So many feelings with this one. 

Kamilah and Liam are forced into faking an engagement when their respective grandfathers threaten to sell the land on which the restaurant and the distillery stand unless the two get engaged. Kamilah dreams of making the family restaurant the heart and soul of the Puerto Rican community again. Liam dreams of taking over the distillery he and his grandfather run together. 

Let’s start with the good stuff: I enjoyed the antics of the two grandpas. They were meddling, pushy, and endearing. I loved the thought of them constantly getting in trouble at the retirement center and the grandkids having to bail them out. Though I will say they became almost too manipulative at the end.

Then there was the integration of Spanish into the story. The movement between English and Spanish felt seamless. I really appreciate the author not giving verbatim translations. She made it all part of the conversation. Also, the food descriptions had me drooling. 

The slow relationship growth between Kamilah and Liam was incredibly sweet (with a little bit of spice). Their past friendship serves as a solid base to a more intimate understanding. I really enjoyed their idea sessions which showed how well they complement each other.

Now for my not so favorite part: The Undoing. A fallout was inevitable and there were some great discussions within the respective families after. But, I still found myself a little frustrated at the lack of consideration for Kamilah’s choices and feelings. Her brothers and parents walked a very fine line between tough love and bullying throughout the entire book. This along with a few loose ends made me want more from the ending.  

Overall, I did like this book. The genuine relationship between Kamilah and Liam saved this book from spiraling. 

I received this as an advance readers copy from Mira Books via NetGalley for an honest review.