One thing Lopez does well is writes a complicated and independent FMC. Is Gilliian always likeable that's up for debate. I think returning home to pick up the pieces brings up a lot of unresolved issues which weighed down the plot a bit. And I typically like a second chance romances but something was off for me.

Hello Fellow Readers,

Hot and spicy romance featuring Latino Main Characters? Sign me up! The only regret I have is that I did not read the first book in the series After Hours on Milagro Street as I am totally missing out. So let us talk about how Gillian gets her witchiness back. A divorcee with two children and an ex-husband who is refusing to help unless she signs over her family's business, you can say that Gillian is cursed. Now back in her hometown, she runs into Nicky, the one who got away. Of course, now he's (still) hot, engaged, and successful. I could have done without him being engaged as I felt it was unnecessary, still Gillian and Nicky's chemistry was hot, and when the spice hit I rejoiced, it was steamy.

Two things I really love was how Lopez was about the realistically make Gillian's growth look. At first, I didn't know if I was going to like Gillian, as she did seem a bit dull but eventually you learn to love her. The second thing was how well Lopez captured the Latino community and how they banded together. People tend to write our community as loud and noisy but they don't convey how helpful and protectful we are to those we love. The side characters were all amazing, and I can't wait to see what the next book has in store.

Overall, A romance must-read.

This was another of those books where I was drawn in by the beautiful cover. Gillian was a wonderful protagonist. However, the fact that I didn’t realize this was a second in the series and that second chance romances aren’t at the top of my read lists really brought my enjoyment down. This was a me problem. The book itself was well written!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. It was amazing and I wish I could go back and read it again for the first time.

This has one of the most beautiful covers 😍
Full disclosure I have not read the first book in the series as I received this one for review and maybe that affected my rating and or liking of this book because I wasn't as familiar with the characters as maybe I was supposed to be.

I did like the family themes and I liked that our mc was older with children of her own.

I wasn't too big on the romance. Idk just something felt off to me, maybe the fact that Nick starts off the romance with a damn lie. From there, I felt no chemistry between them.

It was a solid book for the family and the town vibes.
I am Latina (Mexican/spaniard) and I wanted maybe a bit more talk of the culture but that's a personal preference.

Thanks to the publisher for the copy!

This is an incredibly magical read! I didn't know what to expect, since it's kind of different from the first book. I liked the second chance romance. I liked the communication between the main characters, I loved the heroine. She's super relatable. I loved how obsessed the hero's with her. I just really liked this book. It flowed so much better than the first one.

There were so many things I didn't like about this book. Spoilers, obviously.

If a man ever made me think he was with someone and that we cheated together, I would hate him. If I did something with him knowing he was taken, I would hate myself. Just that whole situation was gross.

The way the mmc thinks about her (possessive af) rubbed me the wrong way.

The way Gillian treats her family is HORRENDOUS. Like... you moved home to take advantage of your parents' hospitality, the town gives you a job, and you're still ungrateful. The way Gillian treats Alex is awful and the fact that she even CONSIDERS selling her shares of the bar to her lying cheating ex-husband is one of the most reprehensible things. Like... Alex put so much into turning the bar around and you're going to put her dream and livelihood in jeopardy just so you don't have to tell your family you're broke? Actually awful. This book acts like the sisters are so close but also so distant from one another. I don't get it.

Book 1 was infinitely better.

If you’re looking for a tantalising read, a story of finding your perfect match in life who empowers you to be the person you were meant to be, and make you feel safe to believe in a ‘forever’, a story that stirs up the romantic in you and then look no further, because this book serves all of it and so much more!

I absolutely adore this author! I was so happy to have been given a copy of this to read! It did not disappoint either! I enjoyed the steam, characters, and depth of the story. I also liked the culture within it. I always like getting new experiences from my romances. This book really had it all for me! I def need to go back and read the first in this series! I highly recommend this one!

This was such a cute and heartwarming second chance romance. It was a friends to lovers, I’ve still been thinking about you after all these years, forced proximity, we’re both cursed but finding ourselves again kinda book. There are also mentions of La Llarona and cadejo with a little magical realism here and there.

One thing I can say is the author brought the spice. It’s the second book in the Milagro Street series. I wish I had read the first book before this but I think it can be read as a standalone. We follow Gillian on her journey through self-discovery after a divorce, regaining her magic, and finding love after fate reconnects her with a guy from her past.

Loved the relationship and chemistry Gillian had with Nicky it just leaps off the page. He was not only charming but very supportive even when dealing with his own struggles. Gillian’s ex-husband Thomas was trash and so toxic. He was one of those types that can’t let go until he makes your life miserable.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty decent. Loved the plot and small-town charm just wish we could’ve gotten more magic. The writing was also authentic and engaging. Great character development and it was well-paced. Special thanks to the author & @harlequinbooks for my gifted copy!!!

absolutely loved this book oh em gee. Nicky is so HAWT and Gillian remembering her bruja powers and her strength as a mother while finding her sexuality is just wonderful to read. It is angsty, heartbreaking, and has nice witchy goodness. A must read.

4 stars. I love flawed characters and old ghosts. It was sexy and touching with family at the heart. I am a fan of this series.

Full Moon Over Freedom
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Angelina M. Lopez

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Harlequin and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Gillian Armstead-Bancroft—Pride of the East Side and once-perfect bruja, wife, and mother—is going to spend her summer getting good at being bad. The first time she left Freedom, Kansas, behind, she did it by doing everything right. This time, she’ll hide from the large Mexican American family welcoming her home and work in secret to break the curse that’s erased her magical life. Only by doing it all wrong can Gillian get herself and her two children away from the ghosts of her hometown by summer’s end. Nicky Mendoza is an answer to her prayers. He was the practical solution to the problem of her virginity when they were younger, and now, as a gorgeous artist in town for only a weekend, he’s the ideal man to launch her down the path of ruination. But Gillian isn’t the only one who’s cursed. Nicky has been plagued by his furtive, enduring love for her as long as he’s been haunted by his cadejo, the phantom black dog that stalks his psyche. He’ll stick around to be whatever Gillian needs him to be this summer—but he won't touch her. Touching her, then watching her leave again, would ruin him for good.

My Thoughts: I love all romance novels, sometimes they are clean (kissing only) and sometimes they are steamy, like this one 🌶️. This is book no. two of the Milagros Street series. Single, mother of two, Gillian returns home for the summer, in hopes to reconnect with her family. Her soon to be ex has done a number on her. Gillian believes she is cursed and her only cure is bad boy Nicky Mendoza. Nicky has his own ghosts and secretly pines for Gillian, so he would not be nothing more than a friend. Ten years ago, Nicky broke her virginity and Gillian is looking for a no-strings, bad girl time. However, Nicky is not, because if he starts something with Gillian, he is not sure if he will be able to walk away. By the end of the summer, will Gillian be free of the curse? This follows the tropes of friends to lovers, small town romance, and second chance romance.

The story is narrated in a dual perspective by Gillian and Nicky, respectively. Gillian is an independent, strong, passionate woman just trying to find her new normal. Nicky is a reserved, keeps to himself artist that wears his heart on his sleeve, with a tough guy exterior. There is magic, psychological prior baggage, chemistry, spice, and humor all rolled together. The author does an amazing job at representing neurodiversity with Gillian’s son. The author’s portrayal of the Latino community was amazing, the togetherness and community support was what you could hope out of any community, but really just connects with your heart. The magic written into the characters was powerful. The characters were written with depth, witty banter, chemistry, emotion, and intriguing. The characters, especially our MCs, really had a tremendous amount of growth, realistic growth, and relatable growth. The detail the author put into this story really pained the picture of Milagros community and did not hold back on the spice. The author’s writing style was complex, magical, layered, spicy, passionate, humorous, thought-provoking, and brilliant.

This was steamy and spicy 🌶️ with all of the romance feels! While I had the arc digital copy of this book, I did listen to the audiobook when I got a little behind in my reviews. The narrator was amazing and really gave life to the characters, it was like a movie running in my head. This story will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and pull you in a few ways. This is heartwarming, endearing, and just warms your heart. I did not read the first one, but will definitely be picking up now and will absolutely read the next one by Lopez. I highly recommend picking up this book!

I loved the small town, Mexican American, witchy vibes of the book. I also liked the single mom aspect as I feel that a lot of romance books favor single dads rather than single moms. I enjoyed the writing stylistically but at times I felt that all the angst was a little too much, and some parts were a little to cheesy. Overall, I thought this was a nice read, especially for the beginning of spooky season, but not necessarily something I’ll be itching to pick up again.

Gillian returns to her hometown of Freedom, Kansas to break a curse erasing her magical life. Hiding from family, she enlists the help of visiting artist Nicky, an old flame. He keeps his distance, fearing renewed heartache when Gillian leaves again. Can she restart her life despite his restraint, or are they fated to be together?

This spicy story has a vibrant voice and relatable, wounded characters. It's angsty and emotional with a focus on family.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

After reading the first book in this series I was SO EXCITED to read the rest of the series. Never mind that it wasn’t even written yet lol I just knew I needed it. And I was right to be excited, because this was SO. GOOD. Honestly, it’s my favorite of the two. If you haven’t read it yet, do so now!

Ok so first things first, the characters were amazing. I LOVED Gillian, but she frustrated tf out of me in some places. I really wanted to hug her and then shake her. Like I really wanted to make sure she got the help she needed (because Lordt knows she needed some therapy) but I also felt so bad because of what she had gone through. Now the weirdo that was Nicky, I just wanted to shake him. Because whyyyyyy did you lie like that? It was so unnecessary lol But when all the details of his life came out, it made more sense. I really felt like he needed a hug too because what he went through with his brother was so real. And when I say real, I mean I even got a little teary when it got to that part.

The spice tho?! I didn’t even own this audio, but I definitely went and made bookmarks when I heard something I liked. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. One thing this book taught me tho, was Nicky was like that song, “we can do it anywhere” because he was always ready to go. And for whatever reason that worked for me. This might be a little weird to admit, but I get too bored when things stay the same or it’s always in a bed, but I think they were everywhere BUT a bed, so this was exciting. And it wasn’t always like basic places either. Like the locker room bench? Yeahhhh I’ll just leave that right there lol

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the magical realism part. It was with her job as a bruja. She used her powers for good all the way around. But it really made me feel bad for her too because she was using all of these good things for all of these people, but she couldn’t see the good she could get for herself. But when things started happening at the end, that’s when I was clapping for her. I was happy she finally realized what she was worth. A booktoker I know Mytae said it best, “it was a magic that was familiar.” No I’m not Latinx, but I am Catholic. And this was a little like the candles on the altar kind of thing we do to some of the saints and the Virgin Mary. And the way everything happened, I would have hoped that’s the way the saints would react, to help the hurt and all that. And the scene where it happened?! Like omg I loved it so much I had to re-listen to it. I imagined the sounds of the wind whipping around and the yelling. I didn’t have to imagine the crying because the narrators were AMAZING. They really put their all into the end and it made that scene SO GOOD. I loved it.

This book really was my favorite in the series so far. I am TERRIFIED of how the next book is going to be. I don’t even know who she’s going to be with? I’m hella curious as to where she was while she was gone. But for now, I guess I just have to wait. But Harlequin if you want to let me know in advance, I’m not arguing lol

✨ Review ✨ Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez

The second book in the Milagro Street series, Gillian returns home after deciding to divorce her husband. She works for the summer on a grant application designed to bring funds back to infest in making Milagro Street a bustling Latino business hub. She quickly finds Nicky, her best childhood friend and the man that taught her about her body -- he's painting a mural at the old train station, the same building she's working out of, and they will be spending the summer working together.

This had the second chance romance feel without the baggage of having a previously failed dating relationship which I really loved. I also enjoyed the incorporation of both the historical research about the town and the magical brujeria / spirit elements -- but I wanted more of both of these. Sometimes it felt like these story lines receded into the background. Maybe, ultimately, there were just too many moving parts with several sets of family drama mixed in?

I did like this book but I'd have loved even more of it! Once again, kudos to the author on bringing awareness to these undertold histories of the Mexican/Latino midwest!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary f/m romance with some magic
Setting: Freedom, Kansas
Reminds me of: the first Milagro Street book
Pub Date: Sept 5, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ sizzling, passionate romance
⭕️ just a touch of magic stirred in
⭕️ historical buildings and stories of the people of the past
⭕️ big messy families

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

Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez is one of my new favorite romances! This book follows Gillian a recent divorcee who has moved back to Freedom, Kansas with her two children. She is living back at home after her life basically falls apart so much so that she believes she’s cursed. Enter and Nicky Mendoza her childhood friends and later lover. They cross paths once again and their chemistry is undeniable and Gillian thinks that if she did everything right before was the good girl she needed to be to make things happen for herself maybe to break the curse she needs to be bad, and only Nicky can help her. Here’s the thing he’s been in love with her always and this proposition isn’t going to work for him. Gillian is in a bad place when we meet her but throughout the book you really see her grown an learn to accept and ask for help from people who truly love her. It isn’t easy but she is willing to make hard choices and eventually she learns to put herself and her kids first. Nicky is there quietly supporting and encouraging her. He’d love nothing else than to fix everything for her to take care of her but he understand this is her journey and he’s content being there by her side. He is also dealing with a lot and you also see him grow and accept the good things life is giving him. Their love for one another is truly unconditional and deep and together they help the people of freedom celebrate the history of freedom and the impact Mexican Americans have had in this small town. This book was amazing and I can’t sing it’s praises enough. 4.5⭐️

I wanted to enjoy Full Moon Over Freedom however; I felt there was too much spice and not enough plot. I didn't become fully invested in the love story and was not attached to the different characters spread throughout. While I enjoyed the first half, I wasn't able to finish the other parts of this story due to lack of interest.

I love stories of women overcoming difficult relationships and having the patience with themselves to love and believe again. This was a very *spicy* version of that but at its heart, this story was wonderful and reassuring.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.