This was a nice story but a little too predictable. To be fair, romance stories are not my usual read .

Thank you @amazonpublishing and @netgalley for the early copy of:

𝗧𝗢𝗢 𝗦𝗢𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗦 by @authorannette
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

By far, one of my favorite contemporary reads for 2023! I vow to make this a popular book for everyone

𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦.

Uhhhh, everything about this was so raw! Gabby goes through grieving a parent, reconciling with an absent parent, having insecurities of not being good enough, finding love, while ultimately finding herself. I love the multiple ways Annette brought in her Mexican heritage to the book; full of history and culture. YOU WILL TOTALLY GET HUNGRY READING THIS Gabby does a lot of self-sabotaging but the reader gets to see her character development throughout. I couldn’t help but root for her and the whole town of Sonrisa. Definitely a must read if you are craving a contemporary romance with some Mexican sazon!

I will be recommending this everywhere!

3/5 stars, it felt like many things I’ve read before

Thank you to Montlake for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Just like I stated in my initial thought sentence up above, this has felt like quite a few books I've read before, the one that kept popping in my mind the most being Beach Read by Emily Henry. They have similar plotlines and while I tried not to compare them the entire time, especially as it's a trope I think is fun, it just didn't give me as much as I wanted it to. I think this book would have benefited from being longer because then it could have felt like there was more substance behind a lot of the scenes that were supposed to be very emotional.

There were times where the emotional scenes did feel forced though in my opinion, or once again not written with the depth that they deserved. It was like the author was brushing over the implications of some things, even if that was not the intention. Although I did enjoy how the setting of a small town came into play with certain scenes in this book as well as the tone. I love small town stories, not to mention small town romances so that was really nice.

While I don't remember too much about the characters I do remember one of the best things about this book was the culture and family connections. Gabby's mother has died, but she has two "aunts" (her mothers best friends) who are there for her until her father shows up again suddenly offering a house. The connection between her and her aunts was well done and even how she slowly learned to process her father returning into her life as well. Though I will say the romance in this book felt very swift, like they didn't like one another but it was apparent from the reader's perspective that he started liking her right after that (the "who did this to you" happened right after they agreed they didn't like one another). I know it was supposed to be enemies to lovers in a sense, but it felt a little too fast for me.

[TW: death of a parent, heart attack mentioned, cancer, depiction of panic attacks, sexual assault, sexual harassment, racist slurs]

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. This is my honest review.
A dad who disappeared comes back during the MC's mom’s funeral. No one expected him to show let alone give the MC Gabby a house in his hometown in New Mexico. Gabby decides to take the house to sell it and pay off her mountain of debt. There is a lot of sadness at the start of the book with the passing of the mother. It took me a few times to reread and get through the sadness before I could finish the story. There are some strong triggers for those who are looking to avoid certain situations I would recommend reading some reviews before you pick this up. I enjoyed reading about all the problems and trauma because of how the trauma shaped our characters.

4.5 stars! One of the best books I have read this year!

I loved the deeply emotional "Too Soon for Adiós" by Annette Chavez Macias. The story is rich and the characters and their arcs are terrific. All of the dynamics between characters are well fleshed out and feel authentic. Macias takes the time for each of her characters to learn hard lessons, forge new steps, and make personal growth. This book resonated with me on more than one level. It gives a fantastic commentary on grief, how grief is not linear, and how generational trauma impacts all of the relationships around us (including the ones we have with ourselves). It explores how secrets can get revealed after someone dies, and it shows how the living get tasked with moving on after secrets are divulged. The main character, Gabby, must learn to love herself, and she also has to learn to love those who abandoned her in her time of need. "Too Soon for Adiós" has incredible Mexican American representation as well. I loved reading about all of the authentic Mexican cuisine cooked and enjoyed and savored, the descriptions are top-tier. The enemies-to-lovers romance and comedy aspects help balance out what would otherwise be an overly heavy story. This book made me feel things deep within my soul, and I simply could not put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Annette Chavez Macias, and Montlake for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for my review.

A beautiful and poignant story about loss, belonging and family. The characters here and relatable and likeable.

Gabby has just lost her mother, discovered a long lost father and moves to a small town to sell a house she has been left. What follows could have been cheesy but it isn’t. A lovely read.

So good!! Gabby was so easy to root for. She grew and blossomed alot throughout the book and her journey felt like 1 everyone could identify with.

I thought the raw exploration of what it feels like to lose your parent and how it feels like losing part of yourself too was so expertly done.

I also thought the way that Gabby gained a relationship with her biological father was done with a lot of authenticity. It wasn't overly smooth or overly rocky, it was varied and real.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the romance between Diego and Gabby. It didn't seem rushed or half done, and I liked that Diego wasn't shy about his love for her and breathed so much life into her.

Truly beautiful and heartwarming read!

This will be going on my list of comfort rereads. I loved it. There are books you read at the perfect time and this one of them for me.

Too Soon for Adios is a story about loss and grief, and second chances, forgiveness, and new beginnings. A second coming of age in your late 20s.

At her mothers funeral, Gabby meets her biological father as an adult. She’s in debt, left her job for her safety, and without a permanent home. He offers her a house that she can fix and sell. While she’s not excited to accept his offer, it feels like the best solution. She heads to New Mexico where she meets a frustrating contractor, a community, and uncovers messy family history and secrets.

Gabby is set that this is a short term move and solution. But, as she spends more time getting to know everyone in the town, opens herself back up to her dreams as a chef, and bickers with the frustrating contractor, Diego, she finds important connections and home.

Forgiveness is hard. And what I loved most about Gabby’s story is that no part felt rushed. Her complicated relationship with her father was given the time to grow and have difficult honest conversations. She finds herself in a community she never wanted to grow attached to. And her grief is present in thoughtful ways when she thinks about her mother and the life she thought she would be living.

We grief the lives of others, relationships, dreams we had, lives we thought we would live, and the parts of ourselves we lose at times. While the things I’ve grieved aren’t the same as Gabby, I found so much of her relatable. Feeling stuck and out of control on the direction of our lives. Having an idea of where your life would be by a certain age and realizing you’re no where near that. But her story is a reminder that not being anywhere near that doesn’t mean you can’t land in places where your goals and dreams come true. The story tackles so many themes in thoughtful ways.

Gabby’s journey is healing and comforting. She finds love and home.

I felt this book in my guts. No kidding.

The opening is very important in any books considering it sets the first impression and this one hit it out of the park.

I would have been devastated if it didn't follow through. Gladly, it did. The romance didn't feel awkward and while it was cliché at times, I'm okay with it. What's wrong with a little bit of cliché every now and then?

Gabby's journey was very emotional - traumatising even and I loved being a part of the healing process. The friendships between her mother and her friends were incredibly heartwarming and it is easily one of the highlights for me ❤️ We get to learn a bit about history, about the Mexican culture and beautiful scenarios around. Definitely recommend!

it definitely had its emotional beats but i did find the tone a bit forced, especially in those moments that were meant to be alleviating/light.

3.75/5 Stars

I'm sitting here at my desk trying not to tear up. What a gorgeous story that left my heart just a little achey and my stomach a lot rumbly. Too Soon for Adios is for anyone who's ever felt like that couldn't put down roots, that were too scared to love, but always had the stars in their eyes for something more. I don't read women's fiction very often and this one was such a perfect and heartfelt story to ensure that I keep going with Annette's books. The audiobook narration was also very well done.

I am glad I took my time before finishing this book because if I would've continued reading this while my relationship with my dad was rocky, I would've hated it. Why does Gabby get two great dad's and I get shit?

This book is not about me, it's about Gabby's pain and dealing with the loss of her mother and figuring out how to even think about having a future while her mother doesn't get one. It was such a great story about loss, finding new family and home and discovering more about herself. Loved every bit of it.

I really enjoyed this book overall. Gabby is a sous-chef, and she quit her job to take care of her sick mother. When her mother dies, her biological father shows up at the funeral. He ends up offering Gabby a house, and she takes a chance by moving to where he lives and working on the house. Will Gabby find the answers she’s looking for and achieve her dreams?

The story was very interesting and I loved all of the rich history throughout the book. The author really painted a beautiful picture and the food descriptions especially were mouth watering. The relationship with Diego was believable and fun.

The miscommunication trope is my least favorite trope, but this one was resolved quickly with a beautiful happy ever after.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story full of loss and discovery with the common thread of family. Of course family comes in many different forms as we see through all the people in Gabby's life. Questioning everything and everyone she decides on some bold decisions that makes you take a closer look at your own life choices. A solid read with some wonderful characters peppered throughout.
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this book and give my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley, Annette Chavez Macias, and publishers for gifting me a copy of Too soon for Adios in return for my honest opinion.

4/5 stars

TW: death of a loved one; attempted sexual assault, domestic violence

Too Soon for Adios starts at Gabby's mom's funeral. She has recently died from cancer and left behind a mountain of debt. A man claiming to be her father shows up and offers her a house that she can sell to pay off the debt. The problem is that this man supposedly abandoned her and her mother.

I loved the mother-daughter relationship that is touched upon in this book. I am close with my mother and it was wonderful to read about a story where that is presented so prominently. All of Gabby's relationships with her Aunties were so fantastic they were always there for her and supported her throughout the book.

I liked how there was a sprinkle of romance thrown in with the growth and learning that Gabby went through.

One of the only low points of the book for me is I couldn't really picture any of the characters in the book. When I closed my eyes to imagine Gaby I couldn't pull up an image for her in my mind. Other then this aspect it was a well written book about loss, grief and going through the process of mourning.

Annette Chavez Macias is back with another heart wrenching book that you’re going to absolutely sob over, but you’re going to be happy about it.

Our story follows Gabby Medina, who loves food and dreams of being a chef one day and running her own space. Her dreams are on pause as she is struggling with…a lot! Financially, she is trying to pull herself out of massive debt. Emotionally, she is trying to learn how to cope with the passing of her mother, but their relationship was complicated. The cherry on top is that her estranged father shows up to her mothers funeral and offers a solution to all of her problems. Gabby’s father offers her a house to renovate and sell. But is it worth the emotional toll that will most definitely come with it?

TW: Too Soon For Adios deals with grief, death, and mild sexual harassment/assault. Take care of yourself and take this into consideration before moving forward with this book.

I loved this book for a variety of reasons:
1. Mexican American Representation
2. It’s about learning to love yourself
3. Rediscovering roots
4.Lessons on Love
5.Lessons on Grief
6. An enemies to lovers' romance.
7. Endearing Characters

*Spoiler Alert*- Gabby accepts the offer and heads to Sonrisa, New Mexico to fix up her new project. There she finds herself in a small town filled with characters like a sweet librarian, an egocentric realtor, the “neighborhood witch”, and a sexy mayor. Her new surroundings are a bit of a culture shock as she is used to working and living in the big city of Los Angeles, California. Gabby starts off determined to get in and get out; she doesn’t want to make any connections. However, when she discovers her father is a chef running the family restaurant, Carlita’s Cocina, she can’t help, but be curious. What are the odds that her father would have the career of Gabbys dreams?


“ ‘Being a female sous-chef isn’t easy to begin with. But throw in being a Latina? I have to prove I deserve to be in a kitchen even before I cook a single meal. Everything I do, everything I say is dissected and judged. It took me years to get to my first position, but to do it, I had to be smart—but not too smart. I had to be nice—but not too nice. I had to be tough—but not too tough. I had to be attractive—but not beautiful.’ ”
CHAPTER 14

While cleaning up the house (which was her late grandmothers) for resale, Gabby finds an old notebook that contains the original recipes for the family restaurant. Her excitement at her discovery is cute and reading how she remakes classic recipes was so cool; also mouthwatering. Have snacks on hand or take yourself on a reading date at the best Mexican restaurant in town, you're going to get hungry.

An absolute highlight was reading about Gabby’s mind when it came to recipes. Throughout the entire book there are sprinkles of Mexican American representation. From the food to the history of the town.

In case you don’t know me, let me tell you I am a Mexican American, but some would say I am “white washed” or even a bad Mexican because I am not fluent in Spanish nor do I know everything that there is about the history or culture (but who really knows everything about their culture?).

“ ‘Adelita is the nickname given to a soldadera. It’s taken from a famous Mexican corrido, ‘La Adelita.’ Although, nowadays the name refers to any strong woman who fights for what she believes is right.’ ”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Which is why when I read the story of Gabby Medina I related immediately to her struggle with the Spanish language and her annoyance of not meeting the expectations of others. It was comforting to see a character like me, not only through ethnicity, but through our shared struggle with our culture that we’re so proud of, but we’re not sure how to make a connection.

When “St Adelita” was brought into the story I was very curious and appreciated the chance to learn something new about my culture. It was thrilling and I ended up going down a rabbit hole searching for details. You don’t realize what you're missing until you find it; thank you Annette for this!

“ ‘Real love is like a presence. Someone can say ‘I love you’ all they want, but if you don’t feel it, then they’re just words.’ ”
CHAPTER 30

Although Gabby finds herself enjoying life in Sonrisa, making friends and other connections, she cannot escape herself. She has experienced traumatic events and has to handle panic attacks throughout the story. Stressed from the insurmountable debt she has collected from school loans and as a people pleaser she questions her validity and her abilities. Insecure as she is, leaves for a very complicated slow burn romance (emphasis on slow). Gabby learns to accept herself and love who she is and where she is in life, by doing so she opens herself up to having new relationships. This growth broke my heart; readers will find Gabbys journey compelling as everyone can relate to the idea of not being good enough and it’s magical as well as hopeful to read how Gabby learns to love herself.

My only complaint is that the romance needed to be turned up a notch. It was kind and patient BUT please tell me what happens behind the closed doors! That is the only reason I couldn’t give a full 5 stars, but if full on sex scenes are not for you then you're in a sweet spot with this one!

“ ‘You can’t think of it as who has more power and who has less power. You’ll never be happy guarding yourself from hurt. It’s not possible. People you love are going to hurt you. People you love are going to leave. People you love are going to die. That’s life.’ ”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


My hope is that those who read this story will learn something new about Mexican culture and find a sort of escapism like I did while reading. Overall 4.75 stars ★

Special thanks to the author Annette for reaching out to me and letting me read and review an ARC, it is an absolute honor that you trusted me enough to read your work.

I really loved this story. Grief can trigger many things in the family. You never know the outcome of an emotional decision that will effect several generations and how they navigate life. I loved the ability for the MC to reconnect with her father through the family home. Defiantly pick this book up. It is a beautiful story of grief, love, reconnecting, forgiveness and family.

huge thanks to NetGalley and the author for the eARC ✨

Que livro maravilhoso! Que escrita encantadora e que história cativante!

O livro acompanha a ida da Gabby para a cidade de Sonrisa depois de herdar do seu pai biológico, que nunca havia tido noticias até o velório da sua mãe, uma casa. Com contas acumuladas e emprestimos a pagar e sem emprego, ela vê na casa a possibilidade de conseguir acabar com suas dívidas assim que vende-la.

Mas não para por ai, além de enxergar a possibilidade de recomeçar a sua vida, a sua ida a Sonrisa provê a ela uma oportunidade de conhecer uma parte da sua história, fazer amigos, reconectar-se com o pai e por fim, aceitar que ela merece amor. Que ela é suficiente e que ela é amada.

Eu amei esse livro tanto que se eu não tivesse morrendo de sono por causa da faculdade, eu tava lendo.

Bom, era isso! Ah, personagens maravilhosos, interesse amoroso divinooooooo e que diz aquelas frases que deixam a gente bamba das pernsas, como "quem fez isso com você?" e "é obvio que eu noto você". Aff, amoooooooooooooooo 🥰🥰

TOO SOON FOR ADIOS is a beautiful story about grief, self-(re)discovery, and resilience.

Gabby Medina, a 20-something Mexican-American chef, is just trying to figure out her life after her mom died, leaving her swimming in grief and debt. On top of it all, her biological dad shows up and offers her a house to fix up and sell, with the added bonus that she gets to keep the profits. Gabby, of course, is skeptical but accepts the deal as she’s low on financial options. She then moves into a small town in New Mexico and befriends the quirky neighbor and hot multihyphenate love interest, Diego.

I consider TOO SOON FOR ADIOS as women’s fiction with romantic elements because the romance wasn’t the driving force of the story. Sure, I loved Diego and Gabby’s chemistry, and Diego was such a sweetheart. But this novel was all about Gabby. I loved the moments when grief was portrayed with such rawness, almost to the point that it was hard to read. It made Gabby’s journey of grief and acceptance well-earned.

TOO SOON FOR ADIOS was also a love letter to Mexican American culture. I loved the incorporation of food, language, and history in the small town. The characters were multi-dimensional and relatable. The plot was predictable, but honestly, I didn’t mind. TOO SOON FOR ADIOS read like a warm hug in all the best ways.

I love Annette's novels so much. They always remind me of my own family. I enjoyed the blooming relationships in the novel. I did feel that the story wasn't as smooth as it should of been at times and some lines felt a bit cheesy and unnatural,, but overall I loved this book.