This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t a fan of the ex (for obvious reasons) and I thought her family should have been more supportive from the start. But I was happy they became more supportive as the book went on, and I liked how the relationship between Nadia and Marcos developed.

I read the description for this book and requested it immediately! I loved the premise and the idea of a double Quinceañera.

Overall, this book was a cute read. I'm a big fan of slow burn romance. I loved all of the Latin representation! And I always enjoy a story when the secondary characters are well developed, so getting to know Nadia's family was a treat, as they brought so much life and fun to the story.

I didn't find myself as invested in the main characters and their romance as I wanted to be. Marcos and Nadia both had other challenges they were working through, and the romance felt secondary to those challenges. I would have loved more moments with just the two of them, some witty banter (this is definitely a personal preference, because I live for witty banter), and more romantic tension throughout the story. The ending also felt a little unrealistic to me; I won't share any details because I wouldn't want to spoil it for another reader. But this could also come down to personal preference, so please take my thoughts with a grain of salt!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 56%

This one started off strong enough, but it started dragging around the 30% mark. I'm not super motivated to finish it; I wasn't invested in the characters or the romance. Maybe I'll pick it up again at a later date, bur for now, I'm dropping it.

A month before her wedding Nadia calls it off. The boyfriend she has had since high school has been cheating and she realizes that he has been belittling her and gaslighting her. But the family adores him! And she has relatives coming from all over the world expecting to attend a wedding. So she decides to still throw a party: a Quinceañera. It is a coming of age celebration for teenaged Latina girls. Nadia will be turning 30 so she’ll throw a double Quinceañera, she reasons.

Nadia is an awesome character. Watching her come into her power is inspirational. It allows the reader to access her own story of power and coming of age.

The first thing Nadia must square away for her Quinceañera is the venue for the party. Startlingly the owner and manager of the venue turns out to be Marcos, the college student she had an affair with one summer. Unable to deal with ‘the beauty and power’ of the college aged Nadia he ran away from their relationship. Nevertheless she has always secretly longed for him. The same is true of Marcos.

Of course, challenges abound but Nadia and Marcos are slowly recognizing that they are still in love with each other. And both are dealing with coming of age though that means different things for each of them.

But what happens when the old fiancé and the despicable uncles come calling?

This was an endearing slow burn romance as well as a tale of coming of age. The title, Twice a Quinceañera, can refer to Nadia achieving this milestone at twice the age of a normal Quinceañera but it might also be seen as both Nadia’s and Marcos’ coming into themselves. Nadia’s Quinceañera involves a recognition of her womanhood and of coming into her own power. It is so satisfying and exciting to see this process for Nadia. But the endearing Marcos, dealing with the ripening of his love of Nadia, is also struggling with his own identity and with his adult/mature responsibilities. As he comes to terms with his past behavior of running when things get too weighty he is also experiencing his own maturity milestone.

The book is well crafted to give us both romance and power. However, some things were not tied up. At one point Nadia wonders if the uncles might be behind the fact that the wedding vendors are quitting on her. But this is never followed up. Also I felt that the reveal to Marcos that she’d been the lawyer for the hateful uncles could have had more substance and space in the book. I had expected scenes where Nadia helps Marcos with the legal aspect of saving the venue from the despicable uncles. Instead she simply warned him in a short section: long emotional scene in which he was photographing her… short anticlimactic scene where she tells him she was the lawyer and to watch out for the uncles… short wrap up as they leave for a family soccer match.

That said I would still give this a 4.5/5 star rating. I would be happy to recommend this book to patrons and add it to our collection of her other books.

3.5 rounded up

When I read the description for Twice a Quinceañera I could not request it fast enough! A month before her wedding, Nadia dumps her fiancé of 5 years. With the deposits all paid up and her family on their way, she decides to throw herself an epic 30th birthday party (a trentañera) to make up for the quinceñera she never has when she was 15. And she just might get a second chance at love with the one who got away.

I loved meeting Nadia! She was such an easy character to root for and I adored all of her family members/reading about their family dynamic. While there was a romance between Nadia and Marcos, it felt secondary to the rest of the story. This book was more about Nadia learning to love herself and realizing her self worth than anything else. I wish there had been more romantic moments between the two, but I really did love seeing Nadia’s growth. Bisa was the cutest and I loved all of the Latin representation.

(As a certified member of the #BooCrew I loved the Fun and Flouncy reference! That was a fun little Easter egg)

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced copy of this book.

Twice a Quinceañera by Yamile Saied Méndez is a great contemporary romance that is fresh, fun, and enjoyable.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author, and I am quite impressed with her talent.

This book is just as much about finding happiness, purpose, and second chances as it is about finding love and romance. I just love books that have all those components in equal measure. The balance between fun, laughter, and threads of seriousness are quite nice.

Nadia is such a great character. She is sassy, real, likable, funny, and has a good heart. Much as I felt sympathy for her troubles at the beginning, I was so glad to see her progression, journey, and her discovery of what happiness truly can be.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/26/22.