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amandalorianxo's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I know this book was published way before Encanto became a beloved movie but Lumi's ability made me think about Mirabel's mom Julieta except in slight reverse. This is a decent palette cleanser if you need something light or at least less emotionally charged in between any heavier books. Lumi loses her restaurant after not being able to maintain a profit in spite of her and her team's skills - particularly with Dominican cooking as well as other hybrids/ variations. Lumi is then steered towards a French-based restaurant to apply to after running into an old culinary school classmate. Unfortunately, the chef in charge of the French restaurant has been known to be a jerk, to both customers and food critics. Lumi doesn't realize she has already met Julian until they are face to face in their interview. Thankfully, Santos does execute some showing that Julian is a jerk rather than just constant hearsay. I enjoyed the fact that the recipes for the food Lumi and Julian make are actually in the book which pleased me greatly. This does have some spice so be prepared for the steam between the two to heat up ;) Overall, a cute Latinx-based romance. A few plot ideas or storylines could have been tightened just a tad but an easy enough read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment
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