A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey Book Review
“Right now, he’s warm as sweaters and sure as stars. And every other kind of danger I know.”
(pg 256)
About
Author: Laura Taylor Namey
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
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Synopsis
For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.
Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.
A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
To tomorrow and today,
Honestly, such a beautifully cute read full of family, friendship/relationships, culture, tea, self-discovery, and love. I absolutely adored this story 💕. And the synopsis did not lie when it said this book was a mashup of Love and Gelato and Don’t Date Rosa Santos. I haven’t read Don’t Date Rosa Santos, but I have read Love and Gelato and it gave me the whole Europe, falling-in-love vibes. After this book, I am definitely adding Don’t Date Rosa Santos to the top of my tbr because gosh knows it’s been on there 😂.
But I just wanted to say this book made me HUNGRY.
Like full force craving for Cuban cuisine because your girl has never, ever had Cuban cuisine in her life. I would like to formally invite Lila Reyes and her family to stay at my house and cook for me 🤪. Gosh, every page had me SALIVATING! Laura Taylor Namey did not need to pop off with those descriptions of the scrumptious, delicious food because I could only imagine 🤤. I swear every time there was a food scene, you could just hear my stomach grumbling . . . gosh you should see my Google searches of what the food Lila talked about because I needed some perspective of what I want to try to eat one day 😂.
Gosh, I swear Orion and Lila’s family were lucky to have her cook and bake for them. I loved how they would joke about how they all had to run off the food or exercise more. Gotta love that Gordon 😆.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Besides being a phenomenal and dare I say it—one day world famous chef and baker—-Lila was an interesting person.
Now, I’ll be honest, the beginning of the book was kind of slow. Lila just felt too woe is me and like she was dragging herself around. She seemed very dejected about life because of this whole trifecta of her Abuela passing away, her best friend leaving her, and her long-time boyfriend breaking up with her. She has every right to feel sorrowful for her grandma passing and downcast with her best friend going away and boyfriend breaking up with her. Any person would have felt what she felt, and no one should feel that much trauma and pain that she went through all at once.
So it was hard to connect with her in the beginning of the book because she seemed so disconnected from life and herself. It also felt like she was self-pitying because she felt helpless that she didn’t have a boyfriend or her best friend anymore. I also felt like it made her kind of bitter because she was angry at her family for sending her to Europe when that was the last place she wanted to be. But I mean, Lila literally got this opportunity to go to freaking Europe because her family was so worried about her well-being and thought she needed to get away to heal. Her family is the best. But gosh, Lila! She got to go to EUROPE. I have never traveled anywhere in my life and I have always dreamt of going to Europe and this girl was literally despondent in Europe because her parents could send her there for a break. Let me take a break trip to Europe! 😩 You know, when it’s safe to travel and all. But I get it, she wasn’t excited to go to Europe because she didn’t have the same dream I had and she went through all these things. If I were her, I wouldn’t have felt excited either, but gosh was I jealous that she got to go to Europe.
Take me with you 🤪.
But gosh I could not for the life of me, not yell at the book when Lila would look at her Instagram or when she texted Andrés back. 😆LIKE SIS, DO NOT TEXT HIM BACK, DO NOT CALL HIM BACK, and DO NOT SELF-SABOTAGE by looking at his Instagram. She was just asking to be hurt or sad. And I think Lila also couldn’t enjoy herself at first because she was clinging too tightly to her past hurt and all the problems she left behind. It felt like Lila’s mind was constantly somewhere else while she was in this beautiful city.
I don’t judge her for looking at Andrés Instagram because gosh knows we’ve all been there. But we all know better too. Lila knew better than to talk to her ex because it would only serve to bring up these past feelings of wanting to get back together with him. When you break up with someone and you talk to them again so soon, sometimes it’s hard not to want to take them back because the wound is still fresh. But Lila deserved to move and heal. Lila also needed to work on herself.
“The burned-out star, just like Abuela said. I’d brushed off her warnings, dismissing them under our thinnest pastry dough. But here they are; he shines them back in my face. He shines them on Stefanie.”
(pg. 205)
I respected how Lila acknowledged that she messed up in the relationship by being controlling. Because she knew what went wrong, she could work on herself to be better in her next relationship. I believe Lila controlled everyone and everything around her because it’s what you do as a cook or baker—you give directions, you experiment, you try things on your own. And sometimes as bakers or chefs, we like doing things our way because we think it’s the best way—and there’s nothing wrong with that—-but it’s not okay to control other people in what they do all the time. Lila needed to learn that.
I also appreciated the complex friendship dynamic between Lila and Stefanie. Not many books talk about friendship break-ups, but it should be something people talk about. Because I never knew friendship break-ups were even a thing until I went through one in high school. Before I had a friendship break-up, I knew that friends drifted apart or they either just weren’t friends anymore. But I never heard or read about how friends went through this break-up where they chose not to see each other anymore. And I can tell you friendship break-ups are much more painful.
So I liked how honest and raw it felt when Stefanie and Lila talked after all this time—-when Stefanie had gone to Africa and Lila went to Europe.
First, I just wanted to mention a review I read about how it was sort of offensive that the place Stefanie went to to help people was Africa. I thought that it was kind of stereotypical and presumptuous that Stefanie would go to Africa because of the stigma about Africa. Africa is a beautiful country that has flourishing people and cities. So I thought this tidbit of the story could have been more culturally sensitive. But besides that, the emotions I felt when reading Stefanie and Lila talk after time apart was highly relatable. I liked how awkward it was for them to speak to each other because it does feel like that. I liked how Laura Taylor Namey mentioned how they didn’t know where to start and how nervous they were to open up to each other. It’s weird isn’t it? How people who we know our whole life—people who we told our deepest secrets with or people we shared our darkest and happiest moments with—-sometimes become people we don’t feel comfortable speaking with when we break-up with them. I understand this well.
“I”m 100 percent unable to tell the girl who cried for hours with me over Andrés a single word about Orion.”
(pg. 298)
They were both holding back their stories because their relationship wasn’t the same and they didn’t feel comfortable confiding in each other when their relationship was freshly broken. A friendship break-up is similar to how one breaks a bone where you give the fracture time and space to heal, and it will, but there will be subtle changes afterward that affects how the body or that bone works. There is this fracture in the friendship and time and space can heal it, but there will always be something different and it may not be what it used to be.
“But isn’t Stef my best friend? And then, what if there’s and African Orion, or a dozen other stories beyond chocolate bars and straw hats that she’s not telling me?
If this is true, it’s okay. And because it’s so okay, I realize we aren’t the same and different in a new-old friendship. We are just different now.”
(pg.298)
And that’s what makes friendship break-ups even more painful: you have a deeper history and when that changes, it is a monumental shift in your world where you want things to go back to the way it used to be—-to have that trusting and steady relationship—but you just can’t. It won’t be the same. But we want it to be. But we have to accept the fact that it won’t, and sometimes two people change, grow apart, and do not stay friends forever. Sometimes people come into your life for a reason for a season and are meant to be in your life. I genuinely believe that. But sometimes people leave your life because they did all they needed to do with you to help you learn and grow and be the best person you can be. It doesn’t mean that person has to leave your life forever, but it just means that maybe they won’t be a main supporting character in your story. And that’s okay.
And sometimes we have to accept that we are the “villain” in someone else’s story. I don’t mean villain in a bad way, but we have to understand that in other people’s lives we may not be the best for them anymore because we add something toxic or difficult to their life and they need to let that person go to better themselves and life. I felt that’s what Stefanie did. She needed to let Lila go because their friendship became toxic to her. I also don’t mean toxic in a bad way; Being toxic to someone else is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are not being intentionally toxic. If you are purposefully being toxic—harmful, abusive, and negative to someone—then that’s not right. But if you don’t know that you are toxic to someone, you can’t really blame yourself because the way people perceive you and the relationship they have to you is something you can’t control. So, you just have to accept that you might not be the best person for another person anymore, doesn’t mean you are a bad person by any means, just not the right one anymore.
And like Lila said, that’s okay.
So, I really admired how Lila and Stef were very mature about their friendship and acknowledged that they both did something wrong—-that they were the villains in each other’s relationship. Lila was controlling and that made Stef feel the need to free herself of that control. Stef also felt like she couldn’t live up to the impact and talent Lila had with cooking, so she needed to do something for herself. I mean, do what you have to do for yourself if that is the best and healthier course of action.
It really warmed my heart how Lila asked Stef if she was happy 🥺. When you’re not friends with someone anymore, well at least for me, I like to know at least they are doing well—-that they are happy. I may not be a main person in their life anymore, but I still care. Do you feel the same way? It’s not wrong to still care for someone you are no longer close friends with.
I also liked how Lila and Stef said they were proud of each other. Sure, their relationship was different, but the pride, love, and good wishes they had for each other will never change. This is another reason friendship break-ups are tough—-you still want the best for the person and to feel like you are a part of their life, but it’s hard to be part of someone’s life anymore when you are not in it as much.
I truly hope the best for Lila and Stef.
“And a best-friendship doesn’t die. Instead, it runs its own way now, miles over bridges and roads and desert sand. Without us.”
(pg. 299)
Either way, like Jules said, the absence of a friend leaves room for more friends and people to enter your life.
“But there are others that I don’t see much anymore, and I’ve realized that’s okay . . . sometimes I put them into songs, and that’s where I keep them. Plus, there’s always room for new friends.”
(pg. 152)
I absolutely adored Jules and the gang.
More specifically Jules. First, her talent . . . impeccable. I don’t need to hear her singing to know that she’s probably going to be the next biggest thing. Also, I just loved how accepting and welcoming she was to Lila in the friend group. Having a girlfriend made Lila feel less alone when she lost a friend. And you know what? Lila may not have had a close friend with Stef anymore, but she did have a friend in Jules now. Lila wouldn’t have had Jules as a friend if she held onto her hurt and didn’t allow herself to enjoy Europe.
Lila started to feel like she belonged in Europe when she found the one place that felt like home: the kitchen. You can take the kitchen away from the girl, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the girl 😂. That made absolutely, positively no sense, but you know what I meant 🤪. She found the promise land!
Polly was a bit of a beeeeeppp. I get it though. That was her kitchen and then Lila came up all in it and then Lila almost burnt it down. But gosh, you can’t blame the girl for not remembering the conversion differences. Gosh knows I wouldn’t have remembered that 🤪. And someone get Polly a cracker because she was obviously either hangry or just plain judgmental of Lila. But, no, no, I understood why Polly was mean. It felt like Lila was disrespecting tradition. When Lila changed Polly’s Grandma’s recipe, Polly must have felt like Lila was saying that she knew better and that Polly’s Grandma’s recipe was not good enough. So I get it. I think Lila could have been kinder and just said, “Hey, I’m going to try something with your recipe. I think it’s an amazing recipe, but I think this could elevate the recipe.” Polly could have been like, “No way José.” But then at least Lila would have been honest in saying what she was doing.
Lila, again, was a phenomenal chef and baker and she didn’t need to prove herself, let alone to Polly. If Polly hadn’t left, I think Lila would have felt uncomfortable in the kitchen and wouldn’t have grown outside its walls to the life she built in Europe.
In the kitchen she met a real gem. . . or should I say star with Orion. To be honest, it was highly unsanitary that he dipped his fingers into her food without knowing her 🤪. Not only was it unsanitary, it was awkward. He should have at least asked Lila, I don’t care if Polly was Orion’s number one fan. Gosh, she was too OBSESSED with Orion.
But Orion was a real sweetheart and he was such a gentleman. And such a romantic, which I’m here for 💕.
Like Jules, Orion was very welcoming and kind to Lila. He made it very easy for Lila to open up to him because of how honest and vulnerable he was. I noticed that when people are vulnerable, it makes it easier to be vulnerable to them. I believe it’s because if someone can be raw and honest with you, it feels safe to share the real parts of you too.
“See, cake mixes are fine.” He backs away, winking like stars. “But I like the real deal.”
(pg. 95)
Orion opened up about his mom developing Alzheimer’s 😢. Gosh, you just never know what people go through. That’s hard . . . you know. The whole family was affected in multiple ways. Orion liked superstitions because they were something that was sure and that he could focus his energy on when things were uncertain in his life.
“Some things we can’t understand.”
(pg. 90)
Superstitions also helped him give meaning to some things people can’t understand. This whole situation with his mom was something no person should have to experience or see a loved one go through, but we never understand why. And we might not.
But superstitions were something that explained things. I frankly loved his superstitions, gosh knows I learned a thing or two 🤪.
I also liked how Orion explained how he didn’t ask things from the universe because that would be like expecting too much. Especially with things with his mom, I understood why Orion lost his belief from the universe. But here he was . . . his universe expanded to include Lila. I loved when Lila and Orion visited the mom. I loved how Lila just chatted the mom up like they had been best friends for years. I liked how Orion understood what Lila said without really knowing the language she was speaking. But it was such a touching moment because it showed Lila’s heart. She really has a pure heart 💖.
Orion made Lila feel comfortable being in Europe. I liked that he showed her around Europe—the ins and outs. I didn’t understand the deal they had about him showing her around Europe in exchange for being his plus one after his recent break-up. Boy, I don’t understand why you needed a plus one for show 🤪. I bet the deal was just a ploy to hang out with her.
They had some very cute moments. I liked their picnic under the stars because how freaking romantic is it to not only have a picnic, but a picnic under the stars with a cute, nice, wholesome European boy. The picnic also reminded me of the cover.
Honestly, let’s take a moment to applaud the graphic artist of the cover because gosh they put ever detail in the story on the cover and it just encompassed the book well 👌🏼💖. The detail from the tea, the picnic, the wool jacket, and the necklace? AMAZING.
When on this picnic, Orion and Lila talked more about the reason why she went to Europe. And I appreciated how non-judgmental Orion was of her story. When Lila said she ran the whole Miami because she was overwhelmed with everything in her life, I was like, sis! How do you run the entire Miami?! I have never left my state, let alone been to another state. So I don’t know how big Miami is, but gosh . . . I don’t think someone could run the entire Miami in four hours. I could be wrong 😆. But gosh, if Lila ran the entire Miami in four hours like she said, someone sign her up for the Olympics.
Lila’s running felt like her outlet to either run away from her problems. I think this is why her parents thought to send her to Europe because Lila was already speeding through Miami trying to get away. Might as well send her far, far away, am I right? The other reason I felt Lila ran so much was it cleared her head and it was an outlet for her to release her emotions. When I was going through a dark time in my life, I ran a lot because I needed clarity. I run a lot now because it relieves all the pent up energy and emotions I have.
I also liked how Orion was so adamant to find her favorite tea. I thought it was cute because tea was a significant part of his life, and he wanted to make her feel assimilated to Europe. They tried multiple teas, but eventually Lila found her tea: Vanilla black because it’s a mixture of her two worlds (Miami and London). I also liked how he and Lila would go on these spontaneous outings to nature places.
No matter where they went, they always found stars.
They found stars at their picnic. They found stars on St. Catherine’s hill . . . well they talked about stars.
I also LOVED how Lila and Orion’s name had significance to who they were.
“It’s only in the last few weeks that I’ve even been able to look up at the stars without breaking down. After my abuela’s funeral, I couldn’t . . . They call me Estrellita in Miami, around my neighborhood. Little star. Like I’m sleeping up in the night sky—and the kitchen—while everyone else sleeps.”
(pg. 136)
Lila was a little star who shone brightly in the kitchen and made people happy with her decadent goods. But stars also reminded her of her abuela whom she loved dearly.
And it doesn’t matter that his namesake constellation is only visible in Australia or New Zealand in June. I’m here, in his hemisphere. I find Orion anyway.”
(pg. 141)
I mean how CUTE 💖 .
They were a match made in the galaxy and destined to happen 👌🏼💕. Or should I say the stars aligned for them 😉.
“Orion Maxwell is all the northern lights, the North Star—my true north—even when my legacy calls me southward.
Southward. Miami.
(pg. 271)
I also loved the beige wool sweater. I love me a sweater, but I loved how Orion’s grandma’s sweater just became Lila’s sweater over time. I loved how Orion was so comfortable and attentive to Lila and giving her the sweater to wear whenever she was cold. Literally get you a cute, romantic, sweet, wholesome London guy who will give you a sweater without even asking 🥺💖.
Orion was also living his best life eating all of Lila’s food. This man ate Lila’s food with a kinky passion 🤪. But I loved the relationship they had because it just felt real and honest. However, part of me was hesitant of Lila and Orion as a couple because I wasn’t sure if Lila just liked him as a rebound because he was the first cute guy who gave her attention in Europe. Or was she actually in love with him? And did Orion just like Lila because he was fresh off a break-up too and was looking for love again so soon? That’s the only part I question because they both had fresh break-ups and it seemed rather quick that they would like each other. But don’t get me wrong, I adored them as a couple because of how sweet and supportive they were to each other.
I liked how when Orion was angry at Lila for keeping Flora’s secret, he cooled down and apologized to Lila. I mean, get you a man who knows when to apologize. No, get you a man who does not want to hurt you more than he loves you.
“I don’t want to be someone who hurts you.”
“Yeah, but you will,” I say. “And I ‘ll hurt you. But there’s the kind of hurting that happens between . . . friends that make you human. You get past those hurts.” I think of Stefanie, the ways we’ve hurt each other. Our future’s still shaded, not steady and warm like the sunlight over my bare shoulders.
I scoot closer. “But there’s also a dangerous kind of hurting between people. You run from those hurts.”
(pg 255)
You can’t help or choose who you hurt. But you can choose how you heal from that hurt or you can choose your actions that either worsen the hurt or softens the hurt. In terms of Stefanie and Lila, Lila knew they would get past that hurt. But what Lila said about the dangerous kind of hurting, both Stefanie and Lila felt that and they both ran from the dangerous kind of hurts. Stefanie flew to Africa and Lila literally ran before flying away.
I loved Lila and Orion together, but they never defined what they were. And I loved that. Not every relationship needs to have a label.
“So let’s do this. Let’s create a new category for our kind of us. We don’t have to define it. We’ll leave it blank and take things day by day?”
“Is this what you meant by not asking too much of God or the universe or life itself.”
(pg. 186)
They really wanted to take things day by day. I loved that 💖.
“You couldn’t be just some quick fling. See, I can’t do that—weeks of summer shags—with an end date in my head. I can’t put you on a plane, and only to get to keep the memory of it. Of you.”
. . . “It’s just too bloody hard. For now, let our time here be our moment.”
The moment we cheated worlds and lives and universes for.”
(pg. 272)
They just wanted to live day by day and enjoy the time they had together rather than be stuck on how many days or weeks they had left. If they were too focused on the time frame they had left, they wouldn’t have enjoyed their time together. It’s a beautiful sentiment to just take things day by day and live in the moment because you never know what happens or what changes in life. All you know is that you have this moment, this very second, with yourself, your loved ones, etc. Enjoy those moments with the people you love.
Also, not putting a label on themselves made it less high stakes for when they knew they had to end whatever they were. They just liked each other and that was what mattered. A label doesn’t make a relationship, it’s love.
They also knew their relationship would come to an end, which I mean, did it really? 😆 They could have done long distance if they really wanted to. You know? 🤪 But I think they were in a place of all or nothing and that they thought whatever happened between them that summer couldn’t be anything more. Maybe they thought they would drift and it wouldn’t work, but you know, long distance can work!
But I get it. They didn’t want to keep all these strings. Honey, call me a puppet and keep those strings! 🤪
Besides Orion, I really enjoyed Lila and Flora’s relationship. I thought their relationship was very cute 💖.
“Her disturbance is the streak of paint over the walls. Controlling it, changing it. See me. She fights a universe that denies her—one that brings a disease so cruel it makes her own mother forget her. I’m still here, the paint says.
But Flora is still hurting herself and others. I know this because I’ve done the same. I understand what it means to be on the grass, dehydrated, filthy, and tear-spent. I ran so far and hard into the loss that had run me over, because I could.”
(pg. 192)
When Lila was in the depth of her trifecta sadness, she tried so hard to run her pain away, but she couldn’t outrun it, because frankly, you can’t run away from your problems. No matter how fast or far you try to run away, the problem will always be there when you get back until you learn to let go of the pain that it clings to you.
And Lila saw the same hurt in Flora. I don’t blame Flora for what she felt because, gosh, Flora was only what? Sixteen. Her mother was slowly forgetting her. She wanted, needed, her mom. But that wasn’t the case . . . 😢So there was a lot of melancholy, angry, confused emotions Flora felt and it projected itself in her tagging/graffiti on the walls. The graffiti on the walls was her way of saying, “See me, remember me, I am here.” That’s such a stark contrast to everything that was going on in her life—-Flora wanted to be seen. It was hard because I felt like Flora needed a strong support system for what she felt. I know Orion wanted to be there for her, but I think it is difficult to be there for someone when that someone runs away or is not there for you to support. Orion was a good brother. I don’t blame Flora for running away because she carried a heavy load on her shoulders.
But I am glad Lila recognized Flora’s hurt and wanted to help her. Lila saw herself in Flora. I know for me, whenever I see myself in someone, I just want to help them because I know what it’s like to go through or be where they are at. So I admired how Lila took Flora under her wing and never gave up on her. Flora needed that. I think she needed a woman figure in her life—-like Lila—who wouldl see her hurt and not give up on her as just some moody teen. I also admired how Lila wanted to help Flora like her parents helped her heal when they sent her to London.
Lila gave Flora the love of baking and cooking. There is a lot of methodical consistency and practice to cooking and baking that’s calming and soothes the soul. I thought this was an effective activity for Flora to do because it would teach her residence, serenity, precision, and team-work.
I liked the scene where Flora purposely messed up on the baking because she thought Lila would tell her good riddance and be done with this deal (keeping Flora’s secret of tagging). I think Flora was so used to people giving up on her when she made a mistake, but Lila was not going to let her go easily. I loved that 💖. I thought it was admirable when Lila took a mark on her perfect baking reputation for Flora. That takes a lot of strength and love for someone to give up this image of yourself and take the fall for them. And when Lila did that, I felt Flora’s heart just drop; she felt terrible that she served this disguising looking pastries, but Lila was responsible for it when it wasn’t really her fault. Lila was trying to teach Flora that her actions have consequences and they affect everyone around her—–like her graffiti. She also wanted to show Flora that she cared about her—–cared about her enough to take the fall for her. I don’t feel like someone has ever done that for Flora. And when Lila took the blame for Flora, it made Flora realize feel like someone saw her, understood her, and cared for her.
I also liked how Lila gave Flora boy advice. Flora liked this guy who was just using her to get to Jules . . . which sis recognize those red flags!! If a guy doesn’t talk to you for you, then he ain’t worth it! We don’t like users!
Anyway, because Flora felt cared for by Lila, she got into baking and cooking. She was much more accepting helping Lila cook and bake. Flora also trusted Lila because Lila kept Flora’s secret and kept giving her chances to heal. And that’s all Flora wanted. I loved when Jules and Flora chose to cook with Lila that one night instead of going to a concert because they knew that they could go to a concert any other day, but they would only get to cook with Lila. I loved how they all danced to the salsa songs and how vibrant and full of life the kitchen was. Lila really was the heart of the kitchen and made everyone feel loved, included, and welcome. Lila’s food was how she showed her love and care for others. And it attracted all these people into her life like Orion, her aunt, Gordon, Flora, Jules, and Remy. When people say food bonds/connects people, it truly does.
“You came here and fed everyone. Not just me and not just sandwiches and pastries. You fed the guests at the inn, and the people in town will ask where you are tomorrow. You fed Jules music. You fed my friends and you fed my sister with skills and love and now you’re . . .”
(pg. 286)
This quote reminds me of another quote I heard, “Leave people better than how you found them.” And Lila is the prime example of that.
When Orion found out about Lila keeping Flora’s secret, I understood why he was angry. The older brother bear was coming out! 🙈 But I liked how he calmed down later and was like, I don’t want to hurt you. Get you a man who doesn’t hurt you 👏🏼.
I also enjoyed the last days of Lila in England. I absolutely could not handle the cuteness that was everyone planning a prom for Lila’s going away party 🥺💕. Her going away didn’t feel as dramatic or painfully sad as I thought it was going to feel because it just didn’t feel like a goodbye but a see you later. Can we just take a moment to appreciate how Orion literally got every detail down to. T!? 🥺 Get you someone who 1) listens and 2) is a romantic a heart and will give you no less than his/her/their best 👏🏼.
Also, get you people in your life who will write a song about you because they appreciate and love you so much. Gosh, I was a sobbing mess when Jules started singing because how cute! I never 😭. It was soooooo sweet! The song just felt wholesome too because the song represented this whole life Lila built with people she touched.
Gosh, and DON’T get me started on the Flora and Lila scene! 😫 It was BEYOND SWEET and TOUCHING how Flora was sad that Lila was going to leave. It felt like Flora had another person in her life going . . . and Orion felt the same way. But Flora and Lila had a sister relationship and I loved how Lila gave Flora the gold chain of her dove necklace so Flora could have something to remember her or keep her close to her when she was gone. I loved loved loved that 💕.
Flora was healing and healed.
Lila was healing and healed.
“You look different,” Pilar says softly. A wistful smile graces her face.”
(pg 222)
Pilar noticed a change in her sister from the woebegone person who used to call her or try anything to go home.
I saw the change too.
Things changed because Lila changed—-her life changed when she met Orion, Remy, Jules, Gordon, and all these people. When she met them and really allowed herself to get to know them, she started to distance herself from her hurt. When she found the kitchen she felt more at home, which helped her heal further. When she also let go of Andrés and her worry over Stef, Lila started to enjoy her time in Europe.
She fell in love with England.
“But now, I’m in love with England. . . .That’s my secret.”
“It’s more than just a tourist having a favorite travel spot,” I add. “Love, love. Real love.”
. . . I love England. I just do. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s what it feels like to fall in love.”
(pg 216)
I completely loved when Lila said this. How amazing it is to fall in love with a place you haven’t or have been.
This was such a stark contrast to how Lila felt about England when she got there. She wanted to dislike it because that meant she would be staying true to her roots, which was Miami. She always said these spiels about Miami and how she was loyal to Miami. I get it. When you are from somewhere and your whole history is connected to this place, it’s hard not to feel like you are betraying your home when you love somewhere else. But I think it’s natural and completely fine to fall in love with another place and to find a new home there. I loved how Lila found somewhere that felt like it could be a new home for her.
Because Lila felt connected to England, she found ways to mix the two cultures and identities she felt. I LOVED that 💖.
“Old and new together,” Orion muses. “A mash-up, kind of like modern Winchester.”
(pg. 156)
I loved how she made food that incorporated her Cuban roots and a bit of England pizzazz. I loved how she brought Cuban cuisine to London as well to make people feel welcomed into its rich and warm culture. Because where you come from and where you are affects who you are and what you do. And I loved how Lila accepted both sides of her identity now and tried to find balance with it. Gosh knows, it brought a uniqueness to her cuisine.
Honestly, sis, could have stayed in England if she wanted to. This baker/chef lady from a school came into the kitchen and plopped this idea into Lila’s head. If someone from a baking school asks you to go to this school in London, YOU GO!
I felt like Lila never thought of going to culinary school as an option because from the get-go she thought her path was to take over La Paloma with Pillar. There’s nothing wrong with not going to school and running a business after high school. There’s nothing wrong with having this idea of your life since you were little . . . but sometimes ideas change. Lilia wanted to go to this school and I could tell because she kept thinking about it. If she didn’t want to go to the school that much, she wouldn’t have continuously thought about going there. Deep down she wanted to, but it didn’t feel like the path she had to be part of.
When she got called back home early, and didn’t want to go, I felt Lila knew in her heart where she wanted to be. But where she felt she had to be, won over her wants. Honestly, La Paloma was going to be fine without her. Not in a bad way, but they could survive without her for three months, I think they could survive without her if she chose to go to school in Europe or did something else with her life. When that other chef that trained to be in Lila’s place while she was gone, had become just as good as Lila. That further supported how La Paloma was going to be okay.
The minute Lila got back, it felt foreign. It felt funny. It’s weird how when you leave home for a long time and you go back, how different it can feel—-how it doesn’t feel like home and how surprising things change when you get used to something. I thought Laura Taylor Namey nailed that feeling of Lila not feeling like she knew what Miami was anymore. She had to reacquaint herself with Miami. She wasn’t used to the heat or her own home. I felt that.
Her family also felt like something was off with Lila. Lila was going through an England withdrawal. She missed Orion and her friends and the life she had there. She was still thinking about the school. I thought it was BEYOND sweet when Orion sent her a care package. MY HEART 💖. And he put the SWEATER! Gosh knows that was her sweater all along!
I could NOT handle the cuteness!!
I also appreciated the heart-to-heart she had with her family. Gosh knows that had me in tears! When Lila started to break down, I loved that. She used to hold in her emotions or run them off, but when she released it, she let herself feel. Love that for her.
At the end of the day, her family just wanted her to be happy —they did everything for her happiness. And they saw how happy she was in England with the prom photos the aunt sent and how in love she was. They heard she was thinking about going to school in England, but Lila probably didn’t mention it because she crossed that option off her list.
“What happened to the best choice for you?” Papi asks.
(pg. 295)
I loved that too. We have to make the best choices for ourselves and not what we think we have to do because of our legacies.
And I really felt like Lila going to Europe was good for her and it showed her that there was more outside her world than she thought. Lila had this very fixed perspective that she would always stay in Miami because that was her home—it was wheere her Abuela went to and started her life, it’s where her Abuela taught her all the cooking skills she knew, and it was where La Paloma was. Miami was her whole world. But it wasn’t the only place in the world. So I loved how being in Europe made her realize that she could be more than just this path she always thought she would take, but she would create her own path.
“Not just food. Abuela changed her whole life recipe.
In my heart, Abuela tells me I’ve been wrong all this time. She never put a spoon in my hand and skills in my head to tether me to one place. She gave me knowledge so I could choose too. The place she built. Or the places I will build.
Yo puedo—I can.”
(pg. 302)
Lila could be anything she wanted to be.
She could be Cuban and incorporate her England roots now.
She could change her recipe and her life path.
Because as much as our ancestors would want us to follow a similar path, they don’t give us the knowledge to do the same thing as them. Well, not all the time. They would much rather have us do what we want to do and create our own path. And hey, if we use what they taught us, then that’s even better. So I appreciated this sentiment and how Lila’s story mimicked her Aubela’s. Because Lila had a deep connection with her Abuela, she was able to better resonate with her decision and her choice.
“Did your heart find peace and some closure and something new to smile about in England?”
“Sí, Mami,” I whisper. “So, so much.”
Now she cried, a fat tear rolling down her cheek and the smell of her like honeysuckle. “That is exactly why we sent you.”
(pg. 296)
Now I cried, a fat tear rolling down my cheek 😢
I knew something was off when the restaurant was empty . . . when freaking Orion showed up, I squealed!! 🤪 Yes, Orion, fight for your woman and tell her how much you love her. Honestly, he loved her based on how he let her go and how he didn’t want to be that type of person to hold her back in one place. I respected Orion for that. But I also reeeeeallly wanted him to not give up on Lila. I loved how excited he was when Lila told him she decided to go to Le Cordon Bleu because that would bring them closer.
Lila was changing the recipe. . . she was forming her own path.
And I thought this story was just beautiful for all the heartfelt messages you could relate to or understand. But I really loved the heart of the story in how we will all face challenges and we can’t run away from them. We just need time, space, and support to heal. We also have to know it’s okay to choose ourselves—to choose a path that feels right to us. And that sometimes our paths change than what we thought and maybe that is the path that was always meant to be/the path that was always going to be right.
I also loved the love because I am a sucker for European romances and the whole study abroad and falling in love thing 🤪.
Anyway, what was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part? Anything I mentioned that you want to discuss more about? For Orion, what is your tea? Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕
I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.
And as always, with love,
Rating
4.67 Full Bloom Flowers
Characters: Lila is a very thoughtful and complex character with so much love in her tender heart. I admire that about her. And she has such great people in her life who support her and want the best for her 😊
Plot: The beginning of the book felt really melancholy for me, but as Lila grew, I loved how the mood of the book changed to hopeful. And it was truly a beautiful story.
Writing: Warm, cozy, and lots of heart 💖
Romance: Wrap me in a sweater under the stars with a cup of tea and call me Orion and Lila’s number one fan!