Ramón and Julieta by. Alana Quintana Albertson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Ramón and Julieta (Love and Tacos, #1)

Author: Alana Quintana Albertson

Format: paperback (own)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 2/1/22

Publisher: Berkley Books

Categories: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Latinx, Foodie Romance

When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them. 

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. 

Content Warning: gentrification, parental neglect/parental relationship problems

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the book cover and all its vibrant colors. This romance story itself is full of color so let’s see what did and didn’t work for me:

+ This one has a bunch of romance tropes: rival families, it’s a loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet, it’s a millionaire romance, workplace romance and insta-attraction but I think it all works nicely together.

+ Ramón and Julieta meet right away and the attraction is instant. They are even ready for a one-night stand which doesn’t happen though. But throughout the book they are basically itching to get their hands on one another and when they do, there are some steamy moments – but they are quick and not super detailed.

+ It’s a really quick read and though Ramón and Julieta has challenges, it is easily resolved. This one is centered around a Chicano community in San Diego called Barrio Logan and I thought the author did a great job capturing the sights, customs, and flavors of the community. The rivalry between the two families centers on a taco recipe, so yes this book will make you hungry for Mexican food. I thought it was good to put a spotlight on class issues – Ramón’s family being known as “coconuts” and how he feels like he doesn’t belong in Julieta’s community because they were raised different and richer. Or how Julieta felt being poorer than him. I did like how he made amends to Julieta’s family though and how he stood up to his dad.

~ There was a lot of talk about Ramón’s McLaren which is I guess a very expensive car? lol I wouldn’t know.

~ It’s a very loose retelling of Romeo and Julieta, it had some elements of it – even the two characters spouting lines from the play at times. But it’s not an exact retelling so don’t expect that.

~ Although there were some deep issues to do with class and gentrification in the story, I think the story glossed over it. It stayed a light-hearted romance book, which is fine, so if you want a romance story that tackles the issues – this isn’t it. This one stays light and has a happily ever after.

Tropes: insta-attraction, instalove, romeo and juliet inspired, rivals, millionaire romance, workplace romance

Why you should read it:

• lots of Chicano culture is represented
• it’s got a few elements of Romeo and Juliet in the story but it’s a whole unique story in itself
• Ramón and Julieta are hot for each other, they don’t really care that their parents advise them not to see one another and they have a HEA

Why you might not want to read it:

• the rivalry isn’t really a strong aspect of the story – something happened in the past between their parents, a miscommunication or no explanation – so that rivalry is mostly between their parents. Ramón didn’t even know about it! Julieta and Ramón let go of the rivalry once they figure out what happened.
• Some of the Romeo/Juliet verses was a bit cringe to me lol but I went with it – it’s a romance 🤷🏻‍♀️. Maybe if some guy serenaded me I’d fall hard too…or cringe LOL -knowing me, I’d cringe 😅.

My Thoughts:

This was a cute one and I read it fairly quick. I love the book cover, which I think captures the vibe of the story very well. The way the author describes San Diego and the Barrio, all the customs and food was wonderful. The romance is light hearted, had elements of Shakespeare’s famous play, and it was steamy when it needed to be.

📚 ~ Yolanda