I wanted so much more from this novel with such a promising premise. I loved the exploration of gentrification, but neither of lead characters impressed me, so I wasn't as invested in them, individually, or their romance together. This was a sold 3 stars for me.

This book has: tacos, insta-love, a fun retelling, culture, community, more tacos, banter, steam, a happily ever after and did I mention that you’ll be craving tacos?

Overall this book was good. I was drawn into it immediately but my desire to see the couple work themselves out started to fizzle towards the end. I loved the setting, passion for community and food. The insta love trope isn't always my favorite and that may be why I didn't love this one. However I am glad this had an HEA unlike the original story!

Great contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet- with a much better ending! Fun book that had me hungry for tacos throughout the book. Great chemistry between the main characters with some fun side characters as well.

For me, this was just an okay read. I wanted so badly to love it, and there were definitely parts that I liked -- the rich cultural elements, the food (boy, did it make me hungry!), and the Romeo and Juliet inspired love story, but overall, I didn't jive with the romance or the writing style. It didn't grip me immediately, and by the mid-point, it was a slow slog to the finish.

A thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Must star-crossed lovers always end up hopelessly trapped in a tragedy of their own making? It was the case for Romeo and Juliet but their romance remains an eternal flame burning through the history of literature. This modern, Latin flavored retelling features two young Mexican American professionals in the culinary business who have a chance meeting that could reset the grudge their families have had for decades. From the start, Ramon and Julieta's chemistry is off the charts but as they learn about the history between their parents they must decide if love is enough to keep them together.

I've never been a huge fan of Romeo and Juliet retellings, they are always overdramatic and border on glamourizing violence and self harm. This retelling is not that. This is sweet and hopeful and really hones in on the current tone of righting past wrongs, encouraging empathy and celebrating culture. I appreciate a rom com with strong ethics and characters who you really want to root for.

This one is very steamy though, so beware if that's not your thing, you may find yourself skimming some sections. Although if that is your thing, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to an advanced copy. All opinions above are my own.

A family feud over a stolen fish taco recipe. This is a sweet retelling of Romeo and Juliet with no tragic ending.

Julieta is a talented chef and owns an authentic Mexican restaurant with her mother Linda. Ramón and his father are successful restaurateurs who own a fast-food Taco King empire and are now Julieta’s and Linda’s new landlord. Julieta and Ramón have no idea about their parents' past. They soon both learn that the famous fish taco recipe Ramón’s father used to build his empire is the one he stole from Julieta’s mother, when they were younger.

I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. The story was fast paced and well written. I enjoyed watching Julieta and Ramón grow and their chemistry was off the charts. I loved reading about the culture, food and I appreciated how the author included the big issue happening all over the US today, gentrification and its impact on the communities.

This is a delicious read that will leave you hungry for more!

Ramón e Julieta se conhecem na comemoração do Dia de los Muertos e a química foi imediata. Mas quando a chef de cozinha descobre que ele é filho do homem que roubou a receita da sua mãe e construiu um império de tacos com ela, ela vai embora.

Ramón não entendeu a atitude de Julieta e esperava nunca mais encontrar a jovem, até que descobre que ela é dona de um estabelecimento localizado na propriedade que a empresa do seu pai acabou de comprar. Enquanto ela acha que um relacionamento entre os dois está fadado ao fracasso, Ramón está disposto a mostrar o contrário.

Ramón and Julieta, como o próprio título faz a alusão, tem um toque do romance shakesperiano. O passado entre o pai de Ramón e a mãe de Julieta e a ameaça de gentrificação pela empresa do pai de Ramón influencia as decisões e atitudes dos dois. Ramón se mostra um cara bastante diferente de seu pai, um descendente mexicano que se preocupa com a cultura e pessoas do Barrio Logan; Julieta viu um lado de Ramón que a faz acreditar que, trabalhando juntos, eles podem conseguir manter a comunidade intacta.

Adorei toda a influência da cultura mexicana. A história se passa em San Diego e a autora explora bastante toda a diversidade existente do real Barrio Logan e sua história, além do foco na questão da gentrificação e a influência nos habitantes.

Gostei bastante do núcleo familiar dos dois. A família de Julieta é daquele tipo intrometida, mas só quer o bem da chefe. Já da parte do empresário, adorei a relação dele com os irmãos e estou até aguardando um livro de cada um.

Sobre o romance, de certa forma ocorre um instalove mas nesse caso não me incomodou. Adorei a química entre os dois e as suas interações são bastante divertidas. Ambos são bem honestos sobre o que sentem, principalmente em relação ao futuro de Barrio Logan.

Minha única reclamação seria em relação à narração. Como é feita em terceira pessoa, algumas situações parecem rápidas demais e muito superficiais, mas nada que atrapalhasse a leitura.

I was charmed and delighted by Ramón and Julieta by new to me author Alana Quintana Albertson. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas I was lucky to have many Hispanic/Latinx friends and was invited to and attended many celebrations giving me the opportunity to learn and understand about the culture. As I read Ramón and Julieta, I was transported back to my youth and loved being immersed in all of it once again. What I loved about this book is it brought forth so many situations I hadn’t thought about as a child and teen and felt I learned from this book while enjoying a wonderful story of life and love.

Ramón and Julieta meet in an unusual way during a Day of the Dead celebration, but when Julieta discovers some information about Ramón she tells him she doesn’t want to see him again so when he shows up in her family’s restaurant the next day she’s stunned, upset, and well.. she reacts badly.

The block of buildings Julieta’s restaurant, Las Pescas, is in is being sold and Ramón’s family’s company plans to buy it and put in one of their chain restaurants, Taco King, forcing Julieta’s restaurant out and the other tenants as well with rent increases. She tries to make Ramón see that the gentrification of the area is pushing out the people and businesses who have called Barrio Logan home for generations. While Ramón is Mexican, his family was very wealthy and he lived a privileged life but it wasn’t perfect. He doesn’t have a good relationship with his mother and while he works with his father their relationship has always been strained. Julieta lost her father recently and works very hard to make things easier for her mother, but they don’t always see eye to eye. Her parents came to the U.S. from Mexico and worked hard to own their home and business. The differences in their lifestyles is great and I felt their relationship changed too quickly and felt a bit off or forced especially where Julieta was concerned.

I appreciated how the author showed that just because someone is the same race there are differences in the way they live their lives and those differences matter especially when the actions will harm people who have worked for years to preserve their way of life. There was quite a bit of conflict in this story yet it wasn’t superfluous. Points were made, divisions were shown, and it made both Julieta and Ramón stop, look, and listen to the other side.

I enjoyed the way their relationship changed throughout this story and the way they were both passionate about their side, yet they also both understood neither side was completely in the right. Both characters grew throughout with Ramón definitely realizing he’d left his roots behind at some point and wanted to get back to them.

Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson was fascinating and informative, yet between the pages there was also a wonderful and sexy romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Ramon And Julieta

Author: Alana Quintana Albertson

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Smut Level: 2/5

Diversity: Mexican American MCs and Mexican American characters

Recommended For...: adult fiction, romance, contemporary

Publication Date: February 1, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Recommended Age: 18+ (Gentrification, Death, Grief, Language, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Romance, ICE, Violence, Gore)

Explanation of CWs: The book is a romance book, so it has sexual content, active sex, and romance in it. The book also discusses gentrification and displays issues that Hispanic/Latin communities face, such as ICE, disproportionate imprisonment, and poverty. There is death that is mentioned briefly, some very slight grief, cursing, some alcoholism shown, and some very slight violence and very very slight gore.

Publisher: Berkley Books

Pages: 304

Synopsis: 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 take-over 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.

Review: I absolutely loved this amazing book. The story was well written and the characters well developed. I especially loved Julieta as she was a tattooed curvy female, which I haven’t seen a lot in books, and both MCs were 30 and over, which is also something not normally shown in romance books from my limited experience. The book is a sweet Romeo and Juliet retelling, but the author made the story her own in a unique fashion. The book also had a lot of Spanish words intermixed throughout the book and a lot of different Hispanic influences, which I very much enjoyed. It felt like a read that a lot of people, especially those who are Latin/Hispanic would be able to identify with greatly.

The only issues I had with the book are that the smut part of the book started really late in it, at about 62% in, and the book didn’t have a lot of enemies to lovers runtime before they started actively falling for each other. The book also wrapped up within 5% of the novel and it just felt a bit rushed at the end. Unfortunately the problem with gentrification is that it can’t be easily solved and I don’t expect the author to have most of the answers, but it just felt like it was a bit of a dropped ball at the end.

Verdict: It was great and I highly recommend it for the story, the discussion of gentrification, and for the romance.

This book is really cute, I liked all the diversity and representation. But beyond that, the story and it's characters felt like the didn't really go beyond the surface level.

I liked the descriptions of the community, and their lives but there were also a lot of details that just felt unnecessary.

I liked the relationship between Ramon and Julieta but I wish there was more of a focus on the power dynamic between the two.

I would be interested to see where the rest of the series goes. I hope we get more information on the mom and dad.

Overall a cute read, I'd definitely recommend it to people looking for something cute and light!

𝘍𝘶𝘯, 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭!

A book that mixes Romeo and Juliet’s retelling, with yummy Mexican food and culture, I’m Mexican, I had to read this, and reading that they mention that real Mexican tacos are not crunchy with cheddar, 100%🙌🏻
It was fun, heartwarming, enjoyable and so easy to read. The only note I have is that Teotihuacán is not near Cancún, it’s near México city, the Pyramids near Cancún are Tulum and Chichen Itza.

Thank you Berkley Romance Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

Ramon and Julieta by Author Alana Albertson released February 1, 2022.

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦: 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘙𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬-𝘓𝘪𝘵.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

As you can probably tell from its name, Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson is a retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Julieta Campos is a gifted chef who specializes in seafood based Mexican dishes. She and her mother own a restaurant in Barrios Logan. They have both sacrificed a lot to keep their restaurant open, but when Ramón Montez and his father, who own the Taco King fast food chain, buys up the entire street their restaurant is located on, they know their days as restaurant owners are numbered. It stings all the more because the fish taco recipe Ramón’s father used to build his Taco King empire is one he stole from Julieta’s mother years ago. Needless to say, the Campos hate the Montez.

Ramón and Julieta have no idea their families hate each other when they first meet at the local Dia de los Muertos celebration. Ramón helps Julieta properly honor her recently deceased father after she misses the official procession to the cemetery. Then he proceeds to serenade Julieta with romantic Mexican ballads. The chemistry between them is undeniable and they can’t wait to see each other again. That is, until Julieta realizes who Ramón is. Even though she has very strong feelings for Ramón and he feels the same attraction, how can they possibly be together when his father betrayed her mother? Not to mention the fact that he’s now her landlord and wants to turn her beautiful little restaurant and the other Mexican-American owned businesses on the block into Taco Kings and Starbucks.

I really loved Albertson’s contemporary romantic spin on the original Romeo and Juliet. The obstacles that threaten to tear Ramón and Julieta apart, while modern in nature, are still essentially the same obstacles Romeo and Juliet faced. If Ramón wants to be with Julieta, he cannot strip her beloved community of its culture, which means he must stand up to his father. If Julieta wants to be with Ramón, she has to convince her mother that Ramón is not like his father, but she also has to face the fact that she may lose her business because of his family, as well as the love of her community since they will brand her a traitor if she chooses him. They both have very tough decisions to make. Do they choose each other or do they remain loyal to their families?

What I also loved about this take on Romeo and Juliet was that aside from the drama surrounding the star-crossed lovers, there’s also a much lighter element to the story and that involves the Mexican food and the infusion of Mexican culture. I loved the author’s vivid descriptions of both the incredible sounding fish tacos Julieta was known for, and of the Dia de los Muertos festivities and costumes. She brought it to life in such a way that I felt like I was there and a part of the wonderful community vibe. She also had me seriously craving beer battered fish tacos, haha!

The big question though is that even though Ramón and Julieta is technically a contemporary romance, can a contemporary romance that is inspired by a Shakespearean tragedy have a happily ever after? You’ll have to pick up a copy of Ramón and Julieta if you want to find out!

A huge thank you to Berkley Romance for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️ 3🌶

What I LOVED: Ramón and Julieta’s romance inspired by Romeo and Juliet was captivating from the moment the met at Dios de los Muertos and had their first kiss but from there on, there was this looming dread of knowing that they’ll end up as star-crossed lovers one way of another. The parallels their story had with the original were interesting and heartbreaking to see unfold between the feud happening between the Montezes and Camposes, everyone going against their relationship and the forbidden aspect of it.

Despite them coming from two completely different worlds, their chemistry and banter was so good from the start. Their love for their culture, music, food and fellow countrymen was what made them closer as ever when they least expect it. There was also a nice balance of sweet and steamy in their romance which I thoroughly enjoyed!

What I LIKED: I enjoyed how immersive the writing was especially in describing everything that goes down in Barrio Logan from the people, food, culture and traditions, it felt like I was there with them which made me constantly crave for all the good food they were having.

Alongside the romance, I liked how this story explored themes of family, gentrification, culture and forgiveness in a way that made me root for both families and their sides of the story.

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: This book was enjoyable at best but it wasn’t anything special for me. I think the premise was interesting and unique but the overall execution wasn’t up to par. There were scenes that I felt like randomly placed without proper buildup. Especially in the romance, the sexual tension and pining felt out of place so when they would do sexual activities, it didn’t feel genuine.

The whole rich vs poor conflict was too relatable to me. Normally when the hero is super rich and loves to spoil, I would swoon but with this, I felt a bit bitter having that rich boy narrative next to a heroine who grew up in poverty and constantly talks about its struggles.

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT FOR: fans of equally swoony and angsty romance, Romeo and Juliet retellings and stories that explores themes of family and culture!

Ramón and Julieta was inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet and I loved the parallels to the original. Ramón and Julieta had an instant attraction that developed as they spent more time together. The world that Alana created in Barrio Logan was immersive and vivid. I loved the Mexican-American culture, food, and passion that Alana brought to life here. I loved the Día de los Muertos scene at the beginning and how together they worked through differences like wealth, privilege, and family.

This novel is more than just a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Beyond the inevitable romance between the two main characters, the author explores the themes of cultural identity, strong community, and Latinx traditions. A wide variety of readers will enjoy this title and I am grateful to have gotten to read it early. This is one new release that you will not want to miss!

Was I excited to read this book before it was released? Heck yes! I am always a fan of Latina romance books. I feel we need more in the book community. You know what, we also need every diverse in the book community. Everyone is welcome cause I want more books to read.
When I dive into Ramon and Julieta, it is apparent that this romance story is inspired by a star-crossed romance. Ramon and Julieta may have not known it at the time, but they are big rivals with each other. Their parents have a nasty history with each other. It makes sense that Ramon and Julieta are not meant to be together, especially since they come from different backgrounds. But you know we have enemies to lovers trope for a reason. They fall with each other no matter what their families do. It’s just meant to be, it’s just going to be a messy love story.
After finishing this book, I had mixed emotions. Like I love this book, but yet, I have some problems with it. The main issue I have with this book is the lack of romance. I understand we have real issues, but the book is meant to be a romance book, not a women's fiction book. If it was a women's fiction book, then I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But I needed the romance between the characters. More than what the book had.

This is a beautifully written story that dove me deep into the community. I couldn't get enough of the each family and surrounding community, where everything was described in such insanely beautiful detail.

If you love insta love, this book is absolutely for you!

Warning: this book will make you want to eat delicious, authentic Mexican food! 🌮

Ramon and Julieta is a reimagining of the romance classic, Romeo and Juliet. However, it takes place in modern day San Diego and the families are feuding over taco recipes. Ramon is the son of the Taco King; a chain of over 200 fast food taco restaurants. Julieta is the daughter and chef of a family owned authentic Mexican restaurant in Barrio Logan, a local loved area of SD.

They meet one night at Dia de los Muertos, a holy day of celebration in Mexican tradition. Both are in costume and face paint, unaware of who each other is. They hit it off quickly but must part for their jobs. They meet up after and go back to Ramon’s incredible beach house. Julieta discovers who Ramon is- his father actually stole the first fish taco recipe years ago from Julieta’s mother!

Even worse, Ramon’s family just bought the block of shopfront where Julieta’s restaurant is. These mortal enemies are not meant to be- or will their incredible chemistry win? I loved this book. It was fun and creative. I loved the passion that each character had and I learned about Mexican culture, cuisine and mariachi! 💃🏻 I really enjoyed how much their families and tradition played into the book as well.

Thank you so much to @berkleypub, @authoralanaalbertson, and @netgalley for my gifted copy.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this more than a quarter of the way. This was too insta-lust and there wasn't nearly enough relationship building to capture my attention. However, whenever Alana wrote about the food, Hispanic culture and the setting, I was loving it but it was punctuated with cheap, lustful moments between the protagonists. I was really hoping to love this one as the synopsis was so good, but unfortunately it didn't pan out well for me.

❤️‍🔥What a delicious enemies to lovers romance! Omg the description of tacos in this book where can I find these tacos? I don't think I will ever be happy until I can find these perfect tacos.

Julieta is the chef in a popular restaurant in her community. Her block has just gone up for sale and purchased by a chain restaurant group. Unfortunately for her it is the same guy she met on the Day of the Dead and clicked with and his father who stole her mothers taco recipe years ago and made millions.

I loved the slow burn especially how steamy everything was in their thoughts as they were trying to stay professional. It got really steamy as they got closer. But the raising of rent and forcing all the businesses out that made the community what it was, forced them apart.

I think updating and giving face lifts and doing some landscaping is ok but doing renos that make housing crazy expensive and then raising business rents to put in chain stores is horrible. I would love to go to all of these shops in Barrio Logan.

Loved this was set in San Diego!

Also side note: my Dad used to call my BIL an Aztec God that brought back memories. He had such a man crush on him.

Read if you like:
💀 Enemies to Lovers
🌹 Retellings
💀 Tacos

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫