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Café y Chocolate
When Sereno Hidalgo writes a review of his new favorite coffee, the last thing he expected was to come in contact with his cousin, Esteban. Once upon a time they’d been close. So close, in fact, anyone who met them for the first time assumed they were brothers. But in their late teens, when they began to date, each ended up with someone the other disliked. Sereno and Esteban parted ways and not in the best of circumstances. Now, in the present, after Sereno’s marriage ends, he finds himself alone. All other family members are gone and with Esteban back in his life, Sereno longs to reunite with his cousin and pick up their bond where they left off. Luckily, Esteban wants the same thing and invites Sereno to visit Puerto Rico, where Esteban lives with his wife, Miriam, on their coffee plantation. There’s only one problem. A category 5 hurricane is on track to slice through the island, just days after Sereno lands.
With the threat of Hurricane Irving on the way, Sereno is thrust into an anxious, yet ordered series of preparations to ensure Hacienda Maria, and the workers, survive what weather forecasters are calling a major catastrophic event. Along the way, Sereno and Esteban catch up. Sereno also immediately falls in lust with August Toro, or Chocolate, as he’s called. The dark-haired, dark-skinned Latino is Esteban’s right-hand man and best friend. He makes sure Sereno understands that his name is not pronounced the American way, but in Spanish which makes it sound much more exotic: Choh-koh-lah-teh. He quickly becomes the object of Sereno’s desire. The trouble is, Chocolate is straight. At least, that’s what Esteban and Miriam say.
With the threat of Hurricane Irving on the way, Sereno is thrust into an anxious, yet ordered series of preparations to ensure Hacienda Maria, and the workers, survive what weather forecasters are calling a major catastrophic event. Along the way, Sereno and Esteban catch up. Sereno also immediately falls in lust with August Toro, or Chocolate, as he’s called. The dark-haired, dark-skinned Latino is Esteban’s right-hand man and best friend. He makes sure Sereno understands that his name is not pronounced the American way, but in Spanish which makes it sound much more exotic: Choh-koh-lah-teh. He quickly becomes the object of Sereno’s desire. The trouble is, Chocolate is straight. At least, that’s what Esteban and Miriam say.
- GenresM M Romance
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 18, 2019
4.5 stars, rounded up. I love stories that give me something new - a setting, plot, or character that I haven't seen before. This story is set in Puerto Rico, at the time of Hurricane Maria. In its depiction of the island, the storm, and the aftermath, I was given the feel of the beautiful island, the devastation, and the desperate situation of trying to rebuild when it's going to be not days but weeks, or months, or longer, for basic things like power and roads and medical care and food supplies to be restored.
Sereno lives in New York, but he's at loose ends after losing a job and breaking up with his husband. On the eve of getting divorced, he decides to visit his favorite cousin Esteban on his coffee plantation in Puerto Rico. The two were inseparable as kids, more brothers than cousins, and although they fell out of touch, that bond is still strong.
Arriving in Puerto Rico, Sereno finds a feeling of belonging, both in the lush land and among the people there. Esteban is married, with kids, and an assortment of employees and relatives. It's a community and life Sereno hasn't had for a long time, and he's pulled into its warmth. There are moments of strangeness, moments when he misses New York, but he's not at all sorry he made the trip. And one of the best compensations is August Toro, or Chocolate, as he’s called - Choh-koh-lah-teh - the gorgeous, dark-haired, dark-skinned Latino who is Esteban’s right-hand man and best friend. Chocolate is bisexual, and interested, and Sereno finds himself falling for the sexy and kind man with the complicated family.
But Hurricane Maria is gaining strength to category 5, and bearing down directly on the island. Esteban's place is as self-sufficient as it can be, but nothing will protect anyone on the island from the impact of the storm. And when the wind dies down, they are all faced with a new way of life, in which some people are going to die. Sereno has a plane ticket home, out of the disaster, but even if he can get to the airport and his plane eventually leaves, can he leave Esteban and the family and Chocolate and Puerto Rico herself behind him?
The depiction of the situation was vivid and felt real. Sereno had a believable tension, between the easy but loveless life waiting for him back at home, and all the complications of staying in Puerto Rico with people he cares about. There is enough plot and drama to keep the story moving, but not melodrama. The writing is good, with just enough local terms and on-page Spanish to add authenticity and flavor, and a well-judged approach to what to translate and how, without making the story drag for a reader like me.
I didn't fall in love with Sereno or Chocolate as I have with some main characters, although I sympathized enough to be fully engaged with the story. That's partly a matter of personal writing style preferences, so for some readers Sereno may fully engage your heartstrings. The romance is a bit fast, and based more on sex than on other compatibilities, although the men do spend time together under trying circumstances which enhances the bond. There is attention paid to bisexual issues, with Sereno worried about women in Chocolate's life, and that felt authentic even if I wanted to push Sereno to see beyond that. I do like seeing real bi characters in M/M.
One thing that irked me was a gay man from New York not even thinking about HIV when having condomless sex with a stranger. That's quite realistic - that kind of failure is part of the reason that HIV incidence is still so high in young gay men. But it's one of the things that put a little distance between me and Sereno.
But in general, this book intrigued me in its characters and setting, moved along smoothly enough to have me finish it in 2 days, and is one I will remember among other less distinctive works. I don't have the background to judge the authenticity but the author talks about visiting their extended family on the island, making this an own-voices story that deserves a wider audience.
Sereno lives in New York, but he's at loose ends after losing a job and breaking up with his husband. On the eve of getting divorced, he decides to visit his favorite cousin Esteban on his coffee plantation in Puerto Rico. The two were inseparable as kids, more brothers than cousins, and although they fell out of touch, that bond is still strong.
Arriving in Puerto Rico, Sereno finds a feeling of belonging, both in the lush land and among the people there. Esteban is married, with kids, and an assortment of employees and relatives. It's a community and life Sereno hasn't had for a long time, and he's pulled into its warmth. There are moments of strangeness, moments when he misses New York, but he's not at all sorry he made the trip. And one of the best compensations is August Toro, or Chocolate, as he’s called - Choh-koh-lah-teh - the gorgeous, dark-haired, dark-skinned Latino who is Esteban’s right-hand man and best friend. Chocolate is bisexual, and interested, and Sereno finds himself falling for the sexy and kind man with the complicated family.
But Hurricane Maria is gaining strength to category 5, and bearing down directly on the island. Esteban's place is as self-sufficient as it can be, but nothing will protect anyone on the island from the impact of the storm. And when the wind dies down, they are all faced with a new way of life, in which some people are going to die. Sereno has a plane ticket home, out of the disaster, but even if he can get to the airport and his plane eventually leaves, can he leave Esteban and the family and Chocolate and Puerto Rico herself behind him?
The depiction of the situation was vivid and felt real. Sereno had a believable tension, between the easy but loveless life waiting for him back at home, and all the complications of staying in Puerto Rico with people he cares about. There is enough plot and drama to keep the story moving, but not melodrama. The writing is good, with just enough local terms and on-page Spanish to add authenticity and flavor, and a well-judged approach to what to translate and how, without making the story drag for a reader like me.
I didn't fall in love with Sereno or Chocolate as I have with some main characters, although I sympathized enough to be fully engaged with the story. That's partly a matter of personal writing style preferences, so for some readers Sereno may fully engage your heartstrings. The romance is a bit fast, and based more on sex than on other compatibilities, although the men do spend time together under trying circumstances which enhances the bond. There is attention paid to bisexual issues, with Sereno worried about women in Chocolate's life, and that felt authentic even if I wanted to push Sereno to see beyond that. I do like seeing real bi characters in M/M.
One thing that irked me was a gay man from New York not even thinking about HIV when having condomless sex with a stranger. That's quite realistic - that kind of failure is part of the reason that HIV incidence is still so high in young gay men. But it's one of the things that put a little distance between me and Sereno.
But in general, this book intrigued me in its characters and setting, moved along smoothly enough to have me finish it in 2 days, and is one I will remember among other less distinctive works. I don't have the background to judge the authenticity but the author talks about visiting their extended family on the island, making this an own-voices story that deserves a wider audience.
May 14, 2019
Set in Puerto Rico around the time of hurricane Maria, Café y Chocolate is a fascinating love story that includes everything from personal to family drama, the very real chaos and devastation that followed this destructive hurricane, and more than one twist and turn in a love story that faces many challenges. Based on the author’s foreword and the blurb, Café y Chocolate is a very personal story, and that emotional involvement shines through from beginning to end. As a result, I was fully engaged from the start, followed what happened with bated breath, and since the author kept the suspense high until almost the final page, it turned out to be an emotional roller coaster of the first degree.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
February 4, 2021
A few things:
1) I read this book partly to know if there was anything to the complaint I have heard that gay love stories (especially erotic ones) written by women are not as good as those written by men. I'd say, from my observation, that's not true. The storytelling, plot, sexual scenes etc. were the same on intensity, emotion, and warmth as any gay love story I have read written by women.
2) I honestly wondered why the main character Sereno even flew to Puerto Rico with Hurricane Maria brewing.
3) I loved the characters from the island but found Sereno a bit annoying all the way around. I understood that he had some baggage but sometimes he acted so annoyingly that I wondered what Chocolate saw in him and also wanted to reach through the pages and shake him :-P
4) The plot twist around Sereno and Estaban's relationship seemed superfluous but it did not really detract from the story either.
5) Most of the time the Spanish was on one way or another translated or easy to decipher if you know a little Spanish or can translate via context. But other times it was not and I could not and that was a little frustrating.
6) I was worried that Puerto Ricans or just Latinx people in general would be portrayed poorly in some way but they absolutely were not. It was a respectful cultural representation.
6) I mostly skimmed the erotic scenes. I don't mind erotic scenes between any genders but these were a bit over the top for me :-P
Overall, the plot is nice, the story was a homage to the strength of Puerto Ricans which I will never say no to, and it was in some ways a very rewarding story for gay representation.
1) I read this book partly to know if there was anything to the complaint I have heard that gay love stories (especially erotic ones) written by women are not as good as those written by men. I'd say, from my observation, that's not true. The storytelling, plot, sexual scenes etc. were the same on intensity, emotion, and warmth as any gay love story I have read written by women.
2) I honestly wondered why the main character Sereno even flew to Puerto Rico with Hurricane Maria brewing.
3) I loved the characters from the island but found Sereno a bit annoying all the way around. I understood that he had some baggage but sometimes he acted so annoyingly that I wondered what Chocolate saw in him and also wanted to reach through the pages and shake him :-P
4) The plot twist around Sereno and Estaban's relationship seemed superfluous but it did not really detract from the story either.
5) Most of the time the Spanish was on one way or another translated or easy to decipher if you know a little Spanish or can translate via context. But other times it was not and I could not and that was a little frustrating.
6) I was worried that Puerto Ricans or just Latinx people in general would be portrayed poorly in some way but they absolutely were not. It was a respectful cultural representation.
6) I mostly skimmed the erotic scenes. I don't mind erotic scenes between any genders but these were a bit over the top for me :-P
Overall, the plot is nice, the story was a homage to the strength of Puerto Ricans which I will never say no to, and it was in some ways a very rewarding story for gay representation.
July 10, 2019
When it comes to the descriptions of the hurricane, the writing's pretty damn good. The calamity and the aftermath are shown well, apparently by the author's personal experience. The conflict between an easy life and a hard one that Sereno struggles with is relatable and understandable. Sometimes the harder choice is the more rewarding one. The story is very sensual, with both sex and awakening the senses. The setting of Puerto Rico feels real, tangible and concrete. The bisexual aspect was handled rather nicely, but the unsafe sex threw me a bit. Beyond those few nitpicks, this one was surprisingly good. Certainly left me thinking about disaster areas.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews