This was a very cute, palate cleanser kind of read! I’ve listened to/read a few books lately with hybrids of English and Spanish written throughout, and I think this one has done the best job with incorporating translations fluidly. I also enjoyed learning about a whole other culture’s baking, and this book made me almost taste some of its creations as I was listening lol (I wish I could’ve tasted some of these for real!). All in all a cute story!

I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Finally catching up on my eARC backlogs.

Took a dive into this YA novel. I recall it being pitched as a baking romance but it definitely pulls more coming of age story. I feel like the friends have a bigger plot piece than the romantic interest and should’ve been featured on the cover too. This story had an interesting family dynamic feature a story of immigration and identity. Overall a solid read.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Rubi Ramos as she is torn between the life her parents want for her and the life she wants for herself. After being waitlisted to the college that was on her parents' plan for her future, she decides to enroll into a baking competition to prove to herself, and hopefully her parents, that her passion can be just as successful. There are beats of romance within the book between her and her math tutor.

I really enjoyed this book while I was reading it. I liked how passionate and driven the main character was. I also really liked seeing Rubi grow as a character and see her gain her confidence. I think that this book will be relatable for many teenagers, especially teenagers of immigrants.

Although I did enjoy my time reading this book, I honestly don't remember much from this book. I think that this book is, overall, a really fun time.

I read this book over the course of a few months in mid-2024. It was cute, with a vibrant cast and a fun to read writing style. Rubi had so much going on in her life for someone so young. I loved how passionate she was about her baking and her relationship with her family. Definitely a great coming of age YA novel!

Hello!

We are nearly at the end of 2024 and while I am currently still picking up more reads, with the holidays on the horizon I most likely will not finish them until the start of January (if I do happen to finish one or two they will be counted towards my 2025 reading challenge on Goodreads). But for today, let’s talk about a book I have already finished, Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success. I love cooking or baking stories and I bought this one instantly!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Rubi is supposed to go to a great college, work hard, and become a lawyer. Her parents want her to live a successful and easy life compared to what they have gone through. Rubi does try her best to fulfill her parent’s wishes but she really loves cooking and baking. She loves being in the kitchen and often spends her free time workshopping new recipes or working at one of her parent’s restaurants. Now Rubi is preparing her college applications and waiting to hear back. But Rubi also entered into a cooking competition that would be a dream. She knows even if she gets into the competition her family would not approve but she wants to try. But Rubi does get into the competition and despite all the expectations on her, she is able to rock it with the help of a new friend.

I enjoyed my time with this story. Rubi had many different things going on but always wanted to return to her passion. She loved working at her parent’s restaurants and she knew she had the talent and determination to be in the competition. I also loved the cover of this book! I am a huge cover buyer and this cover was super cute. I will definitely be picking up more from this author in the future!

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

This was a book that I read about 2-10 chapters, liked it, but never picked it back up.

Do I remember why I put it down? No. It didn’t grab me enough to keep going, but I do remember it was enjoyable.

It’s a DNFN (did not finish for now) just because one day I’ll start back at page one, but today is not that day.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Super cute story of Rubi who loves baking but her parents expect her to be a lawyer. Though they are bakers and are proud, they want more for their only child. But Rubi is great at baking. Like really great. So when her town offers a “Bake Off,” Rubi can’t help but join.

The story follows Rubi trying to navigate her parents’ expectations, her love of baking, balance all her classwork, being captain of the Debate Team, and finding a new math tutor who might also be her boyfriend.

This book was so fun. Rubi is a great main character who knows what she wants but cares so much about her parents that she doesn’t want to let them down. She stands her ground at times, and you can’t help but cheer for her. Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK
this boy made me so happy at the end... but it made me happy. these are the type of books that need to be out now incredible

3.5 stars
When I tell you, this was so entertaining I devoured it in one sitting I am not lying.

I always love a good latine foodie book, no matter how many I read I will never get tired of reading about latinas who want to take their passion for baking to the next level. Rubi Ramos' recipe for success stands out from other foodie books because Rubi loves baking so much but has been grounded from doing so, which was so different from other books where the main characters has to support the family business.

It was so entertaining thanks to the bake off it features, I was so invested on the contest I kept wondering what was Rubi going to bake next and if she was going to get to the next round.

I feel like the romance part of it wasn't that relevant as in other books but I still enjoyed reading they fall for each other over cookies and cakes.

This book is for you if you like bake off shows, teenage romance, coming of age stories and most importantly baked goods.

Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange of a honest review.

I found this to be an enjoyable YA novel. The parts that really shined in this book was the family relationship. The romance felt like a side plot, a good one but not the main part of the story.

Ruby wants to be a baker but her immigrant Cuban parents want her to be a lawyer. This is a classic Ya my dreams don’t align with my parents dreams. It was delightful and sweet story about ruby finding her own way.
I thought, based on the cover, that this would have more a romantic subplot. But the romance never took off for me and felt really forced and lacked chemistry. It could have done without that.

Overall 3.5/5

This is one of those books that I unfortunately forgot about and while I was reading the physical book and went to find it on my Kindle I already had it. I am glad I finally read it because it is a good book. It is not my favorite but I think because I have been reading more adult books, YA has just not been on my radar as much.

With that being said I loved the concept of this book, and since I love cooking I knew I was going to like this book. I also loved how easy it was to read, and it was a breath of fresh air.

This was so cute! I loved Rubi, the novel was fast paced, and I always love a YA rom com that has a fun baking competition with some family drama. This was well written and I really enjoyed the story.

3.5 stars rounded up! I think this book was the perfect YA novel. It was well written and wasn't overly cheesy, which is what I tend to dislike about some YA novels. I thought this book was so sweet and pure, and I really enjoyed each second of reading it. This was different than other YA books I've read in the past, so I also enjoyed the unique plot. I'll definitely add this book to my list of book recommendations for anyone looking for a warm, cozy romcom read!

In the pressure-cooker environment of her high school, Rubi Ramos faces a dilemma familiar to many children of immigrants: pursuing her passion or fulfilling her parents' Ivy League aspirations. With her Cuban heritage and her parents' relentless pursuit of the American dream as her backdrop, Rubi navigates the expectations placed upon her. Despite excelling as captain of the debate team, her true passion lies in the art of baking, a connection to her cultural roots and family legacy. Yet, as she grapples with her ambitions, Rubi finds herself torn between her parents' aspirations for her to become a lawyer and her own dreams of becoming a pastry chef. When Rubi's path diverges unexpectedly, she is faced with a pivotal decision: to pursue her passion openly or to conceal her true desires in fear of disappointing her family. Along the way, she confronts racial and class-based prejudices, finding strength in her Afro-Cuban identity and resilience in the face of adversity.

In this tender coming-of-age tale, readers will find themselves rooting for Rubi as she navigates the complexities of identity, ambition, and familial expectations. With mouthwatering descriptions of culinary creations and a blossoming romance, the story unfolds with warmth and authenticity, celebrating the power of love, acceptance, and self-discovery. Beautifully written and brimming with love and acceptance, this heartfelt narrative offers a poignant exploration of the immigrant experience and the pursuit of one's true calling.

[RECOMMENDATION] If you love super sweet YA romance, and the Great British Bake Off.

[SYNOPSIS] Rubi loves baking. Her family owns a bakery. You'd think this would be a dream come true for everyone... but not so much. Her family migrated from Cuba to give Rubi a better life, and they are desperate for her to get into a prestigious college. However, Rubi has other ideas but doesn't want to let them down. When she gets waitlisted, and meets a cute surfer boy, AND the First Annual Bake Off comes to her town - her meticiously perfect life plan goes out the door.

[REVIEW] This book is incredibly sweet (pun intended) and I loved the dynamic between Rubi and her parents. I know that many children go through that feeling of wanting to impress and make their parents proud, especially when their parents have sacrificed so much. It also made me super hungry, and itching to watch more Great British Bake Off.

**This e-book was gifted to me by Wednesday Books and Netgalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

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