The Spanish Daughter – ARC Book Review

Perfect for fans of Julia Alvarez and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this exhilarating novel transports you to the lush tropical landscape of 1920s Ecuador, blending family drama, dangerous mystery, and the real-life history of the coastal town known as the “birthplace of cacao.”

As a child in Spain, Puri always knew her passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. But it’s not until his death that she learns of something else she’s inherited—a cocoa estate in Vinces, Ecuador, a town nicknamed “París Chiquito.” Eager to claim her birthright and filled with hope for a new life after the devastation of World War I, she and her husband Cristóbal set out across the Atlantic Ocean. But it soon becomes clear someone is angered by Puri’s claim to the estate…

When a mercenary sent to murder her aboard the ship accidentally kills Cristóbal instead, Puri dons her husband’s clothes and assumes his identity, hoping to stay safe while she searches for the truth of her father’s legacy in Ecuador. Though freed from the rules that women are expected to follow, Puri confronts other challenges at the estate—newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father’s dark secrets. Then there are the dangers awakened by her attraction to an enigmatic man as she tries to learn the identity of an enemy who is still at large, threatening the future she is determined to claim…

Content Warning:- Murder

This book is a historical fiction mingled with mystery and thriller, set in the 1920’s in a small town of Ecuador. The cover was pretty and the story plotline also intrigued me so I decided to try this book out. And it’s all about chocolate and heck I love chocolate!

Puri owns a chocolate shop in Spain and when she gets a letter that her estranged father had left her cocoa plantations in her name in Ecuador, she set out with her husband, Don Cristobel to Ecuador–only while traveling, an assassin tries to kill her but her husband ends up being killed. Realizing that one of her half siblings in Ecuador might be responsible for the murder, she disguises herself as her husband and meets her half sisters Angelica and Catalina and brother Albert. And while trying to avenge her husband’s killer, seeking revenge, she finds many deep secrets about her family.

I have to say, the whole story is beautifully written and I got to learn so much about the culture and lifestyle in Ecuador. The author, who is Ecuadorian herself has done some tremendous research about cocoa plantations in Ecuador. The story is mainly told from the perspectives of Puri though there were parts of Angelica and Catalina as well so you could get a glimpse of the sister’s life. Though the ending was slightly predictable, nonetheless, the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story as well! And the descriptions of chocolate made me crave for chocolate!

Here’s the thing–the sibling rivalry, the fight for inheritance and the way one would even commit a murder to get the inheristance is all true realistic. The author has done a tremendous research on cocoa plantations, and the setting of the story in 1920’s made this story more exceptional.

Oh, if you have read the Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia, this book kind of reminded me of Mexican Gothic though ghosts and gothic story were not present in the book.

If you are into

• A historical fiction with a mystery/thriller setting

Then this book is the one for you. Worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.