Review by Booklist Review
When it comes to drama, these feuding-family Philly cheesesteak food trucks take the cake. Cindy and Jordan have been playing up their rivalry on social media to boost sales for years, but behind the scenes, the pair are a couple. With 10 days until Truck Off, reality-show executives have arrived to film a pilot about the opposing businesses. It's the chance of a lifetime, but can Cindy and Jordan keep up their lie on such a big scale? Millennial nostalgia collides with the present in Jordan's interest in mostly mid-aughts pop-punk bands and Cindy's love of reality television. As the pressures of being the subjects of a reality show set in, readers see Cindy's and Jordan's families pushed to their limits, leading to some humorous moments as well as heartbreaking ones. Hand this low-key contemporary novel with a bit of romance to fans of Maurene Goo's The Way You Make Me Feel (2018) and Emma Lord's Tweet Cute (2020).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Everyone in Philly knows about the legendary rivalry between cheesesteak food trucks Plazas Steaks and Ortiz Steaks. Recent high school graduates Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz stir the pot by trading creative insults that amass huge crowds, whose videos of the feud go viral. What customers and spectators don't realize is that it's all an act, and that Jordan and Cindy have been secretly dating for years. But while Jordan can't wait to buy his own food truck and set off across the country with Cindy, she'd rather attend college to study the television industry. When their families are approached to film a reality show about their rivalry, Cindy and Jordan face added pressure to keep their relationship under wraps, especially once they're lined up to compete at the Truck Off! food truck fair. As the competition mounts, real grievances boil over and things spiral out of control. This energetic rom-com by Smith (You Can Go Your Own Way) offers Philadelphia atmosphere and culinary enthusiasm aplenty. The complex dynamic between the protagonists and their families further stokes the narrative fires, resulting in a savory, if sometimes frenetic, tale of love, laughter, family, and good food. Characters read as Latinx. Ages 13--up. Agent: Jennifer Azantian, Azantian Literary. (Nov.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Jordan and Cindy hate each other--or do they? Seemingly caught in the throes of a long-standing family feud, Jordan Plazas and Cindy Ortiz do their best to keep up appearances in public, often hurling insults at each other across a park where their respective families have rival Philly cheesesteak food trucks. The truth, however, is weirder than that. Because the conflict attracts good business, the pair of Latinx teens must keep their romance a secret. With high school now over, Jordan and Cindy plan on leaving their alleged feud behind in pursuit of dreams of their own. But those plans get derailed when a producer offers to turn their family squabbles into a reality TV show pilot. Truthfully, both families could use the extra money, but can Jordan and Cindy's relationship survive postponing what they truly want? Smith sets up a delightful secret lovers romance plot, but unfortunately one never quite believes that the young lovers are actually in love. The story, told in their alternating perspectives with reality TV--style confessionals interspersed, gives readers a lot of interiority about why their relationship doesn't work but not enough reasons to root for them as a couple. The reality show elements are initially thrown in without enough explanation, which may cause confusion. Nonetheless, the prose and subsequent pace are solid and are supported by excellent food descriptions. Stay for the cheesesteak but not the love story. (Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
