Shall I Stay (Los Morales #1) by Nuria Munoz

 

Summary (from the publisher): Like it or not, it's fight or flight when it comes to love and legacy.

Professor Magdalena Martín needs to find a man—or at least find out why he disappeared in the sixteenth century. Research leads her from Spain to picturesque Puerto Rico. Accustomed to being a team of one, she finds herself working alongside a too-charming-for-his-own-good fellow historian who proves to be an unfortunately distracting necessity.

The last thing Rico Morales expected when he left Wall Street was to end up going on a wild-goose chase with a snooty academic. Can't a man aimlessly search for his life's purpose in peace? His loose itinerary did not include bantering through a genealogical investigation with a captivating colleague—or grappling with their undeniable connection.

'Lena' is on a singular mission to solve this career-defining mystery and return to her life in Salamanca. Yet the more time she spends with Rico, the more she falls for the enchanting island and his smoldering smile. When they're together, possibilities hum. Like the possibility of something that would stand the test of time—if only she were the sort to stay.

First in the Los Morales series, "Shall I Stay" is an opposites-attract, witty contemporary romance with swoony kisses only and no swearing. Extra dose of yearning tension included.

Review: What a charming story! This one really pulled me in from the very beginning with the grumpiest meet-cute! Lena is NOT pleased when Rico is late to pick her up at the airport on her work trip to Puerto Rico (through no fault of his own). But Rico proves to be so charming and sweet that she can't help but begin to like him despite herself. 

One of my very favorite things about this book was how immersed I felt in the location! I truly felt transported to Puerto Rico. From the descriptions of the streets, food, houses, and more, the author's intimate knowledge of the island is abundantly evident. I especially loved all the detailed descriptions of local food!! I wanted to grab myself a plate in a bad way! For instance, the meal Lena enjoys when she visits Rico's family: "Besides the fluffy-cloud white rice and crispy tostones, there are tender red beans stewed in a rich tomato-based sauce with pieces of decadent ham and tender squash. But the star of the show is a vinegary marinated steak sauteed with sweet onion" (78). 

The pacing of this novel was also really well done. I loved the way the hurricane blows up, just as Lena and Rico's feelings are also emerging. I loved that they were forced to hunker down together. Similarly, the tour the pair give for Rico's family tour guide business, followed by dancing on ship was so fun! This felt like transformative, bonding experiences that really gave them a chance to get to know each other and let the chemistry build between the pair. 

Despite this being a contemporary story, because of the characters' work in genealogy, there was still a lot of historical detail included in this. The author did such a wonderful job of researching and incorporating the characters' efforts to track down the missing historical figure from the sixteenth century. I do feel like the reason characters are brought together in many romances feels contrived or patently fabricated, so I greatly appreciated that that was not the case in this novel! The author did such a thorough job of researching sufficiently to make the historical research feel genuine, as well as the characters' interest and work in it. I really appreciated this. 

I do wish we had gotten more detailed insight into Lena's background and upbringing. The loss of her parents is referenced, as is the tough upbringing she had afterward, but she never really goes into detail about who raised her, the years she was forced to dance, how she got into genealogy - short the many reasons why she is so closed off emotionally. I feel like we learn a good bit about Rico and his family, so I wish the same had been true of Lena. 

So glad I read this! This really felt unique in its setting and character development compared to many contemporary romances I read in a really great way. 

Stars: 4