Review: Just One Taste by Louisa Edwards

Book Details:
Just One Taste (Recipe for Love)
By Louisa Edwards
Genre: Romance
Published 2010, St. Martin's Press
Paperback, 331 pages
ISBN: 9780312356477


Synopsis:

          Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy is dreading his final-semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her Bunsen burner by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs…
Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations make her hot under the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious…

I was riveted to this story right from the beginning. The numerous food references, anecdotes, and language tailored for chef-in-the-making, Wes Murphy, easily appealed to my interests in cooking. The nerdy, science-spouting, genius Dr. Rosemary Wilkins was also a great character to read in action, especially when she wielded BTVS-inspired expressions that had me laughing out loud.
I found the chemistry between the two of them to be ironic, since they come from such different backgrounds, but as a nerd myself, I can understand how Wes was able to appeal to Rosemary's brainiac ways to seduce her. Of course, I did not like how he abandoned her so easily - it always bugs me in books when romantically-involved couples run off instead of bothering to talk to each other about a problem or misunderstanding.
Wes's father is rightfully creepy, but his involvement in the plot seemed anti-climactic as an obstacle to the budding relationship. I would have preferred him to have more interaction with Rosemary, since she seemed at the end to be able to handle herself well with him.
Because I want to be honest in my reviews, I must say I did not like the homosexual relationship that ran secondary to Wes and Rosemary's. Nothing is mentioned in the short description that this is in the book, and I found myself rushing through those parts that focused on it to get back to Wes and Rosemary. I understand how the author used this to support Wes's side of the events, but the same could have been accomplished with a male-female relationship. I likely will not read anymore books by this author to avoid running into this again, which is a shame.

The Cover: The chocolate-covered strawberries are the perfect image for the cover, since they played a pivotal role in the plot line.

First Line: "Wes Murphy stared down into the huge stainless steel stockpot and watched a single golden bubble pop to the surface of the soup."
I love cooking, so of course I want to know what is in that pot!

Favorite Quote: "For the love of Joss!"

Read For: Foodie Challenge, Twenty-Eleven Challenge

*I received this book as a prize from random draw.*

Check Me Out at Pimpin' Reads!

Pimpin' Reads was kind enough to feature a review of Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione that I completed recently after winning a copy of the book from her blog! Go check out her blog, she's got some great stuff!

 

Teaser Tuesday: Polyxena by H. Allenger

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!).
5. Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My Teaser:

          Penthesileia was right in censuring me; the matter was problematic at best. In my ignorance, I failed to comprehend all that it entailed or even if my position was feasible. I hated war, for it imposed exceptions on us that contravened our better moral judgements, sacrificing these for the sake of the expediency that featured paramount under battlefield conditions. I say this because, to solve this dilemma, Penthesileia turned the few captives we had over to the local officials so that we did not have to deal with the problem; I think she did this for my sake, not hers. Pedasus's ruler had them slain outright, while Zelea kept them in captivity for possible ransom. War is cruelty. In its harshness, it reduces us to compassionless participants, stealing from us our benign tendencies and hardening our nature to the savagery that defines it. - pg. 90, Polyxena: A Story of Troy by H. Allenger

What are you reading this week?