A Cuban's Girls Guide to Tea and Tomorrow was an absolute delight. It made me want to return to England so bad! Lila is witty, clever, smart, deep, thoughtful, and relatable. Love the banter, the culture, the twists, the cooking, and the growth of the characters. Orion is also dreamy.
A great book to escape with in 2020!

BOOK REPORT for A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

Cover Story: Picnic Perfect
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 9
Talky Talk: Full of Flavor
Bonus Factors: Tasty Business, English Town
Relationship Status: Swooning

Content Warning: Lila deals with the grief her grandmother's death, as well as situations of loss of a boyfriend and best friend, in A Cuban Girl's Guide that might be tough and/or triggering for some readers.

Cover Story: Picnic Perfect
The last three books I've reviewed are contemporaries with illustrated meet-cute covers. This one's my favorite, I think, because the idea of a picnic in a park in an idyllic English city is 100% my jam. Plus, the looks in the characters' eyes are already bringing the swoon.

The Deal:
Lila Reyes has experienced what she's calling the Trifecta of loss: first, her beloved grandmother dies; second, her perfect boyfriend dumps her; and third, her best friend makes life-changing plans without talking to her. Lila's family sees her struggling, and so sends her—against her wishes—for a "respite" in England with some extended family. Lila's set to hate everything about the trip, but then she gets to work in the kitchen of her family's inn … and meets Orion Maxwell, the son of the owner of the local tea shop.

BFF Charm: Eventually
Lila's experienced a lot in a few short months, and as someone who's had a pretty terrible 2020—as I'm sure a lot of you can commiserate with—I feel her pain. I also understand the need to drive the feelings away, even if it would be more healthy to deal with them. (I don't have a family who wants to send me for a long vacation in England, but I digress.) As she spends time in England, she learns a lot about herself and realizes that even though the three events happened in quick succession, they weren't all surprises. And I dig how much she learns about herself and grows throughout the book. I don't think we'd be friends at the start, but I'd certainly be honored to be a part of the found family she finds while in England.

Swoonworthy Scale: 9
Orion Maxwell is a tall, lithe English bloke with slightly curly hair and piercing eyes. He sets out to show Lila the sights without much pretense and quickly works his way into her life and her heart. But he's never pushy; they both know that Lila's trip wasn't one-way. And yet … The boy even sets out to find her favorite type/blend of tea. Definitely deserving of at least a nomination for the Book Boyfriend Hall of Fame!

Talky Talk: Full of Flavor
In A Cuban Girl's Guide, Namey mixes elements of her Cuban heritage with a very different suburban English lifestyle, but the two go together like a cuppa and pastelito de guayaba (or guava pastry). Like Lila, I thought her transition to England from Miami, from a neighborhood who knew everything about her and gossiped about her life to a town in which she was a stranger, would be more difficult. But Namey seamlessly transitions between the two locations and the two parts of Lila's story. She doesn't back away from focusing on the hurt, but at the same time, she shows a growth in Lila that's believable and feels very realistic for a young woman in her position.

Her worldbuilding is also wonderful. Both the West Dade neighborhood and close-knit family life Lila has at home in Miami and the life she builds in the quiet town of Winchester, England are painted like pictures, from the sheer wall of humidity that hits people in Florida to the clean, crisp UK air. This book made me both hungry and wanderlusty, and I both hate it and love it for that.

Bonus Factor: Tasty Business
Lila's an accomplished baker and cook, and spends much of the book baking and/or cooking. My mouth was watering the entire time. And then there's Orion, who works in his family's tea shop, the depictions of which are equally mouth-watering. I finished the book a couple days ago and am still thinking about how much I want all of the food and drink mentioned in it.

Bonus Factor: English Town
I've only been to England once, and spent most of our time in and around London. So I've really not experienced all that the country has to offer. I plan to go back someday—you know, when we're allowed and it's safe—and might just have to visit WInchester when I do!

Relationship Status: Swooning
You were seriously adorable, Book, and you made me swoon for book boyfriends, food, and locations—three of my favorite things. I think we've got something here. Can we meet again for tea?

The trifecta: the death of a beloved grandmother; the breakup with a longterm, serious boyfriend; and the loss of a best friend. For Lila, the end of her senior year truly does feel like the end of everything. Her personal life is a dumpster fire, but she still has aspirations of taking over her family business--until her family ships her to England for some R&R. Begrudgingly, Lila faces a summer away from everyone and everything in her regular life in order to help her figure out what she wants.

I thought this story was absolutely adorable. I honestly did tear up a few times, which is my favorite feeling from a book. Lila is a great character, and I definitely cheered for her throughout the story. There were a few plot points that were easily spotted long before they are revealed, but I truly wasn't bothered by this. If you're looking for a feel good coming of age story, this definitely is a sweet spot!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster's Children's Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A stunningly beautiful book about the power of found family and the process of grieving.

It is rare that a book captures the experience of loss in a truly authentic way, while still remaining so vibrantly hopeful. This book is one of those rare exceptions.

Full of a diverse, relatable, and deeply human cast of characters, and set in a setting steeped in romance and atmosphere, this novel surpassed my expectations. While the pacing, especially at the beginning, is on the slower side, the plot culminates wonderful and authentically. I especially appreciated the love story, focused on friendship, mutual respect, and trust.

All in all an outstanding YA contemporary.

This book was such a foodies delight. Between the mouth-watering food descriptions, to the hunt for the perfect tea. I loved reading this so much and seeing the care and detail the author painted two cities she loves.

After devastating changes in her life, Lila is forced to take a one-way flight to stay with her Aunt Cate in Winchester, England. Despite her initial hesitation and desire to return home to Miami, Lila starts to appreciate the town. Not only is she making new friends, but she's also sharing her love of cooking, creating a new community that begins to rival the one at home.

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow enfolds you like the wool knit sweaters Lila wears, warm and comforting even if a little prickly at first. Once you settle into it, you wonder how might survive without it. When I finished it, I felt a sense of loss in having to say goodbye to Lila and Winchester. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The novel is so many things. It's about family. It's about culture. It's about loss in its many forms. It's about reconciling the changes that come with growing up, growing apart, and ultimately growing into these unexpected changes. There is so much packed into this novel but it's ultimately Lila's resilience that will leave a lasting impact.

I absolutely loved this. As someone who doesn't normally reach for YA romcoms first thing in the morning, I couldn't put this down! My favorite part isn't the romance, it's the friendship that centers a complete sense of loss, and finding out how we can gain after loss, as well as the feelings behind that.

It's a mix between what it means to clash culturally and with life philosophies. Lila Reyes is a planner, whose life has revolved around her own future plans. But when those plans implode, the stars seem to push her towards Orion Maxwell, whose life has already imploded but moves forward with the idea that he shouldn't ask the universe for anything more than he gets. The amazing space in between is where all the beauty of this book lies. It's about learning how to hope for tomorrow, and learning that sometimes we can ask for more because the world is so much bigger than today.

This was the best way to escape the stress of election week I was able to escape to a cute little town in England where I ate pastelitos, rode on a motorbike, listened to an awesome indie band; all from the comfort of my blanket burrito!
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The story follows Lelia Reyes as she is suffering from a trifecta of loss: her abuela has passed, her boyfriend of 3 years dumped her and her best friend betrayed her trust! She’s heartbroken, but is eager to push through and continue with her baking career as she is set to take over La Paloma, the family’s bakery started by her grandparents, with her older sister Pilar. However her family has sent her away for the summer to her Aunt Catalina’s- Cate- Inn in Winchester, England; her family hopes she can mend her heart if she is away from the town that is gossiping about her life as if it’s a plot for a novella.

Leila doesn’t like the idea at all about being sent away and resents her family for sending her off, but soon she finds herself growing to like the city she’s trapped in, she might even love it. She has found a kitchen and is baking her delicious Cuban pastries and meals as well as making friends. Orion Maxwell, the tea supplier to the inn, has also made an impression as he’s become Leila’s tour guide and close friend. The two have an obvious attraction, but it’s hard to say what heart wants when time and the universe is against you.

I enjoyed the slow pace of the book as there is a lot to unpack about Leila. Overall there was great growth to the characters; there was a natural bond that grew between her new friends as they made her a part of their family while learning about her pain and being there for her.

Orion had such a charm to him with his superstitions and his eager ear to listen and be there for her. It was also amazing how I could imagine each dish within the book too; Leila made some delicious desserts and enjoyed some tea (of course) as well as some pub meals—the scenes were delectable as I could imagine what she was cooking easily.

More importantly I loved the piece of Miami that lived through Lila while she was in London, she brought her culture through her food to the town; she never forgets her roots as she falls in love with a new city. She finds a way to balance the two and she learns that she can change the recipe if that’s what she wants to do.

A must read for food lovers, coming of story, and if you enjoy slow burn romances.

I want to start out by saying that I’m not Cuban at all but, I am Mexican American. When I was reading this book it felt like a breath of fresh air to my families culture (on my moms side) While I don’t speak any fluent spanish at all and my mom has kind of lost touch with it a little, she still knows a lot and in my families daily life we use spanish words for just small things like my sister and my mom will ask my kids if they have “sticky manos” referring to their messy hands. Asking my kids if they have “mocos” (boogers). If she wants them to stay away from something like the dark closet she will say there could be a “coo cooi” (a monster) in the closet. Being able to take these little things and see them in this book was very special and hit a soft spot in my heart.

You start to hurt and feel for the main character, Lila as she is going through what she has title “The Trifecta.” After her boyfriend dumps her, she loses her abuela, and then her best friends leaves her to go to Africa but she also never even told her she was considering going. Lila kind of just continues to spiral down into a dark phase in her life because she felt like she had lost everything she loved. Her sister Pilar gets worried and finds her sister far from home and just a complete mess. Her parents are worried for her personal health so they decide with out telling her that she is going to England to be with who lives there. Lila feels betrayed and I don’t blame her. She had a plan with her sister Pilar to start running her abuelas shop “La Palomas” and now she is being sent to a different country for 3 months!

After a while she gets used to the fact that there is no way she was able to get out of this and tries to do what she can to make the best of it. It just takes a little time for her. What I love most about the entire story as a whole is she takes what she has learned from her abuela about Cuban food and tries to make new pastries and dishes with English twists. Everything she makes, everyone loves to a level that she didn’t really expect.

The only thing that could have made me it even better for me was more romance but it also was a good amount for it a travel romcom. You got to imagine all the amazing places that her travel guide took her through and all the different teas she got to try.

I’m an avid tea drinker so my imagination ran so wild in Orion’s family tea shop, I think I could have lived in the shop FOREVER and been 1000% happy as a clam. Sampling all the different teas and sorting through the shipments.

Orion and his family also have a lot on their plate with a situation with his mother that completely TEARS MY HEART TO PIECES!!!

I’m giving this book a 5 star rating because it gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings. Even though I would have loved more romance in it but that doesn’t mean it different have a great amount in it. I’m just a sucker for love stories is all

The Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is an #ownvoices YA travel contemporary romance. The minute I heard about this book, I added it to my wish list. Our story begins with Lila Reyes falling apart after a trifecta of tragedy has struck. Lila's beloved Abuela has passed away, her boyfriend has broken up with her, and her best friend is moving.

Lila struggles to process her grief and emotions. Eventually her family intervenes by sending her to stay with family friends in Winchester, England. It's here that Lila is able to begin reflecting and reconnecting with herself.

Back in Miami, Lila is supposed to be running La Paloma, her family-owned bakery. Because she's a baker, you'll find lots of yummy references to food and dessert. Latinx people always mix so much love into their cooking as well as their food, and I love reading stories about it. Food is how we connect and heal, and I felt that here.

You can, of course, expect to see a lot of Cuban family dynamics at work, with a sprinkle of chisme. This book also includes a bit of romance with a superstition-obsessed, motorcycle-riding, tea connoisseur named Orion. He's an absolute cinnamon bun and we love to see it.

I think what I loved most about this book was the theme of acceptance. Accepting who we are, where we are (location and place in life), and the accepting of others. Lila and her new friends are able to clearly see each other's cultural differences, but they approach their perceptions with curiosity and appreciation instead of judgement. This surprised me at first, but it was beautiful. Why shouldn't it be that easy?

If you're looking for a pleasant, relatively low stakes story with food, friends, and family to bring you joy, this may be it.

WHAT AN ADORABLE BOOK! I knew I’d love reading A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea And Tomorrow the moment I saw “Tea” on the title, but the story exceeded all my expectations. I’ve read a few books surrounding Latinx characters this year, and I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THE CULTURE. I’m really glad that I got the chance to read ACGGTTAT and meet such a wonderful cast of characters. Thanks to Hear Our Voices Book Tours for having me on the blog tour!

A Cuban Girl’s Guide To Tea And Tomorrow is a beautiful story of family, friendship and coping with grief amongst the people who care the most about you. It took me on Lila’s journey of self-discovery in the most unexpected of places. I’ve never lost a close family member to death, but somehow, I had no trouble connecting with Lila through her struggles. She was a bold character, with her own opinions and a stubborn attitude – and I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved her. Her passion for baking won my heart. Also, while we’re on this topic, I should mention that ACGGTTAT is filled with delicious descriptions of food, so make sure you’re not hungry while reading Lila’s story, hehe.

My favorite part of the book was definitely Lila and Orion’s friendship. IT WAS SO WHOLESOME OMG. I loved how naturally they got to know about each other, without any awkwardness getting involved, considering that both of them were from different countries. I already adored Lila and Orion’s scenes in the book, so their romance felt like cherry on top of the cake for me.

I’ll definitely recommend ACGGTTAT if you’re in the mood for a sweet and fluffy contemporary, but don’t mind getting emotional along the way.

This was SOOOO CUTE! I loved it. The perfect light and fluffy read to dive into after October spookiness. It was heartwarming and sweet and a delightful blend of cultures. Lila was so passionate and was written so authentically, I really felt like she behaved more like a normal teenager than most fictional characters. And the best part, of course, was how hungry this book made me! This plus the GBBO will have me in cakes and pastries for weeks.

Pack your bags, friends. We are headed across the pond! Forced out of her Miami home, we travel with Lila all the way to a grey and chilly summer in England. This proud Cuban-American girl experiences a bit of a culture shock in the midst of all these Brits, but I loved the adventure that we embarked on! (Also, this book was a practice in my British accent!! XD)

You will feel HUNGRY constantly while reading this very food-orientated book. Lila is an excellent baker and chef who knows how to make a kitchen her palace! I loved that Lila learned to remix her favourite dishes and combine British goodies with Cuban flavours. The different foods and sweets that she baked all sounded delicious and made me very very very hungry. I’m not exaggerating when I say my stomach grumbled every single time I opened this book.

Lila is such a great character! She’s a runner and more often than not the reader chases after her! Complex and savvy are two words that really capture her! She knows she’s the best, and I kind of love that she embraces it. However, she is not perfect and reading about her perseverance is very emotional! She has to take some “hard to swallow” pills which is not easy for anyone, but for Lila it is a huge moment of growth!

Slow burn romance! Like tea that you steep, you have to wait for it to get just the right flavour before you consume it! I loved the relationship between Orion and Lila. I loved that it bloomed from a hesitant friendship into something closer! I loved that they were realistic about their goals and aspirations before they decided on what their future as a couple would look like. Not to mention their relationship buds from tea tasting…I may not love the drink, but if a cute British boy was flirting with me via tea-tasting…I would swoon.

It was a love story and a story of loss! A story about embarking on new adventures and letting go. It’s always hard to let go of the things you love most, especially when they leave you so unexpectedly, but it is necessary for growth and change. Namey did an incredible job of showing this bittersweet aspect of life and how it is never easy, but sometimes essential to move on.

In short, it was a delicious and delightful read.

This seemed like it would be such a lovely book and I liked the descriptions of the baked goods but this book was boring. And I just couldn't continue to move forward when it wasn't holding my interest in the slightest.

4 rounded up
Lila Reyes just went through what she calles the Trifecta, her grandmother died suddenly, her best friend without telling her decided not to move in with her and leave the country and her boyfriend of three years decided he needed to ‘find himself’. Things are not going her way and most of all Lila is not dealing well with the grief. Her family scared for her decide the best thing for her to do is some time off and what more is perfect than spending the summer in a quaint nice small village in South East, England with her aunts. But Lila isn’t very happy about this plan or her family making all these decisions over her.
When the book starts Lila is stubborn, she’s stuck in her ways and sees very little nice about England, but as time goes on, as she opens up not only to her aunt and her life in Winchester, but to Orion, his friendship, his group of friends and little by little we can see how she starts overcoming loss.

. I am always on the lookout for more Latinx authors! We do not have enough diversity in the book world and as a Latina it makes me a little sad.

This book follows Lila Reyes a Cuban- American baker who ends up in a small English town after a mental break. We get to see her struggle with grief while being far from everything she knows.

I absolutely loved this book!
Laura has such a beautiful way with words, it was so easy to get lost in the story.
I enjoyed reading about two different cultures blending together.
I found myself hungry for pastelitos and arroz con pollo the whole time I was reading. The way the food was described made me feel like I could taste it.

The characters were all amazing, I honestly can’t think of a bad thing!

I highly recommend this to anyone not just young adults. This is a story about family friendships and grief. I think we can all relate to that at one point in life.

I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately I really struggled with this from beginning to end.

I love the culture and I loved getting to know Lila's family but I struggled with Lila herself. I found her hard to empathize with, which feels ridiculous to say when so many bad things have happened to her. But I think her stubbornness and the way she could come across as entitled and a bit of a "know it all" was irritating and made me roll my eyes one too many times. One example of this was when she asked to work in Polly's kitchen in London and then proceeds to act like she knows better than Polly, changes up all her recipes without her permission and basically rolling her eyes at Polly every time she says something. She'd constantly think "Ugh It's not my kitchen, it's Polly's" but then go ahead and disrespect her kitchen and her rules. I won't lie and say Lila's food didn't sound amazing and in the books it clearly shows that everyone loved her food, but I just felt really mad at the way that she acted like she was better than Polly from the moment she met her. You can be great at something and own that, but that doesn't mean you get to act and think you're better than other people.

I also wasn't invested in the romance at all, which is one of the main reason I wanted to read this. I really enjoyed Orion's character but I think both of them getting over breakups/ex's while becoming friends is probably my least favorite trope. At one point I had to go back and reread the synopsis because I thought maybe Lila was going to get back with her ex considering how head over heels she was with him for more than half the book. Again, I think it's just me being picky but it took away from my enjoyment overall.

Just because this didn't work me for doesn't mean it won't work for you. I say give this a chance, especially if you love a story with lots of family, food and great locations!

Lila immediately took a piece of my heart. I could relate to her dedication, her need to bake, the conflicts in her heart over her family versus her dreams. Watching the characters unfurl, was beautiful and charming. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is infused with Cuban spice, gossip networks, and caring family. You will need a good cup of tea and some snacks to pair with your reading. This book will make your mouth water!\

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a heartwarming story about the road back from heartbreak of all kinds. First loves that hollow us out, friendship fall outs that break our heart, and loss that leave us choking down sobs. It's a journey that illustrates what it means to listen, to fall in love with a new place, and to never stop feeling that pull for home.

A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE is about Lila, a teenage girl who has a strong connection to her Cuban and Miami roots who plans on helping her sister run her family’s Cuban bakery after high school. However, her family sends her to England to stay with her aunt for the summer when she experiences The Trifecta: her abuela passes away, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and her best friend leaves the country without her.
In England, Lila explores her passion for Cuban food and baking by combining it with typical English cuisine, and forms a bond with Orion, the son of the owner of a nearby teashop. Though Lila starts the summer wanted to return home to Miami, she spends the summer learning more about herself and English culture.
I really enjoyed this story, especially near the end! At first, I found it hard to connect with Lila’s issues. Lila’s ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, and grandmother are always talked about in the past tense, so it was hard to feel how deeply losing them affected her without ever meeting them myself. Because of this, I felt that she was moving on a bit too fast and I felt her friendships and relationship with her England friends and Orion happened way too quickly. But by the end of the book I could really feel Lila’s connection to England and how she combines her Cuban culture and her love for England.
This was such a fun, cute, romantic, #OwnVoices read with tons of great food and baked goods and English culture, plus the themes of found family and following your passion. I recommend everyone read this when it comes out November 10!

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a wonderful #OwnVoices YA romance. I was captivated from the start. The writing is vibrant, full of culture, moving, and affecting. This was my first time reading Laura Taylor Namey’s work and I loved it.

Lila Reyes grew up in Miami where she learned to embrace her Cuban-American roots. She has always had her plans made up before she graduates high school. But as many have always heard ‘everything comes in threes.’ Different losses in her life turn her world upside down. Now, that her plans feel like they are out the window, where does she go from here?

Her family begins to worry about how Lila has been dealing with grief and her willingness to move forward so they decide to send her to Winchester, England. She will join some relatives and hopefully get a new perspective on life.

When she arrives in England, she feels a culture shock. I know if I was in that situation I would feel the exact same. Lila went from being a spunky, free-spirited young woman to losing one of the most influential people in her life in her abuela.

Things start to change when she meet Orion Maxwell. He is a teashop clerk who wants to help Lila see the beauty of Winchester. He is like her own personal tour guide/ confidant. They have both gone through their fair share of troubling times and really lean on each other throughout the story.

I really enjoyed that the author was able to highlight two different cultures. I am a Latina and loved everything from the panaderia, special family moments, cultural lessons, and reading about her abuela. The Cuban-American culture shined in this story. I also enjoyed getting to see England through the eyes of two young adults. It sounds so beautiful and healing just like a nice cup of tea. There are so much heart and depth to this story that made it so easy to read and love.

I give A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow 5 stars. Laura Taylor Namey impressed me with her affecting writing. This book is a great book about love, loss, grief, and adapting to change. I loved seeing Lila grow so much throughout the book and seeing her relationship blossom with Orion. I highly recommend this story for #OwnVoices and YA readers! You will adore this story.