Sera Taino

Good second chance love story. Natalia has worked hard against formidable odds to achieve her dream of being an ER doctor in her beloved community. She is quite the workaholic, dividing her time between the hospital and the free clinic she established with her two best friends. She's never forgotten the fourth member of their group, her ex-boyfriend Leo. Six years earlier, she had broken off their relationship, telling herself it was the only way he'd follow his dreams. She hasn't seen or heard from him since then.

The story opens when Leo's father arrives in her ER due to a cardiac event. Leo has returned to town to help care for his father, who also has cancer. Nati is shocked when she comes face-to-face with Leo; it is immediately evident that the sparks between them are still there.

Leo was devastated when Nati broke off their relationship, and he was a mess for months and made it worse by marrying on the rebound. Now he's divorced and floored by his reaction to seeing Nati again.

I enjoyed watching the rekindling of the relationship between Nati and Leo. It is a slow, painful process as each tries to protect their heart. Nati tries to keep Leo at a distance knowing it would be too easy to fall for him again. Leo begins by wanting to clear the air in hopes of finally being able to move on. The sparks between them are too strong to deny, but they must put the past to rest before looking to the future. I ached for Leo when he found out why Nati broke things off and understood his anger and sense of betrayal. It takes some straight talk from a friend for Nati to realize her motivations for her actions and admit to her mistake. She does a decent job of groveling at the end to show Leo how she feels.

I liked Leo a lot. He is a good and caring man who is close to his family, and he freely admits his mistake in cutting himself off from his friends after his breakup. I also loved watching him jump in and help at Nati's sister's restaurant grand opening and offer to help Nati with the grant proposal for her clinic.

I had a harder time liking Nati. She is a bit of a control freak and thinks far too highly of her abilities. She is good, but believing she never makes mistakes is asking for trouble. I did like how close she is to her family, but even there, she doesn't seem to trust them enough to be completely herself. I liked the epilogue and how she seems no longer wrapped so tight.

The one character I did NOT like was Leo's mother. She is a snob and a *itch who constantly says terrible things about Nati. I liked the scene in the hospital room when Nati stood up to her condescending attitude. I also liked seeing Leo blast her for her attitude later in the book. I would have liked to get a real sense of what her problem was.

#netgalley… (meer)

A Delicious Dilemma by Sera Taíno

Debut novel that brings a taste of Puerto Rico, a bit of French, and some American to the table in this romance that takes place in a small community faced with potentially huge changes…if a compromise is not found.

What I liked:
* Val: chef, sister, daughter, friend, community leader, has trust issues, loves deeply
* Phillip: developer, designer, wealthy, friend, son, focused , good hearted, honest…mostly
* The family aspect of the story – how family impacts both of the main characters
* The food…sounded scrumptious
* The tour of Val’s neighborhood
* The chemistry between Val and Phillip
* Etienne: wondering if he will end up in a story
* Val’s family and friends – will they have books of their own or is this a standalone story?
* The community Val grew up in
* The idea of roots and history within community as well as the people who are willing to look out for one another
* That there was a HEA

What I didn’t like:
* That Phillip’s father had become so focused on success, winning, and money that he had lost sight of community
* Val’s inability to “see” as clearly as she could have

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and HQN for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars… (meer)

Terrific book. Val is a chef and co-owner of her family's Puerto Rican restaurant. She is also active in her neighborhood's fight against the development company attempting to gentrify the area. As the book opens, Val agreed to go out dancing with her friends for the first time since a public and humiliating breakup. Less than enthusiastic about being there, Val's evening improves when she meets Philip. They connect immediately, finding it easy to talk and flirt with each other. Sparks fly and plans are made to see each other again.

But Philip hasn't been entirely upfront with her. He picked up on Val's dislike of the development company and kept his involvement to himself so he could see her again. Telling her that Wagner Development belongs to his family, and he designed the plans she hates won't make a good impression. Keeping it secret isn't an option if he wants to keep seeing her.

I loved seeing Val and Philip's relationship develop. Their first two encounters highlighted their connection and the things they had in common. I especially enjoyed seeing them bond over Star Wars and music. Things progress nicely between them until Philip drops the bomb about who he is. Val reacts exactly as Philip feared - with anger, a feeling of betrayal, and obvious hurt. But Philip isn't about to give up. When Val and her neighborhood coalition show up to protest at the company headquarters, Philip becomes the bridge between them and his father. Val opens Philip's eyes to the personal effects of his plans on the neighborhood's people during an excellent tour of the area. An invitation to accompany him to one of his mother's fundraisers allows Val to get through to Philip's father. Philip and Val also grow closer, their chemistry becoming stronger each day.

But while Philip falls hard for Val, she holds part of herself back. Thanks to her previous relationship, trust doesn't come easily, and part of Val remains suspicious. When her plans for the restaurant building fall through, she blames Philip. I ached for Philip, who was blindsided by the accusations. His hurt over her distrust was understandable, as was his fury over what he believed happened. It took Val some time and an epiphany of sorts to realize how wrong she was. I loved her "aha" moment, helped along by an unexpected source of advice, and her need to make things right. Their conversation in the restaurant was heartfelt and honest. The epilogue was fantastic. I loved how it showed realistic progress to their relationship and the deepening of their feelings for each other.

I loved the setting of the story with its focus on the contributions of immigrants. I especially enjoyed that it also touched on the Wagner family history and how Philip used that history to deal with his father. The descriptions of the food and the neighborhood made the story come alive. The background of the conflicts between the residents and the developer informed without preaching and showed the importance of respect and compromise. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

#netgalley… (meer)