Review: “Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish” by Bethany Turner

If you haven’t read a Bethany Turner story yet, you’re in for a TREAT! Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish, her latest standalone novel, features the world of celebrity chefs, glamour, and alllll the yummy food.

Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanaugh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel’s other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.

When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum, he’s sent packing to get his life in order. When he returns, career in shambles, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public’s good graces is to work alongside Hadley.

As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along, but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love. In the meantime, hide the knives.

Fan-favorite Bethany Turner serves up a heaping helping of humor and romance with this thoroughly modern story centered on cooking, enemies, and second chances.

Goodreads | Amazon

The conflict in Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish is fantastic. From the initial riveting prologue and story setup, I was anxious to see how Hadley would go from despising Max to liking him – let alone actually finding a friendship and romance with him. But trust Bethany Turner to take all these “seemingly” unrelated ingredients and deliver a “dish” that’s as fun as it is memorable. Filled with all the pop culture (and foodie!) references I’ve come to love in Bethany’s voice, this story is an enemies-to-lovers romance at its finest.

I LOVE MAX. And Hadley, of course 😉

Only Bethany Turner could transform a hero in such a dynamic way. Max has met his match with Hadley, and it’s a thrill to see them pitted against one another — and their grudging friendship turn into sparks of the romantic kind. Aside from the hilarious romcom genius of this story, a strong thread of second chances and healing interweaves the culinary world of Max and Hadley. Facades, public image, and honesty are all dealt with in fresh ways.

The cliMAX (see what I did there?) of the story is unexpected in the most refreshing way! The momentum never stops, and the resolution is played out surprisingly when I would have expected a literary trope or a predictable direction. To reveal just how it stands out and plays on a bit of teamwork would reveal too much, so trust me when I say it is perfection!

I enjoyed all the FOOD, culinary and food-celeb references, and the banter of this novel. The quick wit of Hadley and Max, layered and complicated by their relationship, combine to make this a thoroughly entertaining novel with dimension and plenty of flavor! One of my favorite tiny things about this story was Hadley’s penchant for silently reciting “kitchen ABCs” when she is upset: Apples. Beef stroganoff. Cumin. Dicer.

Now I’m off to cook something, because all the kitchen talk in the novel has made me hungry 😉

Thanks to the publisher, Revell, for the review copy. This is my honest review.

Eating My Way Through Italy: Tivoli and Spoleto

We’re back to talking about food and Italy, two of my favorite things! Especially when combined 😉

In the first installment, I talked about the amazing food in Rome. Today, I want to share my experiences in two little towns, Tivoli and Spoleto.

white pizza & tiramisu in Tivoli

Cafe Ristorante Villa d’Este: The best tiramisu I’ve had. Ever.

Tivoli, a town on a mountain just outside of Rome, was our destination for an afternoon. We visited the Villa D’Este and ate a little restaurant just outside it. The ironic part: it rained a lot during our lunch, which meant we took our time and had dessert. I had a white pizza and the tiramisu!

Fancy dining and a colorful dessert in Spoleto

Albornoz Palace Hotel in Spoleto

In the mountain town of Spoleto, our accommodations were artsy and unique. In addition to the art eVerYwHeRe at the hotel, the food was magnificent! We were fed well, with an elegant four-course meal each night.

four courses in Spoleto

Ristorante Bar Canasta: the best affogato

I’ve already mentioned my love for affogato. The BEST I had on the whole trip was at this sunny spot in Spoleto!

assorted bread, gnocchi, and affogato at Canasta

What kinds of yummy foods have you encountered on your travels?

Eating My Way Through Italy: Rome

About a month ago, I went to Italy. It was an experience I will never forget. I traveled with a short term study abroad group affiliated with the college I work for. That means it was full of art, history, educational things, and LOTS of fun! I’ve been sharing Instagram pics like crazy.

This post is all about one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip: THE FOOD in Rome. Good food. Pizza, pasta, paninis, lamb, cannoli, CAPPUCCINOs, roasted chestnuts on the street and lemon torte in a cafe. Tiramisu.

If you’re going to Rome any time soon, I highly recommend the eating spots I list here! We did stay in the northeast part of the old city, near the train station, so most of the actual restaurants we patronized for dinner were within walking distance of that area.

I’ll be sharing more about food in other towns soon 😉

Artichokes, pizza, lamb, and cappuccino at La Famiglia Roma

Best overall: La Famiglia Roma

Canneloni, roasted lamb, pizza, artichoke Roman style, eggplant parmesan, cappuccino. With a menu in Italian and English, it was easy to discover new dishes! VERY affordable and friendly atmosphere! I ate there 4 times. I needed another week, at least, to try all of the items I wanted to on their extensive menu.

Diadema Restaurant – top 2 photos

Diadema Restaurant— streetside dining! Spaghetti was great!

treats from U. Giuliani!

Caffe Pasticceria U. Giuliani for cappuccino and sweet treats. Best cappuccino! They didn’t look twice at the crazy Americans ordering cappuccino after noon.

Exquisitaly for late night gelato and affogatos. An affogato is the BEST kind of gelato treat because it is 1-2 scoops of gelato with a shot of espresso on the top! Like the best “float” for coffee connoisseurs.

Affogato at Exquisitaly

Have you ever been to Rome? What are your favorite Italian foods? (And, more importantly, do you have any recipes to share?!)

Review: “The Saturday Night Supper Club” by Carla Laureano

Ya’ll know I love food. And books. And foodie fiction, which combines the culinary world and story SO WELL. The latest treat I have had the privilege of reading is the recent release from author Carla Laureano, aptly named The Saturday Night Supper Club.

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?

Amazon | Goodreads

The Saturday Night Supper Club impressed me in so many ways: from the vivid descriptions of place and tantalizing food, to the unique and relevant social media fallout angle as a story influence, and to the portrayal of a life journey filled with deep meaning and purpose. Perhaps the most prominent, though, is its complexity of characters and their respective interconnected relationships and backstories. These were revealed one morsel at a time, creating a character arc that is all the more meaningful because of the reader’s understanding by story’s end. This delightful complexity is what will make me proclaim Supper Club as a favorite and best-of-the-year read for many months to come!

If you will allow me to use a food analogy, I will further describe its awesomeness: The foodie atmosphere and eclectic setting are the appetizer, laying the foundation. The character transformation is the main course with great substance. The resulting romance is the dessert, like a salted caramel truffle, ending with a sweet note but not without its “salty” contrasts of reality.

Most impressive to me is that you cannot typecast Alex or Rachel. They are layered so well— as you get deeper and deeper into the story you get equally deeper into who they are, why they make certain choices, and how they play off of and affect each other. There is a romantic aspect of this story, but it is almost distinct and separate from the personal growth of these characters and their friendship~relationship dynamic.

I just want more of this little story world, Alex’s and Rachel’s friends, and with the book 2 teaser at the end, I am up to my elbows in bliss because it’s about Melody and BAKING!

Thank you to the publisher, Tyndale, for the review copy. This is my honest review.

Review: “A Table by the Window” by Hillary Manton Lodge

The latest book I’ve read is “right up my alley” as some might say. It’s centered on a woman who has grown up in a culinary culture, her parents having owned a restaurant her entire life. (I have that in common – I’ve grown up in my family’s pizzeria.) With the additional elements of ethnic cultures, sibling relationships (rivalries and the closeness that comes with adulthood), and a little romance, this story made for a fun read that made my mouth water more than once.

In A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge, character Juliette D’Alisa leads an interesting life as the baby of a restaurant and food-centered, French-Italian family. With her parents’ well-established restaurant in Portland and her siblings’ work as chefs, culinary instructors, or other foodie careers, Juliette has settled for a coveted position as a food critic and writer for a local newspaper.

When presented with the opportunity to get back in the restaurant business with her brother Nico, Juliette must work out her unsettled feelings about her career path. At the same time, she is uncovering family secrets surrounding her grandmother’s life in France and developing a long-distance romantic relationship.

First of all, let me say I LOVE that Hillary has included several yummy recipes interspersed through the book. These recipes all make an appearance in the story, sometimes focal and sometimes simply mentioned. (I can’t wait for the chance to try some of these. My first experiment will probably be the Red Pepper Pasta.) Along with these recipes, I really enjoyed the foodie culture of the whole story. Also, fun little quotes related to food or cooking are featured at the start of each chapter. I typically enjoy the quote “element” when authors include it in a novel, and this one is no exception 🙂

This story is a little more family drama and a little less romance, but I still liked it. The drama is centered on Juliette’s work with her family and her uncertain career (though it takes a while for Juliette to see this), and the addition of family secrets and mystery is a nice side plot. Who doesn’t love some family genealogy digging? The romance is a bit unconventional (or should I say non-typical) being centered on an online relationship, but it picks up pace toward the middle of the story. Once you get to the end of the story and to Hillary’s acknowledgement section, you see similarities with her love story and the one in the book – that connection makes the story itself feel more real.

Just because I’m saying it’s a “drama” , don’t think it’s all seriousness. There are great bits of humor – especially in Juliette’s exchanges with her lively siblings. It was definitely easy to read. I was eager to see what decisions Juliette would make next (and what recipe would be at the end of that chapter).

One thing I would have liked to have seen more of was Juliette’s faith and how it actively played out in her life. You sees bits of this, but I personally prefer a little bit more from this genre. That’s my only problem with it, and it’s a minor one. This story did have strong themes of the strength of family, pursuing dreams, and wanting to be the person God intends for you to be.

At the end of the story, some things are left partially unresolved, but that’s ok with me because it’s a series! I can’t wait to see what Juliette dares to do next – and what D’Alisa family antics will unfold. I like that it’s a series following one main character. There are too few of these types in this genre. The next book in this “Table for Two” series is Reservations for Two.

Visit Hillary’s website here for more info – and some special book extras, like a quiz and recipes!

Note: Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary copy in exchange for a review! I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group through the Blogging for Books program for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.