This one looks like the perfect beach read and is super cute for those who are looking for a slow burn and no spice!

Uptight publicist Dani would rather wear blazers than dance to reggaeton—but when a new job sends her to Puerto Rico to clean up the image of sexy superstar Rene “El Rico” Rodriguez, she’s forced out of her comfort zone. As the island heat rises, so does the tension—and maybe something more. Turns out, finding the rhythm might mean letting go. 💃🌴✨

This one was just not for me but I know it will be for a lot of others! Perfect to sit by the pool or beach with.

This was my first experience reading something by this author and I also enjoyed this as an audiobook. This story is pure tropical escapism with a beat—and I enjoyed every second.

Daniela is the kind of heroine who sounds as tightly wound as she is written: polished, practical, and hilariously out of her element in the world of reggaeton. The narrator captures her voice perfectly—authentic, crisp, anxious, but with a warmth that deepens as her character grows. And Rene's character was also well done. The narrator's range gives him the perfect balance of edge and vulnerability, making their push-pull dynamic even more electric.

The Puerto Rican setting comes alive in audio, the rhythm of the language being portrayed so well. The tension between Dani and Rene builds with every charged conversation, and when the banter turns to intimacy, the chemistry is chef’s kiss.

This isn’t just an enemies-to-lovers rom-com—it's funny, sexy, heartfelt, and oh-so-listenable. If you're looking for an audiobook with heart and heat, you've come to the right place.

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and Dreamscape Media and am voluntarily leaving my review.

The cover of this book is gorgeous, and it is a great visual for how beautiful Puerto Rico is described in the story. I really liked Dani and Rene individually as characters, but I never really felt a connection between them.

Dani’s journey through grief and exploring her culture is incredibly heartwarming and one of my favorite parts of the story. I also enjoyed seeing Rene open up more throughout the story and show more of his true self.
It never felt like there was much of a spark between them though. It seemed like their individual storylines, especially Dani’s, were more prevalent than the romance. I think this book would have been better as a contemporary fiction book, because if I hadn’t been expecting the romance to be the main element I think I would have loved this!

I still enjoyed it - but definitely adjust your expectations going in.
Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

This one started off intriguing but it just didn't give me enough. Not enough Puerto Rican culture outside of the surface level tourist stuff. Not enough reggaeton. Not enough romance.

This book falls into the same trap that so many of my most anticipated releases this year have fallen into: Mismarketing a contemporary fic as romance. I enjoyed it more once I processed my disappointment in this not being an actual romance and decided to enjoy it for what it was. Also enjoyed getting to explore Puerto Rico culture and music as a profession.

I expected a fun enemies-to-lovers rom-com, and while it definitely delivered on that front, it also gave me a heartfelt story about reconnecting with culture, processing grief, and finding your voice. The reggaeton angle added a unique layer, and I appreciated how Decos treated the music as something meaningful, not just background noise. Dani starts off a little uptight and out of touch, but her growth throughout the story feels real and earned. Rene is more than just a hot celebrity—he's grounded, thoughtful, and deeply tied to his community, which made their connection so much deeper. And Puerto Rico? It was practically its own character. Warm, vivid, and full of life, the setting added so much heart. If you're into romances with depth, music, and a strong sense of place, this one’s a solid pick.

I wanted to love this, really, I did but it was just okay. The setting was stunning, and the cultural richness of Puerto Rico was beautifully captured. The island, the food, the people, it all felt so alive on the page. But the romance? That’s where things fell flat.

I came in expecting a good enemies-to-lovers arc with banter and romantic tension, but it lacked spark. There was some build-up and longing on Dani’s part, but then we get one quick kiss, some clothes shedding, and a fade-to-black. I don’t mind closed-door romance, but this story needed more emotional or romantic payoff to justify the relationship.

Dani was a great lead, but her arc got repetitive, and her final choices lacked depth. Rene, unfortunately, remained surface-level, which made it hard to believe in their romance.

Overall, this was a beautiful story in terms of setting and cultural backdrop, but the love story didn’t land. I liked it, but I kept waiting for it to give me more.

Thank you Forever Pub for the eARC via Netgalley.

Daniela pretends to know Rene ‘El Rico’ Rodriguez to keep her job. She doesn't like the reggaeton music he's known for and what she knows about him she got from her little sister. But, Dani must sacrifice to ultimately get what she wants. Only she didn't count on Rene seeing right through her lies in the beginning. Nor did she see spending time in Puerto Rico anywhere in her future. Yet here she is managing Rene's recording in PR. As they spend time together in PR, they each discover the real people behind the facades. Suddenly, Rene is taking her to all the places mentioned in her late father's song and she's discovering that his public persona is nothing like the private one. They start living for themselves while falling in love with each other. But like all romances, there's conflict between Dani and Rene that may ultimately break the bond they have. No worries, there is still an HEA.

I love a good book that includes diverse characters. They are the ones I most identify with and reading a story with that perspective gives life. The characters's personalities in this book were relatable. There is so much about pleasing your family and not wanting to rock the boat with them that I so relate to. It's tough to want things for yourself without feeling guilty for wanting them which made me see myself in Dani so much more.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

As a Cuban/Dominican Latina, I’m always searching for stories that reflect even a fraction of our culture, our roots, our joy. Takes One to Know One didn’t just reflect it—it celebrated it. This book felt like both a love letter to Puerto Rico and an embrace of what it means to reconnect with your heritage.

Daniela is a record label publicist whose career forces her out of her comfort zone and into the world of reggaetón—and straight to Puerto Rico, a place she’s never been but that holds her father’s history. I loved seeing her slowly open up: to the music, the island, and to Rene, the reggaetón artist she initially butts heads with. Their romance builds from tension to trust, and what started as a “just get through it” job becomes a deep, emotional reconnection—not just with each other, but with culture, grief, and identity.

Watching Daniela soften, honor her father’s memory, and embrace the music she once dismissed felt real to me. And Rene? A soft reggaetón star who brings her to all his favorite places and makes her feel seen? Yes please.

This wasn’t just a romance. It was a reminder of how powerful it is to see our stories on the page. And how healing it can be to come back to your roots—even if you’ve never physically been there.

Read if you love: enemies to lovers, rediscovering your identity through culture, music that brings people together, and a Puerto Rican backdrop that shines.

Huge thanks to the author, NetGalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for the ARC—all opinions are my own.

I'm not sure that I would categorize this as a romance. It really felt like women's fiction to me.

The romance felt a tad meh to me. There wasn't much chemistry I feel between the two main characters. There wasn't really any angst to their relationship despite physical attraction.

The author did a wonderful job portraying the island of Puerto Rico. I felt like there wasn't much depth to either character. Renee was very basic to me and didn't have much to him. I didn't really care for him and I found myself not really caring about either of them.

I feel the author really lost the romance aspect here and really developing good characters for the romance. I think the author focused so much on the Latinx community and island which was amazing but lost the actual depth of the book for romance.

3/5 stars

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A fun, tropical, slow burn romance. If you’re looking for insta-love, insta-lust, or a spicy read, than this book isn’t for you. I wish there was just a little more lust or pining between the characters for how slow of a burn this was

Thanks to Forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review! Takes One to Know One is quite a slow burn and unfortunately, not the kind I really enjoy. I found myself bored with the pacing and craving more pining between the main characters. There were moments in the story I enjoyed related to the music scene and the setting and some of the side characters but I had a hard time connecting to the central romance plot. I think this is a me thing- if you are a big fan of that Mariana Zapata style slow burn journey, I think that you’ll really like this!

I was really excited for this one, and I enjoyed the read. The setting (Puerto Rico) is definitely a character in this book. It made me want to catch the next flight there.

I didn't really feel like there was a lot of romance. There were small moments, but it left me feeling like it was a slow burn that gave me very little of them as a couple.

I did enjoy the story of Dani navigating her grief and finding herself throughout the book. For me, that was the core of the story and something I really enjoyed. I think eldest daughters will feel seen reading this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I love the setting of this book, and that the MMC, René, is a sexy reggaeton star, however Dani, the FMC, started to bug me a bit with her up tight-ness and the lack of communication she and René exhibited. My biggest pet peeve is the miscommunication trope, so that’s the main reason I didn’t give it a full 4 stars, plus I really wish we could have gotten more insight on René’s character as well.

Overall It was a cute book, and parts definitely had me swooning, giggling and kicking my feet! I just needed a little more depth to the characters and their romance.

Thank you Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dani meets Rene through work. A great setting, and as they spend more time together you learn more about them both.

✨New Release ✨

It’s a good thing I have off from work this week! If I wasn’t able to binge this 24/7, I would not have been able to get on with my life!

I DO believe this is my favorite book of the year so far!

This is a relationship that’s grown by sweet and thoughtful gestures. It’s about pushing outside of comfort zones, breaking down walls, and veering off from staying “professional”.

Dani makes A LOT of mistakes and is very strict on her professionalism. She was frustrating at times, and you really want her to give HERSELF the chance to break free of her self-imposed “role”.

René was the heart of this book. He saw through Dani’s rigidness. He took the connection of her dad and Puerto Rico, and made special-moment after special-moment WITH her, not just FOR her.

The anticipation from this book came in wanting to see when feelings shifted for each of them. What was the moment they allowed themselves to want more? When was she going to set herself free? Were his feelings real or an alter ego?

You’ll have to read and find out!! This was SO SO good!

#takesonetoknowone #lissettedecos

What a light fun read. As a half-puerto rican, a lot of what Dani goes through resonated with me. It's my dream to be able to experience the island with my grandmother one day. Overall the music descriptions, culture and personal growth journey that Dani went on was entertaining to read. Dani had a lot that she was dealing with given this new opportunity to prove herself while carrying the weight of the world on her shoulder. Grappling with the grief of losing her father and feeling the responsibilities as the oldest daughter to have it all together. Dani has to learn to let it all go before she's left with a life that she does not love. There were a lot of messages of not being afraid of going for what you really want. Many good take aways.

I will say something about the romance did not click for me. I was just left wanting more. I wish there were more romantic interactions between Rene and Dani. Actually getting to experience their falling in love. Maybe having from his perspective would have made a difference? There were a lot of elements of the book that I thought were unnecessary. Especially Camila and Natalia's inclusion as Rene ex lovers. Dani never truly confronted Rene about anything and they never had real conversations it felt like. The story for me lacked in romance and was more focused on Dani's personal journey. Rene could have been taken out the story as a romantic love interet and it would have been the same story.

I really liked the authors writing style and the descriptive language of the culture. As a contemporary novel 4.5/5 stars, As a romance 3/5 stars. I would be interested to read another book by Lissette Decos.

Takes One To Know One is a fun and heartfelt story about finding out who you are and being pushed outside your comfort zone. These main characters are forced to spend time together in Puerto Rico while the MMC records his new album. The FMC hold a lot of weight on her shoulders of taking care of her family, doing well at her job, and being on top of her game. The MMC couldn’t be more opposite - a go with the flow kind of guy who is becoming a super star. I found this story had relatable pieces and I loved diving deep into the culture of Puerto Rico. I wish we got to see the deeper parts of the relationship more. there is a scene that is talked about when the MC’s have a night in a tent and talk about everything in their life. as a reader we don’t get the inside of that scene we are just told it happens. I wish we got to read the connection that formed during that conversation. All in all I would read another book by this author. thank you for the e-arc!

loved this romance and finding love and remembering love before the one. love the friends and the chemistry between the couple was on fire and loved the banter.