How does the saying go? The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Well, considering that at the time I met my husband I could mess up Mac & Cheese, I'd say if food was involved, it was the Beef Sandwiches I served him at the bar I worked at, maybe it was my ability to drop fries in the fryer.
I recently saw someone on Facebook ask if romance novels have "spice" ratings to help people to know just how steamy a romance is. The site allaboutromance.com offers ratings of Kisses (sweet) (🌶), Subtle (🌶🌶), Warm (🌶🌶🌶), Hot (🌶🌶🌶🌶), and Burning (🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶). [Note: the little peeper emojis are my own addition to the ratings]. For example, if you search "Party of Two" by Jasmine Guillory the synopsis will come up with a sensuality rating of warm, (Moderately explicit sensuality. Physical details are described, but are not graphically depicted. Much is left to the reader’s imagination.)
This led to the idea of searching for some "spicy reads", specifically Romance Books that feature food. After all,with certain foods being considered Aphrodisiacs (food/drink that causes desire), the pairing of food and romance seems natural. The word "aphrodisiac" even comes from the Goddess of Love herself, Aphrodite. The history of aphrodisiacs can be dated as far back as ancient Assyria (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/aphrodisiacs). Now whether or not they actually work, is debatable. It is hard to refute, that for many, the concept of a romantic date, isn't complete without dinner.
Spice rating: Warm 🌶🌶🌶
"A chance meeting with a handsome stranger turns into a whirlwind affair that gets everyone talking. Dating is the last thing on Olivia Monroe's mind when she moves to LA to start her own law firm. But when she meets a gorgeous man at a hotel bar and they spend the entire night flirting, she discovers too late that he is none other than hotshot junior senator Max Powell. Olivia has zero interest in dating a politician, but when a cake arrives at her office with the cutest message, she can't resist--it is chocolate cake, after all. Olivia is surprised to find that Max is sweet, funny, and noble-not just some privileged white politician she assumed him to be. Because of Max's high-profile job, they start seeing each other secretly, which leads to clandestine dates and silly disguises. But when they finally go public, the intense media scrutiny means people are now digging up her rocky past and criticizing her job, even her suitability as a trophy girlfriend. Olivia knows what she has with Max is something special, but is it strong enough to survive the heat of the spotlight?"-- Provided by publisher.
Spice Rating: Not Available
"Jobless and forced home to Wisconsin, journalist Sabrina Monroe can tolerate reunions with frenemies and kisses from old boyfriends but not the literal ghosts that greet her in this heartwarming tale of the power of love and connection from acclaimed author Amy E. Reichert. For Sabrina Monroe, moving back home to the Wisconsin Dells-the self-described Water Park Capital of the World-means returning to the Monroe family curse: the women in her family can see spirits who come to them for help with unfinished business. But Sabrina has always redirected the needy spirits to her mom, who is much better suited for the job. The one exception has always been Molly, a bubbly rom-com loving ghost, who stuck by Sabrina's side all through her lonely childhood. Her personal life starts looking up when Ray, the new local restaurateur, invites Sabrina to his supper club, where he flirts with her over his famous brandy old-fashioneds. He is charming and handsome, but Sabrina tells herself she does not have time for romance-she needs to focus on finding a job. Except the longer she is in the Dells, the harder it is to resist her feelings for Ray. Who can turn down a cute guy with a fondness for rescue dogs and an obsession with perfecting his deep-fried cheese curds recipe? When the Dells starts to feel like home for the first time and with Ray in her corner, Sabrina begins to realize that she can make a difference and help others wherever she is"--. Provided by publisher.
Spice Rating: Not Available
"A young woman juggles pursuing her dream job in radio while helping her family compete with the new halal restaurant across the street, in this sparkling new rom-com by the author of Ayesha at Last. Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she'll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening her mother's restaurant. When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighborhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana's growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant-who might not be a complete stranger after all. As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be"--. Provided by publisher.
Spice Rating: Warm 🌶🌶🌶
"Lumi Santana is a chef with a gift: she can perceive a person's emotions by tasting their cooking. Despite being raised by a mother who taught her that dreams and true love were silly fairy tales, she puts her heart and savings into opening her own fusion restaurant in Upper Manhattan. The restaurant offers a mix of the Dominican cuisine she grew up with and other world cuisines she is inspired by. When her eclectic venture fails, she is forced to take a position as sous chef at a staid, traditional French restaurant owned by Julien Dax, a celebrated chef known for his acid tongue as well as his brilliant smile. After he goes out of his way to bake a tart to prove her wrong in a dispute, she is so irritated by his smug attitude that she vows to herself never to taste his cooking. But after she succumbs to the temptation and takes a bite one day and is overcome with shocking emotion, she finds herself beginning to crave his cooking and struggling to stay on task with her plan to save up and move on as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Julien's obsessed secretary watches with gnashed teeth as they grow closer and becomes determined to get Lumi out of her way permanently."--Publisher description.
Spice Rating: Kisses 🌶
Bảo Nguye̋n would describe himself as steady and strong: his grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents' phÆ¡̉ restaurant - as his parents' fifth favorite employee. Linh Mai would describe herself as a firecracker: stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She dreams of pursuing a career in art, while working practically full-time at her family's phÆ¡̉ restaurant. Bao and Linh have never even had a class together - but after a chance encounter, sparks fly. Can this relationship survive their families' feud? -- adapted from jacket.
Spice Rating: Warm 🌶🌶🌶
Chef Ashna Raje desperately needs a new strategy. How else can she save her beloved restaurant and prove to her estranged, overachieving mother that she isn't a complete screw up? When she's asked to join the cast of Cooking with the Stars, the latest hit reality show teaming chefs with celebrities, it seems like just the leap of faith she needs to put her restaurant back on the map. She's a chef, what's the worst that could happen?
Rico Silva, that's what.
Being paired with a celebrity who was her first love, the man who ghosted her at the worst possible time in her life, only proves what Ashna has always believed: leaps of faith are a recipe for disaster.
Spice Rating: Kisses 🌶
"An uplifting Christmas tale, set in the Alaskan wilderness, about finding love where it's least expected...Before beginning her new job as sous chef at one of Seattle's finest restaurants, Josie Stewart takes on a six-month position cooking at a lodge in an Alaskan lake town. It's only temporary--or so she thinks, as she becomes a valued part of the local community, falling in love with the people who call Klutina Lake home. But one Alaskan man, in particular, stands out among Josie's new friends: Palmer Saxon, a quiet, intense sword craftsman, whose very existence forces her to question whether her heart wants to return to Washington at all--or make Alaska her home"-- Provided by publisher.
Spice Rating: Kisses 🌶
Years ago Flora fled the quiet Scottish island where she grew up - and she hasn't looked back. What would she have done on Mure? It's a place where everyone has known her all her life, where no one will let her forget the past. In bright, bustling London, she can be anonymous, ambitious...and hopelessly in love with her boss. But when fate brings Flora back to the island, she's suddenly swept once more into life with her brothers - all strapping, loud, and seemingly incapable of basic housework - and her father. Yet even amid the chaos of their reunion, Flora discovers a passion for cooking - and finds herself restoring a dusty little pink-fronted shop on the harbour: a café by the sea.
Spice Rating: Not Available
"A fiction debut that will leave you wanting seconds, from an award-winning cookbook author. Claire "Neely" O'Neil is a pastry chef of extraordinary talent. Every great chef can taste shimmering, elusive flavors that most of us miss, but Neely can "taste" feelings-cinnamon makes you remember; plum is pleased with itself; orange is a wake-up call. When flavor and feeling give Neely a glimpse of someone's inner self, she can customize her creations to help that person celebrate love, overcome fear, even mourn a devastating loss. Maybe that's why she feels the need to go home to Millcreek Valley at a time when her life seems about to fall apart. The bakery she opens in her hometown is perfect, intimate, just what she's always dreamed of-and yet, as she meets her new customers, Neely has a sense of secrets, some dark, some perhaps with tempting possibilities. A recurring flavor of alarming intensity signals to her perfect palate a long-ago story that must be told. Neely has always been able to help everyone else. Getting to the end of this story may be just what she needs to help herself"-- Provided by publisher.
Spice Rating: Not Available
With her faithful dog, Alvin, and her grandmother's recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is--and a man whose passionate approach to food and life rivals her own. Owner Julian Liswood is a name many people know but a man few do. He's come to Aspen with a troubled teenage daughter and a dream of the kind of stability and love only a family can provide. But for Elena, old ghosts don't die quietly, yet a chance to find happiness at last is worth the risk.
LINKS:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.