Helpful Score: 4
From a food lover's point of view, this book is a lot of fun. The author really puts you there in a busy kitchen in New York City. Her writing has an exciting flavor - it feels very modern to me, maybe because it doesn't try to make things more refined than they are. The kitchen is full of characters, people who are rough and loud, but very close knit and fit into the restaurant life. Details about the stations, the pecking order, the bustle, and the cooking seem well researched but presented in an exciting package.
I also really liked the hero, Adam. He has passion for Market and he's alive when he's there - the center of the hurricane of activity, he seems really happy with his life: his new restaurant, a well-tuned crew, doing what he loves. This is a good thing in this relationship, because Miranda is constantly doing things I considered low. She has her reasons, but they were tenuous, and I found myself on the edge of disliking her throughout the book because of her willingness to exploit others.
Overall: I loved the writing style and the way New York restaurant life was represented, and I liked the vivacious hero, but the heroine walked a really fine line for me. Despite this flaw, I would gladly read the next one in this series.
My full review: http://janicu.livejournal.com/95314.html
I also really liked the hero, Adam. He has passion for Market and he's alive when he's there - the center of the hurricane of activity, he seems really happy with his life: his new restaurant, a well-tuned crew, doing what he loves. This is a good thing in this relationship, because Miranda is constantly doing things I considered low. She has her reasons, but they were tenuous, and I found myself on the edge of disliking her throughout the book because of her willingness to exploit others.
Overall: I loved the writing style and the way New York restaurant life was represented, and I liked the vivacious hero, but the heroine walked a really fine line for me. Despite this flaw, I would gladly read the next one in this series.
My full review: http://janicu.livejournal.com/95314.html
not bad, but a little slow moving. the characters were interesting.
Great new author. Fun story, lots about the restaurant business, interesting characters, excellent chemistry and an edgy subplot too!
Steamy. Ok story.
New Author and am waiting for her next book. This one started out alittle slow for me, had trouble getting into the storyline but once it took off it was full of surprises, good first book, I would highly recommend this book.
Fun - quick read - interesting characters - not exactly the same old formula - but not so different that it is uncomfortable to read. I highly recommend it.
What a disappointment. There could have been more done on the relationship but very disjointed. I expected this to be hotter but there was no heat. I was so annoyed by the storyline of the brother and his sex life. I have her other novel, and not as motivated to start it.
Interesting story -takes on some modern viewpoints which
I liked. GAve me background info on what the "pecking" order is in a restaurant. Good story line.
I liked. GAve me background info on what the "pecking" order is in a restaurant. Good story line.
This book was shocking! It was really hard to get involved with the story as the content was shocking. I really liked the Acknowledgment at the beginning of the book. But the story was not that great. It was not captivating.
Nicely written and reasonably researched book about a punk rock loving chef who falls for a food critic who is secretly writing a gossipy tell-all about the chef's new restaurant. Chef Adam Temple comes across as sweet and romantic and while chefs don't particularly float my boat, I love books about food and cooking and romance. Unfortunately for this story, the "heroine" is a selfish jerk throughout the story and I never felt like she was redeemed. In fact, her supposedly selfless act at the end still seemed to be the opposite of what anyone wanted and while it helped resolve the enormous problem she created, I didn't think it helped her credibility at all. It all still seemed very selfish and manipulative. There is a secondary love story that is sweet and I wish they had been the central characters in this story because I hated the heroine.
