*I received a digital copy from Montlake. All reviews are my own.*
Do you know which author came out of nowhere, but I can’t seem to put her books down? Annette Chavez Macias. I never got the chance to talk about her debut project, Big Chicas Don’t Cry, and that was such a good read (I listened to it in audio, and the entire cast was the perfect match to the characters. Go check it out if you can!), that I picked up her sophomore efforts, Too Soon For Adios. She did not disappoint, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you!
"No one expects to meet their father at their mother’s funeral. But for Gabby Medina, that’s exactly what happens. Her dad abandoned her when she was a baby, and now he’s back. And he wants to give her a house. Gabby doesn’t want the house—or him. But she could use the money. So Gabby agrees to take it under two conditions: First, she can sell the house whenever she wants. Second, accepting it doesn’t mean she accepts him . After they strike a deal, Gabby hires a contractor in preparation for a quick sale. But as she gets to know the town and these two new men in her life, she learns more about herself than she ever dared to think possible. But is she ready to open herself up to the truth of what happened—and the promise of what could be?"
Audiobooks have been my jam lately, and I love the narrator Macias picked for this title. Luzma Ortiz was the perfect person to read this story, and she made the nine hours seem like four.
The summary explains the book well, so I won’t be recapping that in my own words. What I can say about the story is that Macias’s prose will always be about family. I know that’s a bold thing for me to say, being that she only has two books out, but judging from the content of everything I just read, we can safely assume that this is her pride and joy. Between the loss of a parent and gaining another lost parent, TSFA shows the different processes of how we accept new situations within the family.
What I appreciate about the story is that it teaches the late twenty-somethings that life is not all as put together as people make it out to be. I’m 33 and still bounce around trying to figure out my THING in life. Even though this book is peppered with loss, it’s still a nice comforting story about learning about yourself after grief and determining the next steps. Gabby lost her mom and never thought about a plan after. Her dream was always to be a sous chef at a high-level restaurant, but that changed after dramatic events. So what do you do?
Overall I rated this book 4-stars. I enjoyed the book. It wasn’t the typical city girl who finds love in a small town kind of story. The plot is a little more complex than that, and I give Macias credit for not making it obvious. Other than the ending (which I thought was a bit lackluster), I would have loved to see more cooking with Gabby. You can’t mention the main character is a sous chef and not plague us with her cooking skills! I needed more visuals of the delicious food I will attempt to make in my kitchen! I would recommend this book to my friends and audiences, and I will watch for another Macias production to come later!
Too Soon For Adios is available now!
