Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a review copy of The Quince Project in exchange for my honest opinions. I haven’t seen enough about this adorable book, so I want it to get more recognition! I read this via a mix of audiobook and ebook last weekend while I was traveling, and it was truly enjoyable. If you are a Disney and/or Star Wars superfan, I bet you would enjoy it even more than I did, as there are plenty of small details and Easter eggs that I know went over my head!
Cas is a high school student who loves event planning. Stemming from an unfortunate incident at her sister’s quinceañera, Cas uses her day planner to skillfully manage events for school. She gets hired to run an event for a classmate, and Cas tries to build on this success in order to get enough experience under her belt to apply for an internship with her favorite event planner. The Quince Project showcases its Cuban American protagonist addressing cultural coming of age traditions the way J. Lo’s character addressed wedding traditions in the beloved movie The Wedding Planner. And while event planning can be fun and at times frivolous, the book has a deeper theme of grief, addressed in a very appropriate manner. While the reader must witness Cas learning some difficult but quintessential coming of age lessons, the stress is worth it for the final outcome. Personally, I think event planning would be a supremely stressful job, but I enjoyed reading about it, This book and audiobook (with great narration) is available everywhere now. Check it out!

Thank you Wednesday books and NetGalley for the ARC

This was a sweet read and one that touched on important themes throughout that were appropriate for the targeted audience. I would reccomend it!

A very cute fluffy romance that also handles topics like grief which I appreciated the arcs of the characters and their realizations of how they handle their own and how others handle it.

Some parts were very enjoyable while some parts left me wanting more. I do wish the plot was more captivating and intriguing and most of the “action” happened in the third act. The characters I wish had more empathy was the dad! I felt so bad for him as he was grieving. I loved and didn’t love some characters so overall the book was somewhat balanced. I was just wishing more for the plot and characters.

While I had a difficult time connecting with this story I know there will be plenty of readers who declare this the book to read this summer.

I hope you'll give this a go and see if this is the right book for you.

This book is a sweet quick read that allows you to tap into your emotions and possibly your own life experiences. I will definitely recommend this book to enter more classroom and school libraries.

Format: Kindle ARC
⭐⭐⭐Enjoyed, would recommend
🌶️ Rating: 0


The Quinceañera Project by Jessica Parra follows Castillo "Cas" Torres, a determined event planner dealing with personal loss while striving to perfect her craft. The book does a great job highlighting the cultural significance of quinceañeras, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It touches on themes like grief and personal growth, making Cas’s story relatable.

The book's cultural insights and earnest storytelling made it an enjoyable read for fans of young adult fiction and those interested in event planning and cultural traditions

A Rom com about planning a Disney themed quinceañera, I mean what could go wrong. I enjoyed it. I laughed and I cried. But I did also learn a lot. I am enjoying this new diversity in rom coms.

I loved the concept of this book, but I took issue with the execution. The biggest for me was the overuse of metaphors that just didn't make sense. It felt like every page there was a Disney reference, not to further the story, but just to have one there. I am a massive Disney fan, WDW Annual Passholder, and self-proclaimed Disney adult, so I was the target audience here. But the constant references were so distracting and annoying that it really kept me disconnected from the story. The story itself was really sweet and emotional and I think if the implementation was better, this could have been a real winner.

I was a huge fan of Jessica Parra’s debut novel, so I’m so excited to have finally read her sophomore novel too! Fun and funny while also digging into some of the more serious elements of the characters, THE QUINCE PROJECT looks at a party planner trying to get her dream internship after her sister’s disastrous quinceañera and her mother’s sudden passing. She books her dream party, and maybe starts catching feelings for a guy along the way. It’s a little bit nerdy (there are so many Disney and Star Wars references in the story) but overall just a fun story. And even as the characters make some questionable decisions, I couldn’t help but root for a happy ending (even if it doesn’t end up being just like the ones in fairytales). There are multiple cute romances happening (and the secondary one is sapphic) but I think that Castillo’s story is still the main element and main draw of the story. A fun, heartfelt book and definitely worth the read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the complimentary book. These opinions are my own.

Castillo is a high school student who plans everything with her many lists. And when she finishes planning her sister's college applications and her school's events, she hopes to become an event planner. To help her get an internship with her favorite event planner, she tries to start planning a quinceañera for her sister's favorite Disneyland influencer.

This book wasn't a great fit for me. There were too many secrets and lies and clearly bad decisions for too long. I understand this is a YA book, but even the adults felt like they acted like children. I don't think I was the correct audience.

But I did appreciated and can recommend a few things that I enjoyed:
All of the insider winks about Disneyland visits
Very well written LGBT rep
The emphasis on organization and planning
Spanish language and celebration of Cuban culture

3.5 stars rounded up

Overall this was a cute coming of age story. I enjoyed the character growth of our main character, Cas Torres, and her family. The author wrote about parental loss with care, while also showing some of the very real sides of grief.

There were some laugh out loud moments, like the scene with the ice sculptures and the love story was swoon worthy.

While I did enjoy the Disney references, I did think they started to feel a bit forced by the end rather than being seamlessly woven into the story.

A cute, heartfelt YA about a young Cuban-American girl who aspires to be an event planner and provide her future clients with a HEA that she could only dream of. Cas lands a job planning a quince and gains more than experience in party planning; she grows closer with her family, gains some friends along the way, and learns how important it is to live in the moment.

Castillo Torres (Cas) wasn't always a stickler for planning, but the death of her mother made her want to control everything. It became her way of dealing with grief. After her sister's quinceanera ended in disaster, she wanted to make sure that never happened to any other person again. So, she hopes to get an internship with one of the best in the business. But, she needs more experience. When a famous Disney vlogger asks her to plan her quince she accepts and may have lied a bit about her qualifications.

During the planning process, you realize how closed off Cas has been and how her sister Po, client Paulina, and her best guy friend Javier help knock down those walls. Paulina and Po really hit it off and that means Cas is spending most of the time with Javier. They actually met at the beach but didn't go into full introductions. They have sparks and amazing chemistry and I was excited for their awkward run-ins.

The character development stood out for me because Cas has taken on so many roles since her mother passed away. She felt like she had to grow up quickly for her dad and sister and turned to planning in all aspects of her life. She thought if she could plan for things, that life would just fall into place the way she expected. I understand her reasoning, but we all know that life has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. I think she learned this a bit more during her planning for Paulina. And she finds her way back to Disney again. It used to be her special place with her mother and lost that excitement, but it brought me so much joy to see her live life again.

The Quince Project is a great read for young adult readers who enjoy a coming-of-age story with romance and hope, Disney fans who love the magic of a happily ever after, Star Wars lovers for all the references, and Latinx readers because the Cuban-American representation is beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this advanced copy of The Quince Project.

This was a refreshing read and will be recommending it to my students for their independent reading. I wanted to read this book because I teach freshman, and they’re usually turning 15, so it seemed like a great book they could relate to. I really appreciated seeing all the references to the Hispanic culture. This was truly a nice read.

I loved this one so much. Watching Cas find her confidence while navigating through issues with both her friends and her grieving family was the real heart of this story wrapped in the glitz and glam of planning the perfect quinceañera.

I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good party, good friends, a splash of romance, and all the Disney vibes!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Quince Project is a mostly fun and sometimes serious journey through a family's grief process after losing their mother or wife. This is depicted through poignant moments, such as the children's attempts to fill the void she left. One of those children is Cas, whose journey also includes figuring out her future and what she wants to do once she finishes high school.

During my read-and-listen experience, I was impressed by the narrator's ability to sustain an upbeat tone, mirroring the characters' spirits. This skillful narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story, as its well-paced and lively tone kept me fully engaged and thoroughly entertained.

I was captivated by the rich cultural significance of quinceaneras, a traditional Latin American celebration marking a girl's fifteenth birthday.  The author's vivid descriptions immersed me in the celebration and its vibrant atmosphere, from the elaborate dresses to the symbolic rituals.  It's a truly unique and special way to commemorate one's fifteenth birthday, and the book does a fantastic job of bringing this to life.

Witnessing the family process through their grief was sometimes troubling. Still, it was a heartwarming journey that I couldn't help but empathize with.  My heart grew as they fought through the feelings that were paralyzing them.

The Quince Project is a fun and whimsical journey that enlightened me culturally and emotionally.

Needing a break from the heavy fantasy books I've been reading lately, I expected The Quince Project to be a mostly light contemporary revolving around Quinceañera celebrations with some laughs, rough moments, and life lessons. Though considering the book is about dealing with the grief following the loss of a parent, I should have expected this also turned into a tear jerker by the end.

Castillo Torres is an up and coming party planner, looking to be the apprentice for Mandy Whitmore's planning services, to give everyone their happily ever afters. In reality, it's a way to cover up her grief, broken family, and future fears. She goes through the summer, trying to pad her resume with a popular vlogger's Quinceañera. In addition, she runs into a surprise love interest. However, what starts as a white lie looms in the background. Castillo was easy to relate to as she went through her journey, even if she needs to learn some harsh lessons in order to learn and grow. I also loved her energy and voice through the story; it’s a part of why I was engaged throughout the whole story. The other characters were fleshed well, and really enjoyed Javi and Paulina the most. Also, I love Castillo and Mariposa’s sibling vibe.

There's a M/F and F/F romance in this book, but it's more of a side plot. I do like how both relationships are developed, but the M/F, between Castillo and Javi, takes priority. I did like that the book examined some cultural issues, not in a super deep manner, but enough to make me think for a bit about things. If you're a big Disney/Star Wars fan, there's plenty of references here, and even if you're not, I think the brands have enough cultural osmosis (in the USA at least) that you'll be able to pick up on it.

The prose is easy to follow, and yet packs a bunch. Thanks to not slowing down too often, I was engaged with the story the whole way through.

For those that liked Parra's first novel, there's a cameo to Rubi Ramos in this book and I really loved when it showed up. While I loved Rubi Ramos slightly more personally, this was a great second book for Parra and I can't wait to read more from her.

If you're looking for an exploration of grief, growing up, and the true meaning of “happily ever afters” with plenty of levity, humor, and a dash of Hispanic/Latine culture, pick it up.

I really loved this author's debut for her writing style and humor. This one was no different! I loved this story with characters who are relatable, vulnerable, and so easy to root for. The romance was sweet and the plot was fast-paced. Highly recommended!

Lost loves, new friends and new beginnings. Castillo Torres believes strict plans, planners and events are the path to happiness, but what happens when things go awry? Heart, tears and joy permeate this lovely realistic novel.

This is my 2nd Jessica Parra Book I've read, and my Honest review is that it was a little slow for me, plus alot of Star Wars references I didn't quite understand since I don't like Star Wars. But I Loved everything else Disney Inspired in this Book. And well being a Party Planner and such, I Loved that Theamin:) other than that it was a ok read for me.

Delighted with Jessica Parra's sophomore novel. It's filled with charm, humor, and the complex characters I've come to expect from Jessica's work.