Muy caliente! 🔥

Pris Oliveras does not disappoint with her follow up to West Side Love story in the Queens of Mariachi series. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Kiss Me, Catalina and thoroughly enjoyed getting reacquainted with the Capuleta family. This book is A Taming of the Shrew reimagining featuring an untamable rising star & a mariachi idol who hit the road for his concert tour together! The character chemistry between Cat and Patricio is off the charts and I love how Pris took her time to develop these characters, and create a convincing and realistic story. Highly recommend picking up both West Side Love Story and Kiss Me, Catalina and jumping into a wonderful and colourful world full of familia, food and feisty females! So, so good.

Kiss Me, Catalina is BRILLIANT!!!!
Catalina and Patricio are a perfect Pair of fire and music. Both have an innate drive to prove themselves, not only to their respective families, but themselves too. When they are paired together to go on your, sparks and emotional baggage fly. I love Priscilla Oliveras ability to mix family connection with music and culture and love. The Capuleta family is a headstrong group of support that never fail to back their own when needed. This story was filled with life lessons of finding your own way, and breaking down barriers to let love in, LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS!!! So happy and grateful for this NetGalley advanced copy. This is a must read that will fill the soul !
#kissmecatalina #netgalley

I am in love!

Kiss me, Catalina was everything I expected to read. A story full of love, music and an intense and insightful look at certain social issues Latinx culture is still fighting against.

This time, it was Catalina and Patricio’s turn to fall in love with each other while fighting the patriarchy in the music industry. They were flirty and explosive together, a match made in heaven, not only personally but also professionally. They had so much in common even more than what they originally thought and learned not only that machismo also traumatizes men and affects how they see themselves and what they expect from them and others, they also learned how to forgive, let go of the past and stand up for themselves and be truthful, authentic and honest with themselves and each other.

It was a romantic, explosive and intriguing book! I’m completely obsessed with this series and can’t wait to see how else it advances.

A big thanks to Priscilla Oliveras and Montlake for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

You need to read about Catalina and Patricio!

Catalina Capuleta had finally realized her dream of a contract with Padua Record to write music for Patricio Galán’s next album after winning the Battle of the Mariachi Bands with her sisters. But now she had to get ready to go on tour with Patricio because it would open doors for her in the music industry.

Patricio Galán needs new music for his next album and maybe hiring Catalina Capuleta would help but he doesn’t date anybody that works for him but maybe Catalina was changing his mind while they were on tour.

I absolutely loved Kiss Me, Catalina because number one I live in San Antonio and no celebration happens without mariachi music at the center of it and family is everything.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kiss Me, Catalina picks up almost right after the West Side Love Story's Battle of the Mariachi Bands. Catalina Capuleta has been offered a deal with Padua to write songs and tour with El Principe, aka Patricio Galán. As usual, Priscilla's writing was great. I loved both characters! Catalina's empowerment and how she stood up for women in the mariachi industry were written so beautifully. Anytime Cat would stand up for herself or other women Patricio would get heart eyes, and that is why I absolutely loved him. Patricio saw Catalina's strength and he wanted to build her a platform. He knows how special she is going to become in this industry and that just makes him more lovable. SPOILER: also that part when he visits her parents! I love this man.. and when he calls her "querida"!!! Forget "baby" I want someone to call me "querida"

Thank you to the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kiss Me, Catalina, book 2 In the Queens of Mariachi series, coming November 1, 2022… ✨

• book 2 after West Side Love Story
• (loose) retelling of the taming of the shrew
• frenemies to lovers
• mostly closed door romance
• bold FMC
• strong family dynamics

I really really enjoyed this new take on Shakespearean retellings. Catalina is strong willed, bold, and brave. 🫶🏼

Patricio is a sweetheart. ✨

The last scene.. 🫶🏼😩😩 Shakespeare with a latinx twist!!! Besame mucho meets Say Anything!!!! CLASSIC MEETS CLASSIC! Bye! *swoon

“Catalina acts on her emotions. Some people call it rash; I call it brave because she doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t let fear or doubt get in her way.”

“Now, put me out of my misery already. Kiss me, Catalina. Bésame, bésame mucho . . .”

“…and it was only the two of them and the I burn, I pine, I perish for you love they shared.”

Thank you for the e-arc, @netgalley!

✨ Review ✨ Kiss Me, Catalina by Priscilla Oliveras

In this follow up to Oliveras' West Side Love Story, we follow another Capuleta sister in her claim to mariachi fame. Cat gains the attention of mariachi superstar Patricio Galán after the mariachi competition from Book 1. After gaining a priceless opportunity to write songs with Patricio and go on tour with him, she's left jugging her attraction to Patricio and her opportunities for career growth. Their steamy attraction made this book a breeze to read, and I loved it!

While I loved much of the first book, I found it a bit of a chore to get through, and this one read much much smoother for me. (Maybe the San Antonio focus of the first book was just too distracting for this SA local, I don't know?) I really loved how this flowed and the connection between the characters. A small pet peeve is that every time the book uses Spanish/Spanglish, it translates the Spanish directly into English in the next few lines. It tried to embed the meaning into the text in different ways, but I actually found this more frustrating than helpful.

Overall, this was a super fun light read, and arguably even better than the first book in the series. Will definitely read the next one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary f/m romance
Location: San Antonio, Mexico, and across the tour
Pub Date: 01 Nov 2022

Read this if you like:
⭕️ romances with Latinx main characters
⭕️ mariachi and a South Texas / Mexico vibe
⭕️ steamy musician love stories

Thanks to Montlake and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

Kiss Me, Catalina by Priscilla Oliveras is pure magic! This author can write no wrong in my eyes!! This is a follow up book from West Side Love Story. Cat and Patricio spend the whole book trying and failing to resist each other while bantering and butting heads. The characters are fabulous! A great romance that also deals with family and finding one's self. Can't wait to read more from this author!

🎺 The second installment of the Queens of Mariachi series by @prisoliveras is out next Tuesday! "Kiss Me, Catalina" was such a fun read & I give it 4⭐!

🎸 Catalina is a rising star in the world of mariachi, for her playing and song-writing. Patricio Galán is the Prince of Mariachi and his record label hires Catalina to write and perform with him. Cat and Patricio were rivals during the Battle of the Bands in Book 1 ("West Side Love Story") and now they have to put that aside in order to work together. Being on tour is hard for Catalina and Patricio can be aloof - will their partnership survive?

🔥 I thought this book was a bit spicier and had more tension than Book 1, and I was here for it! Cat was one of my favorite characters from the first book and all of her bold, brash, fierceness is on full display here. I loved the inside peek of being on tour as a musician and picturing Patricio's amazing Mexican getaway! Cat and Patricio are both surrounded by amazing friends and family who support them and keep them grounded.

Shareability: these books remind me of Jasmine Guillory & Denise Williams books, with a Latina flair. I love the Spanish phrases that are mixed in really seamlessly!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Pairs well with: tequila from the business Patricio has recently bought a stake in 🥃

Rating 3.5

Kiss Me, Catalina has wonderful characters but it is the quintessential tale. The heroin and hero meet, have conflict, end up falling love, not on purpose of course, and then sabotage the relationship leading to a grand gesture of love. This celebrity romance is a slow-burn. Overall, this was quick, cute read but not memorable.

Thank you Montlake and the author for the advance reader copy.

2.5 Stars Overall, Kiss Me, Catalina by Priscilla Oliveras was cute, but predictable. The concept of a woman trying to break the glass ceiling as a woman in mariachi music (a male dominated genre) was fresh and new, but that’s about the only thing that was in this book. That being said, the characters were sweet, the romance cute, the banter funny, and the book was just okay.

I loved the book. We met the characters in the 1st book . They were well fleshed out in this book . Their love story was set at a good phase. I loved all the small cultural details. Cat’s relationship with her sister got a interesting twist.

The story
Two mariachi players, the famous Patricio, Catalina the winner of a talent competition accompanying him on his next tour both to perform and write new songs with him. The attraction between the two is off the charts but he won’t take more from her than she is willing to give. She doesn’t want to have a relationship with a singer chasing after the fame high. But both have pain from the past. Him from his father’s self love, Catalina from the father that deserted her and her family when they needed him the most. Can their stars ever shine together?

My thoughts
Filled with mariachi music, specific cultural references and Spanish language, this is a beautiful story of two strong willed individuals whose stars both shine bright but who have the upmost respect for each other. It was a little challenging for me to read through the language woven through this story, but the lovely love story was worth it. I loved Catalina’s feisty nature and her fierce love for her sisters and adopted family. This was a sweet deep dive into a culture that I am not familiar with but felt like I was taking a trip to another world. Thanks for the beautiful story Priscilla. ❤️

The second book in this series drew me in right away and I quickly finished it because I wanted to see how the dynamic between Patricio and Catalina would play out. The book picks up right after the events of the first book, West Side Love Story, so these are best read in the series order.

Fresh off the heels of their family's mariachi band victory at Battle of the Bands, Catalina Capuleta heads out on tour with Patricio Galan, mariachi's reigning prince. Tasked with helping Patricio break out of his creative rut, Cat brings her songwriting prowess and unflappable confidence to the tour. Both Cat and Patricio have strict "no fraternizing with other band members" rules but they can't deny their on-stage chemistry could lead to much more if they could work through their baggage and give one another a chance.

I loved the immediate sparks between Cat and Patricio but thought this was just a bit too slow of a burn. They finally connect romantically around the 91% mark of the book and then the third act conflict immediately follows - it messed up the pacing for me. I loved that this book focused on the relationship between Cat and her birth sister because their family dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the first book and what will keep me coming back to this series.

Content warnings: Cat's birth mother died in a car accident and her birth father abandoned her; Patricio's father is emotionally abusive/gaslighting at times.

Thanks to Montlake, the author, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Received this ARC from Montlake in exchange for an honest review, so here we go 💖!

Rating: 3/5⭐️

Ambitious San Antonio singer Catalina “Cat” Capuleta gets the chance of a lifetime when she joins superstar heartthrob and fellow mariachi Patricio Galán on his seven-week concert tour. Demanding and arrogant, Patricio challenges Cat on every level, as an artist and as a woman. But headstrong Cat is determined to be his match. No matter how seductive Patricio’s baritone voice, Cat’s eyes are only on the prize: success and making her familia proud.

When the duo hits the road, the sparks don’t just fly—they detonate. Stage by stage, as each reckons with the past—and with each other’s quick-fire personalities—they bring crowds to their feet, and Cat’s long-held dreams come true. Will their road romance go up in flames? Or could making music together kindle the most rapturous love song of their lives?

I personally really enjoyed the Spanish writing here and there during the narrative, it was very refreshing!

This book actually caught my attention due to an inside joke and after reading the synopsis it sounded very interesting so I wanted to give it a go. I was a little bit sad that I didn’t enjoyed it as much as I wanted to: the story feels like it starts in the middle, the beginning is very confusing, at some point I thought they were all orphans and there’s a weird dynamic between the main couple. I felt like I had to push myself to keep reading it…

I must say, however, how much of a feminist Cat is and it’s super good to be able to read female characters that don’t put up with what men tells them to. And her relationship with other women and how supportive they all are to each other!

I have been trying to read this for 10+ days now, but just simply cannot get into the story. I think this writing style is not for me. I keep getting distracted.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC. I'm sorry that this book is not working for me, as good as it sounded when I read the blurb. All opinions are my own.

This was a new author for me & I really enjoyed the story! The writing was wonderful! I loved all the Mexican culture in it. I think Cat & Patricio are so well matched! They work so well together. This was def a slow burn but done so fantastico! The build up & tension was everything for this couple. Cat was such a stubborn, hard working heroine and I’m here for it! She’s so amazing! I really enjoyed all the characters, even though I didn’t read the first in the series! All in all a fun read!

Catalina Capuleta is an ambitious singer from San Antonia who gets a lifetime chance when she joins the heartthrob Patricio Galan. Patricio is demanding and a challenging person to work with but Catalina is determined not be swayed by his arrogance. But as they get to know together, Patricio realizes that there are some similarities in her personality with him and soon they start developing a romance between them.

At first the first few chapters were slightly boring to me but what I really like about this book is the characters. I really like the main characters, particularly Catalina as she is a strong willed determined woman who would achieve her own goals, an encouragement to all the women out there. I also do like Patricio as well, despite his arrogant personality. The story was predictable particularly the ending was not a surprise but nonetheless, this book was OK book in my opinion. There were Spanish words used in the book, that I didn't understand but I suppose the author wanted to make the conversation sound more natural. Overall, in my opinion, this was an OK romance book--something you would enjoy. If you do like soap opera romance, then this book might be the one for you. Worth three stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Kiss Me, Catalina is a follow up to Priscilla Oliveras' West Side Love Story. I hadn't read the first book but I was able to dive right into this novel. The book is a sweet romance. Cat and Patricio are tough but once their insides are cracked open they ooze love and loyalty. I hope the author continues this series because I want more of the Capuletas!

I really enjoyed reading this story and meeting both Catalina and Patricio! It was inspiring to see Catalina pave her own path in Mariachi music which was an area mostly dominated by men, not only did she hold her own but she also formed a strong love connection!

I always love how Priscilla Oliveras incorporates the importance of family, traditions and heritage! Would highly recommend this cute (yet sometimes spicy) story!!