a love letter. to brazil, to women, to the stories we carry, and to the magic that deserves to be seen.

as a brazilian, there is something so incredibly special about seeing ourselves represented in books, especially when that representation comes from someone who understands the beauty, the complexity, and the little things that make our culture ours. and mia sosa does this so beautifully. with so much care, so much affection, and so much respect for a heritage we share.

bianca was such a wonderful character to follow, and i absolutely adored the way her story unfolded against the backdrop of brazilian culture, with little pieces of our world woven into a romance that felt like so much more than a love story. it was an invitation to look closer, to appreciate the details, to remember how much beauty lives in the things we sometimes take for granted.

and it made me think. about all the brilliant women behind cameras, telling stories, documenting lives, creating entire worlds for us to experience. women in brazil and everywhere else whose work deserves so much more recognition than it gets. how many stories are still waiting to be told? how much magic have we missed because the right people haven't been given the space to share it?

this book reminded me that our stories matter. that our heritage is worth celebrating. that there is something extraordinary about seeing pieces of yourself reflected in someone else's words and realizing that, somehow, you belong there, too.

mia sosa wrote a love letter to her heritage, and as a brazilian, i felt like she was writing one to mine, too.

and honestly? what a beautiful thing that is.

i loved this book so, so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam for the early copy in exchange for this review.

Mia Sosa does it again with another banger of a book. “The Girl from Ipanema” is definitely a step away from the capital R romance we know and love from Mia Sosa, but it’s still absolutely perfect in every way. Mia still gives us that perfect banter and humor she’s known for. It’s witty, quick, and moments of pure humor. There are also moments full of emotion, self discovery, a a love letter to Brazil and the Afro-Latine culture. This history provided when it comes to Carnival and Samba interwoven through this beautiful story of reconnection really ties everything together.

When Bianca (FMC) gets the opportunity of a lifetime to direct a documentary of the only samba school on Brazil that’s made up entirely of Women, run by her aunt, with a large production company, a little white lie to push this dream through can’t hurt right? Especially with bringing on her workplace rival but brilliant Cinematographer Miles (MMC). Except neither Niles nor the production company are aware that Bianca hasn’t spoke to her aunt and family in Brazil, ever. She’s never been to Brazil…she can’t even speak Portuguese. So what happens when she arrives o note doorstep of her aunts home to introduce herself for the first time? You’ll have to read t find out.

“The Girl From Ipanema” is Mia Sosa still at her best. She will forever and always be an autobuy author for me and this book is no exception. Pre-order now! “The Girl From Ipanema” publishes on 1/19/2027.