As an aspiring pastry chef, Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans -- leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican-American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask herself.
Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that -- a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself.
Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong -- both within their families and their fiercely loyal Chicanx community -- in order to save the place they all call home.
REVIEW: Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours and this beautiful author for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a review. I have been looking forward to this book since I took place in the cover reveal last year and it did not disappoint. In this debut novel we meet Pen and Xander who's childhoods couldn't be more different but whose hearts are the same. I loved everything about this book and boy did it make me HUNGRY!! This book deals with a lot of important topic that are often swept under the rug and kept secret; mental illness and undocumented status just to name a couple. These stories need to be told and it couldn't have been done a better way. Pen's drive to bake amidst her incredibly real self-doubt is inspiring especially in a world where Latinas don't always succeed. Xander's story is so sad and heart wrenching but just another part of our world that I'm glad was brought to light in this beautiful story. I am so proud and honored to be a part of this book launch and to tell people about this book and I can't wait for you to read it. Overall this was, as I'm sure you can tell, a 5 star read for me, and one that everyone should put on their shelves.
Favorite Quotes:
"Never judge another man for how he tried to feed his family. We're no better than him. We're no better than anyone."
"If I knew how to be your mother, I would. But I don't want my heart outside my chest. Outside where anyone can stomp on it."
"We cook to remember the people who came before us."
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
"Or a kidnapping, depending on whether you're a 'glass half-full' kind of person."
"Your father has given up everything to protect his family, to protect the neighborhood. For that, we will never be ashamed."
"You don't have to believe in me. You just have to believe in yourself."
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
About the author: Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicanx grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health. Her debut novel, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BITTER & SWEET is forthcoming from Little Brown in spring 2021.
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