4.5 Stars

I finished this in basically one setting. Loved this!

Ramon and Julietta is everything my heart wanted when Jane the Virgin went off air! It stands on its own, but had me feeling all of the feels that the class warfare and gentrification and true love and almost magical feeling of love with conquer all that Jane the Virgin gave us.

Told as a loose spin of Romeo and Juliet, our lovers meet at the Day of the Dead event in Barrio Logan in San Diego. Ramon’s family are the wealthy Mexican Americans coming in with their chain taco stand that is gentrifying all of San Diego. Julietta’s family is struggling to keep their taqueria afloat in their proud Chicano neighborhood. They meet and fall quickly for each other, but realize their families pasts and present plans might have doomed them before they even met.

The story moved quickly and I devoured this so quickly. I felt like the conflict and issues were entirely believable for this couple and the resolution felt realistic. Ramon did often seem to be at war with his machismo side, but Julietta often curbed that! I also loved how he got her to appreciate the fruits of her labors more as well. Despite the financial differences, these two really were well matched.

There was incredible commentary from an own voices author around pride in your community and culture, while also paving way for growth and compromise without losing that culture, and what it means to stand up and defend your way of life and community from gentrification.

I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to see what else comes next for this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎁 Thank you @netgalley @berkleybooks for this #gifted copy of #RamonAndJulieta !! Available now!

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson

💋 Romance
🎭 Family Drama
🇲🇽 Mexican Culture
💨 Quick Read

I really enjoyed this loosely based Romeo and Juliet story.

When fate and tacos brings Ramón and Julieta together they must weather the bitter feud between their families in the name of love.

📝 This was a well written story that flowed nicely. I loved the incorporation of the Spanish language which thankfully was translated. 🙈😂

💋 By invoking Romeo and Juliet we’re promised plenty of romance and this story did not disappoint. This was an insta-attraction slow burn with tons of desire and longing.

🔥 This was also a steamy romance with a lot of adult content which I’m all for! 😂

🎭 There was plenty of family drama in this one too. Not only are the two different families at odds with one another but there is drama within each family as well.

🇲🇽 The Mexican culture aspect of this story was very interesting. There was a bit of history mixed in which I though was a nice touch.

💜 My favorite part was that the plot itself was really engaging aside from the romance aspect of the story.

💨 This novel moves at a brisk pace. It almost felt like the ending was wrapped up too fast or maybe I just wasn’t ready for it to end. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If your looking for a Romeo and Juliet style romance then this would be a good pick for you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads: 3.48
Romance

Unfortunately, all I wanted while reading Ramon and Julieta was for Julieta to run for her life and never look back.

Ramon and Juliet may be from the same culture but they are not a part of the same community. Ramon is seen as a sell-out and Julieta is the star of the community. This Hispanic retelling of Romero and Juliet brings the question of what it takes to be a part of your heritage community. Albertson mixes a classic story with the present struggles of gentrification and belonging. The book embraces what it truly means to be Hispanic and weaves the barriers that a majority of communities are facing. Julieta is a complex female protagonist that is a great contrast to Ramon. While there is spice, the book focuses mostly on the inter-relationship of Ramon and Julieta and supporting a community.

I absolutely loved this retelling of Romeo and Juliet! Such a fun and modern twist to this classic story.

This was a very enjoyable book. I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my school library. I think my students would enjoy it.

Julieta is an accomplished celebrity chef, running a renowned sea-to-table taqueria in San Diego. Yet, the restaurant business is unforgiving, and when times are tough and Julieta's restaurant is on the ropes, she'll do anything to save it. A fleeting kiss with Ramón the mariachi on Día de los Muertos turns from nice memory into horror when Julieta learns that not only is he her restaurant's new landlord, but Ramón's father stole her mother's cherished taco recipe in the far-off past. What started as a heart aflutter feels now like a knife in the back, but Julieta has no choice. Either work with Ramón, or nobody will eat her oceanic cuisine any longer. While he clearly has the upper hand, the community of San Diego begins to turn on him for his aggressive moves against Julieta's restaurant, and his heart pulls him to temper his ambition. Will food and love bring them together, or are they better off like a plate of huevos divorciados?

It's pretty obvious from the outset that this story is inspired by the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet, but there are some significant differences that are still worth your time. The story is set in Barrio Logan, a Chicano culture hub for large murals and deliciously authentic food in San Diego. Some of the real-life issues plaguing this neighborhood feature as part of the reimagined tale, and partially because of the betrayal that occurred long ago between Ramón and Julieta's parents, Ramón is in a unique position to affect change for the neighborhood. That is, if he is willing to set aside his cutthroat business attitude and look at the impact of ignoring the long-term health of the community.

Aside that, Julieta has to reckon with how the betrayal has affected the course of her life, her mother's life, and what that means for the feelings in her heart. She and Ramón are very much alike, driven and determined to make their businesses a success, but how can she reconcile her feelings with the rift between families? The two of them are drawn together and their story is told while surrounded by Chicano culture. I appreciated the authenticity of the setting and references to delicious food, adding fresh zest to a well-known yarn. Ramón and Julieta is a story of love despite the rift between families, yes, but also the story of a community coming together and the opportunity to right wrongs. Recommended for readers who appreciate retold classics, Chicano culture, examinations of real issues through fiction, and the idea that true love can pierce even the toughest walls built of grudges, hate, bad blood, and old wrongs.

Ramón é o herdeiro de uma famosa rede de restaurantes de Tacos. Ele segue as regras da família e junto com seu pai comanda a empresa. No Dia de Los Muertos, Ramón conhece uma mulher misteriosa e linda chamada Julieta, para ela ele canta uma serenata e vive uma noite mágica até que algo a espanta. Julieta é dona de um restaurante de comida mexicana em Barrio Logan, o bairro típico de imigrantes chicanos que é todo sobre tradições. Na noite em que conheceu Ramón, ela descobriu que ele era na verdade um Montez, filho do homem que roubou a receita de tacos de peixe de sua mãe e iniciou uma rede de restaurantes com ela, se tornando milionário. Suas famílias então são inimigas. Acontece que o pai de Ramón está decidido a abrir em Barrio Logan uma franquia do Taco King, seu restaurante, e para isso ele comprou todo o bloco de prédios comerciais onde fica o restaurante de Julieta. Enquanto eles travam uma batalha sobre tradições e modernidade, Julieta e Ramón terão de lidar com o desejo que sentem um pelo outro.
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Eu tô apaixonada por esse livro. Com uma escrita envolvente, Alana Quintana Albertson, entregou muito mais que um romance inspirado na história de Romeu e Julieta, ela trouxe a tradicionalidade latina e a importância disso para a comunidade de forma muito contundente.
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Ramón é um homem apaixonado, não tem como falar dele de outra maneira. Romântico a moda antiga ele faz de tudo para conquistar Julieta. Seu único problema é que ele não parece conseguir achar uma solução que mantenha todos felizes, pois seu pai é uma p3ste.
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Julieta, por sua vez, teve uma vida regrada e bastante enraizada na comunidade. Com uma família enorme de imigrantes, tudo que ela mais valoriza está em Barrio Logan e por isso para ela é tão difícil ceder a Ramon, pois ele traz consigo valores que ela não compreende.
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Preciso dizer que eu amei os irmãos de Ramón também, eles são maravilhosos e eu espero que tenhamos livros deles no futuro. Acho que a autora conseguiu trabalhar bem a história de todos de uma forma bem clara e equilibrada.
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Se você está procurando um romance com tradições latinas recomendo muito esse.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. Ramon and Julieta come from feuding families (surprise) because of a stolen fish taco recipe that Ramon's father took from Julieta's mother. Ramon wants to buy the block in Barrio Logan and basically gentrify it, Julieta is a chef, who is struggling to keep her restaurant afloat in Barrio Logan and is angry to find out that her landlord wants to sell the building to Ramon to build a Taco King. They meet at a Dia de los Muertos celebration and let the fireworks begin so to speak. I love the idea of celebrating Mexican culture, the food references make you hungry but when the community as a whole is threatened by the gentrifying of their beloved neighborhood and community, you build a distaste for the character of Ramon. Besides the things the character says himself, you are bombarded with how much he has financially and it just doesn't sit well for this reader. Still, I would recommend this book for the rest of the story if you can get past his character ( or lack thereof).

There were parts of this story I just loved - the vibrant city of San Diego, the restaurants scenes and more. Also, I do love a Shakespeare retelling, but the characters fell a little flat for me - especially where the romance was concerned.

When I first saw this title, I was very excited to read it. However, as I began reading I found that I couldn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The writing was not something I enjoyed, and I had a difficult time falling into the story or enjoying the characters. I felt that the banter between the characters was a bit cheesy and did not sound as natural. This might work for another reader, but it was not for me.

This was a really fun read that handled the important topic of identity and gentrification very well! This is an enemies to lovers story and the chemistry between our two leads was off the charts! The way Albertson incorporated so much culture, food, and love in the story made it really difficult to put this book down.

Romeo & Juliet but it make it less tragic, modern and add a ton of yummy tacos - what's not to love?

This was my first read from Alana Quintana Albertson, but after discovering that she has an extensive backlist, I will certainly be picking up more!

🌮 I am absolutely impressed by Ramón and Julieta.. I loved that Day of the Dead played a central aspect in the story’s romance… and I related so much with the characters, atmosphere, traditions, and culture; it just felt like I was part of the Logan Barrio community.

💀 Inspired by the classic Shakespeare story Romeo & Juliet - we get an instant connection between our MCs and also a reason prohibiting them from being with each other. There’s even a family feud between the Montez and Campos because of a stolen taco recipe that occurred in the past. This book also does such a great job showing the family legacies, the importance of your heritage & community, and ultimately the power of love.

🌮 Ramón and Julieta was such a beautifully told story. I’m so beyond happy I had the chance to read this book and connect with the story itself. This is by far one of my favorite romances I have ever read, it just left such an impactful and emotional impression on me. I’m so thrilled it’s the first in the Love & Tacos series and you best believe I’ll be picking up the others when they release. As a Mexican American this book hit so close to home and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.

**𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀**

Huge thank you to PRH International for sending me this book! I had the amazing opportunity to read this as an ARC.
For the longest time, i thought romances weren’t for me. Especially spicy romances. But I guess I didn’t take into account that as I grew older, my tastes would inevitably change too (which makes sense, cause like… people change!). So when I had the chance to read Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson, I was truly exploring a genre I knew very little about. This was not to say that I had low expectations, cause I genuinely didn’t, I just didn’t know exactly what I would think of a romance book. But to make a long story very short: expectations were MET and boy, did I love this one.
As far as it goes in the retelling department, it was very on the nose and very obvious, which I both loved and was annoyed by at the same time. I love a good retelling, but I like it when a retelling says something more, adds something to the story. Like how Miller’s Circe gives the spotlight to a minor character in the Odyssey. However, this is a romance and it’d be unfair to hold that to the same standard as literary fiction, cause the goal is just very different. Still, this was a copy paste of Romeo and Juliet minus the violence and death, and with lots of tacos instead. Even the names couldn’t have been more obvious: Ramón, Julieta, Tiburón, Montez, etc, etc. What I did like was how very aware the characters were of how much their story resembled that of Romeo and Juliet; there were numerous references that even Julieta made to them being part of feuding families, forbidden love, and at the very beginning there’s even a scene where they call themselves Romeo and Juliet. The story itself was very Shakespearean too, right down to the foil. Literally, Ramón’s father and Julieta’s mother were the perfect foil to Ramón and Julieta’s romance. I didn’t mind it, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of it either.
In terms of romance, I was HOOKED. It was maybe a bit insta love, but also a slow burn. A fling that evolved into something more. There were so so so many times where I was literally squealing and rooting for these two to just get together. I loved Julieta’s agency, totally supported the decisions she made when it came to their romance as well, and overall I just loved their dynamic. Julieta, the go-getter, who puts herself and her restaurant first, and Ramón who accepts this?? Fantastic, I love. Btw, if you want a story with a bad boy, this book is not for you. Yes, Ramón is an absolute HUNK but he’s respectful and patient (which honestly, had me swooning, someone find me a Ramón please)). The only time Ramón acted in a bad boy way was when he chose Julieta and stood up against his father, and my god, YES. However, my one downside to the romance: the book could have been spicier. I feel it served Taco King level spice, when it could have served Las Pescas levels of spice.
Aside from the romance, another part that I greatly appreciated was its commentary on social justice. Again, it’s a romance and I didn’t really expect it to hit heavy topics, but the way it handled gentrification was, in my own opinion, well done. I loved how Julieta kept fighting for her community. Gentrification wasn’t shied away from, and a major theme in this book, and I think it really spoke to it.
One thing that I do want to mention: the book gets repetitive. There are a few instances where an important character detail is mentioned, you know for story purposes, and then a couple of pages later (usually not too many) the EXACT same detail is mentioned as if it’s the first time it’s mentioned. However, this is an ARC so… maybe it’s taken out by now?
All in all, I had the best time with this book. If you want a light read, literally any kind of light read, that will make you squeal and smile and hug the book to your chest at cute moments, I’m telling you this book is for YOU (also, it’s a romance. You know it’s gonna have a HEA!)

To say I wanted more from this book would be speaking lightly.
Nothing in in Ramon and Julieta moved me and I was far from impressed. Ramon, at total butthead and Julieta was written to accommodate him? for why?
The Romance lacked and the story line was *shrugs shoulders.

Ramon and Julieta was a well done story with very likeable characters. I look forward to reading more from Alana Quintana Albertson in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Meh, there weren't any solid reasons to want Julieta to give up another piece of herself or to trust Ramon.

Set in San Diego 'Ramón and Julieta' is about a billionaire (Ramón) and a chef (Julieta). Throughout the book, there is also a major focus on cultural identity, food😏, ethics, gentrification and family. Ok so basically, Ramón and his father own a chain of restaurants called Taco King, but the problem is the restaurant is based on Americanized Mexican food. So from the jump, Ramón and his family are called out for being traitors to their community and culture, especially when they plan to buy a block of a historically Mexican-American neighbourhood. And you know how gentrification works, they come in, raise rent prices, force tenants out etc. So when Ramón and Julieta meet at a Dia de los Muertos festival (Day of the Dead), they are immediately attracted to each other, but the problem is on the block Ramón and his father want to purchase sits Julieta's restaurant. They have no idea the rivalry between their parents, Ramóns' tendency to please, and Julieta's need to stay loyal to her community may just put a wedge in their relationship.

I must say, I was sceptical to go into this book at first. I requested it on NetGalley because i love the cover and you know I basically go into every book blind. But because i was in a bit of a slump i needed a book that was going to slap. I checked Goodreads for the reviews and I must say, I was disappointed. But I gave it and I'm glad I did because it was truly enjoyable. In the beginning, i was bored but it truly picked up when Julieta and Ramón met at the festival. I was so eager for them to get together. I also loved how their families tied in together because it actually made sense with the timeline.
Julieta's character arc was much less complicated than Ramón's but nevertheless, very satisfactory. I admired her a lot. It is hard to decide whether you choose the heart of your head and I truly understood her struggle. A vast majority of Julieta's arc was her reacting to things going on around her. This includes the news of who Ramóns family was, her mother throwing an ultimatum at her, her communities reaction to her relationship with him.
However, Ramóns character arc was the one that had me going through the most emotions. In the end I was truly won over. Also, note that Roman's character drives a lot of the plot. Ramón’s interest in connecting with his roots and with his family, and his internal conflicts with pleasing his father and ultimately questioning what he had become was indeed relatable. It was his conflicts that made him a likeable character even when his wealth and lifestyle seemed to create a barrier to finding him "palatable".
In terms of book setting, I give a huge thumbs up. I haven't been to SD yet so i can't say much but thw descriptions alone...omg. And the food sounded absolutely amazing, I literally love tacos more than anything.
I also really loved how well the main characters loved each other. Their communication was great and even when there were understandings, they talked and were honest with each other. It was a beautiful love story, truly.

thank you to netgalley who originally provided me with this arc

This author has a beautiful writing style. She really incorporated the culture she wrote about. The romance was ok and wanted more of the Romeo and Juliet theme.