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joanav's review
2.0
I received this book in a giveaway and I would like to thank the author again for doing it.
2.5*
Although in general I liked the book, it did have some issues for me. For example Josefina (Fina from now on) spends most of the book struggling with telling Ignacio (Nacho from now on) what she actually did for a living and who she truly is. Nacho spends the whole book saying he doesn't want someone like he's previous wife (and what I gathered from that was that he didn't want someone who did what Collette did). Nacho ends up discovering that Fina pretty much did what Collette did (however they are not the same, and I would like to stress that) but it should have been a more developed theme, how Nacho handled the revelation that Fina told him. And Fina told him in 2 paragraphs - what?! She spent the whole book not knowing how to tell him and we don't even get that full conversation, just (almost) a note saying that she spilled the beans and he knows and now she doesn't know how he'll react? And he reacts like it was nothing? Something like "oh I am not happy you lied but I don’t care" after spending the whole time saying he didn't want someone who lied and who did what Fina did.... It was just resolved to easily and too fast for me. There was no intensity in the end, no climax... Sadly, it felt unsatisfactory. It has a lot of potential, I just feel it wasn't as well explored as it could have been.
2.5*
Although in general I liked the book, it did have some issues for me. For example Josefina (Fina from now on) spends most of the book struggling with telling Ignacio (Nacho from now on) what she actually did for a living and who she truly is. Nacho spends the whole book saying he doesn't want someone like he's previous wife (and what I gathered from that was that he didn't want someone who did what Collette did). Nacho ends up discovering that Fina pretty much did what Collette did (however they are not the same, and I would like to stress that) but it should have been a more developed theme, how Nacho handled the revelation that Fina told him. And Fina told him in 2 paragraphs - what?! She spent the whole book not knowing how to tell him and we don't even get that full conversation, just (almost) a note saying that she spilled the beans and he knows and now she doesn't know how he'll react? And he reacts like it was nothing? Something like "oh I am not happy you lied but I don’t care" after spending the whole time saying he didn't want someone who lied and who did what Fina did.... It was just resolved to easily and too fast for me. There was no intensity in the end, no climax... Sadly, it felt unsatisfactory. It has a lot of potential, I just feel it wasn't as well explored as it could have been.
ketutar's review against another edition
3.0
Nacho's Tacos. *sigh* Fine dining. Sure. As far as I know tacos are street food. Not restaurant food. And what is a Mexican doing starting a restaurant in a Coloradoan mining town? It is of course possible, but not very likely.
"La Maison des Chats.
Josefina frowned. She didn’t know much French, but she was fluent in Spanish and the similarities between the two were enough to make her question what kind of accommodations the Reverend offered them."
La casa de los gatos? How is that even close?
Also, how do all these ladies know the slang term cathouse? I don't. But not even one makes fun of the literal meaning. I would have. "House of cats? How sweet! How can you have cats enough to fill a house and a house this magnificent?" Or perhaps "I thought a house of cats would have more cats in it... like engravings and paintings and decorations..."
WHY WOULD SHE TAKE THE RECIPE BOOK WITH HER AND LEAVE IT UNCOVERED, UNPROTECTED IN AN OPEN WAGON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER? WTH?
Why would she trust the Madame?
"La Maison des Chats.
Josefina frowned. She didn’t know much French, but she was fluent in Spanish and the similarities between the two were enough to make her question what kind of accommodations the Reverend offered them."
La casa de los gatos? How is that even close?
Also, how do all these ladies know the slang term cathouse? I don't. But not even one makes fun of the literal meaning. I would have. "House of cats? How sweet! How can you have cats enough to fill a house and a house this magnificent?" Or perhaps "I thought a house of cats would have more cats in it... like engravings and paintings and decorations..."
WHY WOULD SHE TAKE THE RECIPE BOOK WITH HER AND LEAVE IT UNCOVERED, UNPROTECTED IN AN OPEN WAGON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER? WTH?
Why would she trust the Madame?
tearainread's review
4.0
This was the first time I read anything by Ms. Milan, but it certainly will not be the last. This was a well-crafted story with interesting characters that are not seen in historical romances. I like the fact that Josefina was resourceful when confronted by the villain, giving herself enough time to put plan in place (with Ignacio's help) to take down the villain and the brothel madam (who I knew was gone due to reading the seventh book in the series)*. Two stand out scenes made these characters real to me: Ignacio carefully using his mother's recipe to make a hot-chocolate like drink from his youth and Josefina studying Ignacio's mother's recipe book like she was studying for the SATs. Family is very important to both of them although both are far from their homes. Turns out Josefina is as good as a business woman as she is a dancer (the author did a great job describing the dance Josefina performed), and Igancio decided his role is in the kitchen - not necessarily needing a cook after all, but a helpmate at the diner and companion at home. Just a great time spent in Noelle, Colorado.
*The stories are stand alone but also work well together when read in order. Each book is written by a different author. I read books 3, 7, and 9.
h romance - us
*The stories are stand alone but also work well together when read in order. Each book is written by a different author. I read books 3, 7, and 9.
h romance - us
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