JULY 2026 Grace Santamaria and Florencia Etcheves

Books of the Month

 

SEA SALT AND COFFEE BEANS

Author: Grace Santamaria

Publisher: Rising Action Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1998672042 / ISBN-10: 1998672042

 

 

SUMMARY: 

For fans of Karla Cornejo Villavicencio and Tita Ramirez, a contemporary women’s fiction novel about a driven Latina woman navigating career, immigration struggles, and unexpected romance in vibrant Miami.

When Sofia loses her coveted job, her American dream is on the line. With her U.S. work visa hanging by a thread, a job interview at a top Miami marketing firm is her last shot at staying in the country. But as she navigates the high-stakes competition, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to her chief rival for the position—charming and ambitious Esteban.

Esteban embodies the glamorous Miami lifestyle Sofia has always admired, and he’s unbothered by their rivalry. But for Sofia, everything is at stake. She can’t bring herself to tell him how much this job means to her, nor that her future depends on securing it. With her visa expiring, mounting family pressures, and bills piling up, Sofia faces an impossible choice: win the job, or risk returning to a life she fought so hard to leave behind.

Can Sofia claim the career—and the love—she longs for, or will her dreams slip through her fingers just as they’re within reach?

 

 

 

About the Author:

Grace Santamaria is an author of contemporary fiction who writes stories about Latinas making bold moves and crushing life’s challenges. Her debut novel, Sea Salt and Coffee Beans (Rising Action Publishing, 2025), blends office drama, immigration struggles, messy family dynamics, and lots of romance.

Her work explores the intersection of ambition, identity, and belonging for modern Latina women.

Grace holds a BBA from Florida International University and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University. She has spent the past fifteen years working in marketing roles across consumer products companies, with a focus on Latin American markets. She grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia, and now lives in Miami with her husband, children, and an overly enthusiastic golden retriever.

 

 


FRIDA’S COOK

Author: Florencia Etcheves

Publisher: Primero Sueño Press

ISBN-10: 1668076152 / ISBN-13: 978-1668076156

 

 


SUMMARY:

This colorful, emotive historical debut whisks us to the home of Frida Kahlo, where food, art, and love weave together an unforgettable story of friendship and loyalty, with a bright Coyoacán as a vivid background.

A hidden painting. A buried past. A legacy waiting to be uncovered.

Mexico City, 1939: Young and determined Nayeli Cruz flees from her Oaxaca home to arrive in Mexico City with neither friends nor prospects. Alone and armed only with her sharp wit and extraordinary talent in the kitchen, she finds herself in front of La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. As she begins work as the artist’s cook, Nayeli is pulled into Frida’s world of pain, passion, and defiance. But it isn’t long before amid the vibrant tapestry of flavors, scents, and colors, the two women form a deep bond—one that will shape the course of Nayeli’s life and leave behind a secret buried in art.

Buenos Aires, Present Day: Paloma, Nayeli’s granddaughter, stumbles upon a mysterious painting depicting her grandmother as a young woman. The artist’s identity is unknown, but the artwork’s existence threatens to unravel long-held family secrets. As Paloma delves into her grandmother’s past, she uncovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and resilience that challenges everything she thought she knew about the one woman who raised her.

A lyrical and timeless portrait of the human side of one of the world’s most famous painters, Frida’s Cook celebrates the power of female friendship, art, and love. 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Florencia Etcheves is an award-winning journalist, writer, and news presenter. She is also the author of several novels, two of which have been made into feature films, Perdida (Lost) and Netflix’s La Corazonada. Follow her on Instagram @FloEtcheves

 

 

 

 

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