Romance Novels by Hispanic Authors
2024’s top-read, 5-star reviewed, and highly recommended debut and veteran hispanic authors to start reading now.
Vamos!
Let’s celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month the best way we know how to at little infinite – with books! Specifically romance books, because let’s be real.. we are a sucker for love.
As a White Woman of a Certain Age, who just so happens to be in the publishing industry, reading mindfully is very important to me. There are some areas where I need to branch out, and books by Hispanic authors was a priority for me! Until I started stacking my reading list, I would automatically think of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or poet Pablo Neruda in reference to Hispanic writers. Not great. I truly needed to expand my reading horizons.
The publishing playing field has become much more equitable in the last few years, thanks to increased awareness of the issue and actual steps taken by major publishing houses to make their lists more diverse. We are closer than we have ever been, but we as an industry still have work to do.
A long roster of Hispanic authors is finding new audiences and enjoying new fans due to #BookTok, which has a pretty stellar track record launching both new and established authors into the stratosphere. And that happens to be how I fell down this rabbit hole. Watching #BookTok videos, which is a DANGEROUS way to spend time if you already have a teetering TBR. One clip led to another, then another—you know how it is. Before I knew it, I had an amazing jumping-off point into the rich world of Hispanic literature. It all started with one book, which lead to the curation of this list!
Must-Read Romance Novels by Hispanic Authors
Ana María and the Fox by Liana De La Rosa
One of Library Journal’s Best Romances of 2023
A BookList Editor’s Pick of 2023
The first book in the historical Luna Sisters series is a perfect mix of politics, family antics, and sisterly drama. Oh, and a slow-burn romance that will knock your stockings off!
Ana María has always tried to be perfect. The perfect niece, the perfect daughter, and the perfect person to represent her powerful family on a trip to London.
She and her sisters are secretly sent to the UK to seek refuge from the French occupation of Mexico, and Ana María has her very first taste of freedom away from their domineering father. She can try and ignore the news from home, but she cannot ignore the connection she feels with a certain politician.
Gideon Fox was born in the gutter. After chasing opportunities for his whole life, Gideon is a member of Parliament and is determined to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. The beautiful, charming, vexing Ana María is simply a distraction to be avoided.
Until he can’t possibly avoid her anymore. When he discovers that a corrupt nobleman has set his eyes on Ana María to advance his own political agenda, Gideon knows there is only one way to save her. He simply must offer her his hand as protection. Can Ana María win his heart, as well? Don’t miss the next book, Isabel and the Rogue!
Liana De la Rosa was always a romance reader, but she never thought about writing her own until her husband asked her why she hadn’t. When she isn’t thinking about her strong heroines or swoon-worthy heroes, she chases her three small children at their home in Arizona.
THE MEDIA’S THOUGHTS:
“Pleasingly subversive.”–New York Times Book Review
“A perfect mix of slow-burn romance, geopolitical maneuvering and sisterly antics.”–The Washington Post
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Bonus – This romance novel by a hispanic author also has a Spanish version that’s just as popular!
This instant New York Times and USA Today best-seller is without a doubt my favorite read on this list! The author has delivered an excellent star-crossed lovers story wrapped up in 1840s Mexico with a paranormal twist, there is a ton going on without being overwhelming. The set up: something more sinister than Anglos lurks near Nena’s family ranch at night. It drains people of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Nena was attacked by…something nearly ten years ago. The boy she loved, Néstor, incorrectly assumed that she was dead after the attack, and he has been on the run ever since. He’s never forgotten Nena and is tortured by memories of her and what he could have done differently.
The two are reunited when the United States invades Mexico in 1846, when Nena is acting as a healer for the soldiers and Néstor is in the auxiliary cavalry, made up of ranchers and vaqueros. The shock of meeting again is nearly overwhelming, but the two of them don’t have time to wallow. They have to put their issues aside to deal with something far worse. A terrifying nightmare has appeared in the flesh, and unless Nena and Néstor can figure out how to work together, neither of them will survive to see the sunrise.
Isabel Cañas identifies as a Mexican American author of speculative fiction inspired by her research and heritage. She’s lived all over the world in places like Scotland, Turkey, Egypt, and New York City. Currently, she is staying in one spot on the Pacific Northwest coast. Isabel holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations!
THE MEDIA’S THOUGHTS:
“Cañas masterfully interweaves horror, historical fiction, and romance in this gripping novel.” — BookRiot
” Vampires of El Norte is a chilling horror story, an immersive love story, and a gripping tale of a tumultuous + dangerous moment in history.” — Crime by the Book
Love Of My Lives by Yamile Saied Méndez
Many years ago, the initials “JR” appeared to Madi in a dream. It was more of a “visitation” really, during which her beloved abuela revealed this tiny peek into her future. And now she lives with Jayden, who has the right initials and everything! But Madi wishes for a bit more romance in her life, even though her friends think that she could be happy with Jayden if her expectations weren’t so high. But…they are.
When the opportunity for a trip to Puerto Rico presents itself, Madi is happy. She can finally scatter her grandmother’s ashes on the beach and maybe some time apart will help clarify things between her and Jayden.
But Madi meets a man in Puerto Rico. He’s handsome, he makes her heart beat triple-time, and he just might be perfect for Madi. And she’d be all in if it weren’t for those pesky initials…this new twist on the soulmate trope (one of our faves!) will have romance lovers dreaming of their own legendary love story!
Yamile Saied Méndez identifies as an Argentine American author. She is also the mother of five kids and wrangler of two adorable dogs. She was an inaugural recipient of the Walter Dean Myers Grant and a graduate of Voices of Our Nation (VONA). Her young adult novel, Furia, received a Pura Belpré gold medal.
THE MEDIA’S THOUGHTS:
“Love of My Lives is a lush, vibrant and enchanting story. Escape into the magic of a love destined to be… You won’t regret it.” –Jayci Lee, author of Booked on a Feeling
Witch of Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
A People Magazine Romantasy Pick!
There is an old wives’ tale in the Flores family history. The story says that a Flores woman offended a god at some point down the line, which is why every woman born into the family is cursed…with just a hint of magic.
Sage has been avoiding her family, and her “gift” ever since her younger sister died eight years before. After many years of self-imposed exile, she reluctantly returns to her hometown. She takes a job a Cranberry Rose Company and, because her “gift” gives her the ability to communicate with plants, Sage decides to focus on locating plants with unusual properties in the area surrounding the town.
It sounds like a very quiet way to live, and Sage feels herself opening up again. Part of that is due4 to her very handsome co-worker, a man named Tennessee Reyes, who just happened to be a boy who broke her heart in high school. And being with him again is bringing back tons of wonderful memories…and he’s starting to show her that he may be reliving the old days, too. Sage tells herself that you can’t go home again…but she did. And it is wonderful. Is there too much history between Tenn and Sage to allow a mature relationship to develop?
Raquel Vasquez Gilliland identifies as a Mexican American artist, writer, wife and mother, and an aspiring farmer. She loves exploring myths, folklore, and lineage of just about anything. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Gilliland has a B.A. in cultural anthropology and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage!
THE MEDIA’S THOUGHTS:
“In her magical, beautiful adult debut, Witch of Wild Things, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland absolutely mesmerizes with a richly woven story encompassing family, friendship, and romantic love. The tenderness between Sage and Tennessee truly captured my heart. Perfect for fans of Lisa Kleypas and yet at the same time gorgeously unique, this earthy and luminous book will leave readers spellbound.” –India Holton, national bestselling author of The League of Gentlewomen Witches
” Witch of Wild Things is such a beautiful story of family, friendship, and falling in love. I mean, an anonymous AIM chat relationship from high school, with the boy on the other end now all grown up into a tattooed, plant-loving man? Sisters with a thorny, complicated relationship in need of nourishing? A woman who doesn’t see herself as the special, rare flower she is . . . until she does? Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s adult debut is everything I love about romance!” –Alicia Thompson, national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
“Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s adult debut is spooky, sexy and magical. Witch of Wild Things is a perfect mix of magical realism and swoony romance, with a fair amount of family drama and love. You’ll fall in love with the Flores sisters in this cozy, wonderful novel.”– Elissa Sussman, bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask
Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas
Josie Moore has been engaged four times. Josie Moore has been married zero times. And this fact is apparently embarrassing enough for her influential father to tell her that her romantic track record doesn’t reflect well on the family. If only a solution would present itself…quickly.
When a very handsome man literally stumbles upon a family occasion, Josie knows she has one chance to make her family believe in her for once. She immediately starts introducing Matthew Flanagan as her fiancé. All he did was take a wrong turn and get stuck in the mud. And now he’s engaged?!
It happens that Matthew is her brother’s best friend, so he and Josie are immediately put up into a PR whirlwind that should make her father very happy. Against his better judgement, Matthew agrees to go along with Josie’s nutty plan, even going so far as to put an actual ring on her actual ring finger.
This is a temporary situation. They both know it. But Matthew dotes on her, even if it is just for looks, even if they have a “no actually getting married” agreement between them. Soon lines start to blur. Can Josie show her father and the rest of the local naysayers that sometimes, the fifth attempt is The One.
Author Elena Armas has written several New York Times bestsellers (in Spanish, she finds it more comfortable to write in her first language), including The American Roommate Experiment and The Spanish Love Deception. A book hoarder and a hopeless romantic, she hopes that her books make your cheeks flush deeply enough that people around you want to know just what you are reading!
THE MEDIA’S THOUGHTS:
“Who can resist a fake engagement and a pet named Pedro Pigscal? Josie and Matthew are Elena Armas’s swooniest couple yet.” –Hannah Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Icebreaker
“The Fiance Dilemma is Elena’s best work yet–the perfect combination of swoony and sexy that had me screaming and kicking my feet from start to finish.” –Lana Ferguson, bestselling author of The Nanny
Are you a mindful reader? If not, consider giving it a shot! A diverse range of authors on your TBR is a great way to expand your horizons and can teach us a lot about different cultures around the world. And it is a lot cheaper than a plane ticket!
