Romance

Ramón and Julieta

Ramón and Julieta

  • Downloads：1351
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-04-05 06:51:56
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Alana Albertson
  • ISBN：0593336224
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

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。

Download

Reviews

Iyanuoluwa Olorode ，

Ramón and JulietaLet it be known that those who haven't read Shakespeare have limited their meet cute options。Ramón and Julieta is a modern day Mexican retelling of Romeo and Juliet。 Ramón Montez is your typical Mexican telenovela heir to a huge fortune and Julieta Campos is well， you know she's not in his social class if you've watched enough Televisa telenovelas produced in  the early 2000s and 2010s。They meet during the Day of the Dead masquerade and they're attracted to each other up until J Ramón and JulietaLet it be known that those who haven't read Shakespeare have limited their meet cute options。Ramón and Julieta is a modern day Mexican retelling of Romeo and Juliet。 Ramón Montez is your typical Mexican telenovela heir to a huge fortune and Julieta Campos is well， you know she's not in his social class if you've watched enough Televisa telenovelas produced in  the early 2000s and 2010s。They meet during the Day of the Dead masquerade and they're attracted to each other up until Julieta finds out he's the son of the man who made a fortune off of her mother's stolen fish tacos。Their romance seems star-crossed with their parents' history and the fact Ramón's company just bought Julieta's block for gentrification and the establishment of the flagship branch of their Mexican food restaurant chain。The story is beautiful。 For someone who grew up watching Latinx telenovelas， I loved the large  Campos family， the description of the art， food and Mexican culture in general。What I didn't enjoy was the smut， but you can easily skip those parts。 The ending was a bit fast paced but I loved what Ramón decided to do with Barrio Logan。 I felt like there could have been more to the story。 The story to me had a lot of potential for more depth and it barely scratched the surface。 There were also some questions that didn't get answered。 The main characters were not too impressive。 This book would be enjoyed by fans of In The Heights， Off The Menu， Jane The Virgin and Mexican telenovelas and people who love food romance novels。 。。。more

Ashley ，

Super cute latinx love story about a girl from the hood and a boy from the burbs who met and fell in love。

Katie ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I looooved the concept: a Mexican reimagining of Romeo and Juliet + restaurants。 The execution felt clunky 🤷‍♀️

Madison Goin ，

I had higher hopes for this。 That’s all。

rosie ，

I only got 60 pages in。 And that's as far as I will ever get in this book。 I 60 pages later and I didn't care at all about anything going on。 I didn't care about Ramón or Julieta。 I didn't care about her struggle with her business。 I didn't care that he was struggling with his position。 I didn't care when they finally kissed or when she figured out who he was。 I can't believe that I read 60 pages of words that said a whole lot of nothing。 I didn't like it enough to keep reading but I didn't hate I only got 60 pages in。 And that's as far as I will ever get in this book。 I 60 pages later and I didn't care at all about anything going on。 I didn't care about Ramón or Julieta。 I didn't care about her struggle with her business。 I didn't care that he was struggling with his position。 I didn't care when they finally kissed or when she figured out who he was。 I can't believe that I read 60 pages of words that said a whole lot of nothing。 I didn't like it enough to keep reading but I didn't hate it enough to give it one star either。 Give it a shot， but it will most likely disappoint。 。。。more

Victoria Araujo ，

I was so excited at the aspect of reading a book with Latino representation。 Unfortunately， this was a long and boring read。 The writing seems very juvenile， superficial， and whitewashed。 I don’t really understand the point of inserting very relevant topics of classism and racial identity only to abandon them completely to focus on a vapid romance plot。

Danielle DellaCamera ，

I like the concept for this “Romeo and Juliet” story - man and woman fall in love， man feels scorned so he steals woman’s taco recipe causing a rift between them forever， only for their children to meet 30+ years later and fall in love。 The food references in here made me salivate， however， the love story did not。 There’s so much back and forth in Ramón and Julieta’s story that it’s hard to believe there was actual love and not just lust （i。e。 Ramón doesn’t want to promise Julieta things like tr I like the concept for this “Romeo and Juliet” story - man and woman fall in love， man feels scorned so he steals woman’s taco recipe causing a rift between them forever， only for their children to meet 30+ years later and fall in love。 The food references in here made me salivate， however， the love story did not。 There’s so much back and forth in Ramón and Julieta’s story that it’s hard to believe there was actual love and not just lust （i。e。 Ramón doesn’t want to promise Julieta things like trips to Spain because it’s “all moving so fast”， but is planning out a restaurant empire in his head with her as his head chef legit paragraphs later）。 I think if there had been more solid grounding in them actually falling in love I’d buy into it， instead I felt whiplashed。 。。。more

DanielleFrish ，

The beginning half of this book really sucked me in。 It was beautifully written with great imagery。 However the back half of the book was rushed and a bit choppy。 Also the dialog between the main characters felt forced and just awkward to the point where I didn’t really believe in the main couples relationship。

Amanda ，

Ramón and Julieta begins on Día de los Muertos。 Julieta is a talented chef at her own restaurant， Las Pescas， which her mom had originally started。 The two of them are running a pop-up at the holiday event， and while there， Julieta encounters a man with a guitarrón。 He serenades her and they agree to meet up after her shift is over。 They only know each other by the fake names they give: Romeo and Juliet。 Eventually they end up at his place， but when Julieta sees a magazine cover framed on his wa Ramón and Julieta begins on Día de los Muertos。 Julieta is a talented chef at her own restaurant， Las Pescas， which her mom had originally started。 The two of them are running a pop-up at the holiday event， and while there， Julieta encounters a man with a guitarrón。 He serenades her and they agree to meet up after her shift is over。 They only know each other by the fake names they give: Romeo and Juliet。 Eventually they end up at his place， but when Julieta sees a magazine cover framed on his wall， she figures out his true identity: Ramón Montez， the son of the man who stole her mom’s fish taco recipe in the 1970s。 The man who then turned that into a successful franchise restaurant that has locations all over the country， now selling cheap food and selling out Mexican culture。 Julieta leaves Ramón confused and alone。Imagine both of their surprise when he shows up at her restaurant the next day after buying the entire block where it and other shops are located。 Ramón’s father plans to replace Las Pescas with a new Taco King， and raise the rent on all the other shops so much that they will be forced out。 Julieta and her mom respond appropriately: They kick their new landlords out。However， Ramón and Julieta still have an attraction to each other， and when they have to spend time together working on the restaurant transition， they start to understand each other more。 In particular， Ramón begins to realize how negatively his family’s company will impact the Barrio Logan community。 Julieta explains where she and other Mexican Americans in her neighborhood are coming from。 The Montez family business has turned into a gentrifier – or gentefier， since they themselves are Mexican American and destroying their own peoples’ communities。They also start to genuinely like each other。 Indeed， both Julieta and Ramón are realistic characters， flawed but good qualities， too。 Julieta is more relatable， and though she does have some negative attributes， most of her story arc focuses on circumstances she must overcome as opposed to personal growth she needs to go through。 In contrast， Ramón has plenty of room for improvement。 His multimillionaire background and problematic job role could make him irredeemable， but he has commendable characteristics that start to emerge throughout this book。 When it comes down to it， he does care about Julieta and the people in her community; he does care about doing the right thing。 But with his dad still in charge， it will be an uphill battle trying to prevent his company from devastating Barrio Logan。What I do like about Ramón is how he tries to do right by people。 He wants to help Julieta by giving her a good job opportunity and control over that new job。 Moreover， he worries that she’s a workaholic， and he helps her find time to relax and unwind every now and then。 Ramón also wants to compensate Julieta’s mom for the theft committed against her all those decades ago… somehow。 Ultimately， Ramón wants to revitalize their community， not destroy it。 Over the course of this novel， he goes through some important evolution and edges closer to being a reformed character。Julieta helps Ramón on this journey in opening his eyes to his cultural identity and how the Mexican American community is affected by gentrification。 It’s horrible to destroy a vibrant community just for further profit gains; it strips away culture and further depresses groups of people that are already struggling。 And it only adds insult to injury that it’s their own people – Mexicans – doing this to them， planning to replace their family-owned businesses with chain restaurants and franchise businesses。Julieta also encourages Ramón to find an outlet in music again， a hobby he’s neglected for years due to his job。 I love the inclusion of music and Ramón’s background in everything from Metallica to Mariachi music。 Julieta and Ramón both help each other， slowly but surely。Ramón and Julieta also highlights important family dynamics。 Julieta and her mother are close， but sometimes her mom can be a bit controlling over her personal life。 Ramón and his dad really don’t see eye-to-eye， and after so many decades of Taco King success， his dad may be too far gone。 What do they each stand for？ How can they maintain a relationship as everything devolves so much？ Ramón’s dad once fought for Latino rights and for Chicano Park; now， it may only be Ramón who keeps that honor alive。I appreciate the brief discussions about therapy， especially that it’s Ramón who openly admits to having had years of therapy。 He cares about working on himself and on his relationships with others。 It’s great to see therapy normalized， for Latino men and everyone else。Finally， one thing that charmed me early on in Ramón and Julieta is when the characters got a bit meta。 While going by the names Romeo and Juliet， Julieta quotes a line from Shakespeare’s famous play， saying they’re star-crossed and can never have a happily ever after。 Ramón counters that they’ll just have to rewrite the story instead。 Indeed， that is exactly what they did。Ramón and Julieta tackles some big topics， but it’s also a fun and sweet book。 Even with thought-provoking discussions， the characters always bring humor and lightness， too。 I adored it， both for its deeper themes and for the prevailing love story。This is only the first in a new series – a trilogy， I believe – and I look forward to reading the rest。 The next two Love & Tacos books should be about Ramón’s younger brothers， Enrique and Jaime。* Please read my full review on my blog， Amanda's Book Corner！ * 。。。more

Marni ，

Julieta Campos is the chef at her mom's restaurant， Las Pescas， situated in Barrio Logan， a historically Mexican area of San Diego。 The property owner is ready to sell。 Julia & the other business owners are anxious that their cultural haven will be a victim of gentrification。 Ramón Montez runs a restaurant chain， Taco King， with his father。 The business has made the family exceedingly wealthy。 Julieta & Ramón have a chance encounter while in full Dia de los Muertos costume where he serenades her Julieta Campos is the chef at her mom's restaurant， Las Pescas， situated in Barrio Logan， a historically Mexican area of San Diego。 The property owner is ready to sell。 Julia & the other business owners are anxious that their cultural haven will be a victim of gentrification。 Ramón Montez runs a restaurant chain， Taco King， with his father。 The business has made the family exceedingly wealthy。 Julieta & Ramón have a chance encounter while in full Dia de los Muertos costume where he serenades her。 They don't realize his father uses the fish taco recipe he stole from Julieta's mother。 And the Montez family is planning to purchase Barrio Logan & replace Las Pescas with a Taco King。 Will their attraction be enough to overcome their differences？ Will Ramón & his father's plans put Julieta & her mother out of business？ I absolutely loved reading this book。 As a Mexican American there were so many cultural parts that spoke to me & my experience。 The Latin songs and the places in Mexico discussed were all part of my childhood。 I was completely transported while reading the book。 The author approached some very difficult subjects， gentrification & fitting in with your culture。 Ramón was often referred to as a coconut， brown on the outside & white on the inside。 His restaurants sell an Americanized version of Mexican food， nothing like traditional cuisine。 Julieta was fully immersed in her culture & did everything she could to support her fellow Chicanos & keep their culture thriving。 I related to both。 I am white presenting （Polish father） but grew up in the Mexican culture （Mexican mother）， which makes me feel just on the outskirts of each group。 Ultimately this was a beautiful story of finding yourself & fighting for what is important。 I would recommend this to anyone looking to diversify their reading， wanting Mexican/Chicanx representation， enemies to lovers， & steamy romance 。。。more

Katie ，

dnf at 48%I'm sad about this because I had high hopes with the premise and the cover but I just。。。。 do not like Ramon at all。 Firstly， I didn't know what a McLaren was before this and halfway through the book I've heard the word McLaren more than I've heard in my entire 30 years of life。 He's constantly saying how he recognizes his privilege but like。。。 I don't see him doing anything about it？ Country club that costs hundreds of thousands every year？ Buying a beach cottage for under 3- when they dnf at 48%I'm sad about this because I had high hopes with the premise and the cover but I just。。。。 do not like Ramon at all。 Firstly， I didn't know what a McLaren was before this and halfway through the book I've heard the word McLaren more than I've heard in my entire 30 years of life。 He's constantly saying how he recognizes his privilege but like。。。 I don't see him doing anything about it？ Country club that costs hundreds of thousands every year？ Buying a beach cottage for under 3- when they clarified that meant under 3 MILLION？ Just。 No。I'm not going to talk about the cultural aspects of it because it's not my place but there are plenty of comments from other reviews to be found that talked about them。 。。。more

Cristina ，

Much Ado About TacosWow， this rom com R&J retelling really makes those dark， intellectual coffee shop AU fanfics look downright cute and fluffy by comparison。 Very heavy themes， readers。 Be careful。 Ramón is the CEO of the fictional equivalent of Taco Bell， Julieta the chef of a local ‘authentic’ Mexican restaurant Las Pescas。 Sparks fly when they meet during Día de los Muertos， but Julieta soon discovers the horrifying truth about her new beau: Ramón’s father’s company has bought Las Pescas and Much Ado About TacosWow， this rom com R&J retelling really makes those dark， intellectual coffee shop AU fanfics look downright cute and fluffy by comparison。 Very heavy themes， readers。 Be careful。 Ramón is the CEO of the fictional equivalent of Taco Bell， Julieta the chef of a local ‘authentic’ Mexican restaurant Las Pescas。 Sparks fly when they meet during Día de los Muertos， but Julieta soon discovers the horrifying truth about her new beau: Ramón’s father’s company has bought Las Pescas and would gringo-cize it into yet another Chicano chain restaurant。 Not only that， but Ramón’s father had stolen Julieta’s mother fish taco recipe and made that the basis for his multibillion dollar business。 The scandal。 The betrayal。 The nasty， gruesome， disgusting， horrific…gentrification。 However will these would-be lovers overcome such staggeringly high obstacles？ Will Ramón and Julieta’s passion for each other overcome even the earth-shattering perfidy of taco-recipe stealing？Well， I don’t buy it， dear reader。 Racism， classism， and even dangerous family feuds fueled by patriarchy and machismo aside， buying out local businesses and stealing taco recipes are definitely worse crimes。 It’s just as Julieta’s mother says: A bird and a fish cannot be together。 Ramón and Julieta are not only from completely different worlds， they’re two different species of Mexican American taco lovers entirely。 How could Julieta ever come to love her sworn enemy， who has to be taught to #checkhisownprivilege and accused of the greatest of Internet non-crimes， cultural appropriation？ How could Ramón ever accept Julieta’s hypocritical love for authentic Mexican cuisine that in itself stole—er， “borrowed”—recipes from native and European cuisine？ The divide is just too great。 They even speak different languages entirely。 She says taco， he says Taco Bell。 Let’s call the whole thing off。 But love conquers all， and indeed Ramón and Julieta have a towering passion greater beyond than words can express it。 Or at least Albertson cannot find the right words to convey it， opting for contemporary cliché， slapdash kitchen Spanish， hastily written hookup sex， and ham-fisted out-of-place Shakespeare quotes just in case the reader misses or forgets this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling。 For those worried that Albertson may be taking more than a page from the Shakespeare book， fear not: Compared to their blank verse counterparts， Ramón and Julieta are downright ghostly。 On a clear day they even disappear。 See， they’re gone！ Goodbye， young lovers。 I shall forget ye。Also。 A Mexican-American R&J and not one Bésame Mucho reference？ De gustibus and everything， but this lurid drama is just too much for me and my sensibilities。 I might have to take some days to recover。 。。。more

Ashley ，

This is a DNF for me at 35% - the gentrification apologism just leapt off the pages here and I don’t really care to read about whatever “character development” the male protagonist is going to （allegedly） go through。 Also， it’s weird to read books set in San Diego （to this born + raised San Diegan） - I will say， the characterization of Logan （and even our Día de Muertos celebrations in Old Town） were pretty spot on and felt lovely to read。 Otherwise this was a big bleh mess。

Libriamo3116 ，

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 start 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。Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary digital copy of Ramón and Julieta。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Mimi ，

Oooh talk about Hot！！ I didn’t know what to expect reading this but Omgeeee。 I loved Romeo and Juliet aka Ramon and Juliette。 I really enjoyed the culture and representation of their heritage。 I really loved the chemistry and love between these two。

Lan L ，

I liked the story！ I totally saw some elements of Romeo and Juliet in this book。 Luckily， the ending was much happier compared to the actual Romeo and Juliet story。 But， I wished there was more character development for Ramon and Juliet。 It seems like the book focuses more on the surface characteristics of them and little of what's underneath。 There are spice scenes， but it felt kind of rushed; otherwise， it I thought it was good。 I wished we saw more of the conflict， because I also felt that wa I liked the story！ I totally saw some elements of Romeo and Juliet in this book。 Luckily， the ending was much happier compared to the actual Romeo and Juliet story。 But， I wished there was more character development for Ramon and Juliet。 It seems like the book focuses more on the surface characteristics of them and little of what's underneath。 There are spice scenes， but it felt kind of rushed; otherwise， it I thought it was good。 I wished we saw more of the conflict， because I also felt that was kind of rushed。 Overall， I like the book and thought it was a fun read。 。。。more

Marzena ，

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"Which means that no matter how many POCs you throw in， no matter the neighbourhoods mentioned， no matter what sort of serious problems you throw in， a mediocre romance is what it is - still mediocre。 I was rooting for a fresh take of enemies-to-lovers theme， hoping for a good banter。 But after a decent start it became more like a *bad* parody of You've Got Mail。 Ramon and Julieta is a mindless reading in need of a good editor tying loose ends。 "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"Which means that no matter how many POCs you throw in， no matter the neighbourhoods mentioned， no matter what sort of serious problems you throw in， a mediocre romance is what it is - still mediocre。 I was rooting for a fresh take of enemies-to-lovers theme， hoping for a good banter。 But after a decent start it became more like a *bad* parody of You've Got Mail。 Ramon and Julieta is a mindless reading in need of a good editor tying loose ends。 。。。more

Kristen Torres ，

I had higher hopes for a Latino love story。 This was cringy and at times tone deaf。

Hannah ，

Okay， I’m DNFing， I tried I really did but it’s too Hallmark。 The rich out of touch person falls in love with the chef who’s business he wants to take。 He even said “it’s sad but it’s just business” in regards to hiking their prices up so that the businesses can’t afford the property anymore。 I liked other parts like the culture tied in and even important issues within the Latinx community like ICE， the police， and even the pandemic was brought up。

rae ✌️ ，

dnf @ 15%NOPE。 i'm getting douchecanoe vibes off of the main guy and the way he said 'make that *when* she goes home with me' really just ruined any possibility of me reading this。 ugh dnf @ 15%NOPE。 i'm getting douchecanoe vibes off of the main guy and the way he said 'make that *when* she goes home with me' really just ruined any possibility of me reading this。 ugh 。。。more

Coni ，

This is a 3。5-star read rounded up to a 4-star。 I enjoyed this book for quite a few reasons despite certain flaws that I can't overlook。 This is my first read from this author and when I read at the end about how important this work was （and also how different it was from previous works）， I was so happy I read it。 As an aside， I'm always a bit leery about workplace romance stories because of power dynamics or even ones where there is a massive financial differential between the parties， but the This is a 3。5-star read rounded up to a 4-star。 I enjoyed this book for quite a few reasons despite certain flaws that I can't overlook。 This is my first read from this author and when I read at the end about how important this work was （and also how different it was from previous works）， I was so happy I read it。 As an aside， I'm always a bit leery about workplace romance stories because of power dynamics or even ones where there is a massive financial differential between the parties， but the author took great care in making sure it was clear to the reader that Julieta was just as interested in/attracted to Ramón。 I didn't find him to be predatory at all。 In fact， there were times when we saw him reason through certain decisions about how to pursue Julieta or even just how to show up。 I'll do my best to not spoil things and will flag the sections in case I can't get around them。 First， the good。 This is such a love letter。 It's a love letter to culture， music， art， food， cars， and family。 The detail that went into describing clothes and decor and ingredients was such a treat。 There were times when all five senses were covered in the description and I adore that。 In these sections， you could feel the author taking the time to make sure the reader was enveloped in Barrio Logan。 Day of the Dead celebrations are very special to me and to see the effort taken to explain （in a friendly way） that it's not Halloween meant everything。 We were given some lovely scenes that showed how to participate， how to give offerings， what should be there。 There may have been tears， but it was totally the serrano salsa。 Honest。The approach taken for the heart of this book was great。 It was really clever how the Romeo and Juliet retelling was layered over this and I think it was a super smart choice to get the readers invested in seeing both sides of a very polarizing issue: gentrification。 I really have to give props to Albertson not just for making this subject accessible， but also for using storytelling in a way that I imagine disarms readers enough to get them to consider these issues more than they might have previously。 Being held over a barrel to make enough money to live and support your family because their circumstances have changed was showcased well here。 Julieta is a highly-skilled chef and she can make solid money， but life isn't as easy as walking out and landing a job in thirty seconds without your family being exposed to risk。 Often times people have to uproot their whole lives just to follow a paycheck。 I'm glad this wasn't downplayed。As I was reading， I had two possible endings that I figured could be the likely outcome。 I was wrong on both counts and so relieved and pleased。 I really have to discuss the ending， but I will put it at the very bottom in a hidden spoiler section。 It's one of the reasons why I am such a fan of this book。 Okay， time for the not-so-great parts。 I think the reading experience would have gone a lot better if the characters' thoughts/opinions were offset from the text better。 Most of it was all in the same format and it kind of brought down the quality of the writing。 It's different when a character thinks （and it's very clearly signaled that it's an internal dialogue or thought） another character is "so hot with a great ass" versus that being left in the body of a paragraph discussing conflict。 It's cringe when it's prose whereas it's the personality of the character when it's clear that's an active thought by them。 While I was happy that the steamy scenes weren't PG-13 （because we're all adults here）， I wish there was more to them。 Not necessarily more description of the sex， but more interaction。 A very good example was the discussion Ramón and Julieta had about quinceañeras。 Rather than the truth of why she didn't have one being a memory she revisited internally， I wish she would have shared that instead with him in a quiet moment。 He isn't going to understand/know these parts of her if she doesn't share them。 It also would have made more of their physical intimacy。 There was mention of Ramón having an altar for his grandfather。 I wish there had been more to that along the lines of what we got with the Christmas tree， which I loved。 There were passing mentions of Julieta's mother having lupus and that being a major concern financially。 I would have liked to maybe read a few scenes that showed how disruptive lupus could be or maybe a few examples of the financial strain。Now for the reasons why this isn't a 5- or even a 4-star: They're pretty big。 There were times when it felt like two different people were writing this -- that's how sharp the contrast in pacing and nuance was in sections。 Some of the most important scenes felt like I was reading draft notes or an outline。 The conversation among the brothers on their day off should have been a big deal， but it was very PG and simplistic。 The conflict didn't get any traction。 The confrontation with Ramón's mother was a sketch of a scene。 I wanted more from it。 I wanted to glue their feet to the ground and make them have a conversation rather than just a few lines of dialogue。 Going back to what I mentioned above about the steamy scenes。 I get why they waited but still fooled around。 I just wish they weren't so thin。 I really felt like I was reading scene ideas the author jotted down on a napkin because they were busy with something else or creativity struck unexpectedly。 They got typed up and stuck in but never revisited and properly developed。 It was kind of jarring。 My biggest gripe， which means I can't rate this a 4-star even though I want to so， so badly （I'm hiding this in a spoiler block because it reveals a little about the ending）: （view spoiler）[After everything is said and done， there's no confrontation when Julieta shows up at Ramón's house。 He was right to be angry at her for being ghosted。 With how he grew up， that absolutely was devastating to fall in love and then be cut off。 But there was no conversation about it。 I wish the scene included a moment （at least） where he tells her that she can't do that again if she wants the relationship to work。 I wish he would have explained that to her clearly and her acknowledge it。 Some kind of meeting of the minds where she asks for something from him as well in terms of living more in the community or re-emphasizing her need to be close to the people。 （hide spoiler）]And now， finally， the resolution of the story， which I was pleased to see and contributes to my rating。 Again， in a spoiler block because it will be spoiler-heavy:（view spoiler）[I'm so glad that Ramón didn't wash his hands of the business and run away。 Staying with the company and making changes internally was a great choice。 The brothers wanted to do other things which could really change the direction of their company and prove to be great ventures as well。 The solution Ramón had offered his father for Las Pescas was doable。 Even spinning it off as a sub-brand for a different dining experience at a smarter price point （cost vs ingredients was an important debate I was glad to see included in this conversation） would have been a solid option， but as we later learned， this wasn't ever really about business for his father。 （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Ashley Lauren ，

This cover was amazing and I felt like the start was promising。 I loved the concept of the small restaurant owner vs。 the big chain。 But after the night of the Day de los Muertos festival things really went downhill for this book。 Here's the thing， I really think this could have worked if we could have seen both side。 A big chain restaurant doesn't have to be inherently bad。 Especially given guy's father did start it from scratch （with a dubious recipe。。。 but they use it now， I guess？ Dunno， I'm This cover was amazing and I felt like the start was promising。 I loved the concept of the small restaurant owner vs。 the big chain。 But after the night of the Day de los Muertos festival things really went downhill for this book。 Here's the thing， I really think this could have worked if we could have seen both side。 A big chain restaurant doesn't have to be inherently bad。 Especially given guy's father did start it from scratch （with a dubious recipe。。。 but they use it now， I guess？ Dunno， I'm confused）。 Had we seen aspects of how this wealthy man could have used his fortune for good， compromise， whatever。。。But that not is what the author decided to do here and， frankly， a lot of what was done has a big ick factor。 Ramon， wealthy beyond belief but seemingly unable to make his own decisions， did a lot of really questionable things。 The worst of course was the fact that Julieta was completely backed into a corner and forced to take his money and therefore be completely at his mercy in every way。 It wasn't sexy， it was harassment and after she "decided" （read: had no other choice） to work for him and he blatantly declared it he was going to spend a bunch of time with her literally on just a pretense because he was sexually attracted to her。。。 yeah， I'm out。DNF but still feel comfortable to rate it as a no-thanks。But the COVER WAS SO GOOD :-（ 。。。more

Maya ，

（3。5 stars） This author has written a lot of rom-com type books but you could tell that sharing the culture aspect was very important in this book。 The romance was sexy and believable， the food descriptions made me super hungry while ready but this is a very by the book rich guy/poor girl pairing with cultural aspects being the thing that makes it stand out。 It just was some cute romantic fun！

Annie ，

This is such a fun take on a classic！ I loved the setting， food references （don’t read this when you’re hungry haha）， and references to the original text of the play。 This stayed pretty true to the original while still being a compelling story all on its own。 Some broader themes about family， cultural identity， and gentrification are also really nicely woven into the story， while still maintaining a light and fun tone。 Definitely read if you like tacos， love， and family secrets！

Caitlin Anderson Struble ，

This story started out so well。 But it turned into total garbage。 The story was rushed and the writing was really bad。 I ended up skimming the last few chapters just to finish it。 It’s not very often that my first thought after finishing a book is “thank god I’m done with that book” but here we are。

Lindsey Lindsay ，

This is a bright pink cotton candy book: sweet， fun， and airy。 And it’s served with a side of melodramatic cheese！ There is almost NO emotional weight or satisfying character development， so heavy emotions or problems （betrayal， gentrification， so on） are glossed over in a sentence or two， and the story moves so fast it practically dissolves as you read it。 I love the integration of Spanish， as well as Chicano and Mexican “culture” （in quotes because again， cotton candy floss level so it’s not g This is a bright pink cotton candy book: sweet， fun， and airy。 And it’s served with a side of melodramatic cheese！ There is almost NO emotional weight or satisfying character development， so heavy emotions or problems （betrayal， gentrification， so on） are glossed over in a sentence or two， and the story moves so fast it practically dissolves as you read it。 I love the integration of Spanish， as well as Chicano and Mexican “culture” （in quotes because again， cotton candy floss level so it’s not going too deep here）。 It was the perfect silly read for a very busy week。 。。。more

Maricella ，

My smallest book yet and it took me a month to read。 Ramon and Julieta wasn’t for me。 Which is so disappointing because I’m all for more latinx representation。 The writing was sub par and despite being a small book， it dragged。 I will say I appreciate the culture and the Spanish。

Raegan ，

I don’t understand how this book was sent to print。

Priscila ，

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 verda 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。。。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。。。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。。。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。。。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。。。Se você está procurando um romance com tradições latinas recomendo muito esse。 。。。more

Mellie ，

This is such a cute， fast-paced read。 It’s a classic love story that includes discussions on the importance of small business owners， community， culture， and identity。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Ramón and Julieta

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Ramón and Julieta&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Ramón and Julieta&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0