Full Moon Over Freedom

I enjoyed Moon Over Freedom. It was emotional at times as the characters worked through their trauma, and how Gillian and Nicky had to work together to get rid of Gillian’s curse. The character development was incredible and the story just laced with some paranormal activity and Mexican-American cultural things like brujeria and the cadejos (ghost dogs).

What I loved?

♥️ Gillian Armenstead-Bancroft - initially this FMC was not likeable, at least not to me. As the story progresses my opinion of her starts to shift until I felt like I understood her. She was not afraid to ask for what she wanted and I loved that about her.
♥️ Nicky Mendoza - This artsy bad boy painter, was so not a bad boy LOL but he was great in all the best ways, he was such a good friend to her and “teacher” 😉 😉 if you know what I mean. I am glad that he realized that Gillian didn’t really need someone to take care of her, she needed someone to support her.
♥️ The cameos - Seeing Alex and Jeremiah again warms my heart because Jeremiah is just such a simp and Alex is such a baddie.
♥️ The family dynamics - Latin American families are a riot, this one is no different.
♥️ The historical elements found in the story - I loved how part of this series is sort of reconstructing the history of this town and what the influences of Mexican immigrants and their families had on the area.
♥️ The paranormal elements - Gillian with her magic and curse as well as being haunted by La Llorona (Gillian would hear her cries) and Nicky and his cadejo (ghost dog)

Once again, Angelina M. Lopez never fails to write a steamy romance filled with so much history and vibrant Mexican culture! In Full Moon Over Freedom, we return back to Freedom, Kansas to follow Gillian and Nicky, who were teen lovers and have reunited for one summer 13 years later. There was so much fun tension and angst between the two of them. I loved their slowburn and how they kept trying to fight their feelings for each other in order to prevent getting hurt again. I also adored how Nicky bonded with Ben and Naomi and so easily stepped in to take care of them when Gillian would get swamped with juggling work and her legal proceedings for her divorce.

Just as After Hours on Milagro Street contained so much history about the Mexican community in Freedom, Full Moon Over Freedom also continues this, with an added touch of the supernatural. I loved the added subplot of Gillian's curse and the legend of La Llorona, a spirit that I grew up learning about in school. The spiritual aspect of the story was a welcome surprise and it definitely added a layer to the story that I didn't realize was needed. I also loved the shoutout to Roxanne and Mateo in Lush Money, which was a delightful easter egg to catch!

I'm not sure if Angelina M. Lopez has more stories planned in Freedom, but I would love to see a story following Sissy! Definitely pick up Full Moon Over Freedom if you loved After Hours on Milagro Street.

I loved this — so tender and heartfelt and sexy. Angelina Lopez is definitely a must-read author for me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book solidified Angelina M. Lopez as an auto-buy author for me. I really loved the first book in this series and was beyond thrilled to get this ARC. This is part friends to lovers and part second chance romance. Gillian Armstead-Bancroft is moving back home to Freedom, Kansas after a really difficult divorce from her awful husband. She is on a mission to live a little bit on the wild side and runs into former best friend and the man that taught her everything she knows about sex, Nicky Mendoza. Artist Nicky has been hired to paint a mural depicting the town's history and works alongside Gillian to delve deeper into the past of the town and former residents.

This book is beyond hot! Gillian and Nicky have great chemistry. Gillan is a smart and determined protagonist. I really loved going on this journey with her to reestablish her life outside of her marriage. Her relationship with her kids and family was lovely. I so enjoyed spending time with all of these complex characters. I was glad we got a nice look into how Alex and Jeremiah are doing now. The magical component of this story was so interesting.

I can't wait to see what comes next!