I really loved Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream. It’s warm, funny, and surprisingly emotional, and I found it to be the kind of story that sneaks up on you. I connected with Cash right away; she’s trying so hard to hold everything together like her job at the bar, her daughter, her friendship with Inez, so she doesn’t even realize how stuck she’s become. When old feelings and new dreams start to shake up her world, I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. Tehlor Kay Mejia’s writing felt so real to me. I laughed out loud at the small-town chaos and also got hit right in the heart by some of Cash’s tougher moments. I loved the way the story handled self-discovery. It’s messy, scary, and beautiful all at once. This book made me think about how easy it is to settle for "good enough" instead of chasing what you really want.

An absolute delight, from beginning to end. I'm always a sucker for a friends-to-lovers, and this one feels so believable, with lived-in characters and a great supporting cast. Highly recommend!

This book makes me want to buy and own and run a bar, despite knowing how bad an idea that is.

Cash Delgado is Living the Dream is a really charming queer awakening , friends-to-lovers book. I love when a small town bands together to try and drive out the evil chain coming in to take over. And make it queer on top of that? Even better.

Another great read from Tehlor Kay Mejia!

This book was okay.
it wasn’t quite my cup of tea but I found the premise interesting and unique. Would recommend to those looking for something different than a classic or regular romance book.

I really enjoyed this book. I think the thing I enjoyed the most is someone into adulthood that is questioning their sexuality because the reality is sexuality is something that changes and is figured out through throughout your life and we don’t get that a lot in books with older characters.(not teens). The process of watching these two friends go from friends to lovers was very gentle and compassionate and kind and I just appreciated them both.

This was a cute one! I loved the overall message that it's never too late to find yourself and be brave enough to do what makes you happy. It took Cash a while to make her breakthrough, but she got there!

I loved Parker and the regulars at Joyce's. It was fun to get a glimpse into this small town since I really enjoyed Sammy Espinoza's Last Review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I was a huge fan of "Sammy Espinoza's Last Review" so I was excited to get my hands on this read. This is a cute and easy read. Love to see ladies finding love but didn't feel like there was a ton of chemistry between Cash & Inez. Ah well.


Thanks for the advanced reader copy Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Dell.

I was really looking forward to Cash Delgado is Living the Dream because I love love loved Sammy Espinoza but Cash ultimately didn't live up to my hope. That's 1000% on me for having high expectations and not at all the fault of the author. I do love a book where someone comes to terms with their sexuality but something about this one felt off to me. I don't think I was invested in the two MCs as a couple as much as I was in them being friends and that was most likely why I struggled so much with this one.

Tried. I really tried. It’s just not for me. Three stars for sake of not actually having read it. 😐 that’s the review.

I'm always here for the lesbians finding love hehe

I looooved Cash and was rooting for her. I did love her and Inez together, but the chemistry was lacking a liiiittle. The theme of this book was great because it truly never is too late to find yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

The romance was a cute, quick read! For me, it just felt like there was some chemistry lacking between Inez and Cash but I did like seeing their relationship develop and both of their interactions with Parker.

**Review of *Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream* by Tehlor Kay Mejia**

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

*Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream* by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a quirky and heartfelt coming-of-age story that explores identity, family, and dreams in a way that feels both fresh and relatable. Cash is an engaging protagonist, and her journey to navigate her desires versus the expectations placed on her is authentic and well-written. Mejia does an excellent job of capturing the complexities of growing up, particularly the pressures of figuring out one's place in the world.

However, while the story has charm, the pacing can feel uneven at times. Some parts of the plot drag, making it difficult to stay fully invested in Cash's journey. The secondary characters are interesting, but they aren't as fleshed out as I would have liked, leaving the relationships feeling a bit surface-level.

Overall, *Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream* is a fun and thoughtful read that tackles important themes, but it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth or momentum I was hoping for. It’s a good choice for readers looking for a light and introspective coming-of-age story, but it may not resonate as deeply with those seeking more complexity or a faster-paced plot.

This book is adorable. I enjoyed it. The characters were easy to like and connect too and I found the small town atmosphere to really fit the vibe of this book.

Super cute Queer romance! Cash and Inez not only had an incredible friendship but getting to watch them turn that friendship into something so beautiful was a treat. I loved the whole cast of characters and the plot was really cute in itself.

It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s Gay. What more could you want?

The Audiobook very good!

Thank you to the Author Tehlor Kay Mejia for writing this super sweet love story, and thank you to E A Castillo for narrating it!

Dell eARC
Well, this book got pushed to my NetGalley backlist, but I am so glad I gave it another shot. I tried it around pub day and not right now-ed it. I finally got my hands on the audio, and it was perfection. I just loved Cash, and her determination. She was continually fierce in fighting for her future. I liked how this played well with her questioning other parts of her identity. The author always captures how complex humans are, and these characters are no exception. They had great depth and felt so real. I also fell so quick for Parker and Inez. I just adored this story, and I will definitely always be reading this author from here on out.

This was a quite quick LGPTQ read that was unsuspecting to me but i really liked it!

Thanks for hte gifted copy for an honest reivew!

Representation: Bisexual MC, sapphic romance

Rating: 4/5 A queer awakening in small town Ridley Falls at the same time as the town is at risk of a corporate coming in and losing Joyce’s Bar, its spark and community center. I really enjoyed this story of a bar manager (essentially the owner with how much she does) working hard to save her place of employment but also the place that’s her heart and soul. She genuinely enjoys it there, especially with the community around her, and her best friend. I liked the friendship between Cash and Inez, and how it was developed through the story. How Cash came to realize she was queer, and at an older age, is absolutely something that happens to people all the time. I appreciated the “late awakening” representation, which is an experience I had. I also really liked Parker and their interactions with everyone, especially Inez. I enjoyed the little cameo from the previous book, Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review. I would recommend this for people who love Hallmark style small-town stories.

This is a good queer romance book that is filled with suspense and drama in addition to the romance. At the beginning of the book the main character is questioning who she likes and then begins to question her own sexuality. She explores this throughout the book all while trying to save the bar where she works and also will trying to be a good mom. There are a lot of really likable character in the book.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the gifted Net Galley copy of this book

In this fun and charming LGBTQ+ romance, readers join Cash, her daughter Parker, and her best friend Inez in the small town of Ridley Falls as their lives and jobs seem to be going incredibly well. However, when Cash’s ex Chase Stanton returns with bad news for Joyce’s Bar and other local businesses, the stability and peace seems to be shaken, especially since Cash is beginning to see Inez in a new light. As the peacefulness of Ridley Falls changes and business dynamics are threatened by Chase’s new plan, Cash, Inez, and the rest of the town must band together to defend their local businesses against the new threat. With its fascinating characters and beautiful locale, readers will love this charming small-town friends-to-lovers romance and the characters populating Ridley Falls. Cash is a great protagonist with excellent relationships with Inez, Parker, and other characters from Ridley Falls. These character relationships are the star of the novel and really succeed in bringing this world and its challenges to life. Brilliantly written with an excellent heart and fascinating and detailed world-building, readers will love Tehlor Kay Mejia’s latest book and the inhabitants of Ridley Falls at this critical point in time for the local economy.

This is a fun, quick read. No big overly dramatic/emotional rollercoasters, just cozy and sweet small town romance vibes. Sapphic, best friends to lovers, mild spice, late in life coming out, single mom