Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Just A Taste-Deirdre Martin

Just A Taste
Deirdre Martin
Berkley, Jan 2008, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425218976

Vivi Robitaille gives up on making it as a Parisian chef after a few years of rejection. So she chooses to do what perceives is the next best thing by opening a bistro in Brooklyn’s Bensonhurst neighborhood across the street from Dante's Italian restaurant. Feeling they are not competitors as they offer different fare, Vivi introduces herself to the Dante family, who welcome her to the neighborhood.

She is immediately attracted the head chef and part owner Anthony. To his chagrin he feels the same way. However, as they compare menus and great food, Vivi knows she loves Anthony, but she cannot compete with his late wife, a police officer who died in the line of duty. For his part Anthony believes he has met his food mate, but feels as if he is betraying his deceased spouse.

This sequel to FAIR PLAY is a wonderful contemporary romance in which the puck never drops; instead pots and pans are the main course, recipes included. Vivi is a lively extrovert while Anthony is much more reserved. His efforts to keep his partner, his retired hockey player sibling Michael, out of the restaurant adds humor to an entertaining culinary romance.

Harriet Klausner

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