Susan Ballard's Reviews > Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Penelope “Pen” Prado has big dreams. She works in her family’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos, but wants to open her own pasteleria one day. The problem is her parents want her to go to college.

Pen finally musters up the courage to tell her parents she hasn’t been going to classes, but she couldn’t have dreamed of their reaction. Her father fires her from the restaurant, the place where her heart lives.

As Pen is finishing her last shift, a new hire is being trained, Xander Amaro. Xander has been searching for his father who left him behind, claiming to try to make a better life for him here in the states. As Xander begins to feel like the Nacho’s Tacos crew is family, he worries that his immigration status is a danger to them.

Pen and Xander collide in a world of flavors, family, and fears in this story. But it’s not just their love story, their fierce determination, and the loyalty of family and friends shine through.

Kemp uses the sweet and savory aromas of food to beautifully tell an honest story of love and struggles within family, as well as, cultural struggles with discrimination.

Thank you to @librofm and @hachetteaudio for this #gifted audiobook.