Scrumptious by Amanda Usen

Title: Scrumptious
Author: Amanda Usen
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5982-1
Release Date: January 2012
Format: Mass-Market Paperback
How I read it: Arc from publisher
Rating: 4 Crowns

 

 

Tall, Dark, and Delicious

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he’s going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he’s denser that a thick slice of chocolate-ripple cheesecake.

Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else-especially a cocky-as-all-get-out superstar chef. But there’s no denying the man knows how to light her fire.

Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

My Thoughts:

For starters you have:

One severely troubled marriage between the owner of Chameleon, Olivia and her husband Keith who is the cook as well as a certified tosser.

For the main course:

There is the smoking hot self-proclaimed bachelor for life, Joe Rafferty who is happily pleased with his love ‘em and leave ‘em lifestyle. He also possesses mad skills in both the kitchen and the bedroom. He’s likable yet he gets underneath your skin to the point you occasionally get the urge to hit him over the head with a frying pan.

We also have Marly who singlehandedly has been keeping Chameleon afloat. When Joe shows up she is not about to let him take over her kitchen. She’s a very no nonsense kinda girl and I liked that about her.

For Drinks:

There is the volatile cocktail I like to call the ‘don’t try and screw me over’ which contains a healthy dose of attraction and a lethal dose of hostility.

Also on tap is ‘Crime & Chaos’ which is a brilliant concoction of how to sink your business mixed with a bit of mob action courtesy of Keith.

And I must not fail to mention “Resentment”. It’s a bit bitter yet evens out in the end.

For dessert:

There is a sweet and spicy romance with just the perfect blend steam.

***

I have to say I loved this book. It’s a bit different for me because I am not normally into what has become known as ‘foodie’ books, but that maybe because I can and have burnt a pan of water. For me, I found this book very entertaining. The elements were perfectly blended like a well put together recipe and it left me craving more.

The characters were likable although for some reason I wished that Joe would have had a sexier name. He just seemed something other than a Joe. The plot kept me enthralled especially when the mob entered the storyline, I am also a sucker for mob-related things and it seemed to fit really well into the context of the story.

I cannot wait to read more from Amanda Usen.

Visit Angela @ Renee’s Reads