{"id":32149,"date":"2026-05-07T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=32149"},"modified":"2026-05-07T09:12:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T13:12:58","slug":"review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-32149\" data-postid=\"32149\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-32149 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_xyf5569 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_x21g569 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_ovdu569 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=640%2C960&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-32150\" title=\"more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope\" alt=\"more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_i87i569 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u2022 Her late father\u2019s Cuban restaurant is thriving.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u2022 She owns lots of designer things.<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\u2022 Both of those statements are absolute lies to make her mother happy.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Isabella would do anything to keep her father\u2019s legacy alive, including attending her estranged cousin\u2019s weeklong wedding extravaganza. Once Sofia\u2019s wealthy fianc\u00e9 tastes the recipes Isa prepares from her father\u2019s cherished journal, he\u2019s sure to invest.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">To Isa\u2019s annoyance, she\u2019ll be sharing a cabin with Valentina, the former friend turned rival who ruined her quincea\u00f1era. But Val is offering an unexpected deal\u2014she\u2019ll help Isa unravel an old family secret in return for help sabotaging the wedding and winning the heart of the bride.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Saying yes is a bad idea. But Isa\u2019s perfectionism meets its match in Val\u2019s carefree demeanor. There\u2019s no hiding from Val, no ignoring this complicated but undeniable connection that\u2019s changing Isa\u2019s beliefs about love, loyalty and just how much she owes to her family\u2014and to herself\u2026<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_pefx569 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_x291569  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16467 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg?resize=146%2C44&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Apr 7, 2026<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Warm<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> Harlequin<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Carina Adores\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $9.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Classified as a romance, but more like women\u2019s fiction with a romantic element.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Isabella Valdes<\/strong> is a perfectionist. Growing up poor and always on the outside looking in at her other well-off family members, she\u2019s been a big member of the \u2018keeping up with the Joneses\u2019 for a while. Besides buying knockoff designer duds and wasting her time projecting an image of success, she\u2019s spent every waking hour the last three years managing her father\u2019s restaurant after his passing. All her hard work hasn\u2019t paid off; the restaurant is failing. When she gets a chance for possible investment from her cousin\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Isa jumps at the chance, only catch she has to attend her cousin\u2019s wedding&#8230; and interact with her childhood enemy.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This book is full of drama, self-reflection, messy family relationships, and a cast of characters you can\u2019t help but like. From Isa, our anxiety-riddled, perfectionist, to the model-esque enemy <strong>Valentina<\/strong> with her fancy chef skills and oozing confidence. There is Isa\u2019s mother, who is the perfect villain with narcissistic tendencies and the guilt trips. Then her mother\u2019s sisters and their daughters. Including the beautiful bride-to-be, Sofia. It was easy to get wrapped up in the drama of Isa\u2019s life and her desire to preserve her father\u2019s restaurant as well as unravel the mystery of why her mother and Sofia\u2019s mother had a falling out years ago, forcing a family estrangement.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Is there romance? Yes, but it\u2019s closed-door and Hallmark style. While present, it tends to take a backseat to Isabella\u2019s growth and development. She spends a week confronting her past, present, and accepting that the future won\u2019t be what she originally planned.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is a first-person, solo POV story. You see the entire book through Isabella\u2019s 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\u2019t lie, I craved more from Isabella and Valentina.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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 <strong>Kristin Higgins<\/strong> with a dash of <strong>Susan Elizabeth Phillips<\/strong>. Bonus, for those who want to give sapphic stories a chance, I highly recommend, since the spice is not present.<\/p><p><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_bor1569 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3PaI4FB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/48NYLNL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/more-like-enemigas-stephanie-hope\/1146963894?ean=9780369763785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/more-like-enemigas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Stephanie_Hope_More_Like_Enemigas?id=cgpUEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:\u2022 Her late father\u2019s Cuban restaurant is thriving.\u2022 She owns lots of designer things.\u2022 Both of those statements are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32150,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[576,105,112,48],"tags":[148,216,217,263,345],"class_list":["post-32149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-carina-adores","category-harlequin","category-landra","category-reviews","tag-3-5-stars","tag-contemporary","tag-contemporary-romance","tag-f-f-romance","tag-lgbtq-romance"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:\u2022 Her late father\u2019s Cuban restaurant is thriving.\u2022 She owns lots of designer things.\u2022 Both of those statements are [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"beverley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"beverley\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\"},\"headline\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":7,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"3.5 Stars\",\"contemporary\",\"contemporary romance\",\"f\\\/f romance\",\"LGBTQ romance\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Carina Adores\",\"Harlequin\",\"Landra\",\"Reviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/\",\"name\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/07\\\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"description\":\"Where HEAs are guaranteed\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Smitten by Books\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/10\\\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1\",\"width\":281,\"height\":265,\"caption\":\"Smitten by Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d\",\"name\":\"beverley\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"beverley\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/smittenbybooks.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/beverley\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books","og_description":"Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:\u2022 Her late father\u2019s Cuban restaurant is thriving.\u2022 She owns lots of designer things.\u2022 Both of those statements are [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/","og_site_name":"Smitten by Books","article_published_time":"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":1500,"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"beverley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"beverley","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/"},"author":{"name":"beverley","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d"},"headline":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope","datePublished":"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/"},"wordCount":7,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","keywords":["3.5 Stars","contemporary","contemporary romance","f\/f romance","LGBTQ romance"],"articleSection":["Carina Adores","Harlequin","Landra","Reviews"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/","name":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope - Smitten by Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-05-07T11:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-07T13:12:58+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","width":1000,"height":1500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/07\/review-more-like-enemigas-by-stephanie-hope\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review \u2764\ufe0f More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","name":"Smitten by Books","description":"Where HEAs are guaranteed","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Smitten by Books","url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/cropped-smittenlogo-2017.png?fit=281%2C265&ssl=1","width":281,"height":265,"caption":"Smitten by Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/5a4181aeb9cd5641e30023b9b4d3e00d","name":"beverley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d01d9a027fd24b3d94658206104dd5d7aaffba75b651e55c08358a9bc51b26a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"beverley"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/author\/beverley\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?fit=1000%2C1500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"builder_content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg\" title=\"more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope\" alt=\"more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=200%2C300&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/more-like-enigmas-stephanie-hope.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Isabella Valdes knows three things for certain:<br \/><br \/>\u2022 Her late father\u2019s Cuban restaurant is thriving.<br \/>\u2022 She owns lots of designer things.<br \/>\u2022 Both of those statements are absolute lies to make her mother happy.<br \/><br \/>Isabella would do anything to keep her father\u2019s legacy alive, including attending her estranged cousin\u2019s weeklong wedding extravaganza. Once Sofia\u2019s wealthy fianc\u00e9 tastes the recipes Isa prepares from her father\u2019s cherished journal, he\u2019s sure to invest.<br \/><br \/>To Isa\u2019s annoyance, she\u2019ll be sharing a cabin with Valentina, the former friend turned rival who ruined her quincea\u00f1era. But Val is offering an unexpected deal\u2014she\u2019ll help Isa unravel an old family secret in return for help sabotaging the wedding and winning the heart of the bride.<br \/><br \/>Saying yes is a bad idea. But Isa\u2019s perfectionism meets its match in Val\u2019s carefree demeanor. There\u2019s no hiding from Val, no ignoring this complicated but undeniable connection that\u2019s changing Isa\u2019s beliefs about love, loyalty and just how much she owes to her family\u2014and to herself\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/3_5-hearts-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"146\" height=\"44\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Apr 7, 2026<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> Warm<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong> Harlequin<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong> Carina Adores\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $9.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><strong>Classified as a romance, but more like women\u2019s fiction with a romantic element.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Isabella Valdes<\/strong> is a perfectionist. Growing up poor and always on the outside looking in at her other well-off family members, she\u2019s been a big member of the \u2018keeping up with the Joneses\u2019 for a while. Besides buying knockoff designer duds and wasting her time projecting an image of success, she\u2019s spent every waking hour the last three years managing her father\u2019s restaurant after his passing. All her hard work hasn\u2019t paid off; the restaurant is failing. When she gets a chance for possible investment from her cousin\u2019s fianc\u00e9, Isa jumps at the chance, only catch she has to attend her cousin\u2019s wedding... and interact with her childhood enemy.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This book is full of drama, self-reflection, messy family relationships, and a cast of characters you can\u2019t help but like. From Isa, our anxiety-riddled, perfectionist, to the model-esque enemy <strong>Valentina<\/strong> with her fancy chef skills and oozing confidence. There is Isa\u2019s mother, who is the perfect villain with narcissistic tendencies and the guilt trips. Then her mother\u2019s sisters and their daughters. Including the beautiful bride-to-be, Sofia. It was easy to get wrapped up in the drama of Isa\u2019s life and her desire to preserve her father\u2019s restaurant as well as unravel the mystery of why her mother and Sofia\u2019s mother had a falling out years ago, forcing a family estrangement.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Is there romance? Yes, but it\u2019s closed-door and Hallmark style. While present, it tends to take a backseat to Isabella\u2019s growth and development. She spends a week confronting her past, present, and accepting that the future won\u2019t be what she originally planned.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This is a first-person, solo POV story. You see the entire book through Isabella\u2019s 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\u2019t lie, I craved more from Isabella and Valentina.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">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 <strong>Kristin Higgins<\/strong> with a dash of <strong>Susan Elizabeth Phillips<\/strong>. Bonus, for those who want to give sapphic stories a chance, I highly recommend, since the spice is not present.<\/p><p><em>~ Landra<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3PaI4FB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/48NYLNL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/more-like-enemigas-stephanie-hope\/1146963894?ean=9780369763785\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/more-like-enemigas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Stephanie_Hope_More_Like_Enemigas?id=cgpUEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32149"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32163,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32149\/revisions\/32163"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32150"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}