FLORES AND MISS PAULA by Melissa Rivera follows a mother (Paula) and daughter (Flores) as they each navigate their daily lives while dealing with the grief of losing their husband and father respectively. 
 
This is a slower-paced book with alternating POV chapters of Flores and Paula. Flores works in an aquarium start-up that is having some financial troubles while Paula works at the local dollar store. With each chapter, we learn more about what each character does during or after work as well as what they are thinking about and how they are dealing with their grief. 
 
Flores was much closer to her father than she is to her mother, which seems to make things tricky since they both live together. The relationship between Flores and Paula is a very real portrayal of a mother-daughter duo that is struggling to get along. In fact, I saw glimpses of my own relationship with my mother. This dynamic is a relatable one, as I am sure many others can also say they are closer to one family member than another. 
 
Throughout FLORES AND MISS PAULA, we see how decisions impact each of their lives as well as how detrimental it is to their relationship that they aren’t speaking much to each other. Grief is a difficult emotion to go through, and it impacts everyone in a different way. This book provides a window into what it’s like dealing with grief when you aren’t speaking about it to others. I truly enjoyed getting to know Flores and Paula, and seeing how their relationship changes throughout the book. 
 
Flores is such a relational thirty-something working in a start-up environment. If you’ve ever worked at a start-up or have been employed with a large corporate company before, you’ll laugh at some of the BS that Flores goes through. There were many times when I thought back to specific times in my past jobs and could remember exactly how I was feeling when some of these things occurred (ie large dumb team morale meetings, the secrecy and curiosity of who’s getting fired, doing tasks not in your job description, etc). 
 
Overall, I found it very cathartic to read FLORES AND MISS PAULA, and if you’ve experienced grief within your family or friend group, reading this book might help. We do a disservice to ourselves when we don’t speak about our emotions and keep them locked up like secrets. 

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Ecco for the e-arc! FLORES AND MISS PAULA comes out 12/05/2023!

I thought I would fall into this novel, a story about life after loss, but I just couldn't get into it. While it has heart, the main characters, mother Paula, and daughter Monica, never came to life for me, nor did their story, their past, present, and future. Rather than a trajectory focused on them, their story kept being interrupted by side plots and characters that weren't fully developed.

This was such a sweet story about mother daughter duo Flores and Miss Paula. I appreciate how Rivero tenderly walks the characters through grief and joy so accurately and similarly to my own experience after losing my Dad. I thoroughly enjoyed and would gladly read another Rivero book.

Flores and Miss Paula is a sweet story that explores the separate, but intertwined, lives of a mother and her daughter after the loss of their beloved husband / father. Their lives are difficult and sad but each thrives professionally and emotionally by forcing themselves forward outside of their shattered comfort zones.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero is a gripping novel about a Peruvian immigrant mother and a millennial daughter. I loved the mother daughter aspect and how we got to watch their relationship grow throughout the book. I always enjoy a book that is based in NYC and loved that about this novel. I gave this book 3 stars because I struggled with the pacing of the book, although I did appreciate the detail Melissa gave us of each character development. Also the beautiful cover really caught my eye. Thank you Netgalley for my copy!

I wanted to like this book. I gave it until 40% and then DNF'd it. I hope by publication day some of the pacing and other issues have been worked out. I think an older audience (30+) may enjoy it more, it just was not for me.

A beautifully written story of the difficulties of a mother daughter relationship.Told from both voices I was completely drawn in and really enjoyed reading about their lives and difficulties.#netgalley #eccobooks

The first part of the book was difficult to get into. I would have preferred the entire story from Flores point of view. I felt there was more of a story to tell. I wanted to know more about her. Paula’s story was interesting, but I didn’t like the 2nd person POV that Paula used when she was reminiscing.

A gorgeous novel that showcases a Peruvian mom and her firstgen millennial daughter, living together in an apartment in Brooklyn. I loved the Peruvian culture references, which is not something I was remotely familiar with before. I also loved the feel of the relationship between mother and daughter here. The pacing was a bit off for me, but all in all I highly recommend.

Thank you Harper Collins for my Netgalley copy of FLORES AND MISS PAULA by Melissa Rivero, out 12/5/23.

I adored this tender, sweet and loving book. For fans of Angie Cruz’s HOW TO NOT DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER and Gabriela Garcia’s OF WOMEN AND SALT, this book follows thirtysomething Flores and her mother Paula, a firstgen daughter with student loan debt and Peruvian immigrant in alternating POVs living together in one apartment in Brooklyn over a single summer. Three years following the death of their beloved patriarch, MartÍn, Flores finds a note in her mother’s handwriting that says “PerdÍname si te falle. Recuerda que siempre te quise.” Forgive me if I failed you. Remember that I always loved you. Both women recall old memories, grapple with their grief and try to figure out their purpose.

Paula thinks her daughter should focus more on finding love instead of working tirelessly for an aquarium start-up her old college friend runs. Flores thinks her mother needs to learn to stick up for herself and stop aching for a married man. Suddenly, the mother-daughter duo learns they have to leave the one home they’ve shared together, and with the one they miss the most, and they are forced to confront each other with hard-to-accept truths. I cried, cried, and cried some more during the final chapters. It is so soft and caring. The two women’s voices are so distinct and cared for with such grace! Rivero is an author I am sure to seek out again with anything she writes. The ending is beautiful! Brava brava brava. Preorder this one.

"Flores and Miss Paula" is told from the rotating perspective of a Peruvian-American daughter and mother living together in Brooklyn as they navigate their individual and joint lives. Flores is in her early 30s and working as a financial officer in a start up that sells aquariums that, despite everything she's been promised, has been struggling - regardless of all the colorful Excel sheets and glossy Powerpoint slides that Flores can create. Her mother Paula works a retail job at DollaBills (a Dollar Tree spin off?), spending her time with her neighbors and sometimes, her daughter. Both are still coming to terms with the death of Martin, Paula's wife and Flores's father, who passed away after a long fight with cancer. Their relationship with each other is forced to change, however, when their landlord forces them to move so he can move a family member into their unit.

There were a number of things about this novel that I loved, including the look inside Peruvian culture and traditions, and the ways it molded their relationships to friends and neighbors around them. The setting and atmosphere felt true-to-NYC, especially as I've been here for over a decade, and I also appreciated the little tongue-in-cheek nods to businesses and locations that many city dwellers would familiar with. Flores' day-to-day work and the complex and sometimes absurd office culture also felt accurate, reminding me of my own time spent working in various finance and tech firms. I have a soft spot for novels that focus on mother-daughter relationships, and I think Melissa Rivero did a great job crafting a true-to-life dynamic between these protagonists and the ways they are able to reconcile and empathize with each other.

Nonetheless, I did struggle with the pacing of the novel as some areas became quite dragged out and lengthy, especially when it came to Flores's sections; although the writing voice and prose shifts between her and Paula's perspectives, I found myself looking forward more to her mother's passages. There's too much time spent detailing the nitty-gritty of office politics and work culture that I didn't find contributed to the story as a whole and distracted from Flores' own backstory and character. I think the additional focus would have made for a smoother, more concise storyline and would have placed stronger emphasis on the loss of Martin, the ways they dealt with their grief and loss, and their eventual reconciliation.

An intriguing and lovely story of the relationship of a mother and daughter and of their memories of the husband/father they lost. Nearing the end of their thirty year lease on their apartment, both women ruminate on their time there and in the local community. Flores encounters hard decisions in her life sucking job. Paula, her mother, works as a retail associate yearning for more. As the time progresses, both face hard choices, never sharing with each other.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. I kept getting confused with all the male characters. I did not finish. I might pick it back up in the future.

Flores and Miss Paula is a heartwarming tale that beautifully explores the bond between a young girl and an elderly woman. The story unfolds with delicate prose, transporting readers into a world of nostalgia, love, and hope.

The characters are wonderfully developed, each with their own unique quirks and challenges. Miss Paula, an endearing and wise old lady, becomes a source of inspiration and guidance for Flores, a curious and imaginative young girl. Their interactions are filled with genuine warmth and genuine moments of connection.

While the story does have its predictable moments, it doesn't detract from the overall charm and emotional resonance of the narrative. Flores and Miss Paula is a delightful read for both young and adult audiences, leaving a lasting impression with its heartfelt storytelling and memorable characters.

Flores and Miss Paula is a touching narrative about a Peruvian mother and daughter, learning to live with each other after their connection, Paula’s husband and Flores’ father, Martin, has died (three years before the story starts). Paula wants more for her daughter - Flores works long hours at her job as a finance officer with an aquarium outfit with little to show for it. Flores wants more for her mother, too - Paula works an entry-level job at a dollar store. The real problem between the two, however, is getting along in the apartment they share. As the availability of this apartment comes under question and their work positions evolve, the two women must decide whether or not they can make living together work.

I enjoyed this book, especially the sections where we glimpse more into each woman’s occupation. Flores’ aquarium job and the drama that occurs there felt real and was familiar to me having worked in management in an office for many years. Paula’s job as a dollar store employee was also authentic-feeling and I found myself nervous for her as she asked for advancement. Both women had rounded-out profiles, which made them feel real. Their Peruvian backgrounds added to the story, especially the fair, which featured Peruvian music and food. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys good character development and believable personal interactions. The beautiful cover doesn’t hurt, either.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A touching account of a complicated mother and daughter relationship. The book is thoughtfully written. The characters well developed. I was not fully invested in the story, as I found it tedious at times. Thank you Netgalley and Ecco Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #Netgalley, #FloresandMissPaula.

Flores and Miss Paula provides a depiction of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be. In this novel, we follow Flores and her mother Paula as they navigate through the grief of losing Martin, the beloved father and husband of their family who often acted as a bridge between the two women and their distant relationship. We see both of these women try to come to terms with this major loss in the family while trying to continue on building their own lives. We witness as the two women are forced to move and in turn, reconcile their differences and deal with their past, all the complexities that come with it.

Melissa Rivero's writing was tender and handled the complexity of exploring a mother-daughter relationship well. There were some parts in which I felt were slightly dull but overall, the details add to the uncovering story and the characters in this book were well developed and relatable.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. The beautiful cover first caught my eye and then I was drawn into the story between a mother and daughter. Between coming to America to give your child a better life and then the child torn between following their own interests and their parents' goals. Flores and Miss Paula take turns letting us into their thoughts and feelings, piled on with their relationship changes as parents get older and need more care.

A narrative shared between a mother and daughter on their journeys of acceptance. Featuring strong women and Peruvian food, Flores and Miss Paula tells the story of the transition of a parent-child relationship to seeing each other as adult humans. The pacing is right, the characters are full, and the struggles are real. It delivers hope, not fairytales- and is beautifully comforting in that companionship.

I absolutely loved this book. I was impressed with the authors ability to go back and forth between Flores and Paula and having them sound completely different. Both women were complex, well developed and believable. It was not just a story of a mothers and daughters relationship but also of their own separate and private lives. I highly recommend this book.