Romcom and food? Yes please! A quick fun read! There were some chapters I felt like it was too long but overall, I enjoyed this book.

I always enjoy rom com novels that center around food. I think books that have a specific culture (in this case Mexican American) do well when food is included given that food is such a large part of culture and family. I enjoyed the online romance bits as well, it reminded me of the novel Tweet Cute, and lends well to readers of this generation. While I overall thought the story was light hearted and it did keep me engaged, I wish the characters had a but more depth to their backstory. I felt it was surface level and I really wanted to to dig deeper.

Thank you Netgalley and Revell Books for the gifted book!

A modern day Texas food truck twist on You've Got Mail, this is a fun closed door romance that will definitely have you craving some street tacos. I found it so hilarious that food truck owner Rory inherited a food truck and cannot cook. And that her biggest rival turns out to be wannabe lawyer turned food truck owner and the man she is cyber dating. Their interactions and random run-ins were so funny and I loved the side characters, especially Hannah, Rory's down-syndrome cousin. Plus the constant fight between Jude (our male lead) and literally anyone else over his obsession with cilantro was such a funny and relatable detail.

This totally could be a it's not you its me situation.... but this was FAR too long and FAR too detailed about the boring bits for me. I read this in the last few weeks of pregnancy and while in the hospital after giving birth - but it just could not hold my attention at all. By the end I was flipping through pages as quickly as I could! These two needed to just COMMUNICATE and their issues were not as massive as they seemed to think.

I'm all for a You've Got Mail story - but this one was not my favorite! I much preferred Lauren Layne's recent release - short, sweet, clean and too the point.

Probably a 2.5 star!

Absolutely loved this one and cannot wait for more from this author! What I loved:
- the online dating app and showing the chats between the two throughout
- THE FOOD!! This book left me starving and craving tacos
- the chemistry between Rory and Jule
- the slow burn. Not much steam to this one, but it wasn't needed
- the family drama for Jule and his relationship with his brother and father
- Rory's complicated family history and her need to keep the food truck

Betsy St. Amant has wirtten another easy-to-read novel called Taco's for Two. Rory and Jude met eachother online, but can't meet eachother in real life. But then is there a competition in which they both participate. Failure is no option for both.

The characters Rory and Jude are well-written. It really felt like they became your friends and their romance was really fun to follow. The author also described their online relationship well.

It's definitely a must-read for any reader who loves contemporary romance.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

First sentence: If Rory Perez could find a way to wad all the cilantro in the entire world into a ball and hurl it into outer space, it still wouldn't be far enough removed for her preference.

If You've Got Mail is your all-time favorite, favorite movie AND you live for Taco Tuesday, then Betsy St. Amant's newest book, Tacos for Two, was written just for you. (Probably).

ColorMeTurquoise and StrongerMan99 are falling hard and fast for one another. These two have been chatting via Direct Messages on a dating app, "Love at First Chat." They've never met, but, they share a few things in common. One of which is they both love the movie You've Got Mail.

Rory Perez and Jude Strong are thrown together a little too often for her liking. Rory inherited a food truck, a taco truck, from her aunt. It isn't that she doesn't love tacos, she does, but she doesn't love cooking. (She doesn't even like cooking, not even a little bit). Jude Strong HATES his family business--a law firm. His big dream is to own his own food truck--and tacos, well, tacos would be his first choice. To him, owning his own food truck would mean some freedom and independence... These two food trucks are about to be in direct competition with each other. And, well, conflicts are bound to happen. Can this small Texas town be big enough for two thriving taco trucks?

This romance is 1000% predictable. That isn't necessarily problematic. Again, if you love the movie If You've Got Mail (or one of the earlier films from which it derives--In the Good Old Summertime OR Shop Around The Corner), I think that predictability wouldn't be a deal breaker. This book does seem more derivative than many other Christian romances.

I didn't have trouble suspending my disbelief for most of the book. However, when it came to Rory's party planning/designing, well, she lost me a bit. I had a hard time imagining a sophisticated, elegant, beautiful party where the guests are wearing formal wear when tacos and nachos are on the menu and the decorations include balloons.

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a fun, sweet romance. Rory inherits a taco truck and all that comes with it. Jude is in the family business but he really only wants tacos. This story is such a fun read and I think it is the perfect beach or summer read. I think readers of rom com will adore this book. It is sweet and fun, clean romance. I hope there are more books in this series. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this fun romance. It was a quick fun read. I always enjoy a fun enemies to lovers romance and Tacos for Two definitely delivered. The interactions between Rory and Jude. I will definitely be reading this again.

This was a fun combo of two of my favourite things: rom coms and food! It did also have an aspect of finding one's self as it looks at the hopes and dreams of the main characters, Rory and Jude.
Speaking of, I thought the characters were really written and had great traits that played off one another really well. They were likable and relatable, which is always great in a book.
If you're looking for a light hearted and quick read, be sure to pick this one up but don't do it on an empty stomach! You've been warned, ha!

This was such a fun and adorable little read that gave me all of the warm and cozy feelings! It very much reminded me of You’ve Got Mail, which I LOVED! Rory and Jude had such amazing chemistry, If you are looking for pure escapism and joy, definitely pick this one up!

I loved the element of the food truck contest and the rivalry between the two characters was intense yet really sweet as you could tell that there were real feelings between them.

The side characters were also written so well, and I would be so interested to read a book based on one of them!

All in all, this was a really good book. As a giant foodie, I loved reading about all of the amazing food and my stomach repeatedly growled as I was reading!

Tacos For Two left me smiling and craving Mexican food!

I really enjoyed the first 70% of this book…and disliked just about everything from there on. The premise is great, the writing and structure is very good, but there are so many holes left open that I checked several times to see if characters were in other books or if this book was actually a companion/sequel. There is this whole thing with a fictional actress Fiona Stone that was so incredibly frustrating to the point where until the last paragraph I was sure it was going to come out that Rory was Fiona in disguise or a former actor under that pseudonym. The last 30% of this book had so many confusing and frustrating plot twists, and - I know it’s a novel - but so unrealistic (and not in a lovey grand gesture of way, just a frustrating roll your eyes way). Overall I’d give this book a 3.5/5 but I rounded down to a 3 because I’m so frustrated.

I'll be honest and say I only made it about a third through the book, but the cheese fest was too much for me. Rory and Jude start an online chat, and they each had the "perfect" come back for every question and the "perfect" answers, and it was all just a little too unbelievable for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good romantic novel, or a good rom com, but this one was just too cheesy. The concept was cute. She was trying to uphold her aunt's memory with her food, and he was trying to be his own man and branch out on his own away from his family's lawyer legacy, but I was not a fan unfortunately. Everyone has their own opinions, but for me it just didn't have enough realistic qualities to it to keep me invested in finishing this novel.

DNF - 50%

Despite the gorgeous book cover, the appeal of food trucks, and the promising enemies-to-lovers/You've Got Mail premise, Tacos for Two just wasn't for me. Honestly, I didn't really connect with the main characters, and I struggled to like them.

To start, I didn't care for Jude using Rory by asking for cooking lessons and then going into direct competition with her. Not to mention, Jude had no accountability or awareness that what he did was wrong - and was completely oblivious to his contribution to the "drama" of his situation. It was also annoying how the book attempted to brush this situation under the rug without any apology. I also didn't like how Jude's inheritance factored in as one of his motivators. It just rubbed me the wrong way and made me lose some respect for him. As for Rory, I didn't like the miscommunication and the jumping to conclusions on her part.

Ultimately, Rory and Jude's behavior placed them in an unattractive light and the more story I read, the harder it was to maintain interest. All in all, this book wasn't for me.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This one was so much fun! If it doesn't leave you starving for tacos every time you pick it up, you must not be a foodie like me! Food aside, I love, love, love that this is a romance with approximately ZERO steam in it. I don't mind a little steam in my books, but it's certainly not something that I look forward to. No judgement if that's what you're into! Just know that this isn't the book for you. I will say I found the female main character and her constant assumptions ~slightly~ annoying. I also felt like the story dragged in places. Those things aside, however, this book is a really great, fluffy, taco-filled, romantic time, and if that's what you're in the mood for, you should definitely pick it up!!

Tacos for Two is such a delightful story. If you enjoy rom coms like You've Got Mail, you will love this. What I like about this book is the characters are perfectly flawed and they know it. In a lot of ways the main characters grow a lot throughout the novel. The plot is enjoyable and jam=packed with twists and turns that keep you engaged throughout. Interestingly, I would sometimes feel like the pacing is a little off, however I finished the book in a very short time, so overall I think the pacing was just enough to make me not want to put it down (and I didn't). Overall this book is wonderful and I highly recommend it!

You know that feeling after devouring an excellent book, the cream of the crop, and you’re just sitting there, a bit of a mess – laughing a little, smiling a lot, all while wiping away tears of you-don’t-even-know-why-you’re-crying? It’s a lot like the feeling you get at the end of a Tom Hanks – Meg Ryan romcom. Say, for instance… You’ve Got Mail … because Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a loving nod to the best (don’t fight me on this) Hanks/Ryan movie – with its own delicious flavor – and gave me all the feels that I felt when I watched YGM for the first time.

Don’t get me wrong, though – Tacos for Two isn’t an updated You’ve Got Mail. Rather, the author gives fans of the movie a story-wrapped hug (and don’t we all need one of those after the last couple of years?), kinda like a comforting, warm beverage on a cold, dreary day. Haven’t watched the movie yet? (WHY?!?!) No worries! You’ll have no problem following along with this delightful & smartly-written romance. You just appreciate the author’s story crafting prowess even more if you have watched it.

Ok, enough about YGM.

Rory and Jude have a lot in common at heart… except for cilantro lol. (I’m with Rory on this, Jude – it tastes nasty.) Both are at a crossroads in their professional lives and their personal lives, too, for that matter, and the line between the two gets fuzzy as the story progresses. The professional affects the personal, and vice versa, and Rory and Jude’s separate internal conflicts have a habit of tangling up with the other’s conflicts as well. Which means a sizzling skillet of romantic tension & some smokin’ hot kisses, too! But as much as I loved the kisses (whew! keep a fan handy!), I think I might have loved the friendship that led up to them even more. St. Amant has created two fantastic protagonists with layers and emotions and dreams, and she’s allowed them to find that like-minded connection in each other – both in their online alter egos and their tentative in-person friendship. I loved the dynamics this put into play, and I loved the journey the author took with these characters – and her readers.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the fabulous side characters in this book, too. Specifically on Rory’s side of things. Hannah (all my love for Rory’s cousin & the graceful way the author wrote her) and Nicole & Grady are exactly the kind of people you want by your side in life. The kind of friendships who build you up, who keep you going when you want to quit, who are there with the right hug or pick-me-up at the right time. I’m also glad that Jude had at least one friend like that too, and it made my heart happy to watch Rory’s friends become a support for him as well (without violating their loyalty to Rory). The author drew each of these vivid secondary characters with purpose, and the balance they bring to the story elevates it to so much more than ‘just’ a romance.

Bottom Line: In Tacos for Two, Betsy St. Amant tugs at all her readers’ emotions, giving us lots to chuckle, smile, tear up, and swoon over as we follow Rory & Jude on their bumpy food truck ride to happily-ever-after. The wit is perfectly placed, and the plot is full of heart from beginning to end. Fans of You’ve Got Mail will delight in the affectionate nods to the film, references which only add to Rory & Jude’s story rather than detract from it. This is one of my fave reads of 2021, and it’s a must read for any romance fan!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant was a fun read. This book started out really strong. I instantly started smiling when reading the chat messages between the two love interests. I loved the relationship they were building online together. I also liked that they decided to take it slow because a lot of online relationships go way too fast! Unfortunately, when the two interacted with one another in person I felt nothing. I could not feel the chemistry between them. It was there a little but nothing like in their instant messaging. Plus, when I did start to enjoy them being together in person something always ruined it. It happened so many times it really started to annoy me and take me out of the book. While I do love Rory and Jude’s characters, Rory upset me so much! I just wanted to scream at her to stop and try to communicate her feelings. However, I do understand communicating for some is hard. I just feel like her character never learned from her mistakes and because of that just kept making more that could have easily been avoided. The same could be said for Jude as well. He also wasn’t the best when it came to communicating and both characters acted childish throughout the story. I enjoyed this book because it made me feel so much! I love a book that makes me feel so close to the characters that I actually care about them and the decisions they make.

I did enjoy the food competition aspect of this book. I definitely wanted to eat tacos the whole time I was reading this! I liked that the competition helped both Jude and Rory find themselves and understand what it means to live a happy life for yourself. The side characters were interesting and definitely had their own personalities which.. The author did a great job of showing how important family is.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. I would say this story is more about finding yourself than it is a romance book. While it does focus on Rory and Jude trying to start a relationship I think it focuses more on their wants/dreams which I loved. The writing was well done but the pacing could have been a bit better. Started strong then towards the middle felt a little long then at the end it picked back up.

Tacos for Two
By: Betsy St. Amant

Rating: 🌟🌟/5

Quote: “Loyalty is a gift, my dear - don't turn it into a curse.” 

I was waiting for a cute romance and it didn't. The book is based on a woman named Rory Perez who works at her family taco food truck. Rory can’t cook and his cousin is the one who does all the cooking. An upcoming food truck festival is turned into a competition and she wants to win the prize. 

On the other side, we had Jude. He's tired of being his father's puppet. He decided to make something of his own and take a stand for himself.

Tacos for Two is a romance book without the romance, sometimes it felt like they were high schoolers and not grew up adults. They met through a dating app and hated each other in real life. I felt like their family drama took more of the book than the main character's romance.

I really liked the food side of the story. I love when books incorporate food and recipes in their stories. The epilogue was better than the whole book, there I said it.

2.5 stars. I wanted to like this one more than I did. I usually really like You've Got Mail retellings, but this one just dragged for me. I got to where I was skimming to see if anything would happen and pretty much nothing did for the first two thirds of the book. On top of that it was a g-rated romance with absolutely no heat, which I wish I knew going in or else I wouldn't have bothered.