I am withholding my review of this title and all SMP umbrella titles in solidarity with the St. Martin’s Press boycott that is ongoing. Please respond to your readers.

Great gay representation. Very sweet and heartwarming. I was rooting for their relationship since the very beginning and was glad they got their happily ever after.

Rafie is a talented mariachi musician... and he knows it. Trained by his grandfather, he's won national competitions for his school for the past few years. Rafie NEEDS to be the best to honor his grandfather's legacy. But senior year, his parents decide to move to San Antonio, and Rafie is forced to join the second-placed mariachi band, and not even as lead singer. That spot has been given to Rey, a trans boy who Rafie had a brief hookup with a year ago, and who's dominated his thoughts ever since.
This story was rich with culture and diversity. It beautifully shows familial love and acceptance. It addressed homophobia and transphobia within the culture of mariachi. All the secondary characters were wonderful. And Rey was dreamy! So thoughtful and honest and compassionate. But I really didnt like Rafie for 85% of the story. While his grief was real and the obvious catalyst for his desire to be the best, he was a pompous jerk to everyone, especially Rey. Ultimately, he does grow and redeem himself, accepting his mistakes and finding a love for the music (and Rey) again.
In my opinion, Garza Villa's previous book, Ander and Santi Were Here was better, but this one still carried a lot of weight and was worth the read.
*****
I received this eARC from @netgalley and publisher St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

Canto Contigo will be released April 9, 2024.

In tune with Jonny Garza Villa's previous books, CANTO CONTIGO is another richly realized exploration of identity, love, and belonging. The rivals-to-lovers romance was so fun and fit perfectly with Rafael's broader journey of figuring out how he fits in with his family. The author's style is a breeze to read.

At its heart, this is a story about grief and love and all of the things that happen when those two emotions are so tangled up with one another. Our main character was one of the most frustrating people to follow, and was often a bully, but the way this author approached his character and the REASONS behind his actions was so well done. This is a true character study in unlikable, deeply flawed characters and as much as I found myself yelling at our main character's actions, I held such a deep love for him as well. The final third of this story was where we were able to finally get that closure and have the discussions we were NEEDING from the character and as much as those were well done and worth the wait, I do wish Rafie had more of a realization earlier in the book about how atrociously he was treating the people around him. As much as his bullying was never justified or without criticism, it was frustrating personally to read about how many chances he was being given by the people he was hurting. And although these apologies happened and the trauma was delved into and we understood why Rafie was acting this way, I will say it was difficult to read. In the end, though, I do believe that the writing of this book really helped me root for the main character despite it all, and the plotting (although comfortably predictable) was incredibly engaging. My only complaint is, perhaps, how drawn out the "bullying" sections were and how forgiving especially Rey was to him in the beginning. I understand that Rey saw something no one else did in him, but I struggled to believe WHAT he saw when he was barely shown any kindness from Rafie until well into the second half. That being said, as soon as characters started to communicate and reasonings behind actions were explored, I was absolutely obsessed with all the characters and the growth we see from Rafie especially is incredibly heartwarming. In the end, this was a beautiful story, I only wish Rafie experienced remorse for some of the ways he acted earlier on, and that the narrative would have given readers more of a reason to understand why so many characters were giving him so much grace, at least in the beginning.

This book was emotional and lovely. I expected nothing less from JGV, to be clear--their characters are so full, their worlds are so detailed. The ways that they create a full cast of characters without detracting from the MCs and their growth is really beautiful. I cared about all of them--literally like 10 other people!--but never got off track. The use of single-POV really deepened the story also. I really liked this book.

It should be in high school libraries.

I absolutely loved this book! It was incredible. Jonny Garza Villa is an auto buy author for me. This book is about grief, loss & all the expectations we have for ourselves but I absolutely devoured it. I cannot recommend this book enough

dropped at 14%

while this is absolutely nothing against the author or this book, i just don't think my heart was really in it. i tried pushing through multiple times, but just really couldn't find myself wanting to continue this book, so unfortunately it is a dnf for me. i want to try reading it again after it is officially published, though, because it really does seem like a beautiful premise and the writing style is lovely.

overall, i just really wanted to like this, but i just couldn't get into it. maybe it really was just the timing. my star rating is absolutely not reflective of the author's work or story, though. i also loved that the author included trigger warnings, but i will note that my reasoning to dnf also stemmed from the triggering content, and me personally not being able to handle it right now. i am still sure this is a beautiful, beautiful story, though.

Canto Contigo feels bright, even when the sun dimmed. Even when grief and darker thoughts took over. Even when Rafie made disputable decisions. The rivals-to-lovers trope is one of my favorite and laughs bubbled up from my belly when those guys hated each other but secretly had fallen for the other so hard already. The love those boys had for their music was simply beautiful, and I adored how they started opening up to each other more and more. When Rafie’s grief started to pour out, the story felt a bit sadder but still so heartwarming and it meant time for healing too. And the last chapters made me smile again so hard!!

A heartwarming story about love, culture, family, passion for music and Mariachi, grief, and the LGBTQ+ experience in our Mexican communities.

Rafael Alvarez is a star Mariachi singer who moves from North Amistad to San Antonio, leaving behind his friends, family, and a winning legacy, to join the Mariachi band in Todos Colores, their rivals during the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional. He soon reunites with Rey Chavez, a former meet-cute that now stands in his way of being the lead vocalist at his new school. Rafie now has to choose between love and his dreams, and learns that sharing the spotlight can take you farther than you ever could on your own.

Wow, was this book a roller coaster. Grieving a passed loved one and fighting to stay on top are big themes, often woven between cute romance and charming Texan culture. I will say, I couldn’t stand Rafie at times. Thankfully, his humor and Rey’s heart of gold did soften the erratic blow of his mood swings. It’s all part of growing up, and it adds a unique narrative, very reminiscent of my high school years here in Houston, Tx. In the end, I’m proud of Rafie and how much he’s grown.

If you love a good story about music, love, family, Mexican culture, and Texas charm, give this book a read! Fans of Cemetery Boys will especially love this one :)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I just love Jonny Garza Villa. As was the case in their previous book Ander & Santi Were Here, Garza Villa's character work in Canto Contigo is excellent -- the main and side characters are drawn with care, full of complexity, rich, flawed, and beautiful. Garza Villa once again portrays the vibrancy of family relationships, friendships, and romances here, too, while also bringing our notice to societal issues that need our attention and stories that deserve to be heard. Their storytelling is really quite remarkable.

In Canto Contigo, Rafie is a Mariachi musician who knows he's the best at what he does. He's led his high school Mariachi group to three consecutive first-place wins at nationals as their lead vocalist, and is eager to do so again during his senior year. But right before the school year starts, his family abruptly moves to a new city. Rafie, who is already very much not into this unexpected transition and is also grieving the recent death of his abuelo, is further outraged to be named backup vocalist instead of the lead for his new school's Mariachi group. To make matters worse, the person who currently holds that coveted role is a cutie who Rafie hooked up with some months ago and has been daydreaming about ever since. What we have here is a fun, queer take on the rivals to lovers trope, a tender exploration of grief, and a meandering journey toward self-love and the joy that accompanies it.

I'm still coming down from finishing this book, and am sure I'll have a lot more thoughts and feelings in the coming weeks. I loved it, but not quite as much as Ander & Santi, and I think it could have used another editing pass through (beyond just some typos which will hopefully be cleaned up prior to final publication). I also already know a few of its impressive elements will be reverberating through my consciousness for a while: Jonny Garza Villa's gentle and honest handling of being a teenager, their continued commitment to celebrating queer joy and love, and a deft inclusion of music throughout. I may have even made a Spotify playlist of all the songs and musicians that show up in the book... you can check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7A5wgzlDx306TvzozxHBlx?si=94e39ca545e24c94

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book so much, I cannot wait to reread it in the physical form. The way the story was laid out, described and put together was phenomenal! It was heart wrenching at times and heartwarming at others. Definitely a must read for everyone!!!

Jonny Garza Villa writes such beautiful characters puts so much emotion into their work. Literally every book I’ve read by them has made me cry.

In Canto Contigo, we follow Rafie who is struggling a lot. His family moved to San Antonio right before his senior year of high school and his abuelo died the previous December. We first meet Rafie as he say goodbye to his abuelo, and then we cut to the start of his senior year at a performing arts school. Rafie has always loved mariachi, and he struggles with his feelings surrounding mariachi after his abuelo dies because that’s always been some thing that he’s shared with him. It would be very easy to write Rafie off as “unlikeable” because for a lot of the book he is sort of unbearable, but it’s so clear that he’s making those choices because he’s grieving and he’s a teenager who doesn’t know how to process his emotions. The way that Jonny Garza Villa is able to pour in so much emotion and vulnerability and care into their work is truly incredible.

While this book does follow Rafie, there’s also a very sweet romance with a trans boy named Rey, and I love the way that developed. Rey was so sweet and so understanding and so determined to see the best in Rafie. I also loved that the majority of the new mariachi group is queer in some way, shape or form, and how proud they are and open they are about it in such a traditionally not accepting environment. I loved the discussions around internalized homophobia, and the growth we see from Rafie in that respect was beautiful. We also get to see Rey administer his T shot on page, which I think I’ve only seen in one other YA book. It was a small moment, but I think it could be a very important and impactful moment for a lot of teenagers.

TLDR; I love this book and I’ll read anything Jonny Garza Villa writes. I can’t wait until this is out next spring. I will definitely be picking up a physical copy and probably also the audiobook.

"Canto Contigo" by Jonny Garza Villa is a delightful and heartwarming young adult novel that combines music, culture, and romance to create a story that is both touching and entertaining.

The story revolves around Rafael Alvarez, a talented Mariachi musician who is forced to move to San Antonio with his family, leaving behind his beloved Mariachi Alma de la Frontera. Rafie is determined to make the most of his senior year and win one final competition. However, he soon finds himself at odds with Rey Chavez, the lead vocalist of Mariachi Todos Colores, and the person he shared a memorable encounter with eight months earlier.

The novel beautifully explores themes of identity, family, culture, and love. Rafie's journey of self-discovery is portrayed with depth and authenticity, making him a relatable and endearing protagonist. His passion for Mariachi music and his love for his abuelo (grandfather) are central to the narrative, adding emotional depth to the story.

The rivalry between Rafie and Rey adds a compelling layer to the plot. Their interactions are filled with tension, chemistry, and humor, making their transition from rivals to lovers a captivating and heartwarming journey. The author skillfully navigates the complexities of their relationship, allowing readers to root for their romance.

Villa's writing is engaging and evocative, immersing readers in the rich Mexican culture, the vibrant world of Mariachi music, and the colorful streets of San Antonio. The novel also pays homage to cultural icons like Selena Quintanilla-Perez, adding authenticity and nostalgia to the story.

"Canto Contigo" is not just a romance but a celebration of Mexican culture and the importance of embracing one's true self. It beautifully portrays the importance of family, the bonds of friendship, and the power of music to connect people across generations.

Overall, "Canto Contigo" is a heartwarming and culturally rich coming-of-age story that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds. It captures the essence of young love, the pursuit of dreams, and the importance of staying true to oneself. Jonny Garza Villa has crafted a story that is both a celebration of Mexican heritage and a universal tale of self-discovery and love, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary young adult fiction.

When a Mariachi star transfers schools, he expects to be handed his new group's lead vocalist spot—what he gets instead is a tenacious current lead with a very familiar, very kissable face.

Canto Contigo was a heartfelt, humor-filled delight to read. It has been a while since I have read a book that has me cheering when the couple finally gets over themselves and ends up together, but Canto Contigo handled its rivals to lovers storyline with incredible ease. Keeping their banter and “dislike” for each other at a level that doesn't make their eventual togetherness feel undeserved. Rafie’s personality is balanced perfectly, an asshole with an ego who you can’t help but love because of his heart. He and Rey have incredible chemistry from the time they interact for the first time to the end of the novel. Moments that would typically have me cringing and noting as cheesy I found endearing and I was cheering on for more. While the romance shines in this book, its exploration of grief hit incredibly home to home. It was messy and realistic, and felt incredibly real, and as a warning to the inevitable future readers, will have you sobbing.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I cannot wait to pick up a physical copy as soon as I can!

Everything Rafael learned about Mariachi, he learned from his abuelo. The skill, the practice, the determination – it all continually resonates in his blood like the deep bass of a guitarron. At his abuelo's deathbed, Rafael promises to continue to be the best Mariachi singer and goes on to win his third first-place award as well as lead his school's Mariachi group to victory. That night, he meets a guy at a party and shares a romantic moment that lifts him from his sorrow and unveils the power of love. But this moment is abruptly interrupted, leaving Rafael haunted by its memory.

Fast forward eight months, Rafael's life takes a sharp turn as his family relocates, forcing him into a new school. He arrives with dreams of becoming the lead Mariachi singer, only to discover that his rival, Rey Chavez, is the same guy from that unforgettable party eight months prior.

'Canto Contigo' is a love letter to Mariachi, encompassing everything Mariachi embodies. It is unfiltered emotion, passion, music, and storytelling at its best. I didn't plan on reading it in one sitting, but I did. All the while, I took notes and created a playlist of all the Mariachi songs referenced. Because, not only is this a great story, but it is also a subtle history lesson of the art.

'Canto Contigo' is a book that sings. When Rafie and Rey sing together for the first time, you hear it. When the group musically connects, you feel it. This book is as musical as it gets, and your heart will hear it. Mine did. The laugh-out-loud moments, the ugly crying, the snapping aloud at witty comebacks. Even, in my case, applause after a character's performances.

It is also a book about grief, delving into how grief can define us, drive us, but also cloud our vision from love. Then it shows how love can guide us to a place where grief and love can exist simultaneously.

Finally, and most importantly, it is a book about love. As a love story, this packs a punch, and my tear-covered Kindle is proof of that.

Passion. Grief. Music. Joy. Performance. Love. That is Mariachi. That's 'Canto Contigo.

This was very cute and I loved Rafie and Rey's enemies to lovers journey. I was thrilled to learn about the Mariachi world and basked in all of the Mexican culture. I've been reading a lot of books about white people and there's nothing wrong with that, it's just nice to see a diverse queer romcom with heart and authentic representation.

Jonny Garza Villa just does not miss! The authors first 2 books were fantastic but this somehow trumps them both with so much heart and emotion and gosh I love Raffie and Rey so much.

I really love Ander & Santi Were Here, and now that I’ve finished Canto Contigo, I can confidently say that Jonny Garza Villa is my new auto-buy author. Wow, I loved this ARC so, so much.

This book deals so much with grief, love, the pressures of perfection, and queerness while tied up beautifully in Mexican culture, particular mariachi. I think it would be easy for some readers to write off Rafie as a selfish teenager, but that would be a severe disservice to both the main character and the author. Jonny Garza Villa does an excellent job at portraying the grief of losing a loved one and the struggle to process the emotions of such a deep loss at a young age. You can feel from page one how much Rafie tries to push that grief down and push himself beyond his limits as a way of dealing (or not dealing) with his emotions. By the end of the novel, I really loved seeing his growth and how he comes to terms with his pain and his happiness. It’s the kind of story where the pay off is worth the climb it takes to get there.

The romance between Rafie and Rey really shines throughout the book. I loved their instant chemistry and how it never dissipates, even when they’re rivals. Their witty banter was fun to read and I loved seeing the evolution of their rivals to lovers romance. Rey never lets Rafie off the hook for his behavior, but he doesn’t let him lose sight of those softer part of himself too. Most of all, I want to applaud the way the author handles the intimate scenes between Rafie and Rey. Education about queer sex is relatively non existent in health ed classes and teenagers often are forced to search online for answers regarding non-heteronormative sex. I think this book does an excellent job at portraying queer sex between teens in a healthy and loving way, and I can only hope that it gives space to teenagers who wish to safely explore their sexuality in a world that often tries to deny them that.

I’ve only just finished reading this story, but I’m itching to reread it asap. There’s so much to take away from this story about grief, about love, about mariachi, and about living for your own happiness and not someone else’s expectations of your happiness. I cannot wait for this book to get into the hands of readers next year.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really cute! Similar to a lot of 2nd chance but definitely more interesting with the rivals-to-lovers aspect. I loved the conversations about identity and internalized homophobia, and the trans characters/diversity! Overall I enjoyed this, however I oftentimes needed to google translate because majority of the Spanish conversations had little interpretation for non-Spanish-speaking readers to fully try to figure out what the meaning is.