please read disclosures & policies

purchases via affiliate links offset the cost of this website. thank you!

about the book

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back … even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life–and love–outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook

 

my thoughts

Although I’m more of a buffet or roadhouse diner myself, this behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of fine dining is fascinating and honestly, a little bit exhausting! I assure you, readers do not need to be hard-core foodies to enjoy the culinary background in this delicious romance! I promise, my favorite meals involve chicken, potatoes, and cheesy macaroni. No food snobbery here!

Rachel Bishop is an uber talented and insanely dedicated chef. Seriously, this woman works her tail off! The few times she makes an appearance, “downtime Rachel” is more my speed with her comfy clothes and “messy hair, don’t care” beauty routine. Rachel’s passion for food saturates the story even as she is forced to take a step back and reevaluate her future plans.

Alex Kanin is a man of integrity and faith so when his editorial inadvertently sets off a chain of events that leads to professional devastation for a certain chef, he is determined to make it up to her. Chivalry is so incredibly attractive, y’all! I adore Alex’s charming and generous personality, he’s adorably thoughtful and romantic to boot!

The secondary characters in this story are top-notch and I kinda want to steal them for my real life (yes, I mostly realize there is a difference between real life and fiction). I had a really good feeling that I would like this story because I enjoyed Jilted (link below) so much. However, I did not realize this is the first book in a series until I reached the end, y’all!* Happy day! MORE Supper Club stories are on the way!!! I highly recommend this story and encourage y’all to check out the extras from the author’s website!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

*note: My normal approach to reading books for review is finding out as little as possible about them before I read the story. Besides the cover, which I simply can’t resist, my goal is to let the story speak to me without outside influence if possible (no blurbs, no reviews, no excerpts) so I can write the most unbiased review possible.

 

about the author

Carla Laureano is the RITA® Award-winning author of contemporary inspirational romance and Celtic fantasy (as C.E. Laureano). A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for nearly a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write fiction full-time. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two sons, where she writes during the day and cooks things at night.

website│facebook│twitter│pinterest

 

extras

The Saturday Night Supper Club excerpt

 

free novella for newsletter subscribers

 

goodreads | amazon | bookdepository | christianbook

 

What kind of restaurant or cuisine are you drawn to, reader friends?