Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bitter rivals discover a sizzling connection in this sparkling romance from La Rosa (The Big Redhead Book). Perfectionist Nina Lyon, a gourmet chef and cooking game show host, has a reputation to recover after her cohost, charming but impulsive restaurateur Leo O'Donnell, calls her "Nasty Nina" on air. Though they can barely tolerate each other, the pair have a symbiotic relationship: their bickering keeps viewers engaged and Nina uses Leo to balance out her public perception, while Leo uses Nina to elevate his chain Italian restaurants. But when Leo accidentally addresses Nina by her unsavory nickname again during a live taping, she furiously quits on the spot--and both of their businesses immediately plunge into chaos. Scrambling, Nina's publicist pitches a fake relationship with Leo as a mutually beneficial solution that will unite their warring fans and save their restaurants. Nina and Leo reluctantly agree, and what begins as a business decision deepens into something unexpected. La Rosa expertly lays the foundation for their romance, allowing readers to see the good in each character separately before they learn to see it in each other. Witty and lighthearted, with plenty of tender moments to keep readers invested, this work gets the enemies-to-lovers trope right. Agent: Jessica Errera, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Chef Nina Lyon has worked too hard to put up with restaurant owner Leo O'Donnell's sexism and pettiness. The last straw comes as they're taping the live finale of The Next Cooking Champ!, the reality cooking show they co-host. Nina keeps it together until the end and then quits--dramatically on live TV. The social media fallout is immediate and harsh, and both Nina and Leo see a downward trend in business at their restaurants. When Leo comes to Nina's restaurant to talk, a paparazzi photo makes it look as if they're kissing. The fans go nuts, in the best possible way, for the concept. Taking Nina's publicist's advice, they build on the good press by going on staged dates in places where they'll be seen and photographed. But soon the deception, and sexual tension, become too real, and Nina and Leo begin to fall for each other. What began as a way to save their businesses and reputations, may just destroy them instead. This sexy, steamy contemporary romance, told from both Leo's and Nina's points of view, is well written and engaging. Descriptions of food and food metaphors are lightly laced throughout the novel, bringing humor to the story, and delightful secondary characters provide support and counterbalance to the protagonists. Issues of sexism and mental health are handled gently but realistically and add emotional depth to the well-developed characters. VERDICT Fans of Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake, Sadie on a Plate, and Food Network shows will love this foodie-themed enemies-to-lovers/fake-relationship romance.--Heather Miller Cover
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A celebrity chef and the owner of a restaurant chain clash as co-hosts of a television cooking show but are required to fake date to save their reputations. Nina Lyon is a James Beard Award--winning chef who's well known in the Los Angeles food world. Leo O'Donnell, who has an MBA, is the owner of Vinny's, a chain of family-friendly restaurants started by his father. Both signed on to become hosts of The Next Cooking Champ! to help boost the visibility of their restaurants. But over the past three seasons, Nina's honest critiques have earned her the nickname "Nasty Nina," and her falling popularity has caused her to close two of her restaurants. Despite Leo's genial persona, their acrimonious TV exchanges are not endearing them to anyone, and Leo's businesses are also shuttering. Nina's publicist advises them to conduct a showmance, fake date each other to boost their popularity. But enemies pretending to be lovers is difficult to pull off convincingly, and their online fans alternately laud them and savage them. Trust is slow to grow between them, but eventually it is only with each other that they can relax and truly be themselves. Their acceptance of each other as they truly are allows them to give each other space to be their best selves. After his father's death, Leo took charge of growing the business and took on the emotional burden as head of family so zealously that it has become his life and has given him low self-esteem, crippling anxiety, and panic attacks. La Rosa sensitively shows Leo's work on his mental health recovery. Nina has lost her focus as an innovative chef, and the closure of her last restaurant is inevitable. La Rosa convincingly shows how Nina recovers her passion for food and the story she wants to tell as a chef while finding a way to empower other women in the culinary world. A heartwarming tale of trust and absolution from a skilled novelist. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
