You Had Me at Taco
Author: Candice Y. Johnson
Reviewer: Sophia Rose
Rating: B+
What I’m Talking About:
When the wine hits the wedding gown, Dayton Royal can kiss her fashion career and fiancé goodbye. The only opportunity open is small time Texas and her cousin’s taco truck. But, new chances are right where she doesn’t expect to find them once she opens her eyes and takes notice. Candice Johnson is a new to me author, but I was sold on a title and a cover and happy to taste test a romance of seconds for two relationship-wary people.
You Had Me at Taco is the third installment in the Taco Truck Romance series of standalone romance. While I understood that Day’s two cousins got their romances earlier, You Had Me at Taco was easily read out of order for Day and Grant’s age-gap romance.
Day is pretty low after the incident with the wine and her life exploding so she doesn’t notice nearby business owner, Grant’s interest until his life is suddenly in crisis when his ex leaves his hostile teen daughter on his doorstep and he’s floundering trying to be Blake’s dad and make a connection with her. Tumultuous teenager Blake is just who Day needs to break her out of her own spiral. This is because Day can relate to Blake’s parent issues since Day’s being pushed by her mom to resolve her own longstanding struggles.
Day helps Blake as they connect over fashion and food and this also helps Day heal and begin to address her own issues with her mom. Day slowly begins building something with Grant. If they can get through family drama, figuring out life, work, and dreams, and trusting what they’ve got, a teenager and a taco truck might just see them to their chance at happy.
You Had Me at Taco held no surprises for me. I read the blurb and saw that there was going to be drama and high emotions. It was more than I generally gravitate toward, but it made sense and didn’t come out of nowhere. The romance initially took a backseat though the smoldering attraction was there. The age-gap didn’t dominate their romance like this trope sometimes can. It does leave one craving a good taco. This was a heartwarming, healing story with an engaging romance for contemporary romance fans.
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot
Sophia Rose
About the Book:
Starting over is more than a song lyric…
The last thing rising fashion designer Dayton Royal anticipated when she moved to Necessity, Texas was managing one of her cousin’s taco trucks. But after being skewered on social media for ruining her first famous client’s wedding gown and then her estranged mother reaches out to reconcile, Day retreats, drowning in tortillas, salsa and humiliation. Romance isn’t on her plate, until the handsome business owner she’s been casually flirting with makes a move.
Single dad Grant Thomas has been smitten since the stunner, Day, walked into his store. Though burned by love, Grant still seizes the opportunity to ask Day out –right before his ex-wife arrives demanding he take their angry teen for the summer, perhaps longer. Unsure if he can balance work, fatherhood and romance, Grant’s determined to try.
Inspired by her new relationship, Day becomes a mentor to Grant’s daughter and dives back into her dream career as well as indulges her creativity and love of tacos. But can she embrace her new life and family, as well as forgive her mother and past mistakes?
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group
Series: Taco Truck Romance #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (294 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher