Title: Amor Actually
Author: Adriana Herrera (Editor and Contributor)
Genre: Romance
Published On: December 7, 2021
Publisher: Adriana Herrera Publishing LLC
Source: ebook
Pages: 436
Synopsis:
Nochebuena. One party. Nine Happily Ever Afters.
It’s Christmas Eve in New York City, when anything is possible. For these couples, it’s the season to find true love. From second-chances, big leaps, missed connections, and reconnections, this charming collection celebrates the spirit of the holidays and delivers nine perfect HEAs.
From seven acclaimed and bestselling Latina authors—Zoey Castile, Alexis Daria, Adriana Herrera, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Priscilla Oliveras, Sabrina Sol, and Mia Sosa—comes a holiday romance collection like never before.
Make the Yuletide Gay • Adriana Herrera
After a string of broken engagements, an international Latin Pop Star finds love in her sexy and constant manager. Days before her big live holiday special, Vivi wonders if the woman of her dreams could finally be hers.
Only Yours • Sabrina Sol
The Mayor of New York embarks on a Christmas Eve search to find the woman he loves before she gets away.
Meet Me Under the Mistletoe • by Priscilla Oliveras
Challenged by his friends to find a plus one to Nochebuena dinner or else, widower Hector Gutierrez isn’t sure he’s still got any good moves left. That is until he strikes the right chord with his son’s music teacher, Cristina.
All I Want for Nochebuena • Alexis Daria
When sparks fly between adult film stars Honey and Julie, Honey must work up the courage to invite Julie to her family’s holiday party or risk losing what she really wants for Nochebuena—a chance at true love.
Santa’s Eager Little Helper • by Mia Sosa
Sarita’s plan to confess her crush on a coworker goes awry when she’s tasked with playing the Sexy Elf to his grumpy Santa. Will she seize the opportunity to make Carlos’s naughty list, or will she spend another Nochebuena alone?
The Nochebuena Dating Dare • by Diana Muñoz Stewart
Eneida Lucero takes a second chance on love with the handsome musical director at her school—even if it means causing some Nochebuena drama with her ex-husband and familia.
Love in Spanglish • Zoey Castile
A heartbroken romance writer gets snowed in with a novel-worthy hero who may just make her believe in love again.
To Us, You Are Perfect • Alexis Daria & Adriana Herrera
Newlyweds Pasquale and Yamilette’s Christmas is just short of perfect. The missing piece is their best friend Marcelo, who has loved them from afar for years. This Nochebuena, they’ll finally complete their happily ever after.
The Great Holiday Escape • Zoey Castile
Gigi is always on the hustle, making sure her little sister has everything she needs including a big Christmas Eve fiesta with all their friends and family. That night, Gigi receives an all-expenses paid trip to a luxe South Beach weekend where not one, but two beautiful strangers steal her heart.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Amor Actually is a collection of short stories inspired by the film Love Actually, each one written by a Latina author, and it was fun seeing the well-known stories from the film adapted. Each story follows a character leading up to Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, where they all gather at the end. As is typical of most anthologies, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but this romance collection has something for everyone. If you’re not a fan of open-door romances, you should probably skip this one. Almost all of the stories are ultra steamy, with the exception of a few.
The only author I’d previously read from this collection is Priscilla Oliveras, and her story, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe”, did not disappoint. It was inspired by the widowed character played by Liam Neeson in the film. It’s also one of the more PG-13 stories in the collection. It was sweet, romantic, and hopeful!
I also enjoyed “The Nochebuena Dating Dare” by Diana Muñoz Stewart. This story follows Eneida, a school librarian, and I always appreciate a good bookish romance. This one had depth and was very well-written.
My favorite story in Amor Actually was “Love in Spanglish” by Zoey Castile, inspired by Colin Firth’s character in Love Actually. Castile flipped the gender and gave us a struggling female writer who sequesters herself away in an Airbnb house the week before Christmas to finish her book before her deadline. She gets snowed-in with the owner’s handsome brother who doesn’t speak English, and they learn a new love language. Super cute, well-written, and ultra romantic!
“There were a million ways to make love work, a million types of love, each one as probable and rare as lightning during a blizzard. Theirs was love in Spanglish, love in touch, love in breakfast, love in coffee, love in snowstorms, love in Christmas. Their love had its own language.”
“Love in Spanglish”, Zoey Castile
What I enjoy most about reading anthologies is it’s a quick way to be introduced to new authors, and I definitely found a few I’d like to read more from. This anthology is also filled with so much delicious sounding food, including one story that features a cooking show. It was fun getting to experience Nochebuena with so many different characters!
Thank you to Priscilla Oliveras and her team for providing me with an advance copy.
Overall Rating:
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About the Authors
Adriana Herrera
USA Today bestselling author ADRIANA HERRERA was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last 15 years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings.
Her debut Dreamers, has been featured on Entertainment Weekly, NPR, the TODAY Show on NBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Oprah Magazine.
When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a social worker in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Sabrina Sol
I’m the chica who loves love! I write spicy romance stories about strong Latinas and their seach for love, success and happiness. I live in sunny Southern California with my husband, three kids and two Beagles. And my large, extended Mexican family may — or may not — be the source of inspiration behind some of my characters!
Priscilla Oliveras
PRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. She and her work have earned praise from the Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, among others. Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the program and teaches the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. While she’s a romance genre junkie, Priscilla also considers herself a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.
Alexis Daria
Alexis Daria writes stories about successful Latinx characters and their (occasionally messy) familias. You Had Me at Hola, the first book in her Primas of Power series, is a national bestseller. Alexis is a lifelong New Yorker who loves Broadway musicals and pizza.
Mia Sosa
Mia Sosa is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. Her books have received praise from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, NPR, and more.
Booklist recently called her “the new go-to author for fans of sassy and sexy contemporary romances,” and Entertainment Weekly described her trade paperback debut, The Worst Best Man, as “rom-com perfection.”
A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (read: sweatpants). Now she writes fun, flirty, and moderately dirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match.
Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and one dog that rules them all.
Diana Muñoz Stewart
Armed with a razor-sharp wit and a rolled-up MFA in Creative Writing, Diana Muñoz Stewart cartwheel-kicked her way into publishing with her fiery Black Ops Confidential series. Washington Independent Review of Books called the series’ award-winning debut, “original, impressive” a “rollicking good ride” and “high-octane.”
Of her writing Publishers Weekly said, “Stewart plays adeptly with the reader’s emotions” and noted that in her series, “Stewart’s talent shines.”
Of her unflinching openness in taking on today’s relevant topics, Booklist noted, “Munoz-Stewart discusses such sensitive topics as human trafficking, sexual violence, and sexism…while the diverse …Parish family and their mission to protect women everywhere give these topics…hope…”
Kirkus Book Reviews noted her romantic suspense series, along with having, “Sizzling physical encounters” also “enables an emphasis on recovery and power.”
Munoz Stewart’s work has been a BookPage Top 15 Romance of 2018, a Night Owl Top Pick, A BookPage Top Pick, and an Amazon Book of the Month. A 2014 Pages From The Heart Winner, 2015 Golden Heart® Finalist, 2016 Daphne du Maurier Finalist, and a 2016 Gateway to the Best Winner, Diana Munoz Stewart is a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime.
Diana lives in an often chaotic and always welcoming home that—depending on the day—can hold husband, kids, extended family, friends, and a canine or two. A believer in the power of words to heal, connect, and distract from chores, Diana blogs regularly on topics near and dear to her heart, including spotlight pieces on strong women from around the world. When not writing, Diana can be found kayaking, doing sprints up her long driveway—harder than it sounds–attempting yoga on her deck, or hiking with the man who’s had her heart since they were teens.
Diana is represented by the wonderful Michelle Grajkowski of Three Seas Literary Agency.
Zoey Castile
Zoey Castile was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. She started writing in her teens and pursued that love in her studies at Hunter College and the University of Montana. For nearly a decade, she worked as a bartender, hostess, and manager in New York City’s nightlife.
Have you read Amor Actually? Or did you add it to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I have been seeing this anthology around a bit and I can’t wait to try it myself! I had no idea it was based off Love Actually the movie! Thanks for the great review, Dedra!
Yay!! I thought it was pretty creative and fun!
I’m going to keep this in mind for when I want holiday read next year. Great review!
Perfect! I think it’s one you’d enjoy. 🙂