Love of My Lives

How far would you search for the soulmate of your dreams?

Brimming with the magic of old San Juan and la Isla del Encanto, this charmingly romantic new novel from Yamile Saied Mendez, acclaimed author of Twice a Quinceañera, is the perfect read for anyone who has longed for a legendary love story that transcends time and distance—and the powerful magic of steering their own dreams.

Fans of Emily Henry and Elena Armas will fall for this fresh take on the soulmate trope set against the vivid beauty of Puerto Rico.

Madi Ramírez has it all—a thriving career she loves, a successful boyfriend, and a wedding to plan—when he finally proposes. So why does she feel like there is something missing? Jayden even has the right initials—the JR that appeared to Madi years ago, in a dream visitation from her beloved, wise abuela. Madi’s friends think her expectations are too high—but she can’t help wishing for that dreamy feeling in real-life. Wishing that Jayden would show her a little more affection. That she could really believe they were meant to be . . .

When a business trip to Puerto Rico presents itself, Madi is quick to take it. She can finally scatter her abuela’s ashes on the beach, as she wished. And maybe time apart will remind Jayden how much Madi means to him—and maybe he’ll begin to show it. But in Puerto Rico, Madi finds something—well, someone—else. A man who makes her heart beat triple-time—and who feels as right as someone Fated—except for those nagging initials . . .

Yamile (pronounced sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez is an Argentinian-American Pura Belpré gold medal-winning author of picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction. An inaugural Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she’s a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and Voices of Our Nations (VONA). Her young adult novel, Furia, was a Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine YA Pick and she’s a founding member of Las Musas, a collective of women and nonbinary Latinx creators. Born and raised in Rosario, Argentina—to a family with roots from all over the world—she now lives in Utah with her Puerto Rican husband, five multicultural kids, two bilingual dogs, and one majestic cat. Visit her online at YamileSMendez.com.