A review by torilovesheas
Kiss Me, Mi Amor by Alana Quintana Albertson

emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

While I didn’t find the romance in Kiss Me, Mi Amor all that great (lack of chemistry, MCs that have no common ground, no real relationship development), I really was mostly invested in the FMC, Carolina, and her journey. 

Carolina comes from a big, traditional Mexican American family. And I do mean traditional. The oldest has to date before anyone else can, you can’t spend the night with a man unless you’re married, a man has to ask for your father’s permission to date you, etc. Super traditional. And Carolina loves her family. She loves her parents and her sisters and their community. But she’s 1st gen and is having a hard time abiding by her father’s rules when she just wants freedom to live her own life. 

And like….lots of reviews were like “families like that don’t exist anymore and I hated how misogynistic her community was”. But I get it. I got Carolina’s struggle. I was raised in a very similar Southern Baptist family and while my family wouldn’t have disowned me if I stayed out all night with a man, there was no babies before marriage or spending the night with a boyfriend and everything was about appearances and how the church and community would cast my decisions onto my parents. 

I just felt for Carolina. I understood her struggle. I understood her “she’s such a wild child and disrespectful” when really…she has always put her family first and just wanted freedom. I was rooting for her so hard. 

And I don’t think Albertson made her mom and dad these big bad villains. They love their kids. And their kids love them. But they’re set in their ways and think they’re doing everything right because it’s how they were raised. 

I just really enjoyed Carolina’s journey and wanted her to be happy so bad. And I loved that happiness didn’t mean turning her back on her family and traditions and culture. It just meant “hey I’d like my own house so I don’t have to live with my parents as an adult and can have my own space”. 


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