There are so many interesting people doing so many interesting things in the world, and so many people who consider their jobs to be a labor of love. Ali Hazelwood writes wonderful romances about the passion of scientists. In Mistletoe & Mishigas, M.A. Wardell does a fantastic job illustrating the work that goes into being both a teacher (love interest #1) and a custodian (love interest #2).
So why do modern romances so often limit the professions of its main characters to: bakery owner, bookstore owner, Christmas tree store owner (but never with any deep understanding of Christmas tree farmers as arborists working in an industry dependent on sustainability in the age of climate change), and the like? I won't go into how the jilted exes are lawyers, accountants, advertising executives, and other supposedly soulless corporate types. (I'm proud to say that in my smutty story, Teacher's Pet, one of my heroines is a forensic accountant.) (To be clear, I do really appreciate that the main characters in modern romances generally own small businesses, because I love small businesses. I love independent bookstores! (Here's a brand new one that specializes in romance books: It's a Love Story.) I love bakeries! I love Christmas trees! And I am happy to pay a premium by supporting local businesses rather than national chains, because that's how our communities thrive.)
The Romance Recipe, by Ruby Barrett, is the second book I have read recently in which the main characters are chefs who compete on reality TV. (The first was the terrible Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly.) (Wouldn't be awesome if the two writers collaborate on their next book so their combined main characters can meet on a Bachelor in Paradise-type show?)
In The Romance Recipe, heroine Amy owns a failing restaurant, where love interest Sophie, a cooking competition show alum, is her chef. Both characters have believable back stories and issues to work through, which I appreciated. But I would have preferred more show and less tell. For example, the author is constantly telling us that Amy is kind of obnoxious and prickly, but we only see her being a good, kind, and responsible. I also felt like I was constantly waiting for the plot to get moving, and it never really did. The main story line is that, through Sophie's connections, Amy's restaurant may be tagged to be featured on a Kitchen Nightmares type of show, which will bring it enough business to stay open. This plotline is dragged out and dragged out, and I honestly don't recall whether by the end of the book the show does pick the restaurant, or if Amy takes pity on Sophie wanting to be done with reality TV.
Finally, I write often about how important specificity is to my enjoyment of a book. Susie Desmond writes so well in Queerly Beloved about Tulsa that reading the book made me want to visit the city. Amy's restaurant is set in Boston, but I get the feeling that Barrett has never been to the city beyond maybe on a short vacation. Every city has its neighborhoods, and every city's neighborhoods have their own restaurant culture. There is never any mention of what neighborhood Amy's restaurant is in. While Barrett says that Amy wants her restaurant to have a homey feel, what does that mean? Are her preferred clientele the people who live within a few blocks? Families? Businesspeople? When Sophie finally creates a showcase meal, she decides to go "local" with lobster rolls. Where is she sourcing the lobster? In today's market, how much will that cost? In Boston is a touristy beach meal really considered a local cuisine? Where does she stand on the mayo versus butter debate? (I was glad that she incorporated her home kitchen fermented food into the meal, which the author actually seems to know something about and which has a growing following.) (For more on ferments, check out my all-time favorite cookbook/food/memoir writer, Sandor Ellix Katz.) (And, for more on how difficult it is to be a restaurant chef, as opposed to a home cook, check out the wonderful young adult book, With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo.)
Note from Jasmine Gold: As the name of this blog indicates, I write erotica. Check out my dark, dystopian novel about naked sex slaves, Mindgames. Your darkest fantasies, with a phenomenal plot and characters you will come to think of as beloved friends. Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. Or read my book of short stories about hot, consensual sex, The Mature Woman's Guide to Desire, available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
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