A very good sequel! This story follows a woman getting out of an abusive marriage and getting close with a previous lover. The best part of this story was Nicky. He was the perfect man and I enjoyed watching them fall in love more and more. The writing at first was quite jarring, the first chapter was unpleasant. But once I got used to it, it flowed quite nicely. The resolution of the main characters problems were realistic and well thought out. I can’t wait to read anything else from this author.

Lopez is a master of creating deep plots with dimensional characters and somehow infusing these meaningful stories with lightness and joy. I loved After Hours on Milagro Street, and Full Moon over Freedom is just as good. Lopez creates beautiful stories of Mexican-American identity, while not denying the hardship faced by that community. I love this series and am eagerly hoping for another installment!

✨ Book Review ✨

Happy pub day to Full Moon Over Freedom! 🥳

Full disclosure, I hadn't read the first book in the Milagro Street series and jumped into this one pretty blind. I enjoyed it and didn't feel like I was lost, though I will go back and read book 1. Thanks to @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for the gifted ebook. Swipe for Goodreads synopsis.

✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Childhood Friends to Lovers
✔️ Forced Proximity
✔️ It's Just Sex
✔️ Magical Realism

I loved Nicky and Gillian - the love and longing they had for each other made my chest ache (in a good way).

While both main characters had decided early on what they are worth and how happiness was forever out of their reach, I enjoyed the journey to shedding that perception and embracing happiness and love. I think I like it better when both characters are a little "woe is me" 😂

I also loved the magical realism in this with bruja culture and how that tied in with Gillian feeling more empowered and in control of her life.

I should not have been surprised at the steam level - I loved the author's Serving Sin!

Overall, this is one that you should pick up this month. The love story is angsty-good, the Latine rep is perfection, and there are a lot of good messages about community and giving back as well as family and letting them see you for who you are. Think about choosing this as one of your reads for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Steam 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

Heat Factor: They get awfully sweaty.

Character Chemistry: Nicky stands by Gillian’s side—not protecting her from the front, not supporting her from behind, but right there next to her.

Plot: Gillian goes home and finds herself.

Overall: I loved it.

I open this review by admitting that I didn’t love After Hours on Milagro Street, the first book in this trilogy about three sisters who return home to the small town in Kansas where they grew up. Honestly, I think the problem was that I was expecting it to be like Lopez’s first trilogy, which were these tropey, bonkersballs royal romances, and instead there was a lot of dense history and magic layered together. I was not prepared for the surprise ghost. And I couldn’t put my finger on the work that the book was doing.

Like Milagro Street, Full Moon Over Freedom is not marketed as a paranormal romance—which is shouldn’t be, because it’s not—but because I had read Milagro Street and knew that in this context, magic was real, I wasn’t thrown for a loop when Gillian spoke matter-of-factly about being a bruja. Yes, magic is real and yes she does it but we’re also firmly rooted in the real world here. Call it magical realism, romance novel edition. It rocks.

The broad outline of the story here is that Gillian has returned home to Freedom, Kansas after leaving her emotionally abusive husband. She is living with her parents and trying to figure out her life after spending the last few years molding herself into the perfect wife and mother. And it turns out that her childhood best friend slash the guy she got to teach her about sex when they were seventeen is also back in town for the summer. He was the bad boy, she was the good girl, but being good brought her nothing of heartache, so maybe being bad again will help her regain her power. Both literally, because Gillian’s magic hasn’t been working for her, and metaphorically, because she is still negotiating the terms of divorce with her terrible ex and it is not going well.

As you might imagine from the brief plot summary above, this is definitely a heroine’s journey of self-discovery book. Gillian is bitter about being home—she was voted most likely to succeed, after all. She is trying to find a job as a financial advisor after being out of the workforce for a few years and not having much success. She is feeling out of touch with herself and the magic that once came so easily to her. She’s having conflict with her family because her terrible ex is trying to take ownership of the family bar and she doens’t know how to protect them. And she really wants to bone Nicky, especially once they start working in close proximity (Nicky’s painting a mural in a new museum space and Gillian is organizing the archives for the same museum).

Nicky does have some trauma that he’s carrying around, particularly around the death of his brother (for which he feels responsible). And he’s protecting himself, because he’s been in love with Gillian for his whole life and it gutted him when she used him for sex lessons when they were teenagers. But the growth arc is not his; instead, he’s a fabulous book boyfriend who supports Gillian unconditionally without being a doormat.

I am struggling with writing cohesively about this book, so here are a few notes that might be useful for readers:

There’s a lot going on in this book, plotwise. As with the last book in the series, there’s some history stuff featuring Mexican immigrants who settled in the Midwest. There’s a ghost story. There are several threads to untangle regarding Gillian’s family relationships. And there’s the romance. So it’s not tightly focused on the romance arc, but the disparate threads do eventually weave together so that they are all integral to the climax, and boy is the pay-off good.
There’s dirty talk. Readers who are familiar with Lopez will probably not be surprised to hear this, but in case she’s a new-to-you author, be aware that Gillian and Nicky are quite vocal when they’re getting down. Also, part of that dirty talk includes both Nicky and Gillian referring to Gillian as a “mommy.” (I didn’t love that bit, but I acknowledge that it worked with the character.)
While this book is a single-parent romance, it does not follow the standard beats of that trope. Instead of the conflict being about Gillian fitting Nicky into her life with her children, the conflict is about Gillian maintaining her control over custody of her children and protecting them from her ex. For those interested in representation, one of Gillian’s children is autistic, and this representation is handled with care.
My final takeaway? I can’t wait to read the final book in this series. What kind of magic will the youngest Torres sister have?!?

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

I absolutely adored this romance by Lopez. I’ve really enjoyed her previous novels and the way she writes steam in her romances is truly unmatched and she doesn’t disappoint here! I’m not typically a small town romance gal but this town is incredibly diverse and just has a different vibe which I adored. Also this is a second chance romance which the author executed so well! Highly recommend this contemporary romance from and exquisite author.

Full Moon Over Freedom is a wonderful return to Freedom, Kansas, and Angelina M. Lopez' amazing heroines. Gillian is not the kind of heroine I imagined myself rooting for. She wears contacts that disguise her brown eyes, and she doesn't want to talk to her family. Yet, Loez makes her relatable. There are very real and important reasons guiding her actions. She loves her family and wants to protect her children above all else.

Nicky has his own issues, but mostly he is trying to protect his heart. Nicky and Gillian have a past, as teenagers, they explored sex together, but Nicky fell in love, and Gillian seemingly used him and just left. The story starts with them meeting in the same place they last saw each other, and what a magical and real moment. How did Lopez manage to give us both magic and hard realism all in one scene and then in the entire book? I don't quite know, but it is brilliant.

The magical elements do not take over the story but serve as a way to understand Gillian and what she lost while trying to make it and in marrying the wrong person.

The town and history of Mexican-American communities in Kansas once again play a key role in the story. If you read After Hours on Milagro Street, it is a warm return to a community trying to thrive. If you are new to this world, don't worry, Lopez will bring you into the world without missing a beat. Lopez' use of history is expert level, not just because she has done her homework but because she has a personal connection to it. She also knows how to use the history in service to the world and the characters without letting it take over.

I received an ARC of this book. I love AML’s writing. Her characters are multi dimensional and are not perfect, which means character arcs! I love LOVE character arcs. This series always delivers that. I didn’t like this book as much as book 1. But I still had a great time. There was one trope I am just not a fan of in general. I really empathized with the FMC, I found her story very inspiring. This series just has alllll the family and found family feels. I loved the touch of paranormal. The community dynamics. It was a cute second chance romance. Recommend it and will definitely be continuing with the series.

I absolutely loved this book! This second-chance romance is full of complex characters, steam, magic, and history. Angelina M. Lopez is now an auto-buy author for me and I can’t wait for book 3 in this series!

Thanks so much to @harlequinbooks m for the advanced eBook!

We all have secrets that impact our decisions, this family has uncovered a town full of them and a path to mending fences, friendships, and finding closure. What if you could have a second chance with the one who capture your heart?

Gillian Armstead returns home in an attempt to take care of her children. If only her soon to be ex-husband would let her move on. Will the unresolved obstacles impact her family, future, and hope for love?

Nicky never imagined he'd get a second chance with Gillian after she left all those years ago. Will he allow himself to give her his heart again?

If they can overcome their fears, work through a "curse" and navigate through family expectations they might discover something amazing.

Angelina is a master storyteller who brings to life characters with layers of depth, a town rich in culture, and a spicy romance that will tug at your heart. Don't miss this must read

This was a STEAMY, emotionally charged second chance romance between two childhood Mexican American friends turned lovers who have been apart for over ten years and are reunited when recently divorced Gillian returns home to her small town of Freedom, Kansas with her two children to help take charge of her life again.

Nicky is an artist now and home to help paint a mural. He was Gillian's first crush and first lover and the one who got away. From a damaged family and grieving the death of his brother, Nicky is running from a curse. Now the two have to fight their undeniable chemistry and see if a future together as more than just lovers might be possible.

Full of magic, curses, phantom dogs, HOT sex, psychological baggage and a lovely fight to save the Jillian's family bar. I loved seeing Gillian recover from her controlling and emotionally abusive ex, reconnect with her sisters, take back her power and fall in love again.

REALLY great on audio narrated by Stacy Gonzalez, this book also has good autism rep (Gillian's son is neurodiverse and has special needs). This is the second book in the Milagro Street series and it could be read as a standalone but you'll definitely want to read EVERYTHING else Angelina writes.

She is a new fav author able to write sizzling love stories with ALL the feels!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Literary brujeria. I saw that in pinned post on @angelinamlo IG and as a Cuban-American who grew up in Miami and had a very outsider experience to Santeria, I was both intrigued and nervous to read this book.

El cuco scared me as I kid, so I don't mess around.

I'm so glad I did. Angelina weaves this dynamic range of emotion in Gillian alongside her attempt to find herself again. The interweaving of brujeria allowed the reader to obtain a deeper sense of how this once powerful woman, works to rediscover herself.

An absolutely incredible story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for this ARC, my review & opinions are my own.

I am always searching for romances by BIPOC authors (especially those written by Latinx authors) so I was over the moon to discover After Hours on Milagro Street last year. And I’m so happy to say that I loved Full Moon Over Freedom even more. This book was the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, with the added bonus of a huge Mexican American family and all of the love (and drama) that comes with it.

Full Moon Over Freedom follows Gillian, “the Pride of the East Side,” as she returns home following her tumultuous divorce. She has lost her magic and believes herself to be cursed. As she’s always been the rule follower and the good girl, what better way to break the curse than to be bad? And being bad sounds pretty good when Nicky, the sexy man from her past, crosses her path one dark and stormy night.

Nicky was such a charming main male character. He was loving and protective from the very beginning of the book and while some of his actions were definitely questionable, you can tell his heart was always in the right place. It was easy to root for him and Gillian as they spent the summer reconnecting with one another. Gillian wasn’t the perfect character and I found myself quite annoyed with her throughout (mostly in the way she didn’t communicate with her family), but I loved watching her journey as she rediscovered her magic and place in the community.

This is the second book in Angelina M. Lopez’s Milagro Street series and while you don’t need to read After Hours on Milagro Street to enjoy this one, I would highly recommend doing so. In After Hours, you get to meet all of the family members you see pop up again in Full Moon Over Freedom and you learn quite a bit of the history of Freedom, Kansas. I loved that we got to see Alex and Jeremiah pop up again and again throughout this book. Fingers crossed we get Sissy’s story next.

I’d recommend this if you like:
*Second chance romances
*Single mom/sexy painter pairing
*Some seriously spicy moments
*Mexican brujeria & mythology
*Small town with a big heart

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for an advance copy.

Gillian has always worked so hard to be perfect and to have a perfect life. So when she finds herself coming back home to Freedom, Kansas, divorced, penniless, and with no magic, she feels like she has utterly failed in every aspect of her life. In order to break her curse Gillian is determined to get good at being bad; so when she runs into Nicky Mendoza, her childhood friend and first lover, she knows he is just the person she needs to help her. But he is also dealing with a curse of his own.

Y’all Gillian’s journey in this book brought me to tears! As the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter’s oldest daughter, Gillian has always felt a heavy sense of responsibility to fix things and to be the strong one. So when her life falls apart she thinks she has to fix things on her own. When she finally confides in her family we see a weight being lifted from her shoulders that allows her to start forgiving herself and to learn to trust others and accept their help.

Angelina truly does a beautiful job creating a series rich with history, Mexican folklore, and brujeria! And I love seeing Milagro Street as it continues to come alive again!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the arc.

cw: infidelity, misogyny, narcissistic ex who is verbally, emotionally and financially abusive, addiction, death by overdose, grief, racism, ableism, attack by an animal

Full Moon Over Freedom is the 2nd book in Angelina M. Lopez’s Milagro Street series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading After Hours on Milagro Street first. Many of the characters from the first book are in this one and the background info is helpful to know.

Gillian is back in Freedom, Kansas, with her two kids. She’s broke and has nowhere else to go because her ex-husband is a jerk. She can’t collect alimony unless she signs over her portion of the bar she owns with her sisters, Loretta’s. She needs the money, so when her sister’s husband, Jeremiah, wants to hire her to do research for a grant application to invest in Milagro street and bring it back on its feet, she accepts.

Nicky’s hired to paint a mural in the local train station, which is exactly where Gillian has to do her research, so they are forced to work around each other. They haven’t seen each other in 13 years. He’s always been in love with her, but thought she just wanted him for his “experience”. She thinks she’s cursed and feels Nicky is the one to help her break it, to help her be a bad girl, but he doesn’t want his heart broken again.

Angelina M. Lopez writes a sexy book. Because of the forced proximity, there was A LOT of sexual tension. Nicky is a cinnamon roll who is great with her kids, but also brings the dirty talk.

Although not really a paranormal romance, there are definitely some supernatural elements and I loved that addition. Having taken Chicano Folklore in college, it was fun to see a couple of things pop up.

It was also really fun to see a cameo from Roxanne Medina from Lush Money.

I was very excited for this book as I loved the first in the series and it did not disappoint. I love this series. Angelina M. Lopez has become a one-click author for me. She writes strong women and cinnamon roll men who love them and I will continue to devour anything she writes.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

When Gillian Armstead-Bancroft, Pride of the East Side, left Freedom, Kansas the first time, she did it as a perfect bruja, wife, and mother. Now she’s running away from her abusive, toxic ex with her children in tow — not quite ready to lean into her family support, not until she can break her curse. Nicky Mendoza was the one who solved her virginity and taught her everything she wanted to know as a teenager, and luck would have it he’s back in town now and may just be the one to help her go bad.

Angelina Lopez never misses. Gillian and Nicky are both such rich, complex characters with so much passion and emotion that some moments I was blushing and others holding back tears. Nicky had such sweet moments with Gillian’s children and it was a beautiful contrast to how they were treated by their father. This is such an empowering story of Gillian getting her confidence and her power back and Nicky shedding all of his self-loathing and giving himself over to the life he wants. Absolutely recommend this series!

You’ll Find —
Second Chance
Single Parent
Forced Proximity
Culturally Rich Small Town
A Little Bit of Magic

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Angelina Lopez for the gifted digital review copy!

I thought nothing could top Angelina's first book but I was proven wrong!

The magical realism, second chance romance, and he will do anything for her.

Gillian and Nicky were meant to be! Although they are grownups, it was like they were teenagers enjoying their time together.

Gillian went through a tough divorce and moved back to Freedom with her kids. Nicky is an artist that came back to Freedom to paint a mural during the summer. When Gillian and Nicky connect again for the first time on a road that meant a lot to them, its as if time has not passed. Gillian wants Nicky to help her get her magic back but they may have obstacles in their way that they can't help.

I loved story so much more. Nicky was really an angel!

Second chance, small town, friends to lovers? YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!! I was so excited to return to Milagro Street to reunite with Gillian and her sisters. Partially because I wanted to see how Alex and her hot professor Jeremiah were doing but mostly because I just adored the first book so much that I needed more immediately.

In Full Moon Over Freedom, we focus on Gillian and Nicky who were involved as teens (he taught her about sex). Now they are back in Freedom, Kansas as completely different people who no longer know each other but are still very much in lust. Gillian is trying to figure out who she is after leaving her abusive asshole husband and Nick is just trying to keep his heart intact. The more the two try to fight their attraction to each other, the more explosive they become and woah boy, hold on for the ride.

I thought Gillian's trust issues and lack of ability to ask for help (hello eldest daughter) were completely relatable. I enjoyed watching her let her walls down and let people in almost as much as I enjoyed the romance.

Full Moon Over Freedom was sexy, funny and a joy to read.

I Received an e-arc copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review!

For every happy ending there is a little bit of magic that makes it all come together beautifully. At least thats how epic this one was literally. I was not ready for the details and rich history that made this story a page turner. With dual point of view and a past that shaped who they were today, Nicky and Gillian were a second chance story I didn't realize I needed to read. 
Gillian, a single mom of two on the tail end of a messy divorce is forced to move back to her small community where she grew up. However, the move back home temporarily for the summer is not the low key opportunity Gillian craved. Her high school fling Nicky is back in town on family business and accidentally runs into Gillian on a particular highway that holds memories to this date that has plagued him in more ways than one. Both, clearly not ready to face the way things ended 13 years ago rediscover what was lost, what was always there and what can be gained now in this second chance romance packed with reminiscing moments, family drama, women supporting women, scotch bonnet type chemistry and some historical paranormal with a dose of Mexican Brujas! 
The way in which Lopez weaved these themes all together with the romance was everything not expected but absolutely appreciated. They fell in love in a truly hopeless time in both their lives yet surrounded by a beautiful community.

The last few pages had me clutching my pearls. A page turner nonetheless! 

Happy reading!

Angelina M. Lopez must be a bruja herself to perform the magic that is Full Moon Over Freedom. The second book in her series about the Torres sisters that takes place in Freedom, Kansas, FMOF is big sister Gillian’s book. Fresh in town after running from a narcissist ex, Gillian runs into (actually almost over) the last person she expects to see—Nicky Mendoza, the boy she asked for sex lessons as a teen, friend to her since 5th grade, looking just as delectable as Gillian last remembered him. This alone should have you clamoring for this book; Gillian and Nicky’s chemistry is off the charts and I am 100% here for it. Lopez writes about the average insecurities we tend to have about our bodies as beautiful strengthening characteristics—I loved this about her writing. There is magic in the air in Freedom and a little belief in supernatural folklore with phantasmas and magical strength is inherit to loving this story. If you can give in to the notion that witches are real and spirits exist then you will adore Gillian and Nicky’s story.

What you can expect:
-he secretly falls first, still pines years later
-neurodivergent representation
-witchy magic
-Mexican American community and family importance/love
-second chance romance
-she’s a divorced mom of 2
-he’s an artist
-emotional and sexual tension
-women empowering women
-dirty sex—the kind you want but no one writes about

I’m excited to see what Lopez writes in the future. I loved Gillian’s story more than Alex’s (I think it is a character preference), and am hoping maybe we get a story for the youngest sister, Sissy? I would suggest reading After Hours on Milagro Street first to help with family and sister identities and for establishing Gillian’s role in the Milagro Street revitalization. A big thanks to Harlequin for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
4.5 ⭐️

Another Gripping book by the Awsome Angelina M. Lopez.
It has Fun, Angts and tribulations. Of course with the right amount of steam. A must read for sure.
Thanks for this ARC. The opinion expressed here is my own.