e-Audio, 10:01:39
Narrated by: Stacy Gonzalez
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Published by: Dreamscape Media
Read from: September 16, 2024
Companion to Rubi Ramos’ Recipe for Success
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this e-audio from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Grief, Loss of a parent, abandonment,
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Latinx) YA, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Sparkly CoversCastillo Torres, Student Body Association event chair and serial planner, could use a fairy godmother. After a disastrous mishap at her sister’s quinceañera, all of Cas’s plans are crumbling. So when a local lifestyle-guru-slash-party-planner opens up applications for the internship of her dreams, Cas sees it as the perfect opportunity to learn every trick in the book so that things never go wrong again.
The only catch is that she needs more party planning experience before she can apply. When she books a quinceañera for a teen Disneyland vlogger, Cas thinks her plan is taking off…until she discovers that the party is just a publicity stunt and she begins catching feelings for the chambelán. As her agenda begins to go off-script, Cas finds that real life may be more complicated than a fairy tale.
But maybe Happily Ever Afters aren’t just for the movies. Can Cas go from planner to participant in her own life? Or will this would-be princess turn into a pumpkin at the end of the ball?
*MY THOUGHTS*
This book had one of the cutest covers I’ve seen in a long time. But man, it was definitely more sad than I expected it to be. Please read the content warnings before you’re expecting a super cute, fluffy book like I was.
Ok so the characters were some of the best. I loved Castillo because she reminded me so much of me. I too have a problem with thinking that if I can control things, then I can keep other bad things from happening. (I am also a huge planner because of this lol) I also related to the fact that they were all Disnerds. I WISH I lived that close to one of the parks. My husband would be sick of me lol Anyways, did I agree with everything she did? No. But I did understand it. She was grieving and thought the only way was through. She felt like she had no one. And I completely understood that. But I was grateful that Parra showed that they weren’t just super forgiving to her. They made her work for it and I thought that was so real.
The person that she was helping tho? I did NOT like her. I felt so bad because Castillo was doing all of this to help her but I knew when things came out she was going to say something like, “you used me” when in actuality she used her too. She just told her upfront. (Now the lying was another story. I can’t help you there girly pop lmao) And I didn’t like that that was her friend. Why? Because we love a platonic boy/girl friendship. But I didn’t like it because it was too easy for him to drop her because she hurt his bestie. And like, is this going to happen every time?
This brings me to the romance. There is a REAL meet cute. I’m talking wasting stuff on the other and everything. So again, I was upset that he was like, “gotta go check on my friend” and then needed time from her. I get it but like dang, I’m upset too? I’m using my teen brain here lol but I’d be mad at him too lol This is probably why I haven’t written anything lmao BUT again, I liked that he made her work for it and didn’t just forgive her right away because she deserved that time to sweat it out.
I thought it was going to be a fun Disney romp about quinces with a fluffy romance because of its pink cover, but nope. It’s a emotional book about a girl navigating grief and finding support and love along the way. And I couldn’t be more happy to have read this!
Overall, I give this
