Tag: latinx

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

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by. Laekan Zea Kemp | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet

Author: Laekan Zea Kemp

Format: Hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 4/06/21

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Categories: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Family, Latinx, Coming of Age

Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans—leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she’s been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho’s who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she’s been too afraid to ask herself.

Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that—a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.

Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.

This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.

Content Warning: depression, anxiety, attempted suicide, family pressure, violence, arson, racism, gross bodily functions/prank wars

There are a bunch of things that stand out to me in this beautiful story but the top two will be family bonds and food.

Pen is a badass in a kitchen, hers or her dad’s restaurant, but outside of the high stress life of the restaurant she suffers from depression and anxiety. At one point she attempted suicide, but she’s now on medication except there are still times she feels like she’s drowning – like when she’s living a lie. All she wants to do is run her dad’s restaurant or open her own bakery but her parents don’t want that dream for it. Pen is so relatable – from how her mental health takes a toll on her life, from trying to be strong in the family and wanting to please people but not pleasing herself. She goes on an amazing journey in this story with her best friend Chloe (the bestest ever) by her side. I love seeing Pen standing on her own two feet even if she has to start from the bottom.

Xander is an undocumented citizen in the USA. His own childhood has been one trauma of surviving day after day without his parents, with only his abuelo (grandfather) and now this new found family at Nacho’s Taco’s restaurant. Even though his father left him long ago, he hasn’t given up trying to find him – a dream that seems to be slipping away. He and Pen become friends and then more because they see each other in their despair. I thought they were cute together and their romance wasn’t the center of the story.

Of course all the Mexican food mentioned in this book made me hungry! Just the way it’s describe and the love that goes into the food just wanted me to be drowning in it. Food is our gateway to the past and our roots! Pen feels that love abundantly. Speaking of roots, I love how layered this story is because it’s not only about Pen and her feelings of not living up to her parents dreams…Xander and many people in this community are undocumented or immigrants. We get a sense of their fears when driving near police, or the villain in the story – the loanshark who bullies and destroys families in the community, people that prey on the struggling already – it made me feel so helpless for them. Even Pen’s dad who is a well known figure in the community always helping and doing what he can isn’t immune to being indebted to a bad man. This is real life for people and it’s scary.

The story about family and community though is what truly resonated with me. How we have to help one another even when things get rough. Family, whether blood or found is important. Pen’s friendship with Chloe was her lifeline – thank god she had a friend like her reminding her that they would get through the tough times, together.

The only thing that turned me off about the book was the employee prank wars. Ugh…all that barfing when they were around each other was just on another level of gross. It showed how close the employees were though lol…like TOO close.

Why you should read it:

  • heart-wrenching story about family and roots
  • an amazing personal journey for both Pen and Xander
  • mental health rep with depression and anxiety

Why you might not want to read it:

  • some gross pranks – could’ve used less of it

My Thoughts:

Overall, I loved the story, minus the puking up and prank wars among the Nacho’s Tacos staff members. I resonated with the message of family, friendship and food. I felt for Xander’s story about being undocumented and basically an orphan even though his parents were both alive. And I applauded Pen’s journey to stand on her own two feet. It was emotional, funny, and filled with food. Glad I read this one!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Quotes from the book:

We cook to remember the people who came before us.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by. Laekan Zea Kemp

The things that scare us aren’t roadblocks but mirrors, and bravery isn’t about shattering our reflection, it’s about having the strength to look.

Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by. Laekan Zea Kemp