I absolutely love cooking competitions in YA Novels! Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra did not disappoint! It delivered on the cooking competition, delightful descriptions of Cuban cuisine, and of course some drama with friends and family. Bonus, there is a lot of debate featured in this novel both on stage and off.

Here's what I loved the most. Rubi is trying to figure out how to tell her family that their dream for her isn't hers. That's tremendously hard to do, especially when you know someone has sacrificed a lot for you. Rubi has this beautiful passion for cooking and everyone around her sees it, including her parents. The Boss (aka Rubi's mom) has put a ban on her spending time in their family restaurant to bake, because she wants her daughter's only focus to be getting accepted to Alma for college. The tension in this book is relatable; family obligation and personal satisfaction often butt heads and Rubi is a teenager. So, lots of her actions are a bit clunky and muddled, but her heart is pure.

If you like YA books, this one is a must read. It's got.fun romance sprinkled in too!

We all know how much I love cooking and baking and books that center around food. I was drawn to Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success just from the title.

Rubi finds out that she got waitlisted at Alma, and due to a misunderstanding, her parents believe she got in. Of course, for the plot of the story, this needs to happen, but it felt a little contrived to me. It also made me lose respect for Rubi pretty quickly when she didn’t correct the assumptions of her parents. Of course, her parents put a lot of pressure on her, but they still deserve the truth about something as important as college acceptances. (I also felt this way when Seth Cohen lied to his parents about getting into Brown on The OC).

Maybe it’s a sign that I’ve gotten old, but I was more fascinated by Rubi’s parents’ story than Rubi’s. Her mom is presented as an obstacle to Rubi’s dreams, but she clearly is also a smart and driven businesswoman. She cares deeply about her daughter and wants her to live a successful life. I would read a spinoff novel from Ms. Ramos’s perspective any day. It made me sad that Rubi and her father go behind Ms. Ramos’s back so often throughout the story. She at least deserves better than that from her husband.

I was impressed that Rubi doesn’t take the opportunities she’s offered for granted. She finds herself sitting across from the Dean of Admissions at Alma, and she finds herself in an uncomfortable position.

"She wanted to know how much I’d scaled to get here. If she should extend her bejeweled hand and give me one last pull up"

Rubi feels as though the Dean is just interested in being a white savior and is not interested in what Rubi has in common with her prospective future classmates. However, instead of letting this bother her, she allows herself to be fueled by it.

"I wanted Alma more than ever. There was no bottom to how much I wanted it. Not just for my sake, or my parents’. But because one day, I wanted to be the person sitting where Addison sat, perched atop the highest peak in all of Pelican Point, across from a person who, like me, needed a hand on the way up."

I was impressed with Rubi’s determination and strength in the face of someone treating her in a condescending and problematic way. Rubi finally won me over in this moment.

Predicatably one of my favorite parts of this book was the descriptions of the delicious treats Rubi bakes. She is thoughtful and creative in her bakes. Her croncha, a mix between a croissant and conchas (a Hispanic sweet bread), sounds absolutely delicious. I also love how she realizes how connected baking and math are and uses her baking knowledge to improve her math skills.

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success is as sweet as one of Rubi’s bakes, but it doesn’t have the emotional impact I was hoping for.

This book wasn’t originally on my radar, but I’m so glad that I picked it up! RUBI RAMOS is a heartfelt and fun coming-of–age story that looks at ideas around identity, love (in many forms), and living for yourself vs. others. The story felt fairly authentic for a teenager without being overburdened by pop culture references, and had descriptions of recipes so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about them. For me, it blends the elements of a YA contemporary with a dash of romance and some other plot points well, making a story that is uniquely about Rubi but also allows for the world around her. And I couldn’t recommend it enough!

The best part of this book in my opinion was Rubi herself, both her character and her story. She felt well developed without coming off as too old, or like she was above being a real human character. Her worries, struggles, and triumphs were all woven so well into the story that the only time I felt even slightly taken out of the story was with the cliché third-act breakup (although thankfully it wasn’t as big of a deal as it could have been). I wanted Rubi to win, if not in her various competitions, then in life.

While the romance certainly wasn’t the biggest aspect of the book, I overall thought it was pretty cute and straddled the line of young relationships just being young relationships. The question isn’t whether Rubi and Ryan are forever, but them right now, and I enjoyed getting to watch them fall for each other.

And while I can’t personally comment on Rubi’s family relationships, they felt like they were written so well and with such love and care. The relationships in this book are multi-faceted, and I appreciated seeing the way they grew, broke, and developed because of and despite outside influences.

This book was definitely well worth the read, and I can’t wait to see what else Jessica Parra writes in the future!

This was such a fun YA read!

Even though it took me a few chapters to really get into this book, once I did get into it, I devoured it all in one day. The characters were so relatable, the world building was great, and any time Rubi thought through a new recipe I found myself salivating.

I loved seeing Rubi's relationship with Ryan develop throughout the book, and found myself relating to her familial and personal struggles. As the oldest daughter to immigrant parents, the expectations on Rubi and her struggle to serve both her parent's interest and her own were super relatable.

Loved learning about the Cuban culture, the foods, and seeing Rubi grow out of her parent's expectations and into her own person. Highly recommend this read!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this eARC.

This is a coming of age story following Rubi as she navigates college acceptances, her family's expectations, and a baking competition. It's a cute YA story as Rubi tries to define her own path and follow her passions without disappointing her parents. There's a little bit of romance thrown in too, though not the central focus of the story. I liked it, but not a favorite YA overall.

Review on Goodreads: Tora Damian

I received a copy of this debut novel from NetGallery in exchange for my full honest review! 🍰💖

Part of me wishes this book (synopsis) was more marketed towards a “coming-of-age” audience because if I would have known that 90% of the story would follow Rubi’s journey to Alma through baking, I don’t believe I would have picked it up. I say this to say, I already don’t enjoy baking for some weird reason and reading about it throughout this entire story (even when she wasn’t baking LOL) was kind of painful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great story, and I especially loved the end where Rubi’s journey to get accepted into Alma and also regain acceptance into the world of baking came to a close. But maybe that’s why, because the story was all over???

I also feel as if I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters in the story. I am a first gen college student in my family as well, with my dad being an immigrant, but something about this story (perhaps) the baking made me feel a disconnect. :(

Regardless, for being a debut novel, the writing was very well done. I’m excited to see whatever else Jessica Parra has to offer in the next few years! 🫶🏼

The board that kept me motivated:

https://pin.it/48OYoQc

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free book.
This was a fun YA book about Rubi and her senior year. This book is perfect for the young adult that is from in immigrant family and is feeling overwhelmed by the desires their family has for them. Rubi not only was trying to figure out college - but dealing with the college her mother has chosen for her. She had to sneak around to bake because her family expected more from her. This book captured so many themes of this time and it'll be perfect for an overwhelmed and somewhat indecisive teen.
Karla Serrato captured Rubi so well in this story. She was able to capture her youthfulness, her indecision, and overall character so well. She really brought Rubi to life in this story. I highly recommend the audio if that's available.

Rubi is certain she's in Alma, the university her mother has always dreamed of her attending, she's even argued with mean girl from debate club of how capable she is, she is even undergoing a Ban on Baking, her favorite activity of all. Then, a letter arrives telling her she'd been wait-listed. At the same time she is accepted into a baking contest. Never her two lives have been so tested. Can she make into Alma but still go for her own dreams?

3.5, rounded up.

There is a lot that can be discussed in a book club here, it was my first thought as I read. I think Rubi's dilemma is well presented. Usually, you'll have a kid who definitely doesn't want to follow the path their parents set for them. It's not Rubi's case. And she works hard to be one day the lawyer her mother dreams her to be. Plus, she is very good at it. Her case is that if she could, she wanted both worlds. And why can't she?

We also have a romance going on, but the author goes straight to the point here. As a fan of romances, I would have wished for it to develop more, as we had err, the ingredients for a very delicious courting period. It's unfortunate, but she used this as a chance to show a healthy and cute romance, which is a bonus at least.

As for the character, I think Rubi needs to be strong to deal with what she needs to deal with, but she's not one I could relate so easily because of that. She is, perhaps, a little spoiled. I do think she is hard-working, that much the book proved, but maybe her conflicts came from an important place but exploded as tiny problems. What if she can't get into an Ivy League, you know? I don't want her suffering poverty, nor anything, we're all into the YA's for the safe read it grants us, but considering her family's reality, I think she needed a better problem to overcome and show us she did grow. Especially if the author makes it clear her focus isn't romance but coming of age and family. In the end, did Rubi really grow? That's the question that remained in me.

It's still a good YA, above average, it has fun moments (and great puns), good characters, a solid base, so I do recommend it, especially to fans of ownvoices, and will be watching for this writer's next books.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

4.75 stars!
Well! I have a new favorite YA romance! Rubi Ramo's Recipe for Success Is about Rubi who gets wait listed and tries to ways to get unwaitlisted. which includes a bake off. Which means a lot of delicious food descriptions.

Rubi as the main character was easy to root for and I hated when something bad happens to her.
The romance between Rubi and Ryan was absolutely cute and just what I needed at the time. I wish there were more moments of them but that's okay.

At the start I didn't know what was happening because of the writing style but got I used to it.

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success Is definitely a book I want to buy physically and tab and highlight. This was an unexpected favorite!

This was a cute little romance book that I thought was fun and refreshing. I love how it also focused a lot on family and familial relationships and expectations.

This had everything that I want in a YA novel: the need for independence and finding yourself in the face of parental expectations, blossoming love, search for new experiences. When you add in the cooking competition, I am definitely hooked. Rubi is such a well-developed, fun character who you can’t help but root for. She wants to please everyone and is finding it is pretty difficult. I loved the mix of Cuban culture into everything she baked in the competition and how it is interwoven into the novel as well. This was such a fun, entertaining read and I loved everything about it

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success is a YA debut that I didn't want to stop listening to!

Rubi is a high school senior trying to get into her parent's dream school: Alma. As a first generation college applier, her parents only want what's best for her, which does not include baking. Yet Rubi is drawn to the kitchen and enters a bake off contest as a secret. Rubi knows that she can prove that she can both bake and do well academically. Let the baking begin!

I could not reading Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success. Jessica Parra's writing style brought this story to life and made it seem like we were baking right alongside Rubi. I wanted cookies while flipping through the pages and couldn't stop rooting for Rubi to not let go of her passions. While this book may be a romantic YA, the romance wasn't featured throughout but rather Rubi's journey on loving herself. Overall, I cannot wait for what debut author Jessica Parra puts out next.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for my earc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
I like books about kids with cooking ambitions!
Rubi’s passion in life is cooking, and she would love to work in her parents’ bakery. However, her parents have a very different ideas about what they expect Rubi to accomplish in life, and not a single one involves her being in a kitchen for a career!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

This book was summer cute and everything a summer read should be! This story follows Rubi, a first-gen Afro-Cuban whose family owns bakeries in California. Rubi’s parents have set up this recipe for success that will ensure her future and have placed a ban on baking with some exceptions. Throughout the book, we see Rubi struggling to stick to this recipe and trying to figure out her future as she nears the end of her senior year. She also finds herself in a baking competition that makes her question everything.

I really enjoyed this book, it took me a few chapters to get into it but once I did I think I read it all in one go. Rubi’s relationship with her friends and family was sweet. I loved seeing her getting to know Ryan. I especially loved her bond with her dad and how they loved baking and creating together. I thought the ending was sweet, how she and her mother got what they wanted.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for a review

4 stars

The title may focus on Rubi's success, but this reader's takeaway is that this whole book is a real success for Jessica Parra. I'm officially a fan!

Rubi, the titular m.c., is extremely likeable. She's exactly the right combo of well intentioned, driven, rebellious, and kind, and it is impossible not to root for her. This alone makes for such an enjoyable read.

Fortunately, there's a lot more to love than just Rubi's headlining greatness. Readers need to either access this book on full stomachs or prepare for some serious sweet tooth related cravings. They are a fun guarantee! Folks who are familiar with the southern CA landscape - particularly Orange County - will find the setting quite authentically penned (for better or worse - there's a lot to love *and* find embarrassing here). And the storyline is engaging, age appropriate, and filled with important lessons without ever feeling didactic or patronizing.

Transparently, it was the colorful cover that drew me to this one, but the substance is what kept me reading enthusiastically. I can't wait to read more from Parra and to recommend that my students let Rubi bake her way into their hearts, too!

*When and where available, I recommend the audiobook. The narration adds a lot not only to Rubi's characterization but also to several side characters!

Such a cute read!! I wouldn’t ask anything more from this book. It was a very simple YA easy read.

Rubi being so in touch with her culture was by far my favorite part. Add in a cute boy crush, queer touches, and stressful family expectations and you have a story of a mostly typical teenager. I thought it was so well written!!

I also had the opportunity to listen to parts of the book being narrated and the way the narrator told the story was perfectly done. Didn’t take away from the story being told.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Thank you to the publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was super cute! A fun, easy read and I loved it!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Its all the covers fault. I am 100% the wrong reader for this book, but the cover is so beautiful I tried anyway. I've found myself not vibing with YA lately, and this book is very YA. The behavior of the characters, the themes, the writing - all YA. and like, young YA too, which is actually kind of odd since the MCs are seniors.

Setting aside my personal preference, I couldn't vibe with the writing style. It's not particularly unique, so that may seem like an odd comment, but it felt a teeny bit cringe to me. That's a mean thing to say, but in the first 8 pages there are multiple Capitalized Words For Dramatic Effect, two instances where the text is formatted like a recipe because the MC is a baker (get it?), six exclamation points, and the word "Omigawd." None of these things are inherently problematic and some readers might like the quirkier style, but they really distracted from the narrative. There's also a problem with talking head syndrome, and there's several moments where the author has characters say things purely for the sake of informing the reader.

Now don't get me wrong, the story is cute. Just not cute enough to make up for the issues I had with the storytelling. I do think plenty of readers will love it, and I'd be open to reading from the author again and seeing how she grows.

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.
*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.

Rubi's recipe for success definitely resonates with my 18-year-old self. Her parents want her to do something other than baking because they don't deem this a successful path for their daughter. She then meets the Irish-American surfer, Ryan, who she feels she can confide in just like she does her best friend, Devon. I believe Jessica Parra wrote a beautiful story about a girl and her dreams and what she will do to make those dreams come true. Also, I believe that Rubi's story, while it includes a meet-cute, is way more than what could be with Ryan. I am so glad that Rubi has the support of Ryan and her best friend throughout the story because it definitely helped her.

I do wish that Parra showed more of Rubi's relationship with her parents, specifically her mother. Other than that, I believe this was a cute YA story about a girl and her dream of baking with an incredibly satisfying ending.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this ARC.

I flew through this book. Everything about it, the plot development, the pacing, the baking puns, went together so smoothly and created a really great coming-of-age story. Rubi was so strong and dedicated to her passion, her family, and her heritage. I loved how everyone got their happily ever after at the end. The writing in this was so beautiful and detailed that I could basically taste Rubi’s creations on my tongue. This book didn’t come across as a debut to me because Parra’s talent with story-telling and relatable characters was very powerful right off the bat. I am so thankful for @wednesdaybooks for the change to read this ARC.