Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success is an adorable coming of age novel that explores the problem between navigating family expectations and pursuing your passions.

As someone who doesn't normally gravitate towards YA books, this novel was a huge surprise to me. It was heartfelt, fun, and very well written. I loved how authentic and relatable the characters were, especially Rubi. She was driven, kind, passionate, and easy to root for. I really felt her struggle between her family expectations (law) vs her passion (cooking). I loved the writing around food in this novel, as well. The descriptions of the various dishes were mouthwatering and the puns based on food had me physically cracking up.

All in all, this was a very well written debut novel and I will looking forward to what Jessica Parra does next!

This was such a fun and inspiring read. I love Rubi's drive and passion throughout the book. She tries to be the perfect child and live her parents (mostly mom's) dream. They want her to get into Alma, an Ivy League college, and forget baking (what her parent's do for a living). Being the good daughter Rubi follows her parent's recipe for success and joins the right clubs in high school and gets the grades. To bring up her math grade this she needs a tutor, enter surfer and math genius Ryan.

They have a great meet cute and some other scenes throughout the book, but it's not the focus which was refreshing. He added to the story, but it was mostly about Rubi and how she keeps her heritage close to her through baking her great grandmother's recipes.

I highly recommend this book.

This story is about a first generation Cuban American 17-year old high school senior. Rubi is delightful; it was a lot of fun to read. There is a romance, but it's not the main plot and it's kind of cute.

"It struck me then: all my life I'd been so afraid of picking the wrong answers I'd hardly ever asked myself the right questions."

I am once again asking publishers to include pictures of the delicious confectionery concoctions mentioned in books like these because my Top Chef-obsessed self needs to see these tasty treats and having to constantly Google image them really slows down my reading pace.

Jokes aside, this was a solid YA contemporary with a storyline you've probably encountered before, but that's elevated by its inclusion of age-appropriate romance and powerful prose.

"Every single bone in my body ached from the weight of living between hyphens."

Highlighter-worthy, no? Parra's beautiful writing allowed me to truly feel the pressure placed upon Rubi's shoulders. Not only is she battling the typical stresses of seniors in high school (ex: the highs and lows of first love, keeping up with grades and extracurriculars to get into college, etc.), but she's also facing the burden of living up to her Cuban parents' sacrifices for her to have "better." Which comes into play when deciding which path to choose: follow her passion for baking? Or follow their dreams of her attending an Ivy League university?

You'll have to read the story to see how Rubi calculates her recipe for success, but I will say if you're a foodie or a fan of baking-competition shows, this one's for you!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC
A light and tasty story that had my stomach grumbling with the scrumptious sounding pastries.
Rubi's parents have planned out her future, go to Alma University, be a successful lawyer, and never have to spend hours baking and working like they do. But baking is where Rubi's heart lies, and as much as she tries to follow the perfect recipe for success, her heart always draws her back to the kitchen. A chance to enter a Bake Off that comes to her town soon leads her down a road she won't be able to come back from.
Baking competitions in books will always have my heart, and this one was no different. I loved the diversity, the romance, and the character growth that Rubi goes through. There is romance, but I would say the main plot and story focuses on Rubi coming of age, baking, and dealing with her family. (I actually almost enjoyed parts of the story without romance more, I think a first for me)
I also really liked the inclusion of the racism and classism that she has to deal with in school and from other adults. While not particularly palatable, it shone a very real light on what's it like trying to navigate the world as anything other than white and privileged.
Be warned if you do read this, your stomach will be growling and demanding all of the tasty sounding treats that Rubi makes!
I would definitely recommend this, especially if you like sweet and diverse baking ya romances.

4.2

A warm thank you to everyone at Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this title! This book was the perfect blend summer vacation vibes and competitive baking with a dash of romance in its layers. Rubi Ramos’ Recipe For Success (say that three times fast) was certainly a delectable and palatable read. Being waitlisted at a college isn’t a good feeling, and I love how she expertly juggled all her engagements in order to ensure that she could fight her way out of Alma’s waitlist. I’m a sucker for sweet treats so Rubi’s Rosca de Reyes cake and her other tasty creations sounded absolutely divine. I would have loved some recipes being included in the book — I may not be the best baker but I sure can try! Thus, I gave this book a 4.2 out of 5 stars. I simply can’t wait to see what Jessica Parra has in store for readers in the future.

Yum, this was a delicious read. If you've ever sat and binge-watched a food competition show, drooling at the concoctions, this sweet YA read is for you. Rubi's descriptions of her recipes and creations were truly mouth-watering.

But that's not the only thing about this book to fall in love with. This was a sweet read perfect for young adults leaving high school. That uncertain time in you're life where you feel this pressure to KNOW what you want to do and where you're going and have a plan for the rest of your life (reminder: you don't have to know). The pressure of generational expectations, like Rubi experiences. Her parents sacrificed to give her a "better" life than their own. They gave up their own dreams to see her realize a dream. But at some point Rubi starts to realize this family "recipe for success" isn't exactly her own dream of what her future holds.

Rubi's been destined for Alma University and their law program since she can remember. It's been studying, good grades, and debate team. It used to involve her family bakery too, but once she hit high school she had to start on a more narrow path to college. This is when "The Ban" came to be. This is when she negotiated work hours at the bakery to make her resume well-rounded but cease baking and creating.

One thing we know about pressure and build up is that eventually it combusts. Rubi is at a war with her heart and her head and it all comes down to one day. The big debate competition and the baking contest she's secretly entered that happen on the same day.

I thought Parra did a great job captured that responsibility, pressure, and guilt children often take on even if that isn't the parents intentions. Very relatable read and inclusive, relevant to the current teen generation without talking down to them.

Thanks so much to the author, Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press), and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book, as well as Dreamscape Audio and Libro.fm for the gifted advanced audio copy, in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } My reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

I was drawn in by the gorgeous, colorful cover and the promise of a cute baking-romance, and this enjoyable YA read did not disappoint!

I thought that Rubi was a really sweet main character, and while there were big parts of her story and personal history that I couldn't personally relate to she still felt very real for me, and I could easily see other people feeling represented by her story of the complexities of being a first generation child of immigrants. I also really enjoyed getting to watch her relationship with Ryan blossom, and I think that they are two characters that would bring out the best in each other.

I will also mention that I listened to this book in audio format, and really enjoyed the way that the narrator told it. While I don't think that you absolutely HAVE TO listen to this one on audio to get the full experience, I do think that it is worthwhile in this format.

Overall I would recommend this book to my friends and fellow readers who are looking for a relatively low stakes YA romance. I think that the best way to read this book might be listening to the audiobook while doing some cooking or baking - I think that Rubi would approve of really getting into the spirit!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary YA novel about making choice and finding your path. This was an ok novel at the start but I found myself loosing interest in it.

A teenage girl must figure out whether she lives up to her beloved parents’ expectations and go off to college and be a lawyer, or embrace her own joy of baking with a sprinkling of first love on the side. Jessica Parra’s debut standalone work forecast the feels for a sunny, summery coming of age tale and- I couldn’t pass up that stellar cover.

Rubi’s parents emigrated from Cuba to the US and baking is their livelihood. They want something more than they have for their daughter so her mother squelches any of Rubi’s pesky tendencies toward wanting to bake and push her toward college and the legal career to follow. Rubi dutifully obeys the baking ban even though her head is full of dreamy desserts and she’s got a little problem with math keeping her from being accepted into college.

Enter sweet, handsome surfer and math tutor, Ryan O’Reilly who is easy on Rubi’s eyes and they build a rapport when they share their teenage burdens.

All seems to be going well if shakily until Rubi spots that tempting baking contest that comes to town and her true longing surges to the forefront and she has to start keeping secrets from her parents.

Rubi Ramos’ Recipe for Success was the light teenage story I was expecting and I would have not guessed it for a debut effort. I loved the focus on Rubi and her family showing their Cuban American roots and immigrant dreams. Rubi wants to honor her parents’ efforts to get them where they are, their love and dreams for her, and be true to her Cuban roots. For her, this is food and community. I enjoyed her hilarious baking witticisms about her life, feelings, and thoughts.

It felt very much the YA story with Rubi’s actions and choices, but it’s not deeply dramatic which suited my mood. Rubi and Ryan have a tender, sweet first crush romance and Rubi has a great friend group, but this is more secondary to Rubi figuring out how to do what she loves and get her parents’ blessing for it and this involves baking her heart out in the baking contest.

Side note, all the foodie mentions had me salivating so I warn others that food will definitely be on the mind.

So, a cutie YA full of family, friends, baking, and first love hit the spot and must be considered for the summer beach read stack.

3.5 stars

This book made me so hungry! If I lived near Rubi's family bakery, I'd go in every day to try all their delicious treats. I loved how creative Rubi was with her bakes and that she incorporated her Cuban heritage into everything.

The story is fun and easy to get into, with an exciting baking competition and a sweet romance on the side. I did think the plot could have gone deeper instead of staying at a surface level with the drama and emotions. Most things seemed easily resolved and it was clear how everything would end up.

I did enjoy the book and though the audiobook had a great narrator to bring Rubi to life. Great read for summer time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra is a YA novel about a Cuban girl in her senior year of high school dealing with pressure from her parents, who have a certain vision for her future. After moving to the US and opening two bakeries, her parents, and especially her mom, have done everything in their power to see Rubi succeed and have a better life than them. Their (primarily her mom’s) vision of a better future includes Rubi going to a specific university and eventually becoming a lawyer.
Except that what Rubi really wants is to bake, just like her parents. While Rubi is allowed to bake at her parents’ bakery during her shifts, she is otherwise banned from baking as a hobby. Instead, she dedicates her time to being the best student possible and to the Future Leaders of Orange County, which is basically the debate team.
I loved that this YA novel showed how complex and complicated it can feel to be a child of immigrants who wants to make their parents proud. Rubi prefers to hide things from her parents than to be honest from fear of disappointing them or letting them down. And if that’s not the realest thing, I don’t know what is. How much she was lying to her parents really did stress me out, though, especially because of how much it stressed her out and how unusual it was for her.
The love story component happened surprisingly quickly and mostly without hiccups, at least at the beginning, and that honestly threw me off. Especially because of all that Rubi had going on in her life and how strict her parents were. And it certainly wasn’t the most impactful part of the story at all. Like, she was lying about so many things that I often forgot she technically also had a secret boyfriend.
The puns were really overdone from the first page, in my opinion, but I also understood why they were happening. Like, I’m not holding it against the book, but it was a little overkill.
Overall, I was stressed the whole time because of all the lying but enjoyed reading about a child of immigrants thriving and making such big moves and getting to show off her many talents.

This was adorable and made me want to eat all the sweets!

Rubi has grown up in the kitchen of her parents bakery. With her parents insistence on Rubi attending Alma University Law School, Rubi's love of baking has been put in the background of her life plans. When Alma waitlists her and her invitation to participate in the First Annual Bake Off Rubi come at the same time, a misunderstanding between her and her parents takes flight. Now Rubi finds herself questioning what she wants for herself for the first time as her love of baking finally gets a chance to take center stage.

As the secret of her Alma University waitlist status and participation in the back off starts to creep up on her, she has to decide what future she wants for herself and how she's going to tell her parents.

I really enjoyed Rubi's journey to self-discovery and watching her step up to follow her dreams. The pressure she receives from her parents, and mother especially, felt authentic. As a mother myself I understand the drive to see your children succeed. I think that Rubi's mother got lost in the fact that she couldn't fulfill her dreams and so she is determined Rubi will do it for her. She just doesn't realize that Rubi's dreams aren't the same as hers and the tension between them was felt.

I thought the plot was well developed, the characters relatable, and the relationships between Rubi and her friends felt authentic. The romance was at a perfect level and I liked that the focus of the story was more on Rubi's journey. I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for their next YA contemporary!

I thought the audiobook was well produced and the narrators did a great job portraying Rubi's voice throughout the book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read and review this ARC. I thought this book was adorable for a YA book and loved that it showed if you worked hard, you could get everything you wanted. However, at the same time, you don’t always get everything and I felt this book was unrealistic for the YA readers.

I'm so sad to say I had to abandon this story. I think it just wasn't the right book at the right time- I didn't feel a drive to learn more about Rubi and her story. Again, I'm sad to DNF this one but too many more books are calling out to me. I am not one to chug through something that isn't right at the moment so I am moving on.

This was a cute coming-of-age story. I thought the cultural influences and differences really set this book apart. You can tell the lies Rubi tells is because she feels so much pressure from her parents who just want her to have a better life than them. I think there are a lot of parents out there like that so it’s good to see how to get through it and overcome that pressure. The romance was really sweet! I'm excited to see what this author writes in the future.

Rubi wants to be a cook and work in her family's restaurant, but her parents want more for her than to be a chef.

This book was well written, and the characters well built and round; however, this was more of a case of wrong time for me. I've been maxed out with books about teens who want to be chefs but of all the ones I have read, I know this one is enjoyable.

Should you be in the mood - this book will give you all the feels for Rubi and her grand plans to have it all. She gets herself into situations when perhaps being honest with those in her family would solve her issues.

It's a wild ride none, less.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

What would you do if your parents had a path set for you and you wanted that path, until something happens and a whole new path opens for you. Would you take the chance at the new path and maybe break your parents’ hearts, or would you stick to the path you know?

I loved every second of this book. I was hooked after the first page and it just continued until the end, where I was sad because I felt like it went too fast.

I thought the plot was done well. It was well written and had the right amount of a YA rom com feel to it, with all the drama, the teenage drama and of course the happy ending. I thought the pace of the book was not fast but not slow, it was perfectly in the middle. The author did an amazing job writing this book, I had a really hard time with putting it down so I could sleep instead of reading/listening to it (I was lucky enough to have the eARC and Audio of this book)

Rubi is such a young adult, and you can see the struggles that she is having with not giving into the pressure of school, spending time at her family’s bakery, studying and of course doing what she loves not what her parents want from her. I know at her age, I felt the pressure to please my family members and get good grades, so I could go to college and make them all proud. So, I was able to relate to her character, and the author really made her character someone who was so easy to connect with. I loved that her family is close even though she does hide a secret from them. They still have a close relationship, and you can see and feel that in this book.

I loved the young romance in this book, it brought me back to my youth. It was so sweet and cute, the connection that Ryan and Rubi have based on the same platform of wanting to make your parents proud but at the same time encouraging each other to do what they love and what will make them happy.

I do have to say that reading/listening to Rubi make all those yummy desserts really made me want to find a Cuban restaurant to see if they have what I read. They all sounded so delicious, and I know a lot of that might have been because you can feel the love that Rubi puts in them. She is proud of her family’s background and wants to share her parent’s hardship of coming to America from Cuba by showing her love for her country’s food and parents.

I think this was an amazing book, and the narrator did an amazing job by really bringing this book to life. I really felt as if it was Rubi telling me her story and not just having someone read the story to me. I loved how she put love into words at the right time.

I would recommend this book to EVERYONE who reads YA, with romance, coming to age.

I want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book

This was such a cute and fun read. Rubi's got her life all mapped out, but that life doesn't include her real passion which is baking. Her mapped out life also doesn't include a potential boyfriend and this stage but when does life ever go exactly according to plan. When an amateur baking competition is announced Rubi knows this is potentially her last chance to do some baking before college starts but it means breaking the baking ban her mom has set as well as lying to her parents. Not that that's the only thing she's lying about, she also got waitlisted for Alma while her parents think she got in. And Enter Ryan, a math genius who helps tutor Rubi to hopefully get her grade up and off of Alma's waitlist as well as helping push Rubi outside her comfort zone. I really like Ryan's involvement in Rubi's life and though he really helped her go for what she really wanted. The story was a bit of chaos and a whole lot of fun and had a wonderful ending.

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra
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Rubi is trying her best to stick to the plan: focus on her GPA, her debate club tournament, and get into Alma U. This means NO BAKING. But when she gets news that there is a new baking tournament near her, she has to determine if the plan is hers or her parents and if it is worth sacrificing.
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This book found a little home in my heart and just dug in and made me feel happy.
I love Rubi. I loved how strongly she connected with her familiy’s love for and roots in baking. And I loved a lot of the messages in this story.

Most parents want what is best for their kids. But there is a difference in wanting them to have a happy and successful life and planning that life for them.

There is one thought Rubi has in the book about when people’s dreams are stolen and how it is not fair for that person to project those dreams onto another person. And I GOT IT.

I felt a LOT for Rubi in this book and enjoyed every minute of it.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 After writing up these thoughts on the book I raised my rating a half star. Rubi deserves it.