Muñeca

By: Cynthia Gómez

Narrated by: Elena Rey, Frankie Corzo

"Filled with longing and desire, Muñeca explores the true cost of freedom and the lengths we go to attain it. Cynthia Gómez's writing is utterly hypnotic; from the very beginning, she had me completely under her spell." —Monika Kim, author of Eyes are the Best Part

A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.

It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.

Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta’s caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?

As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts— ones she hoped would stay gone forever.

Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love—even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.

I liked this.

This was great. Would love to read more from this author. Wish it was longer as well!

Great Suspense

I love the magic detailed in this book. The way it's connected to music and rage is palpable and thrilling.

Perfect Pride Month Pick

The author’s note is also interesting in sharing the history of how the United States stole land from Mexico. She was inspired to write this story after finding out more about this history and based the family’s backstory on liberation movements/longing for the good days.
The 60s are already a decade I’m interested in and stories of queer love surviving against all hate during then inspire me.

Bound for a spell

This book will keep you captivated by it’s characters, story, and overall magic. Though not as long as a typical read, the plot gives you a hard look at how important empathy is, and how far one is willing to go in the pursuit of justice (or better yet, love). Well done!