I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately I really struggled with this from beginning to end.

I love the culture and I loved getting to know Lila's family but I struggled with Lila herself. I found her hard to empathize with, which feels ridiculous to say when so many bad things have happened to her. But I think her stubbornness and the way she could come across as entitled and a bit of a "know it all" was irritating and made me roll my eyes one too many times. One example of this was when she asked to work in Polly's kitchen in London and then proceeds to act like she knows better than Polly, changes up all her recipes without her permission and basically rolling her eyes at Polly every time she says something. She'd constantly think "Ugh It's not my kitchen, it's Polly's" but then go ahead and disrespect her kitchen and her rules. I won't lie and say Lila's food didn't sound amazing and in the books it clearly shows that everyone loved her food, but I just felt really mad at the way that she acted like she was better than Polly from the moment she met her. You can be great at something and own that, but that doesn't mean you get to act and think you're better than other people.

I also wasn't invested in the romance at all, which is one of the main reason I wanted to read this. I really enjoyed Orion's character but I think both of them getting over breakups/ex's while becoming friends is probably my least favorite trope. At one point I had to go back and reread the synopsis because I thought maybe Lila was going to get back with her ex considering how head over heels she was with him for more than half the book. Again, I think it's just me being picky but it took away from my enjoyment overall.

Just because this didn't work me for doesn't mean it won't work for you. I say give this a chance, especially if you love a story with lots of family, food and great locations!

Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is hands down the cutest romance novel I have ever read. I honestly did not expect to love it so much. The book is perfect in so many ways, and I just can't stop gushing about it and begging everyone to read this gorgeous book.
So the story is about Lydia Rodriguez (Lila), a seventeen-year-old Cuban girl living in Miami. She has plans to take over the family bakery, La Paloma established by her beloved Abuela (Grandmother). She loves to bake and learned all about baking from her beloved grandmother. Baking is like second nature to her and a safe place. The troubles begin when what in her own words is a trifecta. Her precious grandmother leaves the world, and within two months of her death, her best friend abandoned her and her boyfriend of three years dumped her right before prom.
A heartbroken Lila couldn't cope with it all and started hurting herself to relieve the pain. Her family, unable to see her in so much grief, decided to send her to England to their honorary cousin Cate, to distract her from the current situations. However, chilly and damp Winchester is totally different from the vibrant and warm Miami she grew up in. But, things turn out to be not as bad as they seemed to be. She finds a caring friend group that takes her in and finds ways to fall in love again.
The thing I loved the most about the book is that Lila is in no ways perfect. She has her flaws, and her quirks and this makes her so very relatable, making the story seem much more real. Another thing which I just can't get enough of is the romance between Lila and Orion. They were the sweetest, and I just couldn't stop obsessing over their relationship.
Each and every page of the book is laced with sugary goodness. I couldn't stop drooling at the mention of so many baked goodies, Guava pastelito, pan Cubano, lemon biscuits, lemon pound cake and the list can go on and on. Namey has done an amazing job in crafting a novel which is so sweet and flavourful, just like the guava pastelito Lila used to make.

Lila immediately took a piece of my heart. I could relate to her dedication, her need to bake, the conflicts in her heart over her family versus her dreams. Watching the characters unfurl, was beautiful and charming. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is infused with Cuban spice, gossip networks, and caring family. You will need a good cup of tea and some snacks to pair with your reading. This book will make your mouth water!\

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a heartwarming story about the road back from heartbreak of all kinds. First loves that hollow us out, friendship fall outs that break our heart, and loss that leave us choking down sobs. It's a journey that illustrates what it means to listen, to fall in love with a new place, and to never stop feeling that pull for home.

A CUBAN GIRL’S GUIDE is about Lila, a teenage girl who has a strong connection to her Cuban and Miami roots who plans on helping her sister run her family’s Cuban bakery after high school. However, her family sends her to England to stay with her aunt for the summer when she experiences The Trifecta: her abuela passes away, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and her best friend leaves the country without her.
In England, Lila explores her passion for Cuban food and baking by combining it with typical English cuisine, and forms a bond with Orion, the son of the owner of a nearby teashop. Though Lila starts the summer wanted to return home to Miami, she spends the summer learning more about herself and English culture.
I really enjoyed this story, especially near the end! At first, I found it hard to connect with Lila’s issues. Lila’s ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, and grandmother are always talked about in the past tense, so it was hard to feel how deeply losing them affected her without ever meeting them myself. Because of this, I felt that she was moving on a bit too fast and I felt her friendships and relationship with her England friends and Orion happened way too quickly. But by the end of the book I could really feel Lila’s connection to England and how she combines her Cuban culture and her love for England.
This was such a fun, cute, romantic, #OwnVoices read with tons of great food and baked goods and English culture, plus the themes of found family and following your passion. I recommend everyone read this when it comes out November 10!

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a wonderful #OwnVoices YA romance. I was captivated from the start. The writing is vibrant, full of culture, moving, and affecting. This was my first time reading Laura Taylor Namey’s work and I loved it.

Lila Reyes grew up in Miami where she learned to embrace her Cuban-American roots. She has always had her plans made up before she graduates high school. But as many have always heard ‘everything comes in threes.’ Different losses in her life turn her world upside down. Now, that her plans feel like they are out the window, where does she go from here?

Her family begins to worry about how Lila has been dealing with grief and her willingness to move forward so they decide to send her to Winchester, England. She will join some relatives and hopefully get a new perspective on life.

When she arrives in England, she feels a culture shock. I know if I was in that situation I would feel the exact same. Lila went from being a spunky, free-spirited young woman to losing one of the most influential people in her life in her abuela.

Things start to change when she meet Orion Maxwell. He is a teashop clerk who wants to help Lila see the beauty of Winchester. He is like her own personal tour guide/ confidant. They have both gone through their fair share of troubling times and really lean on each other throughout the story.

I really enjoyed that the author was able to highlight two different cultures. I am a Latina and loved everything from the panaderia, special family moments, cultural lessons, and reading about her abuela. The Cuban-American culture shined in this story. I also enjoyed getting to see England through the eyes of two young adults. It sounds so beautiful and healing just like a nice cup of tea. There are so much heart and depth to this story that made it so easy to read and love.

I give A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow 5 stars. Laura Taylor Namey impressed me with her affecting writing. This book is a great book about love, loss, grief, and adapting to change. I loved seeing Lila grow so much throughout the book and seeing her relationship blossom with Orion. I highly recommend this story for #OwnVoices and YA readers! You will adore this story.

I know what it’s like to be a Latina and fall in love with England. This book reignited all of the feelings I had when I flew there three years ago and I’m so grateful for it! I loved the romance but it was the pastelitos that stole my heart.

First things first, there is SO much delicious food discussed in this book that it made me hungry while reading! Lila is such a lovable character, and I loved seeing her grow into herself as she made her mark on a completely new place, simply by using what she knows and holds dear. This book also deals a lot with grief, with her abuela's death being one of the lynchpins in her undoing. Her grief felt so raw and real in the way that it fluctuated and changed, and I appreciated Orion's perspective on there not being a "worse" way but each was equally hard and challenging in its own way.

Absolutely adorable! And a cover that draws you in and is simply wonderful. Just the right balance of friendship to romance, blending of cultures, and humor and tension. I loved the mini-vacas into Lila’s and Orion’s lives...tasting their food, seeing their views, and hearing their music. Especially intriguing was the peak into what could be a future enterprise at the tea shop if Lila decides to take her pastry skills to Maxwells. I’d love companion stories to follow the other characters since there were some interesting side stories percolating. All-in-all a really well done romantic escape. It’s what I’ve been needing during this 2020 weirdness.

Sweet and completely charming. A recommended first purchase for YA and high school collections where contemporary stories are popular.

A cute romance about culture, travel, and the meaning of home.

I thought I would love this, but it ended up just being okay. The descriptions of the food were hands down the best part--you can sense the author's love and pride for Cuban culture and food in her writing. But the plot and the romance just weren't exciting enough for me. What kept me reading until the end was the hope for some resolution with the main character's estranged best friend, and that also ended up falling flat for me. I'll still purchase this, but I'm not sure I'll recommend it often after reading it myself.

This was the first book I’ve read by LauraTaylor Namey and I was so excited. Food, England, and romance? Yes, please!

For me, this book was very slow, especially in the beginning. I want to be drawn into a story in the first chapter, and that didn’t happen for me this time. Sometimes the writing didn’t flow smoothly for me either, causing me to have to re-read parts to follow. I found Lil’s character to sometimes be immature. I understand she was going through a lot, but for her age, it felt like she was just constantly complaining.

What I did enjoy was Orion and Gordon’s characters. They were a lot of fun and a great addition to the story.

As a non-Spanish speaker, I was afraid I would have trouble following the language, but the author did a great job of using context throughout to make sure that didn’t happen.

Overall, this wasn’t necessarily the book for me, but if you enjoy the Venezuelan culture, sweet treats, and an English romance, then this is for you! Thank you to S&S and NetGalley for this ARC

Lila had her future all mapped out! Her boyfriend and best friend would go to college in Miami, while she assumed her responsibilities at the family bakery. Yes, the future looked bright until her beloved grandmother passed away, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her best friend left for Africa. Her heart broken beyond repair, her family shipped her off to England, which helped Lila come to terms with her heartbreak and her future.

I don't want to sound like a fangirl, but SQUEEEEE! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I adored the characters, the setting, the romance, the familial love, the food, and of course, the feels delivered by this stupendous story.

Let's start with the food. Wow! So. Much. Food. I expected to read about a lot of baked goods, and let me tell you, they all sounded amazing, but there was also a plethora of Cuban dishes sprinkled throughout. Namey did a beautiful job helping me "taste", "smell", and "see" each culinary delight. My advice - don't read this book on an empty stomach.

It was also fantastic being transported to Winchester, England. I simply loved touring the town with Lila. The picnics, stargazing, and motorbiking were some of the highlights, and I loved that the town served as more than just a backdrop. I felt the warmth and kinship of its inhabitants and delighted in the new friendships Lila made there.

As much as I delighted in these things, it was the characters who stole my heart. I instantly loved Lila and couldn't help but want to soothe her pain. She suffered "the trifecta" of losses, and each had such a profound impact on how she saw her world. It was wonderful to see her making so many new and important connections after everything she had lost. Orion and his circle welcomed Lila with open arms, and they played a big role in easing her heartache. I had a lot of fun with this group and counted Lila lucky to have found them.

Lila's family was also stupendous. Though Lila was not pleased that they plotted this whole getaway in secret, she grew to understand that they did it, because they loved her. They were so sweet and supportive, and even when Lila wasn't sure about her life, their belief in her never wavered. I was drowning in their outpouring of love and affection, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The summer didn't turn out the way Lila thought it would, it turned out better! Though she suffered some grave losses, her world expanded in leaps and bounds. By moving out of her comfort zone, Lila discovered so much about herself, her abilities, her dreams, and her desires. Not only was I super warm and fuzzy at the end of this book, but I was overwhelmingly proud of Lila and the way she grew.

Overall: A wonderful story of love, loss, and self discovery made better with enchanting characters, a fantastic setting, and lots and lots of delectable food.

Review will be available on my blog, The Reading Fairy, on October 22nd.

TW: Death of a family member (off-page), gossip, grief, dementia, self-harm (mentioned)
Rep: Cuban MC

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion.

She forgets that what she does in one small moment can affect tomorrow.

I’ve been eyeing this book ever since I got the cover. It looks so good, and very cute-and I was very surprised to see that I got an ARC of one of my anticipated releases of this year! And while I think my expectations were a little too high as I kinda got a little disappointed with this book.

I expected something good, but it felt really lackluster and it may have been because of my expectations. It also lost the magic for me around the middle of the book, where it felt like there was really nothing to keep me interesting. I also don’t think it helped if I read this book, after doing a bit of schoolwork 😂.

This book made me hungry and I just now want to have Cuban food. I basically want anything that I never tried before or had as long as my gag reflex is decent. The descriptions of the food sounded so good, and I really want to try Lila’s cooking.

Can we talk about the romance though? I really want Orion in my life because he whisks Lila away on a motorbike, eating her food and mostly making sure that Lila loves cold, dreary England. But also, I want to go to England. It was so cute, and the way it was developed. And the ending was so swoon-worthy.

**3.75**
This was a cute and well written book that also made me SO hungry for all the Cuban food! I liked seeing Lila's growth as she bakes, makes friends and falls in love in England. I love how she genuinely struggled but also allowed herself to see the truth and work on being better. Her treatment of a side character was so very nice to see her do better for that person to help them. It is a slower burn romance than I had thought but I think Orion was a great love interest. While I wasn't always dying to keep reading the book and I think the two teens could've been a bit more upfront on their feelings, this was enjoyable. This is a great escapism book during these times. I'm interested to see what this author writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Antheneum Books for the ARC!

I finished this book with tears in my eyes because the ending was exactly what I needed to read at this moment in time. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a beautifully written hug of a book. It follows Lila who is sent to stay with her aunt in England, leaving behind her Miami home, after a series of losses: the death of her beloved abuela, being dumped by her boyfriend, and abandoned by her best friend. Nothing seems to be going right in Lila's life, and to top it all off she has to spend her entire summer in dreary England.

But once she arrives, Lila starts to see things through new eyes, learning new things about herself and finding out that maybe this trip to England wasn't the worst plan. (Especially once a dreamy tea-selling boy comes into the picture)

I love Laura's writing so much. It's very lyrical and almost poetic, the way she describes things. And her characters are so vibrant that they almost seem like real people. I read her debut novel, The Library of Lost Things, which I also loved, but Lila and Orion may have taken over first place for me. It has everything I love about contemporary YA--a loveable, but slightly broken, heroine, a journey of figuring out who you are, and a swoon-worthy love interest. Plus, her descriptions of food are so delectable that I am seriously craving some Cuban pastries!

I definitely recommend this book if you are in need of distraction or even if you just need to read about a great romance (and pastries!). Also, I suggest reading it while wearing your fluffiest cardigan :)

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, by Laura Taylor Namey, is a book that demands to be eaten with a snack -- and of course, a cuppa. When Lila Reyes experiences a trio of tragedies one right after another, her erratic behavior causes her parents and beloved older sister to pack her up for a summer staying with family in England. Lila, furious, tries to resist finding anything to love in this new town, but finds herself drawn in by Orion, seller of tea and soon to become tour guide for Lila's stay in England.

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow mostly follows relatively expected beats, not doing anything new or revolutionary with the genre, even as it hits those beats very well. Lila is a wonderful protagonist, in that she feels like an actual human being. She is arrogant, for good reason it seems, about her baking, and headstrong to the point of disrupting her relationships at times. She is also a character the reader will find themselves rooting for, as she so clearly wants to do what is best not just for herself, but for her family and friends as well.

Where the novel really shines are the moments between the story, with beautiful little pieces of writing about immigrating and moving far away from family, about how to be true to yourself while being good to those around you, and about what to do when the plans you've made for yourself your whole life no longer fit just right.

Settle in with a pastry and a good cup of tea, and enjoy this cozy, sweet, at times heart aching story, one that is sure to make you want to pack up and move to England -- or maybe Miami.

Today I’m coming to you with the most special treat of a book: Laura Taylor Namey’s YA contemporary A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow.

Told in writing that’s often lyrical, ACGGtTaT is both a story of grief & celebration as Lila Reyes copes with suffering three recent big losses & being sent away from the loving arms of her family to live in Hampshire, England for a summer.

After her beloved Abuelita dies—the woman who taught Lila how to bake—& her long-time boyfriend breaks up with her, & her best friend changes their graduation plans & moves to Africa for work instead, Lila is unmoored. Her protective, loving family decides that the best thing for her is a temporary new environment.

Lila leaves Miami, her family bakery, & her family (internally) screaming. But spending time with some of her other family in England, running the kitchen in their inn, & becoming friends with the local tea shop owner’s son, Orion Maxwell, make her see that her life & heart can follow a new map .

This beautiful book gives such love to place whether it’s Miami or England. Vivid descriptions; characters who delight in the world around them & the things they create; & food-rich scenes—mostly of Lila baking Cuban and/or English recipes—make for a sensory feast.

Lila’s confidence is inspiring & her relationship with Orion, their friendship that doesn’t stay just a friendship, is so sweet & banter-filled. While I did have a slight problem with the romantic timing of it all—esp given that Lila had just gotten out of a 3 yr relationship—her relationship with Orion moves so slowly, so gradually, that I was okay with it. And honestly, they’re so great together. So.

This lovely contemporary gave my heart the boost it needed last week. I highly recommend it & I’ll be singing its praises for a while into the future.

5⭐️. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Between spring and graduation, seventeen-year-old superstar Cuban cook Lila Reyes suffers the trifecta of pain: her abuela dies, her beloved boyfriend dumps her, and her best friend abandons her. In an effort to protect her mental health, her family sends her to Winchester, England. Lila begrudgingly boards the plane, angry that she’s forced to leave behind everything she’s ever known. Already vowing to hate England, Lila doesn’t expect to run into tea maker and superstition-collector Orion. With only three months in England and a looming plane ticket home, Lila has to decide between her past and her future, Miami or Winchester, her family or a new love.

Full of delicious-sounding Cuban cooking, my stomach growled almost the entire time I read this book. It’s a fairly light and quick read with some heavy topics wrapped in fun references to Cuban culture. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the execution of this high-spirited contemporary romance. I got off on the wrong foot with Lila from the very beginning by her annoyingly whiny attitude about her trip to England and her sometimes immature actions. However, I absolutely fell in love with Orion’s character. Sweet, thoughtful, and a lover of tea, it was fun to follow his journey throughout the story. Overall, it was a delectable read, but not my favorite contemporary novel I’ve read as of late.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I am very much here for cute stories written from different voices. This qualifies, and I'm glad to have been able to read an early copy!

What joy to get lost in England along with Lila as she finds herself and who she wants to become. While it was tropey, it was in the best way. Like a warm hug or a cup of tea, I found solace in the conflict, resolutions, joys, and romance. It was a great escapist fiction to snuggle into. I ended the book feeling hopeful and uplifted. It wasn't strictly a romance. Laura Namey dives into grief, friendship evolution and loss, emerging adulthood, and scrumptious food. Thanks to Netgalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for giving me the privilege of reading this title early during quite a stressful time in my life (and historically too no less).