Review of Living the Vida Lola, by Misa Ramirez

You may want to hold this book with gloves, because it is caliente!

Lola Cruz is a young and feisty private detective working for Camacho and Associates. Her quirky co-workers include an overbearing boss and a blue-haired secretary who thinks she looks like Jennifer Lopez. Of course, these aren´t the only people driving her crazy: there´s also her meddling, over-protective mom, playboy brother and a young cousin who wants her help for an upcoming quinceanera party.

Then one day Lola is put in charge of a high-profile case. A woman has disappeared, and Lola must find out what happened to her. Her investigation once again puts her in contact with Jack Callaghan, a journalist she´s had a crush on since high school and who happens to be her brother´s good friend. Just as in the old times, sparks go off as soon as they meet. Though Lola doesn´t exactly want his help, he somehow finds a way to show up in the most unusual–and dangerous–situations. As the investigation progresses, takes a bad turn, and the list of suspects keeps growing, it becomes evident that the case isn´t a simple ´disappearance´ and that some important people are involved. Will Lola bring her relationship with Jack to another level, solve the case, and live to tell about it?

Living the Vida Loca is a fun, entertaining novel. Lola is a sympathetic, good-hearted, spunky protagonist who gives a new meaning to the words ´private investigator´. For one thing, she refuses to carry a gun! The story combines romance, mystery and humor and moves at a fast pace that will keep you turning those pages. There´s a great array of secondary characters that add color to the story. I found there was a good balance between the romance and the mystery, without one getting in the way of the other. There´s also a lot of romantic tension between the hero and heroine. This is the first book in the Lola Cruz mystery series and I´m eagerly looking forward to reading the next book. Be sure to add this title to your summer reading list!

Visit the author´s website: http://misaramirez.com/