Have you met Marisa de los Santos? No? Well, I highly encourage you to make your introductions! With her lively mix of poignant and funny, cozy and contemporary there is much to enjoy in these novels:
Love Walked In
Cornelia Brown wasn't expecting her very own Cary Grant to walk into the coffee shop she manages in Philadelphia. It's what happens after Martin Grace sweeps her off her feet that is the real story, though. When 11-year-old Clare Hobbes shows up, looking for her father, Cornelia's life becomes full in a way that she hadn't expected. This touching story of friendship and family is both thoughtful and entertaining.
Belong to Me
In de los Santos' follow up novel, Belong to Me, she revisits the life of Cornelia. While marriage to her childhood friend, Teo, is what she has always hoped for, moving to the suburbs may be more than Cornelia can handle. For every run in with Piper Truitt, though, there is her growing friendship with Lake and her gifted son Dev to balance it out. The connections between the characters and the poetic language are, again, the highlights of de los Santos' second novel.
Falling Together
A lot has changed in the six years since Pen, Will, and Cat have last spoken. After reuniting at their college reunion, Will and Pen pledge to find Cat and rebuild their incredible friendship. All of their lives and emotions have become more complicated, though. This is another touching, smart story of the truths of the human heart from de los Santos.
