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Muñeca
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jun 26A 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.
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.
176 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication June 2, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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December 17, 2025I NEED IT OMG
2026
January 7, 2026Halloween TBR
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📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pride TBR
Latine Heritage Month TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
{Thank you, NetGalley and Putnum, for the ARC!}
Muñeca is a novel about Natalia, a Mexican-American woman, looking to earn more money than she can count by curing the magical curse that ails the bedridden and paralyzed young heiress, Violeta Miramontes, and finds herself doing more than she thought would be a simple undoing spell.
As a debut, I thought this was pretty good. The setting is clearly well informed and established and it colors a lot for those of us who haven’t been to this area of California before. The author’s note at the end regarding the research the author did was also interesting, dare I say as interesting as the plot itself. I like Nati and Violeta. I like that they don’t shy away from the “darkness” they feel within themselves due to what they’ve both experienced (all forms of abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.). It’s easy to have your character choose the moral high ground, but it’s better to remember that violence is a good and valid form of resistance. We can’t always win by being nonviolent. Some people only learn when they’ve been threatened.
I also love when characters aren’t redeemed. Bad people can choose to do a good or self-sacrificial thing, but that doesn’t mean we must forgive them for their prior acts. It’s simply a way for that character to resolve themselves for themselves. No one needs to forgive them. Not yet.
My issue is largely with the relationship between Nati and Violeta. I couldn’t help but feel as though Nati was pulled to this house for a different reason. Yes, this spell she figured she could undo is meant to be an easy fix. Yes, it’s not supposed to be anything more than a cash grab, but I couldn’t help but feel, especially as we learn more of Nati’s connection to witchcraft, that this was a more intimate act. Knowing Nati hasn’t touched witchcraft since her youth, why would she suddenly pick it up for something as mundane as money? Her job sucked, yes, but she had community and love from that community. Why touch something so traumatizing ever again?
To me, I felt as though Nati had felt something for Violeta when she was young and that tiny thread, however unbeknownst to her, is what led Nati back to the Miramontes’. Every good deed has a bit of selfishness in it. I would have liked to see something like that added into Nati’s character. A recognizing that her feelings when she was at the Miramontes’ house was something more than she understood at that time (the howling as it described in the book). It would have made their quick relationship to one another even more compelling.
Overall, 4/5. I would be happy to read more from this author, especially if they write something even more in the horror territory.
Muñeca is a novel about Natalia, a Mexican-American woman, looking to earn more money than she can count by curing the magical curse that ails the bedridden and paralyzed young heiress, Violeta Miramontes, and finds herself doing more than she thought would be a simple undoing spell.
As a debut, I thought this was pretty good. The setting is clearly well informed and established and it colors a lot for those of us who haven’t been to this area of California before. The author’s note at the end regarding the research the author did was also interesting, dare I say as interesting as the plot itself. I like Nati and Violeta. I like that they don’t shy away from the “darkness” they feel within themselves due to what they’ve both experienced (all forms of abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.). It’s easy to have your character choose the moral high ground, but it’s better to remember that violence is a good and valid form of resistance. We can’t always win by being nonviolent. Some people only learn when they’ve been threatened.
I also love when characters aren’t redeemed. Bad people can choose to do a good or self-sacrificial thing, but that doesn’t mean we must forgive them for their prior acts. It’s simply a way for that character to resolve themselves for themselves. No one needs to forgive them. Not yet.
My issue is largely with the relationship between Nati and Violeta. I couldn’t help but feel as though Nati was pulled to this house for a different reason. Yes, this spell she figured she could undo is meant to be an easy fix. Yes, it’s not supposed to be anything more than a cash grab, but I couldn’t help but feel, especially as we learn more of Nati’s connection to witchcraft, that this was a more intimate act. Knowing Nati hasn’t touched witchcraft since her youth, why would she suddenly pick it up for something as mundane as money? Her job sucked, yes, but she had community and love from that community. Why touch something so traumatizing ever again?
To me, I felt as though Nati had felt something for Violeta when she was young and that tiny thread, however unbeknownst to her, is what led Nati back to the Miramontes’. Every good deed has a bit of selfishness in it. I would have liked to see something like that added into Nati’s character. A recognizing that her feelings when she was at the Miramontes’ house was something more than she understood at that time (the howling as it described in the book). It would have made their quick relationship to one another even more compelling.
Overall, 4/5. I would be happy to read more from this author, especially if they write something even more in the horror territory.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free copy from Putnam via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date June 2nd, 2026.
I was intrigued by the Gothic sixties setting of this novella. In Muñeca, Natalia Fuentes has renounced the witchcraft her grandmother taught her as a child—until she learns that the older girl she admired is trapped by a curse that leaves her paralyzed. Determined to free Violeta, Natalia infiltrates the wealthy Miramontes house as a maid to investigate the curse.
Muñeca has sharply drawn 1968 setting, from Natalia's involvement in early lesbian culture to the specter of segregation looming over the whole plot. It's clear Gomez has done her research, and she incorporates it with a light hand. For instance, rather than directly mentioning the recent assassination of Martin Luther King, a woman is characterized by her offhand mention of the events as all those people kicking up a fuss after that man was killed. I particularly liked the depiction of the uneasy position of the Miramontes family. They're from old Spanish colonial wealth dating back before California was annexed, and they have the entitlement of once having been on top of the colonial food chain. They may be Latino, but the Miramontes family has a far different experience from brown Natalia, who works as a maid.
However, while I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the novella, I found the genre elements much weaker. The sapphic romance was written as instalove from almost the first moment that Natalia and paralyzed Violeta meet eyes, and it's barely developed over the rest of the plot. While the compressed romance might be due to the constraints of novella length, I wasn't especially enamored of the witchcraft bits either. All of Natalia's witchcraft felt clunky and plastic, more like playing with toys than something with real weight and horror. For instance, she symbolically plays with a mousetrap in an attempt to break the curse, and does some symbolic gestures with mint and a fridge to curse someone to eternal cold. I don't know the degree to which the curses depicted here actually reflected period cultural practices, but as horror novel plot elements, they lacked a certain flair.
Flawed as a horror novel but an excellent piece of historical fiction. Perhaps it's a bit obvious to compare Muñeca to the work of Silvia Moreno Garcia, but it did remind me thematically of her Mexican Gothic, or of The Bewitching.
I was intrigued by the Gothic sixties setting of this novella. In Muñeca, Natalia Fuentes has renounced the witchcraft her grandmother taught her as a child—until she learns that the older girl she admired is trapped by a curse that leaves her paralyzed. Determined to free Violeta, Natalia infiltrates the wealthy Miramontes house as a maid to investigate the curse.
Muñeca has sharply drawn 1968 setting, from Natalia's involvement in early lesbian culture to the specter of segregation looming over the whole plot. It's clear Gomez has done her research, and she incorporates it with a light hand. For instance, rather than directly mentioning the recent assassination of Martin Luther King, a woman is characterized by her offhand mention of the events as all those people kicking up a fuss after that man was killed. I particularly liked the depiction of the uneasy position of the Miramontes family. They're from old Spanish colonial wealth dating back before California was annexed, and they have the entitlement of once having been on top of the colonial food chain. They may be Latino, but the Miramontes family has a far different experience from brown Natalia, who works as a maid.
However, while I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the novella, I found the genre elements much weaker. The sapphic romance was written as instalove from almost the first moment that Natalia and paralyzed Violeta meet eyes, and it's barely developed over the rest of the plot. While the compressed romance might be due to the constraints of novella length, I wasn't especially enamored of the witchcraft bits either. All of Natalia's witchcraft felt clunky and plastic, more like playing with toys than something with real weight and horror. For instance, she symbolically plays with a mousetrap in an attempt to break the curse, and does some symbolic gestures with mint and a fridge to curse someone to eternal cold. I don't know the degree to which the curses depicted here actually reflected period cultural practices, but as horror novel plot elements, they lacked a certain flair.
Flawed as a horror novel but an excellent piece of historical fiction. Perhaps it's a bit obvious to compare Muñeca to the work of Silvia Moreno Garcia, but it did remind me thematically of her Mexican Gothic, or of The Bewitching.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a sapphic tale of love, desire, and witchcraft – a woman saving her beloved cursed to never speak a word. A haunting tale detailing the grit it takes to save your loved ones. Even if it means engaging with the magic you thought you would put behind you. What is evil – magic or the person casting it? A historical piece that takes place it the sixties with appropriate lore and aesthetic described throughout. Gómez possess a knack for creating a sapphic bond defined by the confines of the tools around them.
This narrative touches the service of witchcraft and the way tools and toys symbolize intent. Think about what metaphorically describes being released from a trap and that is how this narrative is intricately written. The historical context here is key to understanding the narrative and the way colonial ways have condemned witchcraft in Latin communities. The narrative reads the notion in the air that what is evil is defined by the oppressors and you need to fully embrace it to begin to break free. I appreciate the narrative expressing the duality of the protagonist freeing her love while commenting on the ways colonialism has harmed Latin America.
The novella echoes the sentiments of MLK and Malcom X as they are both historically accurate and trailblazers in civil rights. The undertone of civil rights is not lost in this narrative or time period alone. I appreciated the way she incorporates their message and their narratives that have set the groundwork for this kind of writing. This is a response to the way we are forced into cages to represent white traditional values – the witchcraft is rebellion towards older practices to save ourselves and our loved ones to reach a better future.
An enchanting novella that utilizes the short space to really empathize with what it means to be trapped and how to find yourself in a path towards freedom. This is not a story about the beginning of sapphic love but a love that is instant in an understanding that both parties are looking to be free from their own curses. There is this connection in understanding that creates this sapphic yearning into an instant mission to unravel dark secrets in the floorboards. Thank you Cynthia Gómez, Putnam, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Visit my blog for more tarot readings, recommendations, and reviews here, https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/
This narrative touches the service of witchcraft and the way tools and toys symbolize intent. Think about what metaphorically describes being released from a trap and that is how this narrative is intricately written. The historical context here is key to understanding the narrative and the way colonial ways have condemned witchcraft in Latin communities. The narrative reads the notion in the air that what is evil is defined by the oppressors and you need to fully embrace it to begin to break free. I appreciate the narrative expressing the duality of the protagonist freeing her love while commenting on the ways colonialism has harmed Latin America.
The novella echoes the sentiments of MLK and Malcom X as they are both historically accurate and trailblazers in civil rights. The undertone of civil rights is not lost in this narrative or time period alone. I appreciated the way she incorporates their message and their narratives that have set the groundwork for this kind of writing. This is a response to the way we are forced into cages to represent white traditional values – the witchcraft is rebellion towards older practices to save ourselves and our loved ones to reach a better future.
An enchanting novella that utilizes the short space to really empathize with what it means to be trapped and how to find yourself in a path towards freedom. This is not a story about the beginning of sapphic love but a love that is instant in an understanding that both parties are looking to be free from their own curses. There is this connection in understanding that creates this sapphic yearning into an instant mission to unravel dark secrets in the floorboards. Thank you Cynthia Gómez, Putnam, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Visit my blog for more tarot readings, recommendations, and reviews here, https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Muñeca, we follow Natalia as she works to undo a spell on an heiress named Violeta. I enjoyed the witchy elements, the exploration of queer life for women of color at the time, and the interesting history surrounding land grants explored by Gomez. I would've liked to see a slower burn between Natalia and Violeta to really be convinced of their relationship, though the backstory provided did help paint a picture for their connection. The revenge was satisfying and both women were easy to root for after all they'd been through. This is a strong debut that gives a nuanced voice to Mexican-American and working class women. Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I mostly really liked this one.
The concept was really well done - especially the muñeca aspect which should not have worked for me, but did!
I liked our main character very much. She's not the best human, but she's got her reasons and I understood her. I also adored her friend Doris.
Violeta? Not so much. While I understood why she was the way she was, some of her passages in the book border on questionable.
I also wished more attention had been paid to Natalia's grandma. She is so very wrong and was so very fun to read!
All in all, it's a very good Gothic and wonderfully witchy.
* ARC via Publisher
The concept was really well done - especially the muñeca aspect which should not have worked for me, but did!
I liked our main character very much. She's not the best human, but she's got her reasons and I understood her. I also adored her friend Doris.
Violeta? Not so much. While I understood why she was the way she was, some of her passages in the book border on questionable.
I also wished more attention had been paid to Natalia's grandma. She is so very wrong and was so very fun to read!
All in all, it's a very good Gothic and wonderfully witchy.
* ARC via Publisher
Want to read
December 26, 2025I NEED TO READ THIS AHHH
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was an utter delight from start to finish. I love a good class-conscious sapphic story about witches. Delicious.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews