Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 Given the cover art, the characters, the presence of brujas, the series name Brooklyn Brujas, and the summary, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion I'd like this book. It was a stunning and powerful mix of all my catnip. I like witches, I like young women coming into their power, otherworldly or otherwise, and I like the unique sense of family that arises with groups of women practicing said power. 
 Now that I've read it, my anticipation was satisfied, but I also wish there had been more. It's a mix of Alice in Wonderland and Charmed with an adventure and quest in an immense mythological world that exists within our reality and in an "otherworld" where the heroine journeys to save her family. The more I think about the different elements of the world and the way gods, magical creatures, witches, and the whole mythology itself are represented, the more it fascinates me. But I think about the world and the mythology more than I think about the characters. 
 I can't say much about the romance without spoiling a lot of the plot, but I can say that it's understated, sweet, and adorably satisfying. I wish the story had been able to spend more time on Alex's relationships, but the primary ones that have the most impact on her life are beautiful, especially her best friend, Rishi. Romance readers may not find a lot of romantic tension in the story, but it's not meant to be a romance. I still think this will appeal to many of us because of the strength and emotional resonance of Alex's connections with the women around her - her family, her best friends, and the various beings that help her along her journey. 
 Overall, I think this book contains a fabulous world with a terrific, galloping adventure through a vivid and wrenching underworld. While I was reading it, I had a hard time putting it down. But the story has most of its strength in the plot and the world-building than in the characters and their emotional development and consistency, and I missed those aspects even while I enjoyed the rest. 
 - SB Sarah