4 1/2 STARS

I loved this book. The romance is so hot, which is always a plus for me, of course. But I also loved seeing this rich community, combined with insightful comments about society and race and all that. Truly, the author had me at "food trucker owner and librarian". :) I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

DNF @43%

I was looking forward to this as I love books about chefs/bakers/etc. Unfortunately it did not work for me. (although the food descriptions were define)

The main characters had great chemistry and I enjoyed that aspect but I didn't care for anything else. The "villain" was so over the top she was like a caricature. I also wasn't buying her motivation for being so evil.

This was a sledgehammer of social justice preaching. I'm not a fan of social justice warrioring in my books but I understand that is a personal preference and that many people do like it. If an author is going to try to educate the reader though, then I expect it to be skillfully woven into the plot. This was done with characters monologueing. Lot's of lecturing. I hate when authors don't have faith in their readers. I'm not stupid. I can understand without you banging me over the head with it. Repeatedly. In this case the preaching and lecturing over shadowed the romance. I'm not reading books for that. I'm a social worker in real life. I know all about the issues in our society. I'm reading for the romance. Throw in a bit of preaching and I can roll with it but when the romance comes secondary then I'm out.

I've seen a few reviews saying this author has a "fresh voice". Unfortunately that's not true if you've ever read a Santino Hassell book. These characters were all repeatedly "thirsty", "salty", "extra" and there are a few "fuck boys". This is probably 1000% unfair to this author but it's giving me SH vibes and that makes it a not good thing for me.

So......sadly this author is not going to be for me. I'm bummed because I was especially looking forward to the next book where the MC is a social worker. I personally didn't think the writing was very good but maybe that's just me. Check out some of the other reviews before making a decision.


**ARC pr0vided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This book is reviewed by Will & Jeff in episode 179 (March 11 2019) of the "Big Gay Fiction Podcast" at the 4:10 mark. Here's the text of the review:

This book could’ve easily been titled ‘The Food Truck Chef and the Librarian’, if that doesn’t automatically make you want to one-click this book, then you might as well keep on moving – because nothing I’m about to say is going to convince you to try this phenomenal romance.
Nesto is the food truck owner — who has relocated his business from NYC to upstate NY. He pours every ounce of his passion into the Afro-Caribbean food he serves, until that is, certain other passions are stirred by Jude, the librarian of the story.
Their attraction is instant, and their chemistry is obvious to everyone around them. But our heroes take things relatively slow, despite well- meaning nudging from friends and family.
You see, not only are they passionate about one another, Nesto is determined to make his business a success, and Jude is focused on getting funding for a county-wide bookmobile project.
They have lives beyond the romantic story arc of the book.
Hoity-toity literary snobs would call Nesto and Jude “dimensional characters” because they have depth. All I know is that I care about them because they are real to me, in my heart and in my mind. It’s something that goes beyond words on a page.
Several times throughout the story, life throws various obstacles in their path, but every time they rise to the occasion.
It would take a scene-by-scene breakdown of the entire story for me to explain how much I loved Nesto and Jude – and how they, through their actions, overcome their obstacles (both romantic and business related).
It’s one thing for an author to tell us a character is romantic or heroic — it’s another thing entirely when we’re shown that romance, that heroism, in the action that occurs in the story.
Nesto and Jude are good men. We know this because we experience it time and again in the book and we root for them because of it.
A member of Jude’s estranged family is gravely ill and reaches out to him. Jude gives this person a second chance (though they soooo don’t deserve it) and he is inevitably let down by them.
Jude is emotionally devastated by this and Nesto is not there for him, even though he promised he would be.
Up until this point I felt Nesto was the living embodiment of the perfect boyfriend, but when he badly screws things up – not maliciously or on purpose – he screws up because he’s human, which made me love him even more (as if that were even possible).
But Nesto isn’t going to give up without a fight, and comes up with a swoon-worthy grand gesture to win back Jude.
It’s a really fucking good one, by the way, and our heroes achieve their final (and very well deserved) happily ever after.
I want to recommend episode 341 of Smart Podcast Trashy Books. Sarah Wendell has a terrific interview with author Adriana Herrera and they talk about all sorts of things including the food featured in the book, writing diverse characters, and how her job as a social worker influences the way she looks at romance in the books she reads and writes. It’s really fascinating stuff and I suggest everyone check it out.
I also want to quickly recommend the audiobook of American Dreamer as read by Sean Crisden. He’s one of my absolute favorite narrators and he does an exceptional job with this book, especially the various dialects of the ethnically diverse cast of characters.
If you want to read a kick-ass debut novel, get this book.
If you crave genuine diversity in romance, get this book.
If you want likeable, relatable heroes to fall in love with, get this book.
A couple of additional points from Jeff:
Adriana’s cast of supporting characters was incredible. Nesto’s crew of tight friends that helped him realize his food truck dream also kicked him in the butt when he didn’t move forward with Jude. And Jude’s bff also nudged him in the right direction. Speaking of friends, American Fairytale, coming in May, focuses on his Nesto’s friend Milo and I’m looking forward to that.
Adriana taps into current events as Nesto faces prejudice from one of Ithaca’s prominent citizens. These are uncomfortable scenes that highlight some of the terrible ways persons of color are harassed. Nesto’s high road approach was in line with his character for sure, but I was with Jude and really wanted to go off on the evil woman.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Oh. Wow! The food in this book made me so hungry! This is the story of Nesto and his quest to bring authentic Caribbean food to a small town in New York State. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Nesto is determined to make his food truck work as a business. Jude is a distraction Nesto can’t really afford. Jude is almost as skittish as Nesto when it comes to relationships so the connection between them is a sweet slow burn.

Nesto is both wonderful and infuriating. I love his passion but working so hard towards the success part of the American dream, he completely neglects the pursuit of happiness bit. Thankfully his mum and his friends are able to rein him in a bit. While Nesto is pretty much an open book, it takes time before readers start to understand the reasons behind Jude’s slightly odd behaviour. Jude’s story is heartbreaking, and it is impossible not to love him.

I love Nesto and Jude’s family and friends almost as much as I love the two men. Nesto has a wonderful family and a tight circle of close friends that are as entertaining as they are supportive. Jude’s circle is much smaller and his relationship with his family is very difficult. I love the way he is swept into the warmth of Nesto’s world.

This is a timely book that reflects and questions the experience of immigrants in today’s America. And while everyone seems to be talking about immigration, I’m not sure we actually hear immigrant voices tell their own stories very often. So while this is a sweet story about the relationship between two very ordinary men, I love that this story adds fresh voices to a genre that is far too white and far too privileged.

American Dreamer was not on my radar until I came across it on NetGalley. I'm so glad I requested it because I've found a new author whose writing I really enjoy. American Dreamer was such a satisfying romantic read in every sense of the word.

The book starts off with our hero Nesto and his food truck moving from NYC to upstate NY in order to chase after his dreams of opening a restaurant. Nesto was a very well-rounded and familiar character. I found him to be charming, familiar and endearing. Nesto was a hard-worker and was absolutely 100% passionate and his passion truly came through American Dreamer. Adriana Herrera does a beautiful job with all the layers to Nesto's personality. I especially loved how rooted to his Dominican side he was. It was lovely and heartwrenching at times reading about the immigrant experience. I don't think many people realize the utmost courage it takes to leave behind your home to build new opportunities for yourself in a foreign country. Adriana captured that with Nesto and his family's experience. Besides that, I loved the focus on Nesto's dreams in this book. He is ready to sweat to achieve his goals and we certainly see him thrive in this book. It warmed my heart to read all about his ambitions and oh my goodness, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention just how amazing his Afro-Carribean food sounded. The food descriptions had my mouth watering and gave me a foodgasm. You should definitely have something to munch on while you read American Dreamer!

Nesto is paired up with an adorable librarian, Jude, who I found to be equally charming and passionate. Jude was a bit more introverted and reserved when it came to relationships, but he was a fantastic guy. I loved how dedicated he was to his job, particularly to his proposal of funding a mobile library to reach teenagers in rural areas. As a gay man, he knew the importance that books could hold to kids. He sparked as a character, so learning about his family's unacceptance of his sexuality was so heartbreaking. I was so angry and hurt on his behalf. Unfortunately, this is still the reality for some. I was glad that Jude at least had people who supported him in his new life. I was even gladder when he and Nesto hit it up. These two were adorable together! The progression of their relationship was very sweet. We get to see them slowly open up to each other about their dreams and vulnerabilities. Throughout it all, their chemistry was palpable. Nesto and Jude are without a doubt a favorite fictional couple of mine. American Dreamer also had a fantastic secondary cast (with the exception of racist Meddling Misty - ugh!) - I adored Nesto's family and his best friends back in NYC who kept in touch with him.

American Dreamer was a story that offered more than just a love story. It's also a story of family, culture, and dreams. I can't recommend this fantastic debut enough!

Tw: discussion of deaths from cancer and homophobia

American Dreamer showed a lot of promise as a story. The cultural aspects are the story are well done and absolutely amazing. The different foods that Nesto cooks for the food truck had me craving to find the nearest open Dominican restaurant. I really enjoyed the initial build up of the story with Nesto going to Ithaca the support he got from his friends and his family. That he hired queer poc refugees to work the food truck. This story had so many elements that hit every one of boxes. It has great representation of afro Caribbean characters, culture, food and language.

Nesto and Jude showed a lot of promise together in the beginning. I adored them both both but I have a soft spot for Jude the queer librarian who just wants to run a book mobile to get to under privileged and under resourced children in the county. I was rooting so hard for the both of them against the likes of Misty who deserved to be shoved into a volcano.

But ultimately it is the second half of the book that derails everything for me completely. I will be upfront and say I do not enjoy cancer plotlines at all. Especially when it involves the death of a female mother figure character. I have lost personally in the last 5 years 5 important women in my life including my own mother and am extemely sensitive to these sort of plots. I do not especially in an arc enjoying being blindsided by lack of content warnings.

That aside when we find out that Jude's homophobic evangelical sister is dying of metastatic cancer that has returned i expected more from Nesto. Yes they haven't known each other long. Yes he has his food truck to run and then the restaurant to run. He wants to accomplish his dream which is incredibly important i am not denying that. But when Jude learns the news and is trying to tell Nesto clearly distraught Nesto blows him off before he can say anything. Yes he does apologize for this but it set my heart on edge.

Every single scene with Jude's sister is incredibly painful to read especially because Jude's grief is not given enough space to breathe. We are already at 60% into the book by the time this all occurs and to give space to both Nesto trying to complete his goal and for Jude to find space to grieve does not work. Jude's family arc isn't even of reconciliation because how can you reconcile with your sister who ambushes you on your last visit with the hell fire preacher who made your life a living hell to get you to repent for being gay. So that she can die knowing that you are saved. To be confronted by the brother who also hates him. There isn't enough emotional support given even from his sisters husband Jesse. Judes entire plot is not given enough time.

Then when it comes to him trying to speak to Nesto after his last visit to his sister Nesto both forgets and blows Jude off on the phone again. Resulting in the break which in my opinion required more time than was given for them to actually make up. Nesto realizes he fucked up everyone tells him, he knows. But Jude does not have the energy or strength to be blown off again when he has already asked from Nesto for so little. He has supported Nesto so much but the return is not equal. And it remains unequal.

The epilogue is a time jump in which they get back together which does not work narratively because I want to see them work through their problems better. I want to see that year of Jude grieving his sister and Nesto supporting him. I did not get that and ultimately that leaves me sad and angry. I could not root for their HEA because when they break off at 80% there isn't enough time to see why they should go back together we are not given that time. We are not give. time for Jude to grieve for Nesto to find that work life balance and that is sad. 

In the end the first 60% fantastic but the last 40% does not work structurally or narratively for me

There are many, many delicious things about this book. Of course, going in you know that this is gonna be a foodie romance, but more, Herrera gives us complex and loveable characters we root for, whose chemistry is well drawn and super sexy.

Honestly, I don’t even think you have to be a foodie romance person to appreciate the a-ma-zing descriptions of Nesto’s food. Herrera makes the food jump off the page; I honestly mourn for the lack of Afro-Carribean food in my life. I loved this aspect of the story. I loved how important Nesto’s connection to his culture through food was; this resonated deeply with me, because food culture was so important for me growing up. I’ve lost most of the Latinx side of my family and it’s through food that I honestly feel the most connected to my roots. Diving into this with Nesto and Jude was like a kind of coming home.

There are some really well drawn aspects of the book. Nesto’s reticence to allow others to step in and help him in the face of a *challenge* (ahem awful person) that I don’t want to spoil for the reader is so, so very poignant. The desire to fight one’s own battles, particularly when you’re standing on ground as a POC, is really important. Nesto doesn’t want to be saved, and more importantly, Herrera really makes clear what it feels like to occupy a space as a POC that others who aren’t will never understand. Sympathize with, yes. Objectively see happening, yes. But one that fundamentally you cannot understand if you haven’t lived it. We are confronted with this lived reality through Nesto’s experience, which I really want to thank Herrera for.

Jude is, in my opinion, a delightfully frustrating and loveable character. I really appreciated his passion for his work and project. I loved the tensions Herrera creates between his desires and hopes and the fears that hold him back. He’s sassy and sweet and I kinda just wanted to cuddle with him in his presence.

I LOVED the family and friend community of this book. I love the ways in which Herrera draws these real, life long friends as family connections. The ways in which Nesto’s friends in particular occupy special places in his life: people who will help you no matter what, who step up for you, who will give you tough love when you need it, laughter when it’s necessary, and the kind of support that is unquestionably through everything.

That said, there were times when I became a little frustrated with Jude and Nesto’s back and forth relationship. Initially, the tension between them was delicious and created a beautiful chemistry. I was on the edge of a metaphorical seat as they found a way to each other. After a time though, I felt like the continued back and forth became a little frustrating. I’m not sure if this is just because it was drawn through so much of the book, or if because sometimes there were jarring transitions between time gaps. Sometimes I had to go back to re-read a few paragraphs because the book would jump forward in time and I felt like I’d missed some important steps or connections in their story.

Honestly, those aren’t huge problems, more like quibbles. Herrera creates a world so rich in this book that I cannot imagine a reader not waiting with bated breath for the next book. I cared so much for all of these characters, I am thrilled that this is a series. This book, and series, feel so, so important to me as a fantastic, honest, well-drawn and complex representation of Latinx romance written by a Latinx author. I cannot wait to jump back into this world.

You know what’s great about this book? How realistic it feels.

Nesto and Jude are two regular guys. Dominican immigrant Nesto is the dreamer of the title, and he’s taking a chance on moving his Afro-Caribbean food truck out of NYC to upstate Ithaca in the hopes of fulfilling all his ambitions. There he meets gringo Jude, a librarian who also has a dream that involves starting a mobile library to take books to the kids in the more rural parts of the county. Nesto is outgoing and flirty, and Jude is shy and sweet, and though the two would seem to have little in common, they can’t deny the attraction between them. But their relationship isn’t smooth sailing—Jude has been hurt by people he loves in the past, and Nesto’s drive for success distracts him from supporting Jude when he needs it most.

It’s kind of refreshing to read a romance novel so rooted in reality. No added drama—just two men trying to make their relationship work in spite of complications that can happen to anyone, like a lack of time and failing to communicate with each other. The romance that develops between Nesto and Jude is sweet and, like Nesto’s food, sometimes a little spicy.

The book also highlights the immigrant experience in the US. Nesto feels like he has to succeed, has to achieve the dream that brought his family to America. And he has to do it in an environment that isn’t always welcoming to immigrants, especially people of color, something Herrera doesn’t shy away from discussing.

Like Jude, I am a blanquita, and I really appreciated getting to be a part of Nesto’s community. The author does a terrific job detailing Nesto’s relationships with his family and friends, all of whom are complete characters in themselves. (Their conversations gave my high school Spanish a workout, too.)

Oh, and anyone who considers themselves a foodie should give this book a try. It includes lots of loving descriptions of Nesto’s creations. I am NOT a foodie, and it made me want to go out and find some Afro-Caribbean deliciousness for myself!

In short: ¡mi gusta!

Content warnings: [racism, homophobia, sickness and death of a family member from cancer, religious abuse (hide spoiler)]

OK, first off – if you love food romances, this is completely the book for you. It’s ownvoices for Dominican rep, and the amount of delicious Caribbean food is incredible. But, besides the food, this is a lovely romance with the perfect amount of angst!

“Dude, can you be at least a little sympathetic? This is a big fucking deal for me. I’m moving out of New York City, my home since I was six years old, to try and get a food truck business going upstate.”
I reached over for another container and huffed in exasperation. “If I had a beard and a man bun I’d be a cancelled show on Food Network.”


Nesto’s passion for the Afro-Caribbean flavors of his food truck, OuNYe, may be boundless, but his dream is running out. Faced with stiff competition in New York City, he agrees to give himself six months in Ithaca, at his mother’s urging, before giving up his dream. Even in the upstate college town, though, he knows he’ll need to work hard to make his dream a reality, and the last thing he has time for is any distractions – even if it’s a cute librarian who drops cheesy pickup lines in Spanish. Jude has his own dreams – a bookmobile to reach youth in rural areas – and, still smarting from previous rejections, romantic and otherwise, doesn’t want to risk heartbreak again. But when they keep running into each other around town, maybe they could just be friends? (HAHA, no, you know where this goes!) The pressures against OuNYe are more than just financial, however, and will the success that would keep him in Ithaca with Jude also be what drives them apart?

“There it is. I’m going to make it my mission to keep you smiling, neighbor.”
“I thought your mission was getting your business to be a success.”
He looked serious for a moment, then whispered, “I told you, I adapt.”


I loved both main characters, though for different reasons. Nesto is incredibly driven, often to the detriment of his relationships with others, including Jude. A lot of his hesitancy towards their relationship is that he thinks Jude will be a distraction towards him realizing his dreams. Jude, due to his experience being basically shunned after coming out to his extremely conservatively religious family and then being dumped by the guy he came out to them for, doesn’t believe he’s enough for anyone to want to stick around for. When he realizes his attraction to Nesto, he does his best to put the breaks on the possible relationship immediately, scared of having his heart broken again. Irregardless of how either man feels about a relationship, they can’t resist the need to see each other again, and they’re by turns sweet, sarcastic, and downright salty with each other. I loved the growth of their relationship, how hard they fought it and tried to convince themselves there was no relationship, even if their actions said otherwise. When one of them screws up, though, they screw up hard, but it’s followed by the absolute perfect example of groveling.

“En serio, m’ijo, don’t get so focused on the truck you forget to live your life. You can have some balance.” She bumped my shoulder as I tried to grab something from the shelf behind her.
“You forget sometimes, papí. You’re such a good man, so serious and hardworking, but you also need some love. Someone to carry the burdens with you. Don’t be like me, sweetheart.”


I also loved the secondary characters! Nesto’s mom is so amazingly supportive, and she and Nesto’s friends from NYC really made the book for me. So often it feels like the MC’s best friends are just in there as sequel bait, but they were an important part of the story. Jude’s extremely conservative religious family was a huge contrast, both in terms of support and as well-fleshed out characters. There just wasn’t much to them other than their bigotry. Misty, the white lady who’s sole purpose in life seemed to be being racist, was also a bit of a caricature but more believable. She’s the main villain of the story, and the different ways Nesto and Jude handled her were an insightful view into the differences between how white people and people of color handle people abusing their power. As for cons, my main issue was with the pacing. While the beginning and ending chugged along well, the middle felt uneven, with a few weeks skipped with seemingly no change to their relationship.

Overall, I loved this book, and I’m very much looking forward to American Dreamer, the second book in the series, which will feature one of Nesto’s friends. Highly recommended!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

American Dreamer By Adriana Herrera
Dreamers #1

Nesto has a dream. He already has one successful food truck in New York city but feels it is time to branch out and try his luck building his business so off he heads to Ithaca to give it his all. He is focused on his goals and really has no time for romance. But, what’s a guy to do when the perfect guy appears in his life...not once...but again and again?

Jude works hard and has dreams of his own. His dream is to provide those not near enough to lending libraries mobile libraries that will come to their neighborhoods. He is fighting hard to get his proposal passed and doesn’t have time, energy or trust enough for romance. But, what’s a guy to do when the man who seems to fill all of his dreams practically drops in his lap?

This feels like it will appeal to the New Adult reader. It has the friends of the men to support them, a family that does and one that does not support them, religious drama from one family, the nasty person causing problems for both of them, someone dying and feelings to deal with, a situation that keeps them apart for awhile and eventually a happily ever after for both of them.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

I will say that I believe this author will grow as she writes and gets feedback. This is her first novel and she has tackled some very big issues. There were times I thought – Really? - but then I thought – Maybe? I did like both men and really would like to get to know more about Nesto’s friends and the men he hired to work for him. In some ways this is more of a fairy tale with the wicked witch and the fairy godfather but it is one that I am sure many would like to have come true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

there is so much i love about american dreamer. 1) it's got some serious latinx cred. the author is of dominican descent and so is the main character, but all the islands of the greater antilles are represented. haiti, cuba, and puerto rico, with a hint of jamaica. listen, it's all good. 2) there's lots of food. food i grew up with. food that represents my culture and had my stomach growling. 3) it also takes place in the southern tier. (the southern what? you ask. yeah i live and work in the southern tier of new york. the tompkins county public library is a weekly stop for my family as that is where we take some community spanish lessons. there's something just fun about reading a book set in a place where you live.)

i also just love nesto and jude. their story is so sweet. i love how their relationship builds and while yes it starts out from a place of intense attraction, they also develop this really beautiful friendship and it makes everything so meaningful and deep.

my only nitpick was about the spanish in the arc, and whoever put those accents in, it was so wrong. like so wrong. and okay, that's a copyediting issue i really hope is fixed in the final copy, but it really drove me crazy. spanish is my second language, but i'm fully fluent and bilingual. and writing was one of those pieces that came last, so i remember the rules really well. and i work really hard to maintain my fluency, especially living among gringos and in a world where autocorrect means you don't have to think so hard about what you are writing. so those misplaced or missing accents did really mess with me because it literally changes how you would say the word and its meaning at times.

but besides that, there's so much to love about this book.

**american dreamer will publish on march 4, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

You know that you’re reading a good book when the food descriptions make you hungry. So warning, don’t read this on a empty stomach. I really enjoyed reading about Nesto’s dream of bringing afro-caribbean food to New York, I think that it makes you appreciate the immigrant struggle. I think Nesto’s perseverance and close bonds with his fellow caribbean brothers were the best parts of this story. I also loved the “villain” of the story because I thought she was, unfortunately, very realistic. Bigotry is still rampant and only very thinly veiled and I felt like the antagonist character embodied this perfectly.

I was less of a fan of Jude’s character but I still enjoyed the romance between him and Nesto. Jude is a very vulnerable person and needs a lot of TLC to break his shell. Nesto was up to the task and that was adorable to read. I wish Jude would have been as caring about Nesto as Nesto was to him but not every relationship, even those in books, can be perfect.

I do highly recommend this book though. Especially to those that are looking to read books with MCs that are POC. It looks like this book is the start of a new series and I’m definitely looking forward to any follow up by this author.

Do you ever finish a book and just want to hug it to your chest because you’re speechless with love for it? Well, that’s how I felt when I finished reading American Dreamer. That it’s a debut makes it all the more impressive. Herrera is such a welcome voice in the romance world.

Ernesto is a first generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. He moves from NYC, where he’s lived for 27 years, to Ithaca where his mother and younger sister now live in order to make a real go of his Afro-Caribbean food truck business, OuNYe. He’s giving himself six months to turn his side hustle into a success.

Jude is a white youth services librarian. He lives a mostly quiet life as he’s still processing the pain of being cut off by his family for being gay. He doesn’t trust people to be there for him or for relationships to go anywhere. Instead, he’s focused on getting funding for a library bookmobile, as a way of getting services to children and teens in more rural areas. The library truck will help fill in the gaps of what those smaller town libraries can provide. This is especially important to Jude because he learned to love himself in part because of his library.

You may not want to read this on an empty stomach because it’s guaranteed to make you hungry. It’s not just that the food sounds amazing. It’s what the food means to Nesto and his friends and family. How it’s a way of maintaining their cultural roots and it’s a way of nourishing their community in the US. I could not get enough of his philosophy behind the restaurant and what he served in OuNYe, as well as the meals he’d make for Jude.

Nesto and Jude were so sweet together. I loved the uncertainty despite their clear attraction to one another. Nesto doesn’t want to be distracted from the food truck and Jude doesn’t want to be hurt again. And yet they really like each other and so a slow exploration of a relationship begins. The pace was so true to who these men are and respectful of Jude’s fear of being discarded by the person he loves. When they finally do take the next step, it was magical.

The author’s social service background really came through in a variety of details, such as Nesto hiring employees from a local nonprofit which helps refugees and immigrants with job placement, and that deepened my enjoyment. It was such a holistic development of the characters and world. It shines as an #ownvoices Latinx story by focusing on a variety of backgrounds through Nesto’s family and friends and highlighting the immigrant experience and what it’s like during this political climate.

The characters faced difficult things but they persevered and still chose each other. The grand gesture at the end was amazing. This is the kind of book that restores your faith in humanity. This is bound to be one of my favorite romance novels of 2019.

CW: racism and xenophobia (this is countered), religious homophobia (including a scene where a pastor tries to make the gay character “repent”), family cutting ties due to religious homophobia, cancer/death of a family member, grief, use of the word “spaz” (this may only have been in the ARC; the author is aware it is ableist language and it was flagged to be removed during final revisions)

A beautiful story about chasing the American dream and finding acceptance and love after trauma. Also loved seeing a great cast of POC. Yay!

Great first book by a new author!

It was kind of appropriate that I read this book while on a cruise in the Caribbean. I enjoyed the story very much and found it to be very entertaining as well as educational.

My frustration while reading this was not the author's fault at all; it's just one of my little quirks. I hate it when I'm reading a story and can't figure out how to pronounce unfamiliar words. Normally I would just look things up (one of the reasons I love reading ebooks is how easy it is to do this) however, I didn't have Internet access while on the cruise so I just tried to take the words I didn't quite understand in context and not let it bother me.

I'm a horribly picky eater (I'm not good at trying new things) so the food aspects of the story didn't really cause me to salivate like it did some readers but this didn't matter or affect my enjoyment of the story. What mattered to me were the words and the story; both were great.

I loved Nesto and Jude together and thought the challenges they had in maintaining their relationship were very realistic. It's not easy to recognize when you're devoting too much time to business and not enough time to your personal relationships.

There was a great cast of supporting characters, Nesto's friends in particular, and I'm delighted to learn that they will be getting books of their own. I really liked American Dreamer a lot and look forward to reading more books by this new author.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** http://www.xtreme-delusions.com/ (posting on 3/4/19)

I was already impressed by this great read from this new to me author. Now I realize this is her debut novel and I am blown away. Her characters are memorable, real, and deep while the storyline is unique, fresh, and fun. Her writing style is very descriptive and since this story is about Nesto, the owner/operator of a food truck, you will walk away from this book hungry and craving Caribbean fare. I really enjoyed the nice slow build romance between Nesto and Jude. Overall this is a fantastic M/M contemporary romance that will have you smiling and cheering for all these incredible characters. I highly recommend this one.

3.5 Stars

Get ready to salivate over some really yummy-sounding dish in Adriana Herrera’s upcoming release, “American Dreamer” - the first installment to her brand new series which centered around four best-friends.

This book introduced us to Nesto Vasquez who left NYC to start his Afro-Carribean food truck at Ithaca, a college town in Upstate New York (I wouldn’t even try to list down the dish his food truck served, they sound so delish!!). His biggest distraction came in the form of Jude Fuller, one of the directors at the county public library. But they mashed beautifully despite of (or more aptly because of) the differences between them; and despite obstacles, it didn’t take long for the men to give everything to make things go right for each other.

Yummy food aside, “American Dreamer” is an interesting read, whisking together playful and profound moments, steamy and emotional, with a pair of arresting MCs at the center of it. The plot not only revolved on romance between Jude and Nesto, but also touched on quite a number of issues such as bigotry, family, privilege, and abuse of power, which are so relevant to present-day situation. This made the book enjoyable as well as serving as food for thought.

That said, I felt Jude and Nesto’s romance to be a bit disconnected. Perhaps it’s the many issues hurdling at both men made the relationship development taking a step back to make room for other problems. Even their alternate POVs which include either Jude or Nesto’s thought and feeling toward one another left me feeling there’s a lack of oomph there. But hey, perhaps that’s the point the author wanted to make: how the (professional) priority could get in the way of things! On another note, I especially loved the intimate relationship between Nesto and his extended family (that included the best friends); even if I struggled over the Spanish lines thrown so cassually here and there in this book. :) Personally I’d prefer there’d be some sort of glossaries or - idk - translation(?) of the Spanish lines for non-speaker like me.

For a newbie to Herrera’s writings, “American Dreamer” really sold me to look up more of her works. That includes the next books in the series that would tell each of Nesto’s best friends’s stories. I’m not gonna miss it for the world!


Advanced copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My new favorite m/m romance! Herrera NAILED what so many writers try and fail to do - build a deep and satisfying love story within the context of our complex and difficult racially charged country. This story is about love, of course, but it's just as much about being Dominican in the US and being gay in the US and being in a mixed-race relationship in the US. But Herrera did an excellent job of showing just how woven together those things are, and not portraying them as flatly difficult, as so many books do. Being Dominican is amazing, loving a man is amazing, having to work hard to overcome prejudice can be amazing too, in Nesto's world. The struggles Nesto faced were raw, and real, but the whole book wasn't about struggle. The white characters in the book weren't all villains (but one certainly was) and while there was definitely homophobia from some characters, it was fought hard. I'm a white woman who can't possibly review this on an #ownvoices level, but having read enough in this genre and enough other rave reviews, I know that this book is a winner in so many ways. I also know I probably didn't write this review in a way that truly conveys the heart of the story, so please just read it yourself!
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What can I say? Give me a m/m romance with one of the love interests being a food truck owner and one being a librarian and write it so eloquently that I can't put it down - I'm obsessed. I already preordered book 2 in this series, "American Fairytale"! This one releases on March 4, 2019 from Carina - get your hands on it as soon as you can!

A lovely debut from Adriana Herrera. She's definitely an author to watch. Nesto and Jude are wonderful, memorable characters. Their personalities and backstories are so rich, and the build of their relationship felt true.

I know some people like going into books blind, so I'll put content warnings below in spoiler tags. I highly recommend you read them if you don't mind being spoiled for plot points that occur toward the end:
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SPOILER STARTS
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[CW: cancer/death of family member; anti-immigrant actions and racist sentiments from a secondary character; explicit and painful interactions with homophobic family members; attempt to make gay protagonist "repent" with aid of priest.
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SPOILER ENDS
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Before I start rambling (I'm so terrible at review organization, so apologies in advance!), I do have one piece of advice:

Do not start reading this book if you're hungry. Hell, even if you're not hungry, make sure you have food close at hand because this book will make you hungry again. If you're lucky enough to have access to Afro-Caribbean food (or know how to cook it), then you should definitely procure some. Unlike the fictional Ithaca, the real Ithaca sadly does not have any Afro-Caribbean cuisine and my cooking ability is limited to boiling pasta. I was unfamiliar with most of the food that Nesto cooks, but that didn't stop me from craving it anyway. You have been warned.

I was really excited to receive an ARC for this book because 1) I currently live in Ithaca, NY and the book is set in Ithaca, b) it's a food truck romance, c) I'm a first gen Indian immigrant to the US and I'm always interested in protagonists who are also first gen immigrants, and d) I first heard of the author in an episode of the Fated Mates podcast, and I've been super interested in this book ever since. Having high expectations can be a double-edged sword sometimes - if I dislike the book, it makes the disappointment so much more painful. And in this case, I was doubly nervous because I was afraid that the portrayal of Ithaca wouldn't feel accurate. Thankfully, the book exceeded my expectations and I loved it.

The Premise:

Ernesto Vasquez is a first generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic and has lived in NYC for the past twenty-seven years. After years of working a full-time job and going to culinary school on the weekends, he's finally ready to risk it all for his dream: operate an Afro-Caribbean food truck in upstate NY (where his mom and younger sister currently live), with the hope of owning a restaurant someday.

For Nesto, the food truck isn't just his job - it's his opportunity for financial stability, the merging of his American and Afro-Caribbean identity, and the culmination of all the hopes and dreams nursed by every first generation immigrant. The book is titled American Dreamer for a reason. As someone with very close ties to India, I completely understand and connect to Nesto's identification with the Dominican Republic. He may have only lived in the DR for six years, but those years left an imprint that he wears with pride and joy.


“Emblazoned on the back was the logo for my business, OuNYe, Afro-Caribbean Food in huge bold black font on a red background. The black and red contrasted with the flags of the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica painted over the entire truck.

To name my business, I used a word from the Yoruba language. Which had been spoken all over the Caribbean by our ancestors, the West Africans who were brought there as slaves. Ounje is the Yoruba word for nourishment, and I’d decided to play a bit with things and put the NY right at the center.”


OuNYe is everything to Nesto. He's given himself a goal: make the business into a success in six months. If it is, the food truck business will have proven to be viable, and he can keep operating the truck in Ithaca. He's moved upstate with the sole goal to concentrate on his business. Unfortunately for Nesto (or fortunately, as it turns out), that plan didn't account for Jude Walker, sexy librarian and devoted NPR listener.

Jude Walker is the Youth Services Director of the Tompkins County Public Library. He's emotionally guarded and careful with relationships - and for good reason, too. Jude grew up in an extremely conservative/religious family and remained closeted for a long time. When he finally came out to his family, they disowned him and he hasn't had contact with them ever since. He's had relationships since, but nothing too serious because he's terrified of opening to his heart to love (and the pain and disappointment that inevitably follow love). Instead, he's thrown his heart into his career and is working toward his dream project: a mobile library project to help provide books to the more rural parts of the county. Nesto isn't the only one with a dream in this book.


“The idea is to get books and other services from the library to children and teens who are out in the more rural parts of the county. Our library is amazing, and there are very nice smaller ones in most of the towns, but we still have gaps in what kids can get out there. There’s also the issue of the libraries being run by people from the towns... [redacted text] ... Checking out a book about something taboo or potentially embarrassing in a library where the entire staff know your parents can be a big barrier for kids in vulnerable situations. We just have a lot more to offer here in the big library. My hope is to make what we have in town available to all the young people in the county.”


Like Nesto's dream, Jude's mobile library project is more than just a job. As a gay kid living in rural upstate NY, the library was a haven for Jude. He would escape into other worlds and felt comfort in knowing that the world was a much larger place than his small town. Jude wants to provide that haven to the kids of Tompkins County because he knows just how much reading can change the trajectory of someone's life.

American Dreamer is a story about two thoroughly good people who fall in love. Surprisingly enough, this isn't always a given in romance. I rooted for them, both individually in their dreams and together in their relationship. Regarding the romantic element: the sparks literally fly off the page from their first encounter. By the time Jude officially introduces himself to Nesto during his lunch break, they've progressed to actively lusting after each other.


“Getting the rundown of a burrito menu should not be this erotic.”


I don't want to spoil their relationship progression and conflicts, but know this: no matter what strikes them, Nesto and Jude remain thoroughly good people. Unlike a lot of romances (where I often want to slap a protagonist for acting like a dumbass), Nesto and Jude both stay true to both themselves and their core values. And when they finally earn that happily-ever-after at the end (with a little help from friends and a truly heart-warming grovel gesture), I wanted to stand up and cheer in celebration.

The only thing that frustrated me was that the last third of the novel felt a little rushed. I thought that the characters needed more time to decompress and talk it out when they make up after the black moment. Also, I was frustrated that Jude didn't confide in Nesto when he was feeling 2nd best to the food truck business. Still, these were minor issues and I otherwise loved the romance.

Besides the main couple, I adored all the secondary characters who supported Nesto and Jude. Carmen, Jude's librarian colleague and a Dominican-American like Nesto, is flat-out hilarious and unsubtle in her match-making ways. Nesto's mom is a strong woman who takes no prisoners and adores her son. Nesto once refers to her as a lioness and that moniker is 100% accurate. Nesto's core band of friends (all Afro-Caribbean) love him enough to drive ten hours on weekends and help him with the food truck during a festival. It's important to me that both men have strong support networks that could help them in times of trouble (and knock some sense into them!).

I've now finished the main part of the review, so I'll make a small digression and discuss the world-building and Ithacan setting: it was spectacular. Anyone who says that world-building isn't important in contemporary settings is a liar. You can't just half-ass modern settings because of an assumption that the reader can fill in the blanks. If anything, I'd argue that getting the world-building right is more important in contemporary settings than historical/paranormal settings because the reader intimately knows today's world. They're less likely to forgive mistakes or brush off a feeling of non-authenticity. As someone who's lived in Ithaca for the past 3.5 years, I know that the author perfectly captured the tone and setting of Ithaca in many ways:

1) The geography! This is surprisingly basic, but yay for getting basic facts right! The university is on top of a giant hill and you have to go down that hill to visit downtown Ithaca. The Ithaca Commons is "a large strip of shops and restaurants in the heart of downtown Ithaca." There are streets called Buffalo and MLK and Cayuga in the Commons - I walk on them every day. The library that Jude works at is at the heart of the Commons, and there's a practical reason as to why Nesto parks his food truck nearby - it's the best place in town to get foot traffic and customers (okay, I'll admit to being a little jealous that a fictional character didn't choose to serve food near my classes, but I got over it!). It also makes perfect sense that Nesto and Jude live in the nearby and more rural Trumansburg instead of downtown Ithaca (which is far more expensive due to a small supply of housing and students living off-campus). I won't give it away, but the author's description of the Ithaca Farmer's Market nailed every detail - the timing/location, the types of vendors present, and how the stalls are arranged. And the descriptions of Seneca Lake during the festival makes me long for summer and my frequent picnics by the lake (it is currently very cold in Ithaca right now, and I'm fairly sure the lake has frozen over). These descriptions probably won't be noticed by readers who don't know Ithaca well, but it mattered to me that the details are right. If you don't want to spend time researching for a book, you may as well put on your city-planner hat on and invent your fictional town. My love for the book increased every time I caught a reference to the setting - the wineries, the heart-stopping view of the lakes and mountains, and (of course) every reference to Cornell University. I wasn't that surprised to discover that the author used to live in Ithaca, and it shows. Congratulations on a job well done.

2) World-building is more than just street names and geography. I'll never understand how contemporary authors write books set in small towns, mid-sized towns like Ithaca, and cities - and never have a single non-white character show up. It's simply unbelievable, and it would have been egregious had that been the case here (thankfully it wasn't). As a college town with two large institutions (Cornell University and Ithaca College), Ithaca has a diverse student population. But it also has a sizable refugee population. Two of Nesto's employees are immigrants and he specifically went out of his way to hire immigrants/refugees with the help of a local nonprofit. Ari is an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo while Yin is a Burmese refugee who spent his teenage years in a Thai refugee camp.

This is one of those references that a non-Ithacan wouldn't catch. Yin being of Burmese origin isn't a coincidence. Ithaca (and the nearby Syracuse area) has a sizable population of Burmese refugees. According to Ithaca Week, there were around 3000 Burmese refugees/immigrants in 2013. That number has risen significantly over the past few years, especially as Ithaca has opened its arms during the Rohingya crisis. All the institutions in the surrounding area (including Cornell, Ithaca College, and TCCC) have sponsored outreach programs to help the Burmese locals (Cornell actually offers all levels of the Burmese language and has a large lending library for Burmese educational resources). This is all to say: literally none of you care about this, but it matters to me because I'm friends with Burmese immigrants. I've volunteered in after-school programs with the Cornell Southeast Asia Program. It may be a throwaway line to you that Yin is of Burmese origin, but to me, it's another example of how this story could only take place in Ithaca instead of Generic Small Town USA. Throwaway line or not, I appreciated it.

3) I was hesitant to talk about this last point, but I think it's incredibly important. There is a conflict about an incredibly vicious woman trying to foil Nesto's food truck. Early on in the book, she asks for Nesto's "documents" on his first day operating the truck and silently implies that he may be an undocumented immigrant (and that she would be more than happy to report him and his employees to the police). And her tactics get more and more vicious (seriously, I hated her so much. One of my critiques of the book is that she doesn't ever face appropriate consequences for her behavior).

She isn't racist in front of her white friends, but has no problem showing her distaste and suspicions to non-white people. Carmen summarizes her personality perfectly:


“Misty is at all the fundraisers, talking about the plight of this minority or that vulnerable group until her tongue falls out. But only as long as those people stay in their place, as her ‘good person’ talking points. As soon as she personally has to make space for any them, all of it goes out the window and she’s back on her homestead guarding her shit to the death... [text redacted] ... Black and brown people causes are extremely nice on a tote bag, or for making you feel better than your country club friends on Facebook. But actually seeing them as human beings who should get to have the same things you do? Oh no, fuck that shit, there’s not enough to go around.”


Honestly, is there a better summation of white liberalism/feminism? This plot point of Misty trying to report Nesto and his employees as undocumented really struck home. Ithaca is currently a sanctuary city, but that doesn't mean people like Misty don't exist. In 2017, I distinctly recall a large public outcry after an undocumented Latinx man was arrested and put in detention. I remember many Cornellians becoming outraged and shocked: "How could that happen here? In Ithaca?" they asked. "We're a liberal oasis in the otherwise conservative NY-23 congressional district."

Well, guess what? Living in a liberal college town doesn't somehow magically erase racism. Deportations don't only happen in red and conservative states. It can (and has and will) happen here. Ithaca is diverse with the refugee/immigrant/student population. That fact doesn’t erase the existence of law enforcement and terrible people like Misty, who are determined to make all of our lives miserable (either through micro-aggression or outright hatred by calling ICE). So as much as I hated Misty, this is another example of how accurately the author captured Ithaca's world-building.

In case it hasn't already been explicitly clear in this review: I recommend this book and hope that you'll enjoy it, too. I can't wait for Milo's book in American Fairytale (out May 20, 2019).

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review and will cross-post this review on Amazon on release day.