This is a really fun read. Rubi is talented in a lot of areas but has a hard time choosing herself. She wants to make her parents proud and has big dreams but loves baking with her family too. I loved all the Cuban recipes in this book and learning more about Rubi, her family and her culture.
I liked that she strived for all the things she wanted and found love along the way.
This is a fun YA read filled with family, food and love.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was such a well-developed, fully-realized story, with a relatable, heart-stealing heroine. The set-up of the baking competition was high-stakes, charming, and full of fun bits. A joyful, important read!

This book is unapologetically Cuban and filled with such yummy treats that I think that all YA romance fans will love this book! I enjoyed following Rubi navigate competing in a baking competition while managing her family's expectations of attending a prestigious university and carrying on her parent's American Dream. This is a struggle that so many children of immigrant parents experience, and Rubi's conflict to go on the path her parents wanted her to go on versus pursuing her passion was definitely relatable. While not a major part of the plot in my opinion, the romance was still sweet and a nice touch to this coming of age story.

This was a cute romance story. I love the dynamic between the two characters. It was sweet and believable. This was a quick and fun read

If High School Musical and A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow had a baby, it would be Rubi Ramos. Parra combines parental pressure, a high-achieving and butt-kicking female lead, and tons of amazing baked goods to create a fun and insightful debut. Do I have some minor quibbles? Yes, but overall, Rubi's story is amazing and makes me want to visit a Cuban bakery ASAP. Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success will leave your mouth watering and your heart gooey with all the sweet feels.

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 is a novel that will find its way into your heart and never leave.

"My heart rooted for Rubi as she rose to each challenge―college admissions, falling in love, baking & debate contests, & of course, sharing her true self with her parents.” ―Romina Garber, author of Lobizona and Cazadora

Want the cozy vibes of The Great British Bake Off than read this book! Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success has heart and delicious bakes to make your mouth water.

Rubi enters a competition in OC despite her mother's ban on baking. She's supposed to focus on school and getting into Alma the college of her mother's dreams. As a fist gen there's a lot of pressure on her to be successful. In her mother's eyes baking won't bring the success that she wants for Rubi. Despite that Rubi can't stay away from baking.

I loved Rubi's passion for baking. Her desire to please her parents was so relatable as a first gen myself. Her heritage shined through in the bakes that she made.

I enjoyed reading the complicated relationship that she had with her parents. Through it all she held so much love for them.

Then there was the boy she met at the beach, Ryan. Their relationship was so sweet. Everytime they were together it put a smile on my face.

If you're a fan of baking competitions this is the book for you! Out May 15th 2023

Thanks netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success early.

I fell in love with the beautiful cover first and I'm happy to report that the book was as beautiful.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the e-arc of Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success!!

Here’s what I liked about this book:
• the baking was *chef’s kiss*
• the love interest was so charming
• honoring your heritage
• coming of age

I also really appreciated how family was showcased. While there were struggles as Rubi and her parents navigate this new time, it was always done so well. The parents weren’t made out to be dumb or stupid, but genuinely grew with and loved Rubi!

Steam: kisses
TW: none

A sugar-sweet romance that'll leave you craving more! Rubi is such a wonderful narrator, and I loved the development of her life, family, and friends in Pelican Point. Highly recommend for fans of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow. Bonus points for all the incredible baking puns!

Best kind of sweet-swoon-soft reading with best kind of well crafted characters: such a dreamy combination for quick entertainment! If you look for feel good- entertaining- heart warming novel , Ruby Ramos’ recipe for success will absolutely fit with your expectations. Plus she’s best kind of super heroine you will easily resonate with.

She’s highly achieved debater, accomplished A-grader waiting for her Alma acceptance, hell of a baker, a Marvel heroine who can see through steel (her hot surfer math tutor thinks she can) : Ruby seems like she can manage anything at the same time to make her hard working parents proud. But sometimes she can cross her mother’s strait lines by applying baking competition which is banned as a distraction for her to be accepted by her dream college and become an aspiring lawyer.

Ruby has three secrets. Number 1:
She already learned that she’s waitlisted at Alma as her parents are still thinking she gets approval ( just a misunderstanding she doesn’t dare to correct)

Number 2: she’s one of four finalist of Baking Competition she secretly competes and she’s way too much excited to show her highly accomplished baking skills. ( thanks to her long shift at her family bakery)

Number 3: the hot surfer guy she recently met is now her math tutor to help her raise her grades for having a chance to leave the waitlist of Alma! ( she accepted those math lessons for only her college application. She’s not drooling over fiery hot Ryan, is she?)

But how long she can keep those secrets, making things right without breaking her boss mom’s heart?

I loved the bunch of amazing portrayed characters and sweet romance between Ryan and Rubi! This book put a permanent smile on my face, brightening my dark mood! It was definitely what I needed!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

This was a cute, Disney channel movie-esque teen rom com! I liked the way the author treated the humor, the characters, and the plot points, and definitely wanna give her credit for the idea of this book. I really loved the main girl, Rubi, but overall struggled with the whole book.

While I like some good cheesy stuff, it had a little TOO much cheese. And while the baking puns pop culture references were cute, there were a too many of them so it distracted from the story.

I also would’ve liked the book to be less long—it got a boring in the middle half. I think a lot of scenes could’ve been shortened to move the story along faster.

Overall tho, I’d recommend for a young teenage audience who are looking for a fun, cute read! It just wasn’t quite what I was looking for in a teen rom com.

A very enjoyable read with lots of passionate characters and well-crafted relationships! I was nervous because I had a little trouble catching onto the story in the first chapter, but I'm glad I hung in there because at the beginning of Chapter 2 I was swept away into Rubi's world! Lots of fun action and believable conflict as Ruby navigates through trying to please her first-generation immigrant parents without losing herself in the process. I would really probably rate 4.5 stars, but am rounding up for all the baking puns : )

What a gorgeous novel full of loveable characters and a storyline that I couldn't put down. This one is a must read!

There are just certain YA books that absolutely blow me away with how readable they are. Jessica Parra’s Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success was one of those books for me. It was all so heartwarming to read. and the food!!! Oh! The way it is described in here, I could almost smell and taste them.Romance is deliciously romantic and feel-good.I am really impressed with this as a debut novel. The pacing and plot twists were beautifully crafted to keep the reader engaged throughout. I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.
I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly for a feel good read.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra is a deliciously enjoyable debut novel!

WoW! What an incredibly heartfelt, spellbinding coming-of-age story!

Rubi was a character who I rooted for, cared for and loved watching her grow.
I gobbled this one right.
A sweet story with a wallop of emotions that swallows you whole.
This book just hit all of the right spots for me.
I loved the connections made in this book, the characters had real life qualities and their emotions felt honest and real. They are well defined with strengths and weaknesses, wit and charm. I really loved them.
The writing.... Man oh man the writing! Jessica Parra, created such a beautiful setting with lots of details. I felt like being there with all of them.
No doubt about it, this was a delightful read from beginning to end
This book will definitely go down as one of my favorite books this year.
It has all the feels and all the things I look for. Plus a bake-off what's not to love?!
A stunning debut and I hope she writes more books like this!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.