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Once Upon a Quinceañera: An Empowering YA Romance About Latina Family, Summer Love, and Second Chances
Carmen Aguilar just wants to make her happily ever after come true. Except apparently “happily ever after” for Carmen involves being stuck in an unpaid summer internship! All she has to do is perform! In a ball gown! During the summer. In Miami.
Fine. Except that Carmen’s company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera.
And of course, her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex.
If Carmen is going to move into the future she wants, she needs to leave the past behind. And if she can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera Carmen might just get that happily ever after after all.
Fine. Except that Carmen’s company is hired for her spoiled cousin Ariana’s over the top quinceañera.
And of course, her new dance partner at work is none other than Mauro Reyes, Carmen’s most deeply regrettable ex.
If Carmen is going to move into the future she wants, she needs to leave the past behind. And if she can manage dancing in the blistering heat, fending off Mauro’s texts, and stopping Ariana from ruining her own quinceañera Carmen might just get that happily ever after after all.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2021
92 people are currently reading
7240 people want to read
About the author
Monica Gomez-Hira
3 books52 followersMonica Gomez-Hira is the daughter of Colombian immigrant, the wife of an Indian immigrant, the mother of a half Latina/half Indian daughter, and the quintessential Jersey girl who loves her salsa as much as her Springsteen.
After getting her BA in English at Wellesley College, Monica spent most of her professional life surrounded by books and the people who love them. She began her career working for literary agencies, moved to publicity and editorial at Simon & Schuster and Random House, and most recently was a children’s lead bookseller at Barnes & Noble. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, MN.
After getting her BA in English at Wellesley College, Monica spent most of her professional life surrounded by books and the people who love them. She began her career working for literary agencies, moved to publicity and editorial at Simon & Schuster and Random House, and most recently was a children’s lead bookseller at Barnes & Noble. She lives with her family in Minneapolis, MN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
September 20, 2019
This book is pure sunshine. I was lucky enough to read an early version, and I fell head over heels on page 1. There's so much to love here: the complex family dynamics, the shimmering Miami setting, Monica Gomez-Hira's pitch-perfect voice and humor.
Carmen's desire to prove herself and outrun her past mistakes is so intensely relatable, and her second-chance romance with Mauro is one of my favorite YA relationships. I can't wait to read the final version in 2021!!
Carmen's desire to prove herself and outrun her past mistakes is so intensely relatable, and her second-chance romance with Mauro is one of my favorite YA relationships. I can't wait to read the final version in 2021!!
July 14, 2021
No ♥️
I had such high hopes for this book, it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year... There were so many things I didn't enjoy; I felt like the characters were very unidimensional, the romance was bland, the love interest was kind of the worst for half of the story, the plot was lost along the way. But my major problem was the internalized misogyny that is never addressed and how pointless everything felt.
This book promised to tackle classicism, double standards, prejudice, family, and a cute second chance romance. Instead, we got this, underwhelming and with zero nuance.
The only good thing about this reading experience was buddy reading with Lili and Vic.
Full review on my blog
I was provided a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I had such high hopes for this book, it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year... There were so many things I didn't enjoy; I felt like the characters were very unidimensional, the romance was bland, the love interest was kind of the worst for half of the story, the plot was lost along the way. But my major problem was the internalized misogyny that is never addressed and how pointless everything felt.
This book promised to tackle classicism, double standards, prejudice, family, and a cute second chance romance. Instead, we got this, underwhelming and with zero nuance.
The only good thing about this reading experience was buddy reading with Lili and Vic.
Full review on my blog
I was provided a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for providing a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.
★
Just because love wasn’t everything didn’t mean that it wasn’t something.
Woof. This was so rough. It took me over a month to finish this, which should not be the case for a YA contemporary. Before this, I was averaging a finished book every three days. I'm a changed woman now, and I have some things to say.
First off, we need to put a stop to this trend of YA contemporaries in traditional prose being over the 400 page mark. Very rarely is that length ever justified. This book suffers from too many subplots and zero focus on any of them, with a dash of complicated and contrived motivations. Every bit of this reading experience was a slog for that reason. Unfortunately, I hate myself and haven't learned how to DNF books. So here we are.
Anyway. The novel is centered around Carmen, who is somehow roped into performing at her cousin/sworn mortal enemy's quinceañera as part of her summer internship. My eyebrows were immediately at my hairline because of how this transpires; her mother essentially plots with her aunt Celia (also a sworn enemy) to have Carmen's company hired for said quinceañera. Despite the fact that Celia is incredibly elitist and takes joy out of treating Carmen like she's the help. What mother would do that to her child, I don't know. And I should have known at this point that this book would be a bust for me.
On a related note, this book is filled with characters who are awful to Carmen on various occasions but ultimately receive forgiveness they do not deserve. Her cousin Ariana, Celia, two-second love interest Alex, and ex-boyfriend Mauro all fall into this camp.
Ariana starts off on rocky footing with Carmen and then continues to be heinous, divulging Carmen's parents' complicated history to her entire quinceañera corte in an effort to embarrass her — and clearly enjoys it. She then comes back with her tail between her legs and pleads for forgiveness while touting emotionally manipulative bullshit a la "I am sorry, except none of this is my fault and I take zero responsibility".
Celia is an asshole to Carmen throughout the novel and constantly concerned about her overshadowing Ariana. More than that, her issues with Carmen stem from her pulling financial support for Carmen's quinceañera a few days out, ensuring that the party didn't happen at all. So Carmen has to spend the entire novel making sure Ariana has the greatest birthday party on planet earth while shouldering the fact that Ariana's family is the reason she never even got to celebrate that moment. Fuck outta here.
Alex and Mauro are both incredibly annoying. I don't know why Alex exists, frankly. For a pseudo-love triangle that lasts all of 50 pages, I guess? Carmen swoons over the kid for all that time, then blinks and suddenly has no interest in him at all anymore once he no longer serves the plot. Because that's how teenage girls function. They don't ever harp on anything.
Mauro is just. I think I've realized that YA contemporary romances largely will not work for me bcause the male love interests are usually complete and utter trash. Often, the trashiness comes with the age old excuse: DAAAAAAAAAADDY ISSUESSSSSSSSS. And Mauro is no exception. Poor kid essentially calls Carmen hood trash because his dad hurt his feelings. Aw. I can absolutely get past that and invest in this romance, except I absolutely will not and he can burn for all I care.
Carmen is not perfect and certainly makes mistakes; her most egregious one is from years past, having left a twelve year old Ariana to get drunk at a high school party. Which, yes, is shitty. It's the reason her own quinceañera was ruined. Some may think that a fitting punishment; I personally find it overblown. Regardless, it doesn't warrant the amount of asshatery hurled her way. She was also young and prone to having lapses in judgment, but the treatment she receives suggests that she's the only character in the novel who isn't allowed to have those.
While this is quite a long rant, all my rating really boils down to (aside from clunky plotting) is the fact that this novel is teaching a toxic lesson. The moral of the story here is "family is family, and so you forgive them and move forward". No! Absolutely not! Cut them off! Go no contact! No adult author should be teaching teenagers that they should forgive every heinous act that has been committed against them. I'm not saying hold petty grudges for the rest of your life, but the grudges at play here are not petty in the slightest. Carmen gets treated like absolute garbage many times over, and yet the reader is meant to assume it's partially her fault because she's not the nicest person in the world? If I were in her position, I wouldn't be either!
The one star is for this: the Cuban representation, of which I don't see a lot; Carmen's relationships with her mother (even though I have some gripes there as well) and her best friend Waverly; Carmen's complicated history with her father, which I wish we could have seen more of.
Dassit.
This book even put me in a reviewing slump. Whew. Glad that's over.
★
Just because love wasn’t everything didn’t mean that it wasn’t something.
Woof. This was so rough. It took me over a month to finish this, which should not be the case for a YA contemporary. Before this, I was averaging a finished book every three days. I'm a changed woman now, and I have some things to say.
First off, we need to put a stop to this trend of YA contemporaries in traditional prose being over the 400 page mark. Very rarely is that length ever justified. This book suffers from too many subplots and zero focus on any of them, with a dash of complicated and contrived motivations. Every bit of this reading experience was a slog for that reason. Unfortunately, I hate myself and haven't learned how to DNF books. So here we are.
Anyway. The novel is centered around Carmen, who is somehow roped into performing at her cousin/sworn mortal enemy's quinceañera as part of her summer internship. My eyebrows were immediately at my hairline because of how this transpires; her mother essentially plots with her aunt Celia (also a sworn enemy) to have Carmen's company hired for said quinceañera. Despite the fact that Celia is incredibly elitist and takes joy out of treating Carmen like she's the help. What mother would do that to her child, I don't know. And I should have known at this point that this book would be a bust for me.
On a related note, this book is filled with characters who are awful to Carmen on various occasions but ultimately receive forgiveness they do not deserve. Her cousin Ariana, Celia, two-second love interest Alex, and ex-boyfriend Mauro all fall into this camp.
Ariana starts off on rocky footing with Carmen and then continues to be heinous, divulging Carmen's parents' complicated history to her entire quinceañera corte in an effort to embarrass her — and clearly enjoys it. She then comes back with her tail between her legs and pleads for forgiveness while touting emotionally manipulative bullshit a la "I am sorry, except none of this is my fault and I take zero responsibility".
Celia is an asshole to Carmen throughout the novel and constantly concerned about her overshadowing Ariana. More than that, her issues with Carmen stem from her pulling financial support for Carmen's quinceañera a few days out, ensuring that the party didn't happen at all. So Carmen has to spend the entire novel making sure Ariana has the greatest birthday party on planet earth while shouldering the fact that Ariana's family is the reason she never even got to celebrate that moment. Fuck outta here.
Alex and Mauro are both incredibly annoying. I don't know why Alex exists, frankly. For a pseudo-love triangle that lasts all of 50 pages, I guess? Carmen swoons over the kid for all that time, then blinks and suddenly has no interest in him at all anymore once he no longer serves the plot. Because that's how teenage girls function. They don't ever harp on anything.
Mauro is just. I think I've realized that YA contemporary romances largely will not work for me bcause the male love interests are usually complete and utter trash. Often, the trashiness comes with the age old excuse: DAAAAAAAAAADDY ISSUESSSSSSSSS. And Mauro is no exception. Poor kid essentially calls Carmen hood trash because his dad hurt his feelings. Aw. I can absolutely get past that and invest in this romance, except I absolutely will not and he can burn for all I care.
Carmen is not perfect and certainly makes mistakes; her most egregious one is from years past, having left a twelve year old Ariana to get drunk at a high school party. Which, yes, is shitty. It's the reason her own quinceañera was ruined. Some may think that a fitting punishment; I personally find it overblown. Regardless, it doesn't warrant the amount of asshatery hurled her way. She was also young and prone to having lapses in judgment, but the treatment she receives suggests that she's the only character in the novel who isn't allowed to have those.
While this is quite a long rant, all my rating really boils down to (aside from clunky plotting) is the fact that this novel is teaching a toxic lesson. The moral of the story here is "family is family, and so you forgive them and move forward". No! Absolutely not! Cut them off! Go no contact! No adult author should be teaching teenagers that they should forgive every heinous act that has been committed against them. I'm not saying hold petty grudges for the rest of your life, but the grudges at play here are not petty in the slightest. Carmen gets treated like absolute garbage many times over, and yet the reader is meant to assume it's partially her fault because she's not the nicest person in the world? If I were in her position, I wouldn't be either!
The one star is for this: the Cuban representation, of which I don't see a lot; Carmen's relationships with her mother (even though I have some gripes there as well) and her best friend Waverly; Carmen's complicated history with her father, which I wish we could have seen more of.
Dassit.
This book even put me in a reviewing slump. Whew. Glad that's over.
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January 19, 2021
Carmen Aguilar is prepared to grin and bear it for this summer. Literally. As a party princess for Dreams Come True, she's got to smile and make nice for toddlers and more in order to complete her internship and get her high school diploma. Then her awful ex-boyfriend becomes her coworker, the Beast to her Belle. And her company is hired to put on her estranged cousin's quinceañera. Carmen is determined to succeed. She is going to smile and dance and be the best damn princess ever.
Okay, this one made me bawl a little (a lot) at the end.
It was definitely good, although not quiiiiiite what I was expecting.
Based upon that blurb, I was anticipating a more light-hearted YA contemporary romance with lots of shade/homage to Disney and their princesses and a little insight into womanhood and feminity, not a book that was going to take my heart and rip it into a million pieces and then sew it back together.
Carmen is a girl with baggage and walls. She has had to build those walls to protect herself, from the assholes who catcall her on the streets to the former classmates who treated her like a whore.
Most of her issues stem from a single instant—three and a half years ago, she dated a boy named Mauro, who incidentally happened to be the son of a very famous photographer. The boy promised his dad would take photos of her for her quince, and Carmen told her younger cousin, who told everyone. Then, after the rumor blew up, Carmen came to Mauro's party, found him with another girl, her 12 year old cousin got drunk and took video of everything, and Carmen called the cops on the party. As a result, Mauro was sent away and Carmen was blamed for everything. Her aunt—who had been funding a small dinner for her quinceañera—revoked the funding and Carmen built her walls.
In addition to all this backstory—the beginning is a little rough due to the immense backstory that has to be handled—Carmen is dealing with her mother and aunt's complicated relationship. Her aunt married her mom's ex-boyfriend, and Carmen's dad was a rich boy who ended up being a fling, and her wealthy aunt looked down upon her "trashy" mom as a result, and continuously insinuated Carmen would be the exact same.
And of course, Carmen constantly feels like her aunt is slapping her in the face. Carmen had been denied her right of passage into womanhood, refused even a small, private quinceañera instead of the semi-traditional over-the-top blowout many girls experience, and to see her cousin get everything she was denied get quite literally rubbed in her face was a lot for one girl to handle. Not including the fact that she had to dance with her ex-boyfriend while her cousin gets jiggy with her crush.
Okay, that's a lot.
Carmen is a girl whose hurt translates to her rebuffing everyone. She's overwhelmed with jealousy and anger—angry at the world for being unfair, angry at her family for forsaking her, angry at the misogynistic wedding photographer who torpedoed her first internship and her ability to graduate, and jealous of her cousin who has everything handed to her on a silver platter with no consequences.
Over time, as her past comes back to haunt her—literally—Carmen begins to grow as a person, and let her walls break down.
While Mauro was pretty much a single-dimensional character devoted to all things Carmen (with little agency of his own), Carmen's cousin Arianna was an interesting character. I wanted more of her personality to come out, but I did like how she was juxtaposed against Carmen, and how her own anger at that night was shown. And how the two cousins eventually breached their past hurt and anger.
However, the part that made me cry was the very end.
Where Carmen realizes that while you can't change the past, you can move past it, and you can forge new relationships with people. And that sometimes true family was right there all along. I wish Carmen's mom and Enrique had more page time, because when they were on page, they sparkled.
Anywho, overall this was about a girl's second chance, and how she found her own happily ever after, even if that looked nothing like what she had anticipated.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
People say a lot of things. You of all people know that. What matters is what people do, and what they have done, and that's how you know what to expect.
Okay, this one made me bawl a little (a lot) at the end.
It was definitely good, although not quiiiiiite what I was expecting.
Based upon that blurb, I was anticipating a more light-hearted YA contemporary romance with lots of shade/homage to Disney and their princesses and a little insight into womanhood and feminity, not a book that was going to take my heart and rip it into a million pieces and then sew it back together.
Carmen is a girl with baggage and walls. She has had to build those walls to protect herself, from the assholes who catcall her on the streets to the former classmates who treated her like a whore.
Most of her issues stem from a single instant—three and a half years ago, she dated a boy named Mauro, who incidentally happened to be the son of a very famous photographer. The boy promised his dad would take photos of her for her quince, and Carmen told her younger cousin, who told everyone. Then, after the rumor blew up, Carmen came to Mauro's party, found him with another girl, her 12 year old cousin got drunk and took video of everything, and Carmen called the cops on the party. As a result, Mauro was sent away and Carmen was blamed for everything. Her aunt—who had been funding a small dinner for her quinceañera—revoked the funding and Carmen built her walls.
In addition to all this backstory—the beginning is a little rough due to the immense backstory that has to be handled—Carmen is dealing with her mother and aunt's complicated relationship. Her aunt married her mom's ex-boyfriend, and Carmen's dad was a rich boy who ended up being a fling, and her wealthy aunt looked down upon her "trashy" mom as a result, and continuously insinuated Carmen would be the exact same.
And of course, Carmen constantly feels like her aunt is slapping her in the face. Carmen had been denied her right of passage into womanhood, refused even a small, private quinceañera instead of the semi-traditional over-the-top blowout many girls experience, and to see her cousin get everything she was denied get quite literally rubbed in her face was a lot for one girl to handle. Not including the fact that she had to dance with her ex-boyfriend while her cousin gets jiggy with her crush.
Okay, that's a lot.
Carmen is a girl whose hurt translates to her rebuffing everyone. She's overwhelmed with jealousy and anger—angry at the world for being unfair, angry at her family for forsaking her, angry at the misogynistic wedding photographer who torpedoed her first internship and her ability to graduate, and jealous of her cousin who has everything handed to her on a silver platter with no consequences.
Over time, as her past comes back to haunt her—literally—Carmen begins to grow as a person, and let her walls break down.
While Mauro was pretty much a single-dimensional character devoted to all things Carmen (with little agency of his own), Carmen's cousin Arianna was an interesting character. I wanted more of her personality to come out, but I did like how she was juxtaposed against Carmen, and how her own anger at that night was shown. And how the two cousins eventually breached their past hurt and anger.
However, the part that made me cry was the very end.
Where Carmen realizes that while you can't change the past, you can move past it, and you can forge new relationships with people. And that sometimes true family was right there all along. I wish Carmen's mom and Enrique had more page time, because when they were on page, they sparkled.
Anywho, overall this was about a girl's second chance, and how she found her own happily ever after, even if that looked nothing like what she had anticipated.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
June 21, 2021
Once Upon a Quinceañera was all kinds of cute. Even though I will admit that I wasn't completely sure about the romance.. it definitely grew on me. In it, you will meet Carmen. She is currently looking for her happily ever after and dreams of it becoming true. So when she has to work with her ex boyfriend, Mauro, she doesn't think her dreams will come true anymore.
In the beginning, I wasn't a huge fan of Mauro but that doesn't mean I was a huge fan of the other guy for her either. For me, I thought Carmen was a little too young to be thinking of an HEA. So it wasn't a complete shock that I was suspicious of how things were going to go down. Especially when it came down to her ex and family.
All I'm going to say is that the romance had it's very cute moments. As for the drama? Well, it definitely made me mad at a ton of people. Not a single person was to fully blame so it was easier to just dislike everyone when certain things went down. Other than that, the ending was actually pretty freaking cute. I'm glad that it went that way if I'm being honest because it got me to change my opinion on a certain someone.
In the beginning, I wasn't a huge fan of Mauro but that doesn't mean I was a huge fan of the other guy for her either. For me, I thought Carmen was a little too young to be thinking of an HEA. So it wasn't a complete shock that I was suspicious of how things were going to go down. Especially when it came down to her ex and family.
All I'm going to say is that the romance had it's very cute moments. As for the drama? Well, it definitely made me mad at a ton of people. Not a single person was to fully blame so it was easier to just dislike everyone when certain things went down. Other than that, the ending was actually pretty freaking cute. I'm glad that it went that way if I'm being honest because it got me to change my opinion on a certain someone.
February 23, 2021
2.5 /5 stars
Once Upon a Quinceañera is a Young Adult Contemporary romance that takes place in Miami.
The narrator is 18 year old high school senior, Carmen (1st person POV).
The cover is so cute and eye-catching. But the story was just okay.
Carmen's best friend Waverly works as a party princess. And Carmen is forced to join her.
There is a bit of a love triangle between Carmen's former fling Mauro and Alex (who Carmen is now pining over).
The quinceañera part of the story was interesting. Carmen never got to have one. And her cousin Ariana is having one soon.
The romance wasn't bad. But I just found myself wishing that more would happen. And the beginning was slow.
The last chapters were definitely the best. And the ending was pretty good. I did have a good feeling about the book when I finished it. But overall I just wanted more.
Thanks to edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to read this book.
Once Upon a Quinceañera is a Young Adult Contemporary romance that takes place in Miami.
The narrator is 18 year old high school senior, Carmen (1st person POV).
The cover is so cute and eye-catching. But the story was just okay.
Carmen's best friend Waverly works as a party princess. And Carmen is forced to join her.
There is a bit of a love triangle between Carmen's former fling Mauro and Alex (who Carmen is now pining over).
The quinceañera part of the story was interesting. Carmen never got to have one. And her cousin Ariana is having one soon.
The romance wasn't bad. But I just found myself wishing that more would happen. And the beginning was slow.
The last chapters were definitely the best. And the ending was pretty good. I did have a good feeling about the book when I finished it. But overall I just wanted more.
Thanks to edelweiss and HarperTeen for allowing me to read this book.
February 19, 2021
Carmen and Ariana are cousins with a history. It's complicated. Their moms are involved. A past boyfriend named Mauro and his dad Oscar are part of the story. Carmen's absent dad Junior is an absent, but crucial thread as well. What happened on that day when Carmen's Quinceanera was canceled? Now Ariana is planning her own Quinceanera and it looks like it will be everything Carmen had dreamed of. Will it be more of a nightmare if Carmen has to perform along with the corte as part of her summer job for a part company? The bonds of family loom large in this debut novel and I loved the many ways Beauty and the Beast was woven into the plot. Can Carmen and Ariana both find a way forward where happy endings are possible?
Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
March 28, 2021
A cute fairy tale of friendship, family and crushes that we enjoy in books. Also with a little bit of drama. I love the quirkiness of the characters and I had some laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed this book. B+
January 7, 2021
DNF within the first chapter. I found Carmen to be kind of annoying (she seemed really aimless and too-cool-for-school), and the entire thing about her old boss Edwin sexually harassing her was written as a funny aside. I was in a similar situation when I was about Carmen's age, and I wish someone had told me that wasn't okay, but instead I just brushed it off as a "funny story", and this book seems to perpetuate that notion (and all her teachers/administrators seem to put on the blame on her for quitting that job?? And the boss isn't blacklisted, so he could continue doing this to other high school girls??). Of course, I haven't finished the book, so maybe this gets addressed later on, but opening a rom-com book with sexual harassment from one's boss seems like not the move.
The stakes/conflict presented were also not that interesting. Of course, graduating from high school is important, but I wish the author had escalated the stakes even further (if Carmen can't graduate, then what? Will she get rescinded from her dream college? Or are her parents just putting a ton of pressure on her to get a diploma? Why is this important to her, emotionally?). The "life vision" class that Carmen failed feels contrived, like a class that the author made up so Carmen could have some conflict and be forced into working for the costume company.
Stylistically, the writing was just weak, even for a debut. Awkward sentence constructions and pretty basic syntax. Typical YA heroine voice. Sometimes that's okay if the rest of the book is enough to keep me interested, but...eh.
Maybe I'll return to it someday...but honestly, I had so many other books to read, I just couldn't bring myself to keep going. Rating it two stars instead of one because there aren't enough Latin-American stories in YA, and also because I didn't actually read most of the book, so maybe it gets better later.
The stakes/conflict presented were also not that interesting. Of course, graduating from high school is important, but I wish the author had escalated the stakes even further (if Carmen can't graduate, then what? Will she get rescinded from her dream college? Or are her parents just putting a ton of pressure on her to get a diploma? Why is this important to her, emotionally?). The "life vision" class that Carmen failed feels contrived, like a class that the author made up so Carmen could have some conflict and be forced into working for the costume company.
Stylistically, the writing was just weak, even for a debut. Awkward sentence constructions and pretty basic syntax. Typical YA heroine voice. Sometimes that's okay if the rest of the book is enough to keep me interested, but...eh.
Maybe I'll return to it someday...but honestly, I had so many other books to read, I just couldn't bring myself to keep going. Rating it two stars instead of one because there aren't enough Latin-American stories in YA, and also because I didn't actually read most of the book, so maybe it gets better later.
December 8, 2021
“You know what? Sometimes you aren’t effortlessly going to be the best at everything. Sometimes you have to try and screw up and try and STILL not be the best. Too bad. Sometimes people will be better than you are. Sometimes certain people will even be geniuses. Honestly . . . welcome to the world the rest of us live in, where we’re trying our best and still end up just mostly OK, and somehow manage to get up in the morning in spite of that.”
Once Upon a Quinceañera is a cute and telenovela-ish book that will make your heart melt away. I chose this book randomly, I didn't expect anything from the story or whatsoever. It turns out, I like this book enough to rate it 3 stars and not DNF it.
The story focused on Carmen Aguilar, a 18 years old girl who's so grumpy and pessimistic. She works at the Dreams as a Belle cosplay to get a credit for her high school diploma with her annoying "kinda" ex boyfriend, Mauro. (SECOND CHANCE TROPE EVERYONE!)
I was enjoying this book because the banter between Carmen and Mauro, and as much as Carmen's grumpiness this book is lovable enough to read. The plot is so real and Latinx preferences that I like the most (I'm from outside South America, lol) and the drama!, it's kinda cheesy but I was enjoying it so much lol. Not only focusing on Carmen's and Mauro's second chance trope love story, this book is telling us about family, the typical Latinx family drama that sometimes it makes you giggle and your heart warm at the same time.
but , this book is too long, 400 pages for God's sake. And there's so many unnecessary plot that has a potential to get you bored.
But overall, this book is a good choice for summer read or for you, if you’re looking for something cheesy, heartwarming and funny.
"People do show you who they are. But that’s only part of the story. You have to have the eyes to see who they are in spite of their mistakes. And maybe some people would never show you the same courtesy. Because they’re scared, or maybe they like the lies rather than the truth. But you don’t have to be what they see. Not if that’s not who you really are. And you get to choose that, over and over again. You get to choose where you place your faith. You get to choose love. You get to choose you."
April 19, 2021
CWs:
allusions to sexual harassment in the workplace, HP references, sexist slurs, mentions of underage drinking, some unchallenged fatphobia, catcalling/sexual harassment, allusions to cultural appropriation, references to sex, some violence/physical assault, some exploration of parental estrangement
Sadly, this was a book that started out promising enough, but quickly disappointed me. At first glance, this story is right up my alley, because it's about a young Latinx teen enduring quinceañera shenanigans and family drama, all with the promise of tackling classism and prejudice along with a second chance romance. It started out interestingly enough with Carmen struggling through her summer job of being a "party princess" (AKA a Disney princess rip-off as the entertainment for kids' birthday parties and special events) while being forced to work with her ex, but sadly I began to lose interest the more the story wore on.
One my biggest issues with this story is that all the tension is stemming from events that not only happened before the story began, but that largely exist off the page. In a nutshell: when Carmen was younger, her family had a big fall-out with her aunt and her cousin where something scandalous happened at a party and thus cancelled Carmen's own quinceañera. This is where a large part of the animosity between Carmen and her cousin, Ariana, stems from, and it's also connected to why she and her ex, Mauro, broke up.
Even summing that up in one sentence feels convoluted, and because that backstory was so hard to parse and yet so integral to the story itself, that made it hard to contextualize the book as a whole, even as more and more of what happened That Night is gradually revealed. Even in its full context by the end, it doesn't make much sense, and that lack of clarity makes it hard to understand the already-existing dynamics between the characters as the story progresses.
Besides the family drama being so convoluted to the point where this book felt like it needed a separate prequel to understand it, I found the characters to be mostly unsympathetic. There was a lot of unchallenged misogyny present in the story, and there was also a lot of toxic machismo being perpetuated by the "romantic lead," which made it hard for me, personally, to root for both the characters and the relationship. I'm not someone who thinks a character has to be "likeable" to have value, but it was hard for me to understand Carmen's motivations, and what little character development she experienced by the end didn't resonate with me.
All in all, this was not a memorable or meaningful reading experience for me. I had high hopes going into it because it felt like a promising Latinx YA summer romance that was setting up for some major character redemption, but it mostly left me feeling confused and empty. To this story's credit, it's a quick and relatively entertaining contemporary story full of shenanigans and drama, but ultimately I didn't glean anything from it beyond the surface-level appeal.
Sadly, this was a book that started out promising enough, but quickly disappointed me. At first glance, this story is right up my alley, because it's about a young Latinx teen enduring quinceañera shenanigans and family drama, all with the promise of tackling classism and prejudice along with a second chance romance. It started out interestingly enough with Carmen struggling through her summer job of being a "party princess" (AKA a Disney princess rip-off as the entertainment for kids' birthday parties and special events) while being forced to work with her ex, but sadly I began to lose interest the more the story wore on.
One my biggest issues with this story is that all the tension is stemming from events that not only happened before the story began, but that largely exist off the page. In a nutshell: when Carmen was younger, her family had a big fall-out with her aunt and her cousin where something scandalous happened at a party and thus cancelled Carmen's own quinceañera. This is where a large part of the animosity between Carmen and her cousin, Ariana, stems from, and it's also connected to why she and her ex, Mauro, broke up.
Even summing that up in one sentence feels convoluted, and because that backstory was so hard to parse and yet so integral to the story itself, that made it hard to contextualize the book as a whole, even as more and more of what happened That Night is gradually revealed. Even in its full context by the end, it doesn't make much sense, and that lack of clarity makes it hard to understand the already-existing dynamics between the characters as the story progresses.
Besides the family drama being so convoluted to the point where this book felt like it needed a separate prequel to understand it, I found the characters to be mostly unsympathetic. There was a lot of unchallenged misogyny present in the story, and there was also a lot of toxic machismo being perpetuated by the "romantic lead," which made it hard for me, personally, to root for both the characters and the relationship. I'm not someone who thinks a character has to be "likeable" to have value, but it was hard for me to understand Carmen's motivations, and what little character development she experienced by the end didn't resonate with me.
All in all, this was not a memorable or meaningful reading experience for me. I had high hopes going into it because it felt like a promising Latinx YA summer romance that was setting up for some major character redemption, but it mostly left me feeling confused and empty. To this story's credit, it's a quick and relatively entertaining contemporary story full of shenanigans and drama, but ultimately I didn't glean anything from it beyond the surface-level appeal.
February 26, 2022
Everything that is wonderful and messy about being 18.
February 16, 2021
Real review to come, but 😍🥰❤️😍🥰❤️😍🥰❤️
Thank you to HarperTeen (via NetGalley) for the ARC!
Content warnings:
I sat down and started reading this book late yesterday morning, and had finished it before I went to bed last night. I’m not usually someone who finishes books in less than a day, but ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA had me hooked from the beginning!
Carmen Aguilar is stuck performing as Belle the summer after her unfinished senior year, and it’s the only way she can graduate. She didn’t finish a project required to get her diploma (because of an honestly shitty situation that wasn’t her fault, and is the one thing I didn’t like about the book: ). So she’s spending her summer dressed in an uncomfortable, sweaty princess gown (in the humid Miami heat, no less), working birthday parties for little girls. It’s just Carmen’s luck when her sort-of ex, Mauro, shows up as the new Beast to Carmen’s Belle. Then, to make matters even worse, Carmen’s boss Simone informs the group that they will be performing at the quinceañera of Carmen’s estranged cousin, Ariana.
I really enjoyed Carmen’s character because she is truly what so many teenagers are: flawed. Carmen has had her share of relationship mishaps and family issues, but at the beginning of the book, she sees herself as the victim in most of these situations. Carmen sees how she has been wronged and how people have mistreated her, but she doesn’t quite see how maybe she was wrong as well. I think Gomez-Hira captures that particular teenage feeling really well because when you are a teenager, it’s sometimes hard to be introspective and aware of how your actions affect other people. It’s a time of learning about yourself, so you are naturally very focused on yourself, which can lead to being very unaware of how your own actions affect others. Heck, this even happens to adults. You get so wrapped up in seeing yourself as the victim that it’s hard to see you may have had some part in the victimizing.
I think Carmen shows incredible growth throughout this book. She learns about herself and what she wants for her future; she learns about what she wants in a relationship; and she learns how to grow from mistakes she has made with her family. And serious character growth aside, this book is so much fun! The side characters are well-fleshed out, and have vibrant personalities that jump off the page. Carmen often describes scenes in her life as straight out of a telenovela, and they do seem that way, which just adds to the drama and fun of the story. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, which is why I sped through it so quickly, and the romance is *chef’s kiss.* I’m usually not a fan of second chance romance at all, but I really liked it in this case. Mauro was a sweetie, and I thought the way their relationship was handled was done really well: they both made mistakes in the past, but in the time they were apart, both Carmen and Mauro had matured and were able to grow from those experiences.
Carmen’s relationship with her cousin Ariana was also a really interesting part of this story, in my opinion. Throughout the book, it was very fraught. They start the story not on speaking terms because of a blowout at what was supposed to be Carmen’s own quinceañera three years prior. They go back and forth throughout the book making up and fighting again because once, they were as close as sisters. The relationship between their mothers, who are sisters, complicates the situation even more. I thought the way that this particular relationship was portrayed was fascinating because it’s not neat and tidy, even by the end of the book. It’s not magically fixed because they decide to make up and it’s something that both girls know they will have to work on in the future.
So if you’ve made it this far in my review, I definitely recommend reading this book! It’s a fantastic debut, and a great pick-me-up if you’re in a bit of a blah mood (which I was when I started reading). It releases March 2nd, so be on the look-out for it, or better yet, pre-order it!
I have one gripe, which is not about the book at all, but about the blurb (which I know the author doesn’t write): It is described as Jenny Han (which I get) meets Jane the Virgin (which, ?????). There is absolutely NOTHING about this book that would make me think of Jane the Virgin, so I think that is a lazy comp. The only similarities are that the MC is Latina and that it’s set in Miami. And okay she mentions telenovelas. But otherwise…??? Carmen is not a writer, she is not accidentally impregnated, she isn’t even an adult, she doesn’t have a soap star father, like… I feel like this blurb was written by a white person who doesn’t know any other media starring Latinas so just randomly picked JtV because it’s also set in Miami. I could be wrong, but either way I think that was an odd choice of comparison for this book.
Thank you to HarperTeen (via NetGalley) for the ARC!
Content warnings:
I sat down and started reading this book late yesterday morning, and had finished it before I went to bed last night. I’m not usually someone who finishes books in less than a day, but ONCE UPON A QUINCEAÑERA had me hooked from the beginning!
Carmen Aguilar is stuck performing as Belle the summer after her unfinished senior year, and it’s the only way she can graduate. She didn’t finish a project required to get her diploma (because of an honestly shitty situation that wasn’t her fault, and is the one thing I didn’t like about the book: ). So she’s spending her summer dressed in an uncomfortable, sweaty princess gown (in the humid Miami heat, no less), working birthday parties for little girls. It’s just Carmen’s luck when her sort-of ex, Mauro, shows up as the new Beast to Carmen’s Belle. Then, to make matters even worse, Carmen’s boss Simone informs the group that they will be performing at the quinceañera of Carmen’s estranged cousin, Ariana.
I really enjoyed Carmen’s character because she is truly what so many teenagers are: flawed. Carmen has had her share of relationship mishaps and family issues, but at the beginning of the book, she sees herself as the victim in most of these situations. Carmen sees how she has been wronged and how people have mistreated her, but she doesn’t quite see how maybe she was wrong as well. I think Gomez-Hira captures that particular teenage feeling really well because when you are a teenager, it’s sometimes hard to be introspective and aware of how your actions affect other people. It’s a time of learning about yourself, so you are naturally very focused on yourself, which can lead to being very unaware of how your own actions affect others. Heck, this even happens to adults. You get so wrapped up in seeing yourself as the victim that it’s hard to see you may have had some part in the victimizing.
I think Carmen shows incredible growth throughout this book. She learns about herself and what she wants for her future; she learns about what she wants in a relationship; and she learns how to grow from mistakes she has made with her family. And serious character growth aside, this book is so much fun! The side characters are well-fleshed out, and have vibrant personalities that jump off the page. Carmen often describes scenes in her life as straight out of a telenovela, and they do seem that way, which just adds to the drama and fun of the story. The plot is fast-paced and exciting, which is why I sped through it so quickly, and the romance is *chef’s kiss.* I’m usually not a fan of second chance romance at all, but I really liked it in this case. Mauro was a sweetie, and I thought the way their relationship was handled was done really well: they both made mistakes in the past, but in the time they were apart, both Carmen and Mauro had matured and were able to grow from those experiences.
Carmen’s relationship with her cousin Ariana was also a really interesting part of this story, in my opinion. Throughout the book, it was very fraught. They start the story not on speaking terms because of a blowout at what was supposed to be Carmen’s own quinceañera three years prior. They go back and forth throughout the book making up and fighting again because once, they were as close as sisters. The relationship between their mothers, who are sisters, complicates the situation even more. I thought the way that this particular relationship was portrayed was fascinating because it’s not neat and tidy, even by the end of the book. It’s not magically fixed because they decide to make up and it’s something that both girls know they will have to work on in the future.
So if you’ve made it this far in my review, I definitely recommend reading this book! It’s a fantastic debut, and a great pick-me-up if you’re in a bit of a blah mood (which I was when I started reading). It releases March 2nd, so be on the look-out for it, or better yet, pre-order it!
I have one gripe, which is not about the book at all, but about the blurb (which I know the author doesn’t write): It is described as Jenny Han (which I get) meets Jane the Virgin (which, ?????). There is absolutely NOTHING about this book that would make me think of Jane the Virgin, so I think that is a lazy comp. The only similarities are that the MC is Latina and that it’s set in Miami. And okay she mentions telenovelas. But otherwise…??? Carmen is not a writer, she is not accidentally impregnated, she isn’t even an adult, she doesn’t have a soap star father, like… I feel like this blurb was written by a white person who doesn’t know any other media starring Latinas so just randomly picked JtV because it’s also set in Miami. I could be wrong, but either way I think that was an odd choice of comparison for this book.
June 26, 2021
I loved the setting and Carmen’s fierceness, and I loved the unique premise of the book. Miami and Carmen and her family’s culture were so vivid throughout the story ~ I loved the sense of place. Overall the story was a solid teen romance with family and friendship elements. I think it could have been trimmed down a bit and I did have a “here we go again” sense a few times. And despite the title, NO ONE in the story is turning 15. Librarian note: MC has just finished high school, sex and alcohol on the page. HS and up.
March 25, 2021
2/5 stars.
I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As with my advanced review with Cemetery Boys, I was really looking forward to this one but was ultimately disappointed by stagnant, inconsistent characters, lackluster character development, a flimsy plot that kept shifting through three to four subplots to pad the word count, and a romance that was so incredibly stale due to not only a lack of genuine chemistry, but lousy dialogue. As with Cemetery Boys, I feel pretty bad giving a book with authentic latinx representation any less than three stars, but this was such a drag to get through. So, let’s get down to it! Minor spoilers below.
PROS
I think the best-executed subplot out of the MANY in this book were the insecurities the protagonist, Carmen had about her friendship with Waverly. As an overall high school outcast, it makes sense for her to cling to the only true friends she’s had in years while simultaneously trying to push her away because she doesn’t want to be the one who’s unexpectedly hurt or abandoned. There was genuine tension that I wish was further explored and it could’ve been if a few of the overall meaningless subplots were removed.
Another aspect I liked was Carmen’s unique hobby. She likes to create music videos of TV shows (something I like to do in my spare time as well!) and she’s incredibly passionate about videography. I also liked how her distinct summer job was a key part of the plot – acting and dancing as a Disney princess isn’t something I haven’t seen before. Usually, summer jobs in YA are relegated to an amusement park, bookstore, or fast food joint. The author thought outside the box for this one and was part of the reason I continued to read.
CONS
Infodumps: Another contemporary YA book that gives me the character’s ENTIRE backstory in the first fifteen pages. That takes the entire mystery out of who Carmen is and who she wants to be. The massive infodump in the beginning took away from what could’ve been a dynamic first chapter. It also spoiled any tension between Carmen and her primary love interest, Mauro. There are plenty of infodumps about Carmen’s history throughout the book and it would always distract from whatever plot the author decided to work on at that point.
Subplots: This book is less of “one major plot with subplots” and more of “one subplot that’s slightly more important than the other eight crammed into this book.” Like, yes, the overall plot is Carmen having to deal with being a part of her estranged cousin’s quinceanera but it really never seems to take precedence over anything else. It never feels like the focal point. The author pulls Carmen in twenty different directions all at once and that leads to unfulfilling conclusions and unnecessary filler.
Romance: One of the subplots that could have been thrown out was Carmen’s initial attraction to a boy named Alex. It didn’t lead anywhere or do anything for the plot besides cause unnecessary drama towards the end of the book. Then we got Carmen’s primary love interest, Mauro. It’s incredibly obvious he’s still in-love with Carmen from the get-go, which makes Carmen’s obliviousness and “why does he look at me like that” so terribly annoying half the time. And because their history is revealed to the reader within the first twenty-five pages, there’s no real tension between the two or any sort of chemistry other than “my not-ex is constantly in my life now and I don’t know how I feel about that.” Mauro’s grand gesture towards the end was cute though.
Protagonist: Carmen lacks any real driving motivation. While it’s fine for a main character to not know what they want, Carmen just does whatever feels “right” in the moment. You never get a sense of how she really feels about anything except for her estranged family and even that is unraveled by the middle of the book. Someone could claim her driving motivation is receiving her high school diploma, but that falls flat when she hardly mentions it throughout the course of the novel. While I believe teens can find Carmen relatable as she floats in-and-out of life, I don’t think her indecisiveness and inconsistency make for compelling storytelling, particularly when that inconsistency isn’t treated as a flaw.
Characters: My GOD. The characters are so inconsistent in this book!! Especially Carmen’s mother. One second, she’s telling her daughter to go after Mauro and to believe in second chances and in the next she demands how dare she fall for a boy that’s gonna leave her high and dry once the summer is over. Maddening!! I also couldn’t care about the vast majority of the characters – almost all of them lacked personalities, the two exceptions being Waverly and Ariana (though I have my gripes with her as well).
Dialogue: It was crap. Though I did appreciate the Spanish throughout!
And there you have it! Let us all pray that the next eARC I read isn't two stars or I'm definitely going to feel a bit cursed...
I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
As with my advanced review with Cemetery Boys, I was really looking forward to this one but was ultimately disappointed by stagnant, inconsistent characters, lackluster character development, a flimsy plot that kept shifting through three to four subplots to pad the word count, and a romance that was so incredibly stale due to not only a lack of genuine chemistry, but lousy dialogue. As with Cemetery Boys, I feel pretty bad giving a book with authentic latinx representation any less than three stars, but this was such a drag to get through. So, let’s get down to it! Minor spoilers below.
PROS
I think the best-executed subplot out of the MANY in this book were the insecurities the protagonist, Carmen had about her friendship with Waverly. As an overall high school outcast, it makes sense for her to cling to the only true friends she’s had in years while simultaneously trying to push her away because she doesn’t want to be the one who’s unexpectedly hurt or abandoned. There was genuine tension that I wish was further explored and it could’ve been if a few of the overall meaningless subplots were removed.
Another aspect I liked was Carmen’s unique hobby. She likes to create music videos of TV shows (something I like to do in my spare time as well!) and she’s incredibly passionate about videography. I also liked how her distinct summer job was a key part of the plot – acting and dancing as a Disney princess isn’t something I haven’t seen before. Usually, summer jobs in YA are relegated to an amusement park, bookstore, or fast food joint. The author thought outside the box for this one and was part of the reason I continued to read.
CONS
Infodumps: Another contemporary YA book that gives me the character’s ENTIRE backstory in the first fifteen pages. That takes the entire mystery out of who Carmen is and who she wants to be. The massive infodump in the beginning took away from what could’ve been a dynamic first chapter. It also spoiled any tension between Carmen and her primary love interest, Mauro. There are plenty of infodumps about Carmen’s history throughout the book and it would always distract from whatever plot the author decided to work on at that point.
Subplots: This book is less of “one major plot with subplots” and more of “one subplot that’s slightly more important than the other eight crammed into this book.” Like, yes, the overall plot is Carmen having to deal with being a part of her estranged cousin’s quinceanera but it really never seems to take precedence over anything else. It never feels like the focal point. The author pulls Carmen in twenty different directions all at once and that leads to unfulfilling conclusions and unnecessary filler.
Romance: One of the subplots that could have been thrown out was Carmen’s initial attraction to a boy named Alex. It didn’t lead anywhere or do anything for the plot besides cause unnecessary drama towards the end of the book. Then we got Carmen’s primary love interest, Mauro. It’s incredibly obvious he’s still in-love with Carmen from the get-go, which makes Carmen’s obliviousness and “why does he look at me like that” so terribly annoying half the time. And because their history is revealed to the reader within the first twenty-five pages, there’s no real tension between the two or any sort of chemistry other than “my not-ex is constantly in my life now and I don’t know how I feel about that.” Mauro’s grand gesture towards the end was cute though.
Protagonist: Carmen lacks any real driving motivation. While it’s fine for a main character to not know what they want, Carmen just does whatever feels “right” in the moment. You never get a sense of how she really feels about anything except for her estranged family and even that is unraveled by the middle of the book. Someone could claim her driving motivation is receiving her high school diploma, but that falls flat when she hardly mentions it throughout the course of the novel. While I believe teens can find Carmen relatable as she floats in-and-out of life, I don’t think her indecisiveness and inconsistency make for compelling storytelling, particularly when that inconsistency isn’t treated as a flaw.
Characters: My GOD. The characters are so inconsistent in this book!! Especially Carmen’s mother. One second, she’s telling her daughter to go after Mauro and to believe in second chances and in the next she demands how dare she fall for a boy that’s gonna leave her high and dry once the summer is over. Maddening!! I also couldn’t care about the vast majority of the characters – almost all of them lacked personalities, the two exceptions being Waverly and Ariana (though I have my gripes with her as well).
Dialogue: It was crap. Though I did appreciate the Spanish throughout!
And there you have it! Let us all pray that the next eARC I read isn't two stars or I'm definitely going to feel a bit cursed...
March 28, 2021
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira is an entertaining story about a summer internship that takes a turn. I enjoyed the tension of the family drama, and I was excited to finally see a book about a quinceañera. While the concept has promise, I found the execution wasn’t as strong as it could have been, and parts of the book drag. However, those looking for a fun and unique romcom will enjoy this one.
After quitting her internship as a video editor, Carmen finds herself working for an party company over the summer in order to graduate from high school. Her duties involve dressing up as Belle for children’s parties, but things get more complicated when her cousin, who she hasn’t spoken to in years, books the company for her quinceañera. Tension rises when Carmen’s ex-boyfriend returns to Miami and ends up working for the same company, as the Beast. This one has such a fun concept, and going behind the scenes with Carmen as she works as a party princess is an interesting experience. There are also themes of family, which I always love to see, and I enjoyed the dynamics between Carmen’s and her cousin’s family.
❀ MAIN CHARACTER IS HARD TO CONNECT WITH
Carmen is an independent and realistic character. I really felt for her, as she never got a quinceañera of her own and has to help her cousin, who is the reason why Carmen’s quinceañera was cancelled, get everything she couldn’t. Carmen has been hurt by many people, and she rightfully feels a lot of anger, but sometimes her actions as a result of this anger made me dislike her. Normally, I love to see flawed characters, but in this case, I had trouble connecting with her.
❀ CHARACTERS ARE ONE-DIMENSIONAL
My biggest issue with the book is the execution. There are many points throughout the story with a lot of backstory all at once, and this reduces the tension and makes everything drag. I also found many of the characters to be one-dimensional, and I would have especially liked to see more about Carmen’s cousin. Because of this, I found myself getting bored about halfway through the book.
❀ A FRESH STORY
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hirais a fresh story about party planning and family drama. I loved the parts of the book that feature Carmen’s experiences as Belle, and she is an easy character to sympathize with. However, I wasn’t a fan of the infodumps throughout the book that make the story drag. I would still recommend this one, though, to those who have an interest in the subject of quinceañeras.
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira is an entertaining story about a summer internship that takes a turn. I enjoyed the tension of the family drama, and I was excited to finally see a book about a quinceañera. While the concept has promise, I found the execution wasn’t as strong as it could have been, and parts of the book drag. However, those looking for a fun and unique romcom will enjoy this one.
After quitting her internship as a video editor, Carmen finds herself working for an party company over the summer in order to graduate from high school. Her duties involve dressing up as Belle for children’s parties, but things get more complicated when her cousin, who she hasn’t spoken to in years, books the company for her quinceañera. Tension rises when Carmen’s ex-boyfriend returns to Miami and ends up working for the same company, as the Beast. This one has such a fun concept, and going behind the scenes with Carmen as she works as a party princess is an interesting experience. There are also themes of family, which I always love to see, and I enjoyed the dynamics between Carmen’s and her cousin’s family.
❀ MAIN CHARACTER IS HARD TO CONNECT WITH
Carmen is an independent and realistic character. I really felt for her, as she never got a quinceañera of her own and has to help her cousin, who is the reason why Carmen’s quinceañera was cancelled, get everything she couldn’t. Carmen has been hurt by many people, and she rightfully feels a lot of anger, but sometimes her actions as a result of this anger made me dislike her. Normally, I love to see flawed characters, but in this case, I had trouble connecting with her.
❀ CHARACTERS ARE ONE-DIMENSIONAL
My biggest issue with the book is the execution. There are many points throughout the story with a lot of backstory all at once, and this reduces the tension and makes everything drag. I also found many of the characters to be one-dimensional, and I would have especially liked to see more about Carmen’s cousin. Because of this, I found myself getting bored about halfway through the book.
❀ A FRESH STORY
Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hirais a fresh story about party planning and family drama. I loved the parts of the book that feature Carmen’s experiences as Belle, and she is an easy character to sympathize with. However, I wasn’t a fan of the infodumps throughout the book that make the story drag. I would still recommend this one, though, to those who have an interest in the subject of quinceañeras.
February 18, 2021
I had fun with the book because a lot of the quince and family happenings are familiar to me. The annoying cousin, competitive Tia's and fuss over the big day. It was a cute story. The relationship between Carmen and her mother was a bit sad, also reminded me of my relationship with my mother. I would have liked a bigger win for Carmen in life. Not sure what I expect that to look like, maybe more exploration with her hobbies and confidence, and a little less of the boy drama. Overall, took me back, I appreciated the book and looking forward to reading more by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2021
I am a huge fan of LatinX Own Voices books, so when I heard about Once Upon a Quinceañera, I knew it was a book that I needed to read.
From the very beginning, we get a Telenovela level amount of mishaps. Not only is there family drama, but we get a possible second chance romance. So needless to say, I was entrapped.
Quinceañeras are a time of celebration to usher a girl into her future as a woman, but Carmen never got hers. Does that mean that her life isn’t as important? I think that was definitely a question she asked herself for the majority of the book. Her Father left when she was young and she’s been raised by a single Mother for most of her life... well, and the rest of her family. Only problem is... most of them aren’t speaking to her now.
I loved the drama a lot! What I didn’t love was that I felt the Aunt who helped raise her, suddenly stops speaking to her is very confusing and unbelievable. She talks about happy memories of her Aunt taking her places and buying her things.... but then that same Aunt is sneering at her, getting happy when she feels like she isn’t good enough... all because she took her 12yo cousin to a High School party. That warrants 3, almost 4, years of not speaking to her and then treating her like trash. I don’t know if I believe it.
I liked Mauro a lot, but her love interest in the very beginning... well the guy she liked, is seeing her cousin who is 3 years younger? It seemed a little on the nose. Maybe it’s because the Aunt is dating her Mother’s ex-boyfriend. Well not dating... married to. Like I said Telenovela. I didn’t know whether to love or hate it for half of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I wanted more of the “Dreams Come True” parties.
3.5⭐️
Thank You to Monica Gomez- Hira and EpicReads for a finished copy of Once Upon a Quinceañera in return of an honest review.
From the very beginning, we get a Telenovela level amount of mishaps. Not only is there family drama, but we get a possible second chance romance. So needless to say, I was entrapped.
Quinceañeras are a time of celebration to usher a girl into her future as a woman, but Carmen never got hers. Does that mean that her life isn’t as important? I think that was definitely a question she asked herself for the majority of the book. Her Father left when she was young and she’s been raised by a single Mother for most of her life... well, and the rest of her family. Only problem is... most of them aren’t speaking to her now.
I loved the drama a lot! What I didn’t love was that I felt the Aunt who helped raise her, suddenly stops speaking to her is very confusing and unbelievable. She talks about happy memories of her Aunt taking her places and buying her things.... but then that same Aunt is sneering at her, getting happy when she feels like she isn’t good enough... all because she took her 12yo cousin to a High School party. That warrants 3, almost 4, years of not speaking to her and then treating her like trash. I don’t know if I believe it.
I liked Mauro a lot, but her love interest in the very beginning... well the guy she liked, is seeing her cousin who is 3 years younger? It seemed a little on the nose. Maybe it’s because the Aunt is dating her Mother’s ex-boyfriend. Well not dating... married to. Like I said Telenovela. I didn’t know whether to love or hate it for half of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I wanted more of the “Dreams Come True” parties.
3.5⭐️
Thank You to Monica Gomez- Hira and EpicReads for a finished copy of Once Upon a Quinceañera in return of an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2022
Yup, that's the way things are in latin culture. Painful memory of my own past.
January 30, 2022
don’t mind me, I’m just sobbing into my hot cocoa and trying not to smear the ink on this beautiful book😭
full review to come 💃🏻✨
full review to come 💃🏻✨
April 29, 2021
This book was so fucking cute!!
Sure, not much gets addressed at the end and it definitely left me wanting more closure, buuuuuut this one is so unapologetically Latinx I LOVED IT SO MUCH FOR IT
Sure, not much gets addressed at the end and it definitely left me wanting more closure, buuuuuut this one is so unapologetically Latinx I LOVED IT SO MUCH FOR IT
March 10, 2021
"All I'm saying Mauro is... love is hard to find. Don't give up on it."
"Sometimes it is. And sometimes it's right in front of you."
O.U.a.Q had me fooled with its cute sweet cover of a young girl with 15 candles.
IT IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!!
[image error]
Monica created the most fun heroine you can't help fall in love with her and her story as a young Latina woman in an own voice novel.
Carmen Aguilar is a mess.... can't settle into a relationship since she's still bitter about her break-up when she was 15, in a family feud with her aunt, uncle and cousin after her young cousin decides to indulge and get a little tooo wild at a party, and oh she also hasn't gotten her high school diploma yet, which is why she is dressing up as a princess for school credits and wrap that stage of her life up.... and her beast is about to wreck her library.
The author does an amazing job writing a YA novel that is just mature enough to keep any age interested.
You'll laugh until your stomach hurts and swoon rereading your favorite parts.
Also.... Monica gained a whole star from me just for having a Harry Styles reference.
"This shouldn't have been a problem. I had one stupid dream about a hookup. I've also dreamed about hooking up with Harry Styles (don't judge)/
Read if you like:
-tela novella dramas
-little spanglish twist and latin culture
-young love and second chances
-your next book boyfriend... (sorry Peter Kavinsky.... Mauro is in town)
-disney and all the happiness that comes with it
-laughing till your belly hurts
-coming of age
-young adult with a TAD more adult (what does that mean?) Carmen has a bit of a potty mouth... but more than that sometimes reading YA you want to slap the girls as they try to navigate through their emotions... Carmen definitely struggles with her choices, but its fun to see her growth and development.
What I didn't like:
Absolutely nothing... honestly I want this to be a series... who do I contact for that?!?!? I need C&M in college kidnapping eachother.
Thank You Epic Reads and Harper Teen for my ARC. I cannot wait to read this one again.
Rating:
story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
romance-second chances
steam-the new age term of "hooking up" and what we called "hooking up" are not the same😂.
Song: Burn Bridges by One Republic
"Sometimes it is. And sometimes it's right in front of you."
O.U.a.Q had me fooled with its cute sweet cover of a young girl with 15 candles.
IT IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!!
[image error]
Monica created the most fun heroine you can't help fall in love with her and her story as a young Latina woman in an own voice novel.
Carmen Aguilar is a mess.... can't settle into a relationship since she's still bitter about her break-up when she was 15, in a family feud with her aunt, uncle and cousin after her young cousin decides to indulge and get a little tooo wild at a party, and oh she also hasn't gotten her high school diploma yet, which is why she is dressing up as a princess for school credits and wrap that stage of her life up.... and her beast is about to wreck her library.
The author does an amazing job writing a YA novel that is just mature enough to keep any age interested.
You'll laugh until your stomach hurts and swoon rereading your favorite parts.
Also.... Monica gained a whole star from me just for having a Harry Styles reference.
"This shouldn't have been a problem. I had one stupid dream about a hookup. I've also dreamed about hooking up with Harry Styles (don't judge)/
Read if you like:
-tela novella dramas
-little spanglish twist and latin culture
-young love and second chances
-your next book boyfriend... (sorry Peter Kavinsky.... Mauro is in town)
-disney and all the happiness that comes with it
-laughing till your belly hurts
-coming of age
-young adult with a TAD more adult (what does that mean?) Carmen has a bit of a potty mouth... but more than that sometimes reading YA you want to slap the girls as they try to navigate through their emotions... Carmen definitely struggles with her choices, but its fun to see her growth and development.
What I didn't like:
Absolutely nothing... honestly I want this to be a series... who do I contact for that?!?!? I need C&M in college kidnapping eachother.
Thank You Epic Reads and Harper Teen for my ARC. I cannot wait to read this one again.
Rating:
story-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
romance-second chances
steam-the new age term of "hooking up" and what we called "hooking up" are not the same😂.
Song: Burn Bridges by One Republic
October 19, 2020
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.
Everyone! READ. THIS. BOOK.
Excuse my flailing but I absolutely freaking loved this. There is not a single thing about Carmen's story that I didn't love. There is tension, there is romance, there is friendship, there is character development, there is family trauma, there are life lessons. And it's all wonderfully done.
The fact that Carmen has to work as a "Dream" for the summer and dress up as Belle from beauty and the beast for children's parties was just the most endearing thing. I loved her confidence, I loved her attitude and her fight. Carmen is not here to be trifled with. She is a strong, independent female character who has been burned lots of times before and she had enough - understandably. I loved the slow budding romance between her and the Love interest (no spoilers!!). It was so goddamn charming that I kept having to put my book down to be able to properly sigh.
Carmen is also headstrong and knows what she wants, which was absolutely fabulous to witness. The way she solves her problems and doesn't run away from them is absolutely inspiring and I definitely have found a new book for my favourites shelf.
Simply put: This book is a modern fairy tale in which the princess swears and makes the prince work for her.
So. Perfect, really.
Everyone! READ. THIS. BOOK.
Excuse my flailing but I absolutely freaking loved this. There is not a single thing about Carmen's story that I didn't love. There is tension, there is romance, there is friendship, there is character development, there is family trauma, there are life lessons. And it's all wonderfully done.
The fact that Carmen has to work as a "Dream" for the summer and dress up as Belle from beauty and the beast for children's parties was just the most endearing thing. I loved her confidence, I loved her attitude and her fight. Carmen is not here to be trifled with. She is a strong, independent female character who has been burned lots of times before and she had enough - understandably. I loved the slow budding romance between her and the Love interest (no spoilers!!). It was so goddamn charming that I kept having to put my book down to be able to properly sigh.
Carmen is also headstrong and knows what she wants, which was absolutely fabulous to witness. The way she solves her problems and doesn't run away from them is absolutely inspiring and I definitely have found a new book for my favourites shelf.
Simply put: This book is a modern fairy tale in which the princess swears and makes the prince work for her.
So. Perfect, really.
Read
March 9, 2021Graded By: Stephanie
Cover Story: Made Me Smile
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Solid Debut
Bonus Factors: Quinceañeras, Fandom Videos
Factor: Family
Relationship Status: Playing The Field
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Made Me Smile
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: Solid Debut
Bonus Factors: Quinceañeras, Fandom Videos
Factor: Family
Relationship Status: Playing The Field
Read the full book report here.
April 30, 2023
3.5
Tror ikke jeg kommer til å huske noe etter noen dager.
Tror ikke jeg kommer til å huske noe etter noen dager.
March 7, 2021
Reading Once Upon a Quinceañera was both very fun and also very frustrating.
This book was very nostalgic for me. I'd say it does a nice job of exploring one kind of quinceañera planning-adventure that happens when families go down this road. (I should note that having a quince party that's big and lavish is a privilege many girls do not get to experience, see classism) Although my quince was very different from the one in this book, I definitely felt drawn in by some connections! Especially when it came to practicing dancing! I also liked that this book added the extra special touch of Disney into the party!
It should be said off the bat that this book has a very large cast of mainly unlikable characters. Considering how much of a character-oriented person I am, I'm surprised to say that I didn't mind it *too* much. Carmen, the star of this show is very messy character. She is prickly, petty and knows how to hold a grudge. I liked the angle this story took on Carmen's constant fight against being labelled the "cautionary tale" for girls because of her past mistakes and her present struggles. She is not always a wonderful person per se, but I enjoyed spending my time with her in this book. As for the rest of the characters...I didn't think much of any of them. Ariana was quite annoying and I'm not sure if I saw much growth in her. Mauro...I didn't like him much at all by the end of the book, I don't hate any of these characters, but I felt like they were very one-sided.
I live for family drama in books and this one really brought it out, Right from the start I was intrigued by the messiness and their feuds.. To say this family has its fair share of scandals is a slight understatement but that's what made it exciting to read! To confront the drama there is the overall theme of family forgiveness and hmm I think this family needed a lot more than what the book gave us to be on the path to forgiveness. When dealing with conflicts of classism and narcissism, there needs to be a lot of digging to get down to the nitty gritty of things. I felt like this book was a tad too surface level in its resolution, I wanted to dive in way more and bring about those conversations between Carmen and her family. I also didn't like that the male family members took such a backseat in this story and that the drama focused more between the women, as if the men weren't part of the problem (which they very much were!).
On that note, I wasn't really into the romance. I didn't hate it, but again there was a very surface level resolution to some very big issues between these relationships. There is so much to unpack and I feel like we didn't get much of a chance to dig in, it felt too easy their reunion. I didn't dislike them, I just think that they need a lot more work. Like a lot more work.
Overall, I liked reading this despite its many drawbacks. I think it could have benefited from a stronger characterization and a deeper dive into some of its themes. It's entertaining and I found that my own inner-pettiness connected to Carmen's, but I also think the book could have better challenged those feelings.
This book was very nostalgic for me. I'd say it does a nice job of exploring one kind of quinceañera planning-adventure that happens when families go down this road. (I should note that having a quince party that's big and lavish is a privilege many girls do not get to experience, see classism) Although my quince was very different from the one in this book, I definitely felt drawn in by some connections! Especially when it came to practicing dancing! I also liked that this book added the extra special touch of Disney into the party!
It should be said off the bat that this book has a very large cast of mainly unlikable characters. Considering how much of a character-oriented person I am, I'm surprised to say that I didn't mind it *too* much. Carmen, the star of this show is very messy character. She is prickly, petty and knows how to hold a grudge. I liked the angle this story took on Carmen's constant fight against being labelled the "cautionary tale" for girls because of her past mistakes and her present struggles. She is not always a wonderful person per se, but I enjoyed spending my time with her in this book. As for the rest of the characters...I didn't think much of any of them. Ariana was quite annoying and I'm not sure if I saw much growth in her. Mauro...I didn't like him much at all by the end of the book, I don't hate any of these characters, but I felt like they were very one-sided.
I live for family drama in books and this one really brought it out, Right from the start I was intrigued by the messiness and their feuds.. To say this family has its fair share of scandals is a slight understatement but that's what made it exciting to read! To confront the drama there is the overall theme of family forgiveness and hmm I think this family needed a lot more than what the book gave us to be on the path to forgiveness. When dealing with conflicts of classism and narcissism, there needs to be a lot of digging to get down to the nitty gritty of things. I felt like this book was a tad too surface level in its resolution, I wanted to dive in way more and bring about those conversations between Carmen and her family. I also didn't like that the male family members took such a backseat in this story and that the drama focused more between the women, as if the men weren't part of the problem (which they very much were!).
On that note, I wasn't really into the romance. I didn't hate it, but again there was a very surface level resolution to some very big issues between these relationships. There is so much to unpack and I feel like we didn't get much of a chance to dig in, it felt too easy their reunion. I didn't dislike them, I just think that they need a lot more work. Like a lot more work.
Overall, I liked reading this despite its many drawbacks. I think it could have benefited from a stronger characterization and a deeper dive into some of its themes. It's entertaining and I found that my own inner-pettiness connected to Carmen's, but I also think the book could have better challenged those feelings.
April 5, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Once Upon a Quinceañera was so frustrating. I am so glad I was buddy reading this with Cande and Vic because I'm not sure I would have finished it otherwise. Maybe it is just the case of high expectations, but I was so excited for a book that featured a complex family situation. But what I got was just so flat? The aspect I was looking forward to, wasn't really wrapped up, in a way I found satisfying. At the same time, it seemed a bit too convenient, especially considering the gravity of the situation (and the emotions involved).
While I know that everyone likes different things in a romance, this was just no working for me. I was promised complex past mistakes and feuds, but what I got was a little lackluster. I did not see the appeal in either love interest. I don't want to get too into it because I don't want to spoil the plot for people who want to read! But yeah, I was just so frustrated for Carmen.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
Once Upon a Quinceañera was so frustrating. I am so glad I was buddy reading this with Cande and Vic because I'm not sure I would have finished it otherwise. Maybe it is just the case of high expectations, but I was so excited for a book that featured a complex family situation. But what I got was just so flat? The aspect I was looking forward to, wasn't really wrapped up, in a way I found satisfying. At the same time, it seemed a bit too convenient, especially considering the gravity of the situation (and the emotions involved).
While I know that everyone likes different things in a romance, this was just no working for me. I was promised complex past mistakes and feuds, but what I got was a little lackluster. I did not see the appeal in either love interest. I don't want to get too into it because I don't want to spoil the plot for people who want to read! But yeah, I was just so frustrated for Carmen.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
March 7, 2021
2.75 stars
Just for the record, let me say one thing .. CARMEN DID NOTHING WRONG !! .. now that's off my chest let's begin my review
The story talks about Carmen she just turned 18 and she can't graduate from high school until she does her final "work in the field" project, which makes her work in a company called " Dreams Come True " where she basically cosplay as a Disney princess in different parties and celebrations .. her mom and her sister (carmen's aunt) had this huge fight in the past and it got worse when Carmen turned 15 and she had to have her quinceanera, now three years later they want to make up, and the only way to do it is through another quinceanera.. her cousin who is the source of the problem that happened
I hope my explanation is clear enough, now, everything becomes magical when you add Disney to it .. even this book, I swear Dream Come True was the only good thing in this book .. every relationship Carmen has is absolute trash, from her awful aunt to the son of a gun "love interest" Mauro who is her ex
This book showed me clearly why I hate Ex stories .. because they make zero sense.. he is a jerk, he never apologized, all he did was smooth talk her to love him again for some reason, everyone was blaming Carmen on their mistakes and she was blaming herself unnecessarily, no one apologized to her for being this awful, she had to do it although, again, SHE DID NOTHING WRONG !!
I wanted to like this book more than this because it had such a great potential .. the writer is very good but I hoped if the plot was better
Just for the record, let me say one thing .. CARMEN DID NOTHING WRONG !! .. now that's off my chest let's begin my review
The story talks about Carmen she just turned 18 and she can't graduate from high school until she does her final "work in the field" project, which makes her work in a company called " Dreams Come True " where she basically cosplay as a Disney princess in different parties and celebrations .. her mom and her sister (carmen's aunt) had this huge fight in the past and it got worse when Carmen turned 15 and she had to have her quinceanera, now three years later they want to make up, and the only way to do it is through another quinceanera.. her cousin who is the source of the problem that happened
I hope my explanation is clear enough, now, everything becomes magical when you add Disney to it .. even this book, I swear Dream Come True was the only good thing in this book .. every relationship Carmen has is absolute trash, from her awful aunt to the son of a gun "love interest" Mauro who is her ex
This book showed me clearly why I hate Ex stories .. because they make zero sense.. he is a jerk, he never apologized, all he did was smooth talk her to love him again for some reason, everyone was blaming Carmen on their mistakes and she was blaming herself unnecessarily, no one apologized to her for being this awful, she had to do it although, again, SHE DID NOTHING WRONG !!
I wanted to like this book more than this because it had such a great potential .. the writer is very good but I hoped if the plot was better
April 27, 2021
I enjoyed this MC a lot! She tends to her grudges like little pets and I respect it. I also enjoyed the romance and found the cast to be charming overall—definitely struck me as a good fit for people who enjoy Jane the Virgin.
March 12, 2021
"I have to ask, though. Am I really the worst thing to ever happen to you?"
"Obviously, YES."
He smiled. "Same."
Once upon a time, around three years ago, a girl turned a boy into a Beast. He was a jerk so she didn't have to do much to make it happen. And then he left the kingdom and disappeared. Until one day, the Beast came back. Carmen Aguilar just wants that HEA life; however, she's stuck working the summer as a party princess for a company called Dreams Come True. Then that company is hired for her spoiled cousins, over the top quince. And who is Carmen's dance partner, also working at Dreams?
None other than Mauro Reyes....the Beast. The nitwit that broke her heart. Ay! Will Carmen find her HEA? Or will her summer be her own personal telenovela.
Once Upon a Quinceanera is such a wonderful delight! I've got salt-sticky cheeks from wet tears!
I felt all the emotions for Carmencita...not getting her own quince and her absent father. Goodness, my heart hurt for her. And Mauro Reyes... Can you see my love-struck smile? He's a precioso bollito. Ultimate cinnamon roll!
Actual footage of me during a specific, heart-warming Mauro scene. AND I LOVE HIM. *sighs dreamily.* No joke, when I say I was snort-laughing on page two. Several one-liners that were unexpected and had me LOL. Carmen has that teenage sarcastic wit that I revel in. Monica Gomez-Hira knocked it out of the park with her Own Voices, debut novel.
READ IF YOU LIKE:
-coming of age YA
-sarcastic wit
-second chance romance
-"dancing in a gorgeous ballroom serenaded by that teapot chick"
-#IsThisAKissingBook Si! He's the beast to her beauty
-family drama & dynamics
-that Disney fairy tale life
-Bienvenidos a Miami (I sincerely hope you are now singing Will Smith)
song: Hung Up by Tritonal, Sj, and Emma Gatsby
"Obviously, YES."
He smiled. "Same."
Once upon a time, around three years ago, a girl turned a boy into a Beast. He was a jerk so she didn't have to do much to make it happen. And then he left the kingdom and disappeared. Until one day, the Beast came back. Carmen Aguilar just wants that HEA life; however, she's stuck working the summer as a party princess for a company called Dreams Come True. Then that company is hired for her spoiled cousins, over the top quince. And who is Carmen's dance partner, also working at Dreams?
None other than Mauro Reyes....the Beast. The nitwit that broke her heart. Ay! Will Carmen find her HEA? Or will her summer be her own personal telenovela.
Once Upon a Quinceanera is such a wonderful delight! I've got salt-sticky cheeks from wet tears!
I felt all the emotions for Carmencita...not getting her own quince and her absent father. Goodness, my heart hurt for her. And Mauro Reyes... Can you see my love-struck smile? He's a precioso bollito. Ultimate cinnamon roll!
Actual footage of me during a specific, heart-warming Mauro scene. AND I LOVE HIM. *sighs dreamily.* No joke, when I say I was snort-laughing on page two. Several one-liners that were unexpected and had me LOL. Carmen has that teenage sarcastic wit that I revel in. Monica Gomez-Hira knocked it out of the park with her Own Voices, debut novel.
READ IF YOU LIKE:
-coming of age YA
-sarcastic wit
-second chance romance
-"dancing in a gorgeous ballroom serenaded by that teapot chick"
-#IsThisAKissingBook Si! He's the beast to her beauty
-family drama & dynamics
-that Disney fairy tale life
-Bienvenidos a Miami (I sincerely hope you are now singing Will Smith)
song: Hung Up by Tritonal, Sj, and Emma Gatsby
Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews