Engel is the author of the acclaimed books, Vida and It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris. Vida, her debut, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2010 along with many other accolades including being named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, Barnes & Noble, Latina Magazine, and Los Angeles Weekly. Her novel, It’s Not Love, It’s Just Paris, was an Elle Reader’s Prize winner, a recommended summer read by the Los Angeles Times, Time Out New York, and Flavorwire, as well as winner of an International Latino Book Award.