This book was an absolute delight! It was delicious in every sense of the word and will undoubtedly be one of my most memorable reads. Here’s what I adored about it, offering A Cuban Girls Guide To this beautiful story:
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Lila Reyes: Lila was such a wonderful character to follow. She was charismatic, warm, passionate, hard-working, and brave, with so much love to give. I could honestly listen to her talk about her passion for baking all day. Her journey of self-discovery was subtle in some ways and monumental in others, and I couldn’t praise Laura Taylor Namey more highly on the way she portrayed this part of her story. I also really appreciated the way Lila’s struggle with her mental health was explored. Laura Taylor Namey did a wonderful job of differentiating between struggling with mental illness and having a hard time with your mental health. I wouldn’t think twice about reading another book from Lila’s POV; she was one of the most engaging, honest, and ‘real’ main characters I’ve come across.
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The Food: Oh. My. Gosh. I’ve read a few foodie books in my time (it’s one of my favorite subgenres), but I don’t know whether any have made me as hungry as this one. It may very well be because I have the world’s sweetest tooth, but I’ve never craved baked goods so much in my life. I loved how richly descriptive Lila was when discussing her baking. The passion and joy she felt towards her creations oozed from the page in a way that was almost magical. I think this was made all the more special by the fact that much of the food discussed was Cuban, and thus I wasn’t as familiar with it, and it was a true delight to learn all about the delicacies I’ve clearly been missing out on. This book acts as a cuban girls guide to the culinary delights of the culture.
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The Discussions on Grief and Mental Health: I touched on this a little before, but the exploration of Lila’s dip in mental health due to the grief was beautifully explored. I thought the way Laura Taylor Namey showed the different ways in which you can grieve was superb (e.g., the death of a loved one, a relationship, a change in friendship dynamics, a lifestyle, dreams). It’s not often you can read a book in which grief is such an overarching theme and still come away feeling uplifted and hopeful, but that’s exactly what this book did. It’s a cuban girls guide to processing emotion in a healthy way.
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Orion Maxwell: Oh Orion, my wonderfully cliche English boy. Orion somehow managed to fall into every ‘British boyfriend’ trope and yet still manage to convince me, a Brit who sadly knows better, that all English boys are charming, witty, suave, gentlemanly, and say things like ‘ruckus’ and ‘crikey’. He was such a gorgeously warm, loving, and empathetic character; I couldn’t help but adore him.
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Winchester: Honestly? I’m just putting this in here as someone who’s been to Winchester on many occasions and loved reading Lila’s obsession with how old everything is. I will forever find a huge amount of entertainment in the way non-Brits write about the UK. (It’s all so twee, but I love it?)
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Cuban Culture: As a Brit who’s never been to Cuba or Miami (where Lila lives), the vibrant way in which Laura Taylor Namey writes about Cuban culture, in particular the food and music, made this book so incredibly special. It filled the pages with love and passion in a way I’ve personally not felt towards one single place, and it was a joy to read. It offers a cuban girls guide to understanding the heart of Cuba.
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The Romance: It was just…. so soft and chill and romantic and real and beyond adorable. It served my slow-burn romance loving heart very well.
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The Relationships: From the adorable romance to the fabulous group of friends to Lila’s relationship with her aunt, parents, Grandma, and Sister, each individual relationship was given time and depth. Each relationship explored was fulfilling, unique, and thoroughly enjoyable to follow. This book is a cuban girls guide to building and maintaining meaningful relationships.
I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about this book. I guess maybe the somewhat dodgy British accents in the audiobook? (but even they were wonderfully entertaining.) I loved this book through and through. It was honest, yummy, hopeful, and joyous, and it will undoubtedly be one that I’ll continue to think about for a long time to come. Consider this your ultimate cuban girls guide to a truly heartwarming and delicious read.
