Louisa Edwards - Just One Taste

Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy dreads his final semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her Bunsen burner by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs . . .
Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations leave her hot under the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious . . .

Comment: This is the third installment in the Recipe for Love series by author Louisa Edwards. I thought the first book was quite good, the story was balanced and interesting but in the second things weren't as well done, the romance in particular. I wasn't expecting much about this one, to be honest and I admit I was more focused on the secondary storyline with Jesse and Frankie which, by the way, finally got to its HEA.

I see there are three more books in the series although they don't seem to be focused in the same core of characters (and that makes me wonder why they are part of the series in the first place) while at the same time they can be considered a different trilogy. I will admit I'm not very curious about it but maybe one day in the distant future...

In this story we have Wes and Rosemary's romance. Wes is one of the chefs working at The Market, the restaurant owned by Adam Temple, the hero from book #1.

Wes is still at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to the chef's hierarchy in the kitchen so he hasn't been a key character until now. We get to know about Wes since he first met Rosemary in the Academy for Culinary Arts, where he studied and Rosemary was a teacher for a while, as someone's replacement. Although they started seeing each other randomly because of school and a project on aphrodisiacs food, they only became intimate after classes were over and she was no longer his teacher. Let's not forget Wes is older than most students and Rosemary younger than most teachers.

Wes leaves Rosemary however, because he feels he needs to protect her after an attempt blackmail. This obviously leads to some misunderstandings which only are solved months later when they meet again at the Market for Rosemary has some project issues to discuss with Wes... and will they be able to put aside the connection they established before?

The book was not a bad one but I wasn't overly confidant on getting something tremendously amazing. I was still hopeful, however to be able to have something more similar to the first book which was a quite balanced story and not the second which felt a bit more silly and unlikely to believe in.

The plot can sort of be divided into two parts, the first months when Wes was at the Academy and Rosemary replaced a teacher and then some time after when they are brought together after a separation. Putting aside the fact the separation itself was caused by one of those silly misunderstandings that could have been easily fixed, there is a definite separation when we think about behaviors. In the first part, both Wes and Rosemary are giving in to attraction and their relationship seems easy and natural. It felt so to me. In the second part it seems more obviously portrayed for plot purposes. I just think that the separation was silly (one could accept one or two minor mitigating details) and then the coming together, although as cleverly explained as Rosemary's IQ, it still felt like a tactic to force them to interact. Of course this is necessary but...

The romance is a key part of the book of course and this time it kind of worked out well. Rosemary is a genius and her part in the dialogue always feels funny and clever. Wes is not a bad hero per se but for me he lacks appeal because of his father. I've read some readers like the "con parent" trope in books but I personally don't. I understand it can allow for interesting elements in terms of behavior and patterns of choices in life and so on but the interactions with the con element just make the story feel sleazy and it annoys me a bit. Then Rosemary's background is also one of some neglect because she is so intelligent her parents have also seen her a tool and not as a child. We then have two people from not perfect childhoods who now find happiness: this is a romantic notion but not as easy to accomplish and I felt that lacking in structure.

Happily, we have the secondary romance about Frankie and Jesse finally being worked and sorted out and that is probably what most readers liked the best in the whole book.

All in all, an interesting book, some interesting details but I kind of expected more from this. In the end, however, it's ok, my expectations weren't very high but yes, of course I'd have loved to be more positively surprised.

Grade: 6/10

Mini Comments

Ok, I confess... I'm feeling lazy and I don't have much to say about these books, so I'll simply write a few lines about each one in my mini comments version of a review, so to speak. 
Both these books have in common the fact they're contemporaries and are installments that belong to series I've started or read previously. More attempts to get books out of the pile... 

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When Lilah Jane Tunkle fled her dull life in Virginia for the bright lights of New York City, she didn’t expect to wind up a nanny to a gorgeous celebrity chef’s ten-year-old son. Working for the delectable Devon Sparks is a sure-fire recipe for disaster, especially after Lilah gets a tantalizing taste of his perfectly seasoned kisses . . .
Devon’s not sure he can handle one more surprise ingredient in his life—he left his popular TV show, his culinary reputation is on the line, and now the son he barely knows is back for seconds. Lilah’s Southern sass is supposed to keep the boy in line, but soon enough she’s teaching Devon a thing or two about homespun food . . . and turning up the heat.

Comment: This book is the second installment in a trilogy by author Louisa Edwards. I had read the first one in 2015 and now I finally got to this one. This is the story of chef Devon Sparks that we briefly met in the first book, and heroin Lilah Jane. They met by chance at a bar near The Market, where both are going to work, but neither knows it before they sleep together. When they realize that, things start a bit awkward but they sort of get along but then, when Devon's 10 year old son shows up, it's chaos.

I was very interested in this book due to its premise, they would bond over food and Devon's son but in reality the romance wasn't that amazing, at least not as special as I imagined. Lilah was a sweet heroine but too cartoonish at times and too focused on sex thoughts and scenes with Devon in others. I just didn't find the balance in their relationship, especially if he is the type of hero who needs redemption and reconnect with his family.

The best part was the secondary tidbits about Frankie and Jesse and some mystery with Grant and Chris. I'm definitely going to read the third book one day just to get closure on these character's fates. As for this story, I wasn't just captivated enough, not like I felt with the first book when I had less expectations.

Grade: 6/10

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A smoking-hot prequel to Jennifer Bernard's fabulous Bachelor Firemen series. If you love the novels

of Rachel Gibson and Bella Andre, then this is for you!
Kirk, a.k.a. Thor, one of San Gabriel's infamous Bachelor Firemen, certainly lives up to his nickname. He's tall and handsome, with a chiseled body worthy of any Viking god. But he'd give it all up for one glance from her.
Sweet, shy Maribel has no idea that Kirk's been pining for her. There's nothing he'd like better than to sweep her off her feet and show her just how exquisite their love could be. But Kirk has a secret, and he won't let anyone get close, least of all the sexiest woman he's ever met.
Can a feisty little dog and an even feistier little boy help these star-crossed lovers find the passion they both so richly deserve?

Comment: This story is actually the prequel novella in the Firemen of San Gabriel series by author Jennifer Bernard, whose 3rd book I've read back in 2014. I was so interested in that book I overlooked it was the 3rd in the series but I got interested enough to try the others. Then I decided to go with the right order and this was first. 

I liked it, it's a sweet story of longing and distanced looks that make protagonists Kirk and Maribel feel close to each other but shy in the others' presence. Things change when Kirk finally decides to move and the plot goes from there. This is a novella, so things happen quickly although we have the notion time allowed them to sort of have feelings for each other before the action starts.

It was ok, not as well developed as the full length book but it had interesting elements. I was probably just put off by how they went from longing to crazy in lust and then love. It could have used some more romance in a way.

I will try to read the other books in the future.

Grade: 6/10

Alphabet Soup Challenge: Louisa Edwards - Can't Stand the Heat

For sharp-tongued Miranda Wake, the chance to spend a month in Adam Temple’s kitchen to write an exposé is a journalistic dream come true. Surely Miranda can find a way to cut the hotshot chef down to size once she learns what really goes on at his trendy Manhattan restaurant. The trouble is, she never expected Adam to find out her most embarrassing secret: this critic has no idea how to cook.
As for Adam, well, he’s not about to have his reputation burned by a critic who doesn’t even know the difference between poaching and paring. He’ll just have to give the tempting redhead a few private lessons of his own—teaching Miranda what it means to cook with passion.

Comment: I picked this book because it would be a great title for the letter C in the soup challenge. I was also curious about the story because years before I had gotten the second installment in the Recipe for Love series - in which this book also belongs - and when I realized there was a first one, I got it and now, many months later, it was finally the perfect time to get to it.

 

Miranda Wake is a food critic and she gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is challenged by chef Adam Temple to try a day in his kitchen before she writes about it negatively. Just when she is getting ready to go and finally have the breakthrough she needs to fulfill her dream of publishing a book, her younger brother shows up after leaving college and he too tries to find work at Adam's restaurant.

Adam Temple is a pragmatic man and food is his life. He feels very attracted to Miranda but can't stand her professional side, even more when he realizes she can't even cook! The lessons he plans will teach her not to criticize before knowing what you're doing turn into seduction ones instead...but will it go anywhere?

 

I liked this contemporary romance. I think my biggest issue about it and why I didn't think it would have a better grade from me is how their relationship didn't feel as deep as it could. I know, we have scenes of them together, sharing private moments and so on, but I wanted more emotion. I think there wouldn't be one single problem with the author upping the connection level between them. The way it is now, it's ok but it could have been so much better.

 

I liked Adam, he's a great character, flawed but willing to do his best in life and despite being a chef, he isn't mean just because, he works hard, he expects others to do the same but he teaches them and rewards those who work and are good people. If I could fault him for something it would be to not be even more romantic than he is!

Miranda, on the other hand, is that character that has a goal, wants to do whatever it takes to get there - in this case, to publish a book - but her ways get sidetracked and she can't manage all the things around her that need her attention. So, she takes the easy way out, which I think was realistic but if her relationship was developing with Adam, why couldn't she confide in him? This is what bothered me too, I wish their bond had gotten stronger and that we could have seen it before the HEA.

I like her personality, her drive to have a good life after the sacrifices she did. She's not heartless like some readers say, but yes, a bit more sharing would have still made a great story but a lot less useless excuses.

The romance between them is good, I liked how things started slowly but then they just seemed so happy together!

 

The writing is ok, this is my first book by the author and I liked it, I'm curious about the next books too. Everything was fluid and easy and it felt like no time was passing while I read, so that's great, unlike books where one takes ages to keep going.

The plot was pretty basic, I think the author could have turned it into something better, but bad it wasn't. I liked the kitchen details, the things related to kitchens, chefs, cooking, I admit I like cooking shows, so this book would be appealing to me too, in that area.

The end is quite sugary but I found no issues with it, it was kind of expected...

 

There's a secondary romance featuring Miranda's brother Jesse and Frankie, the sous-chef . I found it cute, interesting details and moments (Jesse's POV helped) but of course, it doesn't take the focus from the main romance. I'm curious to see if these characters will have any appearances in following books.

 

All in all , a great story. it does fill up all the necessary items to be enjoyable, like I said some things would have been better for me if different, but it's not a bad story. Not the best I've read in the genre, but it was a time I don't regret taking to spend with these characters.

Grade: 8/10