A Delicate Marriage

Isabela, a wealthy woman, sacrifices her artistic to marry Marco, a penniless man dedicated to improving conditions on the island. As political violence threatens their paradise, Isabela and Marco question whether their marriage, like the island's relationship with the U.S., should continue.. This was a fascinating story with a strong plot and interesting characters. It pulled me in from the beginning and I really enjoyed. Two people from vastly different backgrounds that overcame much and found love. It is way more than a love story and I learned a lot about the political climate spanning decades. This author did an excellent job and I look forward to reading more in the future..
**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This was so good! I had never read a historical novel based in Puerto Rico and I'm glad this was my first. This book completely sucked me into the story. I really enjoyed this.
I just reviewed A Delicate Marriage by Margarita Barresi. #ADelicateMarriage #NetGalley
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The author skillfully wrote about the history of Puerto Rico. This storyline is a well crafted rags to riches with multiple moving parts. The book surprise at every turn. Marco & Isabella’s story took a turn I wasn’t expecting. At the beginning it was Isabella who wasn’t that helpful when it came to dealing with the poor and once she started seeing why it was important to help, then Marco changed. I did enjoy how at the end they talked through what happened so they could continue being a family.


All marriages have struggles, but what broke my heart is that both Isabella and Marco made sacrifices to be together. However, when push came to shove they hid how unhappy they were in their marriage. My heart broke when all the changes Isabella tried to make got shut down by new Marco, and we know old Marco would have been there for her as her number one supporter. Overall this was a unique story about a couple trying to make a change in Puerto Rico.

Barresi brings the political turmoil, tension, and conflict of mid-twentieth century Puerto Rico to life in this novel. Following Isabela through her marriage to Marco -- a marriage crossing class lines and not fulfilling the social goals for a woman of her standing -- Barresi introduces readers to the escalation and conflict between the two main political parties and the vast socio-economic struggles faced by the people of Puerto Rico. Barresi’s characters and their relationships are the center of the story -- the familial relationships between Isabela and her family, Isabela and Marco and their sons, and their other relationships outside the home. Barresi’s characters are realistic, living complicated lives and trying to build relationships out of struggles and ideological differences, and the conflicts within the story are also interpersonal and heavily tied to these relationships. By building this narrative and framing it in the context of various intersectional conflicts, Barresi impresses these internal and external struggles upon her readers through Isabela and Marco’s story, making their struggles tangible and understandable through this fictionalized context. A Delicate Marriage is a strong, fascinating, complicated historical fiction novel set in a contentious time on the island of Puerto Rico populated by diverse and fascinating characters.

This lovely look at generations of a Puerto Rican family made me laugh, cry, sigh, and feel all the feelings. For a white woman who knows very little about Puerto Rico but has friends from the island, this helped me understand more of the beauty and culture of Puerto Rico. The beautiful and sometimes visceral description of the island paired with the emotional ups and downs of the family makes for a captivating read. Recommended.

Overall: solid read
-strong character development
-great storyline
-wonderful writing style

There are moments that feel unnecessarily long.