Title: Flavor Of The Month
Author: Tori Carrington
Published in 2003 by Harlequin Blaze
Genre: Contemporary
IBSN: 0-373-79113-5
Related Books: (1) Night Fever, (3) Just Between Us
It truly wouldn’t be a bad thing to be famous if one were really beautiful. That being said, Reilly Chudowski has decided that being moderately successful would suffice. Her pastry-shop, Sugar n’ Spice, has just received a rave review along with Benardo’s Hideaway. Benardo’s Hideaway is a trendy upscale restaurant owned by the “man of her dreams,” and a man who is definitely way out of Reilly’s reach. She has no illusions where her looks are concerned. She is too plump to be fashionable, and although she no longer carries the excess weight of her youth, she is constantly fighting the pounds that threaten to accumulate once again. All thoughts are put on hold, however, when Ben Kane shows up on her doorstep asking and offering her an opportunity, a chance that she couldn’t have dreamed would come her way. His pastry chef has left, and he needs to be able to provide dessert for his elite and picky clientele. It is an offer that Reilly cannot refuse.
Little does she know that it is just the first of many excuses that Ben will find t insinuate himself into her life. She is aware of him on more than one level, but past experience has been a tough teacher, and the lessons learned were hard and long lasting. Now those lessons are going to be called into question and Reilly, with the help of her friends, Layla, Mallory, and Jack will have to travel down the road of remembrance, pain, and loss. The troubles that await Reilly are ones that she has never experienced before, and the problems she faces are not only those to do with her budding romance. Danger lurks in the background, and unless something happens quickly, it could cost someone their life. Time is running out, and there is only one person Reilly can turn to besides her friends, and that person is the one who can also possibly cause her the most pain. The questions return and the insecurities of her past rise again. Is she just the flavor of the month, and will he reject her like the others, or will Ben be the answer to her prayers?
The last thing that Ben Kane expected to be doing was making a search to replace his temperamental pastry chef. Who knew that one person could be so persnickety about the terminology of the desserts he created. Well, Ben Kane, owner of Benardo’s Hideaway, was not going to worry about that now, but he does need to be sure that he has desserts to offer his customers, that will please their taste-buds and provide the proper ending to their meals. Sugar n’ Spice offers him a good solution, and he is more that willing to take it at this time. The fact that the pastry-shop was featured along with his restaurant is all that he needs to recommend it, and he hopes to be able to convince the owner to do business with him immediately. He is sure he’s prepared for any eventuality, but is stunned by what he finds there. The confections and deserts offered at the shop are more than adequate for his needs, and there is also a supply that can take care of his customers immediately, but the proprietress is also a surprise and treat for his palate.
Ben not only suffers a sugar high when in Reilly’s presence, but he is also very aware of his heart, the effect she has on him, and of her as a woman. He is used to traveling with the elite, the svelte, the models and actresses of Hollywood as his escorts, and his playthings. Reilly doesn’t really fit that profile, but that is of no consequence. Finally he is faced with the one thing he never thought to find, the one woman to whom he may want to give his heart. The problem is that she doesn’t seem to take him seriously, and does not feel the same about him. There has to be some way to break through the barriers that Reilly has erected around herself, and her friends may be just the ones to give him the clues he needs. When it becomes evident that Reilly may be in danger, Ben joins with her friends to help, but Reilly retreats within her shell, and disappears from his world. This is not something that Ben takes lying down. If there is one thing that has helped with his success it is his persistence, and now is just another time to let it work for him. Something has told him that if he loses Reilly he will lose his one true love, and he may never be happy again. The questions remain, is this really love? If it is, does she feel the same way?
Flavor of the Month is the second in this Kiss & Tell trilogy by Tori Carrington. Reilly Chudowski finds herself in the enviable position of gaining almost overnight success. It is a meteoric rise, for Sugar n’ Spice has only been open six months and it has been given a good review, mentioned in the latest food critic’s column along with the ritzy Benardo’s Hideaway. Business is picking up and the last thing she expects to find on her doorstep is danger of any kind, and definitely not the dangerously handsome Ben Kane. Their confused reaction to each other is only the start of the fun and intrigue as Reilly and Ben discover what is very plain to her friends. They are meant to be together, and her friends are not above a little chicanery to see that the two find each other. At the same time, they will fight to protect Reilly from the danger that seems to be plaguing her with her newfound success.
Uncertain as to his part in the scheme of things, Reilly’s friends are more than willing to stand in Ben’s way. Only until the mystery is solved, and the light is shown on the truth do they realize that that Reilly is the Flavor of the Month every month for Ben, and he would do whatever needs to be done to protect her. Once again Tori is taking us into the lives and loves of her characters, and allowing us to peek into the decadent world of desserts and danger. Who would have thought that the two could go hand in hand. The blazing heat of passion, and the cool and creamy decadence of the finest pastries can make a deliciously hot and sensuous adventure. Flavor of the Month is the second very hot and very sensual book in this trilogy written for Harlequin Blaze Kiss & Tell. It is currently available and is another Carrington Must Buy for your Romance Keeper Shelf. Look for Tori’s Flavor of the Month at your favourite bookstore now.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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