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More Like Enemigas
Not yet published
Expected 7 Apr 26One wedding, two rivals and a whole lot of secrets…
As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Isabella Valdes knows three things for her late father’s restaurant is thriving she owns lots of designer things both of those statements are absolute lies to make her mother happy
Isabella would do anything to keep her father’s legacy alive, including attending her estranged cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza. Because once Sofia’s wealthy fiancé tastes the recipes Isa prepares from her father’s cherished journal, he’s sure to invest.
To Isa’s annoyance, she’ll be sharing a cabin with Valentina, the former friend turned rival who ruined her quinceañera. But Val is offering an unexpected deal—she’ll help Isa unravel an old family secret found in her father’s journal in return for help sabotaging the wedding and winning the heart of the bride.
Saying yes is a bad idea. Isa’s perfectionism meets its match in Val’s carefree demeanor, but as they work together, the usually responsible Isa can’t seem to say no to Val’s shenanigans. There’s no hiding from Val, no ignoring this complicated but undeniable connection that’s changing Isa’s beliefs about love, loyalty and just how much she owes to her family—and to herself…
As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, Isabella Valdes knows three things for her late father’s restaurant is thriving she owns lots of designer things both of those statements are absolute lies to make her mother happy
Isabella would do anything to keep her father’s legacy alive, including attending her estranged cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza. Because once Sofia’s wealthy fiancé tastes the recipes Isa prepares from her father’s cherished journal, he’s sure to invest.
To Isa’s annoyance, she’ll be sharing a cabin with Valentina, the former friend turned rival who ruined her quinceañera. But Val is offering an unexpected deal—she’ll help Isa unravel an old family secret found in her father’s journal in return for help sabotaging the wedding and winning the heart of the bride.
Saying yes is a bad idea. Isa’s perfectionism meets its match in Val’s carefree demeanor, but as they work together, the usually responsible Isa can’t seem to say no to Val’s shenanigans. There’s no hiding from Val, no ignoring this complicated but undeniable connection that’s changing Isa’s beliefs about love, loyalty and just how much she owes to her family—and to herself…
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 7, 2026
4260 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Stephanie Hope, Harlequin, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4 / 5 ⭐
This was SO cute! Such a cozy, comforting, lighthearted read.
Isabella was such a relatable character. Girl is just trying to get by, trying to fit in.. And ever since losing her dad, things have been tough. I really felt for her.
She was truly willing to do anything to keep her dad's restaurant, his legacy, afloat. So, naturally, she goes against her mom's orders, attends a wedding and sees family she hasn't seen in years.. and ends up uncovering a huge family secret along the way. (AND BOY THAT SECRET WAS A BIG ONE OMG.)
The rom-com / telenovela aspect was addictive. I was so excited to see Valentina and Isabella progress from dislike to like to lovers. I do feel that their relationship progression was a bit rushed especially towards the very end? But aside from that, I loved them so much!
If you like sweet, lighthearted sapphic reads, More Like Enemigas is definitely one you should check out!
♡ pre-read ♡
I'm literally drowning in ARCs rn, but I am SO excited to start this one! A sapphic, telenovela-esque romcom? Yes pleaseeee!!
4 / 5 ⭐
This was SO cute! Such a cozy, comforting, lighthearted read.
Isabella was such a relatable character. Girl is just trying to get by, trying to fit in.. And ever since losing her dad, things have been tough. I really felt for her.
She was truly willing to do anything to keep her dad's restaurant, his legacy, afloat. So, naturally, she goes against her mom's orders, attends a wedding and sees family she hasn't seen in years.. and ends up uncovering a huge family secret along the way. (AND BOY THAT SECRET WAS A BIG ONE OMG.)
The rom-com / telenovela aspect was addictive. I was so excited to see Valentina and Isabella progress from dislike to like to lovers. I do feel that their relationship progression was a bit rushed especially towards the very end? But aside from that, I loved them so much!
If you like sweet, lighthearted sapphic reads, More Like Enemigas is definitely one you should check out!
♡ pre-read ♡
I'm literally drowning in ARCs rn, but I am SO excited to start this one! A sapphic, telenovela-esque romcom? Yes pleaseeee!!
March 25, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
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March 24, 2026💐💛 More Like Enemigas 💛💐
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💕 What to Expect
• Sapphic romance
• Childhood rivals
• Wedding week
• Family drama
• Forced proximity
• Cuban family restaurant
_ _ _ _
🎧 Audio Score: 5 ⭐
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (Aida Reluzco)
📅 Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
💕 What to Expect
• Sapphic romance
• Childhood rivals
• Wedding week
• Family drama
• Forced proximity
• Cuban family restaurant
_ _ _ _
🎧 Audio Score: 5 ⭐
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo (Aida Reluzco)
📅 Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
October 29, 2025
Holy telenovelas!
Okay, let me start off by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this. It truly was such a good read. I was entertained the entire time.
The bochinche: family drama and family secrets.
It was wholesome in a latine family kind of way.
I really enjoyed Isa’s character. Loved Valentina, wish I could have gotten in her head ONCE. The shenanigans were so much fun.
This was my first book by this author and you know what? Yo quiero más. Honestamente, el mundo necesita más libros escritos por latine, con personajes latine.
The cover is gorgeous.
My only complaints: two characters should have 100% been dragged, it was deserved. And I felt like Val and Isa needed more fleshing out as a couple, I felt the tension and chemistry, but I wasn’t entirely convinced they were into each other for real.
This aside, I had a good time and I recommend it.
Okay, let me start off by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this. It truly was such a good read. I was entertained the entire time.
The bochinche: family drama and family secrets.
It was wholesome in a latine family kind of way.
I really enjoyed Isa’s character. Loved Valentina, wish I could have gotten in her head ONCE. The shenanigans were so much fun.
This was my first book by this author and you know what? Yo quiero más. Honestamente, el mundo necesita más libros escritos por latine, con personajes latine.
The cover is gorgeous.
My only complaints: two characters should have 100% been dragged, it was deserved. And I felt like Val and Isa needed more fleshing out as a couple, I felt the tension and chemistry, but I wasn’t entirely convinced they were into each other for real.
This aside, I had a good time and I recommend it.
December 29, 2025
4/5
First of all, thanks to netgalley and Harlequin for this eARC!
This was a very cosy read. Romance is always such a nice read during the holidays, and this one fit right in.
Isa is a young cuban girl trying to keep her restaurant afloat without any ability of communication due to losing her father and an abstent-present mom. She goes to a wedding trying to save her restaurant, and everything unfolds from there. There’s mystery, there’s romance, there’s miscommunication and there’s wholesome interactions.
I also loved how there’s a non-binary character *and* there’s no homophobia on the plot. Sometimes you need a romance book that is simply romance and grief.
If you like romance, this one is for you!
First of all, thanks to netgalley and Harlequin for this eARC!
This was a very cosy read. Romance is always such a nice read during the holidays, and this one fit right in.
Isa is a young cuban girl trying to keep her restaurant afloat without any ability of communication due to losing her father and an abstent-present mom. She goes to a wedding trying to save her restaurant, and everything unfolds from there. There’s mystery, there’s romance, there’s miscommunication and there’s wholesome interactions.
I also loved how there’s a non-binary character *and* there’s no homophobia on the plot. Sometimes you need a romance book that is simply romance and grief.
If you like romance, this one is for you!
November 15, 2025
This was such a cute and easy to follow read. I enjoyed the author's writing style and the pacing was just right. I also loved the characters in the story. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
💖 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
I absolutely adored this!! I love the writing style - this is my first book from this author but I'm definitely a fan, I loved the characterizations, and I loved the chemistry between the two leads. This is a really sweet romance while still touching on really complicated and sensitive family dynamics. Also I'm just a sucker for enemies to lovers.
I absolutely adored this!! I love the writing style - this is my first book from this author but I'm definitely a fan, I loved the characterizations, and I loved the chemistry between the two leads. This is a really sweet romance while still touching on really complicated and sensitive family dynamics. Also I'm just a sucker for enemies to lovers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
(rounded down from 2.25)
The premise here sounded really fun, and there is a lot of potential, but the final product feels a bit unfocused to me and underdeveloped in some aspects as a result of trying to do too many things.
You have all the ingredients for a good enemies-to-lovers, telenovella-style family drama, and learning to let go of grief and workaholism in favour of life and love. Isabella (Isa) is dealing with a failing restaurant that was her deceased dad's passion project, a mom who is distant but likes the finer things in life, an estranged family, a dismal dating life, and workaholism to deal with her own grief and loneliness. She's a solid main character for a romance novel, and we just know she's going to learn the meaning of life and love, learn to let go of the restaurant and embrace her father's wishes for her to live a fulfilled life and also somehow find love and whimsy again. The ingredients are all there (a little food-based pun for you, folks).
Isa is lured into a week-long summer camp wedding for her estranged cousin Sofia. Annoyingly, Valentina, Isa's childhood best friend turned enemy, but also Sofia's maid of honour and best friend, is sharing a cabin with her for this week. Once again, the ingredients are all there: the soft looks, the attraction, one of them is a slob, the other is a control freak, and somehow they will fall in love and learn to bring out the best in each other. Again, promising and sounds like a good time with lots of hijinks and falling into mud and surprising yourself and others by bonding with them.
Unfortunately, the execution is where things start to fall apart because there are simply too many things squeezed in, which include, but are not limited to:
* Classism because Isa and her family are poor and trying to hide it with fake designer bags and clothes, while the estranged part of the family is all very well off, and Sofia is marrying into even more wealth.
* A Quinceañera dress incident that is never really addressed properly and ties in subtly to the classism. Why did Val do this, and why did she think it was no big deal despite being besties with Isa and so obviously having some idea that her family can't afford big, expensive dresses that often?
* Isa's very uptight and controlling personality is a result of her anxiety, which just goes away once we change settings. Val being a slob and wasteful with her expensive clothes and accessories, also just fades away without being addressed.
* Val has been in love with Sofia but is flirting with Isa all the time and somehow gets over it really easily, despite having a plan to actively sabotage her bestie's wedding.
* The central mystery of the recipe book and why not one single adult in this family ever told the kids this very obvious secret, despite there being no stakes to revealing it anymore. All this "my dad always loved giving me puzzles" nonsense to avoid one honest conversation with your kid, dad?
* Val's casual ex is somehow embittered to the point of being an active asshole to Isa in front of their shared family, and nobody calls her out on how rude it is to keep insinuating that someone can't afford designer clothes or that they bought their clothes (gasp) from somewhere that is not a designer brand?
* The romance between Isa and Val seems really superficial. Val is a rich girl who is successful and in love with her bestie, but somehow, Isa and Val squeeze in true love in five days. I'm not sold on this because it doesn't feel like they have a deeper connection than just attraction.
* It's fairly obvious what the secret is going to be, and I'm surprised there isn't any actual angst about it because in a real-life situation, would that build up some insane resentment on all sides.
* General family drama and trying to keep who's who and how everyone is related straight.
Without spoiling things, there is a lot going on here, and most of it gets a relatively shallower treatment than it would in a Literary Fiction book because this is a romance book, and that is normally fine. However, as I mentioned, I don't find the romance particularly deep or compelling either, and it feels a bit like a superficial attraction. Childhood best friends to lovers normally come with a lot of depth of feeling because you know this person deeply. Enemies to lovers creates some fun friction and reluctant cessation of hostilities for a mutual goal. When all is said and done, we have almost no good feelings frontloaded due to childhood closeness and the tension is one-sided and almost immediately discarded because Val constantly flirts with Isa and seems to know there is an attraction there, which removes any compelling reason I had for them to not just have a fling and leave it at that. Unfortunately, I did not find any deeper romance compelling here and so the romance aspect fell a bit flat for me.
While this was a fun time as a bit of a romcom with the usual elements (falling into mud together, flirty kitchen adventures, saucy banter), they only work if we feel the main characters have a deeper connection and especially on the one week timeline of the book's events, the depth of the relationship really needs to be nailed down (heh), which is it is not here, at least in my opinion.
Overall: a fun read and a cute little Parent Trap reference subplot but there is ultimately too much happening and the lack of focus makes it all feel shallow.
The premise here sounded really fun, and there is a lot of potential, but the final product feels a bit unfocused to me and underdeveloped in some aspects as a result of trying to do too many things.
You have all the ingredients for a good enemies-to-lovers, telenovella-style family drama, and learning to let go of grief and workaholism in favour of life and love. Isabella (Isa) is dealing with a failing restaurant that was her deceased dad's passion project, a mom who is distant but likes the finer things in life, an estranged family, a dismal dating life, and workaholism to deal with her own grief and loneliness. She's a solid main character for a romance novel, and we just know she's going to learn the meaning of life and love, learn to let go of the restaurant and embrace her father's wishes for her to live a fulfilled life and also somehow find love and whimsy again. The ingredients are all there (a little food-based pun for you, folks).
Isa is lured into a week-long summer camp wedding for her estranged cousin Sofia. Annoyingly, Valentina, Isa's childhood best friend turned enemy, but also Sofia's maid of honour and best friend, is sharing a cabin with her for this week. Once again, the ingredients are all there: the soft looks, the attraction, one of them is a slob, the other is a control freak, and somehow they will fall in love and learn to bring out the best in each other. Again, promising and sounds like a good time with lots of hijinks and falling into mud and surprising yourself and others by bonding with them.
Unfortunately, the execution is where things start to fall apart because there are simply too many things squeezed in, which include, but are not limited to:
* Classism because Isa and her family are poor and trying to hide it with fake designer bags and clothes, while the estranged part of the family is all very well off, and Sofia is marrying into even more wealth.
* A Quinceañera dress incident that is never really addressed properly and ties in subtly to the classism. Why did Val do this, and why did she think it was no big deal despite being besties with Isa and so obviously having some idea that her family can't afford big, expensive dresses that often?
* Isa's very uptight and controlling personality is a result of her anxiety, which just goes away once we change settings. Val being a slob and wasteful with her expensive clothes and accessories, also just fades away without being addressed.
* Val has been in love with Sofia but is flirting with Isa all the time and somehow gets over it really easily, despite having a plan to actively sabotage her bestie's wedding.
* The central mystery of the recipe book and why not one single adult in this family ever told the kids this very obvious secret, despite there being no stakes to revealing it anymore. All this "my dad always loved giving me puzzles" nonsense to avoid one honest conversation with your kid, dad?
* Val's casual ex is somehow embittered to the point of being an active asshole to Isa in front of their shared family, and nobody calls her out on how rude it is to keep insinuating that someone can't afford designer clothes or that they bought their clothes (gasp) from somewhere that is not a designer brand?
* The romance between Isa and Val seems really superficial. Val is a rich girl who is successful and in love with her bestie, but somehow, Isa and Val squeeze in true love in five days. I'm not sold on this because it doesn't feel like they have a deeper connection than just attraction.
* It's fairly obvious what the secret is going to be, and I'm surprised there isn't any actual angst about it because in a real-life situation, would that build up some insane resentment on all sides.
* General family drama and trying to keep who's who and how everyone is related straight.
Without spoiling things, there is a lot going on here, and most of it gets a relatively shallower treatment than it would in a Literary Fiction book because this is a romance book, and that is normally fine. However, as I mentioned, I don't find the romance particularly deep or compelling either, and it feels a bit like a superficial attraction. Childhood best friends to lovers normally come with a lot of depth of feeling because you know this person deeply. Enemies to lovers creates some fun friction and reluctant cessation of hostilities for a mutual goal. When all is said and done, we have almost no good feelings frontloaded due to childhood closeness and the tension is one-sided and almost immediately discarded because Val constantly flirts with Isa and seems to know there is an attraction there, which removes any compelling reason I had for them to not just have a fling and leave it at that. Unfortunately, I did not find any deeper romance compelling here and so the romance aspect fell a bit flat for me.
While this was a fun time as a bit of a romcom with the usual elements (falling into mud together, flirty kitchen adventures, saucy banter), they only work if we feel the main characters have a deeper connection and especially on the one week timeline of the book's events, the depth of the relationship really needs to be nailed down (heh), which is it is not here, at least in my opinion.
Overall: a fun read and a cute little Parent Trap reference subplot but there is ultimately too much happening and the lack of focus makes it all feel shallow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
"Maybe you two should finally stop bickering and…" Rosita raises her eyebrows suggestively. "You know, get together."
Absolutely nothing is going right for Isabella Valdes. She's broke, her family restaurant is struggling, and she's dancing on eggshells trying to keep everyone from finding out.
But that's not a big deal. Of course not. It doesn't matter that they're three months behind on rent and not even close to turning a profit. Because she's going to attend her estranged cousin Sofia's wedding and win over Sofia's investor fiancé to secure the future of La Mariposa.
Sure, she might have to stretch the truth a little bit, but white lies never hurt anybody… Right?
What matters is that she keep the restaurant afloat, even if it means pulling herself into the current. So that's exactly what she's going to do.
More Like Enemigas is an earnest, low-heat rom-com that follows Isabella Valdes as she solves a family mystery, tries to save her dad's restaurant, lives out her childhood dream of going to summer camp, and falls in love. Not necessarily in that order (both sequentially and of importance).
In a broad stroke, More Like Enemigas is about three things: food, family, and finding yourself. For Isabella, all three might as well be synonymous.
Ever since her dad died a few years ago, Isabella's been running his dream restaurant in his steed. She lives and breathes La Mariposa. Literally, she has zero life outside of the restaurant, too focused on making sure her dad's dream doesn't die with her. It's not just about the restaurant, it's about what it represents.
La Mariposa is supposed to be her legacy, his legacy, and she can't let it go down without a fight.
And oh man does she fight.
She's willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means defying her mother and reconnecting with the side of the family she hasn't seen since her quinceañera, when something big went down between her mom and Sofia's mom, Rosita. Big enough that her mom cut them off and refused to interact with them for a decade, despite how close Isabella and Sofia were as kids.
It's not easy, but Isabella isn't about easy.
If that weren't hard enough, she also has to share a cabin and a kitchen with none other than Valentina Garcia—successful chef, Sofia's best friend, and the girl who ruined her dress and left her in tears at her quinceañera. It doesn't help that she's painfully beautiful and disarmingly charming.
Together, they conspire to sabotage the wedding and uncover the secrets left in Isabella's father's journal. All the while trying not to fall for each other.
Plot-wise, it's fun! It's easy to rip through and enjoy. The premise is unique, but grounded and the characters are flawed in that oh-so-human way that makes them fun to root for.
I liked seeing Isabella's insecurities and her (bad) coping mechanisms, her rocky relationship with her mother, the ghost of grief and love from her father, the ever-present connection she has with Sofia and Val despite years apart, and everything in between. Even if she was so dense and in-her-head sometimes that I wanted to shake some sense into her.
The development of her relationship with Val is quick but fluid, based on their shared history. Val is such a charming love interest, but sometimes I was like… man Isabella is fumbling so bad it's hard to watch.
All in all, More Like Enemigas is a good beach read. It's essentially what you expect out of a rom-com with a mystery b-plot that's interesting, albeit a little predictable. It's a solid 3 stars for me because things got pretty heavy-handed towards the end and I just didn't find myself enjoying the last act of the book nearly as much as the start. But if you're craving something light, sweet, and low-stakes, you can't go wrong with More Like Enemigas.
"Maybe you two should finally stop bickering and…" Rosita raises her eyebrows suggestively. "You know, get together."
Absolutely nothing is going right for Isabella Valdes. She's broke, her family restaurant is struggling, and she's dancing on eggshells trying to keep everyone from finding out.
But that's not a big deal. Of course not. It doesn't matter that they're three months behind on rent and not even close to turning a profit. Because she's going to attend her estranged cousin Sofia's wedding and win over Sofia's investor fiancé to secure the future of La Mariposa.
Sure, she might have to stretch the truth a little bit, but white lies never hurt anybody… Right?
What matters is that she keep the restaurant afloat, even if it means pulling herself into the current. So that's exactly what she's going to do.
More Like Enemigas is an earnest, low-heat rom-com that follows Isabella Valdes as she solves a family mystery, tries to save her dad's restaurant, lives out her childhood dream of going to summer camp, and falls in love. Not necessarily in that order (both sequentially and of importance).
In a broad stroke, More Like Enemigas is about three things: food, family, and finding yourself. For Isabella, all three might as well be synonymous.
Ever since her dad died a few years ago, Isabella's been running his dream restaurant in his steed. She lives and breathes La Mariposa. Literally, she has zero life outside of the restaurant, too focused on making sure her dad's dream doesn't die with her. It's not just about the restaurant, it's about what it represents.
La Mariposa is supposed to be her legacy, his legacy, and she can't let it go down without a fight.
And oh man does she fight.
She's willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means defying her mother and reconnecting with the side of the family she hasn't seen since her quinceañera, when something big went down between her mom and Sofia's mom, Rosita. Big enough that her mom cut them off and refused to interact with them for a decade, despite how close Isabella and Sofia were as kids.
It's not easy, but Isabella isn't about easy.
If that weren't hard enough, she also has to share a cabin and a kitchen with none other than Valentina Garcia—successful chef, Sofia's best friend, and the girl who ruined her dress and left her in tears at her quinceañera. It doesn't help that she's painfully beautiful and disarmingly charming.
Together, they conspire to sabotage the wedding and uncover the secrets left in Isabella's father's journal. All the while trying not to fall for each other.
Plot-wise, it's fun! It's easy to rip through and enjoy. The premise is unique, but grounded and the characters are flawed in that oh-so-human way that makes them fun to root for.
I liked seeing Isabella's insecurities and her (bad) coping mechanisms, her rocky relationship with her mother, the ghost of grief and love from her father, the ever-present connection she has with Sofia and Val despite years apart, and everything in between. Even if she was so dense and in-her-head sometimes that I wanted to shake some sense into her.
The development of her relationship with Val is quick but fluid, based on their shared history. Val is such a charming love interest, but sometimes I was like… man Isabella is fumbling so bad it's hard to watch.
All in all, More Like Enemigas is a good beach read. It's essentially what you expect out of a rom-com with a mystery b-plot that's interesting, albeit a little predictable. It's a solid 3 stars for me because things got pretty heavy-handed towards the end and I just didn't find myself enjoying the last act of the book nearly as much as the start. But if you're craving something light, sweet, and low-stakes, you can't go wrong with More Like Enemigas.
December 5, 2025
First off thank you Netgalley and Harlequin books for the ARC!!
I really struggled with this. It’s an extremely good possibility that I am in a reading slump as of right now, but I figured out the whole point of this book very very quickly. I struggled to keep up with things as far as the backstory goes there was so much inner monologue and not enough dialogue between the characters that I failed to become connected.
WARNING!!!!! SPOILERS!!!!
OK, you’ve officially been warned because now I’m gonna really dive into what bothered me the most first off. It wasn’t the fact that she had crappy family and friends such as Muriah who was all about trying to push her in Valentina together and Sophia, who was one happy to push her in Valentina together, even though she clearly did not like Valentina. Second of all Valentina extremely immature write out the gate. I don’t care if they’re in the late 20s and she’s a professional chef extremely immature not a good time second of all CI rolls up to this wedding for her best friend by the way, and she is admitting out loud that she wants to ruin the wedding because she is in love with the bride and has been so she sets out to destroy the wedding intentionally losing the wedding rings. And then for a few days later to develop feelings and fall in love with Isabella. Yeah not at all. Be believable. They hardly ever had any real time to actually develop a relationship so I did not feel connected to that romance whatsoever even though they were pushed in every trope you could think of one bed force proximity and it means lovers that’s type of situation and they still didn’t have that relationship.
Now let’s go with what is actually really bothering me. Isabella’s father was made out to be this incredible guy who was such a great dad and had built the restaurant up for her mother and all of these things only to find out that her dad is actually quite the piece of crap. Who originally was in love with Rosita who is Sophia’s mom and well Rosita is pregnant with Sophia. He decides to go sleep with Mariposa. No I’m not by any means an expert in these types of things, but I’m pretty sure that is a cheater Rosita and Mari we’re best friends and Mari still slept with Roberto and got pregnant with Isabella. That is not a great guy in my opinion.
So now at the end of the book, we’ve got Sophia and Isabella, who are half sisters and takes less than a few hours for Sophia to forgive Isabella for attempting to ruin the wedding. I will say that Isabella finally standing up to her mother, was probably one of the better points of this movie because Mariposa was a horrible person.
Now onto some more editorial errors that bothered me quite a bit. Faye is a friend of Isabella‘s and helps at the restaurant, and I do believe that they are non-binary since a majority of the book. The author refers to them with the they/them pronouns. However, there are a few different instances where they are miss gendered so I think it would be prudent of the editorial staff to make sure that is corrected. There were also several other grammatical and punctuation errors that would be easy to fix.
Overall, this had a really great concept and I would’ve really enjoyed it more if it wasn’t just all over the place and the relationships were able to develop appropriately.
I really struggled with this. It’s an extremely good possibility that I am in a reading slump as of right now, but I figured out the whole point of this book very very quickly. I struggled to keep up with things as far as the backstory goes there was so much inner monologue and not enough dialogue between the characters that I failed to become connected.
WARNING!!!!! SPOILERS!!!!
OK, you’ve officially been warned because now I’m gonna really dive into what bothered me the most first off. It wasn’t the fact that she had crappy family and friends such as Muriah who was all about trying to push her in Valentina together and Sophia, who was one happy to push her in Valentina together, even though she clearly did not like Valentina. Second of all Valentina extremely immature write out the gate. I don’t care if they’re in the late 20s and she’s a professional chef extremely immature not a good time second of all CI rolls up to this wedding for her best friend by the way, and she is admitting out loud that she wants to ruin the wedding because she is in love with the bride and has been so she sets out to destroy the wedding intentionally losing the wedding rings. And then for a few days later to develop feelings and fall in love with Isabella. Yeah not at all. Be believable. They hardly ever had any real time to actually develop a relationship so I did not feel connected to that romance whatsoever even though they were pushed in every trope you could think of one bed force proximity and it means lovers that’s type of situation and they still didn’t have that relationship.
Now let’s go with what is actually really bothering me. Isabella’s father was made out to be this incredible guy who was such a great dad and had built the restaurant up for her mother and all of these things only to find out that her dad is actually quite the piece of crap. Who originally was in love with Rosita who is Sophia’s mom and well Rosita is pregnant with Sophia. He decides to go sleep with Mariposa. No I’m not by any means an expert in these types of things, but I’m pretty sure that is a cheater Rosita and Mari we’re best friends and Mari still slept with Roberto and got pregnant with Isabella. That is not a great guy in my opinion.
So now at the end of the book, we’ve got Sophia and Isabella, who are half sisters and takes less than a few hours for Sophia to forgive Isabella for attempting to ruin the wedding. I will say that Isabella finally standing up to her mother, was probably one of the better points of this movie because Mariposa was a horrible person.
Now onto some more editorial errors that bothered me quite a bit. Faye is a friend of Isabella‘s and helps at the restaurant, and I do believe that they are non-binary since a majority of the book. The author refers to them with the they/them pronouns. However, there are a few different instances where they are miss gendered so I think it would be prudent of the editorial staff to make sure that is corrected. There were also several other grammatical and punctuation errors that would be easy to fix.
Overall, this had a really great concept and I would’ve really enjoyed it more if it wasn’t just all over the place and the relationships were able to develop appropriately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for an ARC of this wonderful book!
I had a lot of fun with this one - it promises hijinks and hijinks abound as Isabella, a restaurant owner, and Valentina, a talented chef (and Isa's childhood best friend) fall in love over the course of a week at their mutual friend's wedding. There are complicated family secrets, mixed emotions, and a lot of fun to be had throughout the course of this story. The wedding is set at a picturesque summer camp where the girls (except Isabella) went every summer as children.
Surprisingly, for a romcom, this is largely a story about grief: Isa lost her father to an illness a few years before the story starts, and she's never reckoned with the emotions of it. She steals her father's journal from her mother and spends much of the story poring over it, trying to discover the big family secret that almost tore their family apart fifteen years prior. By her side is Maria, her beloved cousin, and Valentina: the beautiful former best friend she had a falling out with fifteen years ago. Isa battles her grief and her intense desire to make her late father and still-living but largely narcissistic mother proud.
She and Valentina dance around each other as the aforementioned hijinks about: rafting in the river, paddleboarding, stealing the rings, trying to sabotage the wedding, trying to save the wedding, and so much more. All the while, Isa discovers that there is room in her life not just for her late father's restaurant, but for love, too. And together, they solve the mystery that has plagued them for years, that nearly tore apart their extended family at Isabella's quinceanera all those years ago.
As this was an ARC, I didn't hold it against it that there were a couple of structural issues with the story, or that I spotted the occasional rogue typo or mistake. It was still a fantastic read, and Isabella's journey from insecure daughter to proud restauranter is so fun to experience. There is a lot of emotion, a lot of drama - truly, this is an incredible soap opera in book form - but also a lot of love. The ending is absolute perfection, not only because it gave me as a reader exactly what I wanted, but also because it largely felt earned: Isa truly goes through the wringer to get her happy ending. There are so many characters to love, and even better, there's a few characters that are easy to hate, too. However, Stephanie Hope, the author, ensured that there were no flat villains. Everyone is three dimensional, with clear motivations.
I really enjoyed this book, as I have all the books from this imprint I've had the pleasure of reading. They follow the three-act structure of a romcom perfectly, and More Like Enemigas does it with a lot of flair. I will be looking out for more books by this author.
I had a lot of fun with this one - it promises hijinks and hijinks abound as Isabella, a restaurant owner, and Valentina, a talented chef (and Isa's childhood best friend) fall in love over the course of a week at their mutual friend's wedding. There are complicated family secrets, mixed emotions, and a lot of fun to be had throughout the course of this story. The wedding is set at a picturesque summer camp where the girls (except Isabella) went every summer as children.
Surprisingly, for a romcom, this is largely a story about grief: Isa lost her father to an illness a few years before the story starts, and she's never reckoned with the emotions of it. She steals her father's journal from her mother and spends much of the story poring over it, trying to discover the big family secret that almost tore their family apart fifteen years prior. By her side is Maria, her beloved cousin, and Valentina: the beautiful former best friend she had a falling out with fifteen years ago. Isa battles her grief and her intense desire to make her late father and still-living but largely narcissistic mother proud.
She and Valentina dance around each other as the aforementioned hijinks about: rafting in the river, paddleboarding, stealing the rings, trying to sabotage the wedding, trying to save the wedding, and so much more. All the while, Isa discovers that there is room in her life not just for her late father's restaurant, but for love, too. And together, they solve the mystery that has plagued them for years, that nearly tore apart their extended family at Isabella's quinceanera all those years ago.
As this was an ARC, I didn't hold it against it that there were a couple of structural issues with the story, or that I spotted the occasional rogue typo or mistake. It was still a fantastic read, and Isabella's journey from insecure daughter to proud restauranter is so fun to experience. There is a lot of emotion, a lot of drama - truly, this is an incredible soap opera in book form - but also a lot of love. The ending is absolute perfection, not only because it gave me as a reader exactly what I wanted, but also because it largely felt earned: Isa truly goes through the wringer to get her happy ending. There are so many characters to love, and even better, there's a few characters that are easy to hate, too. However, Stephanie Hope, the author, ensured that there were no flat villains. Everyone is three dimensional, with clear motivations.
I really enjoyed this book, as I have all the books from this imprint I've had the pleasure of reading. They follow the three-act structure of a romcom perfectly, and More Like Enemigas does it with a lot of flair. I will be looking out for more books by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
More like Enemigas. 3.5 rounded up
The family dysfunction in this book made me feel like my family drama was normal. lol I've never seen a family with so many convoluted secrets in all of my days. It was like an extremely interesting train wreck that I just could not look away from.
I really liked our main female character, Isabella. I felt like she was very conflicted and flawed, but ultimately at her core just wanted to do the right thing by everybody except for herself. I understood all the decisions she made and the reasons that she made them, even though the entire time I was rooting for her eventual honest moment.
The side characters in this book really shined. There was some characters in this book that I was rooting for their ultimate demise. If a couple of these characters had fallen in the lake and never emerged, I would've been totally OK with that. But you were supposed to hate these characters so I feel like the author did an excellent job giving them that dislikable agency that made you want to read more. So that hopefully they got there just desserts.
This book absolutely made me so hungry though lol all of the amazing and traditional Cuban foods discussed was such a fun aspect of this book. The conversational Spanish was also really well utilized and context clues gave you everything you needed to know. Just in case you happen to read this and are not Spanish speaking.
There were a few things that did not work for me in this novel. Although they are personal tastes and might not affect other readers, so take it with a grain of salt. I felt like the extravagant show of wealth throughout this book was extremely excessive. I felt like it got a little too much into the description and into the dropping of brand names. It did take me out of the book just a little bit and did lower that relatability aspect for me. Another feeling point for me in this book was the overall character of Valentina. I felt like she was very wishy-washy in her love interests and motivations. She was in love enough with one character to sabotage an extremely important role, but she was able to let go of it so easily after just one day. I just don't know that that made much sense to me. I think the book would've done well without the sabotage plot in general.
In general, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy listen and I felt like the narrator did an absolutely excellent job of bringing relatability and interest to the characters. I love the tone and the pronunciation of all of the Spanish. I absolutely think the narrator was a shining star for this. I would absolutely be interested in reading more from this author and from the narrator too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the gifted copy of this book.
The family dysfunction in this book made me feel like my family drama was normal. lol I've never seen a family with so many convoluted secrets in all of my days. It was like an extremely interesting train wreck that I just could not look away from.
I really liked our main female character, Isabella. I felt like she was very conflicted and flawed, but ultimately at her core just wanted to do the right thing by everybody except for herself. I understood all the decisions she made and the reasons that she made them, even though the entire time I was rooting for her eventual honest moment.
The side characters in this book really shined. There was some characters in this book that I was rooting for their ultimate demise. If a couple of these characters had fallen in the lake and never emerged, I would've been totally OK with that. But you were supposed to hate these characters so I feel like the author did an excellent job giving them that dislikable agency that made you want to read more. So that hopefully they got there just desserts.
This book absolutely made me so hungry though lol all of the amazing and traditional Cuban foods discussed was such a fun aspect of this book. The conversational Spanish was also really well utilized and context clues gave you everything you needed to know. Just in case you happen to read this and are not Spanish speaking.
There were a few things that did not work for me in this novel. Although they are personal tastes and might not affect other readers, so take it with a grain of salt. I felt like the extravagant show of wealth throughout this book was extremely excessive. I felt like it got a little too much into the description and into the dropping of brand names. It did take me out of the book just a little bit and did lower that relatability aspect for me. Another feeling point for me in this book was the overall character of Valentina. I felt like she was very wishy-washy in her love interests and motivations. She was in love enough with one character to sabotage an extremely important role, but she was able to let go of it so easily after just one day. I just don't know that that made much sense to me. I think the book would've done well without the sabotage plot in general.
In general, I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy listen and I felt like the narrator did an absolutely excellent job of bringing relatability and interest to the characters. I love the tone and the pronunciation of all of the Spanish. I absolutely think the narrator was a shining star for this. I would absolutely be interested in reading more from this author and from the narrator too.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the gifted copy of this book.
Did not finish
March 24, 2026BOOK FEATURES:
• Contemporary Romance
• Queer Romance
• Enemies to Lovers
• Miscommunication
• Thrid Act Break-up
MY THOUGHTS:
I wanted to love this book so much because I’m a sucker for Latin characters, especially if they speak Spanish sometimes. This story had so much potential, but I just couldn’t continue it. I DNF’d it at 70%.
I had a feeling right from the start that this story just wasn’t for me, starting with the opening scene at Isa’s restaurant. It didn’t really make sense why the employees quit one by one, and how no one could tell the restaurant was failing if there was basically no customers.
Later, when Val appeared in the story, we got some of their backstory and why Isabella had hated her for 10 years (little hint: it was because of an accident – holding a grudge for a whole decade over it felt completely unreasonable). After they were forced into proximity for just one day, Isa just changed her mind and as if those 10 years meant nothing, they started to help each other and spending all their time together. This sudden change was so abrupt that it didn’t feel believable. Isa even neglected her closest cousin, whom she attended the wedding with, which felt so immature of her, I was so annoyed. Because of all of this, I couldn’t feel the tension or any chemistry between the main characters.
The characters’ opinions changed every few hours, they didn’t really know what they wanted. Every time they misunderstood something, they got mad at each other, and it bothered me so much. There was just too much unnecessary drama. The main plot was built on constant lying, secrecy, miscommunication and blackmailing. I guess it was meant to tackle a little bit of everything, but instead it felt like a messy blurr.
I skipped to the ending of the story because I was curious how the whole family drama would end and what the big secret everyone was hiding was. But I got so disappointed, since the conflict was resolved so weakly, I didn’t regret not finishing it.
I feel sorry for DNFing this story because, as I mentioned earlier, it had great potential, but I saw no point in pushing through.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
CONTANT WARNINGS:
• Mention of Death
• Grief
• Mild Language
• Contemporary Romance
• Queer Romance
• Enemies to Lovers
• Miscommunication
• Thrid Act Break-up
MY THOUGHTS:
I wanted to love this book so much because I’m a sucker for Latin characters, especially if they speak Spanish sometimes. This story had so much potential, but I just couldn’t continue it. I DNF’d it at 70%.
I had a feeling right from the start that this story just wasn’t for me, starting with the opening scene at Isa’s restaurant. It didn’t really make sense why the employees quit one by one, and how no one could tell the restaurant was failing if there was basically no customers.
Later, when Val appeared in the story, we got some of their backstory and why Isabella had hated her for 10 years (little hint: it was because of an accident – holding a grudge for a whole decade over it felt completely unreasonable). After they were forced into proximity for just one day, Isa just changed her mind and as if those 10 years meant nothing, they started to help each other and spending all their time together. This sudden change was so abrupt that it didn’t feel believable. Isa even neglected her closest cousin, whom she attended the wedding with, which felt so immature of her, I was so annoyed. Because of all of this, I couldn’t feel the tension or any chemistry between the main characters.
The characters’ opinions changed every few hours, they didn’t really know what they wanted. Every time they misunderstood something, they got mad at each other, and it bothered me so much. There was just too much unnecessary drama. The main plot was built on constant lying, secrecy, miscommunication and blackmailing. I guess it was meant to tackle a little bit of everything, but instead it felt like a messy blurr.
I skipped to the ending of the story because I was curious how the whole family drama would end and what the big secret everyone was hiding was. But I got so disappointed, since the conflict was resolved so weakly, I didn’t regret not finishing it.
I feel sorry for DNFing this story because, as I mentioned earlier, it had great potential, but I saw no point in pushing through.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
CONTANT WARNINGS:
• Mention of Death
• Grief
• Mild Language
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
More Like Enemigas was an absolute joy to read — it was so much fun, from the romance to family drama and a decades old mystery. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that made me literally laugh out loud. The characters were so fun and entertaining, and as other reviewers have shared, it’s like reading a telenovela.
What I loved the most was how much of myself I saw in Isabella. Besides the fact that we share a very similar name (and, ironically, my grandmother calls me Sofie as a nickname because she loves the name so much), I immediately connected with Isabella’s compulsive need to be perfect in the eyes of her family, while exhibiting workaholic tendencies to make it all work. In many ways, I felt that Isabella’s character was a fictional embodiment of myself. It was a little strange at times, but also very comforting and healing.
I’ve always considered myself a hopeless romantic, but I’m drawn to mysteries and who-dunnits, so when I can find a sapphic book that includes both, I’m hooked. While the mystery in this one was more lighthearted than a lot of books in this genre, the author did a fantastic job revealing bits and pieces as the story went along. As a reader, it wasn’t impossible to guess some of the secrets ahead of time, but the pace was still done so well and I enjoyed every moment.
Still, I wish the author had chosen a different reason for Valentina to go into cahoots with Isabella rather than Valentina being in love with Sofia. While this would have been fine in a book taking place over a longer period of time, it was difficult to believe that Valentina had completely moved on from Sofia and ready to be with Isabella within a week. While I appreciated that this was addressed by the characters, I feel that Valentina and Isabella’s story would have been strengthened if Valentina wasn’t hung up on Sofia only to quickly change course when Isabella came along.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
What I loved the most was how much of myself I saw in Isabella. Besides the fact that we share a very similar name (and, ironically, my grandmother calls me Sofie as a nickname because she loves the name so much), I immediately connected with Isabella’s compulsive need to be perfect in the eyes of her family, while exhibiting workaholic tendencies to make it all work. In many ways, I felt that Isabella’s character was a fictional embodiment of myself. It was a little strange at times, but also very comforting and healing.
I’ve always considered myself a hopeless romantic, but I’m drawn to mysteries and who-dunnits, so when I can find a sapphic book that includes both, I’m hooked. While the mystery in this one was more lighthearted than a lot of books in this genre, the author did a fantastic job revealing bits and pieces as the story went along. As a reader, it wasn’t impossible to guess some of the secrets ahead of time, but the pace was still done so well and I enjoyed every moment.
Still, I wish the author had chosen a different reason for Valentina to go into cahoots with Isabella rather than Valentina being in love with Sofia. While this would have been fine in a book taking place over a longer period of time, it was difficult to believe that Valentina had completely moved on from Sofia and ready to be with Isabella within a week. While I appreciated that this was addressed by the characters, I feel that Valentina and Isabella’s story would have been strengthened if Valentina wasn’t hung up on Sofia only to quickly change course when Isabella came along.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Rating: 3.5, rounded to a 4
Buckle up, because this book is basically a televised fever dream in the best way possible. If you’re looking for subtle, you’ve come to the wrong cabin. This story leans into its telenovela roots with zero apologies, and honestly? It works.
The setup is top-tier: an extravagant, week-long joint bachelor/bachelorette bash in a cozy cabin that I desperately wanted to Zillow. The descriptions are so lush I could practically smell the pine and expensive perfume. We even got some Parent Trap nods to set the mood—though, tragically, nobody donned a fencing mask for a duel.
Maria is the undisputed MVP. She is a walking highlight reel, and her witty side-eye/remarks toward Isabella kept me cackling. If Maria isn't on the page, I'm just waiting for her to come back.
As much as I enjoyed the ride, a few plot points felt a little underbaked:
We’re told Isabella is the "poor relation" in a sea of Forbes-listed relatives, but we never quite learn why. I needed a bit more "financial angst" to ground the drama. Why is she the only one there who's poor?!
Valentina: She’s supposed to be a powerhouse, but I needed more "girlboss" and less "placeholder."
Her romantic arc was... a choice. She had already dated two other family members at the party before falling for a third?! It started giving "family tree" and started feeling like a "family circle." Let’s maybe cap the exes at one, or reveal she’s been pining for Isa this whole time. Anything to make her look less like she’s trying to collect the whole set!
This is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that thrives on being "extra." If you want a cozy camp setting mixed with enough tea to fill a lake, pick this up.
Come for the aesthetic, stay for Maria’s snark, and try not to think too hard about the family dating dynamics.
Rating: 3.5, rounded to a 4
Buckle up, because this book is basically a televised fever dream in the best way possible. If you’re looking for subtle, you’ve come to the wrong cabin. This story leans into its telenovela roots with zero apologies, and honestly? It works.
The setup is top-tier: an extravagant, week-long joint bachelor/bachelorette bash in a cozy cabin that I desperately wanted to Zillow. The descriptions are so lush I could practically smell the pine and expensive perfume. We even got some Parent Trap nods to set the mood—though, tragically, nobody donned a fencing mask for a duel.
Maria is the undisputed MVP. She is a walking highlight reel, and her witty side-eye/remarks toward Isabella kept me cackling. If Maria isn't on the page, I'm just waiting for her to come back.
As much as I enjoyed the ride, a few plot points felt a little underbaked:
We’re told Isabella is the "poor relation" in a sea of Forbes-listed relatives, but we never quite learn why. I needed a bit more "financial angst" to ground the drama. Why is she the only one there who's poor?!
Valentina: She’s supposed to be a powerhouse, but I needed more "girlboss" and less "placeholder."
Her romantic arc was... a choice. She had already dated two other family members at the party before falling for a third?! It started giving "family tree" and started feeling like a "family circle." Let’s maybe cap the exes at one, or reveal she’s been pining for Isa this whole time. Anything to make her look less like she’s trying to collect the whole set!
This is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that thrives on being "extra." If you want a cozy camp setting mixed with enough tea to fill a lake, pick this up.
Come for the aesthetic, stay for Maria’s snark, and try not to think too hard about the family dating dynamics.
March 23, 2026
I was in the mood for a sapphic contemporary romance, so this seemed perfect!
Isa has been holding everything together with a lot of pressure and some well-placed lies to keep her mom from knowing the truth about their finances. Her late dad’s restaurant is struggling, but she’s determined to save it, even if it means going to her cousin’s over-the-top wedding to try and secure an investor. Even if she hasn't spoken to that side of the family in years. Because of her last-minute RSVP, she ends up sharing a cabin with Val, her former best friend turned rival. Val offers Isa a deal to help uncover a family secret hidden in her dad’s journal if Isa helps her stir up chaos at the wedding. As they team up, things get messy, old feelings resurface, and Isa starts to question everything she thought she had to be for her family versus what she actually wants for herself.
I’ll be honest, Isa drove me crazy in the beginning. A lot of her decisions and the pressure she put on herself had me feeling more frustrated than invested. But as the story went on, I appreciated seeing her start to grow and step out from under her mom’s expectations. Watching her reconnect with herself and figure out what she actually wants ended up being one of the stronger parts of the book for me.
There’s a lot going on in this story in a good way. Between the family dynamics, the romance, the secrets, and all the wedding drama, it kept me entertained. I didn't see that ending coming, which was a great surprise! Overall, this novel picked up as it went on. The deeper you get into the story and the characters, the more it pulls you in.
I listened to this on audio, and Aida Reluzco did a great job narrating!
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, for this ALC!
Isa has been holding everything together with a lot of pressure and some well-placed lies to keep her mom from knowing the truth about their finances. Her late dad’s restaurant is struggling, but she’s determined to save it, even if it means going to her cousin’s over-the-top wedding to try and secure an investor. Even if she hasn't spoken to that side of the family in years. Because of her last-minute RSVP, she ends up sharing a cabin with Val, her former best friend turned rival. Val offers Isa a deal to help uncover a family secret hidden in her dad’s journal if Isa helps her stir up chaos at the wedding. As they team up, things get messy, old feelings resurface, and Isa starts to question everything she thought she had to be for her family versus what she actually wants for herself.
I’ll be honest, Isa drove me crazy in the beginning. A lot of her decisions and the pressure she put on herself had me feeling more frustrated than invested. But as the story went on, I appreciated seeing her start to grow and step out from under her mom’s expectations. Watching her reconnect with herself and figure out what she actually wants ended up being one of the stronger parts of the book for me.
There’s a lot going on in this story in a good way. Between the family dynamics, the romance, the secrets, and all the wedding drama, it kept me entertained. I didn't see that ending coming, which was a great surprise! Overall, this novel picked up as it went on. The deeper you get into the story and the characters, the more it pulls you in.
I listened to this on audio, and Aida Reluzco did a great job narrating!
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Audio, for this ALC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have not had a book that has had me hooked like this in a while! I felt locked in with Isa as she went through her emotional highs and lows.
This story follows Isa, who is the manager of her late father's restaurant La Mariposa, that offers delicious cuban food. Despite how hard she works, they are on the brink of closure. Isa struggles with outside pressures and the desire to keep her father's memory alive.
Her estranged cousin Sofia extends an invitation to her week long wedding and the opportunity to gain an investment with her soon to be husband Luciano.
When the landlord Gabriel gives an ultimatum, either pay your rent or I'm selling. Isa can't let this opportunity pass. She and her absolutely hilarious cousin Maria go to the campsite where the wedding is being held.
When Isa's car, Ms. Piggy, breaks down her rival Valentina comes to the rescue. The week of celebration will be full of tension, Isa and Valentina can't keep their eyes off eachother, they get into some wedding hijinks, a bitter cousin threatens the peace and family secrets threaten to ruin everything.
If you want to read a sweet story that has a painfully well written look at family dynamics and pressures then this is it. I think this is a perfect read for Valentines day.
Heed some warnings ⚠️ this story will touch on grief, the loss of a parent, manipulation, emotional abuse, classism, bullying, and anxiety
This book is set to be released on April 7th!
I have not had a book that has had me hooked like this in a while! I felt locked in with Isa as she went through her emotional highs and lows.
This story follows Isa, who is the manager of her late father's restaurant La Mariposa, that offers delicious cuban food. Despite how hard she works, they are on the brink of closure. Isa struggles with outside pressures and the desire to keep her father's memory alive.
Her estranged cousin Sofia extends an invitation to her week long wedding and the opportunity to gain an investment with her soon to be husband Luciano.
When the landlord Gabriel gives an ultimatum, either pay your rent or I'm selling. Isa can't let this opportunity pass. She and her absolutely hilarious cousin Maria go to the campsite where the wedding is being held.
When Isa's car, Ms. Piggy, breaks down her rival Valentina comes to the rescue. The week of celebration will be full of tension, Isa and Valentina can't keep their eyes off eachother, they get into some wedding hijinks, a bitter cousin threatens the peace and family secrets threaten to ruin everything.
If you want to read a sweet story that has a painfully well written look at family dynamics and pressures then this is it. I think this is a perfect read for Valentines day.
Heed some warnings ⚠️ this story will touch on grief, the loss of a parent, manipulation, emotional abuse, classism, bullying, and anxiety
This book is set to be released on April 7th!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book felt like stepping into a telenovela my mom had on in the background — dramatic, chaotic, heartfelt, and weirdly comforting.
Set during an over-the-top, weeklong pre-wedding bash in a cozy cabin I absolutely wanted to Zillow, the story is packed with family secrets, rivalry, buried history, and enough bochinche to fuel an entire season of TV. The Isa/Val dynamic is messy in the best way — shared past, lingering tension, and emotional landmines everywhere.
The cultural elements really shine. Family expectations, loyalty, and love are woven through the drama in a way that felt familiar and grounding, even when the plot leaned fully into its “extra” telenovela energy.
And Maria? The undisputed MVP. Her side-eye and commentary had me cackling — every time she left the page, I was just waiting for her to come back.
That said, a few things felt underbaked. Isabella being the lone “poor relation” needed more context to land emotionally, and Valentina’s romantic history started to feel less like tension and more like she was trying to complete a family punch card. I wanted a bit more depth to ground the chaos.
Still, this is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that knows exactly what it is. Come for the cozy camp aesthetic and family tea, stay for the snark, and try not to overthink the family dating dynamics.
Confession: I came for the telenovela chaos, stayed for Maria’s commentary, and left mentally casting the Netflix adaptation.
Set during an over-the-top, weeklong pre-wedding bash in a cozy cabin I absolutely wanted to Zillow, the story is packed with family secrets, rivalry, buried history, and enough bochinche to fuel an entire season of TV. The Isa/Val dynamic is messy in the best way — shared past, lingering tension, and emotional landmines everywhere.
The cultural elements really shine. Family expectations, loyalty, and love are woven through the drama in a way that felt familiar and grounding, even when the plot leaned fully into its “extra” telenovela energy.
And Maria? The undisputed MVP. Her side-eye and commentary had me cackling — every time she left the page, I was just waiting for her to come back.
That said, a few things felt underbaked. Isabella being the lone “poor relation” needed more context to land emotionally, and Valentina’s romantic history started to feel less like tension and more like she was trying to complete a family punch card. I wanted a bit more depth to ground the chaos.
Still, this is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that knows exactly what it is. Come for the cozy camp aesthetic and family tea, stay for the snark, and try not to overthink the family dating dynamics.
Confession: I came for the telenovela chaos, stayed for Maria’s commentary, and left mentally casting the Netflix adaptation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book felt like stepping into a telenovela my mom had on in the background — dramatic, chaotic, heartfelt, and weirdly comforting.
Set during an over-the-top, weeklong pre-wedding bash in a cozy cabin I absolutely wanted to Zillow, the story is packed with family secrets, rivalry, buried history, and enough bochinche to fuel an entire season of TV. The Isa/Val dynamic is messy in the best way — shared past, lingering tension, and emotional landmines everywhere.
The cultural elements really shine. Family expectations, loyalty, and love are woven through the drama in a way that felt familiar and grounding, even when the plot leaned fully into its “extra” telenovela energy.
And Maria? The undisputed MVP. Her side-eye and commentary had me cackling — every time she left the page, I was just waiting for her to come back.
That said, a few things felt underbaked. Isabella being the lone “poor relation” needed more context to land emotionally, and Valentina’s romantic history started to feel less like tension and more like she was trying to complete a family punch card. I wanted a bit more depth to ground the chaos.
Still, this is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that knows exactly what it is. Come for the cozy camp aesthetic and family tea, stay for the snark, and try not to overthink the family dating dynamics.
Confession: I came for the telenovela chaos, stayed for Maria’s commentary, and left mentally casting the Netflix adaptation.
Set during an over-the-top, weeklong pre-wedding bash in a cozy cabin I absolutely wanted to Zillow, the story is packed with family secrets, rivalry, buried history, and enough bochinche to fuel an entire season of TV. The Isa/Val dynamic is messy in the best way — shared past, lingering tension, and emotional landmines everywhere.
The cultural elements really shine. Family expectations, loyalty, and love are woven through the drama in a way that felt familiar and grounding, even when the plot leaned fully into its “extra” telenovela energy.
And Maria? The undisputed MVP. Her side-eye and commentary had me cackling — every time she left the page, I was just waiting for her to come back.
That said, a few things felt underbaked. Isabella being the lone “poor relation” needed more context to land emotionally, and Valentina’s romantic history started to feel less like tension and more like she was trying to complete a family punch card. I wanted a bit more depth to ground the chaos.
Still, this is a high-drama, FOMO-inducing romp that knows exactly what it is. Come for the cozy camp aesthetic and family tea, stay for the snark, and try not to overthink the family dating dynamics.
Confession: I came for the telenovela chaos, stayed for Maria’s commentary, and left mentally casting the Netflix adaptation.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review
This was a lot of fun to read, a sapphic enemies to lovers with a whole heap of family drama on the side.
I really loved Isa and her struggle to be at peace with herself and the life she wants to lead. Her character arc was my favourite. I enjoyed the sapphic enemies to lovers vibes but I'd have preferred a little more time.spent on Val and Isa falling in love, especially as Val starts the book in love with someone else, I would've just loved more time with them and more time for Val to work through that transition.
My favourite part of the book was the reveal of the big family secret, even though I knew it was coming I still really enjoyed the way it came about. The telenovela style drama was better handled than the romance but I'd still have liked to see a bit more of the resolution, especially the confrontation between Isa and her Mum, and the decision about her future that Isa makes.
Overall I did enjoy this, if anything it was just a little too short for me and as a result it skipped some depth in the romance and it wrapped up very quickly after the wedding. I would still definitely recommend as a fun, flirty summer read!
This was a lot of fun to read, a sapphic enemies to lovers with a whole heap of family drama on the side.
I really loved Isa and her struggle to be at peace with herself and the life she wants to lead. Her character arc was my favourite. I enjoyed the sapphic enemies to lovers vibes but I'd have preferred a little more time.spent on Val and Isa falling in love, especially as Val starts the book in love with someone else, I would've just loved more time with them and more time for Val to work through that transition.
My favourite part of the book was the reveal of the big family secret, even though I knew it was coming I still really enjoyed the way it came about. The telenovela style drama was better handled than the romance but I'd still have liked to see a bit more of the resolution, especially the confrontation between Isa and her Mum, and the decision about her future that Isa makes.
Overall I did enjoy this, if anything it was just a little too short for me and as a result it skipped some depth in the romance and it wrapped up very quickly after the wedding. I would still definitely recommend as a fun, flirty summer read!
November 22, 2025
First, thank you to Harlequin Romance for the e-ARC!
For me, this book struggled to really find its footing. When I read a romance, I don’t want to feel stressed, but this story is built on a foundation of stress and chaos. Isabella is narratively all over the place, and that frenetic energy transfers directly to the reader. I often felt more frustrated by Isa than I felt empathetic towards her.
Plot-wise, there was a lot happening at any given time. In theory, this could have leaned into a fun, telenovela style story, but instead it felt overwhelming, especially since the core premise was meant to be a romance. Unfortunately, the romance ended up feeling like the weakest part of the book. Isa and Val barely had any meaningful time together, making it hard to believe in their connection. There were also tropes set up for them, like forced proximity, that went completely unexplored.
There is a solid skeleton for a good story here, but for me the execution and the extremely predictable twists fell flat. The standout moments were the wedding events and the bits of genuine humor and connection sprinkled throughout, but overall this simply wasn’t a great read for me.
For me, this book struggled to really find its footing. When I read a romance, I don’t want to feel stressed, but this story is built on a foundation of stress and chaos. Isabella is narratively all over the place, and that frenetic energy transfers directly to the reader. I often felt more frustrated by Isa than I felt empathetic towards her.
Plot-wise, there was a lot happening at any given time. In theory, this could have leaned into a fun, telenovela style story, but instead it felt overwhelming, especially since the core premise was meant to be a romance. Unfortunately, the romance ended up feeling like the weakest part of the book. Isa and Val barely had any meaningful time together, making it hard to believe in their connection. There were also tropes set up for them, like forced proximity, that went completely unexplored.
There is a solid skeleton for a good story here, but for me the execution and the extremely predictable twists fell flat. The standout moments were the wedding events and the bits of genuine humor and connection sprinkled throughout, but overall this simply wasn’t a great read for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This one honestly felt like stepping into a telenovela my mom would have on in the background—dramatic, a little chaotic, heartfelt, and surprisingly comforting.
More Like Enemigas is packed with family secrets, rivalry, and emotional history, all wrapped in a wedding-week setting that keeps things moving. The dynamic between Isa and Val was fun to watch unfold, especially with their shared past and constant tension. There’s a lot of bochinche here—family drama, old wounds, buried truths—and that was definitely part of the charm.
I really appreciated the cultural elements and the way family expectations, loyalty, and love were woven into the story. It felt familiar in the best way, like stories I grew up around, even when things got messy. While the romance could’ve used a bit more depth in places, the chemistry was there, and the emotional beats still landed.
Overall, this was a cute, light read that didn’t try to be more than it needed to be. If you’re in the mood for a fun, slightly dramatic rom-com with telenovela vibes and a strong family thread running through it, this one is worth picking up.
More Like Enemigas is packed with family secrets, rivalry, and emotional history, all wrapped in a wedding-week setting that keeps things moving. The dynamic between Isa and Val was fun to watch unfold, especially with their shared past and constant tension. There’s a lot of bochinche here—family drama, old wounds, buried truths—and that was definitely part of the charm.
I really appreciated the cultural elements and the way family expectations, loyalty, and love were woven into the story. It felt familiar in the best way, like stories I grew up around, even when things got messy. While the romance could’ve used a bit more depth in places, the chemistry was there, and the emotional beats still landed.
Overall, this was a cute, light read that didn’t try to be more than it needed to be. If you’re in the mood for a fun, slightly dramatic rom-com with telenovela vibes and a strong family thread running through it, this one is worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3,5⭐️
I wanted to love this book because it seemed right up my alley. However, I had issues with some of the characters. This story just ended up being sad and quite depressing to me rather than hopeful and romantic. I’m not totally convinced by Isabella’s and Valentina’s romance. I found that it was too quick for them to have strong feelings like this after only one week. Perhaps if their relationship when they were younger was more shown, it could have given more context to what happened.
As for the family drama, it took most of the story. It had a telenovela vibe. But I found it quite sad. Isabella kept having to pretend that she’s rich while she’s not because the rest of the family is. I really felt for her.
I really enjoyed the fact that this novel depicts a Latinx family and is also written by a latinx author.
Overall, it’s an entertaining story! For me, I felt like it focused more on family drama rather than the romance, to the point where the romance felt a bit underdeveloped. I still enjoyed reading and felt connected to the characters, especially Isabella!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
I wanted to love this book because it seemed right up my alley. However, I had issues with some of the characters. This story just ended up being sad and quite depressing to me rather than hopeful and romantic. I’m not totally convinced by Isabella’s and Valentina’s romance. I found that it was too quick for them to have strong feelings like this after only one week. Perhaps if their relationship when they were younger was more shown, it could have given more context to what happened.
As for the family drama, it took most of the story. It had a telenovela vibe. But I found it quite sad. Isabella kept having to pretend that she’s rich while she’s not because the rest of the family is. I really felt for her.
I really enjoyed the fact that this novel depicts a Latinx family and is also written by a latinx author.
Overall, it’s an entertaining story! For me, I felt like it focused more on family drama rather than the romance, to the point where the romance felt a bit underdeveloped. I still enjoyed reading and felt connected to the characters, especially Isabella!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
More like emenigas is a sapphic rivals to lovers and would make the perfect holiday read.
Isabella is workaholic struggling to keep her belated father's restaurant afloat. Shes convinced to attend her estranged cousin wedding to try and convince the husband to be to invest in the restaurant. Isabella's father was keeping a big secret and hide clues in his journal before he past. While Isabella is keeping up a big facade that she is rich and successful shes also trying to uncover her dad's secret.
Valeninta is a the brides best friend who has been in love with her for years and is dead set on ruining the big day.
Forced to share a room Isa and Val agree to help eachother on their plans.
I love the progression with these two characters and how their personalitie complement eachother so well. Isa learnt to live her truth. Val learnt to let go and love someone else. Together they discovered the big family secret.
Thank you to Stephanie Hope, Harlequin and Netgalley for a copy of this arc to review.
Isabella is workaholic struggling to keep her belated father's restaurant afloat. Shes convinced to attend her estranged cousin wedding to try and convince the husband to be to invest in the restaurant. Isabella's father was keeping a big secret and hide clues in his journal before he past. While Isabella is keeping up a big facade that she is rich and successful shes also trying to uncover her dad's secret.
Valeninta is a the brides best friend who has been in love with her for years and is dead set on ruining the big day.
Forced to share a room Isa and Val agree to help eachother on their plans.
I love the progression with these two characters and how their personalitie complement eachother so well. Isa learnt to live her truth. Val learnt to let go and love someone else. Together they discovered the big family secret.
Thank you to Stephanie Hope, Harlequin and Netgalley for a copy of this arc to review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
With the title, I really expected it to be a fun little enemies to lovers rom-com but this was way more family drama with a little romance sprinkled in. I love a good enemies to lovers storyline but here the whole reason for them to hate each is not even fully explained.
The book is set during a summer camp wedding lasting a week where Val and Isa try to uncover family secrets, lies and fall in love along the way. Honestly I found that Isa and Val fell in love a bit too fast especially while they trying to sabotage the wedding because Val is in love with the bride (it's in the blurb).
I had fun reading about the food and Cuban culture and all the family drama was really entertaining. I wish it was dual POV because i really would've liked a peek into Val's head. While I did guess the big secret, the reveal was still very satisfying.
I wish we got more moments of Val and Isa together, especially after they got together. Overall, if you want something low stakes and light hearted, give More Like Enemigas a chance.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
The book is set during a summer camp wedding lasting a week where Val and Isa try to uncover family secrets, lies and fall in love along the way. Honestly I found that Isa and Val fell in love a bit too fast especially while they trying to sabotage the wedding because Val is in love with the bride (it's in the blurb).
I had fun reading about the food and Cuban culture and all the family drama was really entertaining. I wish it was dual POV because i really would've liked a peek into Val's head. While I did guess the big secret, the reveal was still very satisfying.
I wish we got more moments of Val and Isa together, especially after they got together. Overall, if you want something low stakes and light hearted, give More Like Enemigas a chance.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the e-arc!
This wasn't what I expected.
The book takes place during a wedding. The wedding is for Isabella's cousin, Sofia, who is marrying into a rich family and along the way many family secrets are revealed and chaos ensues.
This book technically isn't a romance given the lack of chemistry between Isa and Val. I couldn't pinpoint the moment that both Isa and Val started having romantic feelings, it was kinda just something that outsider characters said was happening and Isa and Val just went for it despite having 0 to nothing in common.
I feel misled by the "enemigas" aspect because they literally didn't even hate each other and there was no rivalry in sight.
I really wanted to be invested but this just wasn't the book for me.
This wasn't what I expected.
The book takes place during a wedding. The wedding is for Isabella's cousin, Sofia, who is marrying into a rich family and along the way many family secrets are revealed and chaos ensues.
This book technically isn't a romance given the lack of chemistry between Isa and Val. I couldn't pinpoint the moment that both Isa and Val started having romantic feelings, it was kinda just something that outsider characters said was happening and Isa and Val just went for it despite having 0 to nothing in common.
I feel misled by the "enemigas" aspect because they literally didn't even hate each other and there was no rivalry in sight.
I really wanted to be invested but this just wasn't the book for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don't think the plot was very strong, like there was just a lot going on and the plot twist was so predictable. Furthermore, I feel like there were a lot of plot holes or just stuff that the author seems to have forgotten, such as Faye looking after the restaurant Isa is obsessing over, but she doesn't think about it when she's at the wedding.
I also didn't really feel the chemistry between Val and Isa, but that might just be me.
At times I was speed-reading because I just didn't really feel the book that much.
If you're gonna use Spanish in a book, please use accents and please be consistent, because how was "tía" written with an accent but "como estas" not?
I got a free arc from NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance
I also didn't really feel the chemistry between Val and Isa, but that might just be me.
At times I was speed-reading because I just didn't really feel the book that much.
If you're gonna use Spanish in a book, please use accents and please be consistent, because how was "tía" written with an accent but "como estas" not?
I got a free arc from NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was a wild ride, but I really enjoyed reading this book. It is not at all a romance, instead all about Isa and her journey reconnecting with family trying to save her father’s restaurant. She is accepting her cousin Sofia’s wedding invitation and has a plan to impress her fiancé to get him to invest in the failing La Mariposa. Isa is arriving as a big fraud for his whole wedding week and while going there she does not only plan to get Luciano to invest but also unravel her father’s secrets via his secret journal. It was so fun to follow Isa and her interactions with Valentina and the others and in the end it is all about family and finding a new path forward.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave an honest review voluntarily.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave an honest review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.75 Stars rounded up
This book was so extra in such a fun and exciting way. It is very much a telenovela rom-com vibes with a lot going on, that left me with a smile on my face. Does everything in this plot make sense? Not really. Is this plot believable? No. Are there a ton of plots kinda mushed together? Absolutely. But these characters were all so different and I loved hearing about this extremely complicated family that has a lot of overlap when it comes to dating. I also loved the wild idea of a summer camp themed wedding that requires the wedding attendees to go to summer camp for the week leading up to the wedding. Would I want to go to a wedding like that? Absolutely not. But reading about it was a very fun time.
This book was so extra in such a fun and exciting way. It is very much a telenovela rom-com vibes with a lot going on, that left me with a smile on my face. Does everything in this plot make sense? Not really. Is this plot believable? No. Are there a ton of plots kinda mushed together? Absolutely. But these characters were all so different and I loved hearing about this extremely complicated family that has a lot of overlap when it comes to dating. I also loved the wild idea of a summer camp themed wedding that requires the wedding attendees to go to summer camp for the week leading up to the wedding. Would I want to go to a wedding like that? Absolutely not. But reading about it was a very fun time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley & HarperCollins for the e-arc.
This book was a quick, sweet read. The Cuban representation was great, I loved the conversational Spanish & all the talk of the delicious Cuban food. This book gave telenovela drama and while I enjoyed it, I wanted more romance. This gave Chic-lit vs romance, which is fine but the title was a bit miss leading. I felt that the Valentina subplot was unnecessary to the story. I think it could have been them working together to rekindle their friendship after years apart, there was no needed for the excess drama when the whole plot of Isa trying to find her dad’s secret was enough drama, in my opinion.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. It was enjoyable and great for a debut novel.
This book was a quick, sweet read. The Cuban representation was great, I loved the conversational Spanish & all the talk of the delicious Cuban food. This book gave telenovela drama and while I enjoyed it, I wanted more romance. This gave Chic-lit vs romance, which is fine but the title was a bit miss leading. I felt that the Valentina subplot was unnecessary to the story. I think it could have been them working together to rekindle their friendship after years apart, there was no needed for the excess drama when the whole plot of Isa trying to find her dad’s secret was enough drama, in my opinion.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Would I read it again? No. It was enjoyable and great for a debut novel.
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