Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I listened to this as an audiobook with three voice actors. I really enjoyed listening to the Spanish by native speakers and it added an enjoyable layer to the plot.

I LOVED the mystery element to the plot! Wanting to see what led to the kidnapping and how this affects our main characters really captured this readers attention.

The plot moves at an enjoyable pace and the characters have great development.

I enjoyed this author’s writing style and recommended this story.

Thank you @netgalley for an ALC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Familia was such an interesting read. It dealt with a very sensitive topic and did it spectacularly. I thought I knew what to expect from this book. I was very wrong.

I loved the characters. Though I didn't like Gaby in the beginning, she grew on me, and Isabella, I loved her right from the start. I was so curious about her! And the author delivered everything I wanted and more.

The story was interesting. I just couldn’t get over the fact that the story focused on the bad sides of Puerto Rican culture. It kept pulling me out of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Familia with its tragic yet heartwarming storyline. Lost relations found through genealogy tests may not be a novel idea, but there was definitely a unique vibe to Gabby and Isabella’s story.

Gabby is living a life in NYC, but she is not living her life. Her job as a fact checker for Flux magazine is fine, her relationships are fine, but she feels something is missing. A chance at a story has the entire staff take a genealogy test and Gabby’s returns with more than odd markers. A woman named Isabella is claiming Gabby is her lost sister who was abducted from Puerto Rico as a toddler. This story is too good to be true, so Gabby thinks, and she sets off to write it and to change her own narrative.

Meeting in San Juan, Gabby and Isabella notably form an instant connection. Gabby has her moments of disbelief for the entire situation, but the more she investigates the more engrossed she gets in what happened to Marianna Ruiz that day. The plot unfolds from two timelines, current day Gabby and Isabella, and the day Marianna goes missing. The past timeline is incredibly important as the reader is queued into a revelation that even Gabby and Isabella are not privy to.

I would highly recommend Familia. The audio production is well done and I enjoyed the accented narrations which brought a realness to the overall story.

Never before in my reading history has a title been so suitable to describe the book it belongs to: Famila is indeed a story of family ties in all their possible shapes, about the power of kinship (through DNA and not only). I liked the story with its somewhat meandering paths, represented by different POVs. The narrators have wonderful voices and are great at telling this story.

Fact-checker Gabby DiMarco took a genealogy test for a project at work and is shocked when it tells her she has a sister, one who has been desperately trying to find her. If her parents were still alive, they could confirm this is impossible. Isabella Ruiz has never forgotten her little sister, who disappeared from the streets of San Juan as a baby. Gabby agrees to come to Puerto Rico, planning to find out how the genealogy test got her results so wrong and hoping to write an article about the experience.

The different personalities of the sisters were wonderfully crafted; both were realistic characters with real emotions and reactions. Isabella’s husband was my favorite character, though! Without going into spoilers, the kidnapping plot was outlandish and took away from the realistic feeling of the story; it seems to have been done that way in order to add twist after twist to the novel. Overall, I enjoyed the story and would read more by this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

In “Familia” by Lauren E. Rico, the search for identity collides with the weight of family secrets, weaving a gripping narrative that delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the ties that bind us.

Gabby DiMarco, a fact-checker with a staunch belief in verifiable truths, finds her world upended when a genealogy test (done for work) yields an unexpected result: a long-lost sister, Isabella Ruiz. Yet, according to Gabby’s late parents, such a revelation is impossible—a contradiction that sends her on a journey to uncover the truth about her past.

Isabella Ruiz, an artist with a stable home and loving marriage, has never given up hope of finding her missing sister, Marianna. When she discovers a potential match in Gabby, she eagerly extends an invitation to Puerto Rico, hoping for a long-awaited reunion. But Gabby’s defensive demeanor and insistence on a mistake cast doubt on their familial connection, forcing both women to confront uncomfortable truths about their pasts.

Lauren E. Rico masterfully navigates the intricacies of family dynamics, painting a rich tapestry of emotions as Gabby and Isabella grapple with conflicting desires for closure and self-preservation. As they embark on a journey fraught with uncertainty, each revelation uncovers new layers of the past, challenging their perceptions of identity and belonging.

What sets “Familia” apart is its exploration of the power—and limitations—of familial bonds. Gabby and Isabella’s contrasting personalities serve as mirrors to each other, reflecting the myriad ways in which trauma shapes one’s sense of self. Through their journey of self-discovery, readers are invited to ponder the enduring impact of unresolved grief and the healing potential of forgiveness.

Rico’s prose is both evocative and poignant, capturing the lush landscapes of Puerto Rico and the raw emotions of her characters with equal skill. From the bustling streets of San Juan to the quiet moments of introspection, each scene is imbued with a sense of urgency and authenticity that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages.

Audiobook Review of “Familia”
In “Familia,” Lauren E. Rico delivers a compelling tale of resilience, redemption, and the enduring power of familial love. With its richly drawn characters and deftly woven plot, this audiobook is sure to captivate listeners from start to finish, leaving them breathless with its poignant exploration of the ties that bind us all.

This was a very unique story. I loved the mix of family drama with. thriller vibes. I also loved the setting of Puerto Rico. The characters were all likable and easy to relate to. I would read books by Lauren E Rico again!

Gabby DiMarco works as a fact-checker for a magazine (Flux). She takes a genealogy test as research for an article and discovers that she supposedly has a sister in Puerto Rico. She decides to investigate.

Isabella Ruiz is an artist and has been searching for her baby sister, Marianna, who disappeared 25 years ago.

Gabby sets out to find the truth and believes the genealogy test made a mistake. She is hellbent on setting the record straight. Isabella, on the other hand, whole-heartedly believes that Gabby is her long-lost sister, especially after several signs point to them being siblings (their similar physical features, the genealogy test, and a pair of socks).

This story follows the two sisters as they work to uncover the truth and discover if they truly are connected as the DNA test says they are.

I gave this book 4.25 stars - I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one and I was not disappointed. While it's labeled as a contemporary fiction, there are some elements of mystery involved (but not like the scary kinds of murder mystery/thrillers one might read). I hope that you pick this one up and give it a try because it's a great story!

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media (Recorded Books), and Lauren E. Rico for an Advanced Listener's Copy of this book.

I picked this up on a whim when I saw it was a Book of the Month selection. I love stories with a latin flare and this one did not disappoint. Mystery, family drama, and lots of interesting cultural details all kept me reading. I really enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed this book! Each part of the mystery was tied together so satisfyingly. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC!

The first couple of chapters of this one had me pause and reconsider if this would be the book for me. It started very….”Hallmark”-y. Overly cheesy with the mooning over the boss. But, once we got passed that I LOVED this book…for a long time.

I thought the narration was great, mostly. My only complaint would be the “British” accent. It was horrible and should’ve been redone. But, otherwise, great. I do wish that the female narrators had also narrated the flashbacks told from female perspectives. But, I still really enjoyed the male narrator. So, that’s not a complaint.

My biggest beef was that the character’s traits and personalities didn’t seem to be consistent. I don’t want to say too much in the way of specifics bc I don’t want to give away any of the ending. But there were things said and done at the end that everybody was just like, “ok! Great!”???? Nooooooo!!! They should’ve been shouting WTF…like I was at them for just blindly accepting it all. No, that ending got completely nonsensical. Two cops breaking NUMEROUS laws, nuns being COMPLETELY unholy…nah. Didn’t work that well for me in the end.

Familia by Lauren E. Rico …. Wow. Just wow. I hesitated at first, not sure I wanted to listen to it. Not for any real reason…. Just a feeling. I’m glad I ignored it. Such a great story, and one that will make you laugh and cry and maybe want to yell a little. Family: not just blood, not just relationship, but truth and hope and trust all bound in one. Do yourself a favor and go get the book!

Thank you a million times for granting me early access to this book. First of all, a thousand kisses to the cast because what an amazing performance. I was never wanted to stop listening to them. Now, to this masterpiece of a story, maybe it's because I have younger sister but stories about sisters always gets me in my feelings. Familia is definitely going to be in my top reads of 2024. I love everything, the characters, the plot, the twists, it was perfect, I have no complaints

This story of a missing baby and her sister’s journey to find her is captivating and heartbreaking. This is a story of two sisters reuniting after a genealogy test mixed with a true crime novel.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read Familia by Lauren E. Rico.
I was hooked from the start of this one! The story follows two women, Isabella and Gabby, who are brought together as the result of a DNA test. One woman is convinced they are long-lost sisters. The other has her doubts, but agrees to pursue the possibility to help further her writing career.
There's a mystery element to this story as the two women set off to find answers about their family's past, and a compelling cast of characters we meet along the way. The chapters jump between characters, mostly between Isabella and Gabby, but also between other key players of their story. Just when the ending felt wrapped up, more and more twists were revealed. This was a heartwarming, thrilling, kept-me-up-past-my-bedtime read that I loved! So much so, that I immediately bought a physical copy for my shelves.

I was approved for both the e-book and audio, but couldn't get the NetGalley Shelf App to play the audio version, so I only read the e-book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, my review is influenced by other Boricua readers and reviewers who are friends and I agree with all their sentiments. For an author who is part Puerto Rican, why did I feel the need to check and make sure it wasn't secretly a white author lacking research in her story? This book is exactly the reason why even marginalized authors need to research topics their books are about because we are human and prone to ignorance, stereotyping, and biases. I was genuinely excited for this book but this is not it.

This book was beautifully written with fantastic twists and turns. I enjoyed every minute listening to the audiobook.

The narrators have life to a fantastic book. A must read/listen.

Familia by Lauren Rico
.
“People do to you what you let them do to you.”
.
Oh my goodness. It is February, and I already have a contender for favorite book of the year. 🥰🥰🥰
.
This is a story of family. Gaby takes a DNA test with all her coworkers for a work project. As an only child, she is hoping to find some distant cousins to connect with. But what she gets is a report saying she is biological sisters with a woman named Isabella.
.
I loved Gaby.
I loved Isabella.
I loved this journey they went on to put together what happened to everyone on one fateful day when a baby girl went missing.
The back story was incredible and I kept gasping out loud when new pieces of the story came to light.

And I wept. I cried SO MUCH reading this story. I fell in love with all these people, and I had so many feelings. I felt all the things.

I would also like to say that I was able to get the audio from Netgalley and the audio is FANTASTIC. The three narrators did such justice to the characters and I felt like I was sitting right next to them for this whole journey. My kids were laughing at me and rolling their eyes because I kept talking back to the people in the book while listening. 🙈 I got invested in this story from chapter one.

If you love messy family dramas then do yourself a favor and read Familia. If you love audiobooks I HIGHLY recommend the audio, it is so good. If you have struggled with audio but really want it to work for you then I HIGHLY suggest you try Familia.
.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I am SO GLAD that I picked this one up from Book of the Month! I am already excited to reread it.

I was hooked from the beginning. Told from multiple perspectives, I loved the way the sisters worked to solve the mystery of their family and their story.

The narrators were so good and allowed me to be immersed in the story!