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Reservations for Two
It's getting hotter in the kitchenTilly Milek almost has it all. She's opened her own Chicago restaurant, the way she'd always dreamed, and it's this close to being a success. Even better, she's met Dan Meier—a gorgeous man who loves food as much as she does. He isn't put off by her demanding job, which only makes her want to spend more time with him.
But a scathing review by an anonymous local critic puts everything in jeopardy. Worse, her steamy new man turns out to be the one who wrote it! Tilly doesn't see how she can ever forgive Dan, but she can't stop thinking about him either. In print he's her enemy. In person? He's as tempting as a perfectly prepared meal…and Tilly's appetite just might get the best of her.
But a scathing review by an anonymous local critic puts everything in jeopardy. Worse, her steamy new man turns out to be the one who wrote it! Tilly doesn't see how she can ever forgive Dan, but she can't stop thinking about him either. In print he's her enemy. In person? He's as tempting as a perfectly prepared meal…and Tilly's appetite just might get the best of her.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Lohmann
25 books82 followersJennifer Lohmann is a Rocky Mountain girl at heart, having grown up in southern Idaho and Salt Lake City. When she’s not writing or working as a public librarian, she wrangles two cats and several backyard chickens; the dog is better behaved. She lives in Durham, North Carolina
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
Her favorite non-romance books are Wolf Hall and A Country Called Home. She'll read anything Mary Roach writes. Her favorite romance authors are Carla Kelly, Madeline Hunter, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Elizabeth Hoyt.
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January 28, 2013I really gave Jennifer 4.5*.
I want the readers to know that Jennifer is my daughter, however, I'm really really picky about the books that I read.
I liked this book because: The tour of Chicago through food (I love the City of Chicago); the mystery of the saboteur; Tilly's effort to please her customers; the time frame that it took Tilly to trust; the fact that Tilly did not jump into a relationship; the descriptions of the families (all families have some issues although I wondered why Dan and his sister just didn't cut off the father)and the learning of both Tilly and Dan what is needed in a new relationship.
So I had all the things that I like in a book: food, mystery, relationships and love.
I'm looking forward to reading Jennifer's next book.
I want the readers to know that Jennifer is my daughter, however, I'm really really picky about the books that I read.
I liked this book because: The tour of Chicago through food (I love the City of Chicago); the mystery of the saboteur; Tilly's effort to please her customers; the time frame that it took Tilly to trust; the fact that Tilly did not jump into a relationship; the descriptions of the families (all families have some issues although I wondered why Dan and his sister just didn't cut off the father)and the learning of both Tilly and Dan what is needed in a new relationship.
So I had all the things that I like in a book: food, mystery, relationships and love.
I'm looking forward to reading Jennifer's next book.
February 11, 2013
This book should come with a warning label: Don't read while hungry. This book might make you want to make reservations for dinner. Do not go to grocery store directly after reading this book.
I didn't know what half the food were in the book since I'm not familiar with Polish cuisine, but I still wanted to try everything. If Babka was a real place I'd be there in a heartbeat...if I lived in Chicago!
Caveat: I know Jennifer Lohmann and I think she's great! But, in all fairness, if I hadn't liked her book I'd find some inanely bland things to say about it and leave it at that. As it was, I really enjoyed the book and the characters and think HQ SuperRomance has a talented new author.
Dan is a food writer and anonymous food critic who blogs his reviews online as The Eater. After a disastrous night at Babka, Dan writes a scathing review of the new restaurant. Tilly is the head chef and owner of Babka. She's sunk her savings and an inheritance from her grandmother to get the restaurant started. She's incensed The Eater would give a bad review after only one meal at the restaurant. Most reviewers eat at least three meals before reviewing. A complication arise when Dan and Tilly meet without knowing who the other is and find themselves instantly attracted. They spend some quality time together before Dan realizes the truth. The rest of the story centers around their growing attraction and the large white Elephant Review that is always sitting in between them.
Dan is a great person, and difficult not to like, but I wanted to smack him on more than one occasion. Lohmann interweaves his backstory throughout the book which helps the reader understand why Dan thinks the way he does. Tilly is a marvelous heroine. She is both strong and vulnerable in ways that help the reader relate to her--she's real. Tilly and Dan have great chemistry and when they are on the page together you can feel the mutual attraction, and I don't mean just physical attraction. They have an affection for each other that comes through the pages. I actually understood why they fell for each other and that isn't always the case in romance books.
Of course there is conflict due to the review, and there is a minor mystery plot going on. And we are also introduced to a relatively large case of secondary characters including Tilly's family and Dan's friends and sister. The characters generally helped rather than hindered the plot.
Knowing the author made me appreciate the ending that much more. Let it suffice to say the "grand gesture" isn't accompanied by a microphone or an embarrassing crowd of people. Hallelujah!
I didn't know what half the food were in the book since I'm not familiar with Polish cuisine, but I still wanted to try everything. If Babka was a real place I'd be there in a heartbeat...if I lived in Chicago!
Caveat: I know Jennifer Lohmann and I think she's great! But, in all fairness, if I hadn't liked her book I'd find some inanely bland things to say about it and leave it at that. As it was, I really enjoyed the book and the characters and think HQ SuperRomance has a talented new author.
Dan is a food writer and anonymous food critic who blogs his reviews online as The Eater. After a disastrous night at Babka, Dan writes a scathing review of the new restaurant. Tilly is the head chef and owner of Babka. She's sunk her savings and an inheritance from her grandmother to get the restaurant started. She's incensed The Eater would give a bad review after only one meal at the restaurant. Most reviewers eat at least three meals before reviewing. A complication arise when Dan and Tilly meet without knowing who the other is and find themselves instantly attracted. They spend some quality time together before Dan realizes the truth. The rest of the story centers around their growing attraction and the large white Elephant Review that is always sitting in between them.
Dan is a great person, and difficult not to like, but I wanted to smack him on more than one occasion. Lohmann interweaves his backstory throughout the book which helps the reader understand why Dan thinks the way he does. Tilly is a marvelous heroine. She is both strong and vulnerable in ways that help the reader relate to her--she's real. Tilly and Dan have great chemistry and when they are on the page together you can feel the mutual attraction, and I don't mean just physical attraction. They have an affection for each other that comes through the pages. I actually understood why they fell for each other and that isn't always the case in romance books.
Of course there is conflict due to the review, and there is a minor mystery plot going on. And we are also introduced to a relatively large case of secondary characters including Tilly's family and Dan's friends and sister. The characters generally helped rather than hindered the plot.
Knowing the author made me appreciate the ending that much more. Let it suffice to say the "grand gesture" isn't accompanied by a microphone or an embarrassing crowd of people. Hallelujah!
February 11, 2013
this review was originally published at DearAuthor.com
Dear Ms. Lohmann:
(Dabney's disclaimer: I know Jennifer and occasionally attend a book club she runs.)
I'd wanted to read this book for quite some time. Jennifer Lohmann entered Harlequin's "So You Think You Can Write" contest in 2011 and was offered a contract. I'd met Jennifer earlier in that year when I interviewed her about being chosen as RWA's Librarian of the Year. Since then, I've gotten to know Jennifer through a Romance Novels book club she runs at the library where she works. When I heard she was publishing a romance of her own, I asked for a copy. I was hoping I liked the book and am pleased to say I do. It's not perfect but it's got winning leads, an interesting conundrum, and a wonderfully clear sense of place.
Tilly Milek is living her dream: just a few years out of cooking school, she's opened a restaurant of her own in her hometown of Chicago. The restaurant, a gourmet Polish place called Babka, is just getting established when, much to Tilly's fury, Chicago's most influential restaurant critic, an anonymous blogger with the moniker The Eater, writes a scathingly negative review of it. He writes that, the night he and his party were there--and Tilly and her staff have no idea who they were--a stray cat and a diner's dog got into a fight on the restaurant floor. That, however, was not his biggest problem; he claims the food at his table was oversalted, "each dish he had ordered was like a salt lick." Tilly is sure he's lying or wrong or something for the food from her kitchen is always perfect. Furthermore, the Eater has broken a cardinal rule of restaurant reviewing -he's only been to Babka's once. Thanks to this jerk, she fumes, Tilly's dream is about to tank.
The Eater is a guy named Dan Meier. Dan comes from an uber-wealthy family ("Meier Means Dairy.") that he has deliberately chosen not to work for. He and three of his friends from college work together on their popular blog, CarpeChicago, and Dan's made quite a name for himself as a food critic. He considers himself an ethical critic and is defensive when his friends tell him his review was unfair. One thing he's sure of: no critic worth his sea salt ever questions his reviews. But Dan's ethics--and his conviction that Tilly's place serves poorly prepared food--are put to the test when he meets Tilly (at first he doesn't know who she is) the Saturday after his review at Chicago's huge food festival, Taste of Chicago.
Dan falls for Tilly almost immediately. She's an unusual and intriguing woman and he can't stay away from her. As he pursues her, he jiggles his ethics, telling himself that he isn't really doing anything wrong. He debates with himself constantly which leads to something I've noticed happening more and more in contemporary romance: the Oprahfication of exploring a character's psyche. This trend doesn't do much for me. I tend to zone out when there is sentence after sentence of "here's what I'm thinking and why." I like Dan; I especially liked that he's not making the best choices in the first half of the novel. His behavior is fairly crappy--he doesn't tell Tilly who he really is which creates a huge power imbalance in their relationship--and he knows it. I enjoyed watching him first fail and then, with great effort, begin to succeed at not being so self-centered; I would have enjoyed this even more had I heard less about it as it plays out in Dan's head.
Tilly is a nifty heroine. She's incredibly driven and takes her responsibilities in life--her restaurant, her employees, her family (I really like her family.)--very seriously. So seriously, in fact, she's turned into all-work-and-no play Tilly. It's clear she needs some fun in her life. When she meets Dan--before she knows he's the Eater--he makes her feel fabulous. Tilly is admirable and easy to root for. She never lets her desire for Dan compromise her dreams or her sense of what's right. Even when the future of Babka seems bleak, Tilly soldiers on, cooking amazing food, marshaling her staff and her resources. Plus, I love her bright blue hair. (It's irritating that Harlequin put a brunette on the cover.)
Tilly and Dan as a couple felt read to me. Their relationship evolved slowly--they both have full lives apart from each other--and I believed in the ways they fell in love. One of my favorite scenes between them takes place right before Dan repairs the clogged pot sink in her kitchen.
Ms. Lohmann does an exceptional job of creating a sense of place in this book. Chicago is, well, Chicago. She also presents cooking and the restaurant world with pin point accuracy. This sense of place makes Reservations for Two an interesting and educational read. I finished this book happily knowing far more about Polish cuisine than I did when I began it.
I did struggle some with the pacing in this book. Part of my problem stemmed from all the internal chitter-chatter and part came from the plot. I liked the plot, but I felt the story would have been stronger had Ms. Lohmann been sparser in her prose. The novel is just over 300 pages; I think it could lose about fifty of those and be a more compelling read.
Overall, I enjoyed Reservations for Two. There's an interesting mystery as well as the whole "How does Dan undo his bad review" storyline. The novel feels current and viable; the leads are likeable. The HEA is blessedly proposal and babies free. I give the book a B.
Dabney
Dear Ms. Lohmann:
(Dabney's disclaimer: I know Jennifer and occasionally attend a book club she runs.)
I'd wanted to read this book for quite some time. Jennifer Lohmann entered Harlequin's "So You Think You Can Write" contest in 2011 and was offered a contract. I'd met Jennifer earlier in that year when I interviewed her about being chosen as RWA's Librarian of the Year. Since then, I've gotten to know Jennifer through a Romance Novels book club she runs at the library where she works. When I heard she was publishing a romance of her own, I asked for a copy. I was hoping I liked the book and am pleased to say I do. It's not perfect but it's got winning leads, an interesting conundrum, and a wonderfully clear sense of place.
Tilly Milek is living her dream: just a few years out of cooking school, she's opened a restaurant of her own in her hometown of Chicago. The restaurant, a gourmet Polish place called Babka, is just getting established when, much to Tilly's fury, Chicago's most influential restaurant critic, an anonymous blogger with the moniker The Eater, writes a scathingly negative review of it. He writes that, the night he and his party were there--and Tilly and her staff have no idea who they were--a stray cat and a diner's dog got into a fight on the restaurant floor. That, however, was not his biggest problem; he claims the food at his table was oversalted, "each dish he had ordered was like a salt lick." Tilly is sure he's lying or wrong or something for the food from her kitchen is always perfect. Furthermore, the Eater has broken a cardinal rule of restaurant reviewing -he's only been to Babka's once. Thanks to this jerk, she fumes, Tilly's dream is about to tank.
The Eater is a guy named Dan Meier. Dan comes from an uber-wealthy family ("Meier Means Dairy.") that he has deliberately chosen not to work for. He and three of his friends from college work together on their popular blog, CarpeChicago, and Dan's made quite a name for himself as a food critic. He considers himself an ethical critic and is defensive when his friends tell him his review was unfair. One thing he's sure of: no critic worth his sea salt ever questions his reviews. But Dan's ethics--and his conviction that Tilly's place serves poorly prepared food--are put to the test when he meets Tilly (at first he doesn't know who she is) the Saturday after his review at Chicago's huge food festival, Taste of Chicago.
Dan falls for Tilly almost immediately. She's an unusual and intriguing woman and he can't stay away from her. As he pursues her, he jiggles his ethics, telling himself that he isn't really doing anything wrong. He debates with himself constantly which leads to something I've noticed happening more and more in contemporary romance: the Oprahfication of exploring a character's psyche. This trend doesn't do much for me. I tend to zone out when there is sentence after sentence of "here's what I'm thinking and why." I like Dan; I especially liked that he's not making the best choices in the first half of the novel. His behavior is fairly crappy--he doesn't tell Tilly who he really is which creates a huge power imbalance in their relationship--and he knows it. I enjoyed watching him first fail and then, with great effort, begin to succeed at not being so self-centered; I would have enjoyed this even more had I heard less about it as it plays out in Dan's head.
Tilly is a nifty heroine. She's incredibly driven and takes her responsibilities in life--her restaurant, her employees, her family (I really like her family.)--very seriously. So seriously, in fact, she's turned into all-work-and-no play Tilly. It's clear she needs some fun in her life. When she meets Dan--before she knows he's the Eater--he makes her feel fabulous. Tilly is admirable and easy to root for. She never lets her desire for Dan compromise her dreams or her sense of what's right. Even when the future of Babka seems bleak, Tilly soldiers on, cooking amazing food, marshaling her staff and her resources. Plus, I love her bright blue hair. (It's irritating that Harlequin put a brunette on the cover.)
Though she had stopped being self-conscious about her hair all the time, she had attracted a different type of male attention since the change to blue—the two-eyebrow-piercings-tongue-stud-with-a-tattooist-named-Butter type of men who expected her to buy fetish shoes at the Alley.
Men seemed to think she was wild, when in reality she was a thirty-year-old woman stuck with a bet she had made when she was eighteen.
Tilly and Dan as a couple felt read to me. Their relationship evolved slowly--they both have full lives apart from each other--and I believed in the ways they fell in love. One of my favorite scenes between them takes place right before Dan repairs the clogged pot sink in her kitchen.
Dan was waiting by the front door when she came down the stairs, a large toolbox in his hand. He was dressed in a pair of old cargo shorts and an olive T-shirt, and she could see he had an athletic shape, with strong arms, powerful legs and a muscled chest. Tilly didn’t need any imagination to picture the flat stomach or the ridges of muscle hidden under his clothing.
She stopped on the stairs and swallowed. Dan looked like a page out of a man-of-the-month calendar—large, masculine and ready to come to a woman’s aid.
Is he going to kiss me again?
Hell, I’m a modern woman. Am I going to kiss him?
The thought of another kiss—and the possibility of more—made her feel as if she were standing in front of the hot stove on the sauté line in July in Miami.
She was staring, openly, blatantly staring. How embarrassing. For all she knew, she was drooling, too. It would be the perfect story to tell Renia—a gorgeous man agreed to help her repair her sink and she rewarded him with drool. She shut her gaping mouth and searched her brain for something clever.
“You look better than my plumber.” Not clever at all.
Didn’t cover up the drooling. Shoot.
“You look better than my plumber, too.”
Ms. Lohmann does an exceptional job of creating a sense of place in this book. Chicago is, well, Chicago. She also presents cooking and the restaurant world with pin point accuracy. This sense of place makes Reservations for Two an interesting and educational read. I finished this book happily knowing far more about Polish cuisine than I did when I began it.
I did struggle some with the pacing in this book. Part of my problem stemmed from all the internal chitter-chatter and part came from the plot. I liked the plot, but I felt the story would have been stronger had Ms. Lohmann been sparser in her prose. The novel is just over 300 pages; I think it could lose about fifty of those and be a more compelling read.
Overall, I enjoyed Reservations for Two. There's an interesting mystery as well as the whole "How does Dan undo his bad review" storyline. The novel feels current and viable; the leads are likeable. The HEA is blessedly proposal and babies free. I give the book a B.
Dabney
June 26, 2021
How does the owner-chef of an up and coming restaurant end up falling in love with the man who cruelly panned her place in an influential review? That question caught my attention and led me to read this book. Unfortunately, the story wasn't as interesting as the premise.
What went wrong here? First of all, the hero made a very big mistake, and when confronted by it he agreed it was wrong and went on to... make more very big mistakes. What??? If he knew he was wrong how did he keep justifying not trying to fix it? His reason never did make sense to me, and I hated the things he kept doing to the heroine after that. (He needed Gibbs to hit him upside of his head and tell him to get his act together. lol) Unfortunately when he did straighten up it was too little, too late for me.
Also, while the set up to the couple's problems was good, the story then dragged for many chapters. They got stuck in one place and sat there for waaaay too long. I had to force myself to keep reading and reading and reading, waiting for something to move on. Next there's the issue of an owner being faced with solid evidence that And the event that led to the conclusion of the systery. Why did they do such an obvious and dumb thing? Never explained. Finally, after I finished reading this I wished the story had been about his sister Beth or his mother instead of him. They were fascinating. He wasn't. Her friends and family all ran together and I had trouble remembering who they were when I saw their names.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book, unfortunately. It barely earns 2 stars.
What went wrong here? First of all, the hero made a very big mistake, and when confronted by it he agreed it was wrong and went on to... make more very big mistakes. What??? If he knew he was wrong how did he keep justifying not trying to fix it? His reason never did make sense to me, and I hated the things he kept doing to the heroine after that. (He needed Gibbs to hit him upside of his head and tell him to get his act together. lol) Unfortunately when he did straighten up it was too little, too late for me.
Also, while the set up to the couple's problems was good, the story then dragged for many chapters. They got stuck in one place and sat there for waaaay too long. I had to force myself to keep reading and reading and reading, waiting for something to move on. Next there's the issue of an owner being faced with solid evidence that And the event that led to the conclusion of the systery. Why did they do such an obvious and dumb thing? Never explained. Finally, after I finished reading this I wished the story had been about his sister Beth or his mother instead of him. They were fascinating. He wasn't. Her friends and family all ran together and I had trouble remembering who they were when I saw their names.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book, unfortunately. It barely earns 2 stars.
February 12, 2013
What I liked:
1. Tilly and Dan are well crafted, 3 dimensional characters. And they're NICE, but not perfect. Especially Dan - he had me hooked from the beginning, even when I was pissed at him.
2. The food. OMG.
3. Tilly's blue hair. (That's not a spoiler, she has blue hair throughout the entire book. Shame it didn't make it to the cover)
4. Dan's cast of friends. Especially Mike - I hope that he gets his own book soon.
What I was less keen on:
1. This is no reflection on the author, and more that I don't usually read SuperRomances, but there was a LOT of description - verging on being repetitive. What was being described totally worked for me, the food, the community, their fears and hopes, etc. I just found myself skimming passages. That's a personal preference, I like short, snappy books and this was more languid and exploratory.
But really, that's it. This was a lovely, romantic read. I read about this book on a blog, and being half-Polish, I took a chance and picked up a book I probably would have skipped over on my way. And it was a good deal too - I got it at the supermarket, 25% off. Considering the length, and that it was two nights of reading, that's awesome. Can't wait for Reina's story.
1. Tilly and Dan are well crafted, 3 dimensional characters. And they're NICE, but not perfect. Especially Dan - he had me hooked from the beginning, even when I was pissed at him.
2. The food. OMG.
3. Tilly's blue hair. (That's not a spoiler, she has blue hair throughout the entire book. Shame it didn't make it to the cover)
4. Dan's cast of friends. Especially Mike - I hope that he gets his own book soon.
What I was less keen on:
1. This is no reflection on the author, and more that I don't usually read SuperRomances, but there was a LOT of description - verging on being repetitive. What was being described totally worked for me, the food, the community, their fears and hopes, etc. I just found myself skimming passages. That's a personal preference, I like short, snappy books and this was more languid and exploratory.
But really, that's it. This was a lovely, romantic read. I read about this book on a blog, and being half-Polish, I took a chance and picked up a book I probably would have skipped over on my way. And it was a good deal too - I got it at the supermarket, 25% off. Considering the length, and that it was two nights of reading, that's awesome. Can't wait for Reina's story.
March 22, 2013
I struggle with how to rate this book. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but there was something missing and I'm not really sure what. There sure wasn't a lack of description. Actually, I think there was too much description and the book might have been better if much of it had been cut out.
I also had massive problems with the hero and couldn't figure out why on earth Tilly was willing to even give him the time of day after what he'd done. While the author tried to set up a reason why Dan was so stubborn about his actions, I never really bought it. When I was over half way through the book, I realized that the hero's only redeeming quality was that he was not a White Sox fan. When the only thing I like about a character is our mutual dislike of a sports team, there's a problem.
I also had some difficulty with the Polish stuff until I started to compartmentalize it into Polish-American culture, not Polish culture.
I also had massive problems with the hero and couldn't figure out why on earth Tilly was willing to even give him the time of day after what he'd done. While the author tried to set up a reason why Dan was so stubborn about his actions, I never really bought it. When I was over half way through the book, I realized that the hero's only redeeming quality was that he was not a White Sox fan. When the only thing I like about a character is our mutual dislike of a sports team, there's a problem.
I also had some difficulty with the Polish stuff until I started to compartmentalize it into Polish-American culture, not Polish culture.
January 17, 2013
This combination of a food writer and a chef was a delight. The dialogue was crisp and true to the characters, although I sometimes got lost between the four guys (blogger/writers all) when they were razzing each other. But the hints of recipes were wonderful and had me drooling as if the chef was actually preparing those dishes for me. Kudos to Jennifer Lohmann for making me want to keep reading past the end and on to her next titles, of which I hope there are many.
November 12, 2018
It was fine. Nothing special. I doubt I'll remember much about the story within a week. I did enjoy the food and learning about Polish food, but I would have liked more details about the professional kitchen and Dan's food writing career.
Final Grade: C+
Final Grade: C+
May 25, 2019
I really disliked the hero for a good chunk of this book, but trusted Lohmann to make it come together in the end, which she did. Wish the editors had given the cover model blue hair, though.
March 8, 2013
Disclaimer #1 - I'm friends with the author.
Disclaimer #2 - I really don't like romance fiction as a rule.
So, that being said, I did like the book once I got started. Knowing that it was a romance, and therefore going to end "happily ever after" made it difficult for me to begin. I knew I was going to read it out of loyalty to my friend (and my library, which now owns a copy) but I wasn't eager to dive in.
I felt the premise and story to be believable. More so than some other plots out there - because, really, there are heroines out there who are Too Stupid To Live. I did find myself enjoying the subplot of 'who's sabotaging the restaurant' more than the 'will Tilly & Dan get together' plot, and I actually wish there had been more of the subplot and less of the main plot. (But then it would have been a mystery and not a romance.)
I can't give it 5 stars, because that would be lying (sorry Jennifer, I still don't like romances) but I believe it's a solid first book with much promise for future writing. There are so many great authors out there with first books that are (in hindsight) merely OK that I think this may the case here: the best is yet to come.
Edit: And oh yeah, does anyone at Harlequin READ the stories before designing a cover? I think this cover came from, "female cook, hunky guy, let's find some stock photos and 'shop them together". Really, Harlequin, could you have at least attempted to get the cover to look like the characters?
Disclaimer #2 - I really don't like romance fiction as a rule.
So, that being said, I did like the book once I got started. Knowing that it was a romance, and therefore going to end "happily ever after" made it difficult for me to begin. I knew I was going to read it out of loyalty to my friend (and my library, which now owns a copy) but I wasn't eager to dive in.
I felt the premise and story to be believable. More so than some other plots out there - because, really, there are heroines out there who are Too Stupid To Live. I did find myself enjoying the subplot of 'who's sabotaging the restaurant' more than the 'will Tilly & Dan get together' plot, and I actually wish there had been more of the subplot and less of the main plot. (But then it would have been a mystery and not a romance.)
I can't give it 5 stars, because that would be lying (sorry Jennifer, I still don't like romances) but I believe it's a solid first book with much promise for future writing. There are so many great authors out there with first books that are (in hindsight) merely OK that I think this may the case here: the best is yet to come.
Edit: And oh yeah, does anyone at Harlequin READ the stories before designing a cover? I think this cover came from, "female cook, hunky guy, let's find some stock photos and 'shop them together". Really, Harlequin, could you have at least attempted to get the cover to look like the characters?
July 14, 2013
It's my first time trying a Harlequin novel, and I must say maybe I expected a lot.
WRITING STYLE:
It's plain. Plain in a way that you can say that it is okay, but not yet entertaining. Narrations and scenes are very imbalance. It is full of inner monologue, so I did not see how the novel is moving forward.
PACE:
It's very slow. I thought the pace of this novel will be somewhat fast because of its shortness in pages, but I am entirely wrong. I believe this can be written in twenty pages complete with good revisions.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
Not a single remarkable character. I thought this would be the strongest area since this is a romance novel, but I did not see a good development and how each characters grow.
PLOT:
Very dry. There is no depth to expect. It is like hearing a gossip about someone you don't know.
MY VERDICT:
The synopsis is very grabbing, but the novel has nothing else to offer. However, I believe this novel will be so much amazing if it is longer but full of depth and development. In other words, revisions, revisions, and revisions.
If you love this guy,
, do not set your expectations high or prepare to be disappointed.
WRITING STYLE:
It's plain. Plain in a way that you can say that it is okay, but not yet entertaining. Narrations and scenes are very imbalance. It is full of inner monologue, so I did not see how the novel is moving forward.
PACE:
It's very slow. I thought the pace of this novel will be somewhat fast because of its shortness in pages, but I am entirely wrong. I believe this can be written in twenty pages complete with good revisions.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
Not a single remarkable character. I thought this would be the strongest area since this is a romance novel, but I did not see a good development and how each characters grow.
PLOT:
Very dry. There is no depth to expect. It is like hearing a gossip about someone you don't know.
MY VERDICT:
The synopsis is very grabbing, but the novel has nothing else to offer. However, I believe this novel will be so much amazing if it is longer but full of depth and development. In other words, revisions, revisions, and revisions.
If you love this guy,
, do not set your expectations high or prepare to be disappointed. 
March 30, 2013
2.5 Stars
I wanted to love this book. When I started it, I did. I love the setting, I loved Tilly and was intrigued by Dan but as the story progress, it went down hill for me. I just honestly found Dan to be a douche. I didn't like the way he pursued Tilly and forcibly inserted himself into her life after the reveal. While ultimetaly it's revealed why he is the way he is, it was too little too late.
Things I did love throughout: Tilly, the mouth watering food descriptions, Reina, Karl, Mike and the surrounding friends and family.
I'm going to go find some Polish food now.
I wanted to love this book. When I started it, I did. I love the setting, I loved Tilly and was intrigued by Dan but as the story progress, it went down hill for me. I just honestly found Dan to be a douche. I didn't like the way he pursued Tilly and forcibly inserted himself into her life after the reveal. While ultimetaly it's revealed why he is the way he is, it was too little too late.
Things I did love throughout: Tilly, the mouth watering food descriptions, Reina, Karl, Mike and the surrounding friends and family.
I'm going to go find some Polish food now.
skimmed
February 25, 2015I don't remember why I had originally put this on my TBR list. Unfortunately I cannot get over the fact that the "hero" is a blind, egocentric, immature, unethical reviewer. He insists that he cannot retract his review, when - by his own standards as stated on his blog - he should never have written the review to begin with. By reviewing a restaurant he had only been to ONE time when he promises on his blog that he only revises restaurants he visits we least THREE times, he violates his own rules. The fact that he cannot understand that or what his friend MIKE is trying to teach him makes him even more despicable. I feel like we're supposed to admire him because he sticks to his guns no matter how much he wants the heroine, and he helps her on other ways, but instead I feel that he is becoming just as big a jerk as his father. And maybe he changes before the end of the book, but he is too big an Idiot for me to want to spend my time watching that transformation.
62% of the way in, the hero finally wishes up. But it's too late. I couldn't read the path that got him there because it was too frustrating.
62% of the way in, the hero finally wishes up. But it's too late. I couldn't read the path that got him there because it was too frustrating.
November 2, 2013
I think what I liked most about this book is that the location was so different. We are thrust into Chicago and the world of fine restaurants and reviewers. These were all very different to me and i learned a lot. I liked the interplay between Tilly and Dan and the fact that the conflict they were dealing with was real and relevant - it felt to me that this situation could happen in real life and was drawn very well. I like Dan a little more than Tilly. He had to grow and noticeably change and come to some hard realizations about his motives and some of his actions and I think he did that well by the end of the book. There were a lot of detailed descriptions of the places the character went in Chicago as well as the details inside the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant and Polish heritage infused throughout the book. I loved that we were introduced to Tilly's family, but that they did not overpower her story and we see glimpse of Chicago and the other people in their lives as part of their everyday interactions, especially as they come through the restaurant.
February 4, 2013
I got this book through a Goodreads giveaway, as a First Read.
I liked it and if possible, I would probably give it 3.5 stars. It was enjoyable, but I was missing something. Even though I basically read it in one sitting, it wasn't because I couldn't put it down and I wasn't pulled in by the story, probably also because I didn't have a very high opinion of Dan for his actions in the beginning of the book or understood Tilly for even giving him a chance after finding out the truth.
The food sounded really good though: I could totally picture beautifully decorated plates and it made me want to try Polish food.
I definitely would have preferred to see the sabotage mystery elaborated more.
I would probably have chosen a different title for the book, and it would be better if the cover would reflect Tilly's actual hair color.
I liked it and if possible, I would probably give it 3.5 stars. It was enjoyable, but I was missing something. Even though I basically read it in one sitting, it wasn't because I couldn't put it down and I wasn't pulled in by the story, probably also because I didn't have a very high opinion of Dan for his actions in the beginning of the book or understood Tilly for even giving him a chance after finding out the truth.
The food sounded really good though: I could totally picture beautifully decorated plates and it made me want to try Polish food.
I definitely would have preferred to see the sabotage mystery elaborated more.
I would probably have chosen a different title for the book, and it would be better if the cover would reflect Tilly's actual hair color.
February 20, 2013
Again, the food saves the book for me. That and the obvious love of the author for Chicago and Polish cuisine. The heroine is strong, smart, driven, good at what she does. She unfortunately doesn't deserve the hero, who is a douchebag.
He kinda redeems himself somewhat but he is still a douchebag and kinda of a stalker. I didn't like the male character at all. The point of view waves a bit from Tilly to Dan in the same page which makes it a bit awkward at times. The good parts are the restaurant scenes, Tilly talking about her love of food, of cooking.
The whole he almost destroys her restaurant but wants to date her is hicky from the start for me and his stubbornness to not write a new review is annoying to the power of a hundred.
So 3 stars for the strong heroine and the food, 1 star for the douchebag hero.
He kinda redeems himself somewhat but he is still a douchebag and kinda of a stalker. I didn't like the male character at all. The point of view waves a bit from Tilly to Dan in the same page which makes it a bit awkward at times. The good parts are the restaurant scenes, Tilly talking about her love of food, of cooking.
The whole he almost destroys her restaurant but wants to date her is hicky from the start for me and his stubbornness to not write a new review is annoying to the power of a hundred.
So 3 stars for the strong heroine and the food, 1 star for the douchebag hero.
March 5, 2013
3.5 stars
There was a lot going on here that I liked, which ultimately balanced out the things about this I wasn't quite as crazy about. Dan's stubbornness about not rewriting the review/acknowledging that he'd made a mistake was frustrating, but the way his friends kept giving him crap about it made it a little bit better. Tilly was a delight, and the fact that this was set in a city and had baseball as a thing also helped.
I felt like this was average at best in terms of overall writing quality, but it was an enjoyable read. I'll probably check out the sequel, although I have to say I was more interested in Karl, Beth, and Mike based on appearances in this book.
There was a lot going on here that I liked, which ultimately balanced out the things about this I wasn't quite as crazy about. Dan's stubbornness about not rewriting the review/acknowledging that he'd made a mistake was frustrating, but the way his friends kept giving him crap about it made it a little bit better. Tilly was a delight, and the fact that this was set in a city and had baseball as a thing also helped.
I felt like this was average at best in terms of overall writing quality, but it was an enjoyable read. I'll probably check out the sequel, although I have to say I was more interested in Karl, Beth, and Mike based on appearances in this book.
August 9, 2013
** I was given a copy by the author**
Absolutely LOVED this one! That is saying A LOT because I usually don't care for a lot of the romance books. This one doesn't read like a romance. It's more like you are reading about Tilly and Dan's lives. Ms. Lohmann does a fantastic job of creating characters that you feel close to.
The trials that Tilly and Dan endure were entirely believable and quite frankly a few of them had me laughing out loud! (Poor Tilly).
Definitely worth a read! You won't be sorry.
Absolutely LOVED this one! That is saying A LOT because I usually don't care for a lot of the romance books. This one doesn't read like a romance. It's more like you are reading about Tilly and Dan's lives. Ms. Lohmann does a fantastic job of creating characters that you feel close to.
The trials that Tilly and Dan endure were entirely believable and quite frankly a few of them had me laughing out loud! (Poor Tilly).
Definitely worth a read! You won't be sorry.
February 4, 2013
I am not a big fan of the romance genre--meaning I just don't read it--but I love this book. I read it in under two days which is really quick for me. I thought that most of the characters were well written and the food descriptions are sure to please any foodies out there. I must admit that I got confused when reading about a few of Dan's friends and couldn't keep up with who was who. Overall, This book made me rethink my perceptions about romance and is likely to cause me to give like novels a chance.
February 9, 2013
This was pretty delightful. It uses Chicago extremely well and it made me hungry, which is usually what I want from foodie romances. I liked Tilly's family (and we get a sister book!!!) and Dan's family issues were pretty well developed. I thought Dan was sort of underestimating the reasons that Tilly was angry with him, but the relationship actually took time to develop, plus city, plus food. Sold.
March 11, 2013
Two disclaimers -- I am not a fan of this genre and Jen is my best friend. That said, I don't like the format of a romance novel, but the characters were well written and I was hooked by the heroine from the first chapter. I loved the descriptions of food and restaurant life. Plus the "mystery" was interesting and the plot well written and nicely paced. As I said to Jen, I was not embarrassed to read this in public or to recommend it to anyone, romance reader or not.
May 1, 2013
Full disclosure, I know the author and consider her a friend.
Within the context of a Harlequin Romance, this was a very cute story: girl owns restaurant; bad review ensues; reviewer and girl have a romance. The usual formula. The great twist is the food -- great Polish food with wonderful descriptions. Made me very hungry reading it. Crisis intervenes, someone is sabotaging the restaurant. Charming and fun. A cut way above most Harlequin books.
Within the context of a Harlequin Romance, this was a very cute story: girl owns restaurant; bad review ensues; reviewer and girl have a romance. The usual formula. The great twist is the food -- great Polish food with wonderful descriptions. Made me very hungry reading it. Crisis intervenes, someone is sabotaging the restaurant. Charming and fun. A cut way above most Harlequin books.
August 8, 2013
Three and a half stars.
Ms. Lohmann's writing is very easy to read--she's got a wonderful way with descriptions, and her characters are interesting and enjoy a good sense of community.
I did find myself a little frustrated with the hero's stubbornness; that seemed like a bit of a character defect ;) On the other hand, the heroine's willingness to forgive clearly wasn't :D
Will definitely look forward to more of Ms. Lohmann's writing!
Ms. Lohmann's writing is very easy to read--she's got a wonderful way with descriptions, and her characters are interesting and enjoy a good sense of community.
I did find myself a little frustrated with the hero's stubbornness; that seemed like a bit of a character defect ;) On the other hand, the heroine's willingness to forgive clearly wasn't :D
Will definitely look forward to more of Ms. Lohmann's writing!
July 29, 2016
The heroine put me in mind of Sookie from The Gilmore Girls! Great book that challenged my prejudice against category romances - the romance unfolded slowly with realistic barriers and featured characters with realistic emotional baggage. Imperfect people falling in love even if it's inconvenient with someone who is perfect for them? With food? Definitely will read the next book about the sister... and maybe others from the Super romance line.
February 12, 2013
This book made me very hungry. I've read about 5 romance novels to date, and in general it is not my genre. In general, though I like a romantic subplot, I don't like it to be the whole purpose of the story and I tend to skim over parts. This was however, my favorite romance novel so far. Not only did I not skim, but I read the whole thing in one day.
April 28, 2013
A great read! The author does an excellent job developing the characters in this story. I especially enjoyed reading about Tilly and her love of Polish food. The descriptions of Tilly's restaurant, Babka, and the food she prepares has me wanting to travel to Chicago to seek out her restaurant!
I believe this is the first novel by Lohmann, who is a librarian in our area. This is a good read!
I believe this is the first novel by Lohmann, who is a librarian in our area. This is a good read!
March 31, 2013
So I finished the book today and couldn't have read a book that was any better. It kept me on the hook wondering who was doing all the bad things and then when it came out I was Shocked but I loved it all together.
October 2, 2013
I finished this book in 1 day. I couldn't sleep, so I just finished it. I have never read a "super romance" so I wasn't sure what to expect. Overall I thought the book was fine, don't know that I loved it, but I was quite obsessed with the main characters.
April 6, 2013
The hero was more than a little bit annoying and that lasted much too long in the storyline. The mystery element was rather weak but the heroine was truly interesting. She kept me reading when I'd otherwise have put the book down.
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