Eastside Brewery #1
By Mia Hopkins
Release Date: March 13th, 2018
Loveswept
Tour Host: Barclay PR
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
My name
is Salvador Rosas. Back in the barrio,
my past is written on the walls: ESHB.
Short for East Side Hollenbeck, my father’s gang—my gang. Hell, it’s a family
tradition, one that sent both my brothers away. They used to call me “Ghost”
because I haunted people’s dreams. Now I’ve got nothing going for me except a
hipster gringo mentoring me in a new career. An ex-con making craft beer? No mames.
Still, people in this neighborhood look out for one another. That’s how I
became Vanessa Velasco’s unwelcome tenant. Chiquita
pero picosa. She’s little, but with curves so sweet they’re dangerous. I
remember Vanessa from the old days, the straight-A student with big plans.
Plans that were derailed by another kid stupid enough to think he was
bulletproof. Now Vanessa knows better than to believe in empty promises.
There’s fire in her . . . and if I touch her, I might get burned.
I’m trying everything I can to go straight. But when East Side Hollenbeck comes
calling, I might have to risk it all to find out if there’s a future for
Vanessa and me. Because she’s the only one who can quench my thirst for
something real.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review*
In the first book of Mia Hopkins new series, Eastside Brewery, she
starts out strong, with an ex-gangster trying to start fresh, to get out of
gang life, and live the straight and narrow.
Nothing seems to go smoothly for Sal, and you honestly can't help but
feel for his character, with trying to get out of the gang, trying to get on to
his feet, working, making his probation officer happy, it's a lot for any
person to take on. Then there is Vanessa, and while I loved her strong
character, and determination, sometimes her disapproval overshadowed the book,
and I found that a little tough to get past.
Overall, I enjoyed Sal and Vanessa bumpy journey, the writing was
detailed, and well researched, and I cannot wait for the next book in the
series!
I give Thirsty 4 stars
The ride starts with a burst of music like a
jack-in-the-box. We glide backward and over a couple of times. The Ferris wheel
stops to let other passengers on. At the very top, our carriage swings back and
forth before it goes still.
Now I can see my neighborhood from a different viewpoint,
high above. The lights of the carnival are bright and beautiful. The smells of
tacos, hot dogs, and popcorn fill my nose. People pack the church parking lot.
Cars line the street, and in the surrounding houses, lights in the windows show
where families are talking or watching TV or having dinner.
“How are you doing?” I ask.
“I’m all right.”
She’s looking at the same things I am. I wonder if she is
seeing the same details. I stroke her hair and take another risk. “So what do
you think?”
“About what?”
“Starting something with me?”
She takes a deep breath but doesn’t say anything.
“What are your doubts?” I say.
“Are you kidding?” She snorts. “You’re seriously asking me
that?”
I laugh a little. “Okay, well. Besides the obvious.”
“You have your own life. I have mine. You’re trying to
rebuild from the ground up. I’m trying to secure my daughter’s future. We’re
heading in different directions.”
She isn’t wrong. Life has disappointed her in such deep and
cruel ways, I don’t blame her for protecting herself. But even as she tells me
this—the truth about how we’re not right for each other—I feel how right it is
to talk to her, to hold her hand, to show her who I am. “I have an idea,” I
say. “Probation.”
“What?”
“I’m only around for two months, right?”
“Right.”
“Spend those two months with me.” I look into her eyes. “I
want to be with you, Vanessa.”
“Sal—”
“I’ll be gone before I have a chance to disappoint
you.” When the words leave my mouth, I try to ignore how pathetic they sound.
“We’re adults, not dumb kids. We won’t lose our heads.” I run my fingers
through her silky hair. “I swear to God, every time I look at you, I feel . .
.” I reach for the most honest word I can find. “Thirsty.”
Mia Hopkins
writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and
dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and
wisecracking best friends. She lives in Los Angeles with her roguish husband
and waggish dog.
