Annette Chavez Macias is back with another heart wrenching book that you’re going to absolutely sob over, but you’re going to be happy about it.

Our story follows Gabby Medina, who loves food and dreams of being a chef one day and running her own space. Her dreams are on pause as she is struggling with…a lot! Financially, she is trying to pull herself out of massive debt. Emotionally, she is trying to learn how to cope with the passing of her mother, but their relationship was complicated. The cherry on top is that her estranged father shows up to her mothers funeral and offers a solution to all of her problems. Gabby’s father offers her a house to renovate and sell. But is it worth the emotional toll that will most definitely come with it?

TW: Too Soon For Adios deals with grief, death, and mild sexual harassment/assault. Take care of yourself and take this into consideration before moving forward with this book.

I loved this book for a variety of reasons:
1. Mexican American Representation
2. It’s about learning to love yourself
3. Rediscovering roots
4.Lessons on Love
5.Lessons on Grief
6. An enemies to lovers' romance.
7. Endearing Characters

*Spoiler Alert*- Gabby accepts the offer and heads to Sonrisa, New Mexico to fix up her new project. There she finds herself in a small town filled with characters like a sweet librarian, an egocentric realtor, the “neighborhood witch”, and a sexy mayor. Her new surroundings are a bit of a culture shock as she is used to working and living in the big city of Los Angeles, California. Gabby starts off determined to get in and get out; she doesn’t want to make any connections. However, when she discovers her father is a chef running the family restaurant, Carlita’s Cocina, she can’t help, but be curious. What are the odds that her father would have the career of Gabbys dreams?


“ ‘Being a female sous-chef isn’t easy to begin with. But throw in being a Latina? I have to prove I deserve to be in a kitchen even before I cook a single meal. Everything I do, everything I say is dissected and judged. It took me years to get to my first position, but to do it, I had to be smart—but not too smart. I had to be nice—but not too nice. I had to be tough—but not too tough. I had to be attractive—but not beautiful.’ ”
CHAPTER 14

While cleaning up the house (which was her late grandmothers) for resale, Gabby finds an old notebook that contains the original recipes for the family restaurant. Her excitement at her discovery is cute and reading how she remakes classic recipes was so cool; also mouthwatering. Have snacks on hand or take yourself on a reading date at the best Mexican restaurant in town, you're going to get hungry.

An absolute highlight was reading about Gabby’s mind when it came to recipes. Throughout the entire book there are sprinkles of Mexican American representation. From the food to the history of the town.

In case you don’t know me, let me tell you I am a Mexican American, but some would say I am “white washed” or even a bad Mexican because I am not fluent in Spanish nor do I know everything that there is about the history or culture (but who really knows everything about their culture?).

“ ‘Adelita is the nickname given to a soldadera. It’s taken from a famous Mexican corrido, ‘La Adelita.’ Although, nowadays the name refers to any strong woman who fights for what she believes is right.’ ”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Which is why when I read the story of Gabby Medina I related immediately to her struggle with the Spanish language and her annoyance of not meeting the expectations of others. It was comforting to see a character like me, not only through ethnicity, but through our shared struggle with our culture that we’re so proud of, but we’re not sure how to make a connection.

When “St Adelita” was brought into the story I was very curious and appreciated the chance to learn something new about my culture. It was thrilling and I ended up going down a rabbit hole searching for details. You don’t realize what you're missing until you find it; thank you Annette for this!

“ ‘Real love is like a presence. Someone can say ‘I love you’ all they want, but if you don’t feel it, then they’re just words.’ ”
CHAPTER 30

Although Gabby finds herself enjoying life in Sonrisa, making friends and other connections, she cannot escape herself. She has experienced traumatic events and has to handle panic attacks throughout the story. Stressed from the insurmountable debt she has collected from school loans and as a people pleaser she questions her validity and her abilities. Insecure as she is, leaves for a very complicated slow burn romance (emphasis on slow). Gabby learns to accept herself and love who she is and where she is in life, by doing so she opens herself up to having new relationships. This growth broke my heart; readers will find Gabbys journey compelling as everyone can relate to the idea of not being good enough and it’s magical as well as hopeful to read how Gabby learns to love herself.

My only complaint is that the romance needed to be turned up a notch. It was kind and patient BUT please tell me what happens behind the closed doors! That is the only reason I couldn’t give a full 5 stars, but if full on sex scenes are not for you then you're in a sweet spot with this one!

“ ‘You can’t think of it as who has more power and who has less power. You’ll never be happy guarding yourself from hurt. It’s not possible. People you love are going to hurt you. People you love are going to leave. People you love are going to die. That’s life.’ ”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT


My hope is that those who read this story will learn something new about Mexican culture and find a sort of escapism like I did while reading. Overall 4.75 stars ★

Special thanks to the author Annette for reaching out to me and letting me read and review an ARC, it is an absolute honor that you trusted me enough to read your work.

I really loved this story. Grief can trigger many things in the family. You never know the outcome of an emotional decision that will effect several generations and how they navigate life. I loved the ability for the MC to reconnect with her father through the family home. Defiantly pick this book up. It is a beautiful story of grief, love, reconnecting, forgiveness and family.

huge thanks to NetGalley and the author for the eARC ✨

Que livro maravilhoso! Que escrita encantadora e que história cativante!

O livro acompanha a ida da Gabby para a cidade de Sonrisa depois de herdar do seu pai biológico, que nunca havia tido noticias até o velório da sua mãe, uma casa. Com contas acumuladas e emprestimos a pagar e sem emprego, ela vê na casa a possibilidade de conseguir acabar com suas dívidas assim que vende-la.

Mas não para por ai, além de enxergar a possibilidade de recomeçar a sua vida, a sua ida a Sonrisa provê a ela uma oportunidade de conhecer uma parte da sua história, fazer amigos, reconectar-se com o pai e por fim, aceitar que ela merece amor. Que ela é suficiente e que ela é amada.

Eu amei esse livro tanto que se eu não tivesse morrendo de sono por causa da faculdade, eu tava lendo.

Bom, era isso! Ah, personagens maravilhosos, interesse amoroso divinooooooo e que diz aquelas frases que deixam a gente bamba das pernsas, como "quem fez isso com você?" e "é obvio que eu noto você". Aff, amoooooooooooooooo 🥰🥰

TOO SOON FOR ADIOS is a beautiful story about grief, self-(re)discovery, and resilience.

Gabby Medina, a 20-something Mexican-American chef, is just trying to figure out her life after her mom died, leaving her swimming in grief and debt. On top of it all, her biological dad shows up and offers her a house to fix up and sell, with the added bonus that she gets to keep the profits. Gabby, of course, is skeptical but accepts the deal as she’s low on financial options. She then moves into a small town in New Mexico and befriends the quirky neighbor and hot multihyphenate love interest, Diego.

I consider TOO SOON FOR ADIOS as women’s fiction with romantic elements because the romance wasn’t the driving force of the story. Sure, I loved Diego and Gabby’s chemistry, and Diego was such a sweetheart. But this novel was all about Gabby. I loved the moments when grief was portrayed with such rawness, almost to the point that it was hard to read. It made Gabby’s journey of grief and acceptance well-earned.

TOO SOON FOR ADIOS was also a love letter to Mexican American culture. I loved the incorporation of food, language, and history in the small town. The characters were multi-dimensional and relatable. The plot was predictable, but honestly, I didn’t mind. TOO SOON FOR ADIOS read like a warm hug in all the best ways.

I love Annette's novels so much. They always remind me of my own family. I enjoyed the blooming relationships in the novel. I did feel that the story wasn't as smooth as it should of been at times and some lines felt a bit cheesy and unnatural,, but overall I loved this book.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, but I can confidently say I love this book. I think it’s often hard to keep the momentum going after kicking off with a bang, but the Annette did it flawlessly here. It’s everything I could want from women’s fiction and I think I especially needed the heart that was carried in these chapters. Auto-buy author.

This is such an incredible story, about grief and loss and how everyone processes it differently. I loved that it was all about family, friendship love and healing , but most of all a story about second chances and About your roots

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake Books, and Annette Chavez Macias for providing me with an eARC of this book. This is my honest review.
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As a Latina myself, specifically a Mexican-American, I’m always on the lookout for books that capture that experience authentically and I think Annette Chavez Macias did that so well. Too Soon for Adiós is about grief, generational trauma, and learning how to heal. Let’s talk about it! 🗣️
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One of the things I loved most about Gabby as an MC is how readily she embraces her Mexican-American identity. Taking traditional dishes and putting her own twist on them, defending herself justly when she’s judged for not knowing Spanish, embracing her family’s history. I loved learning about the soldaderas! I went on a Google deep dive immediately to learn more 🙌🏽 It’s so important to see characters in media bridging that disconnect between their two cultures. I also loved that the Spanglish here didn’t feel forced like it has in other books featuring Latine characters. It felt natural and fluid.
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I liked watching Gabby’s emotional and mental journey unfold. Healing can be hard. Healing emotional wounds that have been passed down through generations can be even harder. It doesn’t happen in a single moment and its not a magical transformation. It consists of layers of understanding, unpacking, and forgiveness. We see that with Gabby’s willingness to be more compassionate, not only with those around her but with herself. And the romance? The romance was really cute. I loved Diego’s character! Not quite grumpy, not quite sunshine, a little bit of both wrapped up in one very attractive handyman/mayor package 🔥
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Overall, I think Too Soon for Adiós was a great read. It made me feel seen as a first-gen Latina and I think it’ll really resonate with other Latine readers. I look forward to reading more from Annette Chavez Macias! 💗 If you like second coming-of-age stories, small town romances and books that feature characters of color, give Too Soon for Adiós a shot.

Too Soon for Adios started off as a family drama and over time turns into a romance novel AND I enjoyed both approaches. The book immediately got my attention and it was an entertaining one day beach read. I enjoyed Gabby's relationships whether with her birth father, her love interest, or the aunties. It was also fun to visit the foods and community of a a Mexican family. All in all a good read and recommended!

This book was so good and got my attention as soon as I read the first page. Unfortunately Gabby is part of the many people who didn’t grow up with a father. And he comes to her at her mothers funeral. Gabby grows in this book as she learns how to navigate grief.
Big Chicas Don’t Cry and now this book. Annette Chavez Macias is becoming one of my favorite Mexican American Authors ♥️♥️♥️ Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Am emotional read, this was impossible to put down

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Meeting her biological father at her mother's funeral, Gabby is stunned. Knowing nothing about him, she is shocked when he offers to give her a house. Gabby needs the money so she offers to fix up the house with a plan to sell it after. But when she moves in and gets to know some of the locals - one man, in particular, it seems leaving might be harder than she thought.

So, I liked this book. I especially liked hearing about all the Mexican food. I feel like we are quite deprived here when it comes to Mexican cuisine - I don't even know of a Mexican restaurant that we have here! This is my first book by this author and I'd definitely be keen to read more.

Absolutely loved every minute of this book! Gabby was so relatable for me, and I felt an instant connection with her. I loved seeing her journey to healing and absolutely cried with her. A beautiful story about grief and love!

This was a beautiful story of grief, self discovery, and healing. I loved seeing Gabby’s journey and the role food played in learning her family history.

Mole poblano is one of my favorite foods in the world and seeing them make mole and talking about how it’s a labor of love truly warmed my heart!

Thank you to NetGalley for my earc and to the author for my physical arc.

Finding yourself, where you belong and what you deserve sometimes means redefining everything your thought you knew

Gabby is at her mothers funeral after a long battle with cancer, and as she is saying her final goodbyes, she meets a man claiming to be her biological father. The only thing she knows about him is he abandoned her and her mother when she was a baby and never came back, her aunts enlighten her it is more complicated than that but to stay away anyways. He offers her the opportunity to fix up and sell his grandmothers house no strings attached, and she has a lot of debt and bills to pay so she takes him up on his offer. She is determined to get to the small town of Sonrisa in New Mexico, get the house fixed and sold asap and return back to her life in LA. What she doesn't expect is to find everything she has been hoping for in this small town.

This was a nice read and I really enjoyed the small town setting, and the culture weaved throughout the novel. The characters felt too one dimensional, and this book would have benefited from being longer and having more meat to it. The author did a lot of telling instead on showing. Everything felt rushed nothing felt fully fleshed out.

I got this ARC a couple days before my brother passed & I couldn’t pick it up knowing this book dealt with grief & now 5 months later I read it and couldn’t help but relate to that aspect of the book. It helps reading about how others deal with it and because I know that this is woman’s fiction, I didn’t expect romance! But it made me love it even more. The couples banter and the way he took care of her even though she could do it herself was the cutest. So much giddiness! I loved the dad aspect as well & even though there was some drama, which was super entertaining, I loved how she handled that. Also supper proud of her accomplishments in the end of the book!! This story made me cry, laugh and squeal and learn some things, that’s all I look for in a book!

a very emotional read, love the writing. the storytelling is brilliant, the characters are all well balanced.

Too Soon For Adiós by Annette Chavez Macias follows Gabby Medina, a young woman who meets her biological father at her mother's funeral. After decades of absence, he shows up with an offer that could potentially change her life.

This book has themes of grief, loss of purpose, and family.
All in all, I highly recommend this book, which, although it is in the romance genre, I also consider it a multi generational story. Be prepared to feel the emotions and just go through a beautiful journey of finding family where one least expects it.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I would look out for more in the future. It deals with cultural issues far from my own and I really enjoyed the history, the food, and the locale in the story. I did find that, for me, it could have done with being tightened up a bit editorially, as some of the threads did not really seem consistent. I was, however, engaged enough in the story to let such things pass, without too much frustration. The story came from a good place, and so I read it in that mindset.

The idea that a young woman could be saddled with so much debt by her semi-estranged dead mother was not a good one, and how it left Gabby very conflicted was well written. It also gave her the opportunity to take a chance on resolving that by taking up the offer from her previously absent father. The links with food, history, and the importance of family gave the book a chance to shine a light on better parts of her past. and obviously the hero of the story proves to be a man to trust.

A clever take on a love story – one romantic, but also one which heals a damaged past.

TW: Cancer, loss of a loved one, sexual assault, physical abuse

Gaby Medina’s mother has just lost her battle with cancer. At her funeral, a man named Raul approaches Gaby revealing himself to be her biological father and that he would like to give her the house he inherited from his grandmother to fix up and sell and she could keep the earnings. Gaby, swept into a whirlwind of emotions, initially refuses, angry that after all these years of abandonment Raul chooses now to step into her life. After an incident at work leaving her with no job and bills to pay, she reluctantly agrees to help Raul and moves into the house in the small town of Sonrisa, New Mexico. When she arrives, she hires a contractor who coincidentally also happens to be the mayor, and they both get to work fixing up the home to be market ready. The longer Gaby stays in Sonrisa, the longer she learns about her Mexican roots and establishes new connections that may be a little tricky to untangle once the house is finished and sold.


This was a beautiful and emotional story about a woman’s journey as she travels to a small town where she begins to learn more about the father that left her, new connections to open up her guarded heart and a rich culture of food and history she has never truly known. I did enjoy our MC Gaby, she was one STUBBORN character and at times I felt myself getting so frustrated with her but I admired her strength and resilience throughout the story. I do wish the story focused a little more on Gaby and Raul’s father/daughter relationship, it was definitely more so focused on the romance. I also do wish we could have seen some repercussions or follow through with Chef Dean (angry) would have loved seeing that man get every single consequence he deserved. But overall, I really enjoyed the Mexican culture in this story: from the food, to the history of the town and the soldaderas, everything was beautifully written and articulated throughout the book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.