Marly Bennet is fully dedicated to the success of Chameleon,
the restaurant owned by her best friend Olivia and the
family that took Marly in and helped her become a chef, even
though she finds herself hiding out in the bakeshop as
Olivia's talentless husband Keith runs the line. When Keith
is discovered in dry storage with Nikki the bartender and
his pants around his ankles, Olivia tosses him out. Before
Marly can figure out how to tell Olivia she wants the chance
to be Chameleon's head chef, Olivia has hired Joe Rafferty
to temporarily keep things running. Joe is on a mission to
reform his life in order to fulfill his mother's dying
wishes. Marly may prove too much temptation for this newly
reformed bad boy.
I'm a big fan of romance novels and the Food Network, so I
really like the growing sub-genre of foodie romance. I
loved everything about Amanda Usen's debut novel. Marly and
Joe come across as strong, independent, and talented yet
they still have their issues to overcome. The interplay
between the two is exciting and entertaining. While the
focus is on the conflict and romance between Marly and Joe,
SCRUMPTIOUS is a finely crafted ensemble piece. The
supporting characters added color and richness to the story.
The restaurant, where much of the action takes place, has a
distinct personality and I thoroughly enjoyed the behind the
scenes details. SCRUMPTIOUS is a terrific read and I hope
there are more visits to Chameleon in our future (Olivia and
the other bartender?!).
Sparks fly between love 'em and leave 'em pastry chef and
poker sharp Marlene Bennet and traveling chef-for-hire Joe
Rafferty when the two culinary perfectionists are forced to
share a kitchen. But several suspicious accidents at the
restaurant convince Marlene and Joe to work together to
uncover the saboteur. Maybe a little intrigue and
high-stakes poker will be the perfect ingredients for these
commitment-phobic foodies to whip up a happily ever after.