I thought Flores and Miss Paula was a well-written novel about the mother-daughter relationships. I wasn't as engaged as I often am for this type of novel, though, perhaps because I was much more interested in the Miss Paula sections than the Flores sections. I just found the mother to be a more compelling character. I thought the depictions of NYC were well-done, and I especially appreciated the sections on the two women's workplaces. For me, this was not a memorable book, but it was a decent read.

Flores and Miss Paula is the new book by Melissa Rivero. The story centers on Flores and her mother who are Peruvian and live in Brooklyn. Like many mother/daughter stories they love one another AND how they show love can be difficult for the other. Earlier in life Martin, Flores' father, had been the bridge but now the women must plot their relationship on their own. Ironically both desire more for the other than they are receiving and that desire and care is a source of conflict.
I enjoyed this story of Flores and her mom as they traversed this new part of life. Sometimes the supporting characters were a bit distracting but showing their full life was clearly important too. All in all, I enjoyed this story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Flores and Miss Paula is available today.

After a slow start, this story developed as the relationship between Flores and her mother, Paula, evolved. Flores works in Finance, and is enmeshed in office politics, not sure who to trust. Some of the chapters about Flores in the workplace did get a bit bogged down. Miss Paula works at the local dollar store in Brooklyn, after the death of her husband. Both Flores and her mother are still grieving three years later, learning how to communicate without the buffer of Martin. The touches of Peruvian culture added depth to this beautiful story of a daughter and mother finding their way to understanding each other. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This novel was such a tender portrait of a strained mother-daughter relationship. Flores works in financial for an aquarium startup, and her mother thinks she should be more concerned with getting married. Miss Paula's best friend is a married man, and her daughter thinks she needs to find a different friend.
The story is told in alternating POV. I love the perspective of Paula, as she navigates her grief in losing her husband. I thought Flores' perspective was sometimes lacking a little.
The story is a slow, simple read, in a good way. Just the story of how family sometimes drifts away and the choices they make to fight their way back.

If you're looking for a book that keeps your interest, and lets you move slowly (because, it's December. Let's all slow done), this is one to add to your list.

Isn't the cover of this book beautiful?

Mediocre - it could have been better.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. While, I appreciated the alternating chapters between mother and daughter, I had anticipated a different type of narrative. I was not drawn to the storyline of Flores, it had no depth and felt disconnected as if it was it's own book. I thought Miss Paula's story was more engaging and it needed to connect/parallel with Flores but unfortunately it did not - it didn't feel like a true mother/daughter story. I think it would have been better if the author wrote more about 1) Peruvian culture and each characters connection to the country and 2) tied the characters with their differing relationship with Martin (the father).

Flores and Miss Paula is a beautiful, quiet story that explores the dynamics of a mother-and-daughter relationship. Three years ago, after a lengthy battle with cancer, Martin passed away leaving his wife, Miss Paula, and daughter Flores. The women are at a point where they just seem to exist in each other’s lives rather than sharing a life—even though they live together.
The ladies' work lives seem almost as dissatisfying as their personal lives as the book opens. Flores (known at work by her last name) works for an aquarium business which may be on the brink of some serious interoffice drama. Miss Paula on the other hand is working for a discount chain where she may finally be recognized for her contributions to the store. Their world is turned upside down when the landlord of the apartment they’ve called home for decades notifies them that he is giving their apartment to one of his family members. Now Flores and Miss Paula must decide if they can continue to live together or if they’ve grown too far apart.
I enjoyed this book. It has a slow, relaxing pace, but I found myself drawn into the lives of the main characters. Melissa Rivero did a solid job in presenting the journey of both Flores and Miss Paula through alternating and unique POVs. Along the way, in addition to exploring the mother-daughter relationship, Rivero shares with readers the Peruvian culture and customs that impact these two characters, both pushing them apart and binding them tighter together.
Flores and Miss Paula will be released on December 5, 2023.
Thank you to Ecco and Netgalley for providing a review copy.

Great start to a book. It captured my attention from the beginning. We meet the mother and daughter who are still recovering from the loss of husband/father. We hear from both characters throughout the story which I enjoyed. One of the reasons I enjoyed this book were Flores and Miss Paula felt like real characters that you might meet at work, the store or the library. Their story was their own but one the reader can relate to through descriptions of their jobs, worry of the future and thinking about the past. There is a chasm in their relationship at the beginning and we begin to see that heal.

Being exposed to the Peruvian culture certainly added to the enjoyment and I do wish there had been a bit more of that in the story. I enjoyed this book and thank Netgalley for the chance to review.

Flores and her mother, Paula, have always had a contentious relationship. It's been even more so since their father/husband passed away 3 years ago. They still live in their Brooklyn apartment, where they've lived most of Flores' life. Now, both women are faced with life decisions as they must move to a new home. Additionally, each are facing work decisions that could impact their futures. As they begin to understand each other more as adults with their own dreams, empathy grows between them. Sweet story of a mother/ daughter relationship as it evolves into a more adult relationship of love and appreciation.

This was a fantastic read! It was a beautiful exploration of a complicated mother-daughter relationship, culture, generational expectations, grief, and healing. The framing made it really interesting, calling them by the names others called them but written from the perspective of a confessional diary.

Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero follows the story of a thirty something Flores and her mother Paula living in their Brooklyn apartment navigating their ways through life as they deal with grief following the death of their husband and father, Martin. Initially Flores and Paula didn’t have the best mother-daughter bond but as the story unfolds their relationship grows and eventually they reconcile.

This book portrays strong female characters and how they grief for their loss as each of them goes through different stages of their life.

I enjoyed many constituents of the book, like the mother-daughter relationship.

Riverio starts the story where both Flores and Paula can’t tolerate each other, they are always either bickering or fighting and not much on speaking terms even though they both know that they want the best for each other.

Paula is often worried that her daughter is overburdened with work and will end up being a loner whereas Flores is worried that her mother is falling for a married man and will wind up getting hurt. Flores was always closer to her father than she was with her mother which made their relationship trickier. But eventually they try to understand each other and overlook each other’s flaws.

This book has a slow-pacing to it which made it hard to follow at times. It has alternating POVs and I often found myself skimming through Flores parts and anticipated reading about Paula because her perspective felt more interesting.

Apart from the two main characters, the ancillary characters like the office workers who were a huge part of the story didn’t seem well developed as if their existence didn’t really matter much and rather felt like an interruption.

I found Rivero’s writing style to be okay but nothing to get excited about. Though I loved how she went back and forth between the two characters, the story was prolonged at times and often got boring.

I hoped to find some major plot twists especially after reading the blurb which mentions “ Flores discovers a note written in her mother’s handwriting: Perdóname si te falle. Recuerda que siempre te quise. (“Forgive me if I failed you. Remember that I always loved you.”) But what would Paula need forgiveness for?” but unfortunately the twists really didn’t shock me.

Annoyingly, I was never able to properly delve into the story as reading it felt like a chore.

To conclude, I think this book was aimed for a much older audience who can understand the emotions of the protagonists more vividly. Though this book does have its flaws I appreciated the ways the author captures the grief due to the passing away of a loved one.

This was my first book to read by this author but it won't be my last! This was a beautifully written novel that evokes so many emotions. Don't miss out on this one!

A sometimes witty, sometimes heartbreaking dual narrative of a mother and daughter trying to find common ground while coming to terms with the death of their husband/father.

A very tender and heartfelt novel about a Peruvian immigrant and her millennial daughter. Through out the book they have many battles but are finally able to find common ground. Life is really all about connecting the past and present. This book will make a great book club pick and the discussion would be endless.

Flores and Miss Paula
by Melissa Rivero
Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
Ecco
Women's Fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A wry, tender novel about a Peruvian immigrant mother and a millennial daughter who have one final chance to find common ground.
Mother/Daughter tale told in alternating voice. I really wish the daughter had spoken more about her inner feelings.
However, this is a great book and I fell in love with the characters and could relate to the gap in their relationship after the patriarch dies.
I highly recommend.
4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. This book was a slow burn, but then catches you off guard with the emotional last act. It is a mother/daughter tale, told from their alternating perspectives. At first, their stories seem disconnected, but then you start to understand the links between them and how their histories led to their current struggles. The death of the family patriarch has left a gap between them, but also a sainthood that prevents them from understanding each other or their own lives. They have to focus on themselves to move forward and heal the relationships they still have. Some of the detail around the daughter's job did seem extraneous (and maybe autobiographical?), and I wish that the daughter's portion of the novel focused more on her inner life sometimes. I still highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero!

This is a study of the mother/daughter relationship. Paula is the Peruvian immigrant mother and Flores is her thirty-something daughter. After the loss of Flores' father, they continue to live in the same apartment in Brooklyn but have little else in common. Flores is unhappy at work, a tech start-up, recently out of a serious relationship and in debt. Her mother works at a discount store and spends free time at the gym or spending time with Vicente, a married friend who wants more. I enjoyed Paula's insights, her grief at the loss of the future she had planned with her husband and her complicated relationship with motherhood. I found the story interesting and relatable.

It took some time to settle into this voicey novel, but once I did I fell hard for this mother and daughter, both as individuals and as a dyad. Warm, but not light, this book explores the importance of home and deftly brings a Brooklyn community to life.

This mother/daughter focused book switches points of view throughout. Ultimately, I did not finish this one. It felt similar to other novels and I just did not really connect with the main characters here.

This offers a thoughtful glimpse into the complexities of mother-daughter relationships but gets bogged down in Flores business relationships. I found myself skimming her parts and not caring about the ancillary characters there. I looked forward to Paula's parts more.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.