Book Review: West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 331 pages
Author: Priscilla Oliveras
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: June 1st, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A heart-stirring romance of star-crossed love, feuding familias, and the bonds of sisterhood by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Two familias in Texas, both alike in dignity, rivalries, and passion…

Having grown up in the nurturing household of Casa Capuleta, Mariana will do anything for familia. To solve her adoptive parents’ financial problems amid their rapidly changing San Antonio comunidad, Mariana and her younger sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. That means competing against Hugo Montero, their father’s archnemesis, and his band and escalating a decades-old feud. It also raises the stakes of Mariana’s forbidden attraction for a certain dark-eyed mariachi who sets her heart racing.

To Angelo Montero’s familia, Mariana is also strictly off-limits. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. As their secret affair intensifies and the competition grows fierce, they’re swept up in a brewing storm of betrayals, rivalries, and broken ties. Against the odds, they vow to bring peace. But sacrifices must be made and consequences weighed for two star-crossed lovers to make beautiful music together.

BLEH.

I wanted to love this so badly y’all. SO BADLY.

The culture and setting? Absolutely loved those. The reason I gave it even 2 stars to begin with. Everything else made me wish I just hadn’t finished.

I think my biggest issue was the writing style. It was intensely focused on over explanation factors. The main plot points were repeated almost every chapter and it needed more substance than that. And anything to do with the characters was mapped out or shown many yards before the character actually did something.

The romance had some cute moments. I didn’t totally find it at fault. The love scenes (even including the kissing scenes) made me straight up cringe. Not smooth or engaging. Poor word choices that I was not a fan of.

Anyways, I’ll stop. This didn’t work for me. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t for you.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: open door
Trigger/Content Warnings: gentrification, a sibling who runs away, physical altercations