I absolutely loved these characters! Alex and Jeremy were perfect for each other and when they realized it, the steam fogged over my Kindle. I adored how different these two people were, but they both had a mutual achievement they wanted to complete and they did just that. The side stories were informative and didn't feel completely "off" to the story.



*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. I want to express a thank you to the valued author, the publisher who took a chance on the author, and Netgalley for providing a copy.*

This is my second book by Angelina M. Lopez and I'm so excited to read more of her work. I love the big characters she writes and how she focuses on the strength of her heroines. I adored Alex, but I was also frustrated by some of her choices. To me, that shows great writing and character development and it makes Alex more relatable. Jeremiah complimented her perfectly. He was a combination of both sweet and strong, standing up for what he believes in and wants, which is tricky to write well. Overall this was a great enemies-to-lovers romance with a strong female character, a fun large family, and great sex scenes. I would highly recommend this book and I appreciate how Angelina M. Lopez is bringing something new to the romance genre.

I did not expect to absolutely LOVE this book as much as I did. It took me under six hours to completely devour this book, but I am still thinking about it.

Alex Torres is moving back home to Kansas to hopefully take over her grandmother’s bar, Loretta’s. Known as the “best bitch in bartending” until a fight with her manager that left her unemployed, Alex sees the bar as her opportunity to pick her career back up while making sure that the bar is maximizing its profits. Enter Professor Jeremiah Post. He’s quiet and fairly new to the area, and seems to care more than Alex can trust about her family and the bar. Although they have different ideas about what to do with Loretta’s and are fighting an undeniable attraction to each other, they are forced to work together when the bar is threatened by a powerful force looking to bring it down.

I need a man like Jeremiah. He was one of the best male love interests I’ve read in a good while. Smart and kind and reliable, but also really hot in a way that left me fanning myself after certain chapters. His actions and decisions made sense given his past and his character felt well developed and real. His relationship with Alex was so much fun to follow, and even when it was frustrating I enjoyed reading it.

Speaking of Alex, she and her family were amazing characters. Following her character development and watching her grow and realize things about herself that she never knew was truly enjoyable. The whole family was so lively and complex in a way that just jumped off the page, and I really grew to care about each and every member of the family as well as the family as a whole.

The one thing that I didn’t expect from this book but that I absolutely loved was the slight ghost story element to it. The old dead man was haunting the family and the bar, and I fully believed that he existed and was trying to drive them away. It was fascinating to read and such a fun new element to the story that I didn’t see coming.

Overall, if you like strong women, well developed characters, well written romance, or stories about Mexican American history, you would love this book. Even if none of those things sound like your cup of tea (which I can’t imagine, but who knows,) just give this one a try. It’s amazing.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and to Carina Press for sending me a copy of this book for review!

First and foremost:

Thank you Carina Press for the privilege of this ARC. Im just a small reviewer in the great vig sea of professional ones, but I never take this privilege for granted. Tho my stats are horrible you guys trusted me and I appreciate that beyond words.

With that being said, After Hours on Milagro Street is an ODE to my latino culture, crafted in the most beautiful and simplest of ways, leaving me surprisingly impressed with the penmanship of Angeliana M Lopez which I eas delighted to try for the first time.

The character of Alex was one of the most empowered, straightforward, kickass go getting woman I have read in a novel IN A LONG TIME. Years I may say. She was built on the foundation of a real latina dream fighter and I enjoyed every single second I read about her and he sisters.
On the other hand, Jeremiah is the nerdy man of my drems who I didnt know I needed.

In the beginning, I do afmit I didnt like Alex's approach towards him, and the enemies to lovers trope became a tad bit dragging (or I should say too much for my own like), but their HEA is one I truly loved and came to enjoy inmensely.

Being hispanic myself, I appreciate the beauty and descriptiveness in which this family was portrayed.

Ooohh, do I love a grumpy heroine! In After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez, Alejandra (Alex) Torres-Armstead arrives back in her Kansas hometown pissed and ready to take over the family bar. There’s just a slight hiccup - convincing her family, and super hott professor Jeremiah Post, who lives above the bar and wants to preserve it as a museum.

Before either can sway her grandmo to choose one of them as the owner, they’ve got to find a missing second deed, deal with greedy town developers, a ghost, and unresolved frictions in their families.

Alex is a heroine after my own heart. She’s direct, is known as the “best bitch in bartending”, avenges her family, and behind her tough exterior she hides a vulnerable soul that wants to be accepted and seen by the people she had to leave behind. Her anger and distrust is justified, and seeing both sides acknowledge and apologize for the hurt they caused each other made me happy and sad for all of the time they lost together. My favorite part of the HEA is not only Jeremiah and Alex choosing each other but Alex choosing to stay and be with her family again.

I saw so many similarities between her character and myself. She’s Mexican-American, her family is led by strong women, and she has chocolate brown eyes and the ass of an angel.
Jeremiah is the perfect opposite for her, and I liked how his ultimate goal was to preserve her family’s and the town’s immigrant history, including the traqueros who were Mexican railroad workers.

And the STEAM! It starts in Chapter 1 (thank you, Angelina!) and gets hotter and hotter. Jeremiah is pretty much gone for Alex from the beginning, and even when he’s antagonized by her, he’s still fantasizing about her butt, and the future he wants with her. I just love a hero who has hearts in his eyes whenever he sees his love interest. Jeremiah is a Stern Brunch Daddy, and it’s *chef’s kiss*.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the series, and Gillian’s book next year!

I loved this book so much - the story was written so well, and I loved the entire cultural history aspect of it.

Alex and Jeremiah were brilliantly complex characters and I really enjoyed both of their backgrounds and how their handling of trauma was developed.

I cried and I laughed, and I can't wait to read more by the author.

The way this book messed with my emotions is no joke!

Rating: 4.5 stars
Spice: 3.5 chili peppers
Representation: Mexican-American, Strong Woman
Content Warning: alcoholism (mentioned), neglect (mentioned), racism

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. Although the beginning gripped me, I was turned off by Alex's pov for a while. She came across as dismissive of her family, town, and culture. Thankfully, this changes! It took me a while to motivate myself to keep reading, but I'm glad I did. I came to understand and like Alex and Jeremiah. They had undeniable chemistry and I loved learning about the history of Mexican-Americans in the Midwest through Jeremiah. I love that Lopez included so much of the history of the traqueros! It made me want to learn more and I hope it inspires other readers, too.

While I wish there was more background to Jeremiah's story, I understood why there wasn't space for that and loved the book regardless. Alex's relationships with her family really had me in my emotions! Especially towards the end. I was near tears!!! Keep your tissues nearby, friends.

The one thing that bothered me (and isn't the author's fault) is that the Jeremiah on the cover does not match the one in the book. Jeremiah is supposed to be much taller than that and this kept throwing me off.

This was such a cute book! Alex was a fierce woman who comes back to Freedom, Kansas after living in Chicago for years. And Jeremiah is a professor for a local university who lives in the bar owned by Loretta, Alex's grandmother. They don't trust each other and their motives, but not everything is as it seems. There are different sides to every story and this story shows that really well. Alex and Jeremiah were adorable and I just loved the HEA. I really enjoyed reading about this Mexican American family and the history. This had mystery and slight supernatural elements which added drama to the story really well. I would love to read other books if there's a series because I want to know what happens with her sisters and the family.

Alex is unhinged and I liked it. She had a lot to prove and having to come to set things straight except Jeremiah is going to mess up her plans. I think this was an interesting take on generational legacy being lost in a changing community. What's worse out growing the town or gentrification or both. Lots of steamy time to get to the answer.

This book was so much fun to read! Not only do we get a romance, but we also have a ghost story, a scavenger hunt & a history lesson all taking place in the small town of Freedom, Kansas. After leaving home and cutting ties from most of her family, Alex ends up back in her hometown after thirteen years of living in Chicago. When new developments (and racist old families) threaten the family bar and gathering place, Alex must put her past resentments aside and band together with her family and sexy tenant, Jeremiah, to save it.

I'm so glad this book ended up being more than the romance I signed up for. While the romance is there and the pining between Alex and Jeremiah is palpable and intense, I almost enjoyed the other elements of this story more. I loved meeting all of the family members and the setting of Loretta's bar. The scavenger/treasure hunt was a really fun side plot and further showed just how connected the small town was. And, as a Latina, I loved all of the history the author used to help paint the setting and actually looked into the traqueros after I finished reading this book.

But don't get me wrong - the spice was there :) Tropes included grumpy/sunshine (she's the grump), forced proximity, opposites attract & only one bed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Carina for an advance copy. I can't wait to check out more from this author in the future.

This book was full of promises since I saw the cover and I can say that all my expectations were met.
Strong, fleshed out and relatable characters. A hot romance based on differences and attraction.
A story that is inclusive, compelling, entertaining and made me root for the characters.
I loved the storytelling and the style of writing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Are you looking for a romance novel with steamy scenes and an engaging plot? Are you looking for a romance novel that will make you cry three times? Are you looking for a romance novel where the male MC's main insecurity is one you feel yourself and makes you love him completely? Then look no further!

What makes After Hours on Milagro Street work is how real the two MCs feel. Alex is abrasive and strong and impossible at times and the male MC never tries to change her (even if he does talk to her about how she says things may come across rude XD). Alex is who she was at the beginning at the end, and I loved that for her. Jeremiah is my new book boyfriend. I claim him. He's scholarly and beefy and happy and sensitive. I just realized this is GRUMPY x SUNSHINE! WOW! I usually roll my eyes at grumpy x sunshine relationships but this one REALLY works. Dang. Nice work, Lopez.

The main thing I loved about this book was the plot. The romance wasn't the plot, but it still had so much suspense and angst and didn't feel pushed to the side. The main plot was Alex being in competition to buy her Granmo's bar and proving to her family she could do it while also having this side little mystery. CW: racism.

As a Midwestern girl raised in Missouri/Kansas, I never knew anything about the railroad in Kansas, let alone that Mexican-Americans built it. Those pieces of history interspersed in this novel piqued my interest! I love learning new things about history through fiction novels. And I love Author's Notes so reading Lopez's about how pieces of this novel are loosely based on her own life was very intriguing.

This is my first novel by Lopez, but I'll be looking for more from her in the future!

I'm a little late on finishing but I had to savor every moment of this book. Beautifully written, unique story, strong female protagonist and I learned some history along the way. I will definitely recommend this for purchase at my library - I think it will be well-received and enjoyed in our community.

I really enjoyed this book! It was so sexy and informative, without being info dumpy. The author did a great job of weaving the story and the romance along with some Mexican-American history.

Alex is messyyyyyy but I really liked her a lot (even when I wanted to shake some sense into her). She is brash and doesn't take any shit while still loving her family even when they aren't seeing eye to eye. And was a perfect juxtaposition to Jeremiah with his big nerdy professor self.

The supernatural element also made for an interesting read as well. I wouldn't have been able to stay there with all the weird things happening lol but power to Alex and Jeremiah. Alsoooo did i mention this book was so sexy??? Have some water on hand!

A great start to Lopez' new series, I can't wait to see who's next!

I enjoyed this book! It's smart, sexy, and romantic, with beautiful, deep family history, a badass heroine, and my favorite kind of hero - a nerdy professor. If you're looking for an intriguing, Latinx, interracial romance with a haunted house and meddling families, this one's your book.

AND GOOD GRACIOUS LOOK AT THAT COVER.

Thanks to NetGalley and Carina for this ARC.

Angelina M. Lopez always hits for me and After Hours on Milagro Street was no exception. I really enjoyed the true enemies to lovers nature of these characters' relationship. I love how they were each staunchly their own person and how that at first let to combat, and then eventually to a common ground. And the steam, of course, was on point!

i really enjoyed this book, in a world where strong female leads are rare and done right, way stranger. so this book was a good surprise from the start, she is strong and decisive and he liked it that way, maybe not from the beginning, but it's all worth it.

#AfterHoursOnMilagroStreet:⁣
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“But what took more strength: Gripping on to a sword? Or putting it down and risking getting stabbed?”⁣
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Well, hot damn. I was expecting a romcom, and this was not. Instead I got an amazing dose of love and family drama with a little charm.⁣
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First off, ma’am. Ma’am. I was not expecting such a fun and sexy start. We hit the steam Chapter One. Alex is in town because she kind of quit her job and wants to save her her career. She, along with her sisters band to save Loretta’s, their family bar. Professor Jeremiah lives above the bar and that instalove, grumpy/sunshine just fits. ⁣
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Stacy Gonzalez is always a treat for audio. She’s always so vivacious, so animated that I always feel like it’s my bestie telling me a story. She served Alex up SO WELL. ⁣
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After Hours on Milagro Street is much more than a romance book. This family drama is so heartfelt. I wanted to hug this family and make them mine. I’ve seen some compare it to a romcom. While Alex has top notch wit and banter, it’s not that kind of book y’all. This book has some amazing Mexican American history that I had to do a deep dive on. I really am just blown away by this book and narration. Thank you so much @harperaudio and @harlequinbooks for the gifted copy. After Hours on Milagro Street was such a treat I didn’t see coming. ⁣
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“That was the thing about this family—they loved deeply and felt intensely and teased mercilessly.”⁣
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QOTD: Tell me your latest read!

This is just such a fun emotional and steamy opposites attract romance. Alex returns to her hometown because she wants to turn her grandmothers bar Lorettas into a viable business. She runs into a hurdle with Jeremiah who is a professor and has learned to think of Alex‘s family as his as well. He wants to protect the history of Loretta’s. It’s fun to see how the antagonism easily turns to chemistry between Alex and Jeremiah. It’s fun to see them both battle their feelings as well as how Alex’s family gets involved as well. All in all it’s a captivating read.

Alex and Jeremiah's inevitable pairing is not one that most expected but once forces are joined the chemistry was unavoidable but highly enjoyable. A non-conforming heroine who you root for from the start seems to find her match in a calmer opponent who seems to be fighting with her but has more invested than she realizes. These two blend well together and was a great mix of family loyalties, love and proving you're stronger together even if you don't agree on everything.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion.