Title: A Dish Best Served Hot
Author: Natalie Caña
Publication: October 31, 2023
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Pages: 352
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Santiago “Saint” Vega gets a second shot at love with Lola León, but when duty to his family forces him to do something she’ll never forgive, will everything he’s built come crumbling down?
Years ago, Saint walked away from the girl he loved to fulfill his duty. Now he’s struggling to build bridges between his drifting family, take on more responsibilities at his uncle’s construction company, figure out why his daughter refuses to talk at school and curtail his mischievous abuelo’s escalating pranks. Then she walks back into his life.
Social justice advocate Lola León has returned to Humboldt Park for two to help care for her dear abuelo and to serve the community center she loved, particularly the shelter for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youths. When she finds out that the Vegas are responsible for endangering both, she is more than ready to go to war—even if the boy she never forgot is standing at the front of the battlefield.
Neither of them expects to become allies in saving the shelter, helping Saint’s daughter or ending the decades-long feud between their grandfathers. They definitely don’t expect all of their old feelings to come rushing back. As Saint and Lola enter combat, they can’t help but wonder where the other’s true allegiance lies, and whether they’ll win these battles only to lose each other.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I made a promise this year to myself to make sure I read more books with diversity. I love stories that are so unlike my own because I learn so many new things and new cultures. I knew as soon as I read the description of this story that I had to read it. This book sounded like it had culture, love, family… so many of my favorite things.
I have never read anything by Natalie Cana before and she didn’t disappoint. While this story is obviously a romance novel, it was so much more than that. I really loved the initial story about the community center being torn down for luxury apartments. I felt it was such a real life problem in our world where people are being priced out of their neighborhoods and communities being torn apart by developers. I really liked how Cana was able to portray that in such a realistic way in the book. This story was so realistic.
Of course, the romance was adorable too. The only thing I was bothered by in this book, and it wasn’t anything terribly upsetting, was the predictability. I do love a good story that just makes you feel good, but a little mystery would bring it up a tiny bit. But overall this wasn’t a big downfall and the book was thoroughly enjoyable. Those who love a good romance with a lot of meat on the bones should definitely pick it up.
