Ramón and Julieta

By: Alana Quintana Albertson

Narrated by: Alexander Amado, Vanessa Vasquez

As seen in People en Español!

An NPR Best Book of 2022 and “Books We Love” Pick

A PopSugar and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!

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—perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!

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 takeover 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.

Critic reviews

“Ramón and Julieta is a passionate and joyful romance about honoring family legacies, celebrating your heritage, the importance of community, and the power of love. A beautiful novel!"—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author

"This novel’s got a little Shakespeare and a lot of tacos, with a very steamy haters-to-lovers relationship at its core."—NPR's "Books We Love"

"Albertson gives Romeo and Juliet the rom-com treatment in the delightful Ramón and Julieta."—PopSugar

“This read is delightful; recommended to all fans of contemporary romance.”—Library Journal

"Albertson’s emphasis on Mexican cuisine puts a refreshing twist on the Shakespearean tragedy."—Publishers Weekly

“As this love story shaped by the complexities of Latinx communities unfolds, Albertson insightfully dramatizes the contrasts between Julieta and Ramón as he becomes increasingly conflicted about his identity as a Mexican American and his business plans for the neighborhood and its impact on the culture.”—Booklist

Absolutely loved this book

I loved how the author infused the rich beautiful culture of San Diego. This slight enemies to lovers gave me everything. I felt the tension between Ramon and Julieta. And the author took the very sensitive subject of cultural and ethnic identity and wrote about it so well.

Amazing, captivating deep story.

I really enjoyed the book. It was interesting to learn about the culture and the challenges that the community and the lovers faced. It was inspiring and uplifting. The only thing that I wished was that the 2 parents of each of the main characters had gotten to speak. I feel like there would have been a great story there between Linda and Arturo. I felt that I wanted more from them.

Hermoso, twist of Romeo Y Julita

I was hesitant, but once I started, I couldn't stop listening. Con muchas emotions encontradas. La tradition de Dia de los Muertos is one of my favs 😍

Great Authentic Story

While I am not Chicano or Mexican, I have lived in San Diego my entire life in San Diego and the story rings true. From the landmarks to the fish tacos and Chicano Park, the descriptions were authentic. My only complaint is with the narration. The male narrator voiced the female characters in a stereotypical and condescending manner that I did not appreciate.

I loved the cultural references, the characters and the immersion of the world of Ramon and Julieta

It was so immersive, you just get lost in their beautiful love story . I highly recommend this book if you grew up watching Telenovelas.