A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

Episode Transcript
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(00:18):
Welcome to Ready to be Romanced.I'm Tori.
And I'm Julie. And today we're discussing.
A Cuban girls guide to TN tomorrow.
That is truly the longest title I feel like I've covered on this
podcast. Brutal to say it.
Was. Julie, welcome to Ready to Be
Romance. I'm really glad that A to meet

(00:42):
you and B that you're here. Thank you.
I'm glad to meet you too. Can you tell the listeners a
little bit about your podcast You, Me and Cheese May?
Yes. So the podcast started a couple
of years ago. It's myself and one of my best
friends, Adrian. It's about pop culture.
It started off as just when we first came up with the idea, we
were looking at podcasts and we realized that there wasn't

(01:05):
really any Latinx podcast at thetime that were about having fun
and about joking around. Everything was very angry and
upset the world, which, fair. The world is overwhelming.
Yeah. And so I was like, I love what
these people are doing, but I also like, we're fun and we like
to laugh and we love gossip. We love achievement.

(01:26):
So I was like, we should be the.We should be the voice.
And so we started the podcast together and now it's evolved
into just two people talking about dating and Los Angeles,
which is exhausting and pop culture.
And, you know, we highlight Latin X talent.
We have a Latin X spotlight towards the end where we

(01:47):
highlight something in the mediaindustry that that is like ATV
or an actor or an actress that is winning awards or doing
something cool. Yeah.
And we've been doing it for a couple of years now, and it's
been great. We we have a blast.
I love it. Lots of content with the Amelia
Perez. Yes, stuff going on.

(02:08):
There sure is time. Yeah.
Good time to check out the podcast, everybody.
Is that to be? It's TBD because I'm in the
middle of the movie and I have alot of thoughts so there will be
information on that. I love that, that's so funny.
So what got you into reading? And do you primarily read

(02:30):
romance? So I've been reading.
I got into reading really, really young.
I was the girl at the parties with the book constantly in a
low corner. And it was like, oh, there goes
Julie. She's fine.
She's just reading. And I, I don't even know what
really, I mean, Judy Blume is what really got those books
really in the Babysitters Club is what really got me enthralled

(02:52):
with reading. And then when I fell in love
with books, it was romance novels.
I very vividly remember getting a book that was I was too young
for, but I didn't know. I want to go on record.
I didn't know that I would be too young for it.
The cover, there was flowers. There was two people, they
looked in love and I said, yeah,sign me out, this sounds

(03:15):
beautiful. And then I opened it and I said
what is going on? That you're like what the fuck?
What book was it? Do you remember?
I don't remember but it was so sexual I was like 12.
That is so. Funny Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I haven't stopped since I said this is my this is my cup

(03:37):
of tea. And I obviously got a little
tamer after that because I was like, that was a lot for my
little brain to to to come to terms with.
And then as I got older, I thinkI, I still stay true to the
romance, you know, TikTok will invade the thoughts and I'll be

(03:59):
like, oh, a spicy book again. Some of them are a little crazy,
but I, I do gravitate, not even just in books, but I think in
all of the media that I consume towards romance.
I don't know, maybe because I'm single and alone and I'm like,
it's just nice to read about it.Yeah, it's so true.
I always like, it's so funny. And I think I've said this on

(04:21):
the podcast before, but like, even when I would choose a TV
show or a movie, I'd be like, well, what's the if if the main
plot wasn't romance? I was like, is there a good
subplot of romance that I can like, follow?
And that would always be like the most interesting part of
whatever I was consuming. So it was like a natural fit.

(04:43):
Yeah. To get into reading romance.
Right. Yeah, I do.
I gravitate towards that a lot. And even if I'm like there's
nothing to watch and I've seen so much content, I'm like, I
want to feel some butterflies inmy tummy.
That's like the always the thought that I have.
So I do, I continue to gravitatetowards it.
I think it's just so fun. It is, it really is.

(05:04):
And it is in most of the like most of the books and stuff like
that, like pretty like positive and like optimistic and stuff.
So it it's really good escapism.I agree.
I agree. I'm like, give me a book
boyfriend now, please. That's what I want.
Yeah. Everything else is falling
apart. Yeah, yeah, let's get into the

(05:27):
book. So spoiler warning for folks.
We are going to be discussing a Cuban Girls Guide to Teen
tomorrow, but not anything that comes after because it does have
a sequel. And it was written by Laura
Taylor Namie and it was published November 10th, 2020.
And it stars Lela Reyes, who is a Cuban high school senior
living in Miami. And she works her like heart and

(05:49):
soul is a family owned bakery that she works at La Paloma.
She kind of has this huge crisiswhere, you know, three things
happen at the same time. One is that she gets dumped by
her, I guess now ex-boyfriend Andreas right before prom,
senior prom. And then two, her abuela dies.

(06:12):
And three, her best friend Stephanie kind of like
blindsides her and says that sheis going on this big volunteer
trip, so she is in crisis. What did you think of Leela?
I started the book. By the end, I felt different,
but I started the book. I think so.

(06:33):
I think now that I've gotten older, sometimes I'll go back
and I'll read these like coming of age, young teenage novel
books, and I will be like, oh, these teenagers are
insufferable. Yeah.
Yes. What do you mean you're
complaining about a free trip toEurope?
No lady, I don't care what's going on.

(06:55):
Like what are you doing? 100% like I was like you get 3
months in a new city where you don't have to work and you like
are basically the whole premise is like is that she's like so
terrified that people are talking about her behind her
back and being like, Oh my God, she's like single and she got

(07:16):
dumped and she has no friends and stuff like that.
And living with obviously the grief of her abuela passing away
and then her family's like, hey,we're going to ship you off to
England. And she's like, no, I, I can't
do this. I was like I would I would be on
the plane so quickly. I wouldn't even finish a

(07:36):
sentence. I'd be like, OK, I'm back in.
I found like at the beginning of, of her story, I felt very
frustrated with the I mean, but then you go back and you're
like, teenagers are frustrating and teenagers do see their world
so small and they cannot fathom that anything bigger than what

(08:00):
they know is possible. Like they, there's just no
getting through to them 'cause Iremember being a teenager and
being like, this is as bad as itgets.
Life sucks, so I get it. And to be fair, she is going
through pretty traumatic stuff like, yeah, yeah, right after
the other. So.
And I think what the author did beautifully is she really did

(08:21):
capture that like desperation that a teenager feels when
things continue to go bad for them of like, this is never
going to get better. Like in everyone is saying it
is. But I there I don't believe it
at all. It's not going to get better for
me. So I rolled my eyes at her, but
I also understood her at some point where I was like, OK, I

(08:42):
get it. But once she got to Europe and
she was still, I was snap out ofit.
Snap. You gotta snap out of it.
You're there already. I know.
Yeah, I. Know I know and she's in like
this stunning like B&B like yeahthat looks like it's like right
fresher to like bridge your tin like that like but yeah she was

(09:04):
just like kind of actually like really scary.
I feel like this was like maybe a little bit brushed over a bit.
She like went on a 5 hour run and she like obviously like
ruined her body. She got so sunburnt.
And so that was kind of the catalyst for her family being
like, you need to go spend some time with her mom's best friend

(09:25):
Kate and her husband and their child and just kind of cool down
and get yeah, some perspective because you're right, her world
is small in Miami. Not always in a bad way.
Like she has like obviously a really close family and like
such personal roots to the bakery and like the family

(09:47):
recipes and her grandma and stuff like that.
That was like, like extremely sweet.
But you're right that when she she realized like new dreams,
which kind of spoiler alert, well, got there, but she
realized new dreams when she, you know, met new people and
tried something new. And it was, Yeah, it was a good

(10:09):
book. I really.
Liked it. I really enjoyed it too.
By the end of it, I mean, in thebeginning I definitely was like,
Oh no, this one's gonna be irritating.
But I think I think the author did a great job at showing how
frustrating teenagers could be. But but I think sometimes adult

(10:30):
authors will write teenagers like insufferable in ways that
are hard to like forgive as a reader where you're like, well,
no, that she is too much or too much negativity or too much, you
know, stubbornness that you're like, well, now this character
isn't even likable. And even when you get to the

(10:52):
growth, you're like, no, she wastoo irritating in the beginning.
But I feel like Leela is irritating enough to understand
that she's a teenager and and not irritating too much to the
point where you celebrated the growth by the time she got to

(11:13):
it. Totally.
Like a perfect example of that Ithink is Nesta Archeron from
Acatar. Did you read a court?
Yeah, A Court of Thrones or Roses because I feel like like
she was so insufferable by the time we get to her book and she
has like the growth and stuff. I like, I'm more, I like, I, I'm
like, yeah, I like love that foryou, but I like also kind of
side eye. Yeah, but remember when you were

(11:36):
irritated? Because I do.
You were a huge bitch. Yeah, I remember.
Yeah. But Leela's really scared,
nervous, hurt that her family's sending her away.
She is supposed to kind of take over the management of the
bakery. It's like her and her sister,
like her sister will like do thebooks and she'll do the actual

(11:57):
baking. But she feels like that is, and
it is, I think, her destiny and her purpose and stuff like that.
So yeah, she's pissed when she gets to Winchester, England,
just like an hour outside of London, right?
And she does kind of hibernate for a few days.
And when she eventually leaves her room, of course, she ends up

(12:21):
in the kitchen and she meets theBed and breakfast's chef, Polly,
who is like very British, stiff upper lip, very organized, very
strict. And Kate, who is Leela's mom's
best friend, is like, you can help out around here.
So she's already locked into a baking job and.

(12:43):
Like as. Soon as she got there.
Yeah. And she has her first kind of,
you know, chance to prove Polly wrong, that she's not just some
young kid, that she's a good Baker.
And Polly's like, OK, you can make these chocolate biscuits
for our guests afternoon tea. And she's like, OK, that sounds
disgusting. I'm going to make my abuela's

(13:06):
favorite. Like, there's like, pound cake
or something, right? But what happens while she's
baking? A strapping, strapping young boy
walks in. Of course he does.
Of course he does. He he takes his finger and licks
the cake batter. That was almost unforgivable.

(13:28):
I was like, hey, whatever happened to like food safe?
Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So other people are actually gonna eat this?
So we run a business, Yeah. And yeah, this is for clients.
So that's great. He is like, well, I washed my
hands like it. That makes it OK.

(13:51):
Like what? Yeah, yeah, I love that.
So gross. So she obviously it's not like
true enemies to lovers, but she is kind of like like who is
this? But Bali seems to love him and
he is there to drop off like a adelivery of tea to her.
What did you think of Orion? Just a real normal teenage boy

(14:13):
that's gonna get a little bit under your skin.
But I do think they made they, Ithink the way they wrote Orion
and Paulie's little interactionsgave you enough information to
be like, oh, he's like a lovable.
He's going to be a lovable character.
Like, OK, fine. But I do agree that at first

(14:34):
you're like OK wait. Yeah.
Is this just like a very annoying teenage boy?
Yeah. Enjoyed the introduction.
I actually enjoyed that they introduced him very early on in
the book. Sometimes they give, you know,
so much time to sulk and to be sad.
And I was like, OK, get to the good stuff, right?

(14:55):
And I do like that they introduced him early and they
didn't really jump into where they end up.
It's like a slow the slowest of beautiful burns for a teenage.
The slowest of burns. It was like chapter like 18 when
they kissed and I think that's all they did, which is totally

(15:15):
fine, but I was waiting for it because they were like an
affectionate couple. They were, and she points that
out consistently how they're only touching and her hands are
always on him or his hands are always on her.
But I feel like that was very beautiful teenage story.
I feel like you're either getting really annoying teenage

(15:39):
characters in these young adult books or you're getting like
characters that like, are teenagers doing that in the.
No, no. It was, I think, very true to
like a high school experience where it's like, it's not like
gossip or where they're like having like threesomes.
Right. Like, right, Right.
Right, like going out to clubs, Yeah, on weeknights, just

(16:03):
normal. Little teenagers going outside
and breathing fresh air and it was beautiful.
Yeah, it was. It kind of, it kind of gave like
Gilmore Girls vibes. A little bit.
Yeah, small town Leela, I feel like kind of has some worry.
Gilmore traits better for worse.So like, yeah.

(16:23):
Yeah. Yeah, so they have their little
meet cute and she is, you know, continuing to make the cakes.
But she makes the fatal air after a breakup, and she looks
at her social media and she seesthat Andreas has not only
removed a picture of them together, but he's at the beach.

(16:43):
And she knows that, you know, hedoesn't ever go to the beach
alone. And this causes her to forget
that England works on the metricsystem.
And she, she burns the cakes essentially, right?
I felt so bad for her. I knew that was going to happen.
As I was reading it, I was like,oh, she hasn't realized.

(17:07):
And I just like, I had a feelingshe's gonna burn them and sure
enough. But you know what?
It couldn't all go well. That wouldn't have been fun.
No, I always say that in books because I'm always like, like,
why did they do this? I'm like, Oh well, that's the
point of a book. Is that like?
Yeah. Things have to happen.
To go on a journey? Yeah, exactly.

(17:27):
Yeah, and her head is like stillin Miami.
She is Facetiming her sister-in-law.
She's asking what's what's goingon in the bakery.
But that kind of all changes when she gets the invite to go
hang out with, you know, the kids, the neighborhood kids.
So she gets to meet Remy, and she's with Gordon, Kate's son

(17:50):
Jules, who's like this eccentricsinger-songwriter, and Flora and
of course, Orion and Flora, who is Orion's sister.
I loved this part so much. So like, we get the moment.
So like, they had their like, kind of enemies to lovers meet
cute, and then they're hanging out.

(18:13):
So we're like, oh, this is like the start of something good.
She's cold because she's dressedfor Florida and it is England
even. This.
Summer and he's like, we'll takemy cardigan like you look cold
and I'm like Oh my God, this is it like this is amazing and then
Orion's friends are like Oh yeahby the way, like what are you

(18:35):
doing on your date with Charlotte like.
They bring her up just to take her back down, Yes.
Literally it was like a fucking face plant.
And she's like, who's Charlotte?And then it's so funny.
She's like they're like talking about plans and she's like, no,
what? I'll make you flan.

(18:56):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's like, you know what?
Make this better? Food.
You're both of us. Yes.
Yeah. She's like, she's like, no,
actually, not only are you goingOn this date, I'm going to like
make the date perfect. For you, like that'll show them,
show them that I'm fine, yeah. And she is kind of second

(19:18):
guessing herself, like she is like, oh, this guy's like cute
and stuff like that. But she is like, you know, I did
just get out of a relationship. So.
And at this point, I guess she kind of feels a little bit
guilty, like she's like, I like this guy or like, you know,
there's some sparks there. But I do eventually want to get
back with Andreas, which is. Fair and 1st love and all of

(19:43):
that stuff and it's, I mean I feel what they really capture,
the author really captured here is like the tug and pull of like
growing up and like the things that you love and the things
that you're learning to love. And what I really loved is in
Latinx households there is of the children, there is this
responsibility. It feels like and not really

(20:06):
given to us by anyone, but kind of just.
You're born with it of like, youknow, if there is a family
business, being there for the family business, if there's
family staying close to the family and and that real that
real wanting to grow and wantingto stay kind of feeling.
And I feel like it was captured beautifully throughout the

(20:28):
entire book. Like there she kept remembering
her life in Miami and her abuelaand you know, as some of this
very close to the family and struggles every time I have to
travel outside of the country, even if it's for a week, I feel
I felt like that was very real of I want to see the world and I
want to do all these things and I want to maybe fall in love

(20:49):
again. But you know, that was, that was
also real and I miss it and I'm sad about it.
And I feel like every layer of that was written really well
that it felt authentic. And it wasn't that she moved on
too quickly and it wasn't that she immediately forgot.
I, I don't really love when books like have a main character

(21:10):
go through a breakup and like, that's the catalyst for starting
a new thing. And it's like, oh, immediately
I'm this person automatically made me forget this other human
that I was in love with. And I don't it doesn't work like
that. And I feel like the story was
very much written like with thatin mind of like, heartbreak is

(21:30):
painful and long. You know, it takes you a minute
to like, grieve that and to let go of that.
And I think it did a great job at like, explaining that even
when she's like having a good time with Orion, there's moments
where she will be like, OK, but I love Andres.
And I've been waiting for Andresand I want him to call me.
And, you know, or if she's having fun and like thinking

(21:54):
about baking in England and she's like, but I love baking at
home. Like so that, that was
beautifully written, I feel like. 100% yeah.
The duty to carry on for Abuela's legacy was obviously
like so weighing on her mind andand you're right that like so

(22:15):
Andres and her had dated for three years.
So I feel like she was like, I have the plan, like I'm with the
guy I just graduated. I'm I've learnt all of the
skills I need to learn to run this bakery and like have it
successful. Like she talked a little bit
about things that they had done to just like, make it a

(22:38):
successful business. And she like, yeah, had all of
her ducks in the row. And then basically, and she's
like, I've got a great group of,you know, I have my friends and
stuff like that. And just kind of like all got
pulled out from beneath her feet.
And so I think that it was real really realistic about how she

(22:59):
got there. And she just like she was like,
this trip is never like, I'm never gonna get back here.
This is gonna take forever. And then she did like we see her
meet friends, fall in love and then then she's like now every
day is going by like a blink of an eye and stuff like that.
And again, I don't want to spoilspoil the ending, but like or

(23:23):
just like jump too far too far. But like she does find a really
good. I feel like they find a really
good mix of that where she stillgets to like, honor her abuela
and like, I guess maybe move back to Miami, I don't know.
Right. And still live like a very like
expansive life. Right, but I, I agree and I

(23:45):
think it's something that a lot of people in the Atlantis
community have to do as they grow up.
They're like, you know, they want to explore, they want to
move to Europe or they want to travel to Europe or they are
different countries all over theworld.
And and it's so hard to also remain authentic to your roots
sometimes. And I feel like this book did

(24:05):
that so well of like this girl wanting or or accidentally
growing, to be honest, because it's not like she wanted it.
She was like, I will stay angry and bitter until the very end to
prove a point, to prove a point.And so I feel like they did a
good job at showing her growth while remaining authentic to her

(24:28):
roots, which I think is really good because I think sometimes
Latinx books, they real, they, Ifeel like authors sometimes
struggle. They really want you to know
this is a Latinx person and you need to celebrate the fact that
they're, you know, Latinx. Even sometimes with the
Spanglish, I feel like sometimesit doesn't sound authentic.

(24:49):
And the writing and when they flip back and forth between the
languages, I'm like, no one talks like them.
No one's out there talking like that.
But this one, I feel like they did it.
It's. So well, because it wasn't
overwhelming, it was like she, she occasionally used Spanish
words and that's really how Spanish works that you

(25:10):
occasionally and and they wrote it in a way that you don't have
to know Spanish to truly understand what is being said
100% of the time. I feel like they did that Latin
explain explaining throughout the entire book and like showing
her be this without like shovingit in your face of like, Hey,

(25:30):
don't forget this is a Cuban girl going through this
heartache and it's like, no, we got it because she you know, the
way she's baking or you know, she brings up her abuela or
things like that. That's like it's kind of
sprinkled throughout the entire thing.
Totally agree. And I loved learning more about

(25:51):
like how food is so central to her family and her culture.
Like that was so like such a beautiful kind of like not by
product, but like kind of like secondary plot kind of to this
book was just like this love letter to like all these recipes
and her and her like the the food of her family.

(26:12):
And then, yeah, I totally agree with all that you're saying
because Kate Catalina is like kind of the foil for that where
she did move to England and she's Kate Wallace now.
And do you see these glimpses ofher really missing Miami and
stuff like that? But it it, it's Leela kind of
thinks that she maybe lost some of that, I feel like when she

(26:33):
permanently moved there for her English spouse.
Right, right, right. But I think that while she goes
to the story, she's like, oh, I don't have I don't have to, you
know, I can stay true to my roots and my authenticity.
And now that you bring up the the baking and kind of the way
that it's talked about throughout the entire like it's

(26:55):
really its own little love language.
I don't know if you've seen the musical or the movie Waitress.
No, this really reminded me of Waitress and Waitress is like
it's based on a book on a movie that that was like in the 90s.
I want to say don't quote me on that, but I feel then it was
became a musical and Sara Bareilles wrote the music.

(27:17):
For us, yes, yes. And it's about this woman that's
like in this unhappy marriage, she suffers through domestic
violence and then she gets pregnant.
She wants to get rid of the babyand she goes to the doctor and
ends up as you do, falling in love with her OBGYN.
And so she but throughout the entire book, I mean throughout
the entire show, baking is kind of like her comfort.

(27:40):
It's kind of how she shows love and the musical shows baking in
such like a beautifully aesthetic way that I had never
even considered because I I don't bake and it's overwhelming
for me. But it's nice to see the way in
this book, I think did a really beautiful job as well, which is
why it kept reminding me of waitress, of showing how much it

(28:03):
could be a love language and howmuch love you can put into like
a baked dish that to me, I find absolutely overwhelming and
chaotic to try to bake anything.But like people really take
tender love and care baking something.
And I think they wrote it beautifully in the book as well.
100% it like. Made me want to like same and

(28:26):
the thought of it is exhausting but I was like should I?
Bake. Something.
No, I I literally thought that 100% and like, OK, so like this
is a perfect example is because she bakes the two flans for
Orion and it's like, so she usedit to make friends and then she
uses it to, you know, help out Flora later on in the book, like

(28:49):
kind of deescalate some tensionsbetween the band that will like
the rival band will learn about and stuff like that.
So it's just used in so many different ways to and like, I
just feel like some people always are just like food is so
basic, but it like it truly likebrings so many people together
and like yes, is used in times of comfort and can be comforting

(29:12):
and, and like feel safe and nostalgic and like all of these
things that are like tied with memories and community and stuff
that it was just really nice. I agree.
I agree. Yes.
So she makes the two perfect plans, one for Kate and Spencer,
and then one for Orion and Charlotte.

(29:33):
But we learned that Charlotte bailed on the date.
She said she was sick, but she was just like, out with another
guy. And so all of Orion's friends
head over to his house to cheer them up, and they drink a little
bit, and Leila gets to tell thema little bit more of her back
story. And we learned that Orion's mom

(29:55):
has early onset dementia. She got dementia at 42.
And, you know, they tried to take care of her at home, but it
progressed to a point where she had to go into a care home.
And that obviously, just like, weighs so heavily on him because
he kind of talks about how she'stechnically there but also isn't

(30:16):
there in a lot of ways. And Leela gets to share a little
bit more about her, what happened with her Boila and just
how much she means to her. And we get this kind of
understanding that, you know, ends up being kind of the
foundation of their relationship.
So he walks her home and he's like, OK, this is like, I

(30:38):
Speaking of all the things I liked, This was like, one thing
I like, really didn't like. It's like I hate when books
always like rely on the like. Not that this even relied too
heavily on the like. I'll do you a favor.
Like the it's like the girl likedoesn't know like or like needs
like lose her virginity or something.
So she asks the hockey boy to like things in bed or like

(31:00):
something like that and but she'll help him study for his
final or like whatever the. Forever is right.
And so he's like, I'll show you around because you can't just
like live in the kitchen and your room at the bed and
breakfast. If you are like my plus 1 + 1 to
like a bunch of events that are coming up this summer.
And I was like, you could have just been like, I feel like

(31:22):
we're friends now. Can I show you around so you
have a good summer like? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I do think that sometimes othersfeel the need to overcome
complicate things, like maybe they feel like the connection
isn't authentic enough yet so they have to build on it.
But I don't know. I feel like sometimes they just
gotta trust their writing that it's kind of working out.

(31:44):
It's working out and it'll be believable if they just start
interacting more often with eachother because they enjoy being
around each other. Yes, like this was actually
unrealistic because I feel like what would be realistic?
Like they had some drinks and they had a good time and shared
some like really personal stuff.I could totally just be like,

(32:04):
this was I had a good time tonight.
Do you want to hang out this weekend or something versus like
I need a plus one. I and then like no events really
happen. It's just like we're like, I
thought I was like, are you going to a ball or something
like a wedding that you need a, a date for or something like
that? And then nothing happened.
I. Just want to show her around and

(32:27):
sometimes it can really be that simple and it's believable.
Yes, yes, yes, cuz then she was like, well, am I just like a
stand in for Charlotte and he's like, no, no, no.
And I was like, let's just leavethis part out.
Let's just have him be like, well, you've been here for two
weeks. You haven't really seen anything
cuz you've been inside. I can you know, now you know a

(32:48):
few friends like I could, we canshow you around right?
Would have been that simple, butbut that wouldn't be fun.
I guess. So Orion and Leela, like, they
start going on runs together andLeela's desserts are like a huge
hit with all the guests. And one day when Orion and Leela

(33:10):
are hanging out, he takes her tothis beautiful cathedral and
like points out this graffiti. And she had met him early in the
book when he was, like, wiping graffiti off of his tea shop.
And they're like, analyzing the symbols of it and stuff like
that. He's like, this has been
happening for quite a few weeks.And in this small town, like,

(33:32):
things like this don't happen. But I suspect that it's this
indie band that hangs out in Winchester because of course
that like it's trying to recruitjewels to be like a Co lead
singer and she doesn't want to because she doesn't like like

(33:53):
the front man of this other band.
So they're like terrorizing her like by graffiti in her city I
guess. Yeah.
And he tells this whole back story about how Flora lost this
music trivia event. And they bet that Jules would
have to sing with the band. And then they did this Blackbird

(34:16):
cover and it went viral. And they were getting like,
offers from companies to, you know, join their their team.
And she was like, I don't want to do that.
So we have a little bit of a mystery Who who is graffiti?
The town of Winchester. Did you have a clue who was?

(34:38):
I didn't have a clue for to of who it was, but I will say I'm
going to be honest here and say that I could have done without
this entire storyline. No, what not your first sight
without an all that you know, I I almost wish that she, the
author, would have spent a little bit more time really

(35:00):
diving into Orion's personality about a bit more because I was
like, OK, cute British guy. I'm buying it.
I buy it that this. Guy, I'm already.
Sold, right? Yes.
But in order for us to really beinvested in the end of their
relationship, like I don't feel like we had enough personality

(35:20):
for that. I'm like LO Ellen, because as
soon as you said that, I was like, I literally do not know
one thing about this guy other than he rides a motorbike and he
loves like the preparation of like tea and stuff like that.
And literally, we don't know anything.
Was nice. Like that was like a little bit

(35:41):
of insight. There's like a little a couple
of scenes with like his dad or family and stuff that I'm like,
OK, I, I'm kind of grasping the charming aspect of this kid, but
like, I'm not really getting their connect.
Like, OK, So what, what is she still connected?
Why does she feel so pulled to him for like even when she's

(36:01):
like, we're always. And I don't know if maybe I was
reading too quickly, but there'sa point where where they've been
spending some time together and she says something like, you
know, his hands are always on meor my hands are always on him.
And I'm like, when like, when did that happen?
I just like because I feel like we got so little because it's

(36:23):
all from her point of view and we get so much internal
monologue that I'm like, I don'tso who is this man?
Like what? What are his intentions?
Like? I just didn't grasp it fully.
So this whole graffiti storylinethat really does stay the rest
of the book. For most of the book I could
have done completely without because even the end of it, I

(36:47):
was like, when we we realized who did it, like OK, and then
literally, and then what? Yeah, and I still don't
understand. I guess I understand why she was
doing it, but like, it didn't have any ties to the indie band.
So what was she doing with the indie band?
I guess we'll find out in the sequel.

(37:09):
Maybe. Flora guys, Flora's the main
character in the sequel. I was wondering if just
logistically the author was setting Jules up to be maybe the
main character of the third book.
If there is a third book I have no idea.
I tried to do some Internet investigation, couldn't find
anything. But like I was like, there is a

(37:30):
lot of Jules content, like there's so much.
There's a lot of Jules. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I was wondering if maybe she's trying to set her up as,
like, the future main character.Interesting.
Maybe. Yeah.
Maybe. So Orion shows Leila a picture
of the band, and she's like, oh,my God.

(37:51):
I saw this guy with Flora earlier this week at this record
shop. So she's like, oh, this is like,
could be SUS 'cause she might beinvolved, you know?
They start hanging out more frequently.
He takes her to the tea shop andmakes her a proper cup of tea.
She's settling in a little bit more and we get Polly, who also

(38:12):
has to take care of her mom, so she has.
To be like that, yes, it truly does.
And. So she gets to be the the Baker
for a few weeks and try to like,you know, prove herself and she
gets like changed the menu a little bit again.
Another griping grumble is that I can this girl is 17 and now

(38:38):
she is the bed and breakfast Baker, the sole responsible
Baker. Like obviously she's like super
talented and has all these greatrecipes and like knows her way
about in the kitchen and stuff like that.
But like this is a 17 year old like.
And she has very little problemsbeing successful at it like she

(38:59):
is. She is struggle free.
She had one struggle in that kitchen and then moving forward
she kicked ass. Which, OK, yeah, sometimes I
think some some plot points in in books, most for the most
part, you could be like, all right, book magic, I'll allow
it. I'll allow the book magic.

(39:21):
And I think for this one specifically, you have to be
like, OK, fine, I'll accept. It it's book magic.
I'm so curious at why, because Ijust think if they change this
to college graduation versus high school graduation, it still
makes so much sense. So I I just like I'm so curious,

(39:42):
is it because she wanted it to? Because she could have done a
closed door romance like like not like super explicit or like
I'm just so curious of why she specifically made it.
YA, because I felt like they could have shifted it to college
grads and it would have had the same impact.
So just a curiosity. It didn't ruin anything for me,

(40:03):
but I kept being like, it just would would have been a little
bit more palatable if I think she was like 21 or 22.
Then versus 17, yeah, I agree. Yeah.
We get introduced to Millie Orion's motorbike and you know
she's having a really good time.He takes her to a viewpoint of

(40:24):
the city and brings her British snacks to try.
And they * gaze and they like look for Orion's belt.
But we learned that like, you can't see that in the Northern.
History, right? I'm learning a lot.
Yeah. Not only am I learning about
Cuban food, I'm also getting a little astronomy lesson.

(40:46):
There's one day, because they'regetting closer, where Leela's
making cubanas for the guests and Orion asks if she still
loves Andreas. And I loved this quote, so I
wrote it down. She said Andreas is still there.
The feelings are different, likethey've changed shape.
And I thought, I thought it was just such a beautiful way of

(41:08):
talking about like an ex or likeeven like a friendship breakup
or, or even like just, I don't know, moving on from a job that
you loved or anything like that,that it's like you still love
those things, but they're, they've changed.
They're. Different, yeah.
And I don't think we get that a lot in books.

(41:29):
I think we get like the evil exes that, like you, there's no
redeeming qualities about them. And I think life isn't that, you
know, black and white. I think sometimes, even if it
was a bad breakup, I think with enough space away from it, you
can find a way to hold kindness in your heart for that person,

(41:51):
regardless of who they are, whatthey're doing, whether they have
kindness for you. I think if you're a person
that's gone to therapy, you could probably still look back
at a horrible relationship, you know, that didn't get, you know,
abusive in any way. Just horrible in terms of
sometimes people are just not good together and look back and

(42:12):
be like, you know what? There is still love there.
Not the same and I'm not going back, but there is love.
And it was lovely the time that we spent together.
And I don't think we get that inbooks a lot.
It's like these horrible people that we're going to talk shit on
for the rest of the book and we'll be better off without
them. Completely agree.
I thought it was like so realistic that they broke up

(42:35):
kind of over nothing. He just was like, you know, I
like kind of felt a little bit smothered and just kind of like
we were together for like basically all of high school.
And I just kind of wanted to like, I felt like I needed to be
on my own. And I was like, that is actually
so realistic. Fair, Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, and you're right. Like it's not this jealous ex

(42:57):
or. Like.
He didn't cheat or anything. It's like that's actually
probably this is probably more realistic.
To Yeah. What actually happens?
Right. And while they're, you know,
parceling up the Cubanos, he makes her little origami Tulip
out of sandwich paper. Very romantic.
It was very cute. Very cute it was.

(43:18):
Very, very cute. So weeks pass.
You know, they're hanging out asfriends, like as the as a group
on their own. And Lila gets to see Jules
perform and she's starting to like, get sad that this summer
might be ending. And she's like, I kind of like

(43:40):
Orion, but like, what would happen?
Like, we live on literal different continents.
But she is getting walked home after the little concert and she
boldly asks, what are we doing? And he goes, it's so funny.
He's like mocking you home. She's like, no, like, what are
we doing? Yeah, yeah.

(44:03):
He's like, it's complicated. He's like, if this was a normal
situation, you know what we would be doing?
We'd be dating. But because you're leaving in a
few weeks, like, I don't know what we're gonna do.
We can just take it day by day. What did you think of that?
We don't get a lot of full, I think we get a few sprinkled

(44:23):
here and there, conversations between them because a lot of it
is being. We were being told it from her
monologue inside her head. But I think the dialogue between
these two characters felt very realistic to teenagers, Like,
dumb enough to be like, I'm walking you home.
But also like, you know, there are, they're on the brink of

(44:43):
adulthood. So, you know, there is some
common sense there of like, well, yeah, this is complicated
and it's weird. And I found the conversations to
be realistic in terms of teenagers speaking to each
other, which I think sometimes authors struggle capturing the
voice of teenagers. But this one, I think, did it

(45:06):
very well. And I also like their
conversation of the reality of it.
Like, well, the reality is we'rehaving fun with each other, but
how much fun can we have? Because you're going back home
eventually. And, you know, you're also going
through a lot. You know, you're green.
Oh my God. Thank you for bringing that up.
I thought that was so refreshingthat he said, not only are you

(45:28):
heading back to Miami at the endof the summer to like take over
your family's business, but you just went through a lot of
stuff. It would almost be like bad if I
like, I'd like kind of took advantage of.
You right. Right, that was so.
Refreshing, 100%. And honestly, at some point, I
mean, for that part I was like, what a teenage boy?

(45:48):
Really. No, absolutely not.
Absolutely not. Really consider that.
That is a that is a boy ridden by a woman. 1000 percent, 1000%.
But I, I also thought it was beautiful.
And, you know, we don't get a lot of moments of, like,

(46:08):
Orion's, again, personality, butI feel like that was like a
great show of it where I was like, OK, I'm buying.
I'm buying it that she's like pulling for this kid that's
like, you know, seems to be understanding.
And like, it's so refreshing to be like, seen by someone without
having to tell them every wakingthought in your brain.

(46:29):
And I feel like this was like, that was like the moment where I
was like, oh, he sees her. And that was nice.
That's so true. There was a lot of unspoken ways
that they just like really understood each.
Other Yeah, it was. Really, really sweet, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. But I think that also happens in
the friendship groups where you see that, like, these new

(46:50):
friends that she's making are seeing her, like, without
knowing anything, any of the gossip that she came here with,
like, they got to know her and they see who she actually is.
And that was so refreshing to see because I think friendships
are sometimes more important than romantic relationships.

(47:12):
And we don't see that a lot being represented in media.
And I think those are often evenmore beautiful love stories, you
know, other than romance. I think finding and friendships
that really work and like seeingthem begin and grow into what
they become is so beautiful to witness that I think it though I

(47:34):
could have done without the graffiti.
It was great to see all. These other.
Characters interact with her andand kind of like get to know her
and her fall in love with these kids as well, you know?
Yes, it is really hard to make me care about like her
interactions with Flora and Jules and I did.

(47:57):
I even Gordon like I I like actually cared where it's like I
feel like in a lot of books, you're so right that it's like
maybe maybe just the values moreplaced on the romantic
relationship or whatever. But it's like I like don't even
care about like the friend subplots.
And while yes, I didn't love themystery of the graffiti, I did

(48:19):
really like her interactions with Jules and with Flora.
Like so much which I think is really impressive to do.
Yeah. And she, I mean, the author goes
and builds all of these something, if I understand, she
builds all these side relationships for Lila, which I
think are is great, but somehow not with the people she's

(48:40):
staying with, which I also foundinteresting that I was like, OK,
but like, what is going on? Thank you.
OK, literally thank you. I think that, I think I wrote
that down and I wonder why is she didn't spend 1 fucking
minute with Kate Like she like Spencer didn't talk like he

(49:01):
didn't have dialogue. That was so fucking weird.
She didn't talk about a family dinner that they had.
Or not a one. Maybe Kate and fucking Spencer
could take her out for a a little tour of Winchester.
Like it was crazy. And I get that they're like
business owners and stuff like that.
And like she was, you know, she did come kind of last minute, I

(49:23):
would say. But like, no, like we straight
up we see moments of her and Kate, but it's more about like
her Kate and cooking or her and Kate and talking about missing
home or something like that. But we didn't really get too
much about them, which is so fucking interesting.
And. At the end of the day, she's a

(49:44):
teenager whose mom sent her to be her best friend's
responsibility. And the best friend's like, all
right, you got it. Like so you're on your own kid
if literally you. Are on your own kid.
Yes. Oh my God, that was.
That's literally my biggest 1 tovibe.

(50:04):
Yeah. Leela goes on a run one day and
prize surprise, Flora is doing the graffiti.
And she is so shocked, which I, I obviously would have been too
because she's like, A, you're fucking vandalizing your
family's business, which is weird.
Yeah, yeah. And B, like, you're clearly kind

(50:26):
of like taunting your dad and Orion, who are really upset
about this. Like, how could you kind of do
this to them? And she thinks, or she just
feels that they are kind of smothering her.
Ever since everything happened with their mom she doesn't feel
like she's seen by them so she'slike clearly like acting out.
And while I completely agree that that probably is the case,

(50:50):
she would have not said that at this moment.
She would have been like fuck you.
Also, don't tell my brother. Yeah.
Like I'll pay you like $100 to like, never tell a soul.
And like. Run away, she wouldn't be like
I'm not feeling seen right now. Right, right, right.
In this instinct, maybe they didn't know how to write a

(51:11):
rebellious teenager perfectly. Because I was like, this is it.
This actually does not check out.
If you catch a teenager doing something wild, she's not gonna
be like, OK, so let me be vulnerable with you for a
second. Yeah, she's gonna throw this
this spray paint at your head. Run away. 100% she wasn't.

(51:31):
She's not going to like basically tell like her deepest,
darkest secret or even know thatthat's like, she might just be
like, I'm mad at my dad and brother.
She might not be like really have analyzed the why motives,
yeah. Teenagers don't know what the
fuck they're doing. They don't understand what
they're doing. They do all kinds of stuff and

(51:53):
then they go to therapy at 23 and they're like, that's why I
did that. Like they're not connecting the
dots totally. And I feel like, yeah, that
that's why I also like that thatadds on to like this whole story
was unnecessary. I understand it now that I know
'cause I didn't, I didn't know. Now that I know that there's a
sequel in Floor, is the main character.

(52:13):
Fine, I get it now. We wanted some insight into that
next book. Fine, fair.
But I feel like maybe that the character wasn't, wasn't like
thought through enough to reallyput it in.
Because I, I mean, again, not not believable as the rebellious
teenager. I didn't buy it, the desperation

(52:33):
and her like don't tell Ryan. I didn't feel it.
I was she was kind of like, OK, so like don't tell my brother
and felt like there there shouldbe like a little bit more
desperation or like even more anger or frustration or
meanness. Teenagers are mean.
We got zero mean teenagers in the sprocket teenagers.
No, they're all fine. Yeah, yeah.

(52:55):
And maybe that's why I thought of Gilmore Girls kind of when I
read this, because it's like they're just like so wholesome.
Even when they like drink, they're like, she's like, that's
like one's enough for me. Whereas like again if I was 17
and drinking heard ciders with my friends at a park like I
would be like. So this is my 20th, yeah.

(53:17):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like I'm not like turning 1
down, right. But I think also it's like she's
like, don't tell Orion, but I was like, isn't aren't you
acting out because you kind of in your heart want him to know
so he pays attention to you? So that was really interesting.
Right. Leela says, OK, I won't tell

(53:38):
Orion, which I thought was very generous of her right.
If you stop tagging and if you work with me in the kitchen
three days a week, she just likekind of wants to give her I
guess like kind of like a sisterfigure, adult woman figure.
Yeah. And some like structure in her
life. But the just Wham, bam, thank

(53:59):
you, ma'am. Is that Andreas calls Leila
checking in on her. And I actually was surprised
that he called, to be honest. I, I didn't, I didn't think he
was going to call. And they just had this moment
that was like really sad where he was like, I just like, like,
I want to talk to you. Like is it OK if I call and

(54:21):
check in, which I just think is such a normal response to be
like this is a person that I probably talked to every day for
the past like at minimum three years and now we haven't talked
in like 2 months. And it's like it's so jarring
when you don't have that one person that you kind of just
rely on. And I loved this part.

(54:44):
The author is so smart for this.But she said cuz at the
beginning of the book she had three main major problems.
Now she has a new trifecta. It's Orion's and her
relationship and like just seeing it, what's happening day
by day, Flores graffiti secret on and Andreas calling her so I

(55:05):
really liked that. Yeah, I agree.
Just a cute little reminder thatlife is always gonna catch you
slipping. No, I I don't know.
When it's getting good, it's gonna get bad.
Yeah. Like they didn't.
They didn't let her have one fucking week of peace.
They're like, oh, you're gettingover that so.

(55:28):
Yeah, that's so true. Yeah, that's so true.
And Orion's kind of like, oh, like, why is Flora working with
you again? Like he feels like that there's
some type of ulterior motive of something going on.
And he's like, I know she's beenacting weird.
She's been late for curfew. She's been sneaking around with
that band guy like something's going on, but Leela sticks to

(55:51):
her guns and doesn't and her promise and doesn't tell him
what's going on. And we get this moment that
really kind of, I feel like changes the trajectory of the
book where a bed and breakfast guest is thanking Leela for her
delicious food. And she says that she's a
student at La Cordon Bleu in London.

(56:14):
And Leila was like, I have neverthought of culinary school
because she's like, are you in school or like whatever the
guest asks. And she's like, I had never
thought of school. I had never, I didn't know that
there was a London campus. Like, I just, it was never
really like an option for me. But now she's kind of
interested, which I feel like again, I said this at the

(56:37):
beginning of the episode makes so much sense that she's going
to bring, she will bring her, again, traditional family
recipes with some of the kind ofmore technical skills, right?
And can marry kind of the two into something that is just
super unique. Right.
No, I agree. I agree.

(56:57):
And honestly, it was super fun to read.
I mean, I feel like every time Iread young adult books, so
there's like this now that I'm like 50, there's like this
nostalgia of like, I remember being an idiot and just feeling
like the world was so tiny and it's, it was so fun to read a
teenager like kind of experience, like a thrill of

(57:20):
like my life doesn't actually have to be what I thought it, it
was going to be my whole life. Like, that realization I feel
like happens once in a person's life of like, wait a minute,
like, it doesn't actually have to be like this.
And it was very exhilarating to read a teenage girl go through

(57:40):
that and be like, maybe I can change what I thought, what it
was meant to be like. Yeah, I know.
It was a good refresher. Even Yeah.
Yeah, even for me, I was like, that's a good lesson to learn.
I feel like totally. Yes.
So Andre's close again, Says shelooks good.

(58:01):
And Leela's really upset about this.
And she kind of asks him more about why they broke up.
And he says she was kind of directing him in his life and he
felt like he was losing himself.And even though that was
happening, he kind of regrets breaking up with her.
And she comes to the conclusion like, I actually she's like, as

(58:25):
painful as this is, like, I can't hear from you anymore.
Like I just I you can't like kind of keep calling, which is
huge growth. I feel like and again like a
really painful realization to. Have yeah, heartbreak is hard
and heartbreak is hard when it'slike over cuz her like sometimes

(58:48):
relationships don't end when you're telling each other
they're ending and I feel like there's so many layers of grief
that go into a breakup and there's like that moment where
you're like oh this is actually it that's.
Yeah. That's like pain all over again.
It's like the second breakup. And to have to go through it at

(59:09):
such a young age and have that realization of like this person
was in my life for the this manyyears, but I'm never going to
talk to them again for all you know, right?
Because life and weird stuff happens all the time.
That decision and to be that young and make a decision for
yourself like that is brave but terrifying.

(59:30):
I feel like in this situation, obviously not all relationships,
but in this one, I feel like it was kind of like maybe since it
wasn't so cut and dry, it was like maybe we'll get back
together. Maybe we could still be friends
or something like that was kind of maybe what she expected.
But then to have the realizationof like, actually, like us still
talking is making it worse is sobrutal, but so real.

(59:55):
And she really realizes and her friend, like her sister and her
family, I should say, are noticing a change in her.
And she realizes she's like, I love England.
I love how the nice the community is and all the things
that I've got to explore and these friends and stuff like
that and working in the kitchen and all of this stuff.

(01:00:16):
So she's again just. Realizing that she's actually
really enjoying herself there, Kate sees her still eyeing
culinary school. And it's it's up on her web
browser, she says. You know, if that's something
that you would want to do, like you could stay here and commute
to campus. So it kind of gives her maybe

(01:00:38):
the possibility that she could stay in London, stay with Orion
a little bit longer, but she is going to be interviewed with her
whole family for La Paloma because this big magazine that
they really like, I think it's amagazine I I like.
I was like are they filming ATV show or I?
Think it's a show? I think it's.

(01:00:59):
OK, OK, yeah, yeah, I like it. I I was doing the same thing
when I was like, am I reading this too fast or like, yeah,
they were like talking about like a photo shoot.
But then I was like, but they could have a photo shoot for ATV
show. Is it a magazine?
Like what is family style? Maybe it's like a Floridian.
I don't know. News thing I don't.
Know yeah, I think if I remembercorrectly, I think it's like a

(01:01:21):
it was a show, one of their favorite, the family's favorite
show that highlights maybe like local businesses or something of
the sort or local restaurants maybe or something of the sort.
And and yeah, they were going tofeature the Panaderia La Paloma.
Yes, which is like so good for business, right and her family

(01:01:44):
really relies on her. So they're like, we're going to
book you a ticket AACP. And she's like, no, no, like I
I'm working here with Kate and Spencer.
So like I couldn't leave them anallergic.
So just like book me a ticket for two weeks before the show
and when I get home, I will all of you get ready.
And she runs straight to Orion'shouse and she's like, this

(01:02:06):
really exciting news happened. And she's like, I came straight
here. She's like, I don't love
Andreas. I didn't think of him when I got
really, really exciting news. I ran straight here.
They have like a very, very sweet moment.
So they're like, OK, we're goingto make what's that like what's
left of our time here really good.

(01:02:27):
So he takes her to London. They're like kind of a trip gets
a little bit cut short because the graffiti.
Really. Fucking graffiti.
It reappears and Leela's like, OK, Flora, I told you not to do
that. And then she's like, I didn't do
it. And she does believe her, but

(01:02:48):
then she feels like she has to tell Orion that it was Flora.
And he gets really, really upset.
He's like, stay out of my business, stay out of my
family's business. But they do like almost
immediately kind of talk it through and make up.
But I kind of was like, OK, that's the old Leela.
Like she was kind of like she kind of, I feel like was what

(01:03:11):
that was kind of what she was doing with Andreas.
Right, right, right. She, I guess, obviously turned
the ship around a little bit. I mean, this whole, this whole
sequence of events, I'm like another opportunity to have
given us like some actual me to the bones of Orion and and Leela
together. Like especially like, let's make

(01:03:33):
the most of our time left and let's go to London and have some
really good time. And right when you're getting to
like, OK, these two, they get each other.
It's like, oh, they get a phone call and it's starting to fall
apart. Well, not fall apart, but well,
now it's interrupted, and now we're somewhere else in the
story. Yes, I'm like, I still don't
know why was his dad so against adding pastries to their menu?

(01:03:56):
And like, yeah, why did he have such an adverse reaction?
Like obviously I guess she was like lying to him, but I think
she actually truly did Flora, like I saw it.
She didn't like punish her anything.
I think she was like, this is a kid that needs some support and
I'm giving her support. So I would have liked maybe a

(01:04:16):
little bit more of that. I kind of thought that was going
to be the third act breakup, butthat that's not the case.
Yeah, yeah. I also was surprised.
I, I don't know if I expected a breakup, but I was surprised at
how quickly they resolved. And I was like, OK, so OK, like,
cool. I.
Was like confused. Yeah, I was like, OK, so then

(01:04:38):
what's what's going to be the breakup?
Yeah, it. Is truly just her going home.
Yeah, but he asks her to go visit his mom, and they go on
this little picnic afterwards. It's very, very sweet, very,
very touching. And then he finally kisses her.
Then he's like, he's like, we can't do that again.
He's like this is. Teenagers, teenagers.

(01:05:02):
He's like, that's too much. We cannot.
You're like. Leaving in a few days.
Right, do that. It's Leela's 18th birthday and
she's got two days left of her trip and Orion says I'm going to
show up, like wear something nice.
And he and the friends make the foyer of the bed and breakfast a

(01:05:23):
full on prom because she missed her prom because of the Andreas
breakup. So it was very, very cute.
Jules sings a song that was written about Orion.
Did you try to like, sing the lyrics?
I did it. I did.
I just sing the lyrics. I kind of was like, what is like

(01:05:45):
the tune of this? Right.
Where's the melody? Where's the melody?
Can you know? Exactly, exactly.
It was very cute though it. Was very cute, yeah.
And very like I was kind of surprised by that, but a very
cute moment with the friends andOrion and they dance and they
want to visit her in Miami. And you know, they just do this

(01:06:08):
really nice thing for her and Orion and her and the night by
cuddling. And she says to Ammo, I love
you, but he doesn't see it back.Because he's a teenage boy at
the end of the day. I know.
Even the teenage boys, written by women, they are struggling.

(01:06:33):
She couldn't make him perfect. Yeah.
So she does end up heading back to Miami.
They have a tearful goodbye. But when she arrives, Orion has
mailed her his sweater, which isvery cute.
And I loved this part. But basically, Kate had shown

(01:06:54):
her mom and the family pictures of the prom.
And they're like, why didn't youtell us about that?
Like, that is such a beautiful thing that your friends did.
Like, really exciting. Like, so fun.
Like, you didn't tell us anything about Orion.
And she could see herself doing the exact same thing that she
did at the beginning of the bookwhere she had all these feelings

(01:07:14):
and instead of sharing them withher family, she like, kept them
inside and ended up like, hurting herself.
So she feels herself doing that again.
But she's like, I can't, I can'tdo that again.
So she tells them about everything, about Orion, about
the prom, about the school, and they're like, we would so
support that you can use Abuela's money for school.

(01:07:36):
Like we think that would be great.
So very, very exciting. She gets a little FaceTime from
Stephanie and they like apologize to each other.
So maybe they'll come back together as friends filming or
the photo shoot or whatever. It goes really, really well and
Orion shows up in Miami in the last 1% of the book and she gets

(01:08:01):
to share the exciting news that she's going back to.
England, and it's adorable. It's so cute florist there too,
which again, spoiler alert is I think the second book, but super
cute. So he just like Rogue shows up.
I get Rogue for an 18 year old getting like $1000 flight or

(01:08:23):
yeah, 1000 LB flight. But it was very, very sweet and
I'm glad that they she gets to now show her her bakery, but
they'll eventually be back in England.
Yeah, I I like the ending. I thought it was very cute.
It was, I wouldn't say predictable, but it was like,
well, where else are we going togo from here?

(01:08:44):
Obviously, if we're going to show some real growth, she has
to get out of Miami right at some yeah, towards the end of
it. So I feel like it made sense.
I I also like the pacing throughout the entire book of
her coming to realize I felt wasvery realistic.
It wasn't, I don't feel like it was rushed in any way of being

(01:09:05):
like, oh, she's getting out already.
I feel like she was stubborn enough to a certain extent where
I was like, yeah, sounds about right when it comes to a
teenager. OK, completely agree.
I think that the growth was on perfect timing, but I was kind
of bummed out that it like ended.
So like he arrived. I guess this is every, like not

(01:09:25):
every but most romance novels, but it's like they just reunite
and then the book ends. I was like, I kind of wanna see
them reunited. Yeah, I do feel like when it
ended, I would listen to the audio book and when it ended I
kept looking like, okay, and then what happens?
No, I know. I was like, I looked down at my
Kindle and it was like 98% and Iwas like, what?

(01:09:48):
Yeah. Yeah, I don't even think he had
arrived yet. Yeah I was like this is crazy
but I'm assuming it's cuz we'll get more content.
Probably the. Next book, Even if they're like
the background characters, right?
Okay, let's RIP through some of these round table discussions.
So this is our Internet investigation, our cursory

(01:10:11):
peruse of the Internet of Thingsyou need to know.
I liked this quote of Laura as the author, so I'll share it
with you folks. She said I finished Cuban girls
shortly before my debut book sold in about 6 months.
I wanted to honor my Cuban heritage and family and truly do
a Hashtag own Voices project that also pulled from my own

(01:10:33):
some of my own teen experiences.I'm similar to the main
character Lila Reyes, and definitely had some Lila moments
growing up. A few years ago I travelled to
England and fell in love with everything.
I decided to use this backdrop for my novel to showcase and
celebrate the Cuban cultural elements in a new way and to
show a Miami Cuban main character who evolves into a

(01:10:55):
citizen of the world, which is what you talked about
throughout. This.
Full episode. That's awesome.
And I mean it. It definitely showed that, like
it showed this Cuban girl that is very much very close to her
community, very much sees the world as the community.
This is my world and this is where I'm staying and this is as

(01:11:17):
big as it gets. And I totally believed her
growth into like, wanting to 'cause sometimes I feel like
when someone, when a character is written so deeply in love
with their community or their job or something, and somewhere
in the middle of the book, they they pivot to something else
sometimes because I feel like, well, I'm not buying it.

(01:11:37):
Yeah, they were so in love with it and they were so obsessed
with that. But I feel with this, I think it
the growth, again, like we were saying, the pacing was so
perfect that I was like, I, I'm buying it that this teenager
kind of got a wider view of whather life could be.
And now she wants that. Yes, and like merges it with her

(01:11:58):
old dream. It was an evolution, not.
This. Drastic change and her just like
throwing away the plan which I thought was really, really good.
I agree, yeah. OK.
I wonder why these are unanswered questions for the
listeners. Obviously the one that I had
posed earlier. Why did she spend no time with

(01:12:20):
Kate? Yeah, this, actually.
Did you watch or read the book My Life with the Walter Boys?
It's a Netflix. Series No.
OK, so a don't. OK, noted.
A don't but B it's has some verysimilar elements to this book
where basically this character actually she's also Latinx but

(01:12:43):
her parents die in like a car crash.
She gets like adopted by her hermom's best friend.
'S. Family and she falls in love
with one of the the sons or likekind of two of the sons, but
it's like a love triangle. But it was the same thing where
I was like, you spent no time with with the mom's best friend.

(01:13:05):
Like. Absolutely no time and it just,
I don't know, there was just that could stuff could have been
maybe flushed out a little bit more.
Right, right. And then my other wonder, why is
how did Leela get into La Cordombla?
Yeah, like. Two days like I was like, I'm

(01:13:27):
pretty sure you have to do like extensive applications and
stuff. Like that?
Probably, yeah. Some sort of audition process?
Probably. Yeah, Yes, yes.
And it was. Just so funny.
She was like, yeah, I'm going, I'm thinking about applying.
And then she had been home for like 2 weeks or whatever and she
was like, I'm in. Like I didn't, I didn't, I

(01:13:49):
didn't. She was that good.
She was that. She was that good.
Yeah. That's some of the book magic
that you kind of just have to like, accept.
You can't really be too hard into it because then it it makes
it all fall apart slowly. Totally totally OK our grapes
and grumbles. These are net picky problems we
have with the bug I talked aboutLela being 17/18.

(01:14:12):
I feel like it's like, why were teens running every single shop?
Like, like Orion was running thetea shop.
Even Remy, that like very, very side character was running like
his family's pop. Like what?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I also was like, I'm not

(01:14:32):
fully, I'm not fully buying this.
Well, even just her being allowed to run the baking of the
B and BI was like that sounds. That's not sounding accurate,
totally, but OK. Totally yeah weird licensing of
food safe stuff yeah not on likea study permit, but I guess she

(01:14:56):
wasn't getting paid at or like awork permit.
I don't know like she just how would she run a kit like how
would she? I guess she did so much in the
bakery, but I don't know just the the quantity like it is just
would have been so. I do think that they try to
explain in the beginning. In the beginning, she tells a
mini story about this one time at like 13, she ran.

(01:15:18):
She like catered this big event or something all by herself
because her Ebola got sick or something like that.
I don't remember it fully, but but I think that they were like,
she's capable guys. She was capable of capable at
13. So she's definitely capable now.
And we're just buying it now, yeah.
And this also happened in my life with the Walter boys.

(01:15:39):
Actually, there is a family wedding and Jackie, the girl
plans the wedding. And she is like 60.
Good. Job plans.
She gets hired as the wedding plan.
Let me tell you, I've been a teenager and I've known a lot of
teenagers and I don't know if many of them are capable of

(01:16:00):
anything, to be quite honest, most of the time.
No, I know. Yeah, yeah.
I know. Yes, I feel the same.
The other problem I just had waslike, we got so much about the
graffiti and so much about jewels and the band, and then we
had no resolution of what? That's why they must I I'll bet

(01:16:20):
you $100 that they are making a book about jewels 'cause we
heard nothing about that. Maybe she falls in love with
Roth. Maybe.
Maybe that could have been why, cuz why did we need to know
about Roth to begin with? So.
So much detail about this randomman.

(01:16:42):
There was a lot of detail about the random man, a lot of detail,
and not a lot of detail about like, Remy Gordon.
I'm like, these are characters that you're introducing into our
life. I'm like, and yet we don't know
Gordon. Who is that?
I don't like, I didn't even. I kept forgetting he was part of
the group and then they randomlymentioned him and I'd be like oh

(01:17:02):
right. Me too.
I kind of thought actually, to be honest, when she first saw
Gordon, I thought he was going to be the loving.
Child too. And then the more I thought
about it, I was like, well, thatwould have been a little weird
because like, their moms are best friends.
Maybe not, maybe not, but I definitely thought that that's
where we were headed. OK, good, I'm glad I wasn't the

(01:17:23):
one that thought that. Do you have any grapes and
grumbles? No, just that.
Honestly, the only thing that really bothered me was the fact
that we didn't really like who is Orion at the end of the day?
I know, like I know I believed it.
Like I believed it in a way thenlike if she's happy, I'm happy.
You know what I mean? Yes, I don't know.
I'm buying this love story. I feel like this was more more.

(01:17:46):
I don't even feel like it was a romance book really.
I feel like it was a coming of age story where the focus was
Leela and we like the romance was in addition to this, but I
wouldn't be if someone's like, think of a, you know, young
adult ROM com. I wouldn't be like this one
'cause I don't, I didn't get theromantic aspect of it as much as

(01:18:09):
her growth as a human being and like her vision of the world and
like wanting to expand her life.And that was all great.
I I feel like they that was likethe bread and butter of the
story but like Orion I'm like she's happy I'm having a great
time but I don't get it cuz I don't know him.
Yes, yes, completely agree. And it's so funny how you can

(01:18:31):
read these books and like, again, I did not think of that
at all. Then you said that and I was
like. Yeah.
Who is this man? Who is this man she's falling in
love with? The day, Yeah.
Yeah, that's so true. OK, finally, our sequel scoop.
This is the T, no pun intended, on any upcoming sequels, seasons

(01:18:53):
and the general reception book did extremely well.
It debuted at #3 on the New YorkTimes best sellers list.
It was Reese in Reese Witherspoon's Young Adult Book
Club, which gets books like On the Map.
Oh wow. And like I've said a zillion

(01:19:13):
times, this episode, the next book in the series is A British
Girl's Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak.
Interesting. Which is really fun.
It was released in 2023 and it follows Flora and I actually,
I'm going to read it. Maybe not like this week.
I think I'm gonna check it out. I really liked this author, I

(01:19:34):
thought. Yeah, she was good fun.
Like a really good writer. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed her writing style for sure.
Yeah, but this is, I think, the most exciting part.
It's gonna become a movie. Or I did.
See this. Is a movie.
So they filmed this movie in 2022.
They are currently waiting for or like looking for a buyer.

(01:19:58):
It has been two years. I know there was the huge
strike. So I think that that kind of put
slowed down the process. I am a little nervous that it
hasn't been picked up yet because, you know, we're
entering 2025 and there's no word on it, but it stars Kit
Connor from Heart Stopper. And Maya Rafiko, who is like so

(01:20:23):
up and coming. Oh, OK.
In the Pretty Little Liars spin off yeah, yeah.
And she is currently, I think, on Broadway in.
Haiti. Oh wow.
And I think it's like like Charlie D'amelio, isn't that
like Kate Del Castillo is in it too, But like, she, she's

(01:20:46):
probably Kate. Like, she's probably also plays
Kate, right? Probably.
And if you've seen a novella in in Mexican television, you've
seen Kate de Castillo, and she'svery, very famous.
So yeah, I'm surprised with Kit Connor attached to it.
It hasn't been picked up becausehe's all the rage right now.
Literally, especially in Netflix, I was like, I feel like

(01:21:06):
this is a layup for Netflix, like something that they can
promote Kit Connor as the lead, right?
That would, I feel like, you know, funnel people into heart
stopper and yeah, I I don't see any issues with it.
Yeah, and Netflix is track record for why A is great, I

(01:21:27):
think. So I think like they've had
really big successes with all ofthat, so.
Huge huge 100%. I'm so confused at why the and
and ROM coms and holiday movies like this just seems to fit in
so well with all of their content so I'm hoping that maybe
something happens in 2025. It was produced by Ace

(01:21:50):
Entertainment. This is why I also think it's
gonna be good. Not only are the actors that
they've cast really good, like visually I really see like Orion
and Leela, but it's done by Ace Entertainment, who did to all
the Boys I loved before in EXO Kitty, and that's Matt Kaplan's

(01:22:12):
company, who is Alex Cooper's. Husband right, right, right,
right. Your daddy so.
Yeah, I'm just so curious to what is going up and some cheese
may truly tell us on set is thatKit and Maya ended up dating for
a year after they filmed this. That's cute.

(01:22:32):
They're we might see them havingto do a lot of press together.
And that's adorable. Well, hopefully it gets picked
up. I hope so.
I really, really hope so. I would.
I would love to to watch it now that we've read.
Yeah. Agreed.
Anything else you want to say? I think that's all for me.
I think that's all for me too. It was a great book.
I had a lot of fun. It got me out of my reading
slump. I was in a really rough reading

(01:22:54):
slump and I really struggled to start it.
I was like power through and then I really got into it by the
end of it, so so yeah, it was fun.
I'm so glad. I'm so glad because it's a big
ass to ask someone to read a book.
So thank you. I appreciate it.
Yeah, of course. Can you tell the listeners where
they can find you and anything else you want to plug?
Yes we are on Instagram, TikTok,Twitter, all the things X

(01:23:19):
whatever you want to call it. Under you, me and Cheeseman, you
can find us talking about pop culture and dating and beautiful
men. We love talking about beautiful
men. Colin Farrell, Aldous Hodge, you
name them. We've talked about them.
So yeah. And our handle is the same
across all of the apps. So you, me and Cheeseman if you

(01:23:39):
wanna check us out. Love it.
Thank you so much for coming on.Thank you.
And that's the story of a Cuban girls guide to tea and tomorrow.
Thank you so much for listening and thank you to Julie for
joining me on today's show. I wanted to let you know that I
was recently on Boobies and Newbies.
It's the 12 Days of Boob Mess. And I was recently on to discuss

(01:24:05):
the book My December Darling. It's a novella.
It obviously takes place around the holidays.
It's written by Lauren Asher Kelly picked that book for us
because she was on Ready to be Romanced and we covered the fine
print, which is also written by Lauren.
One of my actually favorite series that I dived into, dove

(01:24:28):
into that. This is a book podcast, but this
year because I've been reflecting on my favorite books
of 2024 and I loved love redesigned.
So my December journaling takes place in the same town, not the
same characters, but the same town, which is really, really

(01:24:48):
fun. Before we wrap up, I just want
to say follow me on socials at ready to be romance.
I think one of my favorite things outside of, you know,
reading the book and producing the podcast, but one of my
favorite things is literally just going on Instagram and
TikTok and Twitter, etcetera, etcetera and finding like fan
edits and pictures of the aesthetic and the vibes of the

(01:25:12):
books that we've been reading orfan art, etcetera, playlists and
sharing them on my Instagram. It is so fun.
I really feel like it's brought my like reading and just my like
experience of the book to another level.
So you can check all that out onInstagram at Ready to be

(01:25:32):
Romance. I also post clips of us
podcasting on TikTok. Same username.
It's so funny. I like want to do it for books
that I'm not even covering on the show.
But so far I've like kept it to you, you know, podcast content,
but it is truly so fun and people are so creative and I
love the memes and I love the tick tocks and I love all of

(01:25:53):
that. Just participating in the
community of reading has been really, really fun.
And then, of course, subscribe to the podcast and leave a
writing and review. This really helps the podcast
find new listeners and helps me know that I'm right on track.
If you'd like to suggest a book for the new year, I've planned
out January's episodes because Iam going on vacation so I have

(01:26:14):
been recording a fucking backlogof episodes this December.
But if you want to make some suggestions for February, I have
not planned one singular episode.
I have some guests in mind, but I don't have the book.
So if you want to suggest a book, you can via the links in
the episode show notes. Or obviously you can leave a

(01:26:36):
comment on this episode or message me on socials.
If you have a question or a comment about a future book
we're going to read, you can leave a voicemail also through
the link in the episode show notes.
Our next episode is Bride. Until then, happy reading.
For Ready to be Romanced, I'm Tori.

(01:26:57):
Goodbye.

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