“Takes One to Know One” by Lissette Decos is a rom-com that partially takes place in Puerto Rico.

Thank you Forever for providing this ARC. Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Dani is a publisher for a record label and needs to work with the reggaeton singer “El Rico” while he records a new album. The issue is that she lied about liking reggaeton.

This was a quick read for me and I enjoyed the story. The fact that they go to Puerto Rico to record the album helps Dani connect with her father, even after he is gone. I liked her character development during the book.

The relationship with Rene is a slow burn as they cannot stand each other in the beginning. But after spending more time together they develop a friendship and in the end a relationship. We only have Dani’s POV, so I feel like Rene’s character was underdeveloped.

Even of the romance is not the main plot, there are some sweet moments and there is a happy ending.

Sweetest romance with enemies-to-lovers vibes. A must to read this summer/spring on the sun.

I was amazed by this one.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC, this is my honest feedback!

Lissette Decos' Takes One to Know One is the sweetest enemies to lovers story and the ending was perfect.

Dani is a play-it-safe, no-nonsense marketing executive at Ocean, a record label. When she hears there are potential job cuts, she's ready to do anything to keep her job--including adamantly declaring her love of reggeaton. Only one tiny problem--Dani despises reggeaton as her body just doesn't move to it. Her lie earns her the job of working with Rene ("El Rico"), who sees right through her lies, in Puerto Rico, her father's birthplace.

Dani is determined that no issues happen as Rene records his album in Puerto Rico, but her dislike of his music and perceived persona makes for some very tension-filled moments that leave both her and Rene fuming. It doesn't help that Dani is feeling a bit of grief being in her father's birthplace. Her father has been dead for six years and she came to the island with a tape filled with her father's song about Culebra. Dani ends up playing her father's song for Rene and one by one, they visit the places in the song. Slowly, Dani lets go of having to be a caretaker for her everyone around her, and along the way, figures out what she wants, especially when it comes to be happy.

Takes One to Know One isn't a fluffy rom-com. It's rich in Puerto Rican culture and emotional depth with Dani's exploration of her grief and what she wants in life. My heart was so happy when I finished reading this book. I literally could not stop smiling at the ending.

Thank you so much to Forever for the e-ARC!

This was cute! Set partially in Puerto Rico, it follows Daniela, a marketing coordinator for a record label who gets paired with René, a reggaeton artist working on his next album. Daniela is desperate to prove herself, but the two immediately clash when René quickly realizes she knows nothing about him or his music.

René was so effortlessly suave and confident, yet beneath that was a deeply passionate guy simply wanting to create something authentic rather than just a marketable persona. And I really felt for Daniela, too. Since her father’s passing, she's been under immense pressure to maintain their family home while also being a good role model for her sister. With so many responsibilities, she’s had very little room to take risks of her own.

The setting was absolutely beautiful, and I loved how it, along with the incorporation of music, tied into Daniela’s grief. René’s final collaboration really hit me in the feels, and I loved how he inspired Daniela to want something for herself. But I don’t know… for a slow-burn romance, I just didn’t FEEL their chemistry. It lacked that palpable tension, buildup, and excitement for me. It’s a minor complaint, but an important one when it comes to my overall enjoyment of romance.

I’ve been reading a lot of musician based romances this year and Takes One to Know One is a great addition.

René and Dani showcase the musical nuance, culture and beauty of Puerto Rico. Genres of music are rooted in their own history and reggaeton while now recognized internationally came from artists that found their own way of storytelling rooted in community and storytelling. Lissette does that beautifully in Takes One to Know One. As someone that loves a good blazer the diss track was shocking, but stick around until it comes full circle.

But at times It felt like something was missing from the book. Rene’s not fully revealed to readers and we only get so much from him. I felt like we didn’t get enough interactions from the characters and I guess I needed more in that aspect. Nevertheless, giving this 4 stars and thank you Hachette Book Group Canada for the digital arc!

This sizzling rom com is perfect for the readers who enjoy:

🎤 Enemies to lovers
💃 Forced proximity
🏝️ Island destination
✨ Rockstar romance

Daniela has just landed her dream job as a publisher at a record label and her first assignment is to help improve the image of playboy / bad boy international reggaeton star Rene "El Rico" Rodriguez. Immediately the pair butt heads and I felt Lissette Decos did an incredible job building the tension between the two main characters. The dialogue was witty, the barbs were sharp and the pair could not have been more different.

However as the pair travels to Puerto Rico to allow Rene to complete the work on his next album, the pair are forced to spend extended time together and their walls begin to come down. Set on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, I felt Lissette transported the reader to the island especially as the pair visited Rene's childhood town and attending a large music festival.

The chemistry was moderate and I would classify this as a slow burn as the pair moved from enemies to lovers, but the wait was worth it 😉 There was an even balance between plot + spice, which I appreciated (🔥🔥🔥/5)

This is definitely a novel to add to your TBR list to read this Summer! Thank you Forever for the ARC!

How can you not want to add this to your summer reads. The cover immediately takes you to a beautiful tropical location and the story give Dirty Dancing vibes. Obsessed. I am a spanish floridian and could not get get enough of this latin representation. Thank you for the ARC copy!

AHH a hispanic romance y’all! everybody screamed (read: ME) i loved every second of this. not only was it an absolute romp, the representation ATE THE HOUSE. BOOTS. DOWN. i need to read everything decos writes for the foreseeable future because this was unputdownable 💞

Dani works for a Miami music label and is given her first client, El Rico. In a chess match of wits, the two end up on a small island in Puerto Rico to record/document the making of his first album, and a romance starts to heat up between them.

Lissette did such a great job immersing the reader in the story and making them feel like they are there with the characters, experiencing the Puerto Rican culture and music. The settings were vividly descriptive and leave you with a feeling that you know the places intimately.

The romance between Dani and René was very slow to build, but the payoff is worth it. I can’t believe it took so long. HE TAKES HER TO THE PLACES IN HER DADS SONG. Excuse Me?! Green Flag! Green Flag!
Overall, I enjoyed the book.

I loved this book! Before I even had finished I texted several friends to tell them to pick this up.

From the very beginning, I was immediately pulled into the story, and I had a hard time putting this book down. The setting (Culebra in Puerto Rico) is so well described, I felt like I could picture everywhere they’re going. The author took the same care into the food - I had to google a few items, and immediately try to find a restaurant near me where I could try them.

There’s some Spanish in this book, but the author did a great job of weaving it into the story - despite not speaking Spanish, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything - it only added to the culture.

The side characters are all well flushed out, and felt really real as well. I was rooting for every single person in this story.

I do think for being billed a romance, there’s not actually a lot of romance in this story, but I loved it anyways.

This book had the coolest vibes! Mostly set in Puerto Rico, I could clearly visualize everything happening in it and wanted to be there to experience it. Loved the enemies to lovers aspect and that it was a slow burn romance as well.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely loved this book. Was some of it predictable? Absolutely. In the end the predictability of the genre didn’t matter to me. I love how the characters and their intentions were developed and uncovered as you read. This was one of my top reads this year. Easy to get through and had my smiling throughout.

It's hard to rate a book when you dislike one of the main characters. Rene was just so... meh. I didn't really get the feeling that he really liked Daniela. His actions said he didn't.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

K I really really liked this book! I knew from
The first chapter that it was going to be fun, sexy, and so romantic. the characters were a bit prickly but they grew on me fast. The romance felt authentic and real. Loved it!

Dani is a Miami marketing coordinator with a well-known record label. She listens to just about any genre of music--except reggaeton.
I really enjoyed this one from start to finish, a one day read and a good representation of enemies to lovers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing)-Forever for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. Releasing on April 1, 2025

wow
How do I talk about this book?

Dani works for a record company for seven years, after so much they finally gave her a project that she could handle. What he thought would be easy will be a non-stop roller coaster, when she finds out that the musical genre she has to work with is the reggaeton that he hates so much. Out of desperation to keep her job, Dani lies and says she loves reggaeton. But Dani not only gets the job, but also gets a ticket to Puerto Rico where everything will change. . . for better or for worse? She has the mission of cleaning up the scandalous image of the international reggaeton singer René “El Rico” Rodríguez.

I still haven't processed the story very well, it had me trapped, I was 100% absorbed by the book, I didn't even sleep a full day. As a Puertorriqueña, I loved the honest descriptions, the passion the characters felt for their country, and Dani's connection with her father even though he was no longer here. Dani's character surprised me a lot and it was for the better, his way of being and how she saw other people. Dani is someone who overthinks everything and has to analyze everything. So when she was given the opportunity to work with René, she was desperate that something was going to get out of hand. In the development we can see how Dani discovers a part of herself that she was looking for so much. Now I liked the character of René “El Rico” Rodriguez but I didn't love him, he is mysterious and very reserved. The development of the story is in Dani's POV so you can't know much about it, but things were left in the air about the relationship that would have greatly improved the book. Dani has a beautiful relationship with her family, she is always looking out for her mother and sister, she puts them first before everything.

I really loved René's interest in Dani being able to see the places that her father sings about in the song he composed for her. They had beautiful moments that were very tender and had me with butterflies in my stomach and laughing every moment. Although they finally got to be together in 70% of the book. But at the same time there was nothing between them. I give it 4.25 because I feel like things were really left untold and the romance has potential to grow. I need more moments of René and Dani together in Puerto Rico.

Thanks to the author Lissette Decos for this beautiful book about my beautiful country. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the opportunity to review this incredible book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

I really enjoyed this one from start to finish. Can't go wrong with enemies to lovers! The exploration of reggaetón and the island of Puerto Rico were done so beautifully. I felt like I was hearing the music. I felt like I was brought along to all the places Dani's dad spoke and sang of. Rene making that happen for her was pure gold. I loved it!

Can't wait for what else this author has up their sleeve.

If you love enemies to lovers and romcoms, this book is for you. Plus it's set in Puerto Rico, how fun!

The author does a great job immersing the reader in the setting. The descriptions were so great, I felt like I was in the book with the characters. The author really brought the setting to live.

I also liked seeing Daniella's relationship with her family. It was interesting to see the dynamic and how her family influences her character.

The romance is a delicious slow burn with some enemies to lovers. The tension is high but the chemistry is hot. I felt their relationship developed organically and was believable.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable romance and would the perfect beach/vacation read!

He takes her to places her dad wrote about in a song!! 🥹❤️

This was a cute slow burn romance between Rene, a Puerto Rican reggeaton artist, and his label's marketing coordinator, Dani. Dani is getting her first big shot at calling the shots for an upcoming project from Rene. Knowing nothing about him as an artist or the genre of music, there are some hiccups to start. I loved that Dani didn't automatically love Reggaeton because she's Latina (half Puerto Rican and half Cuban), but learned to love it once she listened to it.

Eventually, they end up going to Puerto Rico, where Rene is recording his album. Let me say, the descriptions of PR were beautiful and I really loved the imagery. I loved seeing Dani reconnect with her roots and find herself there. Dani's dad was Puerto Rican, and she got to explore the places he loved and missed. ❤️

Rene was a bit reserved (maybe going for mysterious), and it took me a minute to warm up to him. Still, I loved that his actions spoke for him, and I ended up enjoying him as an MMC.

As for the relationship, I will say this is a SLOW BURN. SLOW. I happen to like a slow burn, so I didn't mind it, but I know it's not always for everyone. I happened to like them together, but I wish we could have gotten more time with them as an actual couple. Because it's such a slow burn and there is a third act conflict, we don't actually get too much time of the full fledged romance. The spice is closed door, which isn't a bad thing, but between the closed door scenes and the lack of time together, we didn't get Dani and Rene very long.

Dani is a Miami marketing coordinator with a well-known record label. She listens to just about any genre of music--except reggaeton. Her label is making cuts and the only way she'll be able to avoid a pink slip is to lie her way to a job that puts her, let's just say *closer* than arm's length to one of the top reggaeton stars of the moment, René "El Rico" Rodriguez.

The vibes of this book are understandably uptight FMC meets sexy reggaetonero set in the backdrop of the beautiful island of Culebra in Puerto Rico. I love a book that can achieve romantic tension that's subtle yet still palpable. Dani's mom and sister were fun characters that showed how much Dani grew by the end, and were able to spread their wings, too. This one was a win for me, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

4.5 stars