Bastien isn’t used to bad reviews. His French restaurant is the toast of the town, and when a well-known critic insults it, he’s left off-kilter. Luckily for him he’s found a distraction. He’s just met an attractive writer at his niece’s school bake sale. He’s into food, into Bastien and the touch of kink they share, and there’s a chemistry between them that might make the perfect recipe.
James isn’t expecting to meet a good-looking French chef at a bake sale, but he’s not going to let the chance slide. It comes as a surprise when the chef turns out to be the owner of a place he knows—and has reviewed—and it puts James in a sticky situation. So he might have to omit some pertinent information to make it work… at least for now.
Title: Dinner for One
Author: Meg Harding
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200
For me this was the perfect story! I loved everything about it. It was so refreshing to read a book where their is no angst or uncertainty about being gay. In fact, being gay isn’t even mentioned in the whole book. The main characters embraced themselves, their friends and families accepted them for who they were and it made for a wonderful story. I would love to see this dynamic become more mainstream, it would be awesome.
James is a well known food critic who gave a pretty harsh review to a local French restaurant. Bastien is the owner of said French restaurant and is really upset about his only negative review. The two meet at a bake sale for their nieces and nephew and hit it off immediately. The only catch, Bastien doesn’t know who James is.
James’s family talks him into keeping the secret and seeing where things go, because if they don’t work out their is no reason to come clean. The problem is, things are working out. Bastien and James are spending more and more time together and James’s secret is hanging over their heads like a lead balloon.
Just when James is about to come clean Bastien finds out on his own. Both are heartbroken and lean on their families to help them. Both will have to decide if one lie can spoil all of the wonderful time they had together.
Where do I begin. As much as I love James and Bastien I loved their quirky families as well. James’s siblings are crazy and funny. I was cracking up at their antics.
This was a slow burn kind of story. The build up was perfection. Their feeling steadily grew stronger without the insta-love feel. Even when things fell apart it was low on angst and drama. This was a great story about two mature grown men, even with James’s brothers antics nothing about it felt juvenile.
The dates that Bastien planned for them were so romantic, even when they didn’t go as he planned.
The way James wooed (is that even a word) Bastien after the fallout was so romantic and lovely and Bastien’s reaction was perfect.
This is my first read by Meg Harding and it won’t be my last. This book is definitely on my Best of 2016 list.
I can’t say enough good things about this book, just go read it!
5 pieces of eye candy
