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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Still giving it a few stars because I enjoyed the premise and the characters, just wish they had been given more depth to work with.
ALSO — the second they mentioned the age Ellie met her husband, I could not get behind the man and marriage being good. While she was nineteen when they met, he was still 5(?) years older and essentially groomed her (the literally discussed how he and his mother made her into the perfect wife). I had no sympathy for this dead man nor his mother at the end.
DNFing at the third Taylor Swift reference. Authors, the Venn Diagram of People Who Read Romance Novels and People Who Listen To Taylor Swift is not a circle. Please stop.
Maybe there’s some growth later, but 25% in this has got to be the most melodramatic and infantalizing representation of Hyperactive-Type ADHD I’ve ever read. It’s like Chamberlain read an online listicle about what it looks like in 13 year old boys and applied every single bullet point to a 27-year-old successful chef MMC. There’s something very inauthentic about it.
I really did not like the dynamic of how Ellie triggers Kieran’s feelings of shame and inadequacy. She reminds him of his shitty teachers and parents. Right off the bat. We are basing a relationship off this? She doesn’t even know him and she already doesn’t understand him. Imagine years down the road when the relationship is tough and maybe she’s feeling bitter and resentful because he’s scatterbrained or overwhelmed or slipped up on the house work. I just feel like she’d be the type of person to weaponize his neurodivergence against him. It ain’t gonna work. Sincerely, an inattentive ADHD reader who loves a hyperactive ADHD man.
To top it all off: I felt nothing for these two. Either as individuals or as a couple. When are we supposed to get some frickin chemistry? Some yearning? At 25% in shouldn’t we at least have some signals other than internal thoughts of oh, this person is hot? Observations of someone's physical attractiveness are such a weak way to build a romance. You always need this + more and there was no more.
Last - the POVs. One chapter we have 4 POV switches. We don’t need this. Pick one per chapter. It just strikes me as amateur, like you want to have your cake and eat it too by showing every little thing from the right character’s perspective. There’s even a typo where Ellie is supposedly explaining that Hank is her brother but whoops we are supposed to be in Kieran’s perspective and he says “I finally say with a sigh.” These quick switches didn’t add or illuminate anything important IMO that really mandated a POV switch.
I didn't make it this far, but other reviews indicate that Chamberlain engages in somecharacter assassination against the late husband. This is another amateur writing move - you don't need to make us DISLIKE the prior love interest for us to fully invest in the romance. It's okay for people to have pasts. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it struck me as feeding into the stereotype in romance where it's okay for men to have romantic histories but not women - unless they were unhappy and we can discount them.
TL;DR I don’t believe you, Sarah Chamberlain.
Maybe there’s some growth later, but 25% in this has got to be the most melodramatic and infantalizing representation of Hyperactive-Type ADHD I’ve ever read. It’s like Chamberlain read an online listicle about what it looks like in 13 year old boys and applied every single bullet point to a 27-year-old successful chef MMC. There’s something very inauthentic about it.
I really did not like the dynamic of how Ellie triggers Kieran’s feelings of shame and inadequacy. She reminds him of his shitty teachers and parents. Right off the bat. We are basing a relationship off this? She doesn’t even know him and she already doesn’t understand him. Imagine years down the road when the relationship is tough and maybe she’s feeling bitter and resentful because he’s scatterbrained or overwhelmed or slipped up on the house work. I just feel like she’d be the type of person to weaponize his neurodivergence against him. It ain’t gonna work. Sincerely, an inattentive ADHD reader who loves a hyperactive ADHD man.
To top it all off: I felt nothing for these two. Either as individuals or as a couple. When are we supposed to get some frickin chemistry? Some yearning? At 25% in shouldn’t we at least have some signals other than internal thoughts of oh, this person is hot? Observations of someone's physical attractiveness are such a weak way to build a romance. You always need this + more and there was no more.
Last - the POVs. One chapter we have 4 POV switches. We don’t need this. Pick one per chapter. It just strikes me as amateur, like you want to have your cake and eat it too by showing every little thing from the right character’s perspective. There’s even a typo where Ellie is supposedly explaining that Hank is her brother but whoops we are supposed to be in Kieran’s perspective and he says “I finally say with a sigh.” These quick switches didn’t add or illuminate anything important IMO that really mandated a POV switch.
I didn't make it this far, but other reviews indicate that Chamberlain engages in some
TL;DR I don’t believe you, Sarah Chamberlain.
Steamy Romance that follows a chef and a ghostwriter who're working together to produce a cookbook as they learn to let go of their past hurts to make room for new love.
4/5 stars: This is a stand-alone by Chamberlain which is a Steamy Romance that follows a chef and a ghostwriter who're working together to produce a cookbook must learn to let go of their past hurts to make room for new love. Written in dual POV, Chamberlain's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Ellie's a widow dealing with a complicated family situation who dreams of writing her own cookbook and own her own home and Kieran's, a recovering alcoholic who has dyslexia and ADHD, success should make him happy but he still finds himself trying to impress his family. I really liked seeing them working together to create the recipes for the cookbook. And how along the way they get to know each and fall in love and get their HEA. Plus I like that Ellie's plus size and that Kieran's a short ginger. And I love Floyd Ellie's feline escape artist. Chamberlain's humor shines and the banter and flirting are on high and will have you swooning. Oh and the OPS scenes are incredibly steamy. While there are plenty of heartfelt and humorous moments, Chamberlain does takes on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs.
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
4/5 stars: This is a stand-alone by Chamberlain which is a Steamy Romance that follows a chef and a ghostwriter who're working together to produce a cookbook must learn to let go of their past hurts to make room for new love. Written in dual POV, Chamberlain's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Ellie's a widow dealing with a complicated family situation who dreams of writing her own cookbook and own her own home and Kieran's, a recovering alcoholic who has dyslexia and ADHD, success should make him happy but he still finds himself trying to impress his family. I really liked seeing them working together to create the recipes for the cookbook. And how along the way they get to know each and fall in love and get their HEA. Plus I like that Ellie's plus size and that Kieran's a short ginger. And I love Floyd Ellie's feline escape artist. Chamberlain's humor shines and the banter and flirting are on high and will have you swooning. Oh and the OPS scenes are incredibly steamy. While there are plenty of heartfelt and humorous moments, Chamberlain does takes on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check the CWs.
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had mixed feelings about this book. At first, I really enjoyed the setup, the enemies-to-lovers dynamic had so much potential, and I liked both Kieran and Ellie. They each had their own issues and backstories, but their dynamic at work and how their feelings slowly developed was really well done.
However, once they got together, it felt rushed, and the magic of their slow burn disappeared. Kieran became too protective, and Ellie’s personality seemed to fade. The third-act breakup and reunion felt over the top, and the epilogue was just too much, it made me cringe.
Another thing that bothered me was how Ellie’s grief for Max was introduced but then as the story progressed, it felt like Max was being painted as a villain, which didn’t sit right with me. Her in-laws were also frustrating, her father-in-law could have been written much better. And then there’s her brother, who appeared, disappeared, and was never mentioned again.
The book started off strong, but the way it wrapped up really impacted my overall enjoyment. The ending gave me so much cringe that it definitely affected my rating.
However, once they got together, it felt rushed, and the magic of their slow burn disappeared. Kieran became too protective, and Ellie’s personality seemed to fade. The third-act breakup and reunion felt over the top, and the epilogue was just too much, it made me cringe.
Another thing that bothered me was how Ellie’s grief for Max was introduced but then as the story progressed, it felt like Max was being painted as a villain, which didn’t sit right with me. Her in-laws were also frustrating, her father-in-law could have been written much better. And then there’s her brother, who appeared, disappeared, and was never mentioned again.
The book started off strong, but the way it wrapped up really impacted my overall enjoyment. The ending gave me so much cringe that it definitely affected my rating.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one was really good. At first, I wasn’t sold on the relationship because I wasn’t a huge fan of either Ellie or Kieran, and felt like they acted a bit younger than their ages. But as we got to know them better and their chemistry improved, I found myself rooting for them. I enjoyed the cooking scenes and had fun with their romantic tension before they finally decided to be together. I also enjoyed the exploration of complicated family dynamics, and found myself tearing up a number of times.
I love finally getting an MMC who is 5 foot 7 inches with red hair! I have been getting so sick of all the men over 6 feet tall, super buff, with dark hair. I also love finally getting a character who has a cat, instead of a character who is either allergic to or hates them.
🌶️🌶️ - Mildly-descriptive scenes that rarely happen; Moderate tension.
This was charming and fun as well as heart rending. I loved the character development for both MCs and thought it was authentic. Ellie’s loss of her husband and finding love again was thoughtful and emotional. I loved how she evolved into her own voice and learned to be alone and together with a partner.
The dialogue was a bit schmaltzy some times and it really was a very slow burn! The title definitely set the expectation. :)
The dialogue was a bit schmaltzy some times and it really was a very slow burn! The title definitely set the expectation. :)
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Workplace romance, forced proximity, ADHD rep, opposites attract, foodies and chefs, TW: loss of a spouse