Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - A Dish Best Served Hot

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña

6 reviews

zarzar22's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

solid book, but after the third act I was not wholeheartedly rooting for them

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legalplanner's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I am absolutely in love with the Vega Family series. Caña has done it again with this one, and i'll be not so patiently waiting for the next one to arrive.

The quiet brother and the firecracker former love collide again, you'd think instant sparks. But time changes people and that was absolutely the case for Saint and Lola. I had been curious about who Saint was and what his impact would be to this story line for a while because he was the quiet brother in the previous story. It seemed like he would be the easy brother who didn't really have problems. Boy was I wrong. Saint is working through survivor guilt, anxiety, PTSD, and so many other mental health problems that many Veterans experience. Lola is atoning for the sins of her father, wanting to do good in the community despite how hurtful her father was.

Through all of this I loved how involved the Vega family was and how much they wanted Saint to find his happy. The real star of the show was Rosie. I was in love with her personality and she was such an integral piece of the story even though you wouldn't think a 4 year old child could be that much of a piece. I was wrapped up with her development and her relationships with Saint and Lola and her Vega family.

Overall, this is so much more than just about actual family. It's about the family you find and fight for. It's about being proud in who you are. It's also about how you can be loyal to your beliefs while also having to do something you don't want to do. I loved the complexity of this novel because it wasn't clear at times what might happen and if we would get a happy end. I will gladly read as many books as Caña publishes.

Thanks to NetGalley, MIRA, and Natalie Caña for my advanced copy in return for an honest review.

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booknerderika's review

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lighthearted

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Natalie Caña has done it again!

There was so much representation in this book (Plus-size, LGBTQ+, mental health/trauma, etc) and tropes that I normally don't like but actually enjoyed here (2nd chance romance, single parent romance, "good boy" smut).

Lola is a plus-sized bisexual activist who stands firm in her beliefs and loves everyone so fiercely. Then there is Saint, the caring father and military veteran who feels it's his duty to protect everyone while neglecting his own struggles with

anxiety and PTSD.

I appreciate that this was not a pro-war book and that the topic of how marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by military recruitment out of high school was brought up.

Saint wasn't a favorite character for me in the first book, but I have gained a new view of him and want nothing but the best for him.

I am curious to see how things are going to work out for the next couple. Especially with the drama from book 1. I am very much looking forward to book 3.

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When I read the first book in this series, A Proposal They Can’t Refuse, I knew I’d love the Vega family and their friends more and more as this series progressed. You don’t have to have read the first book to read and love this one, but I’m enjoying getting to know this boisterous cast of characters.

While I enjoyed the first book, I liked this one even more. It’s another slow burn, but with the amazing chemistry that Saint and Lola have there were plenty of sparks leading up to their fire. They were both being careful before jumping in, with good reason. Saint is a single father and Lola is the woman who disappeared on him back when they were just out of high school. Lola’s father was the local gang/drug lord and she has always wanted to make sure the stereotype she lives under doesn’t rub off on those she loves. Lola and Saint are thrown back together when their grandfathers decide to wage a prank war against each other in their senior living home. There is angst and fun along with yearning and old hurts.

Something I noticed before and that came back to me while reading this book, the author does a beautiful job of incorporating the multilingual aspects of the characters and their community. I’m one of those readers who always wants to know what everything means. Be it the mention of a tree I’m unfamiliar with or a sentence in a language I don’t speak, I tend to stop reading and look it up. My brain has a hard time moving past it if I don’t. The author artfully weaves these multilingual conversations together with plenty of subtext and responses in English that I never questioned what was being said. She does it without having the characters repeat or interpret the Spanish, but in a way that is organic and feels like a naturally flowing conversation. That alone shows me her talent.

I appreciate the way the characters in this story always own up to their shortcomings once they realize what they are. Not only that, but their community is open to accepting the apology and not holding past mistakes against them. Lola is an extremely strong and independent woman who will fight with a single-minded focus to help those who are usually ignored or dismissed. While Saint believes in the things Lola does, his focus centers more on his family and his fierce protective nature when it comes to all of his cousins and siblings. Neither realize how much air they can take up when they are on a tear. This makes them perfect for each other while also making them terrible for each other. This book is about them finding that happy medium that allows them to find joy in life instead of always being “on”.

There are so many characters in these books I want to see get their HEA. Hopefully, they all will in time.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

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aromanticreadsromance's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book had A LOT going on, and it felt much longer than its 400 pages. It is raw and real, rife with depictions and descriptions of gang violence, LGBTQIA+-related hate crimes, and PTSD (please read content warnings before starting this book!). To counteract these heavier themes, Natalie Caña provides lighthearted humor with feuding and matchmaking grandfathers who cause trouble in their nursing home. This is what ultimately reunites our two main characters, Santiago "Saint" and Lola, who were high school sweethearts before Saint enlisted in the military and Lola had to run away with her mom for her safety. Now, seventeen years later, Lola is back to care for her grandfather and work with the community center (El Hogar) for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth, a cause near and dear to her heart.

Saint is a single dad to four-year-old Rosie. He left the military to raise her after his wife died. Rosie is one of the BEST (portrayals of) children I've read in romance novels, probably because she acts her age (not younger or older). She has selective mutism, only speaking when she's with her family (i.e., not at school). Lola is Rosie's new teacher, and she doesn't try to change her or punish her for not speaking. She provides a safe space for Rosie to learn, and she doesn't take it personally when Rosie still doesn't speak to her outside of the classroom. The connection they form is so pure and wholesome. Rosie wants to be exactly like Lola, dressing like her and doing her hair like her. So cute. And when Rosie utters her first words to Lola? I had tears in my eyes. Be still my heart.

The Vegas have to be one of my favorite fictional families. This book confirms my love for meddling families, ESPECIALLY grandparents. I liked the... unconventional "friendship" (camaraderie?) that forms between Benny (Lola's abuelo) and Papo Vega. Those two are adorable in a way that only old people can be.

I LOVED the representation in this book. Not only that, but the discussions that the characters had about social justice-related topics. Every character is Latine/Latinx (with the exception of one white teacher who quit at the beginning); Lola is half Mexican and half Puerto Rican, and Saint is Puerto Rican. Lola is fat and bisexual (the author is also bisexual). There is talk about the effects of gentrification, the slow acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people in some Latine/Latinx communities (because they are not a monolith), white saviorism, and fatphobia/discrimination.

A forewarning to those who do not speak Spanish: there is a lot of untranslated dialogue that isn't always easy to figure out through context clues. I can't be mad at this, because the author clearly envisions her primary audience as other Latine people. But if this is something that will bother you because of how much time it will take to type into Google Translate, then this book might not be for you. As someone who does not speak Spanish, though, I can say that I still found this book worth reading. I personally did not choose to translate the text. From knowing another romance language, I was able to piece together the gist of some dialogue, and the rest I knew I would figure out if it were consequential to the story.

I think some of the conflict, especially the conflict involving Lola's brother that leads to the third act breakup, is unnecessary and doesn't add to the storyline. I could have done without the third act breakup. I would have liked to see more intimacy (not just physical!) between Saint and Lola. The heavier themes, as well as the characters' individual personal growth, overshadowed the romance; that is to say, the romance was secondary to other subplots. There is only one short sex scene, so this book is not spicy (that's either a pro or con, depending on your tastes!). I usually read character-driven books, and this one felt mostly plot-driven. It is incredibly slow-paced, which is probably why its 400 pages felt like they dragged on. I wouldn't necessarily call it a slow burn, but it was a slow read (for me). Although this book is written in third person, it somehow felt like a first person book (I can't explain why or what that even means, but I do usually prefer first person narration). The ending perfectly set up Leo and Sofi's impending romance (all best friend's brother lovers, be prepared!), so I can't wait for book three!

I recommend this book if you love:

🎃 badass, fierce FMCs
🎃 duty-driven MMCs
🎃 single dad romance
🎃 second chance romance with (secret) high school sweethearts
🎃 "it's always/only been you"
🎃 social justice
🎃 family loyalty and shenanigans
🎃 meddling relatives
🎃 feuding grandfathers

Thank you SO much to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

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hollielovesromance's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Saint Vega and Lola Léon didn’t imagine that when they said goodbye as teenagers that they’d ever see each other again. But fate has a strange way of intervening in the Vega children’s lives. After being called into the office of his grandfather’s assisted living facility due to a prank gone wrong on another resident, Saint is brought face-to-face with Lola who is just as fierce and alluring to him as she was as a teenager. During her time away from the neighborhood, Lola has dedicated her life to fighting for justice and equity for those around her. And as fate would have it, Lola ends up being Saint’s daughter’s teacher.

I loved how fierce and yet tender Lola was throughout this book. She and Saint are both extremely stubborn and a lot of the time frustrating characters. You just want to shake them and ask them both why they have to save everyone. I’m normally not big on second chance love or single parent tropes but these were both done so well. It is very believable that these two characters would not only fall apart as headstrong idealistic teenagers but that as adults those qualities could bring them back together and that their maturity could help them work better together as partners. Saint’s daughter feels like a truly authentic part of the story and not just a character that’s supposed to make us like this stubborn man. There’s something extremely sweet about their relationship and you can feel the anxiety he has as a parent wanting the best for his daughter. The Vega family was entertaining as always and I’ll be interested to see what Papo drags us all into in the next book.

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