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Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success
Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.
*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.
But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.
*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.
Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.
But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…
When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out--even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.
*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.
But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.
*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.
Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.
But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…
When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out--even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 16, 2023
22 people are currently reading
10081 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Parra
5 books136 followersAs a lawyer and daughter of Guatemalan and Cuban bakers, Jessica C. Parra never objects to an extra slice of cake. She’s a Los Angeles native who loves to write about Latinas with big hair (and even bigger dreams), complicated families, cats living their best lives (all nine of them), and the healing magic of acceptance.
When she isn’t drafting books you can find her sipping kombucha, cuddling with her kitties, or co-piloting the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge.
You can visit Jessica at jessicaparra.com
When she isn’t drafting books you can find her sipping kombucha, cuddling with her kitties, or co-piloting the Millennium Falcon at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge.
You can visit Jessica at jessicaparra.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
October 18, 2024
3.5⭐
Genre ~ young adult
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ May 16, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 313 (35 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 42 minutes
Narrator ~ Karla Serrato
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ coming of age, baking competition, no steamage ~ kissing only
I'm not reading too many YA books lately, but I saw this one on Hoopla as a bonus borrow, so I figured I'd give a whirl since the blurb is somewhat relatable to what's happening in my household these days. My daughter has submitted some college applications that we're waiting to hear back on. Unlike Rubi's mom, though, I am not forcing her to pick any college over another or what she wants her career path to be. Of course I would prefer she stay in our home in state, not only so she'll remain close, but I'm thrifty and it's cheaper. 🤣
Rubi is wait-listed to the university that she's expected to get into. She doesn't want to tell her parents and disappoint them. Her true passion is baking, so she secretly enters a baking competition. Obviously we know secrets like this will always come to light.
I love how Rubi used her great grandmother's recipes for the competition in order to stay true to her heritage. Some of the recipes sounded delightfully yummy.
Mom is a bit over the top, but I like how it all played out with her in the end. Dad was a great supporter. There's a little bit of teenage drama, which is expected with this genre. I'm happy there was only a few smooches.
Overall, it was a good coming of age story with a friendly reminder that you have to let your kids find their own way since it's their life to live.
Narration notes:
Her voice sounded perfect for the characters age.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Genre ~ young adult
Setting ~ California
Publication date ~ May 16, 2023
Est Page Count ~ 313 (35 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 42 minutes
Narrator ~ Karla Serrato
POV ~ single 1st
Featuring ~ coming of age, baking competition, no steamage ~ kissing only
I'm not reading too many YA books lately, but I saw this one on Hoopla as a bonus borrow, so I figured I'd give a whirl since the blurb is somewhat relatable to what's happening in my household these days. My daughter has submitted some college applications that we're waiting to hear back on. Unlike Rubi's mom, though, I am not forcing her to pick any college over another or what she wants her career path to be. Of course I would prefer she stay in our home in state, not only so she'll remain close, but I'm thrifty and it's cheaper. 🤣
Rubi is wait-listed to the university that she's expected to get into. She doesn't want to tell her parents and disappoint them. Her true passion is baking, so she secretly enters a baking competition. Obviously we know secrets like this will always come to light.
I love how Rubi used her great grandmother's recipes for the competition in order to stay true to her heritage. Some of the recipes sounded delightfully yummy.
Mom is a bit over the top, but I like how it all played out with her in the end. Dad was a great supporter. There's a little bit of teenage drama, which is expected with this genre. I'm happy there was only a few smooches.
Overall, it was a good coming of age story with a friendly reminder that you have to let your kids find their own way since it's their life to live.
Narration notes:
Her voice sounded perfect for the characters age.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Read
January 13, 2023Hola and Hello!!!
Thank you for taking a bite of RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS, my debut YA novel in which I tried to sandwich the swoons of first love, navigating life between the hyphens, and an indulgent amount of baking puns between thick layers of heart and humor. While the story does discuss meatier issues of diaspora, inherited aspirations, and familial expectations, it was very important for the story to feature hope and joy at its center. Both of these ingredients are often in short supply at the start of the last semester before graduation. During this time, high school seniors feel a lot like bakers do before taking a soufflé out of the oven. Did I follow every step correctly? Will it collapse even if I did? And when college dreams do come crashing down, it feels like life’s over. And not just their life, but often their parents’ lives too.
Similar to Rubi, it was very important for me to honor the sacrifices my immigrant parents made for me. Unlike her, it took me a lot longer to differentiate between the dreams I inherited from them and the ones I held for myself. So when the “soufflés” in my life (not getting into my dream college, getting waitlisted to law school to name a few) collapsed, I rolled up my sleeves and baked another one. I never stopped to ask myself if I wanted to make a different dessert, let alone if I even liked soufflé in the first place. I created Rubi when I needed a reminder that I could change the recipe of my life. No matter how hard it had been for my parents to obtain some of the ingredients for me, no matter how much time I’d invested in baking them, it was okay for me to adjust it. Or even start from scratch. This is the heart of the book, and one I wish I could say to every young person (and those simply young at heart)—life is what you bake it.
I wanted this book to be a testament to that, but also to how wherever there’s a whisk, there’s a way. Honoring your legacies while also finding your own path is possible—writing Rubi, her parents, and her friends finding theirs was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I hope readers will enjoy the ride of these characters finding love, expressing and sharing parts of themselves and their history through food, and of sifting through dreams in order to learn not just to survive but to thrive; I hope they’ll laugh, reach for an extra slice of cake; but mostly I hope they’ll be reminded that they can always tamper with the recipes their lives—and that there is never an expiration date for creating new ones.
All the best wishes for your future success,
Jessica Parra
Thank you for taking a bite of RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS, my debut YA novel in which I tried to sandwich the swoons of first love, navigating life between the hyphens, and an indulgent amount of baking puns between thick layers of heart and humor. While the story does discuss meatier issues of diaspora, inherited aspirations, and familial expectations, it was very important for the story to feature hope and joy at its center. Both of these ingredients are often in short supply at the start of the last semester before graduation. During this time, high school seniors feel a lot like bakers do before taking a soufflé out of the oven. Did I follow every step correctly? Will it collapse even if I did? And when college dreams do come crashing down, it feels like life’s over. And not just their life, but often their parents’ lives too.
Similar to Rubi, it was very important for me to honor the sacrifices my immigrant parents made for me. Unlike her, it took me a lot longer to differentiate between the dreams I inherited from them and the ones I held for myself. So when the “soufflés” in my life (not getting into my dream college, getting waitlisted to law school to name a few) collapsed, I rolled up my sleeves and baked another one. I never stopped to ask myself if I wanted to make a different dessert, let alone if I even liked soufflé in the first place. I created Rubi when I needed a reminder that I could change the recipe of my life. No matter how hard it had been for my parents to obtain some of the ingredients for me, no matter how much time I’d invested in baking them, it was okay for me to adjust it. Or even start from scratch. This is the heart of the book, and one I wish I could say to every young person (and those simply young at heart)—life is what you bake it.
I wanted this book to be a testament to that, but also to how wherever there’s a whisk, there’s a way. Honoring your legacies while also finding your own path is possible—writing Rubi, her parents, and her friends finding theirs was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I hope readers will enjoy the ride of these characters finding love, expressing and sharing parts of themselves and their history through food, and of sifting through dreams in order to learn not just to survive but to thrive; I hope they’ll laugh, reach for an extra slice of cake; but mostly I hope they’ll be reminded that they can always tamper with the recipes their lives—and that there is never an expiration date for creating new ones.
All the best wishes for your future success,
Jessica Parra
April 11, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this electronic galley. All opinions expressed are my own
I chose this YA book because of the cover. Because it was beautiful and bright and reminded me of the flashy colors my Barbies used to wear.
Rubi Ramos is a relatable protagonist, her dreams might differ from the ones that her parents, Cuban immigrants to America have laid out. As the last months of senior high school finish, Rubi keeps from her parents that she has been waitlisted at university and is entering a local baking competition. The latter fits more with Rubi's dreams. But how will her parents deal when they find out?
This was a highly entertaining story. The strongest part is the storyline with Rubi and her parents. The cover and description hint at romance and Rubi does meet a fiery-haired Irish-American surfer boy, Ryan O'Reilly. It's a meet-cute type of love but it's the type of story where a reader just knows that these two are going to be really great friends. Ryan shares his struggles with Rubi as does Rubi's best friend, Devon. It shows that all teens have their struggles in finding who they are/who they want to be. In that way, Rubi meeting Ryan is important to the book but don't go looking for a straight-up romance. As the book ends, I think Rubi is about to meet her first real love. The person that probably will break her heart.🤣 Yes, I am 41 years old and I straight-up wrote fanfiction in my head after finishing this last night.
Expected Publication Date 16/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 11/04/23
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this electronic galley. All opinions expressed are my own
I chose this YA book because of the cover. Because it was beautiful and bright and reminded me of the flashy colors my Barbies used to wear.
Rubi Ramos is a relatable protagonist, her dreams might differ from the ones that her parents, Cuban immigrants to America have laid out. As the last months of senior high school finish, Rubi keeps from her parents that she has been waitlisted at university and is entering a local baking competition. The latter fits more with Rubi's dreams. But how will her parents deal when they find out?
This was a highly entertaining story. The strongest part is the storyline with Rubi and her parents. The cover and description hint at romance and Rubi does meet a fiery-haired Irish-American surfer boy, Ryan O'Reilly. It's a meet-cute type of love but it's the type of story where a reader just knows that these two are going to be really great friends. Ryan shares his struggles with Rubi as does Rubi's best friend, Devon. It shows that all teens have their struggles in finding who they are/who they want to be. In that way, Rubi meeting Ryan is important to the book but don't go looking for a straight-up romance. As the book ends, I think Rubi is about to meet her first real love. The person that probably will break her heart.🤣 Yes, I am 41 years old and I straight-up wrote fanfiction in my head after finishing this last night.
Expected Publication Date 16/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 11/04/23
February 4, 2023
My experience reading Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success was admittedly a strange one. On one hand, I was quite impressed with Jessica Parra's writing. Honestly, this did not feel like a debut novel, which I applaud. The characters were heartfelt and the pacing was solid. On the other hand, I was really underwhelmed by the premise of this novel. The setting (both time and space) and dilemmas of this novel felt quite typical of a young adult contemporary. So while I really enjoyed Jessica Parra's writing, the actual plot of this story never really intrigued me. Still, I'm sure it will to others, so I would still recommend this book if this is a genre that you enjoy.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 22, 2023
A solid YA coming of age story about navigating your parents expectations and finding the courage to go after what you want. This follows Rubi, a Cuban-American high school student who loves working at her parents bakery and has secretly signed up for a baking competition. But her parents are determined to see her go to college and become a lawyer. When her dad accidentally overhears a conversation, he assumes she got into college (she'd been waitlisted) and Rubi gets caught in a bit of a web of lies. Meanwhile, she seeks out a math tutor to help her get her grades up and might just find love with the surfer/math wiz who agrees to help her out. This was funny and charming and a little bit messy. We get to see her passion for baking as a way of connecting with her Cuban heritage, and the complexities of her parents dreams for her and themselves. Definitely worth a read and the audio narration is great. I received an audio review copy of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
October 12, 2023
This book is the perfect recipe for a delightful, heartwarming read that will leave you with a smile on your face. Ruby Ramos has concocted a story that's a blend of sweet, swoon-worthy moments and well-crafted characters, creating a dreamy combination that provides quick and enjoyable entertainment. If you're in search of a feel-good, heartwarming novel, Ruby's narrative will align perfectly with your expectations. What's more, Ruby herself is the kind of superheroine you'll effortlessly connect with.
Ruby is a high-achieving debater, a top-notch A-grader eagerly awaiting acceptance into Alma, a brilliant baker, and, according to her hot surfer math tutor, practically a Marvel superhero with the power to see through steel (or at least, that's what he thinks). She seems like she can juggle it all to make her hardworking parents proud. However, she occasionally crosses her mother's strict lines by secretly entering a baking competition, which she's banned from due to it being a distraction from her dream of becoming an aspiring lawyer.
Ruby has three secrets that are starting to weigh on her conscience. First, she's already learned that she's been waitlisted at Alma, but her parents are under the impression that she's been accepted (a misunderstanding she doesn't dare correct). Second, she's one of the four finalists in a baking competition she's been competing in secretly, and she's bursting with excitement to showcase her incredible baking skills (thanks to her long shifts at her family bakery). Third, the hot surfer guy she recently met has now become her math tutor, helping her improve her grades in a desperate attempt to get off the Alma waitlist (she tells herself it's solely for her college application, but is she really not falling for the irresistible Ryan?).
The burning question is, how long can Ruby keep these secrets, make things right, and avoid breaking her boss mom's heart?
This book is a heartwarming tale filled with an array of wonderfully portrayed characters and a sweet romance that unfolds between Ruby and Ryan. It effortlessly put a permanent smile on my face, brightening even my darkest moods. It was precisely what I needed, and I couldn't be more grateful for the delightful escape it provided.
A special shoutout to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for generously sharing this fantastic digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. This was truly a treat
Ruby is a high-achieving debater, a top-notch A-grader eagerly awaiting acceptance into Alma, a brilliant baker, and, according to her hot surfer math tutor, practically a Marvel superhero with the power to see through steel (or at least, that's what he thinks). She seems like she can juggle it all to make her hardworking parents proud. However, she occasionally crosses her mother's strict lines by secretly entering a baking competition, which she's banned from due to it being a distraction from her dream of becoming an aspiring lawyer.
Ruby has three secrets that are starting to weigh on her conscience. First, she's already learned that she's been waitlisted at Alma, but her parents are under the impression that she's been accepted (a misunderstanding she doesn't dare correct). Second, she's one of the four finalists in a baking competition she's been competing in secretly, and she's bursting with excitement to showcase her incredible baking skills (thanks to her long shifts at her family bakery). Third, the hot surfer guy she recently met has now become her math tutor, helping her improve her grades in a desperate attempt to get off the Alma waitlist (she tells herself it's solely for her college application, but is she really not falling for the irresistible Ryan?).
The burning question is, how long can Ruby keep these secrets, make things right, and avoid breaking her boss mom's heart?
This book is a heartwarming tale filled with an array of wonderfully portrayed characters and a sweet romance that unfolds between Ruby and Ryan. It effortlessly put a permanent smile on my face, brightening even my darkest moods. It was precisely what I needed, and I couldn't be more grateful for the delightful escape it provided.
A special shoutout to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for generously sharing this fantastic digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. This was truly a treat
May 3, 2023
oh my heart.
stories about family and the experience of being a first gen kid are always so complex and touching and a guarantee that a tear or two will be shed.
rubi ramos’s recipe for success is such a fun, well-rounded book. i loved rubi’s passion for baking and her perseverance. she did make some typical teenage mistakes that made me wanna shake some sense into her along the way but she only had good intentions. i also loved her parents’ dynamic, and the fact that bits and pieces of their stories were shared only humanized them more.
that being said, the romance happened very quickly before taking a backseat to the college and competition subplots, and as a result 1) it wasn’t very convincing (imo) and 2) i ended up forgetting that rubi had a boyfriend at some point. but honestly that’s my only (sort of) complaint—her boyfriend was very sweet, so i didn’t dislike the romance entirely.
i’ll be looking forward to the author’s next releases <3
thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 💗✨
stories about family and the experience of being a first gen kid are always so complex and touching and a guarantee that a tear or two will be shed.
rubi ramos’s recipe for success is such a fun, well-rounded book. i loved rubi’s passion for baking and her perseverance. she did make some typical teenage mistakes that made me wanna shake some sense into her along the way but she only had good intentions. i also loved her parents’ dynamic, and the fact that bits and pieces of their stories were shared only humanized them more.
that being said, the romance happened very quickly before taking a backseat to the college and competition subplots, and as a result 1) it wasn’t very convincing (imo) and 2) i ended up forgetting that rubi had a boyfriend at some point. but honestly that’s my only (sort of) complaint—her boyfriend was very sweet, so i didn’t dislike the romance entirely.
i’ll be looking forward to the author’s next releases <3
thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 💗✨
June 6, 2023
3.5 stars
I like books about kids with cooking ambitions!
Rubi’s passion in life is cooking, and she would love to work in her parents’ bakery. However, her parents have a very different ideas about what they expect Rubi to accomplish in life, and not a single one involves her being in a kitchen for a career!
I like books about kids with cooking ambitions!
Rubi’s passion in life is cooking, and she would love to work in her parents’ bakery. However, her parents have a very different ideas about what they expect Rubi to accomplish in life, and not a single one involves her being in a kitchen for a career!
May 7, 2023
Rubi is the daughter of Cuban immigrants who have worked really hard to succeed with their bakery (now two bakeries!) in wealthy Orange County, California. Rubi’s parents are firmly set on her going to college to become a lawyer (their American dream) and she has worked hard to make that happen. She’s gotten good grades, although she’s struggling with trigonometry, and is the captain of her school’s debate team. She shares a love of baking with her dad but her mother in particular is dead set against her following in her dad’s footsteps. In an extreme move, which honestly didn’t sit right with me, Rubi has been forbidden to bake at all. She tries hard to get around their rules, while helping in the prep area of their main bakery, but she’s really not the kind of girl who will flat-out disobey her parents. She’s very inventive, while still being true to her culinary heritage.
One day she notices an article in the newspaper about a local Bake-Off contest and she enters without telling her parents.
Will Rubi follow her heart or make her parents happy?
There’s a lot going on in this book, not just baking, although the food descriptions are mouth-watering. We have issues of haves and hove-nots, striving immigrant families and wealthy families who have been in the area for generations. We have academic competition, seasoned with a bit of “mean girl” action. We have prejudice and assumptions. But we also have wonderful friendships and a blossoming romance with Ryan, a red-headed surfer who is also a math wiz and tutors Rubi in trig. And of course, we have the exciting bake-off action!
A few things bothered me, in addition to the extreme Ban on Baking:
-How Rubi dealt with the wait-list letter - she acted impulsively (as many teens tend to do) and her lies had to get bigger
-One of her good friends came out to Rubi as gay but this subplot didn’t go anywhere at all
-The gorgeous cover was something that attracted me to the book in the first place but I think it gives the wrong idea of what the book is about. There’s romance and I liked the Ryan character but this book is really Rubi’s coming-of-age story, not a romance novel.
I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Karla Serrato. I loved hearing the Spanish words spoken with her wonderful accent. (While most of the words were not explicitly translated, you could always tell what they meant by the context.)
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
One day she notices an article in the newspaper about a local Bake-Off contest and she enters without telling her parents.
Will Rubi follow her heart or make her parents happy?
There’s a lot going on in this book, not just baking, although the food descriptions are mouth-watering. We have issues of haves and hove-nots, striving immigrant families and wealthy families who have been in the area for generations. We have academic competition, seasoned with a bit of “mean girl” action. We have prejudice and assumptions. But we also have wonderful friendships and a blossoming romance with Ryan, a red-headed surfer who is also a math wiz and tutors Rubi in trig. And of course, we have the exciting bake-off action!
A few things bothered me, in addition to the extreme Ban on Baking:
-How Rubi dealt with the wait-list letter - she acted impulsively (as many teens tend to do) and her lies had to get bigger
-One of her good friends came out to Rubi as gay but this subplot didn’t go anywhere at all
-The gorgeous cover was something that attracted me to the book in the first place but I think it gives the wrong idea of what the book is about. There’s romance and I liked the Ryan character but this book is really Rubi’s coming-of-age story, not a romance novel.
I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Karla Serrato. I loved hearing the Spanish words spoken with her wonderful accent. (While most of the words were not explicitly translated, you could always tell what they meant by the context.)
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
May 6, 2023
This was a sweet YA novel! I found the romance to be a lighter subplot, but it was cute nonetheless. I really enjoyed Rubi’s narration and the cooking competition was fun with a little razzle dazzle (drama).
I do think most YAs I read nowadays have these kids trying to get into Ivy League schools which is just a little bit cooky to me. It’s got to be stressful for actual young adults reading them because EYE get stressed just reading about the application process lol.
I loved the narrator and would definitely read more from the author. Also the cover???? Gorgeous. A++
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
I do think most YAs I read nowadays have these kids trying to get into Ivy League schools which is just a little bit cooky to me. It’s got to be stressful for actual young adults reading them because EYE get stressed just reading about the application process lol.
I loved the narrator and would definitely read more from the author. Also the cover???? Gorgeous. A++
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
December 31, 2022
3.75 stars rounded up
January 11, 2023
You know when you read a book and it pulls you in from the first page, the kind of book that even when you aren’t reading you still think about? That’s Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for success.
I absolutely loved this book, everything about it. The geeky, yet undeniably hot surfer love interest, the super supportive aspiring fashion designer best friend, all the different recipes and food descriptions. I loved it all.
Rubi Ramos is a baker, even if she is on a baking ban she loves it and creating her own recipes- so when she finds out about a baking contest happening near her she is immediately drawn to it and the possibility of it helping her out of the ban.
The issue is, her family can’t know about the contest- her parents may own bakeries but they do not want her distracted from the plan of getting Alma college, and being captain of the debate team. She has a lot of pressure on her as a second generation immigrant from Cuba, trying to find her Roots through food and living up to her family’s expectations.
Overall this was a beautifully written book, with an incredibly satisfying ending and I’m so thankful for netgalley for this ARC.
I absolutely loved this book, everything about it. The geeky, yet undeniably hot surfer love interest, the super supportive aspiring fashion designer best friend, all the different recipes and food descriptions. I loved it all.
Rubi Ramos is a baker, even if she is on a baking ban she loves it and creating her own recipes- so when she finds out about a baking contest happening near her she is immediately drawn to it and the possibility of it helping her out of the ban.
The issue is, her family can’t know about the contest- her parents may own bakeries but they do not want her distracted from the plan of getting Alma college, and being captain of the debate team. She has a lot of pressure on her as a second generation immigrant from Cuba, trying to find her Roots through food and living up to her family’s expectations.
Overall this was a beautifully written book, with an incredibly satisfying ending and I’m so thankful for netgalley for this ARC.
May 16, 2023
4.5 DELIGHTFUL STARS!
I love when books tie food to culture, ESPECIALLY when it's deserts. Part GBBO , part mean girls, this coming-of-age story gripped my little Cuban heart so tightly. Highly recommend for fans of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow.
Full review to come, but I wanted to wish this book a very happy book birthday today and get it on your radar!
I love when books tie food to culture, ESPECIALLY when it's deserts. Part GBBO , part mean girls, this coming-of-age story gripped my little Cuban heart so tightly. Highly recommend for fans of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow.
Full review to come, but I wanted to wish this book a very happy book birthday today and get it on your radar!
May 15, 2023
Rubi is a Cuban-American senior in high school with a lot on her plate. Improving her grades while falling for then having her first relationship with her tutor. Battling her frenemy throughout debate team practices and trying to portray the perfect daughter to her parents.
After being waitlisted for the college she’s been taught to be her dream, Rubi is determined to show the school something that gives her an edge/would aide in her full acceptance. Rubi joins a bake-off style baking competition both to enjoy her passion for baking and in hopes it will impress the admissions.
This was a well written YA book about being first-generation to immigrant parents and the pressures of high school and all that comes with the transition to college/life beyond.
4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 25, 2023
A very true depiction of Orange County, California. The prejudices, wealth inequality, stereotypes, and white-savior-complexes.
I loved Rubi’s story. 👏🏽👏🏽 I loved all the recipes/baking concoctions.
I loved Rubi’s story. 👏🏽👏🏽 I loved all the recipes/baking concoctions.
May 22, 2023
This is a delightful coming of age story that follows Rubi Ramos, a senior in high school who has her life planned out. Her life plans get a major wrinkle when Rubi gets waitlisted to her number one school. Rubi decides to get a math tutor (Ryan), but also has to make sure she doesn’t get distracted by her number one passion…baking.
I absolutely loved Rubi. She’s determined to be successful after all of the sacrifices that her parents made for her, but her love for baking and desire to connect to her Cuban roots makes her question everything. I love that she’s full of so much passion and drive. I wanted to taste every single one of her concoctions, and I loved how much it connected her to the legacy her parents built (even if they didn’t realize it).
I will say that I didn’t really care about the romance plot one way or another but I enjoyed how much Rubi and Ryan brought out passion and ambition in one another.
This book was truly a joy, and I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. Al opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved Rubi. She’s determined to be successful after all of the sacrifices that her parents made for her, but her love for baking and desire to connect to her Cuban roots makes her question everything. I love that she’s full of so much passion and drive. I wanted to taste every single one of her concoctions, and I loved how much it connected her to the legacy her parents built (even if they didn’t realize it).
I will say that I didn’t really care about the romance plot one way or another but I enjoyed how much Rubi and Ryan brought out passion and ambition in one another.
This book was truly a joy, and I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. Al opinions are my own.
August 17, 2023
Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success was fun story of following your dreams, working towards your goals, friendship and family. Rubi's parents emigrated from Cuba and are bakers, owning two bakeries. Rubi loves to bake and when she bakes from her grandmother's recipes it brings her closer to her and to her heritage. Her mother wants more for Rubi and bans her from baking. Her goal for Rubi is to become a lawyer. Rubi has applied to Alma College, but is waitlisted. She can't tell her parents that. She is also keeping another huge secret, she has entered the First Annual Bake Off sponsored by Alma. She is a busy girl, captaining the debate team, baking on the sly and getting tutored in math to keep up her grade point average. Rubi has her own Recipe for Success, but can she follow it?
Had I not read reviews that hooked me, I probably wouldn't have picked this book up. I thought it would be an easy read story about a teen working hard, first love and getting into her college of her dreams while baking along the way. There was so much more to it than that. Rubi was a perfect example of a child who was being pushed by her mother's unfulfilled dreams. She didn't want to disappoint her parents, but wanted to stay true to herself. She was such a hard worker, and intelligent young woman who knew what she wanted, but was also a people pleaser. I absolutely loved all the baking talk and the competitions. I do enjoy watching baking shows, so that was part of why I liked it so much, but I am also an avid baker. Learning about Cuban culture and the baking that went with it was interesting. Jessica Parra included the issues teens of that age, who are high achievers, go through with competition and some backstabbing. The characters were well developed and realistic, easy to relate to. I enjoyed everything about this story and recommend it to those who enjoy coming of age stories, stories of family relationships and expectations, stories about following your dreams, friendship and yes, romance. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karla Serrato and I was very impressed with her voices, expression and tone. With the characters being various ages, genders and nationalities, she had to change often and I liked how she portrayed them all. I recommend Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success in audiobook if that is a format you enjoy.
Had I not read reviews that hooked me, I probably wouldn't have picked this book up. I thought it would be an easy read story about a teen working hard, first love and getting into her college of her dreams while baking along the way. There was so much more to it than that. Rubi was a perfect example of a child who was being pushed by her mother's unfulfilled dreams. She didn't want to disappoint her parents, but wanted to stay true to herself. She was such a hard worker, and intelligent young woman who knew what she wanted, but was also a people pleaser. I absolutely loved all the baking talk and the competitions. I do enjoy watching baking shows, so that was part of why I liked it so much, but I am also an avid baker. Learning about Cuban culture and the baking that went with it was interesting. Jessica Parra included the issues teens of that age, who are high achievers, go through with competition and some backstabbing. The characters were well developed and realistic, easy to relate to. I enjoyed everything about this story and recommend it to those who enjoy coming of age stories, stories of family relationships and expectations, stories about following your dreams, friendship and yes, romance. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karla Serrato and I was very impressed with her voices, expression and tone. With the characters being various ages, genders and nationalities, she had to change often and I liked how she portrayed them all. I recommend Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success in audiobook if that is a format you enjoy.
October 5, 2023
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the author Jessica Parra, publishers Wednesday Books, and Goodreads Giveaways, for an advance paperback copy of RUBI RAMOS'S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. Thank you also to Libby for a digital copy. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved:
...
2. I appreciate the indelible marks Rubi's family make upon her and how much their emotions influence her decisions. Her fear of harming them emotionally drives much of the story, which unfortunately isn't a plot type I'm interested in. But in this case, the intercharacter dynamics are powerful.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
...
2. Rubi, the main character, hears about a baking competition and decides to compete. Instead of starting small and working her way up, as one does, she just walks onto the set of a televised baking contest, unproven, without even realizing being on TV is what she's signed up for, somehow. This classically fortuitous blunder is so far from a believable storyline, and I just could not enjoy the book because of it.
Rating: 🎂🎂 / 5 grandma's cakes
Recommend? Not really, try ANDER AND SANTI WERE HERE or HOW TO WRESTLE A GIRL
Finished: Oct 1 23
Format: Audiobook, Libby; Paperback, Goodreads giveaways
Read this book if you like:
👨👩👧👦 family stories, family drama
👭🏽 teenage girl friendships
💇♀️ young woman’s coming of age
🥐 baking
📉 entrepreneurship / small business
🗣 politics
Thank you to the author Jessica Parra, publishers Wednesday Books, and Goodreads Giveaways, for an advance paperback copy of RUBI RAMOS'S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. Thank you also to Libby for a digital copy. All views are mine.
Three (or more) things I loved:
...
2. I appreciate the indelible marks Rubi's family make upon her and how much their emotions influence her decisions. Her fear of harming them emotionally drives much of the story, which unfortunately isn't a plot type I'm interested in. But in this case, the intercharacter dynamics are powerful.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
...
2. Rubi, the main character, hears about a baking competition and decides to compete. Instead of starting small and working her way up, as one does, she just walks onto the set of a televised baking contest, unproven, without even realizing being on TV is what she's signed up for, somehow. This classically fortuitous blunder is so far from a believable storyline, and I just could not enjoy the book because of it.
Rating: 🎂🎂 / 5 grandma's cakes
Recommend? Not really, try ANDER AND SANTI WERE HERE or HOW TO WRESTLE A GIRL
Finished: Oct 1 23
Format: Audiobook, Libby; Paperback, Goodreads giveaways
Read this book if you like:
👨👩👧👦 family stories, family drama
👭🏽 teenage girl friendships
💇♀️ young woman’s coming of age
🥐 baking
📉 entrepreneurship / small business
🗣 politics
October 2, 2024
I thought this was going to be a silly little rom com but it ended up being a love letter to immigrant parents & a personification of the internal struggle immigrant children have by being first generation.
Rubi’s struggle with choosing her own path and the path that brings pride to those who risked everything to gift her the opportunity to even have a choice felt a little too personal.
There is some rom & com in it but there’s so much more. Such a beautiful book.
Rubi’s struggle with choosing her own path and the path that brings pride to those who risked everything to gift her the opportunity to even have a choice felt a little too personal.
There is some rom & com in it but there’s so much more. Such a beautiful book.
December 30, 2022
A ton of fun sprinkles involved in this young Cuban American teen clean read that is filled with all the pressure of decisions to be made with the dramatic help from family, surfer boyfriend and best friend for a successful future.
April 16, 2023
I loved pretty much everything about this debut YA novel! Gorgeous cover, reality baking competition, a sweet romance and great Cuban American daughter of immigrants rep. Great on audio narrated by Karla Serrato and perfect for fans of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early audio and digital copies of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is guaranteed to make you hungry and feel all the feels!
April 30, 2023
What a wonderful book! Our heroine has always followed the rules, but when the rules involved her stepping away from baking, it was too much. Now she is trying to find a way to follow her dreams and keep her parents happy, too.
Excellent coming of age novel! #NetGalley
Excellent coming of age novel! #NetGalley
May 23, 2023
thank you wednesday books for the ARC!
April 1, 2023
There was a recipe and yes, it was indeed successful. What a strong debut by Jessica Parra! We've got a coming-of-age story about being a child of immigrants dealing with what feels like the weight of the world. Rubi's personal recipe to a bright future and one that her parents will be proud of involves:
- Being the captain of her Debate team and win their tournament
- A Future Leader of Orange Country
- Ace trigonometry
- Maintain the ban on baking
- Get accepted into Alma University
- Become a pre-law major at a Ivy League law school
"The raised nicks and pink divots etched into her skin showed off her resistance to flames. Showed off how she'd stitched herself back together each time the world tried to break her."
This quote got me in my feelings. Rubi's recipe for success is giving me flashbacks to being in my last years of school and she's 10 times more responsible and ambitious than I used to be. She's a fighter and she'll do what it takes to get what she wants and deserves. What hit even harder is that Rubi's future was all written out by her parents. They love her and want the best for her and she has the same dream for herself. She just doesn't want to lose the things she loves along the way. So Rubi, whose parents have banned her from baking as she's preparing for university, decides she's going to take part in the First Annual OC Bake Off. What puts everything in an imbalance is that she's been wait-listed for her (and her parents') dream university. Rubi has to fight to stay on top of everything and score that acceptance to Alma and also continue to thrive as a baker to win the Bake Off.
Rubi longs to connect with her roots and baking is her way to do it. She's holding onto the things that make her Cuban and tie her to all her family and friends in the community. She's almost a golden example of a 'child of immigrants'. It just made me really happy to see an author capture the experience of being a young woman trying to live up to the goals and dreams of multiple generations without losing the true essence of herself.
Rubi is fun, goofy and so nerdy about baking. I loved reading about the baking techniques and how the treats connect to Rubi's past and present. The descriptions are so detailed and mouth-watering that I wished at parts that I could reached into the pages and pull out the treats. The author used food metaphors in such a perfect way to capture a range of emotional moments in the story.
Rubi is always the main character in her story and her friends and boyfriend (or "boyftu" - boyfriend & tutor) add to her big moments and support her wonderfully along the way. All the secondary characters and plotlines feed into the main story and came together seamlessly at the end. I really enjoyed the initial flirtationship and relationship between Rubi and Ryan. It captured the bubbly and fun new love between teenagers while taking the time to explore the depths of their personal lives and growing relationship.
I wish their were more scenes diving into Rubi's relationship and conflict with her mother. Her mother was off-screen far more than I expected and I think that detracted from the final resolution. Even though I was pleased with how the story reached it's climax and conclusion.
This is an absolutely heartwarming coming-of-age YA. I'm not one for watching cooking or baking shows but this definitely made me want to watch the Great British Bake Off! Truth be told, I had to eat multiple chocolate bars to satisfy my sweet tooth while reading this book. So if you're a fan of Bake Off or just sweets in general then this book is for you!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to read this eARC!
- Being the captain of her Debate team and win their tournament
- A Future Leader of Orange Country
- Ace trigonometry
- Maintain the ban on baking
- Get accepted into Alma University
- Become a pre-law major at a Ivy League law school
"The raised nicks and pink divots etched into her skin showed off her resistance to flames. Showed off how she'd stitched herself back together each time the world tried to break her."
This quote got me in my feelings. Rubi's recipe for success is giving me flashbacks to being in my last years of school and she's 10 times more responsible and ambitious than I used to be. She's a fighter and she'll do what it takes to get what she wants and deserves. What hit even harder is that Rubi's future was all written out by her parents. They love her and want the best for her and she has the same dream for herself. She just doesn't want to lose the things she loves along the way. So Rubi, whose parents have banned her from baking as she's preparing for university, decides she's going to take part in the First Annual OC Bake Off. What puts everything in an imbalance is that she's been wait-listed for her (and her parents') dream university. Rubi has to fight to stay on top of everything and score that acceptance to Alma and also continue to thrive as a baker to win the Bake Off.
Rubi longs to connect with her roots and baking is her way to do it. She's holding onto the things that make her Cuban and tie her to all her family and friends in the community. She's almost a golden example of a 'child of immigrants'. It just made me really happy to see an author capture the experience of being a young woman trying to live up to the goals and dreams of multiple generations without losing the true essence of herself.
Rubi is fun, goofy and so nerdy about baking. I loved reading about the baking techniques and how the treats connect to Rubi's past and present. The descriptions are so detailed and mouth-watering that I wished at parts that I could reached into the pages and pull out the treats. The author used food metaphors in such a perfect way to capture a range of emotional moments in the story.
Rubi is always the main character in her story and her friends and boyfriend (or "boyftu" - boyfriend & tutor) add to her big moments and support her wonderfully along the way. All the secondary characters and plotlines feed into the main story and came together seamlessly at the end. I really enjoyed the initial flirtationship and relationship between Rubi and Ryan. It captured the bubbly and fun new love between teenagers while taking the time to explore the depths of their personal lives and growing relationship.
I wish their were more scenes diving into Rubi's relationship and conflict with her mother. Her mother was off-screen far more than I expected and I think that detracted from the final resolution. Even though I was pleased with how the story reached it's climax and conclusion.
This is an absolutely heartwarming coming-of-age YA. I'm not one for watching cooking or baking shows but this definitely made me want to watch the Great British Bake Off! Truth be told, I had to eat multiple chocolate bars to satisfy my sweet tooth while reading this book. So if you're a fan of Bake Off or just sweets in general then this book is for you!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to read this eARC!
May 16, 2023
Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success delves deeply into Cuban culture, parental expectations, and what it means to be a child of immigrants who only want the best for you. I really appreciated the journey that Rubi went on through this book and honestly, I loved that she was able to have her cake and eat it, too.
My favourite part of the story was near the end, when her parents began to accept their own dreams for themselves. As a parent myself, I know how much of yourself you lose as you guide your kids through life, and seeing Rubi help them to self-realization was really great. I hope her mom gets into Alma and her dad does Bake Off next year!!
The romance could have been further developed for me, but I don’t fault the author for not focusing on Rubi and Ryan’s relationship - Rubi had a lot going on and the focus on her journey was just right.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC and Libro.fm for the eALC.
My favourite part of the story was near the end, when her parents began to accept their own dreams for themselves. As a parent myself, I know how much of yourself you lose as you guide your kids through life, and seeing Rubi help them to self-realization was really great. I hope her mom gets into Alma and her dad does Bake Off next year!!
The romance could have been further developed for me, but I don’t fault the author for not focusing on Rubi and Ryan’s relationship - Rubi had a lot going on and the focus on her journey was just right.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC and Libro.fm for the eALC.
October 17, 2023
Look at the Gorgeous Cover 💕
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audiobook.
Generally I'm not one for YA books but I just couldn't resist this. First the cover and then the synopsis (Bake Off)
I love cooking shows.
This was quite cute.
Im not really one for YAs so i didn’t really love it as much as I wanted to. I just liked it.
But I'm certain a younger me would have loved it more.
However, i loved all the aspects of the bake off and the mouthwatering description of food.
It was also nice getting to know a bit about Cuba.
At the end, I'm glad Rubi was able to choose what truly makes her happy.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audiobook.
Generally I'm not one for YA books but I just couldn't resist this. First the cover and then the synopsis (Bake Off)
I love cooking shows.
This was quite cute.
Im not really one for YAs so i didn’t really love it as much as I wanted to. I just liked it.
But I'm certain a younger me would have loved it more.
However, i loved all the aspects of the bake off and the mouthwatering description of food.
It was also nice getting to know a bit about Cuba.
At the end, I'm glad Rubi was able to choose what truly makes her happy.
December 18, 2023
Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track. Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University. Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.
But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.
Step 3: Never break the ban on baking. Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.
But some recipes are begging to be tampered with. When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She is not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there is only one way to find out--even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.
This was a solid YA coming of age story about navigating your parents expectations and finding the courage to go after what you want. I love that we get to see Rubi's passion for cooking as a way of connecting with her heritage and the complexities of her parents dreams for her and themselves. Rubi was just a girl looking to follow her dreams and figuring out her life along the way. The romance felt a bit too insta love for me, but at the same time, it was understandable since teenagers usually fall in love super quickly. One thing that annoyed me a bit was that it was just mentioned that her friend was queer and that was it. It was just kinda brushed off and never mentioned again in the book. I do however think it was an enjoyable read and I do recommend checking out this debut and deciding for yourself.
But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.
Step 3: Never break the ban on baking. Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.
But some recipes are begging to be tampered with. When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She is not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there is only one way to find out--even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.
This was a solid YA coming of age story about navigating your parents expectations and finding the courage to go after what you want. I love that we get to see Rubi's passion for cooking as a way of connecting with her heritage and the complexities of her parents dreams for her and themselves. Rubi was just a girl looking to follow her dreams and figuring out her life along the way. The romance felt a bit too insta love for me, but at the same time, it was understandable since teenagers usually fall in love super quickly. One thing that annoyed me a bit was that it was just mentioned that her friend was queer and that was it. It was just kinda brushed off and never mentioned again in the book. I do however think it was an enjoyable read and I do recommend checking out this debut and deciding for yourself.
December 28, 2022
Want the cozy vibes of The Great British Bake Off than read this book! Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success has heart and delicious bakes to make your mouth water.
Rubi enters a competition in OC despite her mother's ban on baking. She's supposed to focus on school and getting into Alma the college of her mother's dreams. As a fist gen there's a lot of pressure on her to be successful. In her mother's eyes baking won't bring the success that she wants for Rubi. Despite that Rubi can't stay away from baking.
I loved Rubi's passion for baking. Her desire to please her parents was so relatable as a first gen myself. Her heritage shined through in the bakes that she made.
I enjoyed reading the complicated relationship that she had with her parents. Through it all she held so much love for them.
Then there was the boy she met at the beach, Ryan. Their relationship was so sweet. Everytime they were together it put a smile on my face.
If you're a fan of baking competitions this is the book for you! Out May 15th 2023
Thanks netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Rubi enters a competition in OC despite her mother's ban on baking. She's supposed to focus on school and getting into Alma the college of her mother's dreams. As a fist gen there's a lot of pressure on her to be successful. In her mother's eyes baking won't bring the success that she wants for Rubi. Despite that Rubi can't stay away from baking.
I loved Rubi's passion for baking. Her desire to please her parents was so relatable as a first gen myself. Her heritage shined through in the bakes that she made.
I enjoyed reading the complicated relationship that she had with her parents. Through it all she held so much love for them.
Then there was the boy she met at the beach, Ryan. Their relationship was so sweet. Everytime they were together it put a smile on my face.
If you're a fan of baking competitions this is the book for you! Out May 15th 2023
Thanks netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2023
Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Para is the latest audiobook that I listened to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Being the first generation daughter of an immigrant, I could relate to some of Rubi's experiences with her family and expectations.
This book was an excellent coming of age story with a small side of romance. I'm glad that the romance wasn't the main story because Rubi deserved to grow into herself.
I also loved the amazing descriptions of the baked goods and recipes.
This was such a fun listen, and Karla Serrato did an amazing job with the narration.
If you are looking for your next audiobook, give this me YA book a listen.
Being the first generation daughter of an immigrant, I could relate to some of Rubi's experiences with her family and expectations.
This book was an excellent coming of age story with a small side of romance. I'm glad that the romance wasn't the main story because Rubi deserved to grow into herself.
I also loved the amazing descriptions of the baked goods and recipes.
This was such a fun listen, and Karla Serrato did an amazing job with the narration.
If you are looking for your next audiobook, give this me YA book a listen.
December 19, 2022
This book is so full of heart. I love the family dynamics and everything about who Rubi is. I recommend this to everyone with a pulse!
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