One tough cookie is womens lit with a strong romance element in it. It's about a woman who has had a hard life and just needs to be stable for now. She will not go for bigger job roles and she also wont go out of her way to help others. She is rightfully jaded. Her story about opening up and letting life, life is the main plot of this book. She is opening up to love, forgiveness, and friendship.

This was an interesting romcom about a hyper-independent heroine and the man who shows her that falling in love does not mean losing herself or her independence.

Karina has had bad experiences with love due to the treatment her mother gave her when she fell in love and gave up on everything that she had ingrained in Karina. She kicked Karina out at 17 after she fell in love, got married, and got pregnant.

The prose was witty, and Karina initially got on my nerves. As we learned more about her and her relationship with Ian developed, she grew on me. Ian had to work hard to earn her affection beyond their physical attraction.

Ian was extremely patient with Karina, knowing she was worth the work. The dynamics between the coworkers were cute, and they were a found family of sorts.

I received a free copy of this book via Hear Our Voices Tours and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut effort is a good start, with room for improvement. Karina, the female protagonist is not just a "tough cookie", but very hard to like. Shaped and hardened by experiences in her childhood/youth, she comes across as abrasive and judgemental - but the author's deft touch lets us see the insecure child within who is hurting. The romcom heats up when she meets and falls in lust with a co-worker - yay for a sexually adventurous woman and boo to slut shaming! However the co-worker is her diametrical opposite, clingy and proclaiming his love - despite the fact that he has no foundation to have fallen in love in the first place. Amazing how that works out - not! The setting, in a cookie factory, is interesting, but the overworking of the cookie simile gets old after a while. I did enjoy the character arc, with Karina slowly opening up and taking steps toward working on herself, plus pushing herself out of her comfort zone in the last quarter of the book. However, this all happens much too late in the story, I imagine many readers will not get that far.

Rating: 3.75 Stars rounded up.

I LOVE that the cookie recipes are included in the book!

This is an adult Latinx (majority of characters are Puerto Rican) contemporary workplace romance set at a small family owned cookie manufacturing plant as they prepare the company for inspection. The story explores childhood trauma, found family, love, relationships, sexuality and mental health.

Karina is a foul mouthed unlikeable character that lacks self awareness about her love, commitment, and self-sabotaging issues through a large portion of the book. This can be frustrating for the reader. However, her journey of healing and self discovery is one worth following.

Content Warnings: Cursing, parental neglect and abandonment, abortion, drunk driving, sexual content, slut shaming

This book was like getting a batch of different flavor cookies and I enjoyed every bit!

This was such a cute read about Karina working in a cookie factory. She is very independent and very strong on the fact that she doesn’t need a man. She meets Ian, a electrician at the factory, and things change.

This was such a cute and a funny read!

What to expect on this book: cute women’s fiction book with cookie references and unlikeable female.

It just wasn’t for me. I tried, I definitely did but I just couldn’t like Karina and I get that was the point of this book, but none of these characters were likeable. They all care too much about their relationships and their partners.

I liked Ian at one point but it became too much for me. Man was clingy AF, and she acts out for silly reason like he’s talking to someone else so she flirts with a guy she hooked up with one.

No, bye. I couldn’t do it. I really wanted to like this book but it needed better editing.

I enjoyed this immensely -- Karina was a tough nut to crack but her back story was eventually revealed and some of her behavior made sense. I also appreciated that the author never took the easy way out in the plot points, making things real but also dynamic. The pacing may be a bit slow for some but I read this book in one day and I would definitely recommend. Interesting characters and it doesn't always go where you want it to and/or think it may.

One Tough Cookie comes out next week on July 18, 2023, and you can purchase HERE! I really liked this one!

At Singular Cookies, Inc., cookies are like people, each with their own personality.

Karina's stomach grumbled for Perky Cookies. The coffee-chocolate breakfast cookie was energetic, ready to take on the day, much like Karina herself. It had saved hear earlier after she'd overslept and couldn't make it to the drive-through for breakfast, but one was never enough. Now in her hangry state, she needed more before she punched somebody in the face.

2.5 stars (rounded up).

First of all, I have to say that I love the premise and setting of "One Tough Cookie" by Delise Torres. I enjoyed learning about the cookie-making process and seeing how the Singular Cookies brand got built by Lacey, Roy, and the main character Karina. I liked the quirky names for all of the cookies. I appreciated how each cookie represents a personality or situation close to the owner Lacey's heart (The Flirty is based on Karina, a cookie at the end of the book represents a situation Karina goes through, etc). I also love Torres' wit in her writing. Her personality shines through in her writing style throughout this text. I appreciate the h3ll out of the fact that Karina is a s3x-positive person who knows that she likes s3x and doesn't apologize for it. Unfortunately, this penchant for s3x often puts her on the wrong side of the equation as she frequently has s3x instead of forming any relationship or even friendship with her s3xual partners...or, you know, instead of going to therapy, which she obviously desperately needs. Karina's issues with s3x and her lack of wanting to have a relationship stem from issues she that she went through with her mother when she was younger. Her mother raised her to be a headstrong, independent person, then immediately abandoned her principles for a man named Bob (who she could cook and clean for and have another baby, one that replaced Karina). Karina's high school boyfriend (who she really loved) slutshamed her the minute she wanted to take their relationship to the next level and be exclusive in public with him. Because of these instances, Karina became s3xually adventurous, but none of this trauma should excuse the fact that she is such an a$$hole. It's really difficult to read books with main characters who are detestable, especially to other people for no reason other than the fact that they are hurting inside, and Karina definitely tops the list of despicable characters I've read. I love an unlikeable person in fiction, but Karina is just a jerk! Every single thing she does is self-serving, destructive, and insanely pessimistic. If I may borrow from the "glass half empty" phrase, Karina's glass has maybe two drops in it at most. She damages all of her friendships because she sees her actual friends as mere acquaintances and workmates, and she damages her relationship with main male character Ian because she can't stop getting in her own way. When he pushes her outside of her comfort zone to prove how much he cares about her, she pulls away over and over, each time with a more devastating impact. Speaking of Ian, his and Karina's relationship starts way too abruptly for my liking. It's insta-love and then that's it, no tension, no pining, no chemistry, no nothing. It's constant miscommunication after miscommunication with her and Ian, her and her mom, her and her friends, her and her coworkers... no one will just sit down and have a frank discussion without tiptoeing around some unspoken grudge or beef or something! It gets tiresome to read books that literally wouldn't exist if only one five-minute conversation had taken place. And Karina makes matters worse by not telling people where she's going, turning off her phone after ghosting people, not answering her door, lying to people, etc, all instead of maybe budging slightly on one of her rules and her quest to maintain power in any dynamic she's in. I really wish I had liked "One Tough Cookie" more than I did. I will definitely read Delise Torres' next book because I think she has some interesting things to say with her unique voice, but this one didn't do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, Dreamscape Media, and Delise Torres for the complimentary ARC/ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was weird and almost uncomfortably bad. The writing seemed off and so much focus on strange things. The whole cookie business was unbelievable and the flavors were gross. Just something felt wrong here.

Karina Cortés is a woman who values her independence as much as she values her job at Singular Cookie. She keeps everyone, including her few friends, at arm’s length and prefers to keep her private and personal lives separate to prevent any additional damage to an already battered heart.
When Ian Feliciano, the new mechanic at work, starts asking for a date right after meeting her, she’s reluctant at first, but ends up conceding to the man’s charm. Unfortunately for one-night and done Karina, Ian is romantic, full of details; the picture of stability and is out for the conquest despite all her best efforts not to be wooed.
I find this to be a very good debut novel. Even when I wanted to hate Karina because of her overall attitude and poor choices, I couldn’t, and Ian is too perfect for words. Then, there’s this rainbow of secondary characters that give so much flavor to the story and the background of the factory and its gossip mill are a great set up for the whole thing.
This is an enjoyable read made extremely original by the way of using the different cookies to describe the characters’ personalities and sometimes moods. Another winning point in my book is the feeling of comfort added by sharing all the Puerto Rican favorites around the table both at work and the different homes we visit throughout the story.
Overall, a good summer read and I highly recommend it.


4 stars

I really, really wanted to love this book. The premise is really good - a Latinx woman working in a cookie factory who stumbles upon this hot mechanic. She's weary about the idea of relationships but oh wait, something seems to be changing. The cover is also really cute. Plus, Karina is 27 and I'm also 27 which made me excited to read about an MC the exact age as me. There's also Puerto Rican rep and that's so important to me as someone from the island who feels like we don't get enough of the spotlight in romance (or any genre, really).

Let me talk about the good things first: I really like the writing style. Everything flows so easy, the characters clearly have their own personalities and they don't blend into each other. Karina's friends were a breath of fresh air and I loved them. The plot is also pretty engaging. It has all the right ingredients for an adorable romance full of flaws and growth.

Now, here's what bothered me: Karina & Ian. That's a problem because they're literally the main characters. When it comes to Karina it was so hard to root for her. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE an unlikeable character. I live for them, I breathe for them, I will absolutely root for them if the time comes. But there's a fine line between unlikeable and insufferable, which sometimes Karina crossed. And with Ian, he came on way too strong and too fast. I'm also a sucker for insta love if done properly, but Ian gave me an ick that I just can't describe. If it was me, I'd tell him to move a few feet over and leave some space for the Lord because that man sure knows how to be clingy.

Overall I give this book 3 stars because I enjoyed some aspects of it, and there were a few scenes with the MCs that I enjoyed, but their respective personalities didn't work out for me.

Karina works at a cookie factory where one day she meets Ian. After a rocky childhood, Karina is only interested in sex, not romance. Even as she spends more time with Ian, she finds herself resisting having feelings for him.

It was nice having a sex positive character here, but she was too far other direction. As in being judgy of people - including her good friends - for wanting love! Karina was not a very relatable protagonist in many ways, like I can eat whatever and never gain weight, and in fact I found her annoying and unlikeable. There could’ve been more redemption along the way but the only real character growth was in the last 10% of the book.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A rom com! In a cookie factory! Karina is, let's face it, the tough cookie of the title and she's not always likable but that's ok for her. She's got issues with men and romance and then - woosh- along comes Ian and she must rethink her life. I liked this for the cookie factory, the Puerto Rican vibes, and frankly, for Ian. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A breezy read that will be nice on the beach.

Gave it a good college try and we failed the whole course.... it was no for me. And I'm very sad about it. Because I really wanted it to be.

This was such a good story! Very original and I devoured it
Loved the trials and tribulations that the main characters went through, both together and separate. The growth within the characters was amazing as well.
Could've done without the third act break up, but it was well played within the story,

I received an ARC of this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

Enjoyed this as a light heartwarming read. The FMC did annoy me slightly with all the miscommunication but I enjoyed the message of this book!

Firstly I love the idea of everybody having a personalised cookie that resonated with their personality. I really want to know what I would be. As much as I liked the idea abd really wanted to live the book, I felt a disconnect for some reason. There were moments where it felt unfinished and disjointed.
There was lots to love but I feel it, unfortunately, did not quite live upto expectations.

I adored this romance, it was so light and loving. The perfect romance for a summers weekend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I Love this book, it's a perfect read for a lazy day when you want something light, fun, and heartwarming read. The cover is just too cute, perfect for a gift!!

Thank you, Netgalley, Author, and publisher, for the E-arc of One Tough Cookie in exchange for an honest review.