More Like Enemigas

by Stephanie Hope

One 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…

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Adult, Audiobook

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[phoenix *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️


Well, this didn't work for me. Where do I start? This was less a romance and more a family drama in a telenovela style—which sounded interesting, but I just couldn't care less. Although I did enjoy parts of it, I don't think it was very interesting or original, and there are several other things that didn't work for me. But, first of:

More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope follows Isabella Valdes, who is struggling to keep her dead father’s Cuban restaurant afloat while pretending everything is fine for her family’s sake. Hoping to secure an investment, she attends her cousin’s very over-the-top weeklong wedding, only to end up sharing a cabin with Valentina—her childhood friend turned longtime rival.

Here is my first problem already: I don't know why they hate each other. There was an incident at the quinceañera where Val ruined Isa's dress, but it's not really ever brought up again.

I thought the characters were acting very childish while being in their twenties, which is part of my second problem: Val offers to help Isa uncover a hidden family secret. In exchange, Isa needs to help sabotaging the wedding. Why? Val is in love with the Sofia, the bride. WHY? This is so goddamn stupid. Please, don't ruin a marriage because you can't handle your feelings. And at the end Sofia just forgave her in a second, as if all of it wasn't even a big deal.

Third, I didn't feel any chemistry between the main characters. At all. Valentina loves someone else but pretty much flirts with Isabella from the beginning. And then they're suddelny in love. How did Val's feelings switch so fast. You wanted to RUIN A WEDDING FOR A WOMAN JUST TO KISS ANOTHER TWO PAGES LATER. It all just happened way too quickly.

Okay, the actually family secrets surrounding Isa's father weren't that bad. I just didn't care. But that's a me-problem. It was nothing I've never read or seen before. The big plottwist was cool I guess, but I hoped for more.

Overall, this was a quick sapphic read with lots of family drama and some enjoyable parts, but it didn’t land for me. I think this book will work for a lot of other people, but I'm not one of them.


This book comes out on April 7th, 2026.

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Berry ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!!

[BookishKB]

💐💛 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.

[Yeri (wildflowerreader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Fadwa]

I decided for my sanity not to finish this. If my reading this month had been going better I could have had more patience and given it more grace, but alas i cannot. The reason the two women haven’t spoken in 10 years was so juvenile and ridiculous, which is understandable considering they were 15 but to hold that grudge FOR TEN YEARS is just silly to me. The writing being overly dramatic and repetitive didn’t help. Cherry on top was the scheme that brought them together. As soon as they agreed on it I threw the towel. It read for enjoyment, not annoyance. And I was annoyed.

[gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so the author was probably trying to go for the messy telenovela vibe in this and to an extent they succeeded, except that telenovelas usually span 26-50 episodes, and since this is a totally different medium the actual romance was set aside in favour of the drama. To me, Isa and Val's chemistry and relationship wasn't fleshed out properly and going into this expecting a romance made for a quite disappointing read. I won't lie though, the drama was tewwww good

[paula a · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Rounded up.

First, stunning cover. Like I am obsessed.

Others have said it better, but if you don't like telenovas (or similar vibes), this wont be the book for you. Luckily for me, I was in a high drama mood so it just worked! It's fun and off the wall and just a really wild good time.

[Star]

DNF @ 37%
Unfortunately, I was just not vibing with this one.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[izzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kay Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought this would resonate with me more.

However, I felt like so much of it felt a bit unrealistic and dramatic for the sake of drama.

The way so many of these characters have problematic ways of dealing with their feelings and do not communicate in a way that’s healthy is also frustrating after a while. It’s like we’re meant to support people standing up for themselves, when really, they’re just name-calling and being just as much of a bully as the first person. I don’t want to root for people who think they’re morally above other people—and act surprised when they offend other people—while they’re doing the same exact thing!

The conflicts end up feeling a bit convoluted, and then get resolved so easily at the end. I wish there had been maybe a few less problems so that they could be fleshed out more.

Especially the whole dress breaking debacle! The quince incident that incites this years-long estrangement doesn’t feel deep enough, and makes it more difficult for me to really buy into why the family would keep such a big secret from the girls for so long. They are close for so long, how did it not come out before this? Why is that night this big of a deal? I would’ve loved to hear more about that and get some more emotional depth out of it.

I think, overall, I felt like it had a lot of really fun elements, but they ended up feeling a bit too messy for me to really enjoy.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review

Sapphic romance
Former friends to rivals to lovers
Family dramas
Wedding weekend
Forced proximity
Just one bed (+ cot on the floor)

This was more a story of family drama than it was a romance. Which is fine, because the family drama is really the more engaging aspect of the story. Parts of it meandered - there would be reveals that happened too quickly and were never addressed in the moment, surrounded by pages of pettiness and immaturity. And that was my biggest issue. Most of the characters are just so completely unlikable. The two FMCs are shockingly immature for women in their 20’s. Isa was petulant, arrogant, abrasive, full of anger and completely incapable of standing up for herself. She was too concerned with presenting a facade to do any real work to accomplish her goals. And Val - stealing someone’s wedding rings to stop their wedding? Seriously? Isa’s mother is completely despicable, more of a caricature of a real character than a flawed human being.

The writing as fine, and the pacing pretty quick. There’s a huge cast of side characters but Sofia and Rosita are the only ones who offered Ang brightness and humanity to the narrative.

Thanks so much to Harlequin for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

isabella. sofia and val had been childhood friends until the parents fell out and isabella never saw her friend and cousin for over 10 year

but sofia is getting married and she has invited and its at a place that isabella has always wanted to experience and also the fact that isabellas restaurant is about to fold and sofia fiancee might invest is also on her mind.... could she pull off the deal of a lifetime and keep running her restaurant without the family knowing... the family she hasnt seen for over 10 years

there is alot of history between the family and she wants to know why..... but nobody is talking

and then there is val.... the one that ruined her dress all those years ago.... and someone who isabella has avoided for years....

can she pull off this deal and get to keep her restaurant and also mend fences with the family and what was behind them not speaking for years....

its an interesting read and when the mystery is solved it explains a lot

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

This book is a jumble of plot threads that never quite manage to tie themselves into a bow and, at the end, I was left dissatisfied and confused with what exactly happened. To be fair to the book, much of it is solid. It’s a reasonable attempt at a romcom with family chaos and mildly amusing hijinx. The problem is all of these threads that never get resolved, or that just sort of trail off to the side.

The romance is the best part of this book. The writing is good, but the lack of cohesion in the plot elements and the overly convenient moments in the ending don’t work for me.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Anita White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Telenovela

From the first chapter I was hooked to get all the juicy details on Isa family and talk about messy 😬. I also did love how the author made this story have a glimpse of the movie Parent Trap but make it messier 🤣.

[Lindsay Ottens · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Misha · Rating 2 out of 5]

(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.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Telenovela drama? Sign me up! Usually.
Isabella has taken over her late father’s failing restaurant which causes her stress to sky rocket because she’s poor and her mother is a control freak that only expects perfection. With the restaurant potentially closing, Isa desperately attends her fabulously wealthy cousin’s wedding in the hopes that she can get a loan from her cousin’s fiancé. All while trying to pretend she is rich and successful! There’s also a chance for love.
Now, I love how dramatic and overboard a telenovela can be. But I also love how telenovelas are tv shows. I don’t think the feel of telenovelas translated well into this book.
Let’s talk about what I liked:… what did I like actually? I really loved Mari, her cousin. I loved how she was the for Isa and tried her best to help make things right and encourage her to put herself out there. I also enjoyed the actual wedding events they went to and the interactions between all the characters during that time. Finally, the portrayal of mother-daughter relationships. It’s always good to see a different dynamic of this because not all relationships are the same. Some people truly cannot make amends with their parents and that’s a real thing that I think doesn’t get attention much in books. Or at least any I have read.
Now onto what I didn’t like. I truly didn’t like Isa at times. Much of the issues of the story was her not being honest. I understand the themes of classism within families and I know this is a real thing that happens all the time. But isa’s refusal to just be honest about her financial status would’ve made her life so much better. Then again we wouldn’t have a book if she did, I guess.
You can see the plot twist from a mile away. It’s extremely predictable.
The number one thing that I hated was the relationship between Isa and Val. ***Spoilers ahead!!!!*** Val was in love with her cousin the whole time until she switched to liking Isa. Isa was just a rebound! I hate when that happens in a story because how can you tell me you truly like our main character if you were just in love with someone else? Let alone her cousin?! You couldn’t get with your best friend so you go for her cousin that’s been crushing on you?? That’s just wrong. It tainted my whole view of the relationship regardless of how nice they are to each other.
I know many people will like this story, maybe I’m just being a hater or I just was in a bad mindset when I read this. But I have very many mix feelings about this. Which is very disappointing because I was so excited for this!!!
I hope if you read this you’ll love it more than I.

[SullenSapphic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spice Level: 0/5 Sweet Romance

Isabella Valdes is the proprietor of her late father’s restaurant. Unfortunately, it is a business that doesn’t have much life left and the only way she can save it is by going to her estranged cousin’s wedding in hopes of garnering an investment from Sofia’s wealthy fiance. When Isa and her familial (I can’t remember if she’s a cousin or not) friend Maria arrive at the week-long wedding retreat, Isa finds herself face-to-face with her sworn enemy.

Valentina was Isa’s friend, until the fated double quinceniera with her cousin Sofia. Valentina “tripped” and ripped her dress and Isa and Valentina haven’t spoken since that day 10 years ago. Then, Sofia has the audacity to force them to room together because Isa was a late RSVP for the wedding. Will Isa and Valentina re-kindle their friendship? Has there always been something more hiding underneath that friendship? Will Isa secure the investment to save her late father’s restaurant?

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and the author in exchange for my honest review. This book has so much unexpected depth to it. There is a lot of family turmoil that Isa has to deal with. For one, her mother is much more invested in designer items than she is her own daughter and their failing business so that weighs a lot on Isa. Maria is the comedic relief needed to help break up the tension and the heaviness that is in the book. I absolutely adore Maria. She is funny and speaks her mind and will make you burst out laughing while reading / listening to this book. There were a couple moments where I unexpectedly found myself busting out laughing because of Maria.

This is a slow-burn. I’ll even venture to say a simmer. But the low heat is oh so wonderful. Isa and Val are forced to face their past and work through the things that made them hate each other. You follow a relationship that goes from two characters loathing each other, to disliking each other, to being friendly, to being friends, to being in love. It was so beautiful and romantic and I know this is one book that will stick with me for a while.

Aida Relizco is the narrator of this audiobook. Her narrating is stellar and it drew me in from the beginning and I honestly didn’t want to stop listening. Absolutely wonderful.

⛺ Sapphic Romance
⛺ Cuban-American Family
⛺ Family Secrets
⛺ Grief
⛺ Death of a Parent (off page)
⛺ Enemies-to-Lovers
⛺ Telenovela Style

[Evelin]

BOOK 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

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope is a layered story that blends romance, family drama, and light mystery, though not always seamlessly. Despite its title, Isa and Val never quite feel like true enemies, which slightly undercuts the central premise of rivals-to-lovers.

Isa’s characterization is one of the novel’s more complex elements. Her need to maintain the illusion of success—driven largely by her mother’s fixation on appearances—can be exhausting to witness, yet it is also understandable given the pressures placed on her. The tension between her constructed identity and her reality adds emotional weight, particularly as she reconnects with family members she has long been distanced from. These moments of reconnection, especially with her cousin, are among the most effective in the book.

The narrative incorporates several moving parts—a hidden mystery within a recipe journal, a plan to sabotage a wedding, and a summer camp setting that evokes playful comparisons to The Parent Trap. While these elements should feel overly contrived, they somehow come together in a way that remains entertaining, even if not entirely convincing. The mystery itself is fairly predictable, and at times Isa’s actions give the impression of a character stuck in a more juvenile mode of problem-solving.

One of the novel’s strongest aspects is its cultural representation. The portrayal of Cuban family dynamics feels specific and authentic, adding depth to Isa’s motivations and relationships. This is further enhanced in the audiobook, narrated by Aida Reluzco, whose delivery captures both the rhythm of the language and the nuances of accent with care. The seamless integration of Spanish throughout the narration is particularly effective. The only moment that felt inauthentic was when Isa remarks that her mother “would have hit me with a sandal”—in a story that otherwise embraces Spanish so naturally, chancla would have felt far more true to the cultural context.

Despite its inconsistencies, the novel remains an enjoyable read. Its charm lies in its setting, its emotional undercurrents, and the dynamic between Isa and Val, which offers glimpses of something more compelling beneath the surface.

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part this book was aggressively fine. It introduced a lot of potential sources of friction — wealth disparity, family trauma, a toxic mother, Isa’s insecurity, her lies about her restaurant, her constant buying of fake and designer knockoffs — and then did nothing with any one of them.

The money issue, ignored. And for me, that one kind of worked — or would have if it had been played out a bit more. Of course Isa’s family wants her there, and don’t judge her by her lack of diamonds and emeralds. Her insecurity over the class differences was all in her head, but the book didn’t so much as lean into that or hint at it as it did ignore it completely. The lies about the restaurant and her clothing was mostly done for Isa by her cousin, leaving Isa a victim of good intentions. But that, too, was ignored.

The toxic mother? Isa yelled at her once and that was it. I didn’t really feel the catharsis, myself, but it wasn’t terribly handled. It also wasn’t interestingly handled. Isa’s insecurities, her need to be seen as perfect and in control? Didn’t come up. It just ended up being a punchline in her romance with Valentina about “oh wow, we’re so opposites attract, aren’t we!?!?” Again, not terrible; again, not interesting.

And then the ending. You’re telling me the woman who took an entire week for her wedding, had dresses for every event, who personally oversaw the hanging of the fairy lights let someone else have their grand confession and declaration of love upstage her at her own wedding, right before she took her vows? I don’t believe it. Sorry, that’s not in character with the woman presented, and it’s in terrible taste for Isa to do. This is followed up by random strangers coming up to Isa to tell her their secrets to reward her for her bravery.

Maybe this would have meant something if any one of these people had been present in the story beforehand, if they had used or displayed their wealth, their confidence, their judgement of her in any way, shape or form. Instead this is cheap, fake, and random. What was an adequate book, for me, is now something I won’t recommend

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5

More Like Enemigas was a fun, dramatic read that absolutely leans into its telenovela energy. Family secrets, wedding chaos, emotional messiness, forced proximity, old history, and sapphic tension? The ingredients were definitely there.

What worked best for me was the entertainment factor. This book knows it wants to be dramatic, and it commits. There’s always something happening, whether it’s family conflict, revelations, or relationship tension. It made for a quick, engaging read that kept me wanting to know what would happen next.

I also appreciated the focus on grief, family expectations, and trying to figure out who you are when life doesn’t go the way you planned. Isabella, in particular, had moments where she felt very relatable. She’s trying to hold herself together, carry family weight, and survive emotionally while everything around her keeps shifting.

The romance had strong potential. I liked the idea of former friends/rivals to lovers, and there were moments where the chemistry between Isa and Val came through. When the softer moments landed, they really landed.

Where the book fell a little short for me was in the balance between romance and drama. At times, the family chaos overshadowed the relationship, so I wanted more time spent developing Isa and Val as a couple. I could feel the tension, but I wanted a deeper emotional connection and more scenes that let their relationship breathe.

Some conflicts also felt bigger than their eventual resolution, or were resolved a little too quickly. With so many moving parts, I think a bit more refinement and emotional depth would have made the strongest parts of the story shine even more.

Overall, this was a lively, messy, entertaining sapphic rom-com with plenty of heart and telenovela flair. It wasn’t a perfect fit for me, but I still had a good time with it and think readers who enjoy family drama, chaos, and romance with strong personality will have fun here.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.