Book Review: Salt and Sugar
by Rebecca Carvalho | Pub: 11.1.22 by Inkyard Press | Debut Young Adult Novel | 388 pages
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Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org
Add to TBR: Storygraph | Goodreads
My Review Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars
My heart hammers against my ribcage. That was my cooking curse all along. My family’s guilt, keeping me away from the kitchen - away from getting involved in Salt - for fear I’d get hurt the same way Dad did.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! I’m so glad I signed up for the Once Upon a Book Club (OUABC) subscription because it’s introduced me to books I wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.
I chose the young adult selection for OUABC’s December 2022 box and so glad I did. This book was a fun one and I highly recommend it if you enjoy young adult picks. Filled with family feud drama, delicious Brazilian pastries, and a little dash of enemies to lovers (but completely PG).
The OUABC box had such fun gifts inside and I enjoyed the experience of opening them throughout the story where indicated with the sticky notes.
Quick Take: debut young adult novel with Romeo and Juliet long-standing family feud vibes - highly recommend!
Topics & themes: family feuds, generational dedication and guilt, enemies to friends to (PG) lovers trope
Romance tropes & steam: includes a young adult coming of age romantic relationship - zero on the steamy factor
I see the way our mothers look at us, the way they find common ground in their desire to keep both of us safe, and it fills my heart with hope for our future.
Publisher’s Description:
The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud.
Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.
Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.
Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?
"Carvalho employs theatrical prose, familiar plot beats, telenovela-feeling dialogue, and an ebullient protagonist to examine themes of gentrification, grief, familial obligation, and rich entitlement, making for a charming read." —Publishers Weekly
About the Author | Rebecca Carvalho
Author Bio on Harpers Collins
Social Media: @rebeccacarvalhowrites
Author Bio: Rebecca Carvalho is a Recifense writer based in Berkeley, California. She loves crafting stories filled with close-knit neighborhoods, Brazilian food, and telenovela-esque settings. When she is not writing, you can find her with her camera, gaming with her husband, or watching Star Trek for the hundredth time. Rebecca has a bachelor's degree in English from Lawrence University. Salt and Sugar is her debut novel, and it was inspired by her life in northeastern Brazil.
Additional Links:
Publishers Weekly - review
