Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:
• Her late father’s Cuban restaurant is thriving.
• She owns lots of designer things.
• Both of those statements are absolute lies to make her mother happy.
Isabella would do anything to keep her father’s legacy alive, including attending her estranged cousin’s weeklong wedding extravaganza. Once Sofia’s wealthy fiancé tastes the recipes Isa prepares from her father’s cherished journal, he’s sure to invest.
To Isa’s annoyance, she’ll be sharing a cabin with Valentina, the former friend turned rival who ruined her quinceañera. But Val is offering an unexpected deal—she’ll help Isa unravel an old family secret in return for help sabotaging the wedding and winning the heart of the bride.
Saying yes is a bad idea. But Isa’s perfectionism meets its match in Val’s carefree demeanor. There’s no hiding from Val, no ignoring this complicated but undeniable connection that’s changing Isa’s beliefs about love, loyalty and just how much she owes to her family—and to herself…
Release Date: Apr 7, 2026
Heat Level: Warm
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Adores
Price: $9.99
Classified as a romance, but more like women’s fiction with a romantic element.
Isabella Valdes is a perfectionist. Growing up poor and always on the outside looking in at her other well-off family members, she’s been a big member of the ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ for a while. Besides buying knockoff designer duds and wasting her time projecting an image of success, she’s spent every waking hour the last three years managing her father’s restaurant after his passing. All her hard work hasn’t paid off; the restaurant is failing. When she gets a chance for possible investment from her cousin’s fiancé, Isa jumps at the chance, only catch she has to attend her cousin’s wedding… and interact with her childhood enemy.
This book is full of drama, self-reflection, messy family relationships, and a cast of characters you can’t help but like. From Isa, our anxiety-riddled, perfectionist, to the model-esque enemy Valentina with her fancy chef skills and oozing confidence. There is Isa’s mother, who is the perfect villain with narcissistic tendencies and the guilt trips. Then her mother’s sisters and their daughters. Including the beautiful bride-to-be, Sofia. It was easy to get wrapped up in the drama of Isa’s life and her desire to preserve her father’s restaurant as well as unravel the mystery of why her mother and Sofia’s mother had a falling out years ago, forcing a family estrangement.
Is there romance? Yes, but it’s closed-door and Hallmark style. While present, it tends to take a backseat to Isabella’s growth and development. She spends a week confronting her past, present, and accepting that the future won’t be what she originally planned.
This is a first-person, solo POV story. You see the entire book through Isabella’s eyes, and while I could relate to her, there were plenty of moments I wanted to strangle her for not seeing the truth right in front of her. This book is messy, like telenovela messy. The pacing is a bit slow at times, and the start made me question if I could hold on. The drama is what kept me interested, solving the mystery. The romance elements are present, but they feel secondary to the overall story. I won’t lie, I craved more from Isabella and Valentina.
Overall, if you like drama, family secrets, delicious food, and stories of female characters overcoming their personal obstacles, this one is for you. I would consider this similar to Kristin Higgins with a dash of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Bonus, for those who want to give sapphic stories a chance, I highly recommend, since the spice is not present.
~ Landra
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