



A Touch of Moonlight
A Novel
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
"A delicious culinary romance." —Booklist
From the author of A Taste of Sage comes another charming and engrossing novel in which a young woman must navigate her family’s expectations, the demands of her job, a new love, and a secret about her magical identity.
Larimar Cintrón works hard at three things: her job as brand manager for Beacon Café, a New York based corporate bakery chain; taking care of her parents and her abuela; and hiding that she’s a ciguapa—a mythical creature of Dominican folklore with long, straight hair and backwards-facing feet. Larimar may only be a ciguapa on full moons, but she feels like an outsider in her family the rest of the month too. Her love of ’90s punk rock music and style further sets her apart. But when her best friend introduces her to Ray, a bakery owner and fellow punk rock lover, Larimar thinks she may have finally found someone with whom she can be her true self.
As Beacon’s brand manager, Larimar oversees all new location openings, including its newest store in New Jersey, which could be the project that finally lands her a coveted promotion. But when she discovers the location is right across from Ray’s bakery, Borrachitos, Larimar is torn between impressing her boss and saving Ray’s business.
As Larimar continues to grow closer to Ray and the new store’s opening looms, she struggles to hide the truth about herself and her job. But embracing her magical nature may be the only way Larimar can have everything she wants. Witty and poignant, A Touch of Moonlight is a celebration of heritage, culture, and identity—of embracing yourself and finding your place in the world.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Santos offers up another culinary romance with a dash of fantasy in her sweet but slightly unsatisfying sophomore novel (after A Taste of Sage). Larimar Cintrón has always felt like an outsider, from her love of punk music to the fact that, every full moon, she secretly turns into a ciguapa, a mythical creature from Dominican folklore with backward facing feet, straight hair, and a craving for butter. After a pleasant blind date with Ray Antonio Concepción, a baker and fellow punk fan, Larimar considers giving love a chance. But her job as brand manager for the popular bakery chain Beacon Café puts her in a tight spot when she's asked to oversee a new store opening directly across the street from Ray's bakery, Borrachitos. A successful store opening might mean a promotion—but would Ray ever forgive her if she put him out of business? The central relationship is fun but slow-moving, and Ray's too-nice personality and lack of development make it difficult to invest in the couple. Still, Larimar's journey to accepting her ciguapa identity is admirable, and the recipes between chapters are a treat for baking enthusiasts. It's not perfect, but Santos's fans will find plenty to enjoy.