize that reaching her dream didn’t necessarily mean giving anything up, it just meant having to adjust the path she was on to get to her destination.
One of things I am really enjoying about this series is the relationships between the characters. There is family drama with some pretty big secrets, there is love and loss, and there are some awesome friendships that set the backdrop for this series. The friendship between Jon and his brother is so solid, and Connie has her group of friends that are so supportive but also keep things real for each other.
This book happens during some of the same timeline as the first book in the series, One Summer Night, so although some of the storyline at parts is similar, it was fun to find out what was going on behind the scenes for Jon and Connie while Owen and Maggie were finding their own happy ever after.
The author’s writing style and voice made this easy to read. The pacing was good – it did slow down a bit for me when they slowed the relationship down, I thought the “we need to make this relationship be more than about the great sex” got a bit overdone - but the few twists kept the pages turning and there was a sweetness to the romance that had me all-in when it came to Connie and Jon.
Definitely worth grabbing and would make a great beach read!
Hopefully just a one-off; I have liked this author's books in the past.
However, what we received was a literal regurgitation of the plot-line from the show, offering the biggest disappointment of 2017 (unless we lose Net Neutrality). Very little was changed and the book was rife with historical inaccuracies that grated on my nerves for 200+ pages.
I'm sad to say this book was a big miss. I think there was a great opportunity to have fun with creating a great romance novel, but this just felt sloppy (and if I'm being totally blunt and honest, downright lazy).
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South Beach Security: K-9 Division series #1. Spin off from the prior South Beach Security series. Harlequin Intrigue. Can be read as a stand-alone but characters from the first trilogy appear as supporting characters in this story.
Teresa Rodriguez owns a ranch in Florida where she raises, trains, and breeds thoroughbred horses. After a series of accidents on the ranch, Frijoles, her top stallion, is poisoned via his feed. Teresa contacts South Beach Security in Miami to help investigate. She thinks it may be a former employee that was fired but his offenses wouldn’t be a significant sentence from the Racing Commission. Security Expert Matt Perez and his K-9 partner Butter are assigned to Teresa and her ranch to investigate and protect. As the danger escalates, so does the attraction between Teresa and Matt.
Matt, Butter, and Teresa search and follow clues around the ranch as more threats occur. As they work and spend time together, Matt and Teresa get to know each other. He was initially hesitant about the “rich girl” but she soon disabuses him of that notion and shows him that she’s just a hard working ranch hand. Butter does a lot of the work tracking down scent trails.
A good combination of anxiety, romance, investigation, and sexy interludes.
Latinx characters with several phrases in Spanish throughout the text.
Engaging, suspenseful and steamy.½