Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success was a three star read for me personally. I found the start of the book to be a little slow and found Rubi to be a bit on the whiny side of things but the end of the story tho I was hooked and loved how the book ended.

My Thoughts:

After just finishing Fake Dates and Mooncakes, I wanted more YA romance that incorporated food or a food contest. However, what this book does not have that Mooncakes has is the more complex, mature, and rounded voices and lives of the characters. Although the premise, a child of immigrants, is similar, the way Rubi handles her different issues is very immature. Her lies, her arrogance, her ego and her ability to continue to create a false front for herself was getting really irritating. I found myself scolding Rubi throughout the book, which is never a great feeling. Ryan, her tutor turned love interest is cute enough, but he does not have an opportunity to really be anything beyond his stereotype privileged white surfer boy.

What does save this book, though, is the actual debate and the contest. Although it was very fantastical and it took a lot of other characters to come forward for Rubi, what I appreciated was the way Rubi stayed with her Cuban roots to bake things on her own terms. In that way, she was able to show some respect to her parents and her culture. This book will be good for the middle school classroom library.

From the Publisher:
Graduation is only a few months away, and Rubi Ramos’s “recipe for success” to get into prestigious Alma University is already off track.

When Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, Rubi will need to be distraction-free to make the grade and keep her parents—who have wanted this for her for years—from finding out. Which means falling for her cute surfer-slash-math tutor, Ryan, definitely won’t work. And neither will breaking her mother’s ban on baking—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. Add to the mix her crush on Ryan may be turning into a full-fledged relationship and Rubi’s life is suddenly so different from what it was. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to win the Bake Off, or where the relationship with Ryan is going, but there’s only one way to find out—even if it means going against her parents’ priorities.

Now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds and finding the path she’s meant for.

A joyful novel of first romance, new possibilities, and the chance to define yourself, Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success will find its way into your heart.

Publication Information:
Author: Jessica Parra
Publisher: Wednesday Books (May 16, 2023)
Print length: 313 pages

This was a very cute YA rom com. Actually even though there was romance I feel like this novel was more about finding yourself. I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a cooking competition and I really liked the one in this book.

This was a good contemporary YA novel that I would recommend to those who think it sounds good! And I think the cover is very fun!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

Thank you to netgalley for the arc! truly sorry i didn't get the chance to review this for when it came out due to the lack of availability at the time :/ all that said, this was such a lovely and cutesy ya romance, with all the ingredients that just hit you in the feels! definitely can't wait to read more of these in the future!

Such a cute book and one worthy to have in a school library. I loved the story of a first generation American and her dreams and goals as she tries to figure out her path after school. The romance was cute and fun but wasn't the main part of the story. Of course, I always want more romance!

I adored Rubi Ramon's Recipe for Success. It was a quick and fun story and is perfect for teens and even middle grades. I appreciated how diverse the characters were and how they all developed during the novel. Do not read while hungry!! The vivid imagery made me want every item Rubi was making! Overall, this was fun!

I thought this was a really cute read! Rubi and Ryan were adorable and I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. Would definitely recommend!

This novel was such a sweet read. Following your dreams, coming of age, and stick with your roots. I really enjoyed it. The food descriptions were sooo yummy.

This was a sweet YA book with great characters and even better sweets. I loved the background of a cooking competition just as much as I did the budding relationship between Rubi and Ryan. This book made me smile and hungry!

This is a lovely coming-of-age story about a Cuban-American teen who is torn between following her dream to be a baker and her mother's dream for her to be a lawyer. It's about familial sacrifice, familial bonds, teenage relationships, cultural bonds, being true to yourself, and what family history means to you. It's a moving and inspiring read.

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra is a fun YA rom com. I am always a fan of books with a baking element, and Ramos delivers on this element. Rubi and Ryan have fun chemistry, and it's a book about figuring out your path in life when at a crossroads.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I am currently supporting the boycott against St. Martin’s Press until they respond to influencer’s concerns about safety, inequality, systemic issues at hand and also meet the demands of the boycott. I am looking forward to leaving an updated review for this book once the demands are met ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I read Parra’s debut novel because it looked like a fluffy romance. “Rubi Ramos Recipe for Sucess” does have an adorable and flirty romance, but Parra’s book is much more. Parra uses Rubi’s experience as a child of an immigrant to explore the difficulties of living up to your parents’ expectations. Rubi is trying to live her dreams and the dreams her parents’ projected onto her. It is that aspect of the book that makes it relatable. Teens can see themselves in Rubi’s struggle while being entertained by her humor and romance. The book is fast-paced and fun and is perfect for fans of teen romcoms.

Thank you NetGally, Publishers, and Jessica Parra for gifting me a copy of Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success in return for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 stars
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 a 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.

This is a wonderful coming-of-age YA novel. Jessica Parra is such a wonderful author and I was surprised that this was her debut novel. Her writing is wonderful and I enjoyed the characters and her writing style it was simply wonderful.

Rubi was such a wonderful character to read about and her confusion and struggle with what to do was wonderfully believable. I felt for her with all of the pressure that her parents were putting on her when all she wanted to do was bake.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys YA novels about struggling with who you are and what you truly want, this is definitely a book I would recommend.

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

Rubi was a loveable character, and I enjoyed watching her find herself and her voice throughout the book. A great message on expectations of family, cultural differences in families of first-generation Americans, and finding your path. I also loved all of the Cuban fusion baking that Rubi did, as well as the relationship between her and her dad.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

This was just okay for me. The romance didn’t feel real, there was no connection. The cooking kind of took over.