Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for this advanced copy of The Quince Project.

This was a refreshing read and will be recommending it to my students for their independent reading. I wanted to read this book because I teach freshman, and they’re usually turning 15, so it seemed like a great book they could relate to. I really appreciated seeing all the references to the Hispanic culture. This was truly a nice read.

I loved this one so much. Watching Cas find her confidence while navigating through issues with both her friends and her grieving family was the real heart of this story wrapped in the glitz and glam of planning the perfect quinceañera.

I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good party, good friends, a splash of romance, and all the Disney vibes!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The Quince Project is a mostly fun and sometimes serious journey through a family's grief process after losing their mother or wife. This is depicted through poignant moments, such as the children's attempts to fill the void she left. One of those children is Cas, whose journey also includes figuring out her future and what she wants to do once she finishes high school.

During my read-and-listen experience, I was impressed by the narrator's ability to sustain an upbeat tone, mirroring the characters' spirits. This skillful narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story, as its well-paced and lively tone kept me fully engaged and thoroughly entertained.

I was captivated by the rich cultural significance of quinceaneras, a traditional Latin American celebration marking a girl's fifteenth birthday.  The author's vivid descriptions immersed me in the celebration and its vibrant atmosphere, from the elaborate dresses to the symbolic rituals.  It's a truly unique and special way to commemorate one's fifteenth birthday, and the book does a fantastic job of bringing this to life.

Witnessing the family process through their grief was sometimes troubling. Still, it was a heartwarming journey that I couldn't help but empathize with.  My heart grew as they fought through the feelings that were paralyzing them.

The Quince Project is a fun and whimsical journey that enlightened me culturally and emotionally.

Needing a break from the heavy fantasy books I've been reading lately, I expected The Quince Project to be a mostly light contemporary revolving around Quinceañera celebrations with some laughs, rough moments, and life lessons. Though considering the book is about dealing with the grief following the loss of a parent, I should have expected this also turned into a tear jerker by the end.

Castillo Torres is an up and coming party planner, looking to be the apprentice for Mandy Whitmore's planning services, to give everyone their happily ever afters. In reality, it's a way to cover up her grief, broken family, and future fears. She goes through the summer, trying to pad her resume with a popular vlogger's Quinceañera. In addition, she runs into a surprise love interest. However, what starts as a white lie looms in the background. Castillo was easy to relate to as she went through her journey, even if she needs to learn some harsh lessons in order to learn and grow. I also loved her energy and voice through the story; it’s a part of why I was engaged throughout the whole story. The other characters were fleshed well, and really enjoyed Javi and Paulina the most. Also, I love Castillo and Mariposa’s sibling vibe.

There's a M/F and F/F romance in this book, but it's more of a side plot. I do like how both relationships are developed, but the M/F, between Castillo and Javi, takes priority. I did like that the book examined some cultural issues, not in a super deep manner, but enough to make me think for a bit about things. If you're a big Disney/Star Wars fan, there's plenty of references here, and even if you're not, I think the brands have enough cultural osmosis (in the USA at least) that you'll be able to pick up on it.

The prose is easy to follow, and yet packs a bunch. Thanks to not slowing down too often, I was engaged with the story the whole way through.

For those that liked Parra's first novel, there's a cameo to Rubi Ramos in this book and I really loved when it showed up. While I loved Rubi Ramos slightly more personally, this was a great second book for Parra and I can't wait to read more from her.

If you're looking for an exploration of grief, growing up, and the true meaning of “happily ever afters” with plenty of levity, humor, and a dash of Hispanic/Latine culture, pick it up.

I really loved this author's debut for her writing style and humor. This one was no different! I loved this story with characters who are relatable, vulnerable, and so easy to root for. The romance was sweet and the plot was fast-paced. Highly recommended!

Lost loves, new friends and new beginnings. Castillo Torres believes strict plans, planners and events are the path to happiness, but what happens when things go awry? Heart, tears and joy permeate this lovely realistic novel.

This is my 2nd Jessica Parra Book I've read, and my Honest review is that it was a little slow for me, plus alot of Star Wars references I didn't quite understand since I don't like Star Wars. But I Loved everything else Disney Inspired in this Book. And well being a Party Planner and such, I Loved that Theamin:) other than that it was a ok read for me.

Delighted with Jessica Parra's sophomore novel. It's filled with charm, humor, and the complex characters I've come to expect from Jessica's work.

Looking for a read to take you away from report card writing, friends? Want to spend a little time with some Star Wars, Disney, Wedding Planner remix vibes? Need to at least feel the fictional sun on your skin and sand between your toes? This might be the book. It might also be the book if you're looking for YA Latine and #2SLGBTQIA+ content, strong female characters, some sweet romance, and some lovely family making hard things work. And great food. And linguistic nerdiness. Plus, some cameos from the fabulous #RubiRamos family. This is a goodie, friends. Thanks to Wednesday Books and Net Galley for the e-arc.

What a super cute book! Jessica Parra did such a good job with all the Disney references & the details about Orange County.

There’s something for everyone in this book & I cannot recommend it enough!

The Quince Project by Jessica Parra is a heartfelt YA tale full of Disney brand magic and strong familial bonds. Cas and Po are the epitome of supportive sisters who still push and bother one another. Cas is such a sweet character and her journey through the grief from losing her mom and her "Disney perfect life" was something I closely related to. I loved all of the Star Wars and Disney references in the story. The descriptions of the parties were beautiful and seeing all of the love and attention Cas poured into each event was remarkable. The best thing about The Quince Project is how much the Torres family grew closer as they worked through their grief. This book is both heavy and lighthearted and I would recommend it to anyone who loves romantic comedies and coming of age dramas.

The first section of this book was very hard for me to get through. I found the main character, Castillo Torres, to be super annoying and she made me want to DNF. I am glad I pushed through as once the story really got going and the other characters began to develop it helped temper Cas. She also grew, and by the end I was a big fan.

My only real critique is that all the pop culture references probably won't age well - even if they are out there to begin with. Other than that, it was an enjoyable story.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

This book wasn't for me. The storyline was fun but I found myself struggling to follow all the metaphors especially since a lot of them had pop culture references in them. It may be that I just wasn't disney literate enough to be the ideal reader. I also didn't love the deception. It seemed unnecessary. I think this will be good for readers who want a ya romance with disney vibes.

This coming-of-age story had all the feels. I liked that Cas was Latine. It was a nice change of pace. I loved Javi's character because he had also suffered the loss of a parent and could help Cas with the loss of her mother. I also liked that he had many things in common with Cas including their heritage and culture. I loved reading the humorous, embarrassing moments that made me giggle. I even enjoyed all the teenage drama common in a teenager's life. It made the storyline more true to life. I loved the Disneyland references and the overall theme of celebrating the everyday moments in life. The next time I visit Disneyland, I think I will pick up an “I’m celebrating” button and fill it out with my everyday moment.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC In exchange for my honest review!

Wishing the happiest of book birthdays to THE QUINCE PROJECT!! I loved this book, which is a YA remix of THE WEDDING PLANNER (but make it quinceañeras)!

Read if you love:
✨ All things Disney
✨ Golden retriever love interests
✨ Sister relationships
✨ A little bit of party planning magic
✨ YA romance

I enjoyed reading The Quince Project by Jessica Parra. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

I was drawn to this book by the synopsis. It sounded like a cute coming of age, family oriented book. However the writing was a let down. The references were giving “I want to seem cooler and more in the know than I am” by being too frequently and unnecessarily used. I struggled to like Cas because although I can admire her hard work she still came across a little “woe is me”. All in all I just didn’t vibe with this book

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an electronic advanced readers copy of this novel.

The Quince Project is a fun yet deep story of Cas Torres, an ambitious high schooler whose dream is to be an event planner. She idolizes an Instagram party planner and is aiming to win a prestigious internship there. Still reeling from the death of their mom, Cas and her sister engineer a "chance" meeting with a famous teen Youtuber. When the influencer mistakenly thinks that Cas is already an intern, Cas lets the lie continue in order to gain exposure for her work. Enter a handsome teenage lifeguard and Cas' life will not be the same again.

The Quince Project by Jessica Parra, is an entertaining read that also weaves in some serious topics about grief and family and finding out who you are. I really enjoyed this!

3.5 Stars
Thank you @NetGalley for this e-arc! Congratulations Jessica on your second book out in the world!👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
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YA's have a way of humbling our adult self with the real, raw and messy realities of being independent teens at an early age.
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Amongst all the side eyeing and shouting I silently offered Cas at times throughout her journey, empathy was the final destination 🌷🫂
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Cas was ambitious, creative, focused
and determined to live her life in a particular direction. You can say she felt chosen to be an event planner.
We follow Cas and her sister Po as they navigate handling grief, being mindful sisters to each other and daughters to a dad who is there but not really there. Perhaps event planning was a way to manage and to continually show up for others when Cas obsessively pursued her HEA internship.
With one of her biggest opportunities to date to plan a famous Quince, Cas puts everything on the line hoping that it all works out.
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The reality is though that sometimes it takes everything falling apart for it to all come together as it should be!
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The Disney and Star Wars lovers will love the references.

This is my first book by this author and i really enjoyed it. I am looking forward for more of her books
Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Parra for this arc