Call them Culinary Romances, Kitchen Romances, Foodie Romances, or anything else, these new romances heat up things between the sheets and in the kitchen 🥵. Has anyone else noticed the increase in kitchen-based romances? I'm not complaining, by any means, but it does seem to be the new hot setting for those spicy enemies-to-lovers trope stories. As a generation who has grown up with Top Chef, Master Chef, and more recently the Great British Baking Show (the pandemic comfort-watch we all love), I'm actually not that shocked to see this surge of foodie romances.
This is one of my favorite subgenres to read. Heck, Romance books are an entire option in my Blind Date with a Book program. As we enjoy summer and soak up some pool time, here are some great new kitchen romances I think you'll love!
For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
On Shelves July 16th
Chef Nina Lyon wants nothing more than to make a name for herself in the male-dominated culinary world. She finally has a shot at her dream when she lands a host spot for the competitive reality TV series, The Next Cooking Champ!, but unfortunately her co-host is a total jerk. Restauranteur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin, but when he takes a joke too far she ends up quitting on live TV. The two are then caught in a compromising situation by the paparazzi and decide to fake a secret romance to appease the show’s fans and save both their careers. Will they be able to pull it off without killing each other or catching real feelings? If you're a fan of Top Chef, this is the story for you. I loved having a grumpy protagonist in Nina. She had a lot to be grumpy about! She was flawed and open in a good way but wasn't such a boring cliche of "I gave up love for my career", no way, she knows she's beautiful and talented too. On the flipside, Leo turned out to be quite a marshmallow boy, and the book does a great job of exploring anxiety and grief from both characters.
I also worked on a curated box focusing on FOR BUTTER OR WORSE! It was so much fun to work with the author and create a delicious kit! Grab your autographed copy of this romance debut from Erin La Rosa in this Read It & Eat box. This box also includes snacks and a delicious baking kit!
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
On Shelves June 21st
"A reality star and a cupcake-baking football player pretend to be a couple in order to save his bakery in this sweet and sexy romance from Jamie Wesley, Fake It Till You Bake It." - Bookshop.org
The author of the One-on-One series, Wesley's new book looks like a nuanced continuation of her love of romances with sports. Our hero owns a bakery called Sugar Blitz and is also a professional football player named Donovan Dell.
The reality show trope is more prevalent for our heroine, Jada Townsend-Matthews. Jada turns town an engagement proposal on live television and now everyone hates her! The two are mistaken as an item, so of course, there is a fake dating trope! Plus, they have to save their careers and the bakery.
I'm excited to see black love and also see a man in a bakery. Pastry traditionally has been a culinary career attributed to women in the kitchen. I'm excited to see that gender role flipped. I'm also excited to see another potential "Grumpy woman" protagonist. She must have had a reason to turn down a proposal on live TV, right?!
Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson
On Shelves February 01
A PopSugar and BookBub Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!
"When fate and tacos bring Ramón and Julieta together on the Day of the Dead, the star-crossed pair must make a choice: accept the bitter food rivalry that drives them apart or surrender to a love that consumes them--perfect for fans of Jane the Virgin!" - Bookshop.org
First off, I love tacos. Favorite meal, last meal, death row meal, I want tacos. I am beyond thrilled to try different tacos and when I heard about rival taquerias? Ah! My heart!
Ramón Montez is a by-the-books math and numbers kind of guy. He's a landlord who is hiking up the rent for poor Celebrity chef Julieta Campos who is struggling to keep her taqueria alive. This one is going to be a second chance romance and 1000% an enemies to lovers. I'm not sure how I feel about the power dynamic, having Julieta at the mercy of the "owner" of the building. But if there's even a single taco recipe I will squee with delight.
The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett
On Shelves July 12
"A fiery restaurant owner falls for her enigmatic head chef in this charming, emotional romance
Amy Chambers: restaurant owner, micromanager, control freak.
Sophie Brunet: grump in the kitchen/sunshine in the streets, took thirty years to figure out she was queer." - Bookshop.org
YAS grumpy in the kitchen! YAS sunshine character! I know, it's a little bit of a taboo to have the owner and the chef in a romance. Oh the health code violations! Oh the conflict of interest! But I love a queer romance with a promise of happiy-ever-afters!
It looks like we have another reality tv tie-in. Their restaurant is in trouble and this TV show looks like a chance for exposure to drum up business. It will start at an uneasy truce and of course things are going to spice up real quick!
After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez
On Shelves July 26th
"Opposites attract in this rivals-to-lovers romance from Lush Money author Angelina M. Lopez" - Bookshop.org
Instead of a restaurant rescue, it is a BAR rescue! I'm so intrigued. It looks like these two are going to have an uneasy truce to fight a great enemy.
What really has me intrigued is that Alex will be at odds with her own family because they adore Jeremiah Post, the professor slash bartender who has been taken in by her family. Alex has been away and is blowing into town with the hopes of rescuing her grandmother's bar.
It is unclear in the description who the mutual enemy is, but I'm going to guess there might be an element of gentrification at play. If Alex and Jeremiah both want to save the bar, I'm guessing the enemy who has entered with the goal of "Changing the community" is a white yuppy that wants to flip the area.
This one is on my pre-order list so we shall see!
Disclosure: The links you are using above are affiliate links for Bookshop.org. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small purchase AND 10% of your order is used to support independent bookstores across America! Pretty cool, right?
Comentários