Did you watch The Shape Of Water and think, "I wish this was more gay"? Then this is the perfect book for you. I had so much fun reading this. The romance is sweet, the setting is super interesting, and the found family was so amazing. Honestly, anyone who knows me isn't surprised by how much I loved the found family here. The dynamics are unique and so real. The characters are so believable and somehow relatable despite the fantastical elements of the story. Benny was a great narrator, and I felt immersed into his POV. His character is layered, and the intersectionality of his identity (being Puerto Rican and gay in the early 20th century) was really interesting to see how it affected aspects of the story and his experiences. It felt real, raw, and genuine. His relationship development with Río was so endearing. I loved watching it evolve throughout the story alongside Benny's own personal character development. All in all, this was a great read. The writing is great, the story is amazing, and the characters are super well done. And that ending?! It really worked for me. It was somehow both very vague but also super specific. This is definitely worth checking out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.