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destiel74's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was wonderful read. I could see some of myself in Carmen with all the cynicism and learning to let loose. I’m glad she patched things up.
mama_pillot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a typical rom com. The enemies to lovers arc was beautifully done! I really appreciated that the MC had as much self discovery and growth as romantic discovery and growth. I laughed, I cried, it was a really well written story!
bbloome01's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
ameserole's review
4.0
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.
alongreader's review
4.0
For high school reasons, Carmen is forced to get a summer job at a company who rent Disney princes and princesses to events. It's mostly children's parties, which she's fine with; dressing in Belle's yellow gown and smiling at children is easy enough. Until her messily-broken-up-with ex-boyfriend is hired as the Beast. And her company is hired to perform at the quinceanera of her estranged cousin - the couson who's mother is the reason Carmen herself never had a quince. The cousin who now seems to be going out with the boy Carmen herself has been cruching on for a while - the boy she had a date with just the date before.
It's a lot to handle, and Carmen will have to figure it out before she loses everyone who matters to her.
I don't have a lot to say about this, to be honest. I didn't feel much of anything in either direction when reading. It was fun, it was cute, but it was fairly predictable all the way through. Even the scene where Carmen and Alex go out; they each talk about the quince, Carmen from the point of view of being hired to dance at it, Alex as part of the corte in a quince that will have hired dancers. Yet neither of them make the connection, while I was yelling at my book. Of course, it's easier to see from out here.
I don't have anything bad to say either, though. The writing was good, the characters are maybe a little infuriating - in the way that you want to reach through the page and give them a good shake - but they're interesting, and the descriptions are great. I could feel the heat coming through the writing at me; I'll remember not to visit Miami in the summer for sure! (Assuming we can ever go anywhere ever again...)
I did think it was weird that no one seemed concerned about Carmen's original boss, and a little irritated that she started looking up colleges after the guy she sort of hated suggested it, not after her best friend and her mother suggested it. But again, sometimes people take things like that more easily from strangers than from friends. I know that I've often counted on that in work - a child will often listen to a stranger who tells him to stop messing but ignore a parent saying the same thing!
Overall, it was a good read. I don't have any serious problems with it, and I'll be looking forward to suggesting it to people. I did enjoy the look at a culture I'm not very familiar with and I'd love to learn more about quinces and the traditions around them. A good read.
It's a lot to handle, and Carmen will have to figure it out before she loses everyone who matters to her.
I don't have a lot to say about this, to be honest. I didn't feel much of anything in either direction when reading. It was fun, it was cute, but it was fairly predictable all the way through. Even the scene where Carmen and Alex go out; they each talk about the quince, Carmen from the point of view of being hired to dance at it, Alex as part of the corte in a quince that will have hired dancers. Yet neither of them make the connection, while I was yelling at my book. Of course, it's easier to see from out here.
I don't have anything bad to say either, though. The writing was good, the characters are maybe a little infuriating - in the way that you want to reach through the page and give them a good shake - but they're interesting, and the descriptions are great. I could feel the heat coming through the writing at me; I'll remember not to visit Miami in the summer for sure! (Assuming we can ever go anywhere ever again...)
I did think it was weird that no one seemed concerned about Carmen's original boss, and a little irritated that she started looking up colleges after the guy she sort of hated suggested it, not after her best friend and her mother suggested it. But again, sometimes people take things like that more easily from strangers than from friends. I know that I've often counted on that in work - a child will often listen to a stranger who tells him to stop messing but ignore a parent saying the same thing!
Overall, it was a good read. I don't have any serious problems with it, and I'll be looking forward to suggesting it to people. I did enjoy the look at a culture I'm not very familiar with and I'd love to learn more about quinces and the traditions around them. A good read.
smalltownbookmom's review
3.0
Solid 3.5 - This is a fun coming of age YA rom-com featuring Carmen, a Cuban American girl forced to work as a Disney Princess impersonator acting at children's parties for the summer in order to get a final credit to graduate high school. Her summer plans get turned upside down when the company she works for gets booked to dance at her cousin's quinceañera and her ex-boyfriend ends up working as the 'Beast' to her 'Belle'. Lots of chemistry and second-chance young love as well as a heartwarming family reconciliation. An entertaining read for fans of Fat chance, Charlie Vega or A Cuban girl’s guide to tea and tomorrow.
selenityelizabeth's review
3.0
Not a bad book at all. There were a few things I would have wanted more stuff on but overall it had a nice ending. Reminded me of when I was in my cousins quinceañera and my own lol.