Read if you like: second-chance romance, close proximity, best friends brother, banter

Sophi and Leo have had a tumultuous relationship and I liked how they worked out conflict. This was a good second chance romance so if you like that trope, you might want to check this one out! While it is a third in a series, I don't think you need to read the other two, but they are also good!

So i loved the way this book started and the call backs to the other standalones in this interconnected series. I was like ok amazing this is all going together so well. there were some times where i was getting confused with the time jumps or flashbacks per say. i got lost in where we were at but then it came along. i really liked the second chance romance, childhood crush, and best friends brother romance aspect. all of those tropes hit the mark and were executed very well. i also appreciate the adhd rep. i am reading another book right now with adhd representation and i feel like authors lately have been doing such a good job with giving that diagnosis a platform and helping others gain a better understanding of it. other than that, i felt like this book was okay. there was so much drama, i felt like it took away from the relationship parts between leo and sofi. this is still an enjoyable series though and will still recommend it to others.

Ahh, to be back with the Vega family! Finally get Leo’s story! Fun, spicy and drama! Love seeing the Vega family back getting in everyone’s business!

This book is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. This is my first book in this series, but definitely want to go back and read the first two books. This is a new author to me, and she is amazing. I'm not a huge romance fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I've read the first two books in this series and really enjoyed them. So much so that I actively looked out how to find an early copy of this book. From the first book in the series, I knew there had to be something between Leo and Sofi. So, I was eager to read more about them. However, from the start you learn that the reason Sofi is so mad that she cut her best friend/Leo's sister out of her life is because of a lie. Yet, she's been lying to her best friend about her on/off relationship with Leo since they were 15. Right off the bat, then I'm not feeling sympathetic for her. Then throughout the book she supposedly can't trust Leo because of all the other people that have left her (her grandpa and uncle - that died, and her dad who is legitimately toxic). Yet, she was raised by a very supportive mother and grandmother...and until she decided to cut her best friend out of her life, she had their family supporting her too. Aside from the times when you're supposed to feel sympathy for Sofi, the book is good.

So much fun. I absolutely love Natalie Cana and she continues to shine in this book. I would love to see this entire series of interconnected standalones as a tv series. I'd easily follow these characters' lives and arcs.

I typically don’t read books are not in first person, but Natalie’s books are always an exception to that. Her writing pulls you in off the bat and keeps you wanting more, and this book was no different. I really enjoyed seeing the rest of the characters from this series makes appearances, but at time it did feel like it wasn’t solely focused on our main characters and I wished we could have seen more of them as a couple/unit. I absolutely loved the representation in this book, it was so authentic. I adored Leo and his patience and dedication for Sofi and the life he was trying to build was great to read about. I won’t lie, Sofi wasn’t the most likable character for a good chunk of the book, but I kept trying to keep in mind her upbringing, but I felt like Leo was put through a lot unnecessarily at times. Overall, I did really enjoy this book and feel that it was a good ending for the series. I’m glad they were able to get their HEA.

I can say with confidence that this one was my favorite of the series. Y’all know I’m in my soft girl era, so I basically gobbled this one up. I’m not even going to lie, I was a little pissed off by the her attitude at the beginning, but the more they interacted, they grew on me.

So the romance was a second chance romance? But not really because they were just hook ups? Idk. Whatever they wanted to call it, it was good. The tension was like it never left. Leo was down BAD and I loved it. But even I couldn’t figure out if it was romance or if he was just being hard headed. And with Sofi she was a mess, but she didn’t know she was. Like that whole original fight to begin with? That was completely nonsensical lol But I get it…. She needed an out.

It was so much fun. The things they did when in their flashbacks was crazy too. I think I swooned more there than I did in their moments from the present. But I do wish there was more of a “reveal” tho. When they told the sister she already knew and didn’t care. And while that’s ok and maybe even more realistic, I was hoping for more drama. I mean come on they were hiding this for literal years. What was the point of making it build up that long when it was just going to be an eh ok lol But once everything was out in the open I knew it was going to go downhill. That stupid thing Leo thought up with the grandparents was terrible lol I knew she was going to be mad.

I do wish it had a stronger plot, but I thought it was a solid closing for the series tho. There weren’t any questions left open, but she did mention someone that I’m still hoping gets a book. Even if it’s just a novella. I’ll just leave you with one little tidbit…….. Broadway. So someone please, Natalie……. If you have that ready, let me get that lol

Leo and Sofi's story was just perfect and I adored it! It was such a fun, spicy read with lots of heart, drama and meddling family.

Tropes:
Childhood crush
On and off secret friends with benefits
Best Friend's brother
Second chance romance
Meddling Family

Obsessed in an understatement when it comes to how I feel about the Vega Family Love Stories and I feel so connected to this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this advance copy!

SUCH a sweet, complex couple with a beautiful story. I really enjoyed getting to know both the MMC and FMC, and everyone in their world along the way. I feel like a second chance romance is so underrated, so it was nice to get that trope in this story!

There were moments when I wish that a glossary or footnotes with translations of some Spanish phrases were available, because I felt that I was missing some of the nuances of family interactions.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!

This was another wonderful installment of the Vega Family Love Stories series.

This time it we follow the stories of Sofia Santana, Kamilah's estranged best friend, and Leo Vega, Kamilah's firefighter brother. Like the other two, this novel was full of family, friendship, Puerto Rican Pride and plenty of steam and romance.

I love love love the setting (Paseo Boricua, Chicago- represent!) and how well the cultural aspects are woven into the storylines. I adored seeing the characters from the first two books. And honestly, I don't want it to end.

Thank you Natalia Caña for writing another gorgeous, Chicago-based, Latinx romance.

If you have loved the first two books in this series then you won’t be disappointed with this next installment. I love how well the author captures the life of Hispanic families and how similar it can be to Latin American families. The story is so easy to relate as a Latin American woman. My favorite is how Abuelo Papo is a meddler but all with good intentions. I loved getting to read Sofi’s story as a woman of color in the Hispanic community because we forget that our ancestors weren’t originally white.

✨New Release ✨

Love this one the MOST from the series!!

I LOVED the chemistry and their history! Loved their passion, pain, and pleasure. I did this as audio and it was superb because Frankie Corzo is unbeatable!!

And that cover?!? Again, best of the three books so far!!

Don’t hesitate to get this one in your shelf!

#sleepingwiththefrenemy #nataliecaña #readingreyna

I loved this book. The banter and the spiciness were perfect along with her writing which flowed everything together. I felt connected to the Vega series as a Puerto Rican woman.

I have been waiting for this story since book one and it did not disappoint. Both Sofia and Leo were dealing with feelings of not being enough. Sofia with her father, Leo with his career. I’m grateful that we got to see them work through their issues, much of it independently, before finding peace with one another. I love that when it counted most, the people they love did not disappoint them and restored their faith in taking the risk for love.

There are just so many delicious moments. All of the meddling grandparent moments, little Rosie bribing her family members, mysteriously finding a perfect dog to rescue in an alley, and the (pleasant) surprise when Sofi seceded power to Leo in the bedroom.

This is just such a beautiful story of personal triumph and finally connecting with your person at the right time.

Sleeping with the Frenemy by Natalie Caña is pure, unfiltered delight! As a fan of the Vega Family Love Stories series, I found this book to be the absolute gem of the collection. Leo and Sofi have such fiery chemistry and complex layers, making their love story all the more irresistible. Watching them navigate their feelings had me rooting for them from the very start. The humor, spice, and emotional growth—both as individuals and together—are beautifully done. Plus, seeing the beloved Vega family characters again adds a heartwarming familiarity. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet. Highly recommend for anyone craving a vibrant, passionate rom-com!

This was a fantastic addition to the Vega Family series! I had been waiting for this story and was not disappointed. The history that Leo and Sofi had was epic and the story itself was so good. I was just rooting for these two all along! Sofi got a little on my nerves, but in the end it works out and she gets over herself. And Tostón was literally my favorite character in this whole book!

Sofi and Leo have a long and hidden past. When Sofi returns to Chicago after Leo’s brush with death, she’s not sure where they stand. Leo has always been fine with casual, but after being shot he’s ready to get serious. Either Leo is going to convince Sofi to go official or he’s cutting ties. When Sofi ends up moving in with Leo thanks to his meddling family, Leo seizes the opportunity to show Sofi how he has changed. Sofi can’t deny her chemistry with Leo, but is she ready to trust not only him, but herself as well?

With Natalie Caña’s trademark humor and vulnerability, this is another top notch romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Natalie Cana for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I started reading this series in Fall 2023 as encouraged and driven by the 23 for 23 challenge and Natalie is one of the many must read authors I discovered during that "challenge". I loved the first two books and book three did not disappoint.

We had glimpses of the push and pull between these two in the first books in the series and the payout for waiting until book three was so worth it! I loved the ADHD rep and just overall loved seeing these two get their HEA! (As Katherine Center says: that is not a spoiler, it is just something to look forward to.)

AS ALWAYS for this series- the hijinks of the conniving elders just really makes this series soooo endearing.

I'm sooo hoping this series does not end here. There are so many more relatives and side stories to explore.

Sofi & Leo have a long on-and-off again (enemies to lovers) relationship that they have kept secret from almost all of their close-knit group of family and friends. Sofi and her best friend (Leo’s sister) recently reconnected after a big fall out during which Sofi was estranged from all of them. Now that she’s back, Sofi ends up in a forced proximity situation with Leo and we see how they navigate their gravitation to one another.

This book has all the elements and tension I enjoy in rom-coms. But far beyond that, it’s so much fun to read books with Latino representation. This book does it well because it captures the heart of the characters’ cultural pride and, importantly, not in a stereotypical manner. Sometimes the English language does not have phrasing that truly captures the essence and emotions of something the way Spanish does, so I loved that Spanish was sprinkled in when it fit better.

I also appreciated the mental health and ADHD representation, which is significantly lacking in the Latino media spaces.

This book is part 3 in the series, but works as a standalone. I am definitely going to read the first two!

My only issue was the third act conflict, it felt kind of unnecessary.

Solid 4⭐️

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, via NetGalley, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!