I feel like meddling grandpas are a micro trope the world needs more of! 😂

This read as more of a contemporary fiction, and not much of a romance, and the romance portion felt a bit rushed and like a bit of an afterthought. Generally though, this was fine.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Harlequin. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This is book two in the Vega family world. While I enjoyed the book for most part, it didn't have the same pull for me as the first. This is a second chance romance with flashbacks to the origin story of the couple first falling in love. There was another set of meddling grandfathers (alas, my heart missed Killian from the first book.) The single dad storyline with the cute kid reunites after years of separation with the feisty heroine who happens to be the child's teacher. Throw in some suspense leading to a third act breakup. Some of the plot just seemed over the top and didn't really add to the overall storyline for me. I still would like to see where the Vega story goes with our next couple.

3 stars

This book delivered and then some! I love Natalie’s writing style and how she balances humor and serious topics. Foodies, this one is for us!

I'm loving the Vega Family series and this one was up to A Proposal They Can't Refuse: fun, entertaining but also dealing with social issues and inclusivity.
Saint is the responsible one, the one who would do almost anything to help his family. Lola is the warrior, the social worker who's ready to fight against the guy she still loves.
Plus there's the Abuelo, my favourite character.
A well plotted and fast-paced novel that talks about a second-chance love story but also about gentrification and the less lucky.
Read it and have fun
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.25/5!

A Dish Best Served Hot is a second chance romance starring Saint, the ex-military overprotective single father and eldest brother of the Vega family, and Lola, the flamethrowing badass woman with a heavy past who will absolutely fight for the good she believes in. It’s been seventeen years since Lola left and returned to Chicago, only to find that her life is now tangled up with Saint. This hey find themselves at opposing sides of the community, only to work together to rectify the loss of their community center/housing for displaced and lost queer youth.

Saint is the ideal single father I’d ever hope to read in a romance book. He’s trying his best for his loud and loving family, despite not always feeling like he fits in as the quiet, more reserved type. His love language is undoubtedly acts of service— to a fault.

Lola will bulldoze her way as she fights for what’s right. She has quite a ways to go in figuring out how to allow other people into her life in a deep and meaningful way, and this is something I relate to. But she is also loving, she is confident, and she is everything I hope to grow to be.

Both characters being ready to forgive as they come upon their life revelations (presumably from reading grown folks as opposed to new adult) was honestly refreshing for me, as someone who struggles to let go of grudges. Their ability to process and willingness to compromise their sheer stubbornness to be become better partners/people is something I aspire for.

I absolutely /loved/ the Vega family and their near tangible love that binds each person together, yet not devoid of drama and heartache, as is expected from large families. As someone who comes from a large extended family myself, reading the Vegas felt like home. The teasing, the annoying younger siblings (hi yes that’s me), the eldest siblings and the elders who feel the weight of their lineage, the laughter shared, the readiness to be there for each other, and even the pain and understanding between the characters who have been through it. I loved all of it.

Additionally, the way Natalie Caña touched upon fatphobia, both internally and externally, felt true to life, and the stories of queer fat confident brown women will always be the ones I hope to fill my life and shelves with!

I’m excited to continue reading the stories of the Vega family as well as anything and everything Natalie Caña continues to write! Thank you, MIRA and Netgalley, for the ARC!

Natalie Caña writes with HEART OH MY GOSH. 4.5 Stars Rounded Up!!!! The depth with which Natalie writes her characters is unparalleled. I jumped into this book after reading and LOVING A Proposal They Can't Refuse earlier this year, and I had high, HIGH hopes. I'm so glad that I was nowhere close to disappointed with this sequel!

A Dish Best Served Hot is a second-chance romance between Saint Vega & Lola León. Saint is a single dad to Rosie and Lola is back in town to help take care of her Benny. There are tons of shenanigans with Benny & Abuelo Papo. I love the banter, the family dynamics, and the depth of emotions for the characters. The character arcs are also realistic, which is refreshing in a rom-com. The only thing I wish this book had is more relationship building IN the book. I know it's a second-chance romance, but I still felt like we missed some of the reconnection between Saint & Lola in between the chapters. I would have rather had more pages than miss the way their relationship rekindled.

All together, I loved this book and will be back for more of the Vegas in book three! (I think we know who this one will be about!!!)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. After reading the first book of this series, I was excited for this one. Unfortunately, I've been a little disappointed and I am DNFing at 54%. This book is being marketed as a romance but the romance was lacking! Lola and Saint were high school sweethearts who had a bad ending and are reunited a decade later.

Things I enjoyed in the book:
- The community! The theme of gentrification that carried over from book one
- I love that the assisted living and elders are present in this book. It seems like grandparents are going to be the reason for all the couples getting together and I love it! (Papa Vega and his tricks must be stopped though lol)

Things I did not enjoy:
- I didn't like how Saint would send Rosie off to the next room by telling her to "watch the adults" or be the mature person in the room. I know that it was meant in a light-hearted and fun way but I didn't think it would be good for in the future. And it feels like she's putting some unnecessary responsibility on a kindergartner.

All in all, I don't think I was the intended target for this book but I hope the target audience is reached. I do have plans to attempt other books in the series as/if more are published.

I loved Rosie, who doesn’t? Saint and Lola’s story seemed a little rushed at the end. It is more HFN than a true HEA as there is much work to be done for both. I also felt there was a big jump from Lola being bad for the neighborhood and suddenly becoming the shelter director. Overall enjoyable.
3.5 stars

“A Dish Better Served Hot” is the second book in The Vega Family Stories Series but can be read as a standalone!

I really enjoyed reading about these two! Saint and Lola had good communication like the no BS type. They never sugar coated anything and were real with each other. Of course not everything was perfect, there was plenty of mistakes being made, misunderstandings, and their fair share of problems.

I loved getting to know Saint more especially learning how he got his nickname. The two navigate personal change, social change, and trauma as they slowly try to make their way back to each other.

This book brought out a lot of feelings and tugged at my heart strings!! Natalie Cana does it again! 5/5 definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed revisiting the Vega Family! A Proposal They Can't Refuse was one of my favorites, so I was super excited for the opportunity to read about more characters, and of course see Papo Vega up to his match making again. Lola and Saint's second chance romance was such a beautiful story, with so many deep and interesting layers that made it about so much more than just them. Cana always does such a great job weaving Latinx culture, storytelling, history, family values, language, it's a wonderful learning experience in addition to an enjoyable read. Saint is a single Dad who tries to carry the weight of all his loved ones on his shoulders. Lola is the daughter of an inprisoned gang leader and very outspoken social justice warrior, who just moved back home. Seeing their love story begin in high school through flashbacks was a great way to learn more about the characters as well. I enjoyed the stories about the Community Center and the at-risk youth Lola worked with. I loved seeing Kamilah and Liam from APTCR ❤️. Little Rosie was such a sweet part of the book and one of the reasons why I love parent tropes! Saint and Lola grew a lot throughout and I felt their HEA was so mature and well done. I definitely noticed Papo Vega sniffing around for another match, so I sense we will be seeing more of the Vega Family in the future.

It's been 17 years since Saint has seen Lola. She disappeared without a word and left him heartbroken. Lola is back and she is now Saint's daughter's teacher. Seeing each other again brings all of those feelings and fire to the forefront and it's only a matter of time before they fall back into their old ways.

I love me a second chance romance, especially one where lots of time has passed without a word with one another. Saint and Lola were both amazed by the what the other had become in their adulthood. I loved that their chemistry came back in that instant that they saw each other for the first time. I couldn't wait to see their journey back to one another.

With the dual timeline, we got to see what Saint and Lola were like back when they were teens. Their relationship was complicated even back then, with lots of challenges that involved their families. Saint and Lola's love for one another ran deep and it transcended a puppy love most would experience at that age. That's why when they see each other as adults, they can't help but fall back in love with one another so quickly.

This book has a bit of a suspenseful element to it and I enjoyed those scenes with the high drama. I was on the edge of my seat, flipping pages because it was so engrossing. It was quite entertaining!

Pick this up for an entertaining second-chance romance that will pull at your heartstrings.

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: gun violence, incarceration of a loved one

What a great second book in the Vega Family Love Stories series, and sophomore novel by Caña! I enjoyed it so much, especially the appearances of Kamilah from book 1.

Saint (Santiago) and Lola and their second chance romance, rekindled from high school as adults so many years later - Saint as a widower and single father, former military and working in the family construction company, and Lola, returned to town and working in the community centre and taking over the pre-school class where Saint’s daughter attends, putting them in each other’s path again…

Pit against each other when the shelter for un-homed queer teens comes between them for reasons you’ll have to see in the book, Saint fights for a third chance to keep the love of his life around.

Such a fantastic read and I loved it more than the first book! I absolutely recommend it to everyone - if you loved the first book, and if you love Latinx romance, single dads and second chances (and saucy bisexual leading ladies), this is absolutely for you! Brava, Natalie Caña! Excellent book!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing (MIRA), and this is my honest feedback.

I thoroughly enjoyed "A Dish Best Served Hot" by Natalie Cana. It's a captivating second-chance romance that had me hooked from the beginning. After 17 years apart, Saint and Lola reunite, and the chemistry between them is as electric as ever. The dual timeline provided depth to their relationship, showing their complicated teenage years and the depth of their love. The added suspense added an extra layer of excitement, making the story even more enthralling. I particularly loved the meddling grandfathers and the dynamic between Lola and Saint. However, there was an unexpected plot twist in the third act that felt somewhat out of place, but I suspect it sets the stage for future developments. Overall, this book is a fantastic read for those who love second-chance romance and intense chemistry.

*4.5

This one was fun because there was such a different dynamic between the grandpas and I loved it. Saint and Lola never stopped loving each other even after all these years. He is such a good dad to Rosie and she was adorable. Seeing her relationship with Lola grow and Rosie opening up was really cute. I loved when she started dressing just like Lola and made Saint change her hair just so she could match.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I loved A Proposa They Can't Refuse and have been anxiously waiting for Natalie Caña's next book!

Saint and Lola were high school sweethearts but life pulled them apart. Now that Lola is back in their hometown, life has pushed them back into each other's lives. Once they reconnect, the love they once shared is immediately palpable to the reader. And let's not forget their Abuelos and Rosie, who were truly the highlights of this book for me!

This book was such a quick read and while I definitely enjoyed it, I still felt like something was missing. I think part of the issue was that several weeks would pass between some chapters and the development of certain plot lines felt lost in between which led to a lot of telling us what happened instead of showing it on the page.

A sequel as incredible and as intoxicating as the first! Something about Natalie Caña’s writing is so delicious. I love the characters, I love the romance, the spice, the ABUELOS, everything. I could probably gush about this book, and the Vega family, forever. It’s genuinely so much fun and so heart warming! I love it, I love it, I love it!

"A Dish Best Served Hot" is a beautifully written second chance romance with an emphasis on community and family.

Saint Vega and Lola León have history. They dated in high school but choices and circumstances caused them to go their separate ways. They reconnect when they are both called into a situation with their grandfathers at the nursing home. Papo Vega and Benny are engaged in a prank war of epic proportions and their involvement in this book provides some well placed comic relief.

The connection between Saint and Lola is immediately evident the moment they lay eyes on each other again. I really appreciated how they individually owned their mistakes from the past and put them aside to find a new location for the community center/shelter, El Hogar. Community is a big theme in this book and it highlights a common interest for them as a couple while also being a key part of Lola's identity.

The other major theme in this book is family and the author does not shy away from tough realities. There is growth for the characters as individuals and also in their relationships with each other and their families. The other shining star of this book is Saint's daughter, Rosie. She is a precocious four year old that never stops talking around family, but refuses to talk at school. No one knows why, but Saint is a staunch advocate for his daughter and Lola follows suit when she becomes Rosie's substitute preschool teacher. These three create their own family unit and some of my favorite scenes in this book are of them together.

The conflict in this book comes about due to an outside source and forces Saint and Lola to face some hard truths about themselves. There is a third act breakup, but it makes sense and allows them to work out the things that are holding them back.

This book broke me in the best way. I feel like I typed a lot of words in this review without really saying anything, but I find that happens when I really love a book. I felt the same way after reading "A Proposal They Can't Refuse". I am fully invested in these characters and cannot wait for more books about the Vega family.

*The rep in this book is fantastic. Lola is plus-sized and bisexual. Saint is dealing with PTSD from the military. There is also chronic illness and LGBTQIA+ rep with side characters.

Single parent + second chance!

Years ago, Saint chose to serve his country over the girl he loved. Now, he’s struggling to figure out why his young daughter isn’t talking at school, stop his Abuelo’s escalating pranks, and keep his tight-knit big family close.

Lola has returned home to care for her Abuelo & to serve the community center she loved as a child, but now as a social justice advocate.

Neither expects to have to work together to save the community center or to stop the feud between their abuelos. And those old feelings come back.

Read if you love…
- single parent, MMC
- second chance
- nickname in another language
- dual perspective
- forced proximity
- “good boy” & “good girl”

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I think for me as a mood reader, I struggled with the second chance part and that affected all of my thoughts on it. It was situational, not miscommunication, which helped. But still definitely affected my thoughts on the book.

I re-read A Proposal They Can’t Refuse prior to this & it was so worth it. APTCR follows the youngest Vega sibling. This book follows the oldest Vega sibling: a single dad struggling with PTSD & just trying to do the best he can for his kiddo.

I loved all of the cameos from the Vega family and the chaos they always caused, especially their Abuelo. I loved loved loved the twist in that both MCs had their grandfather in the same senior citizen home & these two older men had a hilarious prank war going!

I also loved the plot with Saint’s daughter Rosie in that Lola is her new teacher. I just flat out adored Rosie!

Representation: bi FMC; Latinx MCs (Puerto Rican & Mexican); PTSD; panic attack

Trigger warnings: brief mentions of war

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

4.25 stars

A Dish Best Served Hot is the second book from the Vega Family Series.

Lola has recently returned to town after having to leave due to complications caused by her family. She sees her ex boyfriend Saint and they get to know each other again after she becomes his daughter's teacher.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the complexity of each character's background and character growth, including Rosie, Saint's daughter. I thought the book flowed well throughout every character arc and was engaging and interesting.

This book features the tropes; second chance romance, plus size bi FMC, single dad, diverse romance.

I definitely recommend this book if you haven't picked it up yet. This book can be read without reading the first book in the series.

The first book was so good and cute, but Saint & Lola their chemistry was everything. I adored their heat and passion jumped off the page. I inhaled this book and everything that it stood for. I got to see another badass FMC who fights for what is right, even if that means getting dirty. People can take a page out of Lola’s book and learn from her passion, myself included.