After catching her husband cheating on her with her business partner, Riley Carpenter decides that it's time for a fresh start. She files for divorce and moves to the small island of Rocky Shoals off the coast of Florida, where she's inherited a historic Gilded Age hotel from her Great-Aunt Gwendolyn. When she was a teenager, she and her aunt used to dream about turning the hotel into an art colony, and Riley plans to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately, her plans are threatened when hotheaded celebrity chef Sawyer Hendricks shows up, claiming to have purchased the hotel from another descendant of the property's original owner. He wants to turn the hotel into the centerpiece of his hospitality empire, which he's on the verge of selling for millions of dollars. Both Riley and Sawyer are certain that theirs is the legitimate claim to the property, but they're forced to call a truce while their lawyers sort through the legalities. Working side by side to restore the hotel to its former glory, their temporary alliance soon turns into a romantic relationship, but will it survive when they're faced with challenges from unwelcoming locals, a flock of foul-mouthed parrots, and trust issues from past relationships?
The witty banter and grumpy/sunshine vibes between Sawyer and Riley were a ton of fun, and I loved that she never hesitated to call him out when he acted like a jerk. I also loved Sawyer's hidden sweet side; he was so protective of the people he loved, particularly his grandmother and their friends and neighbors in the trailer park where he grew up. With Riley, that protective and caring side manifested itself in the meals he was always making for her, especially when they first met because he thought she'd lost too much weight after her divorce.
In addition to Riley and Sawyer's relationship, I thoroughly enjoyed the book's fast-paced plot and quirky, amusing secondary characters. The island's residents were keeping a lot of secrets, and trying to figure out answers to the various mysteries kept me guessing until the very end. There were also a number of scenes that had me laughing out loud as I read. Most of them involved the ongoing conflict between the North Siders and South Siders, which came complete with rival gangs of senior citizens. I felt bad for the police chief and Mayor Caroline, who constantly had to try and keep the peace (and avoid horseshoes being thrown at their heads).
Overall, I loved "My Favorite Dish" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I look forward to the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by the author via Wildfire Marketing Solutions. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "My Favorite Dish"
Running away from a disaster of a divorce? Starting my life over from scratch? My friends and family have ideas.
Open an artist’s colony on a beautiful coastal island, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. “They” haven’t met Sawyer Hendricks, the gorgeous, growly celebrity chef who claims he owns the dream hotel that I just inherited.
“They” haven’t been terrorized by a flock of foul-mouthed feral parrots. “They” haven’t been treated to the sight of Sawyer’s magnificent backside as he hogs the only working shower in our – I mean my – waterfront mansion. “They” haven’t run smack up against a cranky gang of geriatric islanders who will stop at nothing to ensure that life on Rocky Shoals never changes.
Then again, “they” haven’t experienced what it feels like to be kissed by a man who has a Ph.D. in giving lip service. “They” haven’t been spoon fed tiramisu by moonlight.
So, maybe “they” are on to something after all…or maybe this whole escapade is just a recipe for disaster.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)