The Lost Years

Easter's Lilly #5

by Judy Serrano

Finally thinking they are free from the mob, Max and Lilly settle down in a small town in Texas called Quinlan. Lilly's son, Diego Montiago Jr., is preparing for the day when he graduates high school so he can learn the ways of his uncle, and become the next kingpin of the Mexican Mafia. In this fifth book of the Easter's Lilly Series, this young adult spin-off finds Lilly doing everything in her power to make sure that does not happen. During his high school years, Junior falls into a crowd of misfits, just to fall in love with the quarterback's girlfriend. But this is no ordinary girl and their trials are no ordinary trials. Junior grows up quickly while the mob's ever-present arm is still squeezing the life out of him. Just when he thinks he has found what he is looking for, everything changes. With love and hate balancing delicately in the distance, life and death become suddenly all too real. As time begins to run out, Diego Montiago Jr. is forced to make a decision that will change his life forever.

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2017

About the author

Judy Serrano holds a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University, Commerce. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Service, and was an adjunct professor at a local college. Currently she teaches high school English and is a freelance writer for certain on-line publications. Judy also writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series,The Linked Series, and Ivy Vines, Visions.

Although originally form New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband, four boys, four dogs and now two cats. She sings and plays guitar when she has time and enjoys singing with her very musical family in church when she is able.

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is all about Junior and what he was like as a teenager. Things are never easy when you are a teenager. This is especially true when your family is full of the high-powered mafia.

I loved to learn about Junior when he was younger and to see him act like a “normal” teen at times. His teenage years are still unique because of all of his “uncles” but he still goes things all teenagers do.

This was a great addition to Easter’s Lilly series.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have read every book that Judy Serrano throws at me and I love it!  I cannot wait to read about the Montiago family.  I feel like they are a part of my fictional extended family because I know so much about their adventures.  From the very first page of Easter’s Lilly to The Lost Years, I cannot get enough of her writing and stories of my favorite mob family.The Lost Years follows Junior, or Diego as he is known to his friends and family.  He is in high school and discovers love, loss, friendship, and more.  He is also being groomed to take over his Uncle Diego’s organization.  As a young adult, he is faced with many challenges, some of which I never had to deal with firsthand.  He learns how to cope and keep going on.Diego/Junior finds friendship with Savannah and Brianne right away.  Savannah quickly fallsfor Diego and realizes he only has eyes for Brianne.  Diego falls for Brianne and wants to protect her.When Brianne gets sick, Savannah takes her place in Diego’s heart.  Diego and Savannah start a relationship, but it is filled with issues of trust, friendship and love.  as teenagers, they go through heartbreak, drama and jealousy.  Diego finds it difficult to trust Savannah, and tries to take her for her word.Diego goes through the unimaginable.  He is faced with a gunman at his high school.  When I was in high school, a school shooting was unheard of.  That was until a year after I graduated.  The first school shooting that I can recall was in 1999.  TO think that kids around my age had to go through such a tragedy.For Diego, he is able to take control and handle the school situation with ease.  He was raised around guns and had his Uncle Max for backup.The Lost Years is an exciting read.  I am able to get a fictional glimpse into the mob life.  The Lost Years is filled with romance, drama, suspense and mystery.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every book in the Easter’s Lilly series and The Lost Years is no exception. In Memoirs of a Mobster Diego Junior was the main character of the book and we were left wondering what happened in the years between the shooting at Max and Lilly’s new home and this book. Thankfully Mrs Serrano decided to tell us in The Lost Years, again it was from Jr’s point of view as a young teenager where he experienced love and heartache, killing, the cartel life as he knew it and fitting in at a new school where everyone called him Mafia Boy.
I really liked Jr he was pretty level-headed for a teenager boy, and for the life he had so far, he had quite a mixed up childhood due to his Mom Lilly falling in love with all of his uncles. He was a caring boy towards girls but when business needed sorting he would do it without hesitation. He was very similar to Max where it came to shooting someone he didn’t have a reaction time he just done it.
The relationship between Bri and Jr was blossoming well until she got sick and I felt so sad for them, at such a young age as well.
If you have liked the previous books in the Easter’s Lilly series you cannot miss this book, it fills in a lot of gaps.
Very well written as always and again I was completely hooked.