Tacos for Two

Betsy St. Amant

Oct 2021 · Revell

About this ebook

"In St. Amant's pleasing latest a struggling small-town Texas chef must battle to save her business and find love . . . St. Amant's quaint tale will appeal to fans of Karen Kingsbury."--Publishers Weekly

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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?


"St. Amant has something for everyone in her present-day Texas twist on the classic romcom movie, You've Got Mail . . . St. Amant's empathy makes this romance glow, and it will resonate with anyone who has braved the unknown in pursuit of their dreams."--Booklist

Ratings and reviews

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant is a sweet, small-town romance with spicy twists and endearing references to You Got Mail. Although the story was more light-hearted most of the time and made me laugh out loud often, it still touched on deeper subjects such as grief, insecurity, and the frustrations of dealing with family. I loved Rory’s (Colormeturquoise) quirkiness, her steller memorization of movie lines, and the love and loyalty she had for her family. Her hot/cold demeanor and easily roused temper put me off a little, but as I gained a full picture of her past through the story, I understood the reasons behind her insecurity and lack of trust. I still enjoyed her character and was so proud of her by the end. Jude (Strongerman99) is an all-around good guy from an all-around not-good family. I admired his drive to break the cycle of negativity, manipulation, and dishonesty by forging his own path. It didn’t hurt that he’s an attractive, intelligent man with a big, soft heart. I loved watching him grow into himself as he found his own way. Truthfully, all the other characters are fantastic as well. Independent. Vivid. Genuine. Rory has such a wonderful support group between Nicole, Hannah, and Grady. I loved that trio and felt they were a well of inspiration and wisdom. And man, I wish I had Hannah’s confidence and insight into the world around me. What a jewel! Overall, I enjoyed this story. I got distracted by the hot/cold nature of Rory and Jude’s relationship but held out hope for Colormeturquoise and Strongerman99. This story is a clean/sweet light-hearted romance. Faith is mentioned in passing, but there is not a strong spiritual arc for the characters. Still, the story is entertaining and will make you crave tacos! I was given a copy of the book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Tacos for Two By Betsy St. Amant Rory Perez has a problem - she's taken over her late aunt's food truck and she couldn't cook the Mexican fare that Salsa Street is known for to provide her livelihood. Hence her problem - thankfully none of the regulars know that and she has handy help in Grady, who does all of the cooking that is edible. Jude Strong has a problem equal to Rory's - he is about to be trapped in the quagmire of his family's law firm, at least if he passes his bar exam. But law just isn't something Jude is passionate about. Rather his heart longs to call a kitchen home. But before he can make a life change and get cut out of Daddy's will and possibly the family forever Jude needs a plan in place. And what could be better than getting actual cooking experience and lessons from his favorite food truck vendor? Well, you can imagine how that goes with Rory giving cooking lessons - the blind leading the blind - not quite since Jude actually does know his way around a kitchen. But you now have the perfect setup for a RomCom movie as these two are anonymous dating app texting pals, yeah that is a thing in this book. (Might be something to check out if it actually worked but I'm skeptical.) Anyhow if you combined a Hallmark movie with Ratatouille (yes, the cooking rat cartoon) you just might get Tacos for Two. Overall this is a cute uncomplicated read that is just pure escape reading to get you out of your ordinary. I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I give my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

This is a brilliantly written contemporary romance with likable characters and a constant undercurrent of humor. Rory Perez inherits a food truck from her aunt, but she has no clue how to actually cook Mexican food. Nevertheless, she tries to make it a success for the sake of Grady and Nicole, the real chef and her best friend. Having the money she needs to keep the food truck running is Rory’s priority, so she is more than a little incensed when one of the town’s wealthiest residents asks for cooking lessons and then becomes her rival in the cooking contest. Jude Worthington is a lawyer but wants to be a cook and own his own food truck. There are some really funny scenes between these two as Rory who is clueless tries to teach Jude how to cook. The text messages between the two are priceless and chuckle-worthy. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of two stubborn people who have to find themselves before they can find each other. With themes of self-acceptance, forgiveness and trust, this is a book not to be missed by those who enjoy clean contemporary romance, with a dash of cilantro, a few tears and a whole lot of smiles. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley since I am a member of the Revell Reads Blogger Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

About the author

Betsy St. Amant is the author of more than fifteen inspirational romances, including The Key to Love, and a frequent contributor to iBelieve.com. She lives in north Louisiana with her husband, two daughters, a collection of Austen novels, and an impressive stash of pickle-flavored Pringles. When she's not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white chocolate mocha--no whip. Learn more at www.betsystamant.com.