For fans of Gilmore Girls and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, this effervescent love story from debut author Nina Moreno will sweep you away. Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea–at least, that’s what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you’re a boy with a boat. But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and … cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about.
As her college decision looms, Rosa collides–literally–with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?
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Perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin and One Day at a Time, Don’t Date Rosa Santos is both a relatable coming of age story and a heartfelt and evocative multigenerational tale of three women bound by a legacy of love, loss, and exile. Rosa is a heroine to root for and the charming fictional town of Port Coral-and its delightful residents-will find a place in readers’ hearts as Moreno infuses each page with rich Cuban culture and the unique magic of Florida.
Don’t Date Rosa Santos is magical in every sense of the word. Moreno deftly sails her readers through huge swells of emotion, highlighting the confusion and longing of both love and diaspora. If Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote YA, it would feel like this.
A refreshing new voice, Nina Moreno takes on the sometimes complicated relationship between daughters and their mothers with such heartwarming and magical touches that readers will fall in love with and root for Rosa. A beautiful story that will stay with you long after you reach the end!
I didn’t love the ending, but I thought this book had a lot of heart. The characters changed because of what they went through. I thought it was so sweet that she sacrificed so much for her town! I didn’t love this one though. Maybe I didn’t like the relationship with her mom, what happened with her grandma, or the end.
a sweeping tale that takes place over a few short weeks in the spring before Rosa Santo’s graduates and needs to determine what to do with her life. She has a complex history. Her grandmother gave birth on a boat fleeing communist Russia and her grandfather died on the same trip. Rosa’s own father was also taken by the sea when his boat didn’t come back one day. To say she has a healthy respect for the ocean would be an understatement. In fact, she’s never really ventured down to the docks. At least until the harbor in her small Florida town is threatened and Rosa and the rest of the town come together with a plan to save it. This plan introduces her to tall, dark and brooding Alex. Not only is he ridiculously attractive, but he bakes. And he owns a boat. So, whatever feelings Rosa is developing for Alex cannot be acted upon. Because a to love a boy with a boat means to lose him to sea. At least according to the family curse. So when life has a way of disrupting the best of plans, Rosa will need to decide if she’s going to live in her family’s past or forge her own future.
Plot
The story centers around Rosa’s quest to find out more about who she is. She wants to study in Cuba, but with the current administration making that all but impossible, she turns to her secretive grandmother, with whom she lives, and her mother, who pops in and out of Rosa’s life, for answers. But her grandmother has roots in the old ways, dabbling in santeria and other Cuban customs that include doling out the information slowly. Rosa becomes frustrated and endangers her relationship with her grandmother just as her relationship with Alex takes an interesting but scary twist. Strong themes include family ties, finding yourself, coming of age, and the value of community.
Characters
Rosa and her family are incredibly detailed. Rosa, her mother, and Mimi, her grandmother, are all complex with rich backstories and fully-developed arcs. The balance of the characters, with the exception of Alex who has is own arc, are merely props to support the main trio. However, they never nosedive into stereotypes. They may have been created to serve a purpose, but they come across as more than just fluff, which is an incredible feat by the author.
What I Loved About DON’T DATE ROSA SANTOS!
1. Cuban Culture. I’ll admit to not knowing much about this. My in-laws are of Spanish and Native American descent, but hail from the Southwest, which means their Hispanic culture is a mixed bag. It was fascinating to learn more about Cuba and the Florida Cuban culture. Everything from the food, to rituals, and daily life was vivid and exciting.
2. The Viejitos. The gaggle of retired men and their gossip they share via their Instagram account is both endearing and hysterical.
3. Rosa. She is so complex. The things she wants, what she values, and her desire to not rock the family boat create a deep character who was easy to cheer her on.
4. Alex. He has a bohemian spirit trapped in the body of a loyal son. A romantic at heart, I was rooting for Rosa to give him a chance.
5. The Ending. More than a little confusing at times, I liked that the author left much to the interpretation of the reader.
Bottom Line
Fantastic settings, beautiful writing, and amazing character combine for this young adult tale about discovering who you are.
A lyrical and enchanting story about love, loss, the sea, and sassy grandmothers. Nina Moreno writes beautifully, pulling you into the story so wholly that you can almost feel the sea breeze as you read.
The delicate aroma of fresh-baked pastry combined with the heady intoxication of sea winds infiltrate the pages of this romantic debut novel. I fell in love with all three generations of Santos women as I rushed through the pages on Port Coral’s lemon-scented breeze. When I was done, I held the book to my heart, happy for love, happy for memories, and happy this book exists in the world. Pa’lante.
A love song to family, diaspora, and girls on the verge of discovering who they want to be.
Maybe you shouldn’t date Rosa Santos, but you should definitely read this book. Don’t Date Rosa Santos is alive with the magic of love, family, and Cuba. This enchanting novel will sweep you up like the sea.
Nina Moreno
DON’T DATE ROSA SANTOS
Life is a voyage, not a destination, but some destinations are necessary checkpoints, like the buoys that mark the course of a regatta. Rosa faces big decisions, big plans, and big fears, reminding my of my high school students reading “Road Not Taken” and of myself as a high school senior. Her course is set, to attend a college with a study abroad program that would take her to Cuba, the point of origin from which her grandparents fled in an unseaworthy boat.
There are so many things her grandmother Mimi won’t tell her about her life and Cuba, and the “curse” that caused the sea to take her grandfather and her father . . . Don’t love a sailing man, or he will die. Mimi does share some of the ways of the curanda* — plant lore, healing potions, paying attention. There’s a bit of magical realism in the visions, adding dimension to the story.
Rosa’s mother is a wandering artist, who returns to Port Coral only to leave again. Now developers have fixed their sights on buying and developing the port as private property, ruining the close-knit community, destroying their way of life.
Good friends help Rosa navigate, working together to plan a festival and a wedding, encouraging love and trust, and looking out for rip tides, literal and figurative. I liked these people, and that’s a big part of why I liked the book. I’d love to spend time with them, and I’d like to share the food described so deliciously and see the flowers, sea, and colorful houses, painted so beautifully in words. This was a delightful voyage.
* a glossary might have been helpful for words like curanda and chisme, though contexts helped.
This novel was a glorious combo of Gilmore Girls and One Day at a Time! It was like sitting at your local hangout with a pastelito and cafe, reading about first loves, friendships, and family roots/history that tug at your heart.