Don’t Date Rosa Santos: My Review

I got curious about this book when I heard of it, and then put it on the pile of books I might read one day, then proceeded to forget about it. That was until I found it it was available as an ebook on Spotify, and before I knew it, I was listening to it and falling in love with the story. And before I go any further, how GORGEOUS is that cover?!

Title: Don’t Date Rosa Santos
Author: Nina Moreno
Release: 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will give books five stars if I love them, to be honest I don’t really know how to rate them so who cares if it’s overrated. It got me all soft in the middle and I loved it.

Don’t Date Rosa Santos is the story of a girl with a curse. All the women in her family lost the man they loved at sea. So of course, when Rosa develops a crush on a boy with a boat, she knows that she shouldn’t. On top of that, she has to organise a wedding and a festival to save the town, and find a college for next fall, while also finding a way to go to Cuba, where her grandmother came from. And of course, things never go according to the plan….

On top of being absolutely adorable, this book exudes chaotic gen Z kids energy and I love it. It also includes a lot of cake which I obviously loved as well. Rosa is my new favourite chaotic overachiever bi and I am here for it. Her crush on Alex is the cutest, purest, most adorable thing. Here. I’ve said it.

But I also loved the fact that this book was about so much more than this. It’s a coming of age novel. It’s about friendship, but most importantly family and I am always here for a good YA novel about family. Rosa lives with her grandmother, while her mother drops by from time to time in between painting projects scattered everywhere. Don’t Date Rosa Santos is the story of three generations of women and how they cope with the shit life has thrown their way. It’s a beautifully crafted book about finding yourself, and getting to know your roots a little better. I laughed, and I cried, and this book warmed my heart.

It has all the elements of a good coming of age novel: learning more about yourself through getting to know your family and roots better, and through the taking of decisions for your future. Rosa gets to know more about both her mother and grandmother. She has to take decisions about college. She is in charge of a project. In addition to that there is a small quest, great friendships, and she overcomes some of her fears. And of course, she falls in love. This book has everything, including my heart. And no, I don’t have any critic about it. If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for? And if you have, I hope you liked it as much as I did!