Review: Cooking at the Beach
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 28, 2014
E-Galley provided by the publisher for a review purposes. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.I enjoy culinary based romances because, hello, baked goods and sex.This book has titillating foreplay.One thing that is really great is that the female love interest, Jenna, is not a lost little girl, she sets goals and is very strong in getting what she needs to accomplish them. She has a histiory of being seen as flighty. Roman is at a crossroads in his life; he is in business with his mother and he finds he can do nothing to please her.A big thing in this novella, as it is in many romance books is the big brother, the little sister, and his best friend trope. Roman’s best friend is Jenna’s big brother Cooper. This feels like an overdone theme in romance, but I do not have a brother.I haven’t worked in a restaurant since 1981, and it barely qualified, but that part seemed right: the weird hours, the rhythm of the kitchen, the tools, etc. It does, perhaps, glamorize is a little bit.The characters are fairly typical; I didn’t feel any unique qualities. So it’s odd to feel their magnetic attraction. Their interest in each other is well done, as is her insecurity after the fact. Roman’s mother didn’t feel like a real person, either at a distance or when they meet up in Las Vegas. Scant character development and quick turnaround are the bane of the short format erotic romance. Authors can’t write Pride and Prejudice type stuff in 214 pages.This is perfect as a light read; and great for situations where you want a book but know distraction is an issue (airplanes, beaches, waiting rooms) but it could make you hungry!