this was a mixed bag, I liked the journey of the lead woman charater but they didn't give me enough reason to push for these two, despite the good forced proximity.

A memorable trip to Puerto Rico via this beach read.

I think the strengths of this novel were the <b>beautiful imagery and sounds</b>: the music the MMC was creating, exploring the locations on PR with the characters, and the FMC's family finding their way again after loss.

However, I think the author tried to make things more interesting by adding drama and will-they-won't-they romantic mysteries, for both main characters, that were unnecessary and felt more like a distraction than interesting intrigue.

The peeling away of the MMC's shyness and media reluctance by the persistent journalist he's falling in love with, and who has even inspired him musically along with her dead father's music was strong enough without the drama. Yes, some drama with the label and the MMC's close friends and creative partners helped to give context, but some of the other stuff wasn't needed. The two characters' push-and-pull, trying to get the other to open up was beautiful, and sometimes I wish we got even more of them.

To begin with the strengths: the setting of this novel is its standout feature. Much of the story takes place in Puerto Rico, and the island’s culture and atmosphere are vividly brought to life. Decos excels at descriptive writing, immersing the reader so fully in the setting that Puerto Rico feels like a character in its own right. However, the novel falls short in the romantic storyline. Though marketed as a slow-burn romance, Takes One to Know One lacks the tension, buildup, and chemistry between the two love interests. As a result, the romance felt underdeveloped and unconvincing. I would have preferred if the narrative had focused more fully on Daniela’s emotional journey, particularly her process of reconnecting with her cultural heritage and grieving the loss of her father, who lived in and cherished Puerto Rico.

I was a little skeptical at first going into this one, but I did end up really enjoying it! This one is very much a slow burn with not much confirmation of the chemistry between Dani and René until deeeeep into the novel, to the point where I wasn’t even sure they had much chemistry😭 I did love seeing the growth for both Dani, her family, and even René and Camila too! It made them feel so grounded and three dimensional, though I do wish we got more details and less of a “here’s a problem, oop, now it’s fixed” kind of thing. I also really enjoyed the narrator in this one bc not only was the pronunciation top tier, but the voices changes for all of these different characters was really good and made it super easy to differentiate each of them!

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.

"Takes One to Know One" was a quick easy romance to listen to while in the middle of a move. Daniela is publicist for a record company assigned to work with a popular reggaeton artist on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico--although she's not a fan of the genre, or the artist actually, Daniela is determined to make the most of this opportunity...and she has a special history with the island herself.

I enjoyed learning about Puerto Rico, the insights into the music industry, and the way the relationship between Daniela and Rene grew was reasonable enough, but I wasn't particularly invested in the characters and the "drama" between them is actually quite dumb and frustrating.

So the romance was lacking, but the atmosphere was the story was intriguing.

Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan. Not a big fan.

Before I dive into this review, I need to say that I do not understand the blurb's comparison to Dirty Dancing at all and I need someone who has read this book and seen the movie to explain to me where that comparison is coming from. Okay, but setting that weirdness aside, Daniela is a control freak. Just putting it bluntly. So this book was really fun to read while also examining the fact that it turns out, so am I. It manifests in different ways between us, for sure, but I found myself disliking Daniela and being like, "Jen, babe, that's you. You're the same." So if you're looking for that level of feeling seen, have I got the book for you! Our male love interest is Rene who is a reggaeton singer who seems to not take life too seriously, but is making Daniela's life a little challenging as she's been given the opportunity to make his album with him as a publicist type situation.

One thing about me is that I love books about music and so I definitely enjoyed that part of this book, as well, although I would have liked a little more. Because this is a single POV romance following Daniela's perspective, we weren't ever in Rene's head getting to see him work through putting lyrics and music down. But I liked all of the glimpses we got of him working on the production of his songs.

This book also deals with Daniela finally working through the grief from her father's death, which she sort of pushed down in order to take care of her mom and sister. I liked the way this book handled the family dynamics as well, because it starts off with Daniela being overbearing and slowly learning to shift the way she relates to her mom and sister. I liked the way that Rene helps Daniela with her grief as well.

Ultimately, this book worked best for me as a women's fiction, Emily Henry or Kennedy Ryan style book and that is what I think the best comparisons would have been to, in my humble opinion. I think if you're a fan of either/both, you should pick this up. The plot is certainly different from any EmHen or Kennedy Ryan book I've read, so please don't think that. Anyway, I say that's how it worked best for me because I actually really felt like I needed Rene's perspective to really understand the romance.

As for the audiobook, I thought Ramona Master did a good job with it. I don't think it's a book you have to read on audio, but it's certainly not one I would steer you away from.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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3.0 stars
I’m not exactly sure why but I couldn’t bring myself to feel invested in this story. I didn’t hate the story but I didn’t love it either, even saying I like it feels a bit of a stretch. I think it would’ve benefitted from being dual POV so we get more insight into René and more focus on the couple’s feelings towards each other. Without it, more of this story centered on Dani, her career, and her grief. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but of course for a romance novel, it’s not the primary thing people come in expecting to read about.

I liked the narration for the effort the narrator put in to reflecting Dani’s personality and the fact that they spoke Spanish. I would recommend listening to the audiobook for sure.

If you’re interested in Puerto Rican culture (the majority of the book takes place in PR), celebrity x regular person romance, grief, and the experiences/struggles of an eldest daughter, I’d recommend this book to you.

I really wanted to like this audiobook, but the characters felt very all over the place and the book stressed me more than I thought it would have over a big lie at the beginning.

Takes One to Know One by Lissette Decos is a quick and engaging listen with a strong character focus. While the start is slow, the story picks up as the main character grows. Initially disconnected from everything except her family and work, she gradually better understands herself and opens up as the story unfolds. Ramona Master’s narration perfectly complements this emotional journey, capturing the nuances of the character’s transformation. A solid debut with a satisfying and relatable arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5 stars)

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this audiobook. All thoughts are my own.
#LissetteDecos #TakesOneToKnowOne #NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia

3.5 stars

Diverse romance
Close proximity
Workplace romance
Slow burn

Main characters:
Rene
Dani

Dani is our FMC. She likes to play it safe. Does not like to step out of her comfort zone. She is like that with family and at her job. She works for a record label. She want be to see her as a dedicated member of the team. She comes off an uptight. So working with a raggaeton musician is outside of her box. It is not her favorite type of music.

Rene of the MMC. He is laid back but serious about his music. He is not happy with Dani. Their first meeting was less than stellar. She didn’t know who he was.

The Romance side of this was slow. The story was more focused on Dani’s growth and her coming to terms with the death of her father and making some hard self discoveries about herself and her relationships.

The audio performance was excellent. The narrators added authenticity to the story. It was easy to imagine the scenes in Puerto Rico. The dancing, the food , and the surrounding areas.

I didn’t know anything about reggaeton. I had to google search it so the book allowed me to educate myself.

The characters

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 4/1
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Takes One to Know One is a slow-burn, musical, closed-door romance as well as women's fiction. This starts off with an enemies to lovers premise and at times has some levels of miscommunication. Dani is a serious no risk-taking kind of girl but jumps on the opportunity to help her record label job with their newest client Rene 'El Rico' Rodriguez. They go to Puerto Rico to record an album and its there that Dani is able to unwind and grow as a character and become true to herself.
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I love enemies to lovers, especially when they make me giggle; this was fantastic for that. I thought that the characters were easy to both love and hate which made them super complex and special. I really appreciated how this book showed the true beauty of cultural heritage and being proud of where you come from and how important that music can be.
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I listened to this via audiobook and the narrator was Ramona Master. She was perfect to play Dani, her accent was perfect, and I really enjoyed it. This is a very easy book to follow just a little bit longer than I usually like for my romances.
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Overall, this was a good romance, it's cute, it has a great plot, and it will keep you interested! It was just a little bit too long for me. Be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Lisette Decos and Dreamscape media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

My God, the perfect romcom exists and it's this book! What a beautiful story! Dani is a protagonist who grows and matures, without losing who she really is. I loved her self-discovery and the courage she had to make the changes she needed and face her fears! The plot about her father and the island was so beautiful and moved me a lot! Lissette's writing is so good! I loved how she didn't use bad words and was so delicate in the romantic scenes. Lissette, I'm your target audience!!!! Guys, what about Rene? He was perfect from start to finish! So loving and so himself! I loved it so much!

Loved this one so much - recommend to anyone who likes a rockstar with a bit of an edge and a strongwilled gal. Follow Dani and Rene on their journey together to grow, overcome grief, and build the careers they both want in their life. Great book - and a quick read. I would love to see a sequel from this sereis - can' t wait to read what's next!

This book is a music filled light-enemies-to-lovers romance set in Puerto Rico's reggaeton scene. We follow Daniela, a music publicist pretending to be a fan of reggaeton in order to get an assignment managing the debut album for music star René "El Rico" Rodriguez. I call this a "light" enemies-to-lovers novel as they definitely did not start out on the right foot, but I never really felt like they despised each other either - they were just pushing each other's buttons a bit trying to feel each other out.

They grow closer as they work on a documentary of this debut album in Puerto Rico. René makes it a mission to help Daniela experience Puerto Rico for the first time, helping her fall in love with PR and him very quickly. Daniela also learns that René isn't quite the "El Rico" portrayal he puts out there for the world.

I really enjoyed this book for the romance, the setting, the themes, and the characters. I love a romance book where the main characters are also human dealing with the complexities of life. Themes of this book include self-discovery, grief, cultural identity, and learning to let go. I could always imagine the beautiful setting, imagine the foods they were tasting, the smell of the air, and the music to dance to.

This book is a perfect blend of romance and personal growth, enriched by its cultural setting and musical backdrop. I would definitely recommend this for those seeking a story that balances emotional depth with the vibrancy of Puerto Rican culture.

A fun read that is a refreshing new take on celebrity romance! A reggaeton artist x a record label exec, a beautiful island as the settng, and underlying themes of family, cultural identity, grief, and music. Good for fans of bad bunny! No spice though

Lissette Decos delivers a heartfelt debut with Takes One to Know One. This story feels like a love letter to family, music, and culture. Readers are transported to Puerto Rico, not just in setting but in soul. The rhythms of reggaetón pulse through the pages, offering a vibrant, behind-the-scenes look at the genre and the culture it emerges from. At its core, this novel explores the emotional weight of being the eldest sister—the responsibility, the guilt, the love that often goes unsaid.

I adored this book for its heart. It doesn't shy away from the hard parts of life, especially when you're the one everyone depends on, but it also celebrates joy, resilience, and taking a chance. A beautiful, moving read that reminds us how much our roots, our rhythm, and our people shape who we are.

If you’re a Bad Bunny fan I need you to pick up Takes One To Know One ASAP!

A scandal-ridden musician clashes with the buttoned-up label rep sent to clean up his reputation in this angsty enemies-to-lovers rom-com set in Puerto Rico.

I can tell you hands down I’ve never read a book like this…reggaeton bad boy yet cinnamon roll hero meets strait laced music executive?!?! Yes puhlease! Not only does this book give you romance but it incorporates culture, family and self discovery. One of the things I love about reading is how it transports you to other places. Decos’ writing definitely made me feel like I was on the beaches of Puerto Rico 😎🏖️ and don’t even get me started on how tasty the food sounds. This book is definitely a great summer vacation read!

this was such a fun story!!! i loved the setting and how we got to explore different parts of puerto rico with the characters. i’m such a huge bad bunny fan and i know that played into this very much so i thought was a good twist of real life and fiction. the plot of this was interesting and i enjoyed learning about dani’s background, her grief regarding her father, and her desire to connect with him and their roots. i also liked getting to know more about el rico and what type of person he really was. technically this is classified as a romance but i would say it’s more contemporary fiction with a romance subplot. rene and dani have a very slow burn that really only comes to fruition at the end. i think the book is so much more about confidence, finding yourself, culture, etc. than it is about the relationship.

at times i found dani to be a bit difficult as a character — she definitely lived in her head but she also was so bad about jumping to conclusions and then assuming that there was no alternative. i think that definitely made for some moments of miscommunication. i also think rene sometimes was really weird with how he acted toward her from one moment to the next, cold to compassionate in the same beat. however, i enjoyed them overall and think they both experienced a lot of character development/growth throughout the book.

i listened to this on audio and thought ramona master did a great job narrating. she had a lot of emotion at all the right times and i loved her very latin american pronunciation of all the spanish phrases.

thank you dreamscape media for the ALC!