✨ 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.

3.5, rounded up. I didn't like this one as much as the previous installment--probably because Alex is a more appealing character than Gillian and because the story here is more fractured and difficult to follow. The chemistry is certainly palpable, though, and the second-chance romance trope works smoothly. There's also some magical realism mixed in with the romance that continues the theme of ghostly mischief from book 1--the appearance of La Llorona and other spiritual elements is intriguing, though Gillian and Nick getting physical during the appearance of said elements feels...icky?

This is a solid second installment in the series, so grab this if you enjoyed the first one. Can't wait to read Sissy's book!

I forgot just how good Angelina Lopez's writing is. The Milagro Street series epitomizes the best of romance.

This is a contemporary fiction that explores so many themes: class, family dynamics, divorce, addiction, and misogyny/patriarchy - all through a lens of racism. Lopez educates readers, but integrates it seamlessly. Her characters are complex, and their circumstances pull at readers' heartstrings. She's even woven magical realism into this series, and it all feels just right.

Lopez delivers all of this wrapped up in a steamy romance.

Full Moon Over Freedom is a beautifully written, angst filled book that will probably most speak to people who are feeling a little lost or have been in a place where they're trying to heal from an emotionally abusive relationship. That's not to say this book can't be enjoyed by everyone, but I feel like it's going to speak the most to people who fall into that category. Gillian, the Pride of the East Side, puts a lot of stock in her image and ever since she married Thomas, that image has had her looking more "polished," which appears to have been code for more white. The way that Gillian's emphasis on physical perfection slips away throughout this book is such a carefully constructed ode to the character development she's going through internally. And despite the fact that Gillian is a victim of her husband's emotional cruelty, continuing even after their separation/divorce, this book also explores how her need to be "perfect" led her to being thoughtlessly cruel to people in her own life. I loved the character development in this book and the second chance romance with her childhood friend who "taught" her sex lessons? It was stunning.

Now, all that about Gillian aside, Nick has his own past and his own history and his own angst he's dealing with and some of it was a little ridiculous. I mean, we can begin with the fact that he's so convinced that Gillian will hurt him that he makes up a fiancée. But nevertheless, Nick's sense of guilt over "letting" his brother succumb to addiction is a struggle I think too many people can likely relate to. Of course, the message of this book is in part that you cannot control other peoples choices so I appreciated that too.

All in all, I think that this book was absolutely wonderful and I would recommend it whole heartedly. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC, though I also partially listened to this book via Hoopla and would highly recommend. The narrator is fantastic.

As a Mexican/German I always very much enjoy reading books with latinx people especially if they're the main characters. It took me a while to get into the story and connect to the characters because the story starts somewhat slow and there were a lot of names mentioned in the first couple of chapters so it was hard to keep track of everything happening and with whom it was happening as well.
That being said, I really enjoyed the story arc and how it portrayed strong women, big family support, and the power of honesty and love.
Moreover, I enjoyed the little tidbits of latino history especially Mexico, the brujeria (magic) aspects and the mention of autism.
I give the book a solid 4/5 and would definitely recommend it to my friends, especially if they're in the mood for a little sultry, magic & family love affair.

Thanks Netgally for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest reviews.

Thank you for letting me have this arc.


Obbbbbbbsssseeesseeeed!!!!! I love the writing and how certain triggering topics were handled. The representation is great.

Loved this one, even more than the first in the series. Gillian, despite her struggles, is a strong heroine. Nicky is a gruff dreamboat. Getting deeper into the history of Freedom, and the reinvention of the train station was so great. Definitely one I'll be giving to all my library romance readers.

In book two of the Milagro Street series, Alex’s sister Gillian is back in town. Formerly known as the “Pride of the East Side,” Gillian is embarrassed to tell her family why she’s home and what led to her recent divorce. That “perfect” wife, mother, and bruja is gone is gone. Maybe it’s a curse...and being “good” is no longer enough.

On her way to town, she runs into her former flame (on the low), Nicky Mendoza. It seems like fate! Feeling pretty vulnerable, Gillian wants to see if he can help her break this curse? Little does she know, Nicky has felt tortured by his unrequited love for her and thinks it’s best to avoid their sexual tension while they’re both in Freedom.

Regardless, the two are inextricably tied in more ways than one...

Full Moon Over Freedom is officially one of my favorite romance books of the year! It’s extremely sexy, emotional, and heartwarming. While I truly enjoyed reading After Hours on Milagro Street, book two of the series is my baby!

I feel like I can understand the pressure Gillian feels from being the “success” story in her town. Nicky was also easy to connect with because Lopez did such a great job of bringing her readers into his memories.

Gillian and Nicky’s chemistry was explosive! There was something comforting about the fact that they already knew what each other liked. Not only did I love their connection, I loved the way they believed one another and gave each other grace. Oftentimes, in Romance, the characters don’t know each other as well and are quick to dip out as soon as their partner presents something they don’t understand.

I also appreciate the emphasis this story placed on community uplift, bringing opportunities to women and people who have been left on the margins in their community. Lopez connects those issues with Gillian’s own struggle against her ex-husband’s abuse.

It was just as heartbreaking to learn about the way he was treating his children. I think that the author was gentle in the way she included Gillian’s autistic son. There was only one part that I thought could be improved: the term, “high-functioning” can be switched to “high-masking” for a more accurate representation (according to many autistic creators I’ve watched.)

I read this book in ONE DAY! It was that good. I expect I’ll be rereading this one soo off I go to get a print copy!

Content Warnings: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Addiction (mentioned), Death (mentioned), Ableism, Racism, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship

This author has become an auto buy author for me. She does a wonderful job telling a story, bringing in culture history and bringing characters to life.

Full Moon Over Freedom is the follow up to After Hours on Milagro Street, which was a top read for me in 2022. This story focuses on the eldest Torres sister. She moves back home for the summer to try and sort out her divorce and make a life for her and her children, but her ex is making it difficult. The guy she fell in love with years ago is back for the summer as well and the two work together on a project.

This story gives dual POV through third person, which I enjoy when reading. I love the way the author writers her characters making them seem real. Their lives and experiences are easy for readers to relate to and sympathize with.

I highly recommend this book and the series!

It does read as a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was a nice little read about a summer in a small town. Loved the representation, especially with the single mom romance. Let's also talk about the finding of the childhood romance, it was awesome.

though there were a few things I had to let go of i still really enjoyed this, believing Gillian went 10+ yrs untouched was a stretch. I snorted at the authors choice to use the word "gobsmacked"
i loved their love breaking the curse, the history and revelations about freedom and further glimpses into alex's story. the epilogue reveal was also great

What does this book have? Let me tell you! Smart as hell, strong and stubborn latinas; a perfect setting in Freedom, Kansas (I’m not biased at all); brujas aka witches, and supernatural elements; STEAM. And I think this is the most important part: some of the realest fictional characters I’ve ever read. I feel like everyone of Angelina’s characters contain multitudes - just like real people do! They’re stubborn, they’re loving, they’re trying their best and coming up short sometimes, they’re their own harshest critics, their family sometimes sucks but they nonetheless draw strength from them. I just love how messy and real it all feels. 10/10 would visit Freedom, KS. This is a must read but you should also read the first book, After Hours on Milagro Street.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I love Angelina M. Lopez and this is a great addition to the steamy, beautifully written Milagro Street series; this story proves that Lopez is a master of emotionally charged, thoughtful, gorgeous romances. Gillian is coming off of a nasty divorce when she moves back to Freedom, Kansas, her hometown, with her two children. She immediately runs into her high school best friend and former hook up Nicky, who is now a street or graffiti artist living in California. Can these two make it work with all the history and obstacles of their trauma between them? I LOVED After Hours on Milgro Street, Lopez’s first book in this series, and I also loved this book for similar reasons - Lopez is a master at writing complicated, flawed, relatable women you can root for. I also liked the magic realism element in this story, but I don’t want to explain too much more because of spoilers. Overall I recommend this book for fans of second chance, contemporary romance, Latinx writers and stories, and magic realism.

Exquisite story!
I love a story about a woman coming back into her witchy awakening. There is something so relatable about Gillians journey. She lost so much of herself and now is back in her hometown facing her old love.
This is more of a slow burn and reads very different from previous work by Angelina. I found that so refreshing. She showed us a new side to her stories. and I like it.

The steam is always on point though!

Wonderfully steamy and with a sharp, breathtaking POV that casts the spotlight firmly on Mexican American in Kansas and their forgotten history, I was pleasantly surprised with the latest by the author!

While I had some really big reservations going in after book 1, I much more enjoyed Julianna’s story. She wasn’t a totally winning MC for me, in fact I think FMCs from this author can definitely be expected to be very prickly, I did find myself warming up to her at least. Juli/Gillian’s behavior towards others and “focus” was quite grating and certainly gave the impression of just using people when it’s convenient, while I think the second half of this book redeemed some of that, I still not fully convinced. And that’s ok, I applaud the author for delivering characters who aren’t totally redeemable or likeable and are more flawed and realistic.

The second chance romance worked here even though it’s a trope I don’t generally love, but giving Nick such a rich backstory really went a long way in showing the reader just how and why his first love was so important to him.

While I opened saying this is wonderfully steamy, and it certainly is, I do love a sex teacher trope, the sexy scenes that happen while La Llorona is there were a hard pass. It’s like saying you are literally haunted by the clown from IT AND Bloody Mary and still decided to get it on….I just…no.

The greater lean into the supernatural elements and brujeria in this one was also really fun and makes this a great book to add to your fall TBR. Overall a solid progression from book 1 and characters I felt were much more engaging and interesting.

Desperately hoping book 3 features lovely cousin Joe because I need his story!!!!

This is my second Angelina Looez book. My first being the first book in this series. Overall it was enjoyable but I had a hard time buying into the chemistry between the two as well as relating to Gillian. Sometimes the writing felt scattered to me, so I had difficulty connecting with the story. I did love the elements of representation though and still look forward to finishing the series.

This is a great continuation of the story of Freedom and the Mexican-American community there. This time the story centers around Gillian, the eldest Torres sister. She is going through a divorce, can't find a job, has nowhere to go so is staying with her parents for the summer, and her magic is gone -- in short, she's cursed.

I love the big Torres family and sprinkling of Spanish throughout the book. It reminds me of my own family and makes me feel seen. Everytime I see the word "mija/o" used, I swear my heart flutters. It's just not something I see or hear outside of my own family very often. This is exactly why we need more diverse authors and stories in publishing.

The eldest daughter experience always gets me. The way Gillian tried to be the perfect daughter and kept everyone at arm's length to try to maintain that image is so relatable for me as a fellow oldest sibling. Watching her struggle to ask and accept help is a good reminder for myself lol

The one thing I didn't like in this story is the fake fiance that Nicky claimed. I really really don't like to read books with cheating. So even though it's not really cheating, it bugged me that it went on for so long with Gillian believing he was engaged.

After Hours and Full Moon are such special books. Angelina is doing something truly unique here. I don't normally like lots of spice or small town romances. But the high heat in these didn't bother me because I was so engrossed in the stories. And the small town romance is done in such a refreshing way - the women don't need to become smaller or less to fit. Instead, they find that they can make the life they want right in Freedom.

Read this if you are looking for:
-a big over-involved Mexican-American family
-a story about a woman leaving a narcissist and protecting her kids (one has autism)
-a second chance romance
-a unique and fresh small town romance
-high spice

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Angelina Lopez for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.