I have to admit that I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked this one up but I am so glad I did. What a beautifully written family saga! This novel is full of family drama and conflict, quite like most close knit families are. I loved each and every one of the Alvarados. They were all so deeply flawed and made many mistakes but the one thing they got right was loving each other no matter what. I know I will be thinking about them for a long time to come. If you are a fan of family dramas you will enjoy this book!

This a cross between a family drama with climate fiction. Oscar is the patriarch of the family. He has become despondent and forgetful in recent months. when a near drowning accident occurs with one of his grand child on his watch, it causes his wife Keila to ask for a divorce.

This news takes their three daughters by surprise, and they will do anything to stop this from happening. As each of them revels in this information, they begin to look at their own marriages and whether they want to remain in those commitments.

The book is titled L.A. Weather, so yes the weather is a major part of this story. The cause of so much of Oscar’s problems has to do with the lack of rain. As the book progresses, the author slowly unravels what caused Oscar to act the way he does.

I was going to pass on reading this, but I am so glad I did not. This was a wonderful rich complicated family story. There were a few elements that had me shaking my head but overall, this was a completely enjoyable reading experience for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This family drama follows a year in the life of the Alvarado family - a family of affluent Jewish, Catholic, Mexican-Americans living in LA. This one covers everything from health issues, accidents, divorce, trauma, wildfires and more. This family had so much going on and it seemed like one tragedy after another, yet the book didn’t feel heavy at all, thanks to the witty writing. I’m not a fan of the character driven family dramas, so this wasn’t my favorite but I can see where many people would love it!

This slow simmer of a book was the perfect end of summer read. The characters, while unlikeable at times, pulled me in and actually had me feeling for them, a huge testament to Maria Amparo Escandon!

Cloudy with a chance of no rain. Highly recommend. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Brilliant writing, a domestic drama of a Mexican-American family. The novel seamlessly incorporates themes of gender fluidity, immigration, infidelity, and a host of social justice and human rights issues against the backdrop of a climate in crisis. A solid and thought provoking read.

What a fun, warm family saga! If you like the structure of telenovelas, then you will enjoy this broadly-written, fast-paced family drama. There is lots of buzz around this book which is now one of Reese's Book Club's selections.

Keila and Oscar Alvarado have been married for decades but Keila, the family matriarch, shakes things up when she suddenly announces that she is divorcing her husband. Her adult children all ask that they give their marriage one more year. This book takes place over the course of that year. Each of the members of the family undergoes major life changes, all against the backdrop of the California weather that shapes all of their lives.

The author is at her very best when describing the ethereal beauty of California. I could almost feel the wind blowing and the sun on my face: "Olivia walked to the edge of the terrace, leaned on the handrail, and looked out at the Pacific Ocean in front of her. Its undulating surface shimmered in bright oranges and reds, sequins in a drag queen’s gown. This was a light—a hyperreal, Technicolor light—that existed only on celluloid and in Los Angeles."

A lot happens to the Alvarado family, but there is so much drama that there didn't feel like there was much consequence to the events of their lives. I did keep turning the pages , however, to find out what would happen next! I certainly could not have predicted the outcome.

Although Keila comes from a Jewish family who fled the Holocaust to Mexico, I felt like Judaism was sort of thrown into the story without much real connection to the religion: "I know exactly where Dad is. You don’t need to come here and ruin my dinner with your Jewish guilt,” she said." Ouch!

But overall, this is a loving, broad, funny family saga that takes a warm look at families and the bonds that bind us all together.

(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)

I really enjoyed L.A. Weather, but I almost feel like this was a book specifically written for me! As a Latina from LA, the sights and sounds of life as an Angeleno was like being home, the uni1que identity of each neighborhood, and the FOOD. It was a pleasure to dig into family dynamics of the culture that we just don't see in media enough, especially when portrayed as Escandon did: affluent, driven, liberal, empowered women who aren't forced to conform to strict patriarchal dynamics that define so many Mexican families.
The use of the changing and influential weather patterns through the book is a clever and meaningful method for her storytelling as we see the family progress through the year.
Yes, this family has an unusual amount of drama happen to, and within, the family unit in the course of the year, but it felt believable to me.

I was attracted to tis book because it's a latinx author and I love contemporary fiction that centers around families.
Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The language was clunky and reading the book was more hard work than joy. I was only able to make it to page 30 before I quit.

I really, really hate rating a book 2 stars. I tried so hard to find some redeeming qualities in this book to push my rating up. There was one - the opening of this book really grabs you. It's every parents worst nightmare. And I just knew from there this was going to be a book I couldn't put down. Unfortunately the opposite happened... this was a book I had a hard time finishing. Family drama, divorce, affairs, secrets, stealing embryos, crazy weather - all the makings for a homerun book, but this one struck out for me. I honestly didn't connect, or even like, any of the characters. The story jumps between storylines too much that it gets frustrating to follow. I thought the structure of the book following the family over the course of a year was clever, just poorly executed.

Does the Alvardo family "weather" the storm of the their chaotic life? You'll have to read to find out. People either seem to really like this book or not care for it. While this is not a book I cared for, or one I'd recommend, that doesn't mean this isn't for other readers.

My thanks to the author, Flatiron Books and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars
A book with a watercolor cover that says it's about weather? This book does not sound like it's for me. HOWEVER, it was! I'm not sure why this book is being described this way but it is so much more. Maybe it's for you too?

A Mexican American family in LA is falling apart all at the same time. The parents and all three daughters are doubting their marriages when tragedies strike again and again. The family becomes obsessed with the weather and no one knows why. One daughter is professionally successful but a kleptomaniac with some very weird actions. Two sisters have distant or terrible husbands and nontraditional marriages. Many of the characters are completely unlikable.

This book had some very insightful and sharp writing (which I loved) and some crazy, not likable characters who really go thru it. But these characters do change and grow and I really loved how their actions not only affected themselves and their spouses and children, but the whole family. The delicious sounding food descriptions sprinkled in were fun and made me want to run to my favorite restaurants.

I don't always love Reese Witherspoon picks but this one was a hit for me. Please do not think because of the description and cover that this is a boring book about weather, because it is not. It is an easy to read book about a crazy modern family who stick together.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy for review.

This book, set in 2016, is about family, and how hard it is to keep things together.

A lot of this story made me think of a soap opera, just not as dramatic. The family struggles to keep from falling apart during LA's worst drought to date. People lied, people were selfish, and communication was constantly ignored.

While the wild fires grew close, so did the ultimate struggles they had been keeping from each other.

This was definitely not my type of book as it is 90% character driven, but the writing is beautiful and still managed to keep my attention.

For the story, it's a 3⭐, since it's not my cup of tea, but the delivery of this story is 4.5⭐. Beautifully done.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

This is one of the books that set up the story so perfectly, you often do not see it coming, and when you do, you want to burrow more profound in the book and the characters. That's how I feel about LA Weather. Why is OScar so obsessed with the weather as his three grown daughters navigate life and their marriages, and he is on the brink of collapse. This is a very fast-moving book. Instead of Chapters, its dates and this story takes place over a year ( and some change) and what a year it is. I enjoyed getting to know most of the characters, and I had those I liked and those we never really understood ( Claudia). Each chapter/date is from a different perspective, and that can get a bit tedious at times to keep up with, but I think the author did a good job. The story's backdrop is the LA weather, Mexican and Jewish culture, which was nice but didn't go in-depth, except to describe the Mexican culinary dishes that the characters eat, which are explicit but not detailed and came off a bit odd. Overall, I couldn't;' put this book down once I got about 20% in, and I enjoyed it. Some of the storylines fell a bit flat at times and were not realistic, and some of the characters were underdeveloped and could have been left out of the narrator's position without hurting the storyline. Overall, a promising fall read. ****

Really good writing - interesting characters and I love that L.A. (the setting) is like a character. I appreciate the deep cultures of the characters and the complex lives of each of them. It made me want to call my relatives and connect. It’s that kind of book. A quick read that has a satisfying plot with wonderful writing. A few of the plots had me rolling my eyes but it wasn’t annoying enough to ruin the story for me. Heartfelt thanks to Flatiron Books for this great read. I’m grateful.

L.A. Weather is a hilarious, off kilter and touching portrait of the Alvarado’s, a Mexican American family, following an eventful year of their lives with plenty of drama, secrets and mishaps. This isn’t the type of novel I would usually go for but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story and how quickly I sped through it, which is definitely down to how inviting the writing and fast paced the story itself is.

I really like books with a whole host of characters who all fit together somehow and the Alvarado’s definitely fit this description. I enjoyed how we get all of the characters perspectives and they’re all unique and well developed, ranging from Oscar, Keila, to their three daughters as well as their partners. Sometimes books with multiple perspectives can feel convoluted but I think it works really well here to depict all of the converging storylines and events which affect the whole family.

The novel also offers a glimpse into many different marriages and relationships in general, and while you definitely have to suspend your disbelief at all the relationship drama occurring within one family – it makes for an entertaining read for sure.

I really liked how family was represented within the novel and and the tight knit nature of the Alvarados. While they have their fair share of fiery arguments and things they may be hiding from each other, at their core they have this deep love for each other which surpasses any other obstacle. I liked how they all came together for any crisis the others may be going through and take everything in their stride.

Overall, L.A. Weather is a fun if slightly crazy read, which will definitely keep a reader interested. There’s definitely no room to get bored with the Alvarado’s antics!

Okay, this was a great family drama. Man the hits just kept coming. The Alvarado family was the picture perfect family and then 2016 rolls around and everything just starts going crazy.

It really had me hooked and entertained from the beginning. I may have even teared up at the beginning of the May chapter.

I really liked all of the characters in the Alvarado family. And I loved the mix of cultures the family had. The Dad was Mexican and and Mom grew up in Mexico put her parents fled there during WWII. So she was a Jewish Mexican. She they celebrated catholic traditions and Jewish traditions. I liked that because even though my husband and I both grew up protestant we have didn't traditions and we trying to incorporate both with our kids. So, it was nice seeing that in a book as well.

This book does deal with some very heavy topics though. You have this family with three daughters and bad things are happening to everyone. Some parts are tough. But I think it was a great book and I hope you guys pick it up! I'll post some TW at the bottom.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this eARC.


TW: suicidal thoughts, divorce, infidelity, miscarriage, still birth, near death of children, emotional domestic abuse, rape, tumors, cancer.

When a book opens with a scene where three-year-old twins accidentally fall into a pool and there's no one around, you know it will not be a boring read.

In L.A. Weather we follow a year in the life of a Jewish/Mexican family, the Alvarados. They are seemingly well off and have an impressive family ancestry, but as we very quickly find out, things are nowhere near as great as they might seem on the surface. The parents, Keila and Oscar, are on the brink of a divorce, and their three daughters are dealing with issues of their own. There's also another, subtle yet crucially significant main character - the titular L.A. weather. The themes of family, betrayal, and forgiveness are woven together with weather and climate, and the importance of the latter themes emerges deep into the book.

There's definitely a lot of drama in this story, and at times it read almost soap opera-like, but I didn't mind because I was hooked right from the start. I would actually love to see this book adapted into TV series. I loved the secrets, the plot twists, and the constant tension! I also enjoyed the message of this book and when a certain part made me realize which year this book is set in (I somehow completely missed it before it became an important plot point), I gasped out loud. As far as the characters go, it took me a second to remember who's who, and for a very long time I kept getting Olivia and Patricia mixed up because they seemed the blandest to me. Even with that, I ended up rooting for all the Alvarados and the beautiful bond they share.

I enjoyed this one so much. This is a character driven story about a year in the life of the Alvarado family, a Catholic-Jewish Mexican family living in L.A. It is a slow burn and took a minute to keep the characters straight in the beginning, but after that each and every one of them grew on me and I could not put this down until I was done.

Oscar is the patriarch of the family, and is weather-obsessed as L.A. is currently going through a drought and he desperately wants some rain. His wife Keila desperately wants some intimacy and is ready to end their marriage. They have three grown daughters - Claudia, a television chef; Olivia, a successful architect; and Patricia, a social media wizard; and they each will be forced to take a look at their relationships and make some tough decisions along the way.

Everyone is going through something that inevitably affects the family and you will wonder how are they going to make it through and remain together. There are secrets, lies, kleptomaniacs, I’m telling you, this family is messy. And let’s not forget the weather, which is a huge factor running throughout the story and is almost a character in and of itself. I loved the interactions with the family members, good and bad, and I was vested in this family, rooting for each and every one of them and I was not ready for my time with them to be over.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy to review and for having me on this tour!

LA Weather was a multi story character development story. I loved the alternating views of different members of the Alvarado family.

You have Oscar, who has become a shell of his former self. He used to be the rock of the family, there was not a problem he couldn’t solve. When LA is in the worst drought in years, and climate change is wreaking havoc on his livelihood, Oscar’s secrets threaten to ruin the family.

Then we have Keila, she is Oscar’s wife and watching Oscar retreat into himself, causes Keila to question the whole marriage.

Then we have the daughter’s of Oscar and Keila.. Olivia, Patricia and Claudia. The daughters each have their own personal life that is crumbling and each sister is going through a tough divorce.

The family bands together in unlikely ways and proves that family truly is the strongest bond.

A year in the life of the Alvarado family could be an alternate title for this family drama set in Los Angeles. The Alvarado’s are a well off Mexican-American family that can trace their roots back to the founders of Los Angeles (before it was part of the US). Parents Oscar and Keila have been together for 30+ years and are struggling to maintain their connection. Their daughters, Claudia, Olivia and Patricia are all successful in their own right and very close to their parents, still maintaining their Sunday family dinners.

A traumatic event at the beginning of the year starts the rollercoaster of drama in this family over the course of a year. Relationships are tested, life throws curve balls, secrets are exposed, and the family must stick together to weather the storm.

As an Angeleno myself I loved all the references to the different neighborhoods within the city, and places that I am all too familiar with. The chapters are organized by month so it’s easy to follow. If you a fan of family dramas this book is right up your alley.