Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older (Outlaw Saints book 1)

 

“Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.

While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval. Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.

But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.

Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans. Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.” - taken from Goodreads.

San Madrigal is the Atlantis of the Caribbean. After it suddenly sank, the mismatched group of refugees settled in the Little Madrigal community in Brooklyn. When a long held secret has no choice but to be revealed, Mateo Matisse's life is turned upside down. Enter Chela Hidalgo who has a secret of her own. When the some of the residents believe that the island of San Madrigal can be raised, Mateo finds himself at the very heart of the plot. Who can he trust and who will betray him? 

Book two is expected in May 2023.

Visit Daniel Jose Older’s website.

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

 

“For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.

Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.

A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I love this author's first book but her second was even better. Lila’s life has been turned upside down. Her grandmother recently died, her boyfriend of three years dumped her right before prom, and her best friend has decided to take a gap year and spend it as a volunteer in Africa and didn’t tell her. When Lila breaks down over the stress, her parents sent her to England for the summer to spend it with a cousin. This book was phenomenal! Lila doesn't want to leave Miami but it doesn't take long for her to find her place in England and to move forward from past hurts and discovered an unimaginable future. A definite read!

Visit Laura Taylor Namey’s website.