Under her Skin by Lea Santos

Under her Skin
by Lea Santos
Pages: 264
Date: August 1 2010
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: Amigas y Amor (2nd in series)

Review
Rating: 4.8 out of 5.0
Read: June 2 2016

This is the second book I’ve read by Lea Santos. I gave that first book I’d read a good solid five stars. This book here, ‘Under Her Skin’, seems to be closer to something between 4.65 to 4.85. Which doesn’t really mean anything. Even if we had half stars, I’d still rate this 5.

This book is about a world famous model by the name of Iris Lujan, and about a gardener named Torien Pacias. Iris is of Mexican descent, though she’s at least third generation USAian (if not more) – given that Iris makes a comment about Torien to one of her friends about Torien being Mexican Mexican like one of their friends parents. Meaning that Iris’s own parents are not first generation Mexican. That was more complicated that it should have been. Heh. I’ll just finish up this thought with the note that Iris, maybe because of this, maybe for some other reason, is not exactly fluent with Spanish, though knows enough to get by.

Iris is 30 to 31 years of age, is a supermodel, grew up in the Denver area, and is super tired of being a model. She’s in between jobs at the start of the book, vacationing at her business manager’s estate (stupid idea right there – doing so gives the manager access to you for spot jobs, which does in fact turn up, while supposedly on vacation). Iris feels trapped by her fate and is unsure what to do with herself. Especially as she has no other talent, nor higher education (having gone directly from high school into the modeling ranks). She’s just tired of being seen as ‘meat’ though. A shallow dimwitted piece of meat to be moved around and posed. One last thought on this particular issue – (1) cliché – the (super)model who wants to be seen as more than just a face/image/body; (2) what is she whining about? So she wants to stop being ‘meat’, so she would prefer to live in the Denver area near her friends and family . . . .well, do so. She’s fabulously wealthy now from her modeling. Bloody retire already. Go off to college if you desire, you have the money. Dabble in art, music, acting, or just spend the rest of your life ‘vacationing’. That ‘ooh, I’m . . . I’m . . . more than just a body! Right? Am I? Am I just this body and nothing more? *cry cry cry*’ is bloody annoying. But, sadly, realistic.

Torien Pacias is from Mexico, legally in the USA, and is around 31 years of age. Her papa died when she was around 17 to 19, right before she was going to head off to college, and she had to redirect herself to taking care of her many sisters (three), and mother. Somewhere along the way she moved to the USA with her next oldest sister (I failed to mention that Torien is the oldest child). For paid work, Torien is a gardener at a rich woman's estate. In her spare time she is . . . a gardener. For a volunteer project dedicated to planting gardens in less affluent neighborhoods (including her own).

One night while gazing out into her business manager’s garden, Iris spots a stunning woman moving around gardening. In, if I recall correctly, just her bra (ETA: and pants, only her shirt is removed). Iris drools. That woman then happens to move enough to catch Iris starring at her. Iris, caught, just goes with it and waves. The woman in the garden flees. That would be Torien. And immediately one of the potential points of conflict/road-blocks-to-happiness is revealed. Torien is super desirous of being responsible and not doing anything wrong – despite the fact that Torien finds Iris starring at her, she doesn’t think of it that way, she thinks of it as she herself having starred at a guest, and that may or may not upset the guest. Who might report her. And get her fired. So, you have that dynamic going on.

Torien, nicknamed Toro for her stubbornness, is drawn to Iris but she cannot allow herself to do anything with this desire. It’s too risky, and she has too much responsibility to provide for her family to risk anything.

Iris pursues Torien, who she nicknames Tori (except when Torien is being extra stubborn, at which point, Iris reverts to calling her Toro).

I rather enjoyed this book. It was a nice slow move from cultures clashing, to acquaintances, to possible friends, to more than friends. As already mentioned I’d give this a rating of roughly 4.8 stars.

I had, maybe, one or two issues with the book. The ‘whoa is me, I’m super hot and rich but do people only see me as meat?’ aspect of Iris’s personality was vaguely annoying, though not a huge issue. The ‘reason’ for Torien’s strong need to be responsible, and her heavy burden of guilt was both realistic and extra stupid.
Warning, don’t read thisTorien's father was called a dreamer. He was the kind of person who jumped from job to job looking to make as much money as possible. He died in a work related accident when his oldest child was around 17 to 19 (that being Torien). This caused Torien's personality to somewhat change. And lead her to take upon her massive guilt and the burden of responsiblity to help support her family. Which completely baffled her family. The part wherein she felt guilt. Torien was no where near the accident.

Well, apparently Torien feels guilt because she's like her father. A dreamer. And the work related accident was caused by her father, who didn't take the time to learn the work safety protocols because he didn't think he would be there that long. And others died in the explosion. People died because her father was a dreamer. That's one layer of the guilt. The second? The part that, even after this, Torien still wanted to use her scholarship and go to college. What a horrible horrible woman, right? No? Well, Torien has massive guilt for having these thoughts, though she didn't act on them. That's her source of her burden. She's a dreamer. And she wanted to go to college.

June 3 2016