These books are always a quick read for me, and they never fail to make me hungry. I so wish I lived near a Filipino restaurant or my aunties - it's so much work to make most of these dishes that constantly appear!

I did find my annoyance with some of the main characters flaring up again, especially with how apparent it became that Lila primarily views all of her relationships as resources for information. I did like that she got some pushback on it from that one couple, but it was so quick and barely present. With all the problems that came up with the Calendar Crew's chismis, I thought perhaps we'd get to see some character growth from these nosy aunties. But alas, hardly anyone sees any development whatsoever. Also, with Jae becoming the MC's love interest, I'm left wondering why. There's absolutely no chemistry between them, and I'd honestly prefer it if Lila were single. 

Ugh, okay, now that I've typed out all of that I wonder if it's time I set this series down. The more I read the less charming it's become and my annoyance starts to overwhelm the delight. I'd love to find another cozy FilAm series, because the mix of food, culture, and low stakes is great!