Cover Image: Tacos for Two

Tacos for Two

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Member Reviews

This was a fun, sometimes frustrating romance that made me crave tacos like you wouldn't believe! I love food trucks and it was a funny idea to have someone own a food truck who can't cook! I also love the plot of falling for someone online but having conflict with them in person and not realizing they're the same person. I felt like Rory was also relatable because she loves the movie "You've Got Mail, " my favorite, and has some self-esteem and anxiety issues. Rory definitely had more pressure and responsibilities than Jude. I really felt for him and how he had to deal with his horrible family. That I can't relate to and he seemed to have so much patience, both with them and with her as she really had some trust issues because of stuff in her past. There was some references to his faith and I wished they would have discussed that more to make sure they were on the same page as I don't remember mention of hers. There was some fun banter and sweet romance, even mention of Pride and Prejudice! Her friends and cousin were also fun additions to the story and I liked that a girl with down syndrome was in the story as you don't see that very often. She was also really funny! I highly recommend this story!

I received a free ebook from Netgalley. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

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One for the enemies to lovers fans!
I really enjoyed this one.
The banter was spot on.

I found Rory a bit annoying at the beginning (maybe you are supposed to?! because her characters journey & growth by the end?).

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Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can't cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red--and an upcoming contest during Modest's annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. The prize money could finally give her a solid financial footing and keep her cousin with special needs paid up at her beloved assisted living home. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she's been talking to via an anonymous online dating site.

Jude Strong is tired of being a puppet at his manipulative father's law firm, and the food truck festival seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into his passion for cooking and finally call his life his own. But if he loses the contest, he's back at the law firm for good. Failure is not an option.

Complications arise when Rory's chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he's been falling for online the past month.

Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one?

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Rory has inherited her deceased aunt's Mexican food truck. Tacos and other delicious meals are on the menu. She runs it with her chef uncle, but her heart is not in it. She keeps it, though, because she also cares for her younger cousin who needs continual care.
Jude works in his demanding and demeaning father's law practice. He is discontent and does not believe that lawyering is for him.
Rory and Jude cross paths in the town's food truck competition which comes with enough prize money to make big changes.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to one another, both Rory and Jude participate in an online dating program. Thank goodness, because they really need these online friends to help them navigate around each other.

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Super cute romcom with a hint of competition! Competitors to lovers is always a good trope. This is a cute book about a small business and a competition that can save it!

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I adore Betsy St. Amant, but this title just wasn't for me. I tried to connect several times, but it was a little predictable and I'm not a fan of You've Got Mail or its related trope. Those who are, though, will find her humor adorable and her characters charming. There's a good chance I'll pick it up again in the future when I'm in a different mood and could totally love it instead of failing to finish.

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Inspired by the "You’ve Got Mail" movie, this story is about two sworn enemies - taco truck´s owner Rory Perez and lawyer from an influential family Jude Strong, who both can not cook! OK, Jude does not HOW precisely to make tacos, not that he can not cook in general. But food is what they have in common - and also, yes, they are unknowingly chattting to each other on the dating app.
The premise is definitely cute and believable, this setup might work in real life - but what we really do when we are confronting with the reality, not with the penpalling fantasy?

The ingredients are well-known for all the romance lovers, but does the recipe and the final meal work?
In my opinion, the main charaxters does not have chemistry enough in real life. They are very cute in the chat life! But in reality - Rory is too impulsive, defensive and sometimes downright rude; while there is simply no real growth in Jude and he is quite a manchild sometimes in his victimhood from his supposedly evil family. Yes, the characters can be lacking (as we all are in reality), but the chemistry is not the base enough for the real change and growth. Yes, they need to face their fears and yes, they somehow face them. But they are not strongly decided to grow for the sake of growth! They seem to care because they are attracted to what the other one has to offer, but they do not work on their own betterment as person. Maybe this is why I can not see them as a successful couple.
But the other characters are cute and I can totally see myself visiting the city of Modest in some follow-up (if there is a plan for that).

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This was a fun online romance but real life enemies (in the vein of You've Got Mail) story. It was a fun and light hearted read.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for the review copy!

"Tacos for Two" by Betsy St. Amant is a cute romance story.

Rory Perez owns a food truck, There is the annual food truck festival in the near future, which Rory wants to attend. Also, there is a good prize money for the winner of the contest during the festival. Also, Rory wants to help her cousin with special needs with her financial problems as well.

Jude Strong feels stuck, and believes that the food truck festival might be the perfect opportunity to relax and cook and finally have some fun on his own. But if he does not win the contest, he has to go back to his father's law firm, which he would hate more than anything. He can not lose this contest.

I love that the story surrounds food trucks and tacos and lots of food. It is a unique story in that regard. And it works out very well.

It is a very slow paced story, which you have to be aware of before stating to read this story. If you want lots of acton, this is not the book for you. f you, on the other hand, love true characters and their stories and passion, this is the perfect story. There is time enough to get to know the characters and their lives.

"Tacos for Two" by Betsy St. Amant is a cute and fun read.

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This story is clearly inspired by the 90's movie, You Got Mail, which I liked in a way as it is one of my favorite romcoms of all times. However, I didn't feel like I connected with the two main characters, and in a couple of chapters, it felt like the author simply took some of the scenes of the movie and changed a few details about it while also referencing said scenes.

The story, in my opinion, was too slow and lacked chemistry between the main characters, I did not like Jude at all, and I think part of my issue with him is how completely unaware he was of how what he was doing throughout the story was wrong. Not only he stole Rory's recipes for his own benefit, but he's constantly acting like the victim because his rich Father expected him to follow on his own steps. I didn't find one redeemable quality that made me like him. Rory is as much as unlikable, and while I believe she was the victim in the food truck story line, I also don't understand why she made so many of the decisions she made. Also, as I understand, the author is not Mexican nor has any relationship with the culture, which becomes apparent as she shows her lack of understating on basic cultural pluralism. I finished the book but ended up skimming a lot of it as I just simply couldnt connect with either character.

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Please see the StoryChats podcast episode for a full review of this title along with a fun interview with the author. We enjoyed the chance to read and review the book as well as the opportunity to chat with the author.

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TW: death of a family member (cancer)

I admittedly chose this book on it's cover alone, the colors, the flowers, it just pops! Very pretty! I wish I could give it more stars but I just didn't feel much with this book. The main characters Jude and Rory had zero chemistry and for the most part of the book it read really slow. I really love some angst and pain in my books and this one was pretty much fluff. I added a star just for the good food mentioned through out the book.

Thank you so much to Revell Publishing for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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3.5 stars
I’ll be frank: You’ve Got Mail is one of my all-time favourite movies. I watch it nearly every Christmas, it’s the film that made me fall in love with coffee shops and NYC as a setting, and I cannot think of a better RomCom. Of course, that leaves me searching for a similar read, and I’m always on the lookout for an adaptation with similar vibes.

Betsy St. Amant did a great job with Tacos for Two and crafted two characters I enjoyed reading. You learn that there is much more than meets the eye with these two, especially Jude, who could easily fit into one stereotype but breaks the mould. Pair that with delicious food and cooking scenes, and it combines to make one super cute RomCom.

Perhaps it’s because I know the plot of YGM so well that I found it predictable, but some creative decisions kept me engaged. And it was so much fun to see the cooking lessons unfold!

I recommend this one if you are looking for a cute RomCom with a cooking contest, themes of family heritage, a second-chance romance, and You’ve Got Mail vibes. And if cilantro is a divisive spice in your household, watch the drama unfold!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

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A romance with a side of cilantro. One owner of a food truck that serves Mexican food - thanks to her grandmother. One lawyer who hates his job and wants to follow his true passion. They meet when he seeks her help in learning how to cook - but what he doesn't know is that she's not that great at cooking, that's her adopted brother's job. And what they both don't know is that hey already know each other - through the online dating app that they have been using to message back and forth, anonymously. Throw in some meddling family members, unexpected illnesses, a food truck competition and the result is a sort of madcap romance that features plenty of amusement, a satisfying ending, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. Plus one plucky sister who is never afraid to speak her mind.
I really enjoyed this one and I liked reading about some characters who have some diversity - which is often lacking in Christian fiction. I'd say it's a solid read for anyone who enjoys lighthearted Christian romances or "foodie" fiction.

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This was such a cute read! I loved it and found the characters super relatable! I had a lot of fun reading this. I finished it within a week

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was not able to fully finish the book before it archived but loved the portions I did read! Cannot wait to pick this book up again!

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I immediately wanted to read this book based off the title. I love tacos! I thought it was a really cute book. I could totally see it being a hallmark movie. If you’re a fan of You’ve Got Mail and tacos, you will love this book!

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fun easy and full of energy
Not a life changing book or one I would read again but certainly one that I enjoyed and brought some lightness between heavier reads

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Own voices are so important, I hate that a white author thought this was ok.

A huge thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me a copy of the arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

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