Caballeros

by Sylvia Castillo, Sylvia C. Castillo

Warning Child abuse aftermath (but abuse, not depicted in detail)“Childhood romances never work out… or so I thought.”

Growing up together in Laredo, Texas, Juliana and ‘Gordo’ are inseparable. That is, until Juliana's mother passes away and her father moves them to California. Juliana is devastated and loses contact with her best friend. But as the years pass, the hurt fades.

Years later, in California, Juliana follows in her late mother's footsteps and becomes a teacher. Feeling a longing to return to her roots, she makes the decision to go back to Texas. On the night of her going away party, she makes a bold claim to find a Texan bull rider to "ride all night long." Little does she know that back in Texas, the man of her dreams, Joaquin, is waiting for her. This tall, handsome stranger seems familiar, but Juliana just can’t quite put her finger on it…

Throw in a child, a volatile ex-girlfriend and a court case, and the story gets juicer and more dramatic.

Caballeros is a sweet friends to lovers romance that will leave you smiling. The heart-warming and often steamy story of Juliana and Joaquin will keep you turning pages and leave you longing to find out more.

This is book 1 in the Caballeros series.

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Genres: Romance

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2019

About the author

Sylvia C. Castillo was born, raised, and still resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a wife, mother, daughter, and proud Chicana. In her free time, she loves spending time with family, reading, writing, and watching movies. Caballeros is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Zen]

2.5 stars, rounded

This was probably closer to a 2 star read for me. I was very excited to read this as it features Hispanic characters and features a part of Texas I'm familiar with. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the writing. The sentence structure seemed a but choppy for me, especially the dialogue.

[Eleni]

Really quick read. Romantic and steamy and heartbreaking a bit.
The way they acted after the custody battle seemed a bit too laid back to be believable for me.

[Barb Wild]

i really enjoyed the relationships in this book. Coming from Texas the two main characters longed for each other after a family moved, seperated best young friends. I have been there and done that and many have. Waiting years to find your friend, and love is hard to deal with. Does time heal all wounds? I would share this book with my daughters and book club to read.

[Marysigala]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh,cry and I didn’t want to put it down or it to end. It kept me interested and I highly recommend this book. I told my sister about the book and now she too is reading it. Sylvia put her heart into this book. It’s a great read.

[Yanileidys Batista]

Where to start with this book 🤔?
Once upon a time there was me looking for a good i could relate to so a friend sent this book to me, while reading I laughed, I cry and cuss the author cuz lord knows what she did and I was devastated. I couldn’t believe how relatable this book is, because even tho is a fiction of the authors imagination it touches some real life stuff that you’ll have to read to see what I’m talking about, I love every aspect of it and can’t wait what you come up with next wink wink shoulder nudge nudge 💜.

[Deborah]

Family

Happiness and tears a sweet baby and two people who always loved one another things turn and then good.broke my heart

[Misty]

Loved this book!! Well written with great characters! A great start from a new author. From friends to lovers this book has it. Juliana and Joaquin are delightful together as we watch their relationship build over time. If you're looking for a new to you western or want a little Latino heat then to it this is the book for you.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/30/2022)! 🎁

[Din]

Caballeros is a heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance set between California and Texas. Juliana and Joaquin (a.k.a. “Gordo”) grew up inseparable, only to be torn apart by tragedy and distance. Years later, Juliana returns to Laredo and their paths cross again — and from the first pages, you feel the sparks of familiarity and longing.

This story blends cowboy charm, small-town family dynamics, and the sweetness of rediscovering a first love. It’s not just swoony, though — there are dramatic twists, emotional moments, and challenges that test the strength of Juliana, Joaquin, and the people they love. Some scenes were genuinely heartbreaking, but they made the romance feel even more real and hard-earned.

If you enjoy small-town settings, bull rider heroes, and second-chance love stories with both warmth and steam, Caballeros is one to add to your list.

[Nessa]

I love the Ortega’s!

I ate this book up! Being raised from a single father in the Hispanic community, I felt all the emotions Baby Trinity did, I saw the pain and anguish my father went through! The way both sets of my grandparents rallied around my father and us to love and succeed… this book just hit a special place in my heart!

The love in this book just pours from the first page! The way a family should love and support each other is written so beautifully between the pages of this book!

The love and support two people who enter a marriage should give! The happy ending does it for me! Gordo got the love of his life, Trinity got the mother she so desperately deserved, and Jules got to put her heart back together with the love of her life!

I could go on and on about this book! Just read it!!!

[Jenny Yates]

Okay so what I really loved about this book is unlike other 2nd chance romances there was no crazy animosity between the two main characters but rather you saw them grow together. The family and friend support they saw made my heart melt and think of my own support systems. I will say I got thrown for a loop with what happened to trinity and the truth about arnie and Olivia. The spice was decent although I did feel like they really couldn't keep their hands off each other. All in all great book but now im curious what happens in the next book with such a nice ending....oh boy I must be in for it.

[Missbookwormwrites (Cynthia)]

Absolutely loved this book! I devoured it in one sitting, and it followed me to my dreams. Joaquin & Juliana's stories is so full of ups and downs but it shows the strength and love that they have for both each other and themselves as an individual. Joaquin is such a gentleman but the man can be a freak in the sheets too. Juliana is headstrong and fights tooth and nail to achieve her goals.
Y'all gotta read this is you enjoy:
-Second chance romances
-Friends to lovers
- Steamy romance
-Fierce FMCs
-Found Family/friendships
-vaqueros/cowboys

Give this book a chance, you won't regret it!

[Amy]

I loved Caballeros by Sylvia Castillo. Childhood friends to lovers are a favorite theme of mine so I really enjoyed reading Gordo and Juliana's journey. Separated by circumstances beyond their control, childhood best friends Gordo and Juliana are forced apart. After graduating college Juliana returns home to Texas and Gordo is definitely not the boy she remembers. Despite misunderstandings Gordo and Juliana find their way back to each other but it won't be easy. Luckily Gordo and Juliana are both ready to fight for what's really important. Definitely recommend!

[Lisa Washington]

She got her bull rider

I truly enjoyed this story. A few times, I got confused with the point of view. There were a lot of secondary characters. I loved yhe friendship snd support they gave. Also, a lighy approach to a serious issue with msny families. A few minor issues with plot and character development. 4.5 Stars. Very Good!!!
S/N... im glad I know a little Spanish.

[Genoveva]

this book melted my heart

Check CW and TW. Loved this second chance romance with an amazing single dad. Joaquin is one of my absolute favorite MMC. I loved his relationship with his daughter. I loved how Jules had a plan for life but was able to adapt to the reintroduction of Joaquin and his daughter.

[brianne wilson]

riveting, I don’t think I was able to avert my eyes from the book once!

Sylvia has really poured her soul into this book, as eager as I am to start the second in the series I know I’m gonna need to drink some water and prepare myself beforehand. Wonderful read from an outstanding author!

[Carol]

A Wonderful story

An lovely and endearing story in a picturesque setting. The characters are engaging and interesting. It was a pleasurable read. I look forward to more works by Ms. Castillo.

[Gloria]

Smiles the whole read

Loved the story of love. I guess to be continued. The whole story line had me turning page by page with a smile and then some tears. Loved the couple reuniting . Loved the little angel surprise. Can't wait to read next book.

[Cheyenne Rivera]

This is a good solid read. The plot and spice were nice but the character development and chemistry was so good. Such a good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Diane Cruz]

Amazing!!!

What a story!!! I felt like I was in the story line. I couldn’t take my eyes off the book!! When’s the next one???

[Martha Shiels]

sweet and spicy!!

While this book had all the spice it was just the right amount of sweetness. Great friendships, a total book boyfriend and the found family we all want

[Steff]

Something about the way it’s told is not it for me… dnf.

[Alicia Pacheco]

Good But….

Rated it this way because I would have liked it to be longer. It felt rushed and ended abruptly. It had potential to be longer