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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC!
Content Warning: homophobia/lesbophobia.
Cash Delgado is happy with her life. She lives in the tiny town of Ridley Falls, works as a manager at a bar called Joyce's, and enjoys every moment she gets with her six-year-old daughter, Parker. And there's Cash's best friend, too, Inez O'Connor, who has a way of making Cash feel that her every dream is somehow possible. But when Chase Stanton, Joyce's old manager -- and Cash's old flame -- comes back to town, she quickly realizes that her life as she knows it is about to get turned completely upside down. Chase has come to gauge the locals, intent on opening up a franchise bar that, ultimately, Cash knows will destroy Joyce's. To top it all off, Cash keeps having dreams about Inez -- and not the kind of dreams that one has about their best friend. Not to mention, Cash is completely straight... right? Determined to keep Joyce's open and scare Chase off their patch, Cash and Inez work together to figure out how they can maintain the peace in their small town, and as they spend long nights together and Cash continues to be plagued by her dreams, she's forced to confront the fact that she might not know who she is... or that she might have been hiding things from herself so deeply that she didn't even know it in the first place.
For full transparency, I was sent a link to this ARC by one of Random House's marketing managers (thank you, Jordan Hill Forney!) in exchange for my honest review. Initially, I was a bit reluctant to read this, as I'm typically not a fan of contemporary romances, especially ones that feature a lot of the breeziness and humor. There are exceptions to the rule, of course, like Delilah Green Doesn't Care, but for me, they're few and far between. However, I am pleasantly surprised to tell you that Cash Delgado is Living the Dream was a very enjoyable read for me, and I ended up being glad that I decided to pick it up!
Cash is a relatable character, which, ultimately, is what makes a romance worth reading. She's trying to keep on top of everything, but between being a single mom to a six-year-old, working (usually nights), and paying her bills, she's struggling to stay afloat. She's very happy with her life, though, and she's grateful for the community of Ridley Falls, who have accepted her readily as one of their own. She dreams of maybe owning her own bar one day, and has big plans for Joyce's, but unfortunately, those plans involve money that she simply doesn't have. She manages to make it all work partly because of Inez, her best friend, who is sort of like the fire to Cash's water: she's a little rash, a lot brave, and she helps Cash to be brave, too.
Now, I do have a few issues with the novel, which is obviously why it didn't end up with a full five stars. I debated between giving it three and a half and four, but ultimately, I decided that it deserved the four, as it's well-written, entertaining, and made me curious about what might be next from Mejia. My main problem has to do with Inez and Cash and the development of their relationship. It's a bit more complicated when you're doing a "friends to lovers" story, because the relationship is already halfway developed, and so you sometimes feel as if you've been thrown into the middle (not with this story, thankfully, but with some others I have read before). Mejia manages to avoid the issue I just spoke of, but the chemistry between Inez and Cash is somewhat lacking. We spend so much time caught up in Cash's head and her dreams that it feels as if the real world Inez and Cash don't do all that much interacting.
Actually, let me be a little clearer. It isn't so much the chemistry, which exists, but rather that the development feels rushed, especially considering there's not many romantic moments between Cash and Inez (that don't happen in Cash's mind, at least). The attraction is certainly there, and they have some very sexy moments together, but I wanted more of their developing feelings. I'd even go so far as to say that this isn't primarily a romance, but more about Cash's attempts to save the bar and her efforts at self-discovery, which isn't a bad thing at all, but can be a little jolting when you're expecting more of a straightforward romance.
My other problem is one that, to be honest, I think a lot of writers struggle with: writing a believable child character. Parker is just a bit too mature and wise beyond her years, serving more as narrative commentary than an actual child. However, I do think it's really difficult to strike the balance with child characters, so it wasn't too disruptive for me -- I could suspend my disbelief, mainly because Mejia's writing is so great and the story itself is so fun. There's a lot of the contemporary romance "quirkiness" which I sometimes find a little grating, but Mejia pulls it off and somehow makes it feel totally earnest and genuine.
I know I've mentioned it several times by now, but Mejia's writing really is fantastic. The tone maintained throughout is lighthearted and fun, beautifully described, but Mejia never shies away from exploring some of the heaviness of coming to terms with your sexuality and identity. All in all, I think this is definitely a success, and I'll be eager to see what Mejia comes up with next!
I mean, this book has mini donkeys. That's basically a guarantee that I'll like it.
Recommended, especially for those who like stories of found families and friendship that turns into something more.
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