REVIEW: Takes One to Know One by Lissette Decos

In Takes One to Know One by Lissette Decos, Daniela works at a record label and is assigned to work with reggaeton artist Rene ‘El Rico’ Rodriguez. Only she hates reggaeton, and Rene quickly realizes she knows nothing about him. But when the chance comes up to go to Puerto Rico, to the place where her late father had always dreamed of taking her, so Rene can record his first solo album, Daniela jumps at the chance.

Rene finds Daniela to be stuffy, and she finds him to be prickly and arrogant. But when Rene listens to the song Daniela’s father had recorded about the island, he decides to take it upon himself to help her visit and experience the things he sang about. The pair soon discover that their initial first impressions were wrong. As Daniela begins to think that something may be developing between her and Rene, he records a song that she believes is an insult to her. Will Rene be able to get her to actually understand the song and his feelings towards her before it’s too late?

The romance between Rene and Daniela is a slow burn. They start off not liking each other at all, and even through a good portion of the book, their relationship is strained. Readers only get to see things from Daniela’s point of view; it would have been nicer to see things from his point of view as well, because it was hard to understand how and why his feelings shifted from his initial dislike.

While some would say this is a romance book, it read more like a book of self-discovery for Daniela. She learns more about reggaeton, she learns more about her father and the places he loved in Puerto Rico, and she learns to loosen up and live for herself rather than for her family. The book focuses more on these things, which left the romance feeling underdeveloped.

While I liked some aspects of the book, some of them didn’t work for me. Neither Daniela nor Rene are particularly likeable characters when it starts out, and it’s hard to understand what made Rene change his mind about her. Some of Daniela’s choices, such as bringing her ex to video and photograph the recording sessions for a behind-the-scenes documentary, are questionable. There was enough I liked that I’d be willing to read another book by this author, but I was left feeling just so-so about this one.

Book Info:

Publication: April 1, 2025 | Forever |

Daniela is risk-averse, blazer-obsessed, and likes to be taken seriously. So when she lands an interview for a publicist position at a record label, she’s prepared for anything. Except for working with the genre of music she hates reggaeton. It’s supposed to inspire sensual hip-swinging dance moves and Dani’s hips do not swing—not like that anyway. Out of desperation, Dani lies and says she loves reggaeton. But not only does Dani get the job, she gets a ticket to Puerto Rico . . . on a mission to clean up the scandalous image of international reggaeton singer Rene ‘El Rico’ Rodriguez.

Despite her best act, Dani’s dislike of his music and Rene’s prickly disposition is palpable, resulting in them butting heads at every turn. Yet as the two spend more time together under the island’s sizzling sun, Dani realizes there’s more to Rene than his rough edges and good looks. The man that many only see as a sex icon actually cares about his music, community, and culture. Against her will, she slowly begins finding him harder to hate. And before she knows it, Rene is teaching Dani how to find the rhythm of the music and learn to let go. But will she ever be ready to acknowledge the heat growing between them and put her heart on the line?