Hot Tamara [Paperback]

Mary Castillo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

Tamara Contreras will never again settle for unmemorable sex. Her long-time boyfriend may look perfect to her traditional Mexican-American parents -- something Tamara has never been -- but at twenty-six she wants more from life than marriage and motherhood. So in front of everyone, Tamara does the unthinkable: She turns down her boyfriend's unexpected marriage proposal and leaves home for L.A.

Tamara thinks she's got the single-girl-in-the-city thing down, until she runs into Will Benavides, the former high school bad boy turned firefighter. If Tamara's parents had known how Will lit up her teenage fantasies, she'd have been shipped off to the nuns for sure! Now Will wants to make those fantasies come true permanently.

When an unexpected opportunity lands in her lap and Tamara has to choose between the career and the man of her dreams, she wonders if maybe la familia was right after all . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

At 26, Tamara is sick of doing the right thing. She expects to shock her family when she breaks up with her boyfriend, Ruben, and announces that she's moving to Los Angeles to work at an art gallery, but she doesn't expect that her mother will cut her off completely. Though Tamara distances herself from the close-knit Hispanic community in which she grew up, she ends up running into a high-school crush who's now an L.A. firefighter. Between their unmistakable chemistry, her fire-breathing boss, and the tension with her mother, there's plenty of heat in Tamara's life. Castillo goes beyond typical chick lit by examining the cultural tug-of-war between first-generation Americans and their immigrant parents. And while her strong Latina characters are bound to draw comparisons with those of The Dirty Girls Social Club (2003), even though they're not as jaded, every woman will relate to Tamara's quest to build a life of her own. Aleksandra Kostovski
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Mary Castillo attenteded the University of Southern California, where she majored in History. During that time she went on medical missions to Mexico (where she helped deliver a baby), and interned at L.A. County Hospital. But when it was time to choose a career, Mary went back to her original love of storytelling and began writing screenplays and novels. She has worked in public relations, advertising, and as a reporter for the L.A. Times Community News. She lives in Orange County, California, with her family.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; First Edition, Ex-Library edition (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060739894
• ISBN-13: 978-0060739898
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,384,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary was listed as one of the Hottest People in the O.C. by OC Metro Magazine, the first time her hottness has been publicly acknowledged. Not that she thinks she's hot. "Hot Tamara" was her debut novel and it was Cosmopolitan Magazine's Red Hot Read for April 2005. "In Between Men" features Isa Avellan, whom readers met in HT. Mary lives in Orange County (you don't say!) with her family, which includes two pugs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Caliente, February 3, 2005

By 

Cuban Diva the Reada - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Tamara (Paperback)

This book was awesome. The steamy romance scenes were VERY well written. I was on a 3 hour flight and I picked the book up in the airport. I read the whole thing on the plane. I couldn't put it down. Even when the flight attendant came to get my drink order. The plot kept me captured and turned a long, boring flight into one of romance and excitement.
DEFINITELY worth reading!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED this book!, February 9, 2005

By 

Karla (Aurora. Co) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Tamara (Paperback)

I have been waiting for this book for a very long time and finally here it is. I finished it in one night I just could not put it down. I can't tell you how much I LOVED this book. I related to Tamara in so many ways and I wish I could find a guy like Will. Thanks Mary for such a fun and wonderful book I can't wait till the next book comes out.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fun read!, February 2, 2005

By 

Kathy Cano-Murillo "The Crafty Chica" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot Tamara (Paperback)

I had been anxiously waiting for this book and was so excited when I finally I got it! I read it in one night and really enjoyed it. It's about a young woman in her 20's establishing her place in the world, ditching a comfy life with her parents for the challenge of a new career, city and friends. I connected because I could relate - I went through similiar experiences during that time in my life. It brought back so many memories. I love Tamara, she is such a fun character to follow! Thank you Mary, looking forward to your next book!