Romance Literature: Hispanic/Latino ChicK Lit

Marcella, Olivia and Alexis have bonded not only over the trouble with men but about how tough it is to make life work in L.A. no matter what you do. Marcella is a hot young television actress, hardly able to enjoy the life she's bought for herself and certainly not enjoying her body, which is never quite perfect enough. Olivia's boy is her toddler son-and she's tethered to him and to her suburban mommy track so tightly the other girls sometimes cringe. Alexis has a smart mouth and an ample body; she's a beautiful musicians' manager with loads of style but about enough self-esteem to fill a Prada card case. Her complicated love affair with the casually sexy Cuban rapper Goyo is a deeply satisfying romance that will delight readers almost as much as the emotional richness and girly fun of the heroines' friendship.

Meet the six unforgettable women who make up
The Dirty Girls Social Club.
Lauren, the “caliente” columnist for the local Boston paper whose love life is making headlines… Sara, the perfect wife and mother who’s got it all but pays a high price… Elizabeth, the stunning black Latina whose TV anchor job conflicts with her intensely private personal life… Amber, the Valley girl who doesn’t speak Spanish but is fast becoming a huge rock star en Espanol… Rebecca, hyper-in-command in her glossy magazine world but clueless when it comes to men…and Usnavys, fabulous, larger than life, and at risk of falling head over five-inch Manolos in love….
No matter what happens to each of them, the Girls dish, dine, whine, and compare notes as they try to sort out the bumpy course of life and love. And what a wild ride it is!

Fifteen-year-old Cynthia Lopez made a promise to her dying father: she will live with her two stepsisters, Ami and Lila, until she turns 25, at which point she'll inherit his large estate. Now, nine years later, twenty-four-year-old Cyn is counting down the days to that fateful birthday. At first, living with Ami and Lila had been fun, even exciting at times. Two of New York’s hottest It-Girls, they know all the right people, own all the right things, and go to all the right parties. Sensible Cyn used to be content hiding in the shadows of her larger-than-life sisters. Now, Cyn is finally wising up and realizing that she is no longer stepsister to the stars--she is personal assistant/slave to the stars (or Las Diablas, as the Latin press likes to call them). And, when Prince Charming enters, Cyn must go head-to-head with her truly wicked stepsisters in order to win back her father’s fortune, her perfect man, and, most importantly, her life.

Reporter Sylvia Amenabar loves her vida loca. Just months ago, she and her three best friends -- Adriana, Juli, and Tori -- were happily single, hoisting mojitos at their weekly get-together. Now, everything's changed. All four women have sexy men in their lives -- and Sylvia's not sure she likes it that way.

Carmen DuPre knows she's one fine-looking woman -- and any man who insists on making a fool of himself over her deserves the heartless treatment she's so good at dishing out. As far as Carmen's concerned, being gorgeous entitles her to anything she wants: an undeserved promotion, expensive gifts, courtside Lakers tickets, and more. But the results of a routine medical exam threaten to knock this beauty off her pedestal -- she might have to trade her looks for her life.

Ever since an article about Lupe Perez ran in the UCLA paper, she's become the poster child for the American Dream: East L.A. bad girl who slashed cop makes good! She goes to school full-time, works in the food court, and volunteers at a center for at-risk teens. Against all odds, Lupe has turned her life around. The thing is, she never asked for all this attention. Now, her professor wants her to write a gigantic thesis about what Americanization means to Mexican immigrants-and she's not even sure yet what it means to her.

With no marriage prospects and a high-powered career, Marcela Alvarez is already a spinster in the eyes of her traditional family. But when she finds out her deadbeat dad wasn't Latino, her problems only worsen. It's time for her to change some things and prove she still has Chicana roots with a fool-proof ten-step plan, including:
- Dating Mexican men. Her work crush, George Ramirez, almost fills the bill-except that he can't speak Spanish...
- Learning to cook, homestyle. Now, she can't even make mac and cheese without burning the house down. But that's nothing a few private cooking lessons can't fix, especially with a hot maestro...
- Mentoring an at-risk Latina. But with Lupe's switchblade and bad attitude, Marcela starts to wonder: which of them is more at risk...
And when she's done, she'll be able to out-Latina her sisters and cousins, no problem. But who knew being herself could be so much work?

Tamara Contreras will never again settle for unmemorable sex. Her long-time boyfriend may look perfect to her traditional Mexican-American parents -- something Tamara has never been -- but at twenty-six she wants more from life than marriage and motherhood. So in front of everyone, Tamara does the unthinkable: She turns down her boyfriend's unexpected marriage proposal and leaves home for L.A.
Tamara thinks she's got the single-girl-in-the-city thing down, until she runs into Will Benavides, the former high school bad boy turned firefighter. If Tamara's parents had known how Will lit up her teenage fantasies, she'd have been shipped off to the nuns for sure! Now Will wants to make those fantasies come true permanently.

Whether they're flirting en espanol, gossiping over mojitos, or dancing with their latest papi chulos, these characters prove that there is nothing quite like a night out with your chicas. Set in New York City, Miami's South Beach, downtown Chicago, and L.A., these four flirty novellas explore dating, marriage, friendship, and sex, through the eyes of four different Latina women.

"Told in alternating voices, the story of a Puerto Rican woman and an African American man who find love through a stronger relationship with God"