Keeping Carmen Ruiz

By Alyson Root

*Named as one of The Lesbian Review's Top 16 books of 2024*

Finding Molly Parsons was just the beginning for this group of friends-turned-family.

Faith has found her soulmate in Nathalie, while Mateo finally reels in his long-time crush, Daniel. And just when Molly thinks it might be her turn, love slips right through her fingers. Carmen Ruiz has gone in search of the something-or someone-that placed the first shackle around her heart. She knows that the key to her future lies in her past. What she doesn't realize is that her journey will be the catalyst for an unforgettable, cross-country quest for love and liberation.

An unexpected reckoning leads Faith and Molly back to the heart of Kentucky. A fire station delivers more than just eye candy for Enid. And a mysterious woman named Mariana receives a guest she's been waiting 37 years to meet again. With the ever-sparkling Mateo and the incorrigible Enid Butcher by their sides, Faith, Molly, and Carmen travel from one coast to the other, making amends on their way back to The Sunflower Ranch.

This place that first brought them all together now poses questions that will test their bonds. Will Faith mend the strained relationship with her mother, Maureen? Can Mateo forge a life without his big sister and protector? And is Molly ready to keep Carmen's heart-for good?

In this story of forgiveness, closure, and redemption, the Ruiz-Parsons clan navigate uncharted territory, facing each new challenge together. Through it all, they reaffirm that family bonds forged by choice are the most unbreakable, and that true love is always worth the wait.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1917785011
• ISBN13: 9781917785013
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: J&m Books
• Length: 436 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.1" x 7.8"