What an amazingly vibrant book! I really love how Nina Moreno writes- she's so good with turns of phrase and descriptions that pull you into the story without being Too Much. The description of baked goods, my god. And the scents on the air, the ocean waves. It's so lyrical and charming. The story was heavier than I anticipated in some ways and made me a little melancholy in the middle, but I also loved the feeling of family and community, and the romance! So sweet and perfectly balanced. Who can resist a baking Ravenclaw?! I felt like I was in Port Coral in this Cuban community- the writing was so immersive. I also loved Rosa herself- she was relatable and curious and I enjoyed her relationships with many of the characters. Her mother and abuela were very complex and that added so much dimension to the story. I can see the Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls comparisons SO clearly, they're really good comps- just add a huge helping of Cuban & Latinx culture :) I can't wait to see what Nina writes next

A thoroughly charming debut ya novel with magic, diaspora feels, family dynamics, and incredibly yummy food descriptions. I have some minor quibbles with pacing, but otherwise a very fun read that has me excited to see what Nina Moreno has coming next.

This book was all right. I loved all the Spanish and culture, books like that are my cup of tea. But I really felt like the book was titled wrong. This story wasn't centralized on dating and first loves. Yes, there is a first love. But that was not the point of this book. This was a book about three strong Latina women fighting to hold their broken family together. It was about motherhood and sacrifice and longing and the complicated love and frustration between mothers and daughters. The cover is so bright and upbeat, with a much younger girl on the cover than our actual MC (what is this girl, like, 14? And Rosa is graduating high school?) who is so carefree and happy, with a title that makes you think about dating mishaps and teenage hijinks. I felt like I was in the mood for one book only to be given another. Also, I felt like the romance was a second-thought plotline added to the story to give Rosa something to do other than focus on her family, education, and dreams of visiting Cuba. Like I said, the book was all right. I just don't feel in love with it.

Ohhh my god. This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be. I will forever be obsessed with fluffy, cute YA contemporaries. This is that with a deeper, more meaningful layer hiding underneath. I wouldn’t say this book always reads as being realistic, but it's somehow unrealistic in the most charming way possible.

The story follows Rosa. She’s what I would consider a type A, highly motivational person. She’s in her last year of high school while simultaneously in her second year at her local community college. She has goals, and she checks off every single one of them in her perfectly organized bullet journal. She lives with her grandmother who has the most envy-inducing collection of plants. Her mother is constantly traveling so only pops into her life every once in awhile.

There is a supposed curse on the women of the Santos family. When Rosa’s abuela was fleeing Cuba with her grandfather a storm hit. She reached the other side with only her daughter, Rosa’s mother. When Rosa’s mother was still pregnant with her, she also lost her husband to the sea. Only his boat was found. So basically, everyone in this small community of Port Coral believes these women to be bad news for any sailor. (see: Don’t Date Rosa Santos)

I love stories that focus on tight-knit communities that are so alive with description they seem to be a character themselves. The community of Port Coral came alive to me in its description of the delicious food (omg I was basically drooling the whole time), the smell of the sea, and the sunny harbor. Maybe I’m just jealous because it’s April and still freezing here.

I really don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I think it’s more magically if you go in not knowing to much. I’m so excited for you to discover this community, the Santos family, and the sweetest of romances. If you want a quick taste of hot, Florida sunshine, please read this asap.

A Must-read if you like:

Complicated family dynamics
Realistic magic
Drool-worthy food descriptions
Cuban American mc
Depiction of diaspora

Man, I LOVED this book. There’s something truly amazing that happens when, as a reader, I can relate to the characters—in a cultural way. As a Latina, that happens SO rarely.

This book is beautifully written, with so much heart and a swoony love story that absolutely melted my heart. I wanted to stay in the pages of this story forever and ever. I highly recommend the read!

I loved Don't Date Rosa Santos.

From the very beginning, and all throughout the novel, we are thrown into a world where things don't make sense and that's okay. Rosa feels lost and torn between two different cultures and worlds. She longs for the old all while embracing the new, trying to desperately grab at the small pieces of the past that will connect her to her family.

The whole concept of family and striving for a future that will connect her with the past is so interesting and intertwined all throughout the different adventures Rosa gets up to in the novel. However, I think because of this, some of the other characters surrounding Rosa get lost in the shuffle and I would have liked to see a little bit more of them. Even Alex is kind of lost and we don't really seem to get his full story.

Honestly a short and sweet novel that made me yearn for the ocean and tropical weather with heavenly descriptions of food and cute little side-quests throughout to keep the plot moving, this was a fantastic debut novel.

SWOON. That was absolutely dreamy.

I'll be fleshing out this review for my blog next week, when I hope I'll have more articulate things to say about Moreno's wonderful prose and the deep and beautiful themes of family and heritage and belonging in this book.

For now, I just want to press this book into the hands of everyone I meet, whispering "trust me." The love Moreno poured into this book comes straight through the page.

This is a YA contemporary romance, here in 2019, that somehow manages to feel like a timeless epic even while it feels so fresh and diverse and modern. There are so many smart things happening in this book, but all I want to do is gush about Rosa and Mr. Tatoos McBrooding, pushed together to work on a WEDDING for a SEASIDE FESTIVAL so they can SAVE THE TOWN. It doesn't get sweeter than that.

I can tell "Don't Date Rosa Santos" was written with heart and heartache, so it should be read with care and respect, as I did.
This book is meaningful in two main ways, first it introduced the warm Cuban culture to mainstream YA readers, second it addressed the complicated but growing diasporic population.
I enjoyed reading the book for those two reasons and also because the protagonist, Rosa, is one of the most genuine and sweet characters I've come across. (Plus, the home cooked descriptions made my mouth water and the sassy sarcasm made me lol.)
With the multitude albeit warm of characters that I had to keep track of, unique and independent Liliana also stood out to me.
The mother daughter relationship gave me Gilmore Girl vibes, as did the small town. However where the love interest Alex may parallel bad boy Jess, his distance translated as dull, even depression. I actually was not rooting for them in the end. I thought he was too much of her past.
The maternal family curse reminded me of the film Practical Magic. I couldn't understand the placement of the sea curse, until I decided it was a metaphor for the difficulty diasporas find in acceptance/belonging to their home land, and empty but thrilling feeling of the new.

Gracias NetGalley y Hyperion for this ARC!

Cute cover and some interesting scenes and the Gilmore girls meets practical magic thing sold me. however I lost interest soon after I started the book, I couldn’t bond with the characters as I do with most books, I didn’t get a chance to know the characters there wasn’t much for insight on them no story for them.

That being said the book was interesting, the curse was unique i do appreciate that the book wasn’t about another annoying weak white girl, but about a strong and independent Latino woman.

This was fun, engaging YA that tackled important themes of identity and self-discovery without feeling too heavy. I loved how atmospheric the book was and how richly the neighborhood and community were built out. I also appreciated the way the author conveyed the nature of what it is like to grow up bicultural and bilingual. And I enjoyed watching the relationships develop and people learn more about themselves and their families and friends. That said, the book didn’t grab me the way some YA does - I didn’t feel that compulsion to just keep reading it straight through, but I am glad I read it.

Rosa Santos lives in a small Florida town filled with Cuban emigrants. On the cusp of graduation and still deciding where college will take her, she feels the pull of her Grandmother’s island, and the fear of the sea that took her father and grandfather. As her carefully laid plans fall apart, and new paths open, Rosa must make big decisions before time runs out.

As the Santos women’s curse is presented at the very beginning, the reader is enticed to find out what this will mean for Rosa. Her amazing, colorful town and the wonderful characters in it will keep them interested in the story. There is an easy romance with an adorable sailor (who also bakes!). Lots of good strong women and POC characters throughout. It is very latinX and holds the kind of magical realism I would expect.

*Spoiler free, I'm not sure how many stars*

I sort of read this one on a whim. I had heard a lot good things about it. It sounded like something I wouldn't usually pick up, but I still might enjoy if I gave it a shot. And I've been trying to read more books like that!

This book feels very personal. It feels a little autobiographical. Everything about it felt like it came from such a deep place from the author. It was really awesome to read.

I really enjoyed the writing. Moreno is such a fantastic writer. The scenes go by so quickly, but everything is so vivid. I had such a clear picture of Port Coral, of the ocean, of Rosa's home, and every other place there was. It was easy to picture everything and it was easy for everything to come to life.

I liked Rosa a lot. She's confident in what she wants to do and what who she is but at the same time, she questions everything. It's a weird combination, but it works and it made her seem really human. She's a normal Cuban teen trying to make decisions and trying to figure out her life. They might not be perfect, but she's trying. She's easy to fall in love with and relate too, even if you're not going through the exact same things she's going through. Rosa is also casually bi and it was so awesome to see that! It's a single line, but it was kinda big for me.

There are so many side characters in this book. I was worried in the beginning as more and more kept getting introduced, that I would lose track of everyone. But, it wasn't hard to keep everyone straight! Moreno does a great job of introducing characters and making it clear who they are.

So many pastries and food this book. I'm a pretty picky eater, besides when comes to desserts, and even I thought the descriptions were really good haha. And there were so many desserts. So many. I would like Alex to bake me something.

There were a lot of sideplots that kind of felt like they were part of the main plot, but I feel like they all fed into Rosa finding herself. The line between was kind of blurred. One plot point sort of came out of nowhere. I didn't really see it coming. It was important to the story and I think it's important that it's there, I just think the transition could have been a bit smoother. Other than that, I loved Rosa's journey and I'm really happy with how it ended.

Overall, this book was really good and I really liked. Everything was so vivid and a cat even made an appearance!

Rosa, her mother, and abuela Mimi are doomed to love men who die at sea. Mom and Mimi anyway. We don't know about Rosa yet, but when she meets a boy with a boat, the town is concerned. The book is marketed as a Gilmore Girls-alike, and the small townishness, along with the brainy kid with the kooky mom are similar. The grandma is no Emily Gilmore, though; she's a bruja, and the one with the regular relationship with Rosa.

It's a cute, sweet read. The town viejitos with their online chisme are adorbs. As is often the case with teen romances, the love interest is a little too perfect: at 19, Alex is a sailor and an expert baker, sensitive, and patient. He's a college dropout, sure, but emotionally, he's all there.

There's also the love of the absent homeland: Cuba, which Rosa wants to see. Mimi is done with the place, and Mom (I forget her name) was conceived there, but doesn't talk about it. All three Santos women are likable, relatable characters.

A charming read about a quiet Floridian coast town with lots of Cuban & Latinx flare, and Rosa, who is trying to save the town's marina from being bought by a developer. There’s also her healer-bordering-on-witchy grandma, her flaky artist mom who just rolled back into town, and a hunky tatted older boy with a boat... all the makings of a super cute contemporary romance! I loved reading such a fun book completely immersed in Cuban culture. The inter-generational immigrant experience is portrayed so beautifully here - we understand Mimi's heartache that she can't return to the homeland she loves so much while also understanding Rosa's intense desire to visit Cuba and better understand where she comes from and who she is.

My only issue with the book: I found the ending to be lacking. This book has the laid back vibes of the coastal town it takes place in until about 85% of the way through the book. I was so invested in this adorable little town and its eccentric inhabitants that I hated leaving them in favor of a last-minute location change. The ending felt rushed - a TON happens in so few pages! I would have loved if it could have slowed down a little so I could've wrap my head around the journey Rosa and her mom were on. The romance was lackluster, particularly towards the end, and by that time I was much more interested in the family dynamics of the Santos women anyways. Overall, it was still worth the read - Rosa, the Santos family, and her town are so infectiously readable that the off-pace ending didn't ruin the enjoyment of the rest of the book for me.

Recommend for: Teens looking for a fun summer read with Latinx rep, really quirky and lovable characters, and an immersive setting.

A lovely romantic story of a young woman coming to realize what she wants in life. Strong female characters, interesting exploration of familial relationships. An engaging exploration of bicultural heritage, and does not shy away from Cuba's history and how that history affects generations differently. Strongly recommended to teen fans of gentle romance, and for public library collections.

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.

I struggled reading this, not because of the story, but the way the ARC was formatted. The spacing was difficult to navigate at times and kept pulling me out of the story so I could navigate where I was reading. That said, the story itself was a tender look at where we come from and how it shapes us into the people we are and want to become. I'm a huge fan of the comps and loved the flavor of the story.

Wow, Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic! I loved the characters, the family dynamics, the culture, and the romance! The writing style is also so good! Now I'm adding this author to my favorite-list. The story was delightful and very addicting. I highly recommend!

Nina Moreno's debut novel "Don't Date Rosa Santos" is like the literary equivalent of dulce de leche; steeped in tradition, sweet and comforting, and so delicious it's downright magical!

4 stars!

This book was a really good read when diving into the subject of family. The protagonist, Rosa Santos, has been submerged in her Cuban heritage her whole life. There is even a supposed old curse on her family that basically states that it would be unwise to fall in love with a man of the sea because it only ends in heartbreak.
Rosa has grown up feeling her Cuban culture around her by her family and her peers. She just never has been to Cuba, and she wants to change that.
This story was layered with sadness, compassion, and hopefulness. Rosa always kept on looking towards the future, and she figured out along the way that in order to have a better picture of her future meant that she had to also look in her past.
She also becomes acquainted with a brooding, multi-talented guy who she also had a past with as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was not too heavy of a read but it definitely had me invested in the character of Rosa Santos and what her future held.