A Dish Best Served Hot - Vega Family Love Stories by Natalie Caña Paperback

About the Book

"Santiago "Saint" Vega gets a second shot at love with Lola Leâon, but when duty to his family forces him to do something she'll never forgive, will everything he's built come crumbling down?"----

Book Synopsis

"From a comedic cast of supporting characters to an emphasis on the importance of community... A vibrant second-chance love story about repairing community and romantic connection." --Kirkus Reviews (STARRED)

"It's a pleasure to watch [Caña's characters] develop over the course of the novel. This is a treat."--Publishers Weekly (STARRED)

Santiago "Saint" Vega gets a second shot at love with Lola León, but when duty to his family forces him to do something she'll never forgive, will everything he's built come crumbling down?

Years ago, Saint walked away from the girl he loved to fulfill his duty. Now he's struggling to build bridges between his drifting family, take on more responsibilities at his uncle's construction company, figure out why his daughter refuses to talk at school and curtail his mischievous abuelo's escalating pranks. Then she walks back into his life.

Social justice advocate Lola León has returned to Humboldt Park for two reasons: to help care for her dear abuelo and to serve the community center she loved, particularly the shelter for unhoused LGBTQIA+ youths. When she finds out that the Vegas are responsible for endangering both, she is more than ready to go to war--even if the boy she never forgot is standing at the front of the battlefield.

Neither of them expects to become allies in saving the shelter, helping Saint's daughter or ending the decades-long feud between their grandfathers. They definitely don't expect all of their old feelings to come rushing back. As Saint and Lola enter combat, they can't help but wonder where the other's true allegiance lies, and whether they'll win these battles only to lose each other.

Vega Family Love Stories

Book 1: A Proposal They Can't Refuse
Book 2: A Dish Best Served Hot

Review Quotes

"Rebellious Lola León and conventional Santiago "Saint" Vega were unlikely high school sweethearts. . . . Reunited under the worst of circumstances, their love still burns bright, but they'll need to forgive past mistakes and work through their seemingly insurmountable disagreements to find a happily ever after. VERDICT Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romances with strong social justice and family themes. This second "Vega Family Love Stories" book works well as a stand-alone." --Library Journal (STARRED)

"Full of all of the dynamics that made A Proposal They Can't Refuse (2022) so irresistible, from a comedic cast of supporting characters to an emphasis on the importance of community... A vibrant second-chance love story about repairing community and romantic connection." --Kirkus Reviews (STARRED)

"High school sweethearts reunite in Caña's charming and emotionally mature second Vega Family Love Stories romance (after A Proposal They Can't Refuse). . . . Caña puts a great deal of care into her characters' personal growth, and it's a pleasure to watch them develop over the course of the novel. Themes of mental health and inequity add weight to the romantic story line, while the meddling abuelos offer welcome levity. This is a treat."--Publishers Weekly (STARRED)

"[Readers] will be completely charmed by the lovable, pranking grandfathers and Lola's loyalty to the people her community center serves." --Booklist

On A PROPOSAL THEY CAN'T REFUSE

"With beautiful references to Puerto Rican and Irish folklore, the cultural and linguistic nuances Caña inserts into her heartwarming contemporary romance are flawless, as is the slow buildup of romantic feelings. This spectacular debut has tremendous series potential and is highly recommended for all libraries, especially those looking to highlight authors who deliver diverse true-to-life characters that leap off the page with originality and heart."--Booklist (starred)

"This delightful mix of food, familia, and culture will leave readers hungry for more." --Publishers Weekly (starred)

"An utterly charming romance that pays homage to the importance of culture, family, and friendship, A Proposal They Can't Refuse is a surefire winner!" --Mia Sosa, USA Today bestselling author of The Worst Best Man

"This book bursts with humor, heat, love, and family! Caña's characters leap off the page and into your heart. A Proposal They Can't Refuse delivers a happily ever after where familia, food, and finding what was under our nose the whole time are at the core of the story. Natalie Caña's debut will leave you smiling, hungry, and eager to read her next book!" --Denise Williams, bestselling author of How to Fail at Flirting