Lorena Hughes

The Spanish Daughter is a historical mystery set in 1920s Ecuador by Ecuadorian author Lorena Hughes. The main character is Maria Purificacion deLafont or Puri, who sells her chocolate shop in Seville, Spain to move to Vinces, Ecuador with her husband Cristóbal de Balboa when she learns her father has left her a cacao plantation there. On the voyage she is attacked by a mysterious stranger and her husband is killed in the struggle. Fearing for her life, Puri decides to masquerade as her husband and try to uncover who was responsible for the attempt on her life.

When she arrives at the plantation she discovers her father Don Armand, who had left Spain many years before, has left her with three half siblings. The beautiful Angélica is very resentful of her Spanish sister and her large inheritance. Catalina is still unmarried and the locals revere her as a saint. Alberto, the brother, is becoming a priest. Lastly there is the handsome Marin Sabater who runs the plantation. The story is full of intrigue and buried secrets, and draws you into both the mystery and life on a plantation during the cacao boom in the Guayas Basin of Ecuador. I enjoyed the story and the audio narration by Frankie Corzo and would be happy to read another of Lorena’s books.… (meer)

Set in 1920s Ecuador, The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes revolves around twenty-eight year old chocolatier Maria Purificacion de Lafont y Toledo (Puri) ,daughter of a French father and Spanish mother, who runs her own chocolate shop in Seville, Spain with her aspiring writer husband, Cristobal.

After the demise of her estranged father who abandoned her and her mother twenty-five years ago she inherits a large share of his cacau plantation in Vinces, Ecuador. En route to Ecuador, an attempt on her life results in the death of her husband whose body goes overboard along with their assailant. Sensing that her attack is linked to her inheritance she impersonates her late husband and informs her half-siblings, whose existence she was unaware of before reaching Ecuador that “Puri” passed away on the journey due to illness, while she tries to unmask the identity of the person who plotted the attempt on her life and murdered her husband. As the story progresses and we get to know more about the siblings-their pasts, their complicated personal relationships and how they truly feel about one another, long buried family secrets and deceptions are exposed . For Puri , keeping her true identity a secret becomes increasingly difficult as she tries to determine who she can actually trust and what she needs to do stay safe.

For the most part, the narrative is carried by Puri with some segments in the voices of her half-sisters Angelica and Catalina. In Puri the author creates an intelligent and brave woman who is
ahead of her time. While impersonating her husband she experiences first-hand how societal norms and expectations set for men and women are tilted largely in favor of men. Her experiences and interpretations of the same make for some very interesting and entertaining reading.

With the vivid backdrop of the cacao boom in the Guayas Basin of Ecuador, The Spanish Daughter is a very engaging work of historical fiction with an element of suspense that keeps you hooked till the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and finished it in a day.

Thanks to Goodreads, the author and Kensington Books for the Advance Reader’s Edition.… (meer)

3.75⭐️

Set in Columbia in 1925, during the Cali earthquake, the narrative of The Queen of Valley follows Maria Purificacion “Puri” de Lafont y Toledo as she travels to Colombia in search of Martin Sabater, with whom she shared history and who was her cacao supplier for her chocolate business. Martin owned his own cacao plantation and was in contact with Puri until recently. Martin’s most recent correspondence has Puri concerned for his wellbeing and when she arrives at his hacienda in the aftermath of an earthquake, barely escaping being attacked by miscreants on the way, she comes to know that Martin disappeared on the night of a fundraising gala held at his residence three months ago and is presumed dead. Puri, posing as a nun, finds a position helping take care of patients amid a cholera outbreak while she searches for clues that could lead her to the truth behind Martin’s disappearance. His hacienda has been converted into a hospital run by his childhood friend Dr. Farid Manzur, whose sister Sor Camila, a nun, is working as a nurse in the hospital. Another childhood friend of Martin’s, photographer Lucas Ferreira is also present on the premises, curious about what happened to Martin and on a personal quest for answers to questions about his own family history. The narrative follows Lucas, Puri and Camila as they try to make sense of what happened to Martin.

I really enjoyed The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes and was eager to meet Puri and Martin once again and see how their story continued. The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes Is a well-written novel. I enjoyed the setting and the suspenseful vibe. Combining elements of historical fiction with family drama and an intricately plotted mystery set amid the Cali earthquake of 1925, I found this to be an engrossing read. Presented from the perspectives of Lucas, Puri and Camila, the author deftly weaves past and present timelines into a well-rounded narrative. The pacing is a tad uneven but not so much that messes with the flow of the story., The mystery behind Martin’s disappearance was well crafted but with so many subplots and storylines in the mix, I thought the narrative got a tad convoluted which did detract from the overall reading experience and left me with some questions at the end. Overall, while I enjoyed the story, I did not find it as compelling as The Spanish Daughter.

Though this novel can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading The Spanish Daughter before picking this one up to fully appreciate Puri and Martin’s backstory.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.… (meer)

The story is interesting, the characters are solid if not entirely captivating, the mystery is intriguing enough for me to have finished the book. As a work of historical fiction, I would have preferred it to feel more grounded in that era and location, which it didn't to me. The story could have taken place anywhere at any time. Mainly, however, the writing is pedestrian. It's absolutely capable but it never rises above. It had no spark, nothing transcendent that would make it remarkable or re-readable, and that's where it fell flat for me.… (meer)