What Will They Say?: Confront Cultural Taboos and Discover Your Inner Power

by Denise Soler Cox

288 pages, Hardcover

Published August 18, 2026

Reviews

[Nursebookie]

This book hit home for me in ways I didn’t expect.

As a nursing leader, I’ve spent much of my career learning how to lead, advocate, make difficult decisions, and show up for others, even when I was tired, overwhelmed, or carrying things I didn’t necessarily talk about.

What resonated most was the idea that so many of us grow up with unspoken rules: don’t make waves, keep the peace, don’t bring personal struggles into the room, take care of everyone else first, and whatever happens, keep moving.
Those rules can make you resilient. They can also make it incredibly difficult to ask for help, set boundaries, speak up, or admit that you need something for yourself.

I loved how Denise Soler Cox challenges the belief that being strong means staying silent. Her storytelling is honest, vulnerable, funny, and deeply human. She reminds us that we can honor where we come from while still choosing a different way forward.

As someone in nursing leadership, this book made me reflect on how often we ask ourselves to be the strong one, for our teams, our families, and everyone around us, while forgetting that leadership also requires knowing when to pause, speak up, and take care of ourselves.

A powerful read for any woman who has ever felt the pressure to keep it together, keep the peace, or make herself smaller so everyone else can be comfortable.

Sometimes finding your voice isn't about becoming someone new. It's about finally giving yourself permission to use the voice you've had all along. ❤️

[Jackie Paiz]

Thank you to Primero Sueño Press via NetGalley and their influencer program for providing me with this ARC!
Rating : ⭐⭐⭐ .5
Happy release week! I enjoyed taking my time reading this book the last few weeks. I think there are so many truths to the experience of being Latina and navigating the world we live in. the thing that gave me pause was the framing of the book. I went into it expecting self-help, which admittedly is a genre I don’t read very often any more. While there definitely were pieces of advice and recommended reflections, this felt more like a memoir to me as I read it than a self-help book. Not to say that is a bad thing at all— I love memoirs and read them more often than self-help books but I guess I finished the book and was left wanting more of the authors reflections from her experiences and how that translates to living a liberated life. I think many people will thoroughly enjoy this book for sure but maybe its just not the right time for me right now.
Release Date: August 18th, 2026 —> Out now!

[Theresa Gonzalez]

I was fortunate to be amongst the few to pre-read this gem debuting next month. It is a liberating memoir for all Latinas who have ever existed. It is her story and also ours. It will reside in your heart and mind forever. You will nod your head in agreement, clap, cheer, and have a good cry. You will say goodbye to the self that no longer serves you and greet your new soul with open arms. You'll be grateful for the memories while letting go of the past.

It really is a treasure! 💎I’ve read other memoirs, but this one hits different, as the kids say! I don’t share the lived experience in other Latina memoirs because I’m not a first-gen, but your book reads more like an “all of us, regardless” and that makes me feel valued and included. ♥️

[Cristina Rodriguez]

As a Puerto Rican and Dominican woman raised in the United States, What Will They Say? has been deeply personal for me. This is not simply a book about identifying cultural taboos—it is an invitation to heal, to tell the truth about the messages many of us inherited, and to choose what we will carry forward.

I underlined so many passages and dog-eared so many pages that I could not possibly select just one favorite. Denise Soler Cox puts words to experiences that can be difficult to explain, especially when you have been taught that silence, sacrifice, appearances, guilt, or “what will people think?” are simply part of loving your family and honoring your culture. She creates space to confront those patterns without asking us to reject where we come from.

One of the most powerful ideas connected to this work is: “Breaking up with the taboos, not the culture.” That distinction matters. Healing does not require abandoning our heritage, our families, our language, our traditions, or the beautiful resilience that has carried our communities through so much. It means learning to separate what is truly ours to cherish from the harmful beliefs and expectations that can keep us small, silent, ashamed, or disconnected from ourselves.

As a mother, this book is also helping me think more intentionally about the messages I pass on to my children. I want them to feel proud of their Puerto Rican and Dominican roots while also knowing that they are allowed to have boundaries, speak honestly, ask for help, define success for themselves, and live fully as who they are. I do not want to unknowingly raise them inside the same taboos that so many of us are working to heal from.

Although this book speaks directly and powerfully to Latinas, its lessons reach far beyond one identity or community. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, partners, friends, educators, and leaders can all learn from it. It will resonate with people across cultures, generations, and marginalized communities—and with women, men, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone navigating the complicated space between belonging, family expectations, identity, and personal freedom.

This is an essential read for yourself, but it is also a meaningful gift for a friend, a sibling, a parent, a grandparent, or anyone who is ready to break cycles with compassion rather than shame. Read it with a pen in hand, an open heart, and the courage to have the conversations that can change generations.

[Sofia]

I felt like i was reading my own life. I cried, I laughed, I felt inspired. This felt like the representation I needed to continue going in my 20s!

[thriftlibreads]

“Sometimes that’s what growth requires, complete surrender to becoming someone new.”

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, so I was surprised to be crying less than 50% into it! As someone who just experienced an unexpected career reset this summer, it felt very fitting to receive this book from @primerosuenopress The universe works in mysteries ways ✨there were plenty of takeaways for me that will try to practice within my new workplace.

I highly recommend giving this book a read, especially if you’re a Latina. I think you’ll find that @denisesolercox stories truly resonate with a lot of our backgrounds and experiences.

[Reader]

This book is everything I always wanted to say but didn’t know how.


First, I want to say that I am Denise’s first cousin. My daughter received the book before I did. For the last three days she’s been reading the book to me over the phone, we are on chapter 3, and I couldn’t wait to come here to tell you that this book is going to heal our family, it has already begun. Denise’s book helps put words to feelings I’ve had my entire life and my daughter’s life.

This book belongs in the hands of every member of your family. It’s quickly getting in the hands (and hearts) of every member of ours.

Our family was very close at one time; life, jobs, family, etc. Has loosened our connection. Just a few days of reading this book, we have never felt closer. It’s been a long time since we have felt this connected and I am not even done with the book.

This book is everything I always wanted to say but didn’t know how.

Everybody deserves this level of connection and freedom. Do yourself and your family a favor and buy this book.

[Mayra Tepi]

What Will They Say? | Denise Soler Cox
Aug 18 2026 | self-help memoir

🌸Most of us who are first generation.. women… find ourselves tied to certain cultural and familial expectations .. and we don’t have to be. The author shows us how to break from common beliefs and shares her own experiences as well as stories that other Latinas have shared with her.

🇲🇽The one thing that I felt most related to is being “ni de aquí, ni de allá” Not being Mexican enough for the family but not American enough for other aspects. There are other stories she shares that I have personally not experienced, but you still get to learn something from them.

✨️I LOVED that the author left affirmations at the end of a section or chapter. It brings empowerment! "What Will They Say" brings you a memoir, healing, and a reminder that YOU are WORTHY.

🩷Denise, I know you take the time to read these posts, so I thank you for sharing your experiences and inspiring us to show our worth.

Mil gracias primerosuenopress for the gifted ARC! 🫶

[June]

What Will They Say? is an empowering and deeply personal book about the pressure of other people’s expectations and the courage it takes to live authentically. Denise Soler Cox writes with warmth and honesty, sharing her experiences in a way that feels relatable even if your background is very different from hers. The book explores cultural expectations, family dynamics, and self-discovery with both compassion and insight.

What I appreciated most was how practical and encouraging it felt. Rather than simply identifying the problem, Cox offers thoughtful guidance on how to challenge limiting beliefs and make choices that align with your own values. I finished the book feeling inspired to examine some of my own assumptions and a little more confident about trusting my own voice.

[lovelifeandbooks]

This book is part memoir, part Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that provides a dash of using “I statements” for the positive. A reminder that being a strong Latina means allowing yourself to be perceived. I was left with wanting more direct career input but honestly it’s a smart marketing move to leave the reader ready to search for more. A good book for Latinas who may be graduating or seeking new career paths. Or even for Latinas looking for permission to enjoy their hobbies and family time.

Thank you Primero Sueño press for a physical ARC.

[J R]

Read this book along with a pen or highlighter, because you're going to want to note all the gems and affirmations throughout! With insight and guidance woven around memoir, these pages are for all of us navigating old familial and cultural expectations along with our own new dreams and ideas. The author reminds us that we're not alone in this, and sharing our stories--and triumphs--can make us all stronger. Included reflection prompts help untangle those taboos holding us back and wearing us down.

[Theresa]

Wow! As a 3rd generation Latina, born in Cali-it has all the elements of how the culture can become your biggest supporters and your greatest enemy. Where does that come from?? Denise explains that shame is something our culture creates and how we can break those cycles. I loved this book as it come to bridge the many conversations we're afraid of having with family and with our own self identity. This will be an episode discussion w/Denise as my guest, in September- Latinas From The Block To The Boardroom.

[Mimi Pink]

Searing descriptions of experiences that haunted for years. Yep, like those crushing experiences that steal your soul. Denise helps the reader understand why and how we keep our lives bottled up. In her case, as a Latina. I can claim to only be an honorary Cuban, but I have had those ostracizing experiences and as I read “What Will They Say,” I see new paths of freedom to be.

[Naomy Chavez]

I learned to much and hadn't realized how ingrained some of the things our culture have played a roll in who we are... Definitely will be coming back to this book when I struggle with self doubt.

[Adaline Gresham]

Very interesting and I enjoyed this book

[Beatriz Valencia]

"What will they say?" placed a magnifying glass to beliefs that Latina women have as part of our upbringing to put others before ourselves and to shrink in rooms to let others stand out. The beliefs that we grow up with become part of how we show up in different spaces. As the author revealed the hidden taboos, she gave practical ways to begin to dismantle the false narratives and create new beliefs that will strengthen how we show up in our homes and community.