Alex Torres is in control of her own life. Sort of. After rage quitting her wildly popular and social media-viral bartending gig in the city, she does have a plan: take over and save abuela’s bar and be her own boss, bringing her vision to life and doing things the right way. It’s just that her family doesn’t quite trust her,since it’s been years since she left her small town as fast and unexpectedly as she came back. And there’s Jeremiah Post, a sexy but meddling professor, who’s trying to lay his own academic claim on the bar, which they both happen to live above with just one thin wall separating them. And there are miles of bureaucratic red tape, which the founding family may be responsible for making even more complicated. Oh, and the bar is definitely (and hopefully not dangerously?) haunted, but the Torres family is pretty used to things moving and rattling around.

Alex could try to find allies, but trust and vulnerability have never come easy to her. With so many players and different motives, it’s difficult to know who to let in, and Alex’slivelihood and future depend on making the right call.

This tale is immediately spicy, as well as tension-filled, as Alex and Jeremiah begin poking around and working together to discover the secrets of the quintessential Mexican-American town they both come to love.

Join Create Good Co.’s Book Club on Wednesday, October 11 at 6:00 to talk about After Hours on Milagro Street! We’ll have snacks, drinks, and community, but space is limited, so get your ticket to claim your spot.

Looking to read sustainably? Pick up this month’s pick at the Poudre River Public Library in a variety of formats. Shop locally at Old Firehouse Books or support our co-host, Curated Symposium, on Bookshop.org.