Salt and Sugar is a foodie, enemies to lovers romance with a Romeo & Juliet vibe (minus all the dying). Two feuding families operate Salt and Sugar, rival bakeries in a small town Brazilian neighborhood where a new, modern supermarket is trying to drive local shops out of business. Teenagers Lari Ramir of Salt and Pedro Molinas of Sugar, carry on the family feud until teaming up to save their families' businesses sets the stage for friendship and love. Along the way, Lari grieves the death of her beloved grandmother and both she and Pedro learn to challenge their families' expectations and become truer to themselves.

I initially almost stopped reading because of the feuding adults' sometimes ridiculously childish behavior; it was too over-the-top. The author could've axed half those shenanigans without sacrificing the story. But I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a good story, with mouthwatering descriptions of Brazilian food, sweet first-love tropes, and some serious grappling with grief and growing up.

Salt and Sugar is an adorable enemies to lover story. Lari loves her family's bakery, Salt. It's been her whole life for as long as she can remember. When her grandmother passes away she has to find a way to save it before they lose it or have to sell it to the big supermarket in town. She's forced to work with the rival bakery across the street. The two families have been at war for years. Lari works with Pedro to find away to help both bakeries. I really liked Lari and Pedro. Family is definitely at the center of this story. It sorts through the good and bad of families. It also deals with grief. Salt and Sugar is full of family, love and charm.

Content Warning: death of loved one, illness

This was a fun, young adult romance book (leans more towards teen readers) about two rival families and they cook delicious Brazilian food! So if you like foodie romances, you will like this one. Here’s what did and didn’t work for me:

+ I love all the food and Brazilian culture. I like that this was also set in Brazil! Both families have bakeries and bad blood between them but eventually they work together to fight the big box chains encroaching on their towns. But if you love food romances, this has a lot of different foods I never heard of or even tried and it makes me want to go somewhere and try Brazilian food.

+ There is definitely a Romeo and Juliet feel to this book, minus the death of our MC’s but the rivalry is there. Lari and Pedro hate one another because of their family history. When they are put together in a cooking club at school, there is a lot of fighting between them at first but then eventually they start to open up and admit they have an attraction. I feel like the romance is perfect for teen readers.

+ Good side characters like the other kids in the cooking club.

~ I found Lari sometimes acting a bit childish, she fought with Pedro a lot and I didn’t quite connect to her. It took me awhile to get into the story. She was grieving her grandmother and also trying to figure out how to help her mom not lose their shop but still – at times she was always fighting Pedro too hard.

~ Speaking of childish, everyone seemed so volatile in this story. Pedro and Lari’s moms went at it all the time and you would think they would act a little bit better in front of their children. The fights became repetitive at some point and silly.

Tropes: rivals to lovers, enemies to lovers, family rivals, Romeo and Juliet inspired

Why you should read it:
*it’s got Brazilian bakery goodies and culture, it’s set in Brazil also
*rival families, enemies to lovers
*story about family

Why you might not want to read it:
*more geared towards teen readers
*lots of dramatic family feud fighting – a bit repetitive

My Thoughts:

I loved that Salt and Sugar is centered around Brazilian food and that it’s set in Brazil. I definitely saw the Romeo and Juliet inspiration with the two feuding families but I did wish the fighting was taken down a notch. It’s a story about family, cooking, trying to have a better life and keeping the community authentic, while fighting the big corporate store. There’s also a little love story between Pedro and Lari and of course a happy ending. Overall I thought this one was a cute romance that teen readers would enjoy.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Salt and Sugar by Rebecca Carvalho. This YA novel will be released November 1, 2022. All opinions are my own.

Lari Ramires and Pedro Molina are at the heart of a multi-generational feud. Their families' bakeries have been feuding ever since their great-grandmothers had a falling out. Pedro has grown up in Sugar's bakery and is poised to take it over after graduation even though he and his grandfather don't see eye to eye. Lari's grandmother and mother have kept her as far away from the kitchen as possible hoping that she will be the first Ramires to go to college and that she'll follow her father's dream and become an accountant. Following her grandmother's death, Lari finds herself drawn to the kitchen. It's a place where she finally begins to feel like she belongs. At the same time, she and Pedro are inexplicably drawn to each other. The two realize that in order for their bakeries to have any kind of future, they will have to end the feud.

This was a fun and new take on Romeo and Juliet. I loved the incorporation of Carvalho's culture. I also enjoyed how the family feud was explained and deepened throughout the story. Both Lari and Pedro's characters are relatable and their desire to live their dreams is something many readers will be able to connect to. Overall, I found it very easy to get into the story and I really enjoyed it. While it is a YA book, I feel it would be appropriate to include in a middle school library.

Two feuding small town bakeries on the Atlantic coast of Brazil have been rivals for centuries. Their agreement is one makes savory items, one makes sweet items... which is a bandaid on a major injury. When the matriarch of Salt, the savor bakery, passes away, a new round of arguments comes to a head. Sugar made savory foods for a catering event while the Salt family buried their loved one. But the real enemy is a supermarket threatening to take both businesses under.

Each family has a child, a boy and a girl who attend the local high school together. Although they've fought for years, can they come together to help their families?

Excellent cultural learning through setting - Brazil's cultural events leading to Saint John's Day celebrations is a new addition to the representation movement.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of the ARC for review.

This is a very standard enemies to lovers story but filled with lovely details about Brazilian culture and baking. I enjoyed the rival bakeries aspect of the story and found the idea of each bakery being focused on either Salt or Sugar items as a result of feud started several generations before but everything beyond that felt really muddled. Pedro and Lari read young even though they are nearly finished with high school. Their fighting families read very childish and the resolution/agreement between the families feels very suddenly at the end, especially when you consider how vehemently the mothers fight throughout.
I did enjoy the setting as I’ve never read anything set in Brazil before and I loved how so many details about the culture, especially the world of food, was shared throughout the story. I also enjoyed that there was an emphasis on volunteering and helping the community.

This was an adorable Romeo and Juliet story minus the tragedy. Rival bakeries and feuding families must put their differences aside to save the familial businesses from a chain store. Eventually, sparks begin to fly and love begins to bloom. The story was cute, but felt very predictable and there didn't feel like enough was on the table or at risk.

Thank you so much Inkyard press for this delightful arc! I loved this book! It was such a sweet and fun read. And I loved the rivals to lovers and how how the slow burn was having me on the edge of my seat begging them to kiss already. And when they finally did, it was amazing. I love the chemistry between Pedro and Larissa and how they compliment each other so well and how they each had thier own struggles and flaws and how Larissa's flaw actually affected her and Rebecca did a great job of showing and not telling about her clumisness. And I loved how this author showed Grief and how it can affect people and create feud between them. Even the side characters were all so good and fun! I want more, maybe an extra novella or something please? I need more about the Molina's and ramirez's love story and cooking skills! This book has made me hungry so many times. I only wish the fight between Pedro and Larissa had not ended so quickly but I loved the ending of the book, except the "is it the end... or is it?" WHATS THAT MEAN I want more Rebecca, GIMMIE MORE. But I definetly reccomend this book! Espically to people who want to feel extra hungry!

This book is adorable! I love the idea of not letting your families’ prejudices cloud your own life. This is definitely going to be the selection for my February subscription book box.

This was a sweet Romeo and Juliet story (with a happy ending!) set in Brazil. Lari and Pedro's families own rival bakeries, and their families have been feuding for years. When they decide to put their differences aside and team up to save their families' bakeries from the predatory big chain store that has been forcing all the small local businesses to close, sparks begin to fly both in and outside the kitchen!

Salt and Sugar is a YA romance novel with hints of a Romeo and Juliet twist. Pedro and Lari have lived across the street from each other their whole lives, their families’ bakeries competing against each other, the feud going back to their great-grandmothers. The will-they-won’t-they and secret truce give great tension to the story, and the description of the Brazilian foods they bake made my mouth water. The depth of the families’ despair, pride, and love for their craft is woven throughout the story as we read about Lari and Pedro’s budding relationship. This is a debut you don’t want to miss!

Super delicious story weaving young romance and family all into one. I wish this book at smell-o-reading because so many of the recipes sounded delicious!

It look me a little bit to get into the story. With our MC, I found myself having trouble connecting with her. Lari was very childish a lot of times. I know she was going through a rough moment in life, but for someone about to head off to college or take over a company… there were a lot of moments where I felt like she was 12 versus a teenager.

However, I did love how Pedro and Lari realized the good in each other even though so much bad was happening around them. Pedro was an amazing pick-me-up for Lari and I adored their moments together. The side characters were wonderfully written as well… I loved Victor, PC, & Cinitia. Everyone needs a good group of friends like that.

With the world, all the Brazilian food references were wonderful. It made me want to find somewhere to try them all asap! Not so sure traveling there is on my agenda currently, but I’ll be on the lookout for sure!

Overall, if you’re looking for a quick, cute read with romance and yummy food… this is it!

This was cute and enjoyable! I love a good rivals to lovers romance and this delivered exactly as promised. I also loved the baking aspect - I was hungry the whole time reading it. Definitely recommending this to anyone looking for a good romance!

This book is so very sweet. I teared up at least twice. It is a wonderful Romeo&Juliette type story involving lots of food - wasn't isn't there to love? But there are also delightful secondary characters, touching family moments, and a delightful slow burn that is fraught with misunderstandings.

More than just a story of a boy and a girl falling in love amidst their families feuding, it is also about generational trauma and mothers and daughters, and wanting to make those who love you happy and proud but without sacrificing who you are inside.

I adored this story!

A bakery. Decades long family rivalry. A big supermarket new to the neighborhood. Two young people that just might change their family's past history and prove bygones can be bygones while showing small businesses can make it.

This is a book that needs to be in every high school library because young adults will relate to the pressure the main character Larissa fells from her mom about college and her career path. I adored the relationship Lari had with her grandmother and I found myself thinking about my own as I read. Add this sweet one to your TBR list!

Summary: Two rival bakeries' grandchildren find themselves in a family forbidden love. Their families feud constantly due to the family businesses. They soon find themselves in a all out war of bakeries. And to add to this frustration a new big supermarket has entered town and in turn out alot of small businesses in jeopardy. Lari and Pedro, the lovers, work together against their families wishes to try to save their bakeries.

Review: This cozy little book was an adorable and heartwarming read although in alot of places it was lacking. The characters were bland but quirky in their own way. The story was not as original as I would of liked. But it was still an enjoyable read and something that I would read again as a low stakes palette cleanser between books. Overall my rating for this book is 3.5/5.

Extended Breakdown:
Story: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Coziness: 4/5

A delicious mix of Romeo and Juliet with a pinch of enemies to Lovers. . What an incredible read, it was so amazing to read and identify different elements of Brazilian culture. The book is full of references to different cultural traditions and the setting is beautiful. . The author's writing is fluid and addictive, you are so enthralled by the story and characters that you end up immersing yourself in the story. An amazing and funny experience... The characters are young, while being very intelligent and very captivating. You find yourself hoping that everything works out for both families. Ah, the foods presented make you want to try them all. Congratulations to the author, I hope to read more of her books soon!
Review by: @contandoeuconto
Thank you so much to Inkyard Press and Rebecca for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Uma deliciosa mistura de Romeu e Julieta com uma pitada de enemies to Lovers.
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Que leitura incrível, foi muito bom ler e identificar diversos elementos da cultura brasileira. O livro é recheado de referências a diversas tradições culturais e a ambientação é linda.
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A escrita da autora é fluida e viciante, você fica tão encantado pela história e pelos personagens que você acaba imergindo na história. Uma experiência muito boa.
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Os personagens são bem novos, ao mesmo tempo que são bem inteligentes e bem cativantes. Você se pega torcendo para que tudo dê certo para ambas as famílias. Ah, as comidas apresentadas te deixam com uma super vontade de experimentar todas.
Parabéns para a autora, espero ler mais dos seus livros em breve!

thank you so much to netgalley and inkyard press for an early digital copy of this book! <3

2.5 stars (but more like a 3 than a 2 - yk what i mean?)

salt and sugar follows a relationship that’s constantly on the edge of imploding and honestly - i think this book and i have a similar dynamic.

let’s start with the good! rivals to lovers, romeo and juliet inspired, long-standing feud based on food - great set ups for a love story. i think pedro, the love interest is a sweetie (pun very much intended), and i really enjoyed the way cooking and culture was infused throughout the story. safe to say, the descriptions made me very hungry.

also this cover is absolutely beautiful so - bonus there!!!

now for the not-so-good! SO. MUCH. SCREAMING. it felt like every single scene someone was either screaming, crying, or storming out. for two teenagers to be so exponentially more mature than the adults in their lives genuinely made me have to skim the same recycled fight scenes. pretty much every review around the 3 star mark has mentioned this, so i highly doubt you can get through this book without getting frustrated by how repetitive and out-of-proportion this feud feels. also, there are some i’ll-fitting pop culture references (although i enjoyed the one about timmy as laurie, to be fair).

finally, lari is also a good/bad split for me. in the beginning, she frustrated me (so very much) and i could not deal with her knocking another thing over. but by the end i did start to root for her and found the way she dealt with her grief to be touching.

also, i have to note: this is ya, and i am not a ya. so of course, someone in this age range may like this more (although i felt like this bordered on middle-grade territory sometimes, if it wasn’t so long).

easy & cute enough - by no means a “bad” book, just not a favorite for me.

cws: death of a loved one, grief

This book was fantastic! As someone who recently lost their grandmother, I had to set this book down for a good month after reading the scene where Lari walks back into Salt after her grandmother passes. The way Rebecca Carvalho writes hit all the notes of coming back to somewhere that used to be magic, but now the magic is gone because the person you love is no longer there. There are many other scenes where the writing is just spectacular and relatable and you really feel like you have lived in those moments.

I'm not the biggest fan of Romeo and Juliet retellings, but this one had enough fun elements that didn't feel stale to make the story really loveable. The ending perfectly ties together the story, and I'd love to gush about it here, but don't want to spoil it for people. All I will say is thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eGalley, and go check out this book when it comes out in November!!

3.5

This was a cute, Romeo and Juliet(ish) retelling set in Brazil! The Romeo and Juliet in question are Lari and Pedro, who have been butting heads for years due to a multigenerational rivalry between their family's cafe businesses.

AND IT MADE ME SO HUNGRY. I want to stuff my face full with pao de queijo and try bolo de rolo because it sounds amazing (a guava roll cake... I'm drooling). The cultural and familial importance of food was woven into the story beautifully and wasn't just something on the *side* of the romance and family themes, but an integral part.

There were some silly and almost perfectly coincidental plotlines that felt a bit unrealistic, which might just be a given with any Romeo and Juliet type of retelling. Like, some of the drama felt a bit too dramatic, the long-lasting feud (and the cause of the feud) was a bit silly, but it was still fun.

If you like food, Romeo and Juliet but with a smidge less insta-love and a smidge more enemies-to-lovers, small businesses, and contemporary YA, then this might be worth checking out :)