Mia Sosa’s latest novel, THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA, will be published by Putnam on January 19, 2027.
Sosa’s contemporary romance novels, including When Javi Dumped Mari, The Starter Ex, The Worst Best Man, and The Wedding Crasher, have established her as a leading voice in the genre. In The Girl from Ipanema, she combines wit, warmth, and romance to tell a vibrant story of ambition and reinvention. The novel honors her Brazilian roots with a fresh fish-out-of-water story about a young woman whose “little” white lie could become either her big break or her downfall. Set in Rio de Janeiro, it is the perfect read to escape the winter chill.
Bianca Thompson, a documentary enthusiast with no directing experience, hopes to impress judges with a behind-the-scenes film about Brazil’s first all-female samba school, led by her aunt, Sonia Almeida Gonçalves. There’s just one problem: Bianca knows little about Portuguese, Brazil, or her aunt.
When a revealing letter from her aunt to Bianca’s late mother exposes the family’s strained relationship, Bianca is forced to choose between uncovering the truth and making a name for herself. In the process, she risks compromising her integrity or expanding her understanding of her family, her heritage, and herself.
BEHIND THE BOOK
“The books I’ve written that mean the most to me pay homage to special people or places that have had a significant impact on my life. In The Worst Best Man, I honored my mother and two of her sisters, all three of whom left Brazil in their twenties in search of better opportunities. In The Starter Ex, I celebrated Spanish Harlem, the neighborhood where I grew up.
The Girl from Ipanema is a tribute to my Brazilian family and homeland. When writers draw inspiration from their ancestry and real places, there’s a risk of creating caricatures or sensationalized settings. In my writing, I struggle to balance authenticity and entertainment. So, I wanted to write a story in which a different type of creative professional faces similar challenges and learns to honor her roots.
Several of the events in this novel are drawn from my own experiences and those of people close to me. I didn’t write an idealized version of Brazil; I wrote Brazil as I know it. Without question, there is so much I haven’t experienced and don’t know about this vast country, yet the slice of life portrayed in this book reflects the heart of what endures in my memories: family, love, creativity, fortitude, and humor. Thus, The Girl from Ipanema is both a work of fiction and a deeply personal novel.”
— Mia Sosa
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mia Sosa is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedies and contemporary romances that celebrate our multicultural world. A native of East Harlem and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Yale Law School, she lives in Maryland with her college sweetheart, their two book-obsessed daughters, a gentle Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and an adorable rescue cat that rules them all.
