Special thanks to @bloomsbury for the gifted copy.

If you like the star-crossed lovers trope with a side of buñuelos, then definitely check out Guava and Grudges by Alexis Castellanos. It’s a cute foodie-centered YA romance between two teens from rival Cuban family bakeries.

When an out of town cousin of the Morales family, the rival family to Ana Maria’s Ybarra family, moves in, Ana Maria realizes that he is the same boy she was mesmerized by six months ago on a college trip. He is perfect…except that he is a Morales. The distrust between the families runs deep ever since they broke apart to start separate bakeries.

Not gonna lie. My favorite parts in the book are when the rival Dads get into it with each other. Which is every time they encounter each other. It’s a little over the top, but pure comic relief. I was rolling on the floor laughing at their insults. I know there was cussing and am currently trying to translate a few more words. For my own knowledge of course, not to use!

If you are into main characters with a culinary twist, you will love Ana Maria and her dedication to becoming a famous pastry chef. She is not afraid to go against the grain even though she fears her family will not approve of her moving to Paris to study culinary baking. Miguel has the key to her success with his expertise as a photographer. But can they trust each other?

I listened to this on audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. There is Spanish throughout the book so it also helped me with pronunciation of words.

Through Ana Maria’s love for food, you are immersed in Cuban food, culture and heritage. After all of the mentions of buñuelos you are going to be so hungry. This is such a fun read so grab a doughnut and some coffee and let me know what you think!

Cute star-crossed lovers a la Romeo and Juliette story with high schoolers Ana Maria and Miguel. The food described in the novel were described so well that they made my mouth water but other than that, the story left like several other YA stories I’ve read. The feud between the families felt a little over-the-top but I did enjoy getting to know Amy and follow her quest to make enough money for culinary school. The pacing was a little off as the middle dragged and felt like the same thing over and over. Otherwise, it was a good distraction for a rainy day.

I was looking forward to this one since books about food are always so much fun to read, but I found myself a little underwhelmed. This is a sweet story, but for some reason I never really felt invested in it, and I found myself getting bored. I also didn't feel like this one is overly original, which may be part of the reason why I started losing interest. However, this is still a cute story that I would still recommend to those who love books about food as much as I do.

It's adorable. My favourite scene was - SPOILER ALERT - was the rain kiss and confession.
Being a foodie myself I liked reading about the a Romantic story revolving around food and the romantic enemies to lovers tropes was a added bonus. I had so much fun reading it.

All her life Ana Maria Ybarra has only two goals: become a pastry chef and make sure to maintain the rivalry between her family's Cuban bakery and the rival bakery across the street owned by the Morales family, the only problem is she's fallen for a Morales herself. Ana Maria wants to become a pastry chef and hopes to help her family's bakery beat their rival neighbor's bakery. She wants to go to culinary school and win a social media competition that would give her the money to do it... and that's beside the fact that she has to break that news to her parents. Yet last summer she met a cute boy named Miguel, that she fell for and to her great surprise he's come to her small town.... and she's discovered that he belongs to the Morales family, her family's sworn enemies. Ana knows it's forbidden for her to be associated with a Morales, let alone have feelings for one, yet when she discovers that Miguel is the one behind the Moraleses' viral success and he wants to help her with her competition... she can't turn him down. Yet the harder she tries to keep him at arm's length the more she can't seem to resist how kind and charming he is. Yet if her family finds out she knows she's going to be in deep trouble. Can she sort out this mess before it explodes? This was an easy read featuring two rival families with a romeo/juliet esque vibe. Ana Maria is determined to make her family happy that it completely clouds her judgement. She's definitely what you'd expect a teen to act like and I feel like it's a cute YA read. Miguel was a really charming an cute romance interest for her and overall, it's a fine read.

Release Date: September 3, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I cannot fathom a family feud. Something so meaningful to my dad that he demanded we didn't associate with someone. It blows my mind, I don't believe it's real and as much as I hate R&J, I do love the star-crossed lovers, especially YA and will read them all.

If you like house parties, baking, star-crossed, chemistry, photography, lighthouses, and YA romances, read this immediately. It's so good

CW: teenage drinking; language, including f-words; passionate make out scene

Tagged as a perfect blend of A Cuban girl's guide to tea and tomorrow mixed with Tweet Cute (and I cannot disagree), this new YA forbidden summer romance between two high school seniors from feuding families was full of heart, delicious Cuban American food and a sweet romance.

I really enjoyed the main character, Ana Maria Ybarra (aka 'Amy') who is simultaneously trying to win an online baking scholarship competition and help save her family's Cuban Bakery. While she has the food part down, her online food-influencer presence could use some help. Enter, Miguel, the boy she meet one magical day in LA six months ago and hasn't been able to stop thinking about since.

Miguel is a great photographer and knows how to make videos go viral. His huge online presence alone helps boost Ana's follower count and the two can't resist their chemistry even though their families hate each other.

This was a quick, fun read that sees Ana both standing up for her dreams of being a pastry chef and attending school in France as well as following her heart. Great on audio narrated by Marissa Blake and recommended for fans of authors like Laura Taylor Namey or Emma Lord. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Foodie romance featuring rival bakeries owned by feuding families, a forbidden relationship, and a competition to win. If you’re looking for a quintessential YA summer romance this would be a good option; Ana Maria and Miguel meet at a campus tour (which they ditch together) and form a connection, however the next time they meet Ana Maria realizes he’s a member of the family her family has a long standing feud with. She’s swears to herself she’ll stay away but…she needs his help to win a culinary competition. The secrets pile up and the romance blossoms against her will. This was a light, cute, and hunger inducing read. Aside from the cute secret romance, the friendship between the protagonist and her best friend was so lovely and supportive. I love seeing these kinds of friendships in stories. As a bonus there are recipes at the end, which is a finishing touch I absolutely love. Make sure to locate your nearest Cuban bakery before starting this book because you will want to make a visit. If you liked Tweet Cute by Emma Lord or A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Namey Taylor then you might like this one as well. Now where to find a buñuelo? Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

ARC REVIEW

✨Thanks so much to Netgalley & Bloombury for the ARC of Guava & Grudges ✨

This was such an adorable read and a great way to start wrapping up my summer reads! I’m always a sucker for the modern romeo and juliet style romances (minus the death of course) and this was no surprise a great example. I have to admit i didn’t love how back and forth Ana Maria was with Miguel’s feelings, I don’t think that was fair to him but I also understood why she did it and glad that she understood what she was doing wasn’t okay. I did really enjoy all the authentic recipes and Cuban culture added I thought that was a really great way to make the characters more authentic. Overall a great, light read!

Check out Guava and Grudges by Alexis Castellanos on September 3rd!

Omg this book..AHHH THE TENSION AND EVERYTHING . I love how Cuban treats were mention in here and I would love to taste one. Thinking about them makes my mouth water. Imagine having to team up with a guy who is actually working with your rivals. AND HE IS RELATED TO THEM. LAWRD. The tension was insane and it was so so cute. I definitely recommend if you love some baking love and frenemies to lovers ;)

This was the perfect summer read. A story about rival families, secret romance, tradition and mouth watering cuban recipes in the good old fashioned Romeo & Juliet kind of way.

I loved Ana Maria and Miguel’s romance, which was more of friendship with one sided pinning, he just kept getting the bar higher; at first my rebellious self couldn’t understand what was the deal with the whole family rivalry but after the second act I was so in the rivalry, I wanted retribution.

I loved Ana and Rose’s friendship, the showcase of Cuban culture throughout the book, and the family dynamics; there was one conversation towards the end of the book that had me in tears, it was really relatable specially coming from a Latin-American family.

There is a strong emphasis on character, self-discovery, owning your choices and going after your dreams. This book is perfect for you if you love A Girl’s Guide To Tea and Tomorrow, Romeo and Juliet & The Dos and Donuts of Love.

Thanks to @coloredpagesbt and @bloomsburybooksus for gifting me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

4.25 stars

This is a cute, lighthearted story about two teens liking each other only to discover they're from rival families.

Ana Maria Ybarra dreams of culinary school, but she's reluctant to tell her parents who own one of two Cuban bakeries in town. When she's on a UCLA college tour, she meets an amazing guy named Miguel and has a wonderful day with him, never to see him again. Until he sees her at a party back home six months later. It must be fate, except she finds out he's related to the OTHER Cuban family in town - her family's bitter rivals.

I liked the story pretty well. It's full of good food, good humor, and family drama. I would have liked to see a little more of the rivalry and maybe one fewer of the On/Off between Ana Maria and Miguel. I loved that the Moraleses and Ybarras retained their culture in the Pacific Northwest and passed it on to their families. I need some of that food immediately.

Side note: What is going on with that cover? The text says that Miguel has golden tan skin and dark hair, and Ana Maria has coal-black hair and light brown skin. The cover looks like two pale white kids with middle brown hair.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

**3.5 Stars**

Star-crossed lovers and Cuban bakery goods? I was definitely intrigued by this synopsis and here’s what I thought:

Likes:

* Two teens from two different families that hate one another, meet and fall for one another. I thought their romance was sweet, but sadly so difficult because of their families. I do like how the family rivalry is resolved.

* Ana Maria’s struggles are relatable to teens. She’s decided on skipping college and maybe going straight to cooking school instead – but how does she tell her parents that when her dad is always saying she will be taking over the family business? Or when her mom is pressuring her to look at different colleges? Ana Maria is secretly competing for some college money and that’s how she and Miguel bond.

*I’m glad Ana Maria had help from her best friend and eventually was able to talk to her parents about her decisions.

*The mentions of Cuban food made me want to try everything!

Dislikes:

*The story didn’t feel unique especially with the rival bakery idea. So it felt like I had read a story like this before but it was still fun.

*Would have liked more of the rivalry between families to be featured in the story.


Final Thoughts:

I think teens will relate to this one especially because Ana Maria is that girl trying to please her parents, help her family but also want to forge a new path for her future. The romance between her and Miguel is a bit star-crossed because they come from rival families but I thought they were cute together. This was a cute read with mentions of delicious Cuban foods.

this book was so cute and such a fun read for me! right from the start, I loved their meet cutes. I admired the way that the story of Ana and Miguel unfolded and I think the author’s writing style was easy to resonate with and follow! This was a very lighthearted read and I enjoy that aspect so much. Through exploring family ties and desires to do more in the kitchen, I liked this book and particularly our main character, Ana, a lot!

I’ve read a lot of foodie books, especially Latine foodie books, that made me hungry. But this one. THIS ONE!!! As a pastelito de guayaba connoisseur, I’m still thinking about the guava whoopie pies and guava cheesecake doughnuts the main character thinks up in this book.

GUAVA AND GRUDGES follows Ana Maria Ybarra, a Cuban teenager with dreams of becoming a world-famous chef. Her family’s Cuban bakery is struggling while the rival Cuban bakery across the street, Morales Bakery, is, quite literally, stealing business (and recipes!) A Ybarra can’t be associated with a Morales—let alone fall for one . . .

Enter Miguel Fuentes: the boy Ana Maria can’t stop thinking about after they spent a fantastic food-filled night together six months ago and kissed. He’s a handsome photographer and videographer who’s in town for the summer. Falling for him is against the rules because he’s ~technically~ a Morales.

Torn between loyalty to her family and desire to pursue a romantic relationship with her family’s rival, Ana Maria and Miguel try their hand at being friends all while keeping whatever-it-is-they-are a secret from their families (including one scene, my favorite, where Ana Maria literally shoves him into a walk-in fridge).

What a delectable treat of a book – both figuratively and literally. Alexis Castellanos' debut novel was so fun to read! Ana Maria and Miguel's relationship is so sweet (unintentional pun, sorry) and Miguel is the epitome of "if he wanted to, he would." Never to hate on lovely FMC Ana Maria, but after all she put him through, a lot of men wouldn't have continued to come back (I chose "Afterglow" for a reason). And yet, Miguel sets the bar above the roof over and over again. I love how at first they're like "let's just be friends so Ana Maria can win her competition," then figure out "oh, we can't do this without getting involved because our respective crushes are too big" so they decide to switch to rivals to lovers halfway through. As an emphatic supporter of both team friends-to-lovers and team enemies-to-lovers, it was a delightful mix.

However, as cute as their romance is, my favorite part of this book was the mouthwatering descriptions of food, especially desserts. Ana Maria's recipes were so creative and sound delicious – speaking of which, thank you Alexis for including the recipe for her guava thumbprint cookies. I will most definitely be trying them. It's like the equivalent of Tashie Bhuiyan putting a (fire) playlist in Stay With My Heart, her latest contemporary novel centered around a band and music – God bless the authors that go the extra mile to make their story "interactive." I especially appreciated Ana Maria's flair for creating fusion dessert recipes that bring together American cuisine with her own culture, because I do the exact same thing with Italian sweets (tiramisù cookies, mocha espresso cupcakes, and cannoli cream cake are just a few examples)! Seeing yourself represented in books, even in such a small way as this, is such a heartwarming experience.

READ IF YOU LIKE: A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, immigrant family trauma, small town romances, sweet moments (again – figurative and literal), Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, supportive besties, Romeo and Juliet but food, A Pho Love Story by Loan Le, family hijinks including a hilarious and realistic sister relationship, doughnuts, and teaming up with your sworn mortal enemy against a common bigger threat.

Ana Maria “Amy” Ybarra wants to become a pastry chef. Her family is Cuban and she loves developing and making new treats in her family’s bakery. Her dad will not change the menu that her grandfather created years ago. There is a bakery across the street, Morales Bakery; that is doing so well.

Amy wants to change her dad’s mind and win a social media recipe competition, but Miguel shows up. Miguel is a boy she spent one day with months ago and never saw or spoke to him again. Amy soon finds out that Miguel is a Morales; which is the family rival who she is forbidden to stay away from. Miguel is behind the success for the Morales Bakery and she needs him to help her with her competition. Will she be able to keep the secret from her family while following her dreams?

This book was super cute and the characters were all pretty lovable. The author did a great job as far as character development. I love how Amy’s mom and dad trusted her and her sister so much; until they didn’t! Most parents are super strict when it comes to teenagers! The banter between Amy and Miguel was cute. I kinda wish it was some spice in the book; there was barely any at all. I feel like this book is for anyone would feels like they can’t follow their dreams because they feel as if their parents are holding them back. Amy’s mom and dad wanted her to go to college and she wanted to go to pastry school. Many times in the book, I wanted to knock Amy upside the head and have her just spit it out already. I was not expecting the reaction her parents gave her.

The book started off quick and then once I got midway, it was super slow and felt like it was a lot of filler. The ending was good! I liked how the book wasn’t super predictable. I would put this book under “frenenemies” to lovers.

Thank you netgalley and Bloomsbury YA books for the free e-Arc. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was everything my romance loving heart want. The characters reminded me of Romeo and Juliette, all the pastry talk makes me hungry and sudden urge for croissants. I wish this ebook was for atted for easier reading I was not able to zoom in to read I found the font small. And not being able to have it read aloud to me for the above reasons was disappointing.

It did ot take away the joy I got from this book.

5/5☆

I loved this YA title! Would definitely add it to my high school library if I taught at that level.
* Star-crossed
* Family rivalries
* Secret friendships
* Attraction that cannot be ignored
* Delicious treats
* A competition that could help with dreams of culinary school in Paris
* Lots of great characters
* Realistic
*despite all the drama it doesn't forget that life can be funny as well and I found humor in many places
There is so much to enjoy about this book!

This was such a fun twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope! I walked into the story assuming it would be just another YA rival bakery romance but was pleasantly surprised when I discovered just how much heart it had. Not just in terms of Cuban culture and love of cooking, but in what it means to be a teenager who aspires for more than the cards they've been dealt. Ana Maria is a fabulous MC, making rooting for her in love and life easy.

The book did start to drag near the end with the repeated breakup/makeup scenes (especially when it was clear she and Miguel would wind up together) and I would've liked to see those pages focus more on mending the family rivalry instead of it all being quickly fixed in a chapter.

Nonetheless, this was such a refreshing surprise. I can't wait to recommend it to readers!