This is a lovely coming-of-age story about a Cuban-American teen who is torn between following her dream to be a baker and her mother's dream for her to be a lawyer. It's about familial sacrifice, familial bonds, teenage relationships, cultural bonds, being true to yourself, and what family history means to you. It's a moving and inspiring read.

Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra is a fun YA rom com. I am always a fan of books with a baking element, and Ramos delivers on this element. Rubi and Ryan have fun chemistry, and it's a book about figuring out your path in life when at a crossroads.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

I am currently supporting the boycott against St. Martin’s Press until they respond to influencer’s concerns about safety, inequality, systemic issues at hand and also meet the demands of the boycott. I am looking forward to leaving an updated review for this book once the demands are met ❤️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I read Parra’s debut novel because it looked like a fluffy romance. “Rubi Ramos Recipe for Sucess” does have an adorable and flirty romance, but Parra’s book is much more. Parra uses Rubi’s experience as a child of an immigrant to explore the difficulties of living up to your parents’ expectations. Rubi is trying to live her dreams and the dreams her parents’ projected onto her. It is that aspect of the book that makes it relatable. Teens can see themselves in Rubi’s struggle while being entertained by her humor and romance. The book is fast-paced and fun and is perfect for fans of teen romcoms.

Thank you NetGally, Publishers, and Jessica Parra for gifting me a copy of Rubi Ramos's Recipe for Success in return for my honest opinion.

3.5/5 stars
Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.

But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.

Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from a subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out--even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

This is a wonderful coming-of-age YA novel. Jessica Parra is such a wonderful author and I was surprised that this was her debut novel. Her writing is wonderful and I enjoyed the characters and her writing style it was simply wonderful.

Rubi was such a wonderful character to read about and her confusion and struggle with what to do was wonderfully believable. I felt for her with all of the pressure that her parents were putting on her when all she wanted to do was bake.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys YA novels about struggling with who you are and what you truly want, this is definitely a book I would recommend.

This was a sweet YA novel! I found the romance to be a lighter subplot, but it was cute nonetheless. I really enjoyed Rubi’s narration and the cooking competition was fun

Rubi was a loveable character, and I enjoyed watching her find herself and her voice throughout the book. A great message on expectations of family, cultural differences in families of first-generation Americans, and finding your path. I also loved all of the Cuban fusion baking that Rubi did, as well as the relationship between her and her dad.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

This was just okay for me. The romance didn’t feel real, there was no connection. The cooking kind of took over.

This YA novel is a sweet and delightful read with a charming protagonist, Rubi, navigating the challenges of pursuing her dream college amidst a backdrop of a fun cooking competition and a light romance. Packed with humor, resilience, and touching moments exploring the complex relationship between Rubi and her Cuban parents, the book delivers a message about adjusting dreams and staying true to oneself. With enjoyable food puns and a loyal friend group, "Rubi Ramo's Recipe for Success" is a recommended choice, especially for fans of Samantha Markum.

This was really cute!! I wasn’t super invested in the beginning but by the second half, I really loved it and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen!

Super cute and definitely a snap shot of adolescent coming of age, first love, and all that goes with it. Looking forward to more from this author, and so grateful for the eARC!

As a woman in her late 30s, I’m not the target demographic for this book, but this was a cute YA story. I tend to get frustrated with stories that rely so heavily on “my parents don’t understand me” angst and sneaking around, but in this case, it worked. While this wasn’t a read that will stick with me, it was enjoyable escapism. If The Great British Bake Off combined with some teen angst appeals to you, pick this one up! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

As a college admission officer, this one hit a bit too close to home. I feel for the students who are waitlisted at their dream universities - but I would much prefer a story that shows them it all works out if they end up somewhere else - versus trying to maneuver their way into an admit letter.

With that being said, I did enjoy this book overall. I particularly loved the baking show element and description of the food! I will say there are definitely themes of inequality, legacy, and networking - but I do wish they were explored a bit more deeply, as I felt they were left lingering with little resolution or accountability.

Overall, this book is charming, a bit messy, and gives you a character to root for.

4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

* Thankyou to netgalley for a copy of this ARC

"I wanted to hug her and tell her sometimes, a lot of times, the dragon twins would swallow us whole. The world worked that way. But even the fiercest of dragons could be slain."

Let's start by hoping Rubi gets a really good therapist! 😂The whole time I was reading, I felt so bad for her, and all the pressure she was under by her parents to do what they felt would be the most successful career for her.

This book had awesome and realistic characters who pulled at your heart strings! The flow between characters was written very well and allowed you to connect to the characters in a heart-felt way.

You get:
• YA vibes
• Teen romance
• Chasing dreams
• Baking
• Character growth
• Close friends
• Afro-cuban heritage

I highly recommend this book! Was such a good read. Check it out now!

"But because one day, I wanted to be the person sitting where Addison sat, perched atop the highest peak in all of Pelican Point, across from a person who, like me, needed a hand on the way up. Only I'd know they weren't reaching. They were climbing. It was a difference I knew, and Addison couldn't. Despite all of her best intentions, she'd never know. So, I fed into Addison's game. It was the only way for me to someday change it."

I appreciate the author's efforts in what she was trying to do, but I found the writing in this book to be all over the place.

First of all, it was a little disturbing how much Rubi was willing to grovel in front of her bully -- enduring, among other things, clearly racist comments -- to get the help she needs to get into her fancy university. Then, when she meets a representative of that university, it seems like that representative is angling to make Rubi the next diversity admit by insisting Rubi talking about her "unique" background. Yet even as she's processing the questions that the representative is asking, Rubi is willing to justify them for...what? Because her parents want her to be a lawyer and go to that school to do it? They may want that, yes, but I don't think they want her to lose her self-respect in the process.

As the child and wife of immigrants myself, I fully understand Rubi's position. I really get it. That's what this story was so disappointing. Why does Rubi have to ingratiate herself with Madeline to that extreme? What would her parents say? And why is it that none of her friends are standing up for her? If Rubi is the captain of the debate team and has done such a phenomenal job with them, surely she's earned the admiration of some of her peers who are willing to speak out against Madeline. So why aren't they?

Second, these teenagers don't talk like most teenagers I know, including the two I'm the mother of. Some of the dialogue just feels manufactured or what the narrative assumes teens say to one another. It doesn't feel authentic at all. It might have helped if the author had asked some teens to beta read the book, since they're her target audience.

Lastly, I have to take issue with the way Rubi sexualizes Ryan from the very first time she lays eyes on him. We say we won't tolerate it for our girls; why are we okay with the same treatment for boys? The overtly sexual jokes, too, are just a bit much at times.

Also, Rubi can be completely bold with Ryan and essentially pursue him through her baking, but around her parents she can barely utter a peep. And I get that the author was trying to set down a character type by referring to Rubi's mom as "the Boss" constantly, but after a while I got tired of the term and as a mom to a 17-year-old myself found it borderline disrespectful in some scenes.

This definitely wasn't the book for me.

I always get so hungry when I read a book like this, with all the amazing descriptions of food. It makes me want to go out and just buy all the pastries I can get my hands on!

This book reminded me a lot of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, mainly that the main characters of both books are put on a “ban” from baking (for different reasons) but they were also different enough that it didn’t feel like reading the exact same book.

I really enjoyed the story and the dynamic Rubi had with her best friend Devon.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. (The version I read was a finished copy.)

I love books about baking, so I had very high hopes for this. Especially at the start, the book wasn't really drawing me in though. I think this was mainly due to the writing style; I think it didn't really work for my brain, which unfortunately just happens sometimes. I did think parts of this were really good, but then the book as a whole just didn't really land for me. Another reason is probably that I've read other books that are similar to this, but I think those were better.

I loved this book! There was such great representation among the characters, it will serve as windows and mirrors for my students to open up their world view or see themselves represented. The bakery setting and story was interesting and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the debate world as well. Feeling the pressure and expectations of their families is something many of my students experience and this book will be great for them to relate to. Thank you for the opportunity to read!