I enjoy historical fiction and this read is no exception. I look forward to more reads by this author.

This was a captivating historical fiction. I enjoyed following Puris story and trying to find out who the betrayer ends. The ending was satisfying and I was excited to see we can continue to follow these characters in her next book

I got this ARC a while ago and regret not picking it up sooner. I absolutely loved the combination of historical fiction and suspenseful plot. Nevertheless I finished this book is a week and has been absolutely hooked to it since the beginning. The book did not feel slow even for once and I'm grateful to this book for taking me out of the reading slump. My last book was a 3 star read and I needed something to ignite my love for reading after that, and this book was exactly what I wanted. Definitely recommended to all the fans of historical fiction and I look forward to read more books by the author. Also, pick this up if you are a chocolate lover like me.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, and really intriguing. I liked how you have a young woman who pretends to be a man, and trying to figure out a crime. In that regards it's a feminist book, you clearly show how as a man she can do things she couldn't as a man. But it's not one sided, and does have perspective. Will be recommending this book on my YouTube channel in June 2023.

Puri is finally coming to claim the inheritance that her father left for her- part of his cocoa plantation in Ecuador. On the voyage across the ocean a mercenary tries to kill Puri, killing her husband instead. So, disguised as her husband she heads to the plantation on her own to see who she can trust.
As Puri is thrust into the lives of her half-sisters she must discover who wants to kill her, where she fits in this new world, and what her feelings for a new man mean. The world created in this book is interesting. The book takes a hard look at secrets and family dynamics. There is a lot of comparisons between men and women throughout the book. Modern day trans-women may find the cross-dressing aspect of the book to be annoying. It was a fairly enjoyable book, and not a difficult read.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really enjoyed reading it the plot was interesting and the characters made me want to know more about them. I highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Recorded Books, and Kensington Books for the gifted book!

Puri was born and raised in Spain, loving chocolate. She knows her passion for chocolate comes from her absentee father who spent the majority of her life on his cocoa estate in Ecuador. Upon her father's death she learns that she has inherited that cocoa estate, so seeking a new life after the devastation of WWI, she and her husband Cristóbal set out for their new life. But when someone tries to kill Puri on their journey and accidently kills Cristóbal instead, Puri decides to go undercover as her husband to find out why her inheritance has put a price on her head. Along the way she learns about family, family secrets, and what it means to trust.

I liked this story in that I learned so much about historical cocoa plantations and the dynamics that were at play at this time in Ecuador. But overall I found this book very slow and I wasn't fully engaged in it. The characters weren't super likeable and Puri herself was so wishy washy in her feelings and so repetitive in her harping on how men have easier lives than women, that it was overdone. The mystery of this book wasn't plausible in how it shook out and felt very overwrought.

All in all, I think unless you like a complicated character driven family drama, you should pass on this one.

I really appreciate historical fiction like this one that bring a focus to various moments in history that do not get nearly enough attention. This one was featured by Once Upon a Book Club and it was easy to see why they selected it. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Unique in the genre of historical fiction, this narrative follows a former Spanish heiress as she makes the daring choice to assume the identity of her recently deceased husband. Although it is highly unlikely that a female protagonist could successfully pass herself off as a guy, the concept is intriguing all the less. The story's interlacing with the rise and fall of Ecuador's cocoa business over the course of several decades creates the impression that it may be a genuine drama waiting to be told. I was drawn in by the combination of mysterious goings-on, family strife, and impending disaster. The use of Spanish vocabulary within the text serves to reinforce the impression that Spanish is being spoken in the discourse. I felt motivated to finish this book since I enjoy reading historical fiction set during the same era. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of novels, I read this one all the way through in only a few days, and I found myself engrossed in the many little plots and conflicts that emerged with each passing chapter. As such, I found the plot entertaining and would suggest it to those who like fantastical stories with a dash of intrigue.

Puri owns a chocolate shop in Spain. She receives news that her father who abandoned her for Ecuador is dead and that she is a claimant to his chocolate plantation. Puri and her husband decide to sell everything and move to Ecuador to claim her inheritance. During her journey to Ecuador, Puri’s husband is murdered. Puri disguises herself to protect herself from her husband’s killer. Once she arrives in Ecuador, Puri finds that she is not the only claimant to her father’s estate. Puri also learns that her father had many dark secrets.

Puri is a very interesting character. She has a passion for chocolate. Because of her passion, she is willing to sell everything and start a new life in another country. However, she learns that it was not as easy as she had hoped. Her husband is murdered on the journey, and she has to contend with her half-siblings who are also claimants. I found it interesting that Puri has to disguise herself as a man and how she is careful to not expose her real gender. I loved her interactions with others in her disguise. I also liked how she never stopped looking to pursue her husband’s killer. She is always searching for the truth. Thus, Puri was a very fun character.

Overall, this novel is about dreams, truth, and chocolate! I found all the characters to be realistic. I did find some of the scenes to be very unrealistic. However, it was a fast-paced and compelling novel! There is plenty of drama, secrets, and mystery that will keep you turning the pages! I also liked how the story describes the history of the cocoa plant. Therefore, this novel is perfect for chocolate lovers! I recommend this novel for fans of The Chocolatier, Like Water Like Chocolate, and Next Year in Havana!

A deeply atmospheric historical novel with a great set of characters and a fun mystery to solve. The plot is always dynamic and entertaining and it's impossible not to end up craving chocolate after you finish it. The main topic is quite original: you will learn a lot about the history of cacao plantations and 1920s Ecuador's culture. Puri is an amazing protagonist: smart, brave and willing to do anything to solve her husband's murder. All in all, The Spanish Daughter is a beautiful and compelling novel for fans of family sagas and historical fiction.

Once again I find myself wishing we could give half stars. This was a solid 3.5 for me. The story was interesting, as were the characters. I liked the combination of multigenerational cultural historical drama/murder mystery, at least as a concept. However I felt the pace was very slow. I don’t know if in trying to merge too many genres, neither could develop quickly or if it was simply a stylistic choice that didn’t work for me. Regardless, I would have liked a quicker pace. I also appreciated the ending. However, while I enjoyed the meandering journey, I don’t know how invested I was; I have a feeling this will be a book I vaguely remember reading a year from now.

This story taking place in the early twentieth century Ecuador is inspired by the real-life history of the coastal town known as the birthplace of cacao.
Highly anticipated this book is a real standout in historical fiction.
A married young woman inherits a cacao plantation located in Ecuador and with a lifetime of the knowledge of chocolate making from her grandmother she is excited to open a chocolate shop in her native country of Spain. Not everyone is happy with her inheritance of the plantation though and is out to get her. Danger follows her days though when not she is killed but mistakenly her husband. Living in fear and in disguise as her husband in public can she stay safe and convince others she is her husband while she investigates the truth. Sometimes what you find is not what you're looking for but dark secrets instead that come to life.
While the pressure is off her as a female with the expectations to be meek and just obey, danger lurks around every corner as she learns the identity of her enemy.
Very intriguing read that I had a hard time putting down.

Pub Date 28 Dec 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Spanish Daughter was a really enjoyable book for me. I flew through it and finished it within 24 hours. I loved the time period (1920). I loved the unique setting of a cocoa plantation in Ecuador. It was written well, and easy to read. The mystery aspect was a little weak. I found the family dynamics are what really shined here. The characters themselves were all intriguing. However, the ending I found to be very abrupt and I think the book would have benefited with an extra chapter or two to flesh out the ending more. All in all, this was an excellent book and gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly. I look forward to reading more from this author.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you Netgalley, Lorena Hughes and Kensington Books, Kensington for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

I was intrigued by the synopsis- chocolate, mystery and love story - isn’t this the recipe for a delicious and entertaining novel? Also as a lover of historical fiction I could not pass The Spanish Daughter. I wasn’t disappointed as per but I did expected a bit more.

I did enjoy the plot somewhat eventhough it was predictable at times, but mostly I did enjoy the placement of the novel - the description of Ecuador, the lives of people there and the division between locals and conqueres. Character-wise it was ok, at the same time I feel like Peri character was only briefly developed. She is the protagonist as most of the narration she spends worrying how she looked in a costume of a man - which is no doubt valid but in small doses.

The Spanish Daughter is definitely a good pick for book clubs - tons to discuss.

3.5 stars
Review posting on blog on March 18th, 2022

Puri must move to Ecuador in order to get her inheritance from her estranged father. The problem though is that her father started a whole new life including a family in Ecuador and because of that the inheritance is split and someone appears to want Puri dead. Because of this after her husband is killed instead Puri starts impersonating him in order to keep herself safe while she tries to figure out which sibling wants her dead and why.
Secrets are revealed along the way, along with Puri almost getting caught several times.
With the help of others though who know who she is and those who don't, she is able to figure out who killed her husband and why.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I did find that the first half of it was rather slow and kind of dragged a little bit, the last half made up for it and almost felt rushed at times because of how much happened especially in the last 10% of the book. I found it rather interesting how no one suspected who Puri was considering her disguise and how she didn't have any time to practice how to walk and talk like a man and as we've seen from other things those aren't easy things when you're used to wearing dresses, etc all the time. I just found that part a little hard to believe, maybe they just assumed it was because they were from Europe and that's what they acted the way they did, I don't know.
When it came time for the big reveal we see Puri forgive very quickly and easily people who had used her or had been unkind to her. While that's nice it does seem a bit much considering how much tension was present between her and these people at certain points of the book. I know part of it is because of what happened with the cocoa beans and wanting to start a fresh new life. I just feel like there still would have been a few hard feelings considering how everything ended up happening.

The world of Ecuador in the book was beautiful and I love how things were explained simply when it came to how and why things were happening the way they were. Latin America can be rather confusing at times for people who don't know a lot about it because of all the history in it and the different governments that have happened over the years in it. The author also did a good job explaining how the world looked and the way gender roles were very strict to a certain extent in some areas, especially with illegitimate children at times.

I can't wait to read more by this author in the future as she did choose a subject not often present in books.

Another enjoyable historical read full of surprises and suspense. Puri travels back to Ecuador after finding out her father has passed, and along the way, she is hit with another Suprise. So once she gets back, she poses as a man to find out the truth. Although the ending seemed a little short, I really enjoyed this book.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes is the story of Puri, the oldest daughter of a recently deceased cacao planter, who inherited a cacao plantation in Ecuador. This suspenseful, creative novel is full of love, disguise, intrigue, murder, secrets and mystery. It will have you guessing until the end! If you love historical fiction, this book is for you!

I just couldn't;t get into it. I really wanted to love this book but it just wasn't;t for me I guess. I've read Lorena's other work and it really resonated with me. However I found myself doing a lot of skimming with The Spanish Daughter. From a technical perspective the writing is excellent and the story and characters are well developed. The story just didn't hold my interest.

3.5*

This was good, but I didn't love it. The first 40% was quite slow but the second half redeemed it. In 1920, Puri sets out to Ecuador to claim her inheritance with her husband but he's killed on the boat ride there. To find out who was targeting her, she pretends to be her husband, and for most of the novel she's dressed as her husband. It was interesting to read about her pretending to be a man and experiencing the differences and new freedoms.
I was a little confused by Puri's forgiveness and loyalty in the novel. Her father left her and her mother when she was younger, and never told her about his other family, and yet she still thought of him so highly, despite all his secrets.
Though I guessed who the murderer was, I was surprised by the twist at the end. The whole novel, however, is wrapped up in the epilogue and I was surprised how some of the characters' story ended. I think the ending could've been at least a few chapters longer, while the beginning of the novel could've been a lot shorter.