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whatbethreads8's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Harlequin Publicity Team, Harlequin Books, and Carina Adores for the finished copy of The Romance Recipe! Review contains my own thoughts and opinions.
I will not stop reading or sharing foodie romances anytime soon. Perhaps this is a new favorite setting/trope for me? And The Romance Recipe was a stellar romance between head chef and restaurant owner! Amy and Sophie’s story was a great grumpy/sunshine workplace read. I loved their push/pull dynamic. It’s a spicy book, too, so be ready for the heat!
I will not stop reading or sharing foodie romances anytime soon. Perhaps this is a new favorite setting/trope for me? And The Romance Recipe was a stellar romance between head chef and restaurant owner! Amy and Sophie’s story was a great grumpy/sunshine workplace read. I loved their push/pull dynamic. It’s a spicy book, too, so be ready for the heat!
katielovesbooks134's review against another edition
4.0
Libby Kindle. I do love a good restaurant drama. FF. Two POV narration. I thought the characters were well fleshed/developed. Decent spice/open door sex scenes.
kanncarlson's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like this was a very average romance. I felt like there was a lot of insta-love happening and I didn't really buy in to the chemistry between the main characters. In this book the reader follows a young restaurant owner who was able to nab her favorite chef-testant from a cook reality TV show to run her kitchen. Her restaurant was a hot, new success but has started to fail. The two end up working together to save the restaurant and get together in the process. Not my favorite LGBTQ romance I've read.
thedivinemissm's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bimblebop's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was a cute read. I did find myself a little bored sometimes, but overall it was pleasant.
The story is an amazing read on sapphic love, but I do wish it focused a bit more on the plot too. I was actually pretty interested in the restaurant business and how Cooking for Camilla might have gone. Even some flashbacks to scenes from Pop-Up Kitchen, maybe. It would have made the story feel more rich, in my opinion.
Still a pleasant read, though.
The story is an amazing read on sapphic love, but I do wish it focused a bit more on the plot too. I was actually pretty interested in the restaurant business and how Cooking for Camilla might have gone. Even some flashbacks to scenes from Pop-Up Kitchen, maybe. It would have made the story feel more rich, in my opinion.
Still a pleasant read, though.
rachelcharlenel's review against another edition
2.0
this SHOULD have been my favorite read of the year based on the blurb, but… it just wasn’t. it took me like a month to finish. i didn’t connect to the characters at all, and there were so many that it was hard to remember who was who — and so many of them hardly served a purpose.
i hate to say it, but this feels like a way too early draft that would have benefited from some cuts. i’m glad to have another wlw romance out there, but this wasn’t it for me.
i hate to say it, but this feels like a way too early draft that would have benefited from some cuts. i’m glad to have another wlw romance out there, but this wasn’t it for me.
gguimar's review against another edition
4.0
This book was great. Towards the last quarter it got a little slow and a couple of small things bothered me about the messaging but overall it was a nice quick read. Very spicy lol. I definitely liked the characters, they felt very real and raw. I appreciate how much detail and thought was put into Amy’s relationship with her dad as a side plot.
It was also interesting to read a book where the characters already like each other from the start. So although there is a build-up in terms of falling harder for each other, there is not much of a chase before they get together, which I thought was a fresh and interesting take.
It was also interesting to read a book where the characters already like each other from the start. So although there is a build-up in terms of falling harder for each other, there is not much of a chase before they get together, which I thought was a fresh and interesting take.
lakeshorelibrarian's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book as an e-arc, provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. #Harlequin #NetGalley #RomanceRecipe
I requested this book because I wanted to see how Harlequin would handle a queer romance within their standard formulas. I'm not a huge romance reader, and have not read a Harlequin title for many years, so I may be more critical than I am of my favorites, the cozy mysteries. Let me start by saying that if you like the Harlequin brand and want a queer romance, you may like this better than I did.
The author has some talent, including some surprising humor. The setting and characters have some promise as well, but they need a lot of work.
SPOILER SPACE
I found the two main characters problematic, because I couldn't tell them apart. They are given very different stories and personalities, as we are TOLD, but not shown. There is a lot of dialogue and sex scenes, and it was often difficult to know which character was speaking, or acting, because they didn't have distinct voices.
The sex is extremely explicit, without being either romantic or erotic. I actually questioned if the author was a man; it just did not sound authentic to me, but I realize I am not an authority on the subject. Still, for any romance reader, you don't want to be taken out of the moment to question the author's authority or the character's authenticity.
The minor characters also have promise, and three-dimensional characters are not the expectation in the genre. I liked the brother, and I liked the ex, though he was a little too good to be true. (The reason for their breakup wasn't very believable, but par for the course).
I know this isn't non-fiction, but if you are going to make the finances of the restaurant a huge part of the plot, then you have to make those problems and solutions at least possible, if not realistic. The character's parents also appear in the story, so these women are not independently wealthy and just working for the fun of it, which leads me to wonder how they can afford incredibly expensive apartments or condos in the best parts of town, if they are not taking salaries from the business they're supposed to be running.
I expect that the writer at some time has been a server or other type of restaurant employee, but not an owner of any type of small business, which is fine, but do a little research.
I was glad to see Harlequin make the attempt to enter this space, because everyone deserves a little romance. Perhaps others in the series will be better, or perhaps other readers will be less critical. I hope, however, that if they are going to continue the series, they make the effort to recruit writers who are active members of the LGBTQIA community.
I requested this book because I wanted to see how Harlequin would handle a queer romance within their standard formulas. I'm not a huge romance reader, and have not read a Harlequin title for many years, so I may be more critical than I am of my favorites, the cozy mysteries. Let me start by saying that if you like the Harlequin brand and want a queer romance, you may like this better than I did.
The author has some talent, including some surprising humor. The setting and characters have some promise as well, but they need a lot of work.
SPOILER SPACE
I found the two main characters problematic, because I couldn't tell them apart. They are given very different stories and personalities, as we are TOLD, but not shown. There is a lot of dialogue and sex scenes, and it was often difficult to know which character was speaking, or acting, because they didn't have distinct voices.
The sex is extremely explicit, without being either romantic or erotic. I actually questioned if the author was a man; it just did not sound authentic to me, but I realize I am not an authority on the subject. Still, for any romance reader, you don't want to be taken out of the moment to question the author's authority or the character's authenticity.
The minor characters also have promise, and three-dimensional characters are not the expectation in the genre. I liked the brother, and I liked the ex, though he was a little too good to be true. (The reason for their breakup wasn't very believable, but par for the course).
I know this isn't non-fiction, but if you are going to make the finances of the restaurant a huge part of the plot, then you have to make those problems and solutions at least possible, if not realistic. The character's parents also appear in the story, so these women are not independently wealthy and just working for the fun of it, which leads me to wonder how they can afford incredibly expensive apartments or condos in the best parts of town, if they are not taking salaries from the business they're supposed to be running.
I expect that the writer at some time has been a server or other type of restaurant employee, but not an owner of any type of small business, which is fine, but do a little research.
I was glad to see Harlequin make the attempt to enter this space, because everyone deserves a little romance. Perhaps others in the series will be better, or perhaps other readers will be less critical. I hope, however, that if they are going to continue the series, they make the effort to recruit writers who are active members of the LGBTQIA community.