First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

A bestseller throughout Latin America, Lovesick is the story of a passion interwoven with the history of a nation, a war, and a family. Emilia Sauri is torn between her love for her childhood playmate, Daniel Cuenca, who runs off to join the Mexican Revolution, and her desire to become a doctor. Her professional calling leads her to Antonio Zavalza, a physician whose only audacity is to desire peace in the midst of a civil war.

With an assured hand and a crystalline touch, reminiscent of the writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Isabel Allende, Ángeles Mastretta presents the vivid portrait of a woman both fragile and bold, who enters the new century shedding the bonds and the prejudices of previous generations. As Emilia must sort through the affairs of her heart, so too must she confront the fate history presents – a nation wracked by years of war and society awakening to the tumult of the twentieth century, and the place for a woman of many passions.

It’s the end of the workweek—yay! I hope the week has been kind to everyone and that you’re all ending it on a high note. Just like that, we are already in the second month of the year, the so-called love month. Time flies faast. It still feels like yesterday when the year just started. Still, it feels like nothing of consequence happened, but, at the same time, it also feels like a lot had happened. Nevertheless, I hope that the first month of the year has provided everyone with plenty of opportunities to be better. With the weekend looming, I hope everyone will have a great one; I hope everyone is ending the work week on a high note. It is now time to don more comfortable articles of clothing and let your hair down. I hope you spend the weekend wisely, whether by resting from the rigors of a tedious career, pursuing your passions, completing household chores, spending time with loved ones, or simply resting. I hope you’re all doing well—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Personally, the previous week has been as tedious as the week before. It was my first month-end closing with my new company. It was, as expected, a roller coaster ride, although it was more horrific than thrilling. Perhaps I am just a little overwhelmed by the switch to my “accounting brain.” There are certainly several avenues for change and improvement. It seems like a tall task, and I hope I get to survive it. After all, they hired me to improve the current processes. I hope to whip things into shape soon. In January, I commenced a literary journey across Latin American literature. Toward the end of 2025, I realized it had been some time since I dedicated a full month to this region—the last time was toward the end of 2023. With several more works of Latin American and Caribbean writers in line, I have decided to extend this journey this February. This journey has taken me to familiar territories while introducing me to writers whose oeuvres I have yet to explore. Among those in the latter category is my current read.

It was through an online bookseller that I first came across Ángeles Mastretta. Despite having no idea about who she is or what her novel Lovesick is about, I acquired a copy of the book. A couple of years after I acquired it, I finally made it part of my literary journey, including it in both my 2026 Top 26 Reading List and 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge. Apparently, Mastretta is also a journalist and an actress. In 1974, she received a scholarship from the Mexican Writers’ Center. She attended the center along with other authors such as Juan Rulfo, Salvador Elizondo, and Francisco Monterde. In 1978, she published La pájara pinta (The Colorful Bird), a collection of poetry. In 1985, she published her debut novel, Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart Out). Meanwhile, Lovesick was her sophomore novel and was originally published in Spanish in 1996 as Mal de Amores. It was actually a literary sensation that earned Mastretta the prestigious Romulo Gallegos International Novel Award.

Set in turn-of-the-century Mexico, Lovesick charts the story of Emilia Sauri. Born into a privileged, freethinking class, Emila was raised by a family of progressive eccentrics. Her father, Diego, was a Mayan pharmacist and herbalist in sleepy Puebla; Puebla is also Mastretta’s hometown. He had high hopes for his only child. As a young girl, Emilia befriended Daniel Cuenca. In one memorable scene, Emilis pushed Daniel into a pond and then jumped in after. It was evident that, over the horizon, romance between the two looms. When they grew into adolescence, their paths slightly diverged. Emila, under the tutelage of her father, started to study and grow her passion for medicine. Daniel, on the other hand, desired peace, but could not resist the thrill of conflict. With the Mexican Revolution looming, Daniel has assumed a prominent role in the revolutionary movement. With the overthrow of the dictator Porfirio Diaz in 1911, chaos was bound to happen.

The stark dichotomy between Daniel and Emilia was also reflected in the relationship between Emilia’s mother, Josefa, and her sister Milagros. Josefa’s world revolved around love. Milagros, on the other hand, advocates for justice in the midst of chaos. Daniel’s deep political involvement was a point of contention between her and Emila. Politics was, in a way, Daniel’s mistress. Meanwhile, in her study of medicine, Emilia encountered Dr. Antonio Zavalza. Politically, Antonio was Daniel’s antithesis. While Daniel basks in danger and uncertainty, Antonio is more tolerant and peace-loving. Emilia then has to confront her feelings for the two men, while pandemonium unfolds in the backdrop.

I admit that my foray into Mexican literature, and by extension, Mexican history, is rather limited. It is books like Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate and Lovesick that provide me with glimpses into the nation’s tumultuous contemporary history. Beyond history, these books also provided a window into the country’s diverse culture, tradition, and people. I am looking forward to how Emilia navigates the quandary she found herself in. The intersection of romance and history is also quite interesting; it is prevalent. It somehow reminds me of how danger often consolidates our feelings, in this case, love. I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds and how the events around them impact the characters’ lives.

How about you, fellow reader? What are you reading this weekend? I hope you’re enjoying your current book. Happy weekend!