Review: One Tough Cookie by Delise Torres

One Tough Cookie by Delise Torres

Blurb from Goodreads:

A Latina Fleabag committed to her carefree single life meets the sexy new mechanic determined to break through her defenses, in this humorous and heartfelt foodie women’s fiction set at a cookie company.

All cookies are made with love—even if twenty-seven-year-old Karina Cortés doesn’t believe in the concept. For her, a simple life with no attachments is a good life. And her life is indeed good—even with her biggest accomplishment being passing the GED exam. Karina is able to secure an incredible and well-paying job at Singular Cookies, Inc., a small family-owned cookie manufacturing plant in Fort Pierce, Florida. And although the founders of the company treat her like family, Karina insists she doesn’t need or want one. Not after her mother chose a man over her own daughter, pushing the young Karina to move out and make it on her own.

And she couldn’t be happier with her single life, unlike her friends, whose lives revolve around men.

Work and play collide when she meets the company’s hot new mechanic, Ian Feliciano, who stirs up feelings she tends to avoid. Karina knows she shouldn’t date him, but she’s strong; she’ll never turn pathetic like her friends or, especially, her mom. And with a looming plant inspection and trying to break up the CEO's new romance, Karina has enough to distract herself.

As the inspection draws near and Karina battles her heart, she’ll have to decide whether to continue holding on to deeply ingrained beliefs that keep everyone at bay, or learn that love is not as dangerous as she fears and in the end, it is our history—our singular recipe—that shapes how we live.

My Review:
I enjoyed this immensely -- Karina was a tough nut to crack but her back story was eventually revealed and some of her behavior made sense.  I also appreciated that the author never took the easy way out in the plot points, making things real but also dynamic.  The pacing may be a bit slow for some but I read this book in one day and I would definitely recommend.  Interesting characters and it doesn't always go where you want it to and/or think it may.

One Tough Cookie comes out next week on July 18, 2023, and you can purchase HERE!  I really liked this one!

At Singular Cookies, Inc., cookies are like people, each with their own personality. 

Karina's stomach grumbled for Perky Cookies. The coffee-chocolate breakfast cookie was energetic, ready to take on the day, much like Karina herself. It had saved hear earlier after she'd overslept and couldn't make it to the drive-through for breakfast, but one was never enough. Now in her hangry state, she needed more before she punched somebody in the face.