Comfort Food, Comfort read. Sometimes a voracious reader needs a change of pace. Sometimes you have a taste for something exotic. Other times you wantComfort Food, Comfort read. Sometimes a voracious reader needs a change of pace. Sometimes you have a taste for something exotic. Other times you want something simpler. This one spoke to me on the “something simpler” level. Though it starts with one of the main characters losing his boyfriend and his job on the same day, he’s a very successful, very talented chef, he’s done well enough in his life to this point that it’s actually a pretty low angst, story. He’s already made it in Manhattan; and as they say in the song, “if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.”
Sure, he goes into a bit of a funk, but soon he’s met a younger guy who’s a born and bred Brooklynite, who runs a food truck, and who’s ready willing and able to help an ex-top-chef lick his wounds. The course of true love never does run smooth, and there are some hiccups along the way, but the ones in this tale are pretty minor and you just know that their difficulties will be worked out.
While Baldwin and Murph may make sweet moussaka together, what they make in the bedroom is mostly left to the imagination. While the tale involves two chefs, the on-page fare is mostly savory & sweet, it never gets too spicy. Sometimes that’s fine too. Both chefs have interesting friends and families and it’s just nice to spend time with them.
Since this is the first in a three book series, I guess I’ll be doing some of that.
***Note: I was given a free copy of this title in hopes of a fair and unbiased review. ***
In this aptly named Strays, we have the second book in the Urban Soul series. Nero seems to have been an earlier stray taken in by Cass. Now he’s beinIn this aptly named Strays, we have the second book in the Urban Soul series. Nero seems to have been an earlier stray taken in by Cass. Now he’s being asked to return the favor by sheltering the waifish Lenny from a stalker. That means sharing the apartment above the Shepherd’s Bush restaurant that Nero runs.
The second book can be enjoyed entirely on its own. Nero has a haunted past that’s frequently referred to, but not fully explained, until late in the book. Having not read the first in the series, I found myself continually wondering about how much (if anything) I’d missed by not reading book 1. I’m now convinced that I hadn’t missed much. Nero is just so closed-off due to his life experiences that few ever learn his back-story. It’s really a satisfying relief when Lenny finally breaks through that hard shell.
However, a semi-spoilerish Trigger Warning is required: Nero is an ex-convict and a survivor of child abuse. These issues are recounted in some detail toward the end of this book and explain much of his behavior and attitudes. Despite the amount of time that has passed, some readers may still find this too intense.
Lenny on the other hand is much more open about his life and brings a good deal of light into what would otherwise be a pretty gloomy tale. Together the two make an amazingly romantic pair and their tale is surely as sweet as anything in the artisanal bakery they’re working so hard to open in Vauxhall.
Dan Calley narrates this, the second book in the series after the first was narrated by Craig Beck. I love Calley’s narration style, and I’ve enjoyed other books he’s read but for this one I find myself listening at a slightly reduced speed in order to understand the words. I’m guessing it’s the East-end London accent. As usual, Calley brings a good variety of local accents to the book which adds an element beyond what’s in the story itself. Professor Higgins wasn’t that far off when he lamented that “An Englishman’s way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks, he makes some other Englishman despise him.”
***Note: I received a free copy of this title in hopes of an impartial and honest review***
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