Never Too Real

In her debut novel, Rita explores the lives of four seemingly successful women, friends who are all second-generation Latinas from a variety of backgrounds. Introduced in quick succession are Cat, a television personality; Magda, a venture capitalist who is also a lesbian; Gabi, a married therapist; and Luz, who hails from an upper-class family and appears to have it all. Though they are perceived as having made it, each of the women struggle, and they'll have to rely on their own strengths and those of their friends in order to come through. A lot of characters and plots are introduced in the book's first section, which creates a bit of a reading challenge, even if a necessary one. Once the author establishes her characters and their difficulties, each protagonist becomes more developed and holds her own as a compelling individual.