burstnwithbooks's review
4.0
I really really enjoyed this. It definitely has Jane the Virgin vibes, I adored the family, and I even found the romance adorable (shocking, I know). The audiobook was really well done and the whole experience was just a lot of fun. I’d love to read more from this author!
girlreading's review
4.0
4.5* This was such a delight.
Truly the perfect springtime rom-com.
It truly had everything you could want from a cute contemporary with depth. It's got fantastic friendships, a gorgeous slow(ish) burn romance, the most adorably soft baker/sailor hufflepuff, complex but heart warming family dynamics, the most wonderfully descriptive oceanside town setting, nuanced discussions about diaspora and the YUMMIEST sounding food.
I absolutely adored Nina's writing style. It was easy flowing, comfortable to read and so natural. Rosa's voice was distinctive in that she was her own person but she also felt real and familiar. I can't wait to read whatever Nina brings out in the future because if this is anything to go by, I have a feeling she's going to become an auto-buy author in no time.
Truly the perfect springtime rom-com.
It truly had everything you could want from a cute contemporary with depth. It's got fantastic friendships, a gorgeous slow(ish) burn romance, the most adorably soft baker/sailor hufflepuff, complex but heart warming family dynamics, the most wonderfully descriptive oceanside town setting, nuanced discussions about diaspora and the YUMMIEST sounding food.
I absolutely adored Nina's writing style. It was easy flowing, comfortable to read and so natural. Rosa's voice was distinctive in that she was her own person but she also felt real and familiar. I can't wait to read whatever Nina brings out in the future because if this is anything to go by, I have a feeling she's going to become an auto-buy author in no time.
ashleylaughbox's review
4.0
This book is very cute and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have been on a reading slump and a friend recommended this to me and I am so thankful! As a Puerto Rican, I am always going to enjoy something that I can connect with because Latinx communities have so many things in common. The relationship between Rosa, her grandmother, and her mother is something that I immediately connected with.
Why 4 stars? Because, when I finished the book, I felt like nothing "had happened". I feel the title might be a BIT misleading but some lines of the ending chapters did capture my heart. All in all, this book IS A MUST READ!
Why 4 stars? Because, when I finished the book, I felt like nothing "had happened". I feel the title might be a BIT misleading but some lines of the ending chapters did capture my heart. All in all, this book IS A MUST READ!
josiereadsalot's review
3.0
*3.5 Stars. I decided to change my rating to 3.5 because I personally didn’t love the ending. This book was so descriptive! I loved reading about Port Coral and all the food they ate. I found the last 50 pages very confusing, and I feel like it could have been executed better.
adriagoetz's review
5.0
This book is SO GOOD and the writing is so beautiful and packed with emotion and heart and the romance is v swoonworthy. Think Jane the Virgin meets Gilmore Girls meets a dash of Practical Magic. I think this will be a reread for me because I loved it so much. <3
mora55's review
5.0
This is a beautiful book.
I love how this book handled diaspora. Rosa's grandparents fled Cuba to Florida when her mother was a baby, and Rosa feels caught between cultures. She is conflicted as to whether she is "Cuban enough" and is homesick for a homeland she's never been to and has little chance to go to. Especially as the story progresses, the reflection on this experience is more developed and beautifully explored. This is not something I personally have experienced and can relate to on that level, but it was so well-written that even I could get a sense of Rosa's struggle and the liminal space between Cuban and American she occupies.
I also liked the relationship between Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother and how they struggle to connect and they argue frequently but also they have such a strong and specific connection. Family, both through blood and through shared experience and history, is another prevalent theme the author explores.
Rosa was a really well-developed character with a specific personality and voice, and just about everything she did felt so in-line with her character (something that is occasionally lacking in other books). She's multifaceted with flaws and hopes and defiance and loyalty and conflict. Her character arc was very well done as well, and I really connected with her and emphasized with her.
The romance wasn't actually all that bad? It was actually kind of refreshing for Rosa to practically immediately be like "yup I have a crush" and then, like, do something about it. I liked also how it was hardly the main plot of the book at all (despite the book's title) and was something to augment Rosa's struggle with her history and her future and her relationship with both her family and her culture.
I only have two minimal complaints? There were a lot of characters and I couldn't keep all of them straight and stopped trying after a while. Also, there was some small magic going on and then large magic at the end and I just didn't think it fit with the book? I see what the author was trying, but I'm not sure it entirely worked.
In summary: a really beautiful exploration of culture and diaspora and Cuban tradition and family. (Also, there's a lot of Spanish dialogue in here, and I thought that was very neat.)
I love how this book handled diaspora. Rosa's grandparents fled Cuba to Florida when her mother was a baby, and Rosa feels caught between cultures. She is conflicted as to whether she is "Cuban enough" and is homesick for a homeland she's never been to and has little chance to go to. Especially as the story progresses, the reflection on this experience is more developed and beautifully explored. This is not something I personally have experienced and can relate to on that level, but it was so well-written that even I could get a sense of Rosa's struggle and the liminal space between Cuban and American she occupies.
I also liked the relationship between Rosa, her mother, and her grandmother and how they struggle to connect and they argue frequently but also they have such a strong and specific connection. Family, both through blood and through shared experience and history, is another prevalent theme the author explores.
Rosa was a really well-developed character with a specific personality and voice, and just about everything she did felt so in-line with her character (something that is occasionally lacking in other books). She's multifaceted with flaws and hopes and defiance and loyalty and conflict. Her character arc was very well done as well, and I really connected with her and emphasized with her.
The romance wasn't actually all that bad? It was actually kind of refreshing for Rosa to practically immediately be like "yup I have a crush" and then, like, do something about it. I liked also how it was hardly the main plot of the book at all (despite the book's title) and was something to augment Rosa's struggle with her history and her future and her relationship with both her family and her culture.
I only have two minimal complaints? There were a lot of characters and I couldn't keep all of them straight and stopped trying after a while. Also, there was some small magic going on and then large magic at the end and I just didn't think it fit with the book? I see what the author was trying, but I'm not sure it entirely worked.
In summary: a really beautiful exploration of culture and diaspora and Cuban tradition and family. (Also, there's a lot of Spanish dialogue in here, and I thought that was very neat.)
jkdehaven's review
4.0
The book Don't Date Rosa Santos tells the story of a Cuban American teenager living in Florida. She is a senior preparing to graduate from high school, and she is trying to decide where to go to school and how to balance her relationships with her mother and grandmother. In the midst of this, she meets Alex, a boy who she is quickly attracted to. I appreciated the story of family dynamics as well as what it is like to be a Cuban exile from the perspective of someone who has never actually been to Cuba. The book did feel a little sappy at times, but otherwise, it was an enjoyable read.
skywalkerem's review
4.0
Very cute story that deals with some deeper themes of immigration and diaspora. would definitely recommend!
resslesa's review
3.0
I wanted to love it but despite the Latinx protagonist, the story was ehhh. Good narration but not enough to inspire purchase of the book for my library. Fun for more middle grade audiences perhaps.