Upon further thought, I am lowering my rating to a 2.. and honestly I feel like that's pretty generous.
Initially, I was so excited to read this; there's food, romance, enemies-to-lovers hate to love- what more could I ask for?

Ramón was.. ugh. I was not a fan. He was just so out of touch and I can see how he was trying to.. for a lack of a better word, help Julieta out but dude. Your family's corporation is trying to run Julieta's family's restaurant out of business to build what is essentially another taco bell!

As for Julieta.. she was ok. That's all I really have to say about her.

Look, I can see what the author was trying to get out in regards to the gentrification that is happening everywhere but it just fell flat.


*january 12 edit**
Welp… this one pains me. Full review to come but overall thoughts.. this was mmmmm 😐😐



Bless Berkeley and the ARC gods for approving my request. I can't wait to get to this

Enjoyed this book! Loved the nod to Romeo and Juliet. And the tacos!!

Ramón Montez always achieves his goals. Whether that means collecting Ivy League degrees or growing his father’s fast-food empire, nothing sets Ramón off course. So when the sexy señorita who kissed him on the Day of the Dead runs off into the night with his heart, he determines to do whatever it takes to find her again.

Celebrity chef Julieta Campos has sacrificed everything to save her sea-to-table taqueria from closing. To her horror, she discovers that her new landlord is none other than the magnetic mariachi she hooked up with on Dia de los Muertos. Even worse, it was his father who stole her mother’s taco recipe decades ago. Julieta has no choice but to work with Ramón, the man who destroyed her life’s work—and the one man who tempts and inspires her.

As San Diego’s outraged community protests against the Taco King takeover and the divide between their families grows, Ramón and Julieta struggle to balance the rising tensions. But Ramón knows that true love is priceless and despite all of his successes, this is the one battle he refuses to lose.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! I thought it was so beautiful, and I really enjoyed learning more about the culture!! There are so many things I learned and I loved how filled the story was with family traditions and community.

A family feud over a stolen taco recipe.
A forbidden love.
A bit of Romeo & Juliet retelling.
WHAT A COMBO.

I really couldn’t stop listening to this book!! The voice narrators were awesome and it just flowed so well

I’ve had this book for an embarrassingly long time and I am so grateful that I saw it available on Libby and decided to finally give it a go.

And let’s not skip over the fact that it WAS SPICIER THAN EXPECTED,WHEW. I was definitely not mad about it 😏🌶 Ramón had quite the mouth on him heh. And I loved Julieta so much. A badass chef who is ready for a chance at love but cares so much about her family and community.

A quick, lovely romance read that everyone needs to add to their list!!

Spice: 🌶🌶

Tropes:
Forbidden romance
Slow burn
Family drama
Romeo & Juliet Retelling

When I say this is loosely based on <i>Romeo and Juliet<i>, I want you to picture a toddler wearing a circus tent as clothing. Which, to be honest, I am kind of grateful for, because it's my least favorite Shakespeare play.

There was a lot to appreciate in this: the themes around gentrification, Mexican and Chicano culture, privilege, wealth and ownership of property and ideas, as well as identity and what you owe to your community. In those respects, it's a thoughtful, interesting book. The characters (especially that of Ramon himself) let it down. The son of a wealthy man, he tries to find his place in a community he wants to gentrify, and as certain points, I got the same vague feeling of uncomfortableness I got when watching Pocahontas sing to John Smith about how he should pay attention to the grinning bobcat and how high sycamores grow (and...you know, not take land that isn't his).

Ramon does go through some growth as a character, but it's all very rushed and feels very inauthentic. He also tends to solve all his problems by throwing money at them, and essentially seduced Julietta by buying her expensive things, and flying her to Cabo. She's not much better, but I could tolerate her a bit more, even if she did have her moments of cluelessness. I do appreciate the thoughtful author's note on identity and gentrification of Californian neighborhoods, but I wanted her characters to be a little deeper, and less dickish.

<i>NetGalley gave me an ARC of this book in exchange for a review...It's a little late in coming, but I got there in the end.</i>

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book. I, however, had to DNF. I just could not get into the book, and it felt like the characters played into stereotypes.

I read this in a single night and loved it! Also loved moderating Alana at the Tucson Festival of Books. Went and bought a print copy that weekend!

This book didn't work for me. Sadly, this was a DNF and as such, we won't be reviewing it.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review.

This was not a favorite read for me. While, I appreciated the Latinx representation, a lot of the romance did not feel believable for me. The tension and conflict felt rushed and unrealistic. Julieta falls for Ramon really quickly and is able to put the issues with her family aside even before it feels like she really knows Ramon. I wish there was more dialogue between the characters.

I tried really hard to like this one, but the market is so saturated that it was just mid grade. 3rd round purchase for sure

I really wanted to love this book because this was a modern take on one of my favorite Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet. However, I greatly disliked Ramon. He was not very nice guy. He did very mean things. He hurt many people and is very corrupt. I thought Julieta deserved better. I had no idea why she loved Ramon. Therefore, I could not buy their love story. I do like the setting and how the incorporates Mexican culture into the story. Still, I recommend this for fans of Shakespeare’s plays.

So, this one didn't really work for me. I loved the descriptions and settings and I love diverse retellings of Romeo and Juliet.
This one, however, had way too many trigger warnings that made me uncomfortable.

I did not enjoy this book at all. I wasn't invested in the characters nor the plot of the book. I don't think the characters' actions were justified and they didn't match up to their personalities. The chemistry was forced and cringey.

Real estate mogul, Ramon Montez, has his eyes set on Barrio Logan. By buying the block in the Chicano neighborhood, he finally has the space to put his flagship Taco King store in the heart of a Hispanic neighborhood. What he didn’t count on was a successful restaurant on the block, headed by the mystery woman, Julieta, he met one fateful night. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also talented. But when a surprise connection between their two families threatens to tear the pair apart, they must find a compromise to make sure the restaurant, and the block, survives.

What a way to kick off 2022 than this amazing book! With nods to the original Shakespeare play, Ramon and Julieta is an absolute treat. The way the author brings in the Hispanic culture and tradition made me feel like I was in Barrio Logan as I read. I really appreciated learning about a bit of Chicano history that I did not know about prior to this book. And the food…goodness! Do not read this book hungry!

Both main characters served up the sass and wit. Family traditions are extremely important for the pair, so when this brings the two at odds, it fairs for a steamy enemies to lovers romance.

Ramon wants to extend his family’s legacy, but has gotten away from the heart of his business, doing anything to save a dollar. Thinking of money more than progress, he struggles with work-life balance.

Julieta is the perfect heroine to shake his life up and make him see life differently. Taking pride in her accomplishments, Julieta has worked hard for her entire life to build the restaurant she is so desperate not to lose. She lives and breathes for her food and that passion rings true in every dish she serves. Taking nothing for granted, she infuses Ramon’s life with color and flavor.

Ramon and Julieta is an insta-love, slow burn romance with definite steam. I did feel that the pacing in the second half of the book was a tad quick for me. I wanted more of a build-up to their relationship after they finally gave into their desires. Like the original, the book also highlights class differences, however Ramon flaunted his money a little too much for my taste, but not enough to knock it down a star.

Being Mexican-American, my heart skips a beat when I see people like me on the cover of a rom-com. I absolutely loved this Chicano take on the classic Romeo & Juliet. I also loved the setting of Barrio Logan, such a fundamental part of exposing Chicano culture and an amazing place to visit in San Diego, CA. The love scenes are also probably the most realistic I have read, not once did I cringe or roll my eyes. No one came in with a unicorn ding dong introducing them to God. I can't wait to read the next book in the Love & Tacos series.

I absolutely loved this book, and with a classic retelling of Romeo and Juliet combined with tacos, who wouldn’t?!? I can’t wait to read more from this author - and I’ll definitely make sure to have some tacos onhand!

Thank you Berkley for gifting me an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I’m being kind by giving this book a 2 ⭐️ rating.
I did not like this book at all.
I was excited for the Mexican American representation but that let me down the most. It almost seemed like this wasn’t written by a Latin author. There was so many stereotypes! It’s honestly harmful.

I noticed the male MC kept making comments about how the love interest smelled like cajeta or some other Latin food. Is it because we’re Mexican? We must always smell like margaritas and cajeta 🙄

The characters were not my favorite at all. Ramon was awful and an embarrassment to the Latine community. Also his fancy car was mentioned over 20x! We get it, you’re a spoiled rich guy.

Julieta was meh. I don’t understand how she fell for the guy who was literally ruining a whole community. Don’t get it at all.

The only thing I liked about this was the food descriptions.

Loved this Romeo and Juliet inspired romance novel by Alana Quintana Albertson. The Day of The Dead ( Dia de Los Muertos) celebration is when we are introduced to Ramon and Julietta who share quite the memorable kiss! Then she disappears only to find out later he is her new boss! There's drama over his father stealing her mother's taco recipe years ago....and the town gets stirred up by his fast food empire! Trust me, there is drama. Very good read, good character development, the writing is wonderful! Truly enjoyed the themes on family, love, community, and all the food!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Alana Quintana Albertson for my complimentary digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.

"𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸? 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘪𝘵, 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵! 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘯𝘦'𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵." W Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
🌮 Ramón and Julietta, both wearing traditional Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) make-up and attire, meet and fall in lust, but she runs away before he can get her full name.
🌮Julietta is dismayed to discover is that Ramón is the son man who owns the Taco King empire that just bought the building that houses her restaurant.
🌮Ramón risks losing Julietta's heart if the Taco King's expansion plans into the historical Mexican-American neighborhood move forward as planned.

𝗜 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁
This book is a charming retelling of Romeo and Juliet where the Montagues and the Capulets have been replaced by the Montez and Campos families, and the feud is over fish tacos and the soul of a neighborhood. Spoiler Alert - this book doesn't have the same tragic ending as the old Bard's play.

I lived in San Diego as a child and again for college. The author does a great job of capturing the local vibe, and the infusion of Mexican-American culture and traditions into the story adds layers and interest.
The book also does an admirable job on the more complex issues of gentrification and the divide between different wealth classes.

I felt Ramón's display of wealth in multiple homes and sports cars was a bit over the top and wished there was more romance in the intimate scenes between Ramón and Julietta.

Enthusiastic recommendation for lovers of enemies-to-lovers, retellings, and tacos.

The cover of this book is gorgeous and I really had high hopes for this, but unfortunately there were some things I couldn't get past. I liked the premise of the book, and loved all the food and cultural references. However, there wasn't any real romance in the book, and it sort of read like a fanfic. Their connection was mostly based on lust, and he always seemed to describe her based on her physical attributes only.

This one is so hard to rate for me. I loved so many aspects of this book, but I disliked others. The setting of this book was so vibrant and colorful. I loved being immersed in the Barrio Logan Community. The author had a wonderful balance of celebrating Latinx joy, while also addressing many serious topics that affect the Mexican-American community. She didn't shy away from discussing identity, gentrification, and other concerns unique to the Mexican-American community. So I really loved the dynamic she created in the story and with the characters. Her descriptions made me want to visit every location in the book.

Where I struggled with this book was with the style of writing. I've never been a fan of third POV and with the "telling, not showing" style of writing that the author utilized in this book. It lacked a connection to me as a reader. Knowing now that this book will be made into a TV series I can see how this style of writing would work for that, but for me I wanted the connection to the characters that this just didn't have. I didn't feel the chemistry with Ramon and Julieta. Not to say there wasn't any romance or chemistry at all. The two were very passionate individuals, but I needed more.

Overall,, this was an enjoyable read and if you are a fan of this style of writing I cannot recommend it enough, but for me it didn't quite work. Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.