A cute rom com that will fill you with joy and make you very very hungry (seriously)!

Also, cilantro tastes like dish soap…

Tacos for Two is a re-telling of the classic 90s film, You’ve Got Mail (which was a re-telling of the 1940s film, The Shop Around the Corner). Movie references pepper the pages, so if you’ve seen the film, look for the Easter eggs!

Rory Perez inherits a food truck, but she claims she doesn’t even know how to make mac and cheese. Jude Worthington wants out of the family business, but he’ll have to win a cooking competition to make it happen.
Sparks fly in both reality and the online world, where unbeknownst to either of them, they are in fact communicating with each other.

One of my favourite films is You’ve Got Mail, so this story was a fun read for me. There are some twists that make the story fresh, and unpredictable, even though it ends in a happily ever after for Rory and Jude. Rory and Jude are likeable characters, insecurities and all. Rory tends to call out Jude on his faults more than she admits to doing the exact same thing to him.

The secondary characters really make the story though. Rory’s best friends are a fun couple, who help her face reality. Jude’s dad and brother are so bad, I didn’t feel sorry for them when they ran into issues at the end of the story. There are a few others who get page time that are really interesting characters too.

The story took some time to get into, as the pacing felt really slow at the start.

All in all, this was a fun read. If you like food and romance, try picking up a copy of Tacos for Two.

I received an ecopy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

The premise of Tacos for Two was super appealing. I love the idea of competing taco trucks and a romance blooming from there, but in the end this story fell flat for me. I never came to root for the main characters and Rory in particular I found unlikeable. Additionally there was too much going on in the story, but it still managed to be too long. I will say it definitely kept me reading because I wanted to know what happened.

This book is so much fun. Computer dating, food trucks, tacos -- all fun subjects to explore.. I couldn't put this one down. Rory has inherited a food truck from her Aunt and she can't cook but she can't bear to part with it because it was her Aunt's. Jude is part of his father's law firm but he would rather cook like his beloved Maria, the housekeeper that raised him. Jude buys a food truck and tries to start a new career. Meanwhile, both of them are sharing their hearts with a stranger online..

This is a delightful book and I recommend it to anyone who just wants something light and entertaining to read. It's squeaky clean and that's one of my favorite things too.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Tacos for Two is the newest rom com by Betsy St. Amant and I loved it. Rory Perez is a bookish kindred spirit. I mean the girl owns a food truck and can’t cook. I relate to the can’t cook part not owning a food truck. As well as loyalty to family. Jude Strong took a little bit to warm up to but once I did, I liked him as well.



I loved the banter between the characters. I laughed with Rory I also cried with her. I wanted to find out how the book ended but on the same note I didn’t want it to end.


Hannah was my favorite character and there was so much wisdom for someone so young. And I love how Rory was trying to do her best for Hannah. And how she was loyal to family.


I enjoyed that Tacos for Two was not only a romance but a story of family. Both blood and chosen. One of my favorite lines was “Taco grease is thicker than water.” From aunt Sophia which to me means family is what you make of it.


I enjoyed Tacos for Two even though I’ve never seen You’ve Got Mail because I did get some of the references. But I’ve moved the movie up on my to watch list. So even if you haven’t seen the movie, you will still enjoy the book and if you have, you’ll enjoy finding the Easter eggs.


I love Betsy’s books because they are rom coms in book form and Tacos for Two was no different. And I look forward to future books.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher as part of a blog tour. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

First things first: How great is this cover? I was immediately intrigued by the premise. Some books really just make me say “What in the Hallmark movie is this?” But you know what? I like Hallmark movies, okay (I’m lying, some are truly terrible). This was a cute and light-hearted read, but incredibly cheesy. Great for fans of You’ve Got Mail. There is no shortage of references to that movie. Rory is a woman after my own heart: fierce, funny, and riddled with anxiety. Both main characters are really just on a journey to find themselves and that’s usually one of my favorite types of stories. I enjoyed the anonymous dating aspect but this romance is a veeeeeery slow burn. And that epilogue? Just no. The last 20% of the book really dragged for me. No smut, family drama/interesting family dynamics, and great foodie descriptions. I actually really like steamy romance so I was a tad disappointed but that’s my personal preference. As a Mexican woman and a taco connoisseur, I seriously wanted to run to a nearby taco truck reading this (I live in LA so no shortage there). You may enjoy this if you’re looking for a very light, fluffy read but it wasn’t for me.

Simmer Down meets You've Got Mail!

This was a very slow burn You've Got Mail-esque story with some cooking flair and who doesn't love tacos?? Jude and Rory (awesome name) made for a great hate0to-love couple with the competition, all with the underlying fact that they knew who each other was all along, but in a chat room!

Cute and yummy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for the earc in return for an honest review.

"Within the hour, he would either kill her dream or she'd kill his."

What an absolutely delightful rom-com! This book totally needs to be made into a movie. Betsy St. Amant combines just the right amount of sass, snark, movie references, and tender vulnerability within a drama-filled food truck competition and sets it on simmer with sparks of romance and small town charm. I so needed this book as a pick-me-up after a long week!

There are truly hilarious moments that will make you cry from laughing so hard and there are truly touching and tender moments that will make you cry from feeling so much. Jude and Rory's on-line banter and flirting are too cute for words but their actual interactions before they know of each other's identity are.....stuff of great rom-com movies. Jude is a swoon-worthy hero and Rory is a feisty heroine who challenges and validates him. The secondary characters are also fantastic; I particularly loved Hannah, Rory's cousin, and Grady, Rory's food truck partner. Within the folds of wonderful humor and romance are lessons of seeing beyond the surface, following after 'soul joy', forgiveness and reconciliation.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic comedy. One of the most fun books of 2021!
I received a copy from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

🌮 This is such a cute love story! The book alternates between Rory and Jude’s perspectives so we get to see what each of them a going through and feeling. It was so fun that they also meet on a dating app and playfully mirrored You’ve Got Mail in a modern way.

What I really enjoyed about the book was that while there was the fun flirty scenes and the silliness of food truck competition, there was also depth to the story too. Both Rory and Jude were dealing with hurts, habits and hangups from their past and had so much more to them than good looks.

I loved reading their back and forth texting and found myself smiling as their romance unfolded.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Takeaway: read for a cute modern take on You’ve Got Mail 📧

QOTD: Do you like tacos?
My A: YES!!!! Don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t like tacos so I’m super curious to see if anyone comments they don’t.
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Let me start by saying I love the title and cover of this one! I feel like romances lately have been absolutely nailing the title/cover combo. Also a word of warning: DO NOT read this book hungry or without a Mexican restaurant on speed dial to satisfy the cravings you are absolutely going to have while reading! Third and final heads up: This book was published by a Christian company so it’s squeaky clean to the point that the swear words are bleeped out. Like literally the first letter and then the rest is cut off. As someone with a potty mouth this just cracked me up but also annoyed me at the same time. Swearing is not a sin, people. This book is best described as cute and worked well as a palate cleanser!
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BLURB:
Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can't cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red--and an upcoming contest during Modest's annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she's been talking to via an anonymous online dating site. Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father's law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he's back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option. Complications arise when Rory's chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he's been falling for online the past month.

A cozy rom-com that leaves you hungry for tacos, nachos, and quesadillas! I found myself smiling as I watched Rory and Jude flirt with each other on-screen and fought the attraction in person. I found myself groaning every time Rory snapped at Jude, as I guy who is respectful of others and enjoys a good dose of cilantro. But I loved how she fought for her family, sacrificing her dreams in the process.

The premise of this story is fantastic--combining food trucks, romance, and online dating. What could go wrong? Apparently a lot. There were several comparisons to You've Got Mail which is one of my all time fave movies. The characters were realistic and I loved most of their interactions. I've never read this author before but will definitely read again!

DNF’d at 17%

I wanted to love this one so much but it just didn’t hook me like I’d hoped. I just couldn’t hold the motivation to read it and now that I’ve gone almost a week without picking it I don’t remember anything and am not really sad about it…

BUT none of this is to say that is was a bad book because it wasn’t by any means! From what I managed to get through, the premise of the anonymous dating site is interesting and the anonymous relationship trope is right up my alley, the characters had a lot of potential, and I could already see where it was headed, and from the good reviews I’ve seen on goodreads, it’s obvious that this has the potential to be the perfect fluffy read for someone else… it just wasn’t for me.

This frenemies to lovers style romance had a strong premise but unfortunately wasn't my favourite.
I usually love cute stories around food and the rival food truck idea immediately intrigued me. That being said the storylines felt very separate, especially considering it is marketed as a romance novel. I wanted more interaction between the two love interests and the lack therefor of made the ending feel quite rushed.
That being said this is what I would deem a "clean" romance and considering the author herself is Christian I can see that there is probably an audience that would enjoy this type of book. It just felt a bit too slow for me personally.
I do like that we have secondary plot lines in this but overall I fear this book relies a little too heavily on telling us about these characters rather than showing us.
For the right audience I think this premise is strong, I just don't think it was quite what I was looking and hoping for.

This is a cute story, finding someone on line, a sweet relationship of people whom have never met. Yes, this is today's world, but this story goes deeper, and both are struggling with their lives, but enjoy their online relationship.

I will say that I did struggle reading this book, no the pages didn't fly for me, but I did perservere to the end, and was glad I did!

A good clean romance, and we are there as others try to take down their world.

I received this book from the Publisher Revell, and was not required to give a positive review.

I love food and I love romance so TACOS FOR TWO seemed like a good fit, but didn't really work for me.

This book is yet another (*yawn*) retelling of You've Got Mail. Which, by the way, is a re-telling itself that has been redone to death, spanning back to a very old black and white film. But with the unparalleled success of You've Got Mail comes a flood of contemporary romances based on that story, but who just can't compete.

TACOS FOR TWO was incredibly slow for the first 2/3 of the book and I barely kept going. The last 1/3 was filled to the brim with very unsubtle foreshadowing clues of what was to come in the story. People starting to confess all their secrets, but being cutoff mid-sentence happened at least 5-6 times.

There was little to no chemistry between the leads and really implausible plot twists. Sadly, after I plowed through and actually finished the book I kind of wished I hasn't bothered. The ending just sort of fizzled.

This book just didn't work for me at all, but if you are looking for a light, easy, read with no angst you might like this one.

Tacos for Two is a fun and sweet rom-com type book that I absolutely loved!

It follows Rory and Jude, who have been anonymously chatting on a dating app called Love at First Chat, but aren't ready to reveal their identities to each other. Meanwhile in real life, Rory is trying to keep her aunt's taco truck afloat, and Jude's relationship with his dad and brother (who all work together at a very rich law firm) is less than great at the moment. When Jude asks Rory for cooking classes, then decides to open a separate taco truck against hers at a food truck competition, what will happen?

This book was somewhat fast paced, which I loved, and had the we-know-each-other-online-but-not-irl trope, (plus adorable You've Got Mail references!) which I have been loving lately. The characters were well developed and the romance was so swoon worthy and added to my already unrealistic expectations of love.

Be sure to catch Tacos for Two on October 12th, and thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC!!

This author does a brilliant job of re-imagining and expanding the theme of the movie You’ve Got Mail.” The two main characters love this movie and make references and quote lines from the movie throughout the novel. I adored the movie You’ve Got Mail and have learned so much from cooking shows. This author combines family dynamics with Food Truck festivals, and cooking competitions that has the whole town in a flutter. This book has a depth in characterization and story that the movie didn’t have time to go into. I enjoyed every second I spent hanging out with these colorful characters, and their families in this sweet small town.

The author showcases each chef, their featured food trucks, food recipes, and quickly engages them in a fierce food competition at a festival. This story is engaging, fun and witty, with just the right blend of family drama, online fun interaction and quirky characters that get the whole town buzzing. The two main characters meet in a dating site called “Love at first chat”. The book opens with them chatting on the sight. “Color Me Turquoise says: “Did you ever have any doubts about this app?”

Strongerman99 replies: “You mean, did I ever doubt that an online matchmaking program could quiz me, run a background check, slap-up a profile, and immediately match me up successfully with a complete stranger who lives within a sixty-mile radius of me but who I’ve never met before on my own & cause me to fall in love & live happily ever after? Of course not.”

“Me neither.” LOL!

This is an unforgettable story, with characters to root for. You’ll be talking to your friends about this one. It would work well for your next book club pick and party! It’s a win win. If you haven’t read a book by this author, treat yourself to this one. It’s a book you don’t want to miss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

This book was so fun, light hearted, easy to read and I enjoyed it a lot! This story was written as though I were watching a rom com movie. The writing was well done and the characters were lovable. I absolutely adore Jude!

The story is told from both Rory and Jude’s view and there are a lot of problems that arise, miscommunication or assumptions that lead to issues, a few good plot twists and you’ll want tacos the whole time you read it! The only downfall was seeing the song “Bye Bye Bye” credit going to the Backstreet Boys instead of N’Sync.

I especially enjoyed that this book didn’t include any smut and I was so invested in the characters and how it would all end.

As many rom coms go, it can be pretty predictable and we all know where it’s going. This books had many side plot points that helped carry it along and feel less predictable. I’d highly recommend this book to everyone!

Tacos for Two feels like watching a romantic comedy in the most delightful way. This book is basically You’ve Got Mail but with competing Taco Trucks instead of competing bookstores. It also certainly doesn’t hurt that this book prominently features my favorite cuisine: Mexican/Tex-Mex.

Tacos for Two is very self-aware about its similarities to You’ve Got Mail. At one point, Rory notes that her life is becoming more and more like the film. There are also several cases where Rory and Jude quote Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s characters in their chats. These tongue-in-cheek references are a perfect touch to bring the reader into the world of the story.

I fell in love with Tacos for Two from the very beginning with Rory talking about how much she hates cilantro. "If Rory Perez could find a way to wad all the cilantro in the entire world into a ball and hurl it into outer space, it still wouldn’t be far enough removed for her preference." As someone who also hates cilantro, I felt an immediate kinship with Rory. The reader soon learns how much Jude loves cilantro. This little detail comes back several times throughout the novel, making it a fun source of spats between the two main characters.

St. Amant made the very smart choice to alternate telling this story from Rory and Jude’s perspectives. Because there are several moments in the story where Rory views Jude as entitled and manipulative, it is important for the reader to be able to see his perspective, so they know where he is coming from. This keeps the reader from dimissing him as shallow. Similarly, whenever Rory behaves defensively, the reader understands where she is coming from. The dual perspectives not only increase the readers’ understanding of the characters, but they also contribute dramatic irony to the storytelling.

I loved St. Amant’s use of dramatic irony in Tacos for Two. Rory and Jude are flirting anynomously online without knowing that they’ve met each other in person. However, the reader is aware of both aspects of their relationship. I was eager to see how the identities behind their online dating profiles would be revealed.

In any good romantic comedy, the audience/reader has to be won over by the relationship between the two main characters. It is clear from the anonymous messages that Rory and Jude have a supportive and compassionate relationship. Jude is able to share his vulnerabilities around his family with Rory, and Rory is able to confide in Jude about her anxieties about running a business. The contrast between these messages and the way they constantly bickered in “real life” was fun to read. Readers got to watch a supportive relationship develop and read an enemies to lovers story all in one.

Both Rory and Jude learn and grow over the course of the novel. Rory, who starts the novel unable to cook, develops cooking skills. "A couple of weeks ago, she’d have had no idea where to start with homemade tamales – recipe or no recipe. She hadn’t known the difference between kneading or folding. She still made mistakes, but her common protest of 'I can’t even make a grilled cheese' didn’t ring true to her defense anymore." I am so proud of Rory for learning how to do something that scared her even if working in food service isn’t her passion. Jude goes on a parallel (and somewhat opposite) journey wrestling with his relationship with his family business and deciding to follow his passion for food into a new business. I felt like a cheerleader while reading, wanting to encourage them as they worked to find both professional and personal fulfillment.

I highly recommend this book to my fellow Rom Com fans. There is something so joyful and reassuring about a story guaranteed to give you a happy ending. You will definitely want to grab some nachos or a burrito to enjoy as you read this as well.