I like the way the story explains why she doesn't know her grandmother and then also how misunderstandings can change your whole life. I like the determination the granddaughter has to get the family back together once she know the background.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* kind of torn on this book so a 3.5. i knew this would have romance in it but wished it had been less centered on it. Wasn't bad but i did have to take some breaks every now and then, the story itself was great though.

I love dual timeline historical fiction books. I thought the narration was good. However, I did not like the romance subplot (coming from a major romance fan); it was just too hard to believer. I did enjoy learning more about Cuban culture.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This was actually a good book and a good story. It is low key but I enjoyed the story plot and the characters. The narrator did a great job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Russo is a Brooklyn furniture restorer with strong family ties to her dad's Italian relatives. However, she has never met her mother's Cuban family after a fall out between her mother and grandmother over 30 years ago. When her grandmother's very handsome lawyer comes to her shop with a plea to come to Miami and meet her grandmother before it is too late he and his offer are too intriguing to resist. Despite the huge riff this puts between she and her mother Jessica flies to Miami to spend a week with her wealthy and feisty abulia, Carmen. While there she becomes immersed in the family's history and the drama that split her family and her Cuban heritage.

Caridad Pineiro's novel is a strong family drama full of tension and Cuban culture. I liked the history and heritage that the novel introduced and enjoyed Jessica and Carmen's relationship. The main story is about mending the estranged relationships between Jessica's mother and her family and is told from multiple characters perspectives. I am not sure that the "fight" was strong enough to not talk to her family especially her sisters for 30 years. Jessica's relationship with Luis, however sweet, seemed extremely over the top for knowing each other a week. Overall it is a good family drama novel. I had the audio version narrated by Frankie Corzo who did a very nice job and was easy to listen to. There were a few times when the point of view changed between characters without warning and was a little hard to follow in an audio book.

Jessica Russo grew up in New York with her parents and her father's large, Italian family. She knew nothing about her mother's Cuban family except that her mother was estranged from them. When her abuela who she's never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to offer Jessica the chance to come to Miami and meet her estranged family, she can't help but say yes, even as she knows her mother will be hurt. The family she meets, especially her Cuban grandmother is nothing like what she was expecting. The family is wealthy, philanthropic and loving. She spends time getting to know them and her family history. As she begins to understand all that happened, she is determined to heal the rift and bring her mother back into her family.

The Family She Never Met blends women's fiction, family drama, and historical fiction together nicely. I found the characters to be well developed as we get to know them as Jessica does. Learning about some of the issues and reasons to migrate from Cuba was part of the story, but I would have liked to learn more. That yearning to return that I have read about in other books was also there. With another plot of a romantic relationship, we got to know Jessica as she went on a journey of discovery as well. Themes of migration, family estrangement, mother-daughter relationships, forgiveness and new beginnings are all part of this story. It is heartbreaking at times, but also has hope, healing and resilience. I liked that Caridad Piñeiro used her own Cuban family history as the background for writing this book, to leave her children with her family's history. The audiobook was extremely well done with Frankie Corzo bringing this story to life. Her expression, voices and tone were excellent and added much to my enjoyment of this story. I will definitely look for more books she narrated.

The Family She Never Met.

I was excited to dive into this book. I love historical fiction with dual timelines, but unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me.

It seemed to lag in the beginning and I struggled to keep listening. I also found the love affair hard to believe. I didn't feel the chemistry between them and then Bam! They were so in love.

I will say it was interesting hearing from the POV of someone who first supported Castro. And I did like the storyline with the grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter and the forgiveness.

I did listen to the audio and felt the narrator did well with the different characters.

The Family She Never Met follow the story of Jessica Ruso. Jessica has never met her maternal extended family. Her mother was born in Cuba, and after being left by her parents was finally reconciled with them in Miami a year later. Upon reaching adulthood though, she left her family and started a new life up in Brooklyn. Jessica knows better than to ask, but can't help but wonder about her family when she is approached by a man asking her to come meet her abuela in Florida before it is too late. Despite her mother's protests, Jessica feels like she must learn more and sets off to bravely face the family she doesn't know.

The story is a slower pace than many I read. It explore complex family dynamics, the history of Cuba and the struggles of those who were forced to leave during the revolution, and a young woman figuring out her place in the world. The narrator has a beautiful voice and was easy to listen to. I found the narrative a bit predictable but still enjoyable. I would rate it a strong 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 for review) and would recommend for people who like stories about families and are particularly interested in Cuban heritage.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Dreamscape media for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was a sweet story. I enjoyed learning about the Cuban history included in the book and really liked the characters. It was a quick read that I didn't want to put down, and when it was over, I was a little sad. I'd like to read more books like this from Caridad Pineiro.

This is a beautiful narrated story that combined historical facts with fiction.
How strange it would be meet your mother’s family that she turned her back on 30 years earlier and never wanted to discuss finding it extremely painful to be reminded off. Are you willing to listen to your grandmother’s side of the story or do you take the side of your mother?
How misunderstanding within a family can lead to years of anger and pain even more so if you are dealing with two headstrong women.
Jessica is caught in the middle of this situation. Not wanting to hurt her mother’s feelings but on the other hand also wants to get to know her grandmother, aunts and their children plus some of the family history.

Jessica has never met her mother’s family In Miami. One day she is approached by a very good looking man. He is representing her grandmother. The grandmother Jessica has never known. She decides to go to Miami to discover exactly what happened between her grandmother and her mother.

The setting of this story is just wonderful. Who wouldn’t want their own private island. And the story itself is interesting. But I found the writing a bit overly dramatic and even eyerolling in places. Jessica’s mother is the one I wanted to slap through most of this novel. And no…I cannot remember her name. But, in my opinion, she had no reason to abandon her family. She thinks she was done wrong…but nope….you need to read this book to find out.

The narrator, Frankie Corzo is great. Perfect on the accents!

Need a good family drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Frankie Corzo radiantly narrates Caridad Piñeiro’s The Family She Never Met. Corzo’s narration and Piñeiro’s storytelling vividly bring to life this emotional and compelling tale of three generations of Cuban women reconciling the pain of the past from the Cuban exile to Miami and its impacts on their culture and family and reuniting their family with heartfelt emotion, excitement, sorrow, respect for culture and history, and a profound sense of wonder, discovery, and burgeoning hope. Piñeiro sets the novel primarily in the present but uses flashbacks to explore the exile of Jessica’s grandmother Carmen and her family from Cuba and the pain that it causes her family, especially her oldest daughter, Jessica’s mother. She immerses readers in Cuban culture with vivid imagery and description that appeals to the senses as Jessica and Luis explore the city of Miami, and she partakes of its pastries, delicacies, and regional meals. Their scenes are sexy, funny, and intimate and the experience unexpectedly changes both. Jessica’s interactions with her grandmother are intense, emotional, and beautifully written, as are the scenes with her and her mother. I love how Piñeiro makes Jessica’s trip an immersive experience by writing Cubano Spanish into the narrative. Like Jessica, the readers must dive headfirst into the Cuban Miami cultural experience.

The Family She Never Met is an emotional listen about a young woman whose mother walked away from her Cuban family 30 years ago and never looked back. As a result, her daughter Jessica Russo knows nothing about her Cuban culture or mother's family because her mother refuses to talk about it. Finally, however, she can visit Miami and meet and spend time with her estranged Cuban grandmother and family after her grandmother contacts her through her protégé, Luis. Although she knows it will hurt her mother, it’s something she must do for herself to fully discover who she is and embrace both sides of her identity—Cuban and Italian.

Corzo’s narration effortlessly captures Piñeiro’s beautiful and compelling story, emotional beats, and strong, intriguing, and deftly developed characters. Her narration nicely differentiates between characters with voices that fit the characters’ ages, genders, personalities, moods, and emotions. She narrates scenes where the characters speak Cuban Spanish with a beautiful, authentic accent—one of my favorite things about the book. Her Italian accent is just as good. Her narration for Jessica’s mother as a child and grownup is great, capturing her terror, isolation, loneliness, sense of betrayal, denial, and anger. I couldn’t imagine anyone else narrating Piñeiro’s novel with the same skill or depth of emotion.

A poignant, insightful story suffused in history, culture, loss, love, and healing, The Family She Never Met explores themes of forgiveness, home, family, cultural identity, and a family’s exile coming to an end.

The Family She Never Met, by Caridad Peniero, is the story of Jessica Russo. Jessica was born and bred in Brooklyn surrounded by a large and loving Italian family, her dad’s family the Russos. Her Cuban born mother, Lara, left her Miami home and immigrant family some 30 years ago and rarely looks back. But when she does there are layers of anger and guilt to sift through.

Jessica’s 83 year old grandmother Carmen has decided it is past time to meet her granddaughter, Jessica, and sends her right hand man, and CEO of her large Hispanic food distribution company, to visit Jessica in Brooklyn to try to convince her to visit.

Against her mother’s wishes, Jessica decides to visit Miami and learn about her Cuban heritage, which creates some tension between mother and daughter, something Lara knows well. But with her dad, Sal’s, support she makes the trip into history, reconciliation, and her own future.

This is a beautifully written tale of women survivors in difficult times and the fallout that touches younger generations. Caridad Peniero has written a wonderful story that speaks to all. I very much enjoyed this book, I learned so much even though I lived in Miami during the historic times presented, and I do very much recommend it!

This is the three generational story of a Cuban family. The story stretches from the 1960's to the present time with flashbacks from the viewpoint of the two older women. The causes of the estrangement between them is slowly revealed to the reader and to the youngest woman, Jessica.

Jessica has acted on an invitation to visit the grandmother she's never met. The trip to Tampa shows her much about her mother and grandmother and the impact the history of Cuba had on the family of exiles...how it shapes their lives even now.

This is a story of family, misunderstanding, forgiveness and love and reunions long overdue.

I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by Frankie Corzo. The narration was excellent.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

There are two sides to a story ,Jessica finds out when she meets her grandmother for the first time , there was a rift in the family , hurt feelings , resentment , family values questioned .This was a moving story of hope , forgiveness and finding love when not expecting it .I liked the dual timelines of both perspectives from the characters of the past and present .

"...knowing the past is what you need to understand the present and build a future."

Prophetic words from romantic leading man Luis in the well crafted historical fiction family drama The Family She Never Met by Caridad Pineiro. A story about three generations of strong women of Cuban heritage.

Jessica Russo is caught in the middle when Carmen, the grandmother she has never met, sends her trusted right hand man Luis to persuade her to visit her in Miami and finally meet her mother's family.

Lara, Jessica's mother, has not spoken to her mother in decades. She believes her mother selfishly only cared about creating her successful food business. When her mother forbade her to marry the Italian Brooklyn born Sal she left, married Sal and let herself be "adopted" by his family.

Carmen, now in her 80s, wants to know her granddaughter and hopes to reunite with Lara. She wants a chance to explain about the mistakes she made in Cuba, having to escape there after Castro was in power, and why she had to be gone so much when her daughter was so young.

Told with vivid imagery of 1950s Cuba, 1960s Miami and current day Brooklyn this family drama pulls at the heartstrings of a family divided by misunderstandings, resentments, and hurt feelings. Narrator Frankie Corzo is truly astonishing at her accents, age range and gender voice talents. I will be looking for more of her mesmerizing work in the future.

In the middle of all this calamity Jessica and the very sexy Luis try to not fall in love. I got swept away into the turbulent lives of these three very independent, stubborn, and smart women. This story would make an awesome mini series. I kept seeing Pedro Pascal as Luis...just a thought!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from #dreamscapemedia via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a stark reminder of the rifts and challenges that plague every family. The ties that bind, whether they be through blood or chosen family, remain connected even when fractured (seemingly) beyond repair. Our families help weave the tapestry of who we are whether we want them to or not.

I appreciated learning more about the Cuban culture and was interested to find similarities with my own Italian heritage. I would have liked even more historical information since historical fiction is my favorite genre. The romance that developed was predictable but still entertaining. I found myself rooting for the couple even though I knew it was coming from the moment the characters were introduced. All in all, this is a great story of determination, strength and love. A worthwhile read for sure!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the opportunity to review this ARC of #TheFamilySheNeverMet in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A compelling Cuban American multi-generational family story about mothers and daughters and the things that can cause unforgiveable rifts. Perfect for fans of Chanel Cleeton and great on audio narrated by Frankie Corzo. Much thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for my ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Family She Never Met AUDIO by Caridad Pineiro was a comfy story about a Cuban family in Miami and a thirty-year estrangement between it and it's oldest daughter. It was both heart-warming and disturbing. As is often the case, the issue was miscommunication. Jessica was enticed to go to Miami to meet her grandmother. Her mother, Lara, disapproved. Mostly because she was afraid that Jessica would be lured away from her to live in Miami. Jessica fell in love while she was in Miami but was steadfast in her plan to stay in Brooklyn. Nothing swayed her from this plan. There is nothing like knowing the history of your family.

Even from the beginning, the end was in sight. Jessica and Luis were the perfect couple, although it did move a little fast. Carmen, her grandmother, made mistakes with her mother, and with the wisdom of age acknowledged them. Wondering whether Jessica could help bridge the gap took up much of the story. It was a feel-good story, from start to finish. Sometimes families can never come back, but this one did. I enjoyed watching Jessica get to know her Cuban family and tour Miami. Luis was the perfect go-between and guide. Whether Carmen had planned it from the beginning, who knows?

The narrator was Frankie Carzo and she was perfect. She was mainly the voice of Jessica and kept it light, but serious. She didn't mess around too much with voices and yet one always knew who was speaking. She pronounced the Cuban words perfectly and had just enough of an accent to make it perfect. She did mispronounce colander, but that may be regional. She was a terrific choice for this book. I totally enjoyed it.

I was invited to listen to an ARC audio of the Family She Never Met by Dreamscape Media, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #caridadpineiro #thefamilyshenevermet

Thank you NetGalley, DreamScape Audio and Caridad Pineiro the author for making this audiobook available for review purposes.

What attracted me to the book was the book cover. I thought it was lovely and it does capture the story very well, which is a woman's discovery into her family's past, in balmy Miami. It does have some romance in the book, but the main backbone of the story is a family saga. If you are a fan of women's fiction and ethnic food, you might enjoy book. There are a lot of delectable food described in the book, and it will make you hungry.

The book's main character is Jessica, a small business owner in Brooklyn. She grew up in a loving household, with a successful mother of Cuban descent, and an Italian father with a large family. One day, she receives a visit from Luis, a right-hand man of her maternal grandmother, living in Miami. He relays invitation from her grandmother she never met to visit Miami. It piques Jessica's interest, because her mother has not wanted to speak of her past. Jessica decides to visit Miami despite protest from her family.....

It is a feel-good story with predictable story line, and there certainly is a comfort in that. Someone wrote a review saying you might like this if you are a fan of Hallmark movies, and I felt that is an apt description for this book, especially if you like Cuban and/or Italian food. If you are into a comfort of warm loving family dinner, this book might be for you. If you look for surprising twists and turns in a book, there isn't much of that here - but oh, all the Cuban food!!