Delicious: An MM/MMM Charity Anthology

Mount Hope #(Hot Dish)

by Annabeth Albert, Beth Bolden, Jax Calder

Love is delicious…

Join a fabulous group of authors for a brand new charity anthology that’s sure to make you hungry!

We’re serving up hot dishes, lamington kisses, cheesecake roses, and plenty of delicious indulgences. Accompanied by a buffet of your favourites like best friends to lovers, meet cutes, second chances, small towns, enemies, hot bosses, long time crushes, plenty of spice, and melt-in-the-mouth sweetness.

With taco trucks, celebrity chefs, bakers, pizza shops, and plenty of treats, Delicious has seventeen brand new contemporary short stories for you to savour!

All proceeds will be donated to the LGBTQ+ charities Switchboard and akt.

Includes stories
Annabeth Albert, Beth Bolden, Jax Calder, Vawn Cassidy, Colette Davison, Lane Hayes, Becca Jackson, E.M. Lindsey, Katherine McIntyre, Mia Monroe, Shane K Morton, K.M. Neuhold, Charlie Novak, Becca Seymour, Sebastian Sharpe, Toby Wise, and Ariella Zoelle.

A Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert
Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden
Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder
Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy
Sweet on You by Colette Davison
All’s Fair in Love & Pizza by Lane Hayes
Cheesecake Roses by Becca Jackson
The Deaf Chef by E.M. Lindsey
Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre
The Chef’s Kiss by Mia Monroe
Whet Your Appetite by Shane E. Morton
Taco Dirty to Me by K.M. Neuhold
Loaf of My Life by Charlie Novak
Rumbledethumps by Sebastian Sharpe
Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour
A Slice of Life by Toby Wise
Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle

Genres: Anthologies, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Novella, M M M

895 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2025

About the author

Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

Reviews

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare to get a charity anthology where I want to read every single story included in it but this one I did - and I did!

I've rated this as a 5* overall because I pretty much rated all but a couple of the short stories in it either a 4 or a 5* and there were only a couple that I wasn't as keen on - all down to personal taste of course, I'm sure they'll be 5* reads for other people.

Highlights for me were the stories from Beth Bolden, Lane Hayes, Becca Jackson, K.M. Neuhold and Charlie Novak.

Beth Bolden's Piece of Cake sees us back with her Morettis for another superb short story. This time it's Marco who's finding that love might not be out of reach for him when an old school friend of his sister's returns to town all grown up and a talented pastry chef in his own right.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes is an enemies to lovers vibe with the two MCs falling out and falling in love over bagels and pizzas and it had me laughing from the start.

Becca Jackson's Cheesecake Roses is a nostalgic look at a guy who thinks his life's over when he's forced to give up his career playing banana ball, only to discover that a new life is waiting for him working alongside a face from his past.

With Taco Dirty to Me K.M. Neuhold delivers everything you'd expect from her, lots of puns, lots of laughs, plenty of delicious heat and a surprising little twist when owner of a Taco Truck agrees to do a favour for his sick brother and winds up on a blind date with his customer crush.

Charlie Novak's Loaf of My Life was definitely my favourite out of all the stories, it's a perfectly pitched romance that, in only a few chapters, manages to give you everything you need as two lonely men fall in love via a bakery window.

I'd also throw in wishes for Vawn Cassidy's Deliciously Cookie to be turned into a full length book because, while I loved what was included here in the anthology, it very much felt like more of a sneak peek than a complete story.

There's great disability rep with EM Lindsey's The Deaf Chef, and trans rep in Toby Wise's A Slice of Life.

Overall though I can highly recommend this anthology for lovers of romance with a foodie twist - and just lovers of LGBTQ+ romance in general!

ARC kindly received from the authors, I am voluntarily leaving a review

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Overall

🍲Hot Dish - Annabeth Albert (3)

🍰Piece of Cake - Beth Bolden (4.5)
I love the Moretti family and seeing Marco get his HEA was so good!! I really enjoyed the tension between him and Andrew and Beth always has the most amazing sounding foods in her books. I also loved that Pavlova was their special dessert - I'm not a sweet toothed person, but I do love fruit and Pavlova is linked to so many summer memories.

🍅Feeding The Grump - Jax Calder (5)
This was everything I love about Jax Calder's writing! The tension, the oblivious MC, the acts of service and gifts as their love languages... I really loved that David didn't realise he was growing heritage tomatoes just because Benji mentioned he liked them 😂 I also loved how Aiden and Tyler from Playing Offside were featured, they're still my favourite rugby romance!

🧁Deliciously Cookie - Vawn Cassidy (3)
I did enjoy being back in the bay with another Ainsley brother, but this story was so short that I'm not really sure how I feel about it. It was just getting started and then it was done, really abruptly! Is it going to be extended? It just felt unfinished.

🧁Sweet On You - Colette Davison (3)

🍕🥯All's Fair In Love and Pizza - Lane Hayes (5)
I loved this rivals to lovers pizza bagel war 😂 Great entertainment and the relationship development felt really natural and well paced. I want to know more about the community!

🍰Cheesecake Roses - Becca Jackson (4)
So cute! I enjoyed how this tied into the Love In Play series as well as the Beaker Brothers series. I'd actually love to see more of how they renovate and run the hotel though.

🥪The Deaf Chef - EM Lindsey (3)

🍫Office Indulgence - Katherine McIntyre (3)

🍽️The Chef's Kiss - Mia Monroe (3)

🍝Whet Your Appetite - Shane K Morton (3)

🌮Taco Dirty To Me - KM Neuhold (4)
I so hope that Dylan and Bas will pop up in one of Kyleen's other series! They were so cute and fun, and I feel like I need Bas's brother's story now too because side character's from this author always scream for attention!!

🍞Loaf of My Life - Charlie Novak (5)
So adorable 😍 I loved the way this story felt like a warm hug, and I could picture everything so clearly. I just love the gentle romance story telling from this author so much.

🥔Rumbledethumps - Sebastian Sharpe (3)

🍰Lamington Kisses - Becca Seymour (4)

🍕A Slice of Life - Toby Wise (3)

🧑🏼‍🍳Sweet Heat - Ariella Zoelle (4)
I loved the tension that was building between these two during the blindfolded taste test! Adler was really funny and even though it was very instalove, I really enjoyed these two and the chemistry between them.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**review based off the following stories**

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert
Tropes: neighbors, friends with benefits, single dad, age gap, small town
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden
Tropes: workplace romance, twin sister’s best friend
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder
Tropes: neighbors, grumpy x sunshine, age gap, small town
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre
Tropes: work place romance, secret admirer, friends to lovers, fast burn
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Whet Your Appetite by Shane K. Morton
Tropes: best friends to lovers,
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Taco Dirty to Me by KM Neuhold
Tropes: brother’s blind date
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Katriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert is the first story this food themed anthology starts off with. Stu and Percy have been next door neighbors for a while now and have had their eyes on each other but has never made a move. When Stu's daughter makes an extra casserole for the firehouse Percy works at, Stu goes over to drops of the hot dish and that's where their relationship kicks off.

Stu and Percy's relationship starts off as a friends with benefits situation, neither man wants to commit to a relationship, especially Percy. But, gradually overtime, love has a way of sneaking up on you and that's exactly what happened here.

Piece of cake by Beth Bolden
I'm a big fan of Beth's writing especially her books that are centered around the food industry. I absolutely adored that Marco got his own story and his own happily ever after. Him being a Moretti has been more of a curse then anything, but then Andrew pops back into his life and he realizes maybe everything he went through previously was worth it. I loved this story! And this one had sooo many yummy descriptions of various dishes, both savory and sweet. I love baking, and so I really loved Andrew's character. I liked how he stayed true to the restaurant's history but challenged himself and Marco to trying new things. Since this is a short story their relationship does progress fast but it felt natural, this was well written and a fantastic story!

Feeding The Grump by Jax Calder

This was such a lighthearted and fun story! I was smiling the whole time I was reading this, the writing was exceptional and I LOVED the playful banter and dialogue that David and Benji have with each other. They have an enemies to lovers vibe to them in the beginning but as you read further you'll discover that that's not quite accurate. I really liked David and Benji, they are the epitome of opposites attract while also finding common ground with each others interests and likes. These two bringing each other food in their own ways was so cute, David would bring Benji fresh fruit and vegetables, and Benji would then make either sweet or savory dishes to drop off at David's. So cute!

Here's a quote I really liked, "And I suddenly realize we’ve been speaking this language all along. In vegetables left on doorsteps and meals cooked just for me, in arguments that were really just excuses to stay in each other’s orbit."

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy
I'm beginning to get the sense that all of these stories are going to be adorable in one way or another. I'm not super familiar with Vawn's writing, but I have to say I really liked this story. Cupcake's charavter is so vibrant, bubbly, confident and so kind and supportive. He's freely himself and I love that for him.

Quinn on the other hand has been keeping a big secret from his family and is discovering things about himself that he's never thought about before. Like being attracted to a guy... Cupcake to be specific. This was a very cute, short story. I liked that we got so many moments of these two getting to know one another. Even though this was a short story a lot was packed into it which I really enjoyed and appreciated.

Sweet On You by Collette Davidson
This is a single dad, dad's best friend, and age gap romance. I thought this was a good story, the two boys scheming to bring the older men together was really cute. And reading about these two grown men have no idea how to make cupcakes was shocking! But, I am glad they both figured out how to make them together, that scene was very cute. And the ending was great!

All's Fair in love and Pizza by Lane Hayes
If you like enemies to lovers with intense chemistry that threatens to explode, then you're going to love Rob and Mateo's story. I really liked how their whole relationship started because of a Pizza bagel, it sort of gave off a rom-com feeling to it just with a bunch of angst mixed in.

Cheesecake Roses Becca Jackson
Oh my gosh I absolutely LOVED this one! At first I wasn't sure how I felt about Nate's character, he just seemed very brash and jaded. Upon reading further I began to understand what led to him being that way and I also got to see him changw his behavior too. Remy absolutely stole the show in this story, he knows what he wants and is passionate about achieving it. These two men just fit together so well, even though they hadn't seen each other in years they effortlessly fit back into each others lives. Also, now I really want a cheesecake that's shaped like a flower...

The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey
Mellie and Rhett's story will keep you on your toes and leave you guessing. I wasn't sure how these two were going to resolve their issues after the way they first met, but they resolved their issues beautifully! I always love when ASL and different representation are showcased so beautifully, and that was done exquisitely here. I liked how they sort of had an enemies to lovers vibe but still gave one another a fair chance. I'm also really curious about Otto, I hope he gets his own book in the future.

Office Indulgence by Kat McIntyre
Ahh!! This story has been my favorite so far! I love chocolate, so for Henry to have a secret admirerer who's leaving behind chocolate treats and sweet notes? That's right up my alley! I wish someone would woo me with chocolate confections that's for sure. This story while short in length, was packed full of details and really showcased Henry and Jacob's relationship beautifully. These two men are absolutely adorable together, Henry being a bit clueless about certain things just made him more endearing, and Jacob is the calm, determined, and kind presence to balance everything else out. I love this story SO much!!

The Chef's Kiss by Mia Monroe
Liam, Des, and Marco's story was an interesting one. Des and Marco are married and have an established relationship, and as a surprise Marco takes Des to a fancy restaurant for his birthday. While there they discover the man that used to be the third in their relationship is the new chef at the restaurant and is back in town. I could see where the author wanted to go with this and I think others will really enjoy it. For me though it just felt like I was missing important details/moments.

Whet Your Appetite by Shane K. Morton
Ryder and Marti's story is an adorable and spicy friends to lovers romance. The way they stumbled through their conversation about how they felt for each other was a bit awkward (understandably so) but also really sweet. I liked that they took the time to have an important conversation before they engaged in any spicy times. A very cute friends to lovers story!

Taco dirty to me by KM Neuhold
Bas is the proud owner and chef of his own taco food truck, and for the past few weeks there's been a customer that he can't stop thinking about. 'Precious' aka Dylan has been a frequent customer of Bas's for quite some time now, he has had a crush on the flirty man who sneaks him extra tacos but never thought anything would come of it. Until a blind date ends up with him and Bas going on their very own date. This is good! I liked Bas and Dylan together, they are very cute with one another. The conversation they have on their date was wild! If my dog ended up barfing up what the dog in Dylan's story did, I would be horrified!

Loaf of my Life by Charlie Novak
The details describing all the steps and ingredients that goes into making croissants, various breads, and pain au chocolat was just fantastic! I love when an author really takes the time to provide loads of details about their MC's professions and that's exactly what took place here. So Charlie, kudos to you! Riley and Jace's story is truly incredible, I was so sad when it was over. I wanted more of Riley, Jace, and of the creations they came up with at Toasty's. Which is an adorable name for a bakery! Their relationship was beautiful and developed at a really nice pace. I adored how they danced around each other and got to know one another gradually overtime. It was really beautiful how they came together as a couple, and I really appreciated the Insomnia representation as well. It was really well done and well written.

Rumbledethump by Sebastian Sharpe
David and Kelly were a happy married couple who loved each other, until one day, one family arguement changed everything. When David's grandpa passes away and the reading of the will is arranged Kelly has been requested to be there... That's really where this story kicks off. I found this to be yet another well written story, and I really liked that there was such a special family dish that got passed on throughout the family. That was a special touch! I'm glad these two were able to come back together and I was cheering on David's deceased grandpa for sticking it to his parents. Those people are so mean and judgemental.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour
Ste has had a crush on his friend Keifer for years now, but after being turned down he's tried to push down those pesky feelings. Only now Keifer has been starting to show interest in him..

I'm a sucker for the friends to lovers trope and that's exactly what Keifer and Ste's relationship ends up becoming. I also really liked the nod to Becca's other series, that was really cool to see that mentioned. It was like discovering an easter egg!

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise
I've said this before and I'll say it again, one thing you can guarantee with Toby's books is that they will make you smile. I know that when I read one of Toby's stories that I'm going to be happy whilst reading it because of knowing their writing style. They write cute, fluffy romance books that have lovable characters. And this was no different.
Rodney and Pete have been roommates and best friends for years but have never made a move on each other. Until one snowy night where Pete realizes all the different ways Rodney has shown up for him, and decides its worth the risk if it means he can be with his best friend.

This is such a sweet best friends to lovers romance, the way Rodney continuously shows up in many different ways to help and support Pete is just so thoughtful and kind. They have such great chemistry together that when they kissed I was cheering them on cause they just needed to be together, you know? The pizza shop was a nice place for these two to realize their feelings for each other.

Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle
Have you ever watched the Hot Ones show? Because if so you'll see the same parallels in this story with that show as I have! This was such a unique and creative concept and I absolutely loved how it was written. The two MC's have burning hot chemistry the whole time they are filming the show, the insults they throw back and forth are creating a buildup to the main event. I really enjoyed reading this story, the characters and romance wasn't the only thing that was well written. The amount of detail that went into describing each diabolical dessert was exceptional, I love watching cooking & baking shows, so to be able to have a similar experience but it be in a different format (reading it instead of watching) was really, really, neat! The dinner and dessert that Niccoló and Adler share after filming the show was a really nice way to simultaneously continue the story and a good place to end it too.

All in all this collection of stories has been an absolute joy to read! If you're a foodie at heart you're going to love these stories just as much as I have. And even if you're not a foodie, you'll still enjoy the stories within this anthology.

[Julia Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

You are definitely going to need your favorite snacks while reading this anthology. There were a lot of great desserts and food items, and I found myself craving all of them.
I really enjoyed all of the novellas, they were cute and fun. These were perfect to read between novels and I loved how they were little slices of happiness.

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert was a great one to kick the anthology off and all of the novellas that followed were great.

One of my faves is Beth Bolden's Piece of Cake. I really enjoyed the tension and the build up. There was a great amount of story in this novella.
All's fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes is another fun one. I loved the pizza bagel debacle.

This is a great anthology with really great and delicious novellas and I can't recommend it enough.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounding up. Recommended story titles are in bold.

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert
Eh, t'was fine. Felt a bit phoned in, but I didn't hate it.

Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden
I'm not familiar with this series, but could tell it was interconnected. That being said, I was never lost and this story stands on its own. I might be a bit intrigued to read some of the other brothers' books now.

Feeding The Grump by Jax Calder
Favorite of the lot (Charlie Novak's story is a close second, along with Katherine McIntyre's) - Took a chapter to get into it, but I loved how David was clueless about how focused he was on Benji . . . this was just so sweet and swoony.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy
This was . . . interesting. I did overall enjoy my time with the characters, but it ended so abruptly, definitely felt unfinished.

Sweet On You by Collette Davidson
This was a fun one, and had an appropriate amount of the kids scheming. It wasn't the focus, but it made sense. It did lose a smidge of momentum/interest for me near the end, because I'm never going to care if someone "approves" of a relationship between consenting adults. But that was a minor issue; overall, it was lovely.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes
I quite enjoy Hayes' stories usually, so was surprised that this one didn't work for me, but I after four or five chapters, I got sick of their manufactured conflict and didn't care if they worked it out and moved on to the next.

Cheesecake Roses Becca Jackson
I think I quit this one after a couple of chapters . . . it felt connected to other books I hadn't read and I couldn't get into it.

The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey
I liked this one a lot, but almost wish it had been a longer length novella, because it felt a bit rushed in places. But I did buy the passion/animosity from Mellie, and how quickly it morphed into passion of another sort.

Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre
This was super cute, and I have a soft spot for clueless MCs who can't recognize something right in front of their face.

The Chef's Kiss by Mia Monroe
I have no issues with poly, but Monroe's writing hasn't worked for me for a while. I started it, but didn't like the set up, so skipped out after the first chapter.

Whet Your Appetite by Shane K. Morton
I fully read this one, and yet, details are escaping me. Friends to lovers, for sure.

Taco Dirty to Me by KM Neuhold
This was fun, a blind date pinch hitter situation . . . except for the needlessly gory 'anecdote' near the end, I had a great time.

Loaf of My Life by Charlie Novak
This was really lovely. The glimpses at 0 dark thirty and little signs, and how their schedules work super well together, on top of being wildly attracted to each other . . . I do love stories where MCs find their perfect match in ways other than sexual.

Rumbledethump by Sebastian Sharpe
A bit dramatic, but then any divorced couple reuniting over a will reading is going to be OTT. Still, I went with it and had fun.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour
There were like three friends to lovers stories that felt fairly similar; I think this was one of them.

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise
This was a cute friends to lovers morsel.

Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle
I liked the banter at first, and the blindfolded taste test was pretty fun/flirty. However, Adler coming in his pants, untouched, on camera, when Niccolo berated him at the end of filming was . . . interesting. And we still had like seven more chapters of alliterative affronts and copious coupling to wade through, so I bailed early.

[ash-reads-romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve loved EVERY story in this anthology… they’re SO good! And so creative!!!!!

But here are the three I focused on (but really they’re all amazing)

Story #1
The Deaf Chef by E.M. Lindsey

“It’s amazing what a writer can do with a small word count. This was a superb little treat to read. A tired, nerdy, college ASL interpreter who accidentally antagonizes a super hot food truck vendor known as the “Deaf Chef” and his gaggle of missteps to right his “wrongs” in order to get on the beefy man’s good side. It’s a cute dislike-to-lovers, rom-com style tale with loads of humour, seggsy sweetness and great food! You’ll be eating well with this one!”


Story #2
Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden

“Beth just casually drops another delicious Moretti romance like it ain’t nothing. It is so satisfying. Like every one of your favourite desserts wrapped up in a neat little package.
Marco has long deserved his HEA and Andrew gives him a run for his money with a lot of wit, charm, backbone and plenty of pining. It’s the kind of UST you can eat with a spoon, and isn’t that what we deserve? Nom nom nom.”

Story #3
Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre

“So Incredibly Cute! Nothing like an office secret admirer with a talent for making chocolate! Who *wouldn’t* want to lock that down? And it’s always the person you least suspect! (Especially when you’re painfully oblivious) This is an adorable story you won’t want to miss with all the wit and spice that Kat does so well!”

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think 3.5 is a fair average. unfortunately, I read this over the course of a few weeks and don't remember a lot of details. The best were from Jax Calder, Charlie Novak, EM Lindsey, Katherine McIntyre, KM Neuhold, Beth Bolden, and Sebastian Sharpe.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.26 ⭐, rounded up because it's for a good cause.

This anthology was a CHONKER. Took well over a month to finish. It was okay. Some hits, some misses. They're short stories, so I guess you can't have too high of expectations.

The shmexy scenes were scorchingggg🥵. Why are they so much better in short stories than full length novels?

Anyways, here's my ratings:

Hot Dish, Annabeth Albert - 1 ⭐MC gives neighbor a casserole and a BJ, then starts a FWB relationship. The writing was atrocious? I don't remember Annabeth Albert's writing being like this. It was so surface level and formal.

Piece of Cake, Beth Bolden - 2.5⭐very surface level writing, didn't care much for the characters or the side plots. They got together after a week, which is... kinda nuts but ok.

Feeding the Grump, Jax Calder - 3.5 ⭐this was really cute and the characters felt real. It's interesting that authors put Easter eggs of other characters in their short stories.

Deliciously Cookie, Vawn Cassidy - 4.5 ⭐ I LOVEDDD THISSSS, but I'm so confused. It ended so abruptly, I need to know what happens next. It wasn't even really a HEA and barely a HFN. Def my favorite short story so far. I need a full book of them tho!!

Sweet on You, Colette Davison - 2 ⭐It was okay. They got together wayyyyy too quickly and then the rest of the story was about them navigating their relationship. I prefer stories where it focuses on the connection leading up and then they get together at the very end.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza, Lane Hayes - 5 ⭐This was soooooo cute. I loved the hate sex🥵 and their little snipes and jibes. I need a full length novel of this, like, yesterday.

Cheesecake Roses, Becca Jackson - 2.75⭐By far the shortest short story in this collection, which is why it seemed to move way too fast and ended so abruptly. I was expecting the plot to thicken but it didn't rly, so it barelyyy ended on a HFN. I loved Rémy so much 😭. He just sounded like the cutest blonde French boy ever.

The Deaf Chef, EM Lindsey - 3 ⭐ this was entertaining but I didn't enjoy the writing. It was a bit melodramatic and clunky at times ( I had to read sentences over and over again to understand what was being said). And... I cannot get over the fact that they had sex in a food truck. 🫣 Health code violation much?

Office Indulgence, Katherine McIntyre - 3.5⭐ Pretty cute, pretty OTT, mc2 gives mc1 chocolates as a secret, mc1 finds out, then gets absolutely RAILED into next week. The sex was hawttt🥵. It may or may not involve milk chocolate. Wasn't a fan of the dialogue, it was very wooden and robotic.

The Chef's Kiss, Mia Monroe - 3.75⭐ ah. Finally found the mmm romance. This was cute and sweet, even though I'm not a fan of second chance romance. I found the dialogue to be robotic, and there were too many inspirational quotes/purple prose. Butttt the sex was CRAZY. Two dicks... in one hole... there's no way Liam's ass is still intact. 🤪

Whet Your Appetite, Shane K Morton - 2 ⭐ this should have been a full length novel. Not because it's good, but because the plot needed to be expanded. The MC's are best friends then decide to start a relationship. Like I said, it's a heavy load of a plot so it needed to be longer. While reading the dialogue I had no idea who was speaking, it read like a movie script but without the character's names.

Taco Dirty to me, KM Neuhold - 3 ⭐enjoyable, kinda unrealistic in how the MC was portrayed in bed vs. out and about. Moved too fast but it's kinda expected with a novella. A bit too perfect of a book if that makes sense. Too perfect characters, too perfect sex, too perfect dog. Needed a small conflict of sorts.

Loaf of my Life, Charlie Novak - 4.5 ⭐this was so cozy. Would be perfect as a full-length Christmas novel.

Rumbledethumps, Sebastian Sharpe - 1.5 ⭐ MC's get divorced a year prior, MC2 solves it by making MC1 potatoes and butter. I mean, come on. What kind of communication is that 😭

Lamington Kisses, Becca Seymour - 2 ⭐this story doesn't revolve around Lamington cake like the title suggests. They eat cake once, on a boat. Also if you're going to write a story about best friends (for six years!) to lovers, then you need to make it a full length novel, or else it just becomes unrealistic.

A Slice of Life, Toby Wise - 2 ⭐ this was cute. It's an mm romance but one of the MC's is trans. I was curious how the author would write the spicy scenes, and I'm still a little confused honestly but I'm not gonna go into detail 😂 I found some grammar and spelling errors and I thought the writing was very surface level, and the characters were too perfect for me to be intrigued.

Sweet Heat, Ariella Zoelle - 5 ⭐ this should be titled, If Gordan Ramsay was Italian and Gay. Absolute perfection😘

[Edga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection of short stories from a group of very talented authors. On the whole, they're full of humour and good food! All were well written, with good story and decent character development. So many of my favourite authors are here, that I found it difficult to choose which ones to review. Some of the books were 5*s, others 3 and 4, hence the 4*s overall. Recommended, and for a good cause.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes cracked me up, but at the same time had me rolling my eyes. Two guys who constantly argue over Pizzas and Bagels, they're so ridiculously funny. Matteo especially is a bit of an arse at the beginning of the story. He's an ex-high school footballer, who everyone expected to do well, unfortunately things just didn't work out for him. There's a little bit of resentment/envy on Matteo's side, because Rob, also a footballer, went on to be super successful. However, the chemistry between them is undeniable, and the banter between the two of them, kept me engaged throughout. I enjoyed the way in which their relationship developed, and bonus, it's a lovely small town romance; and no one does small town romance like Lane. Smashing ending, so swoony, the guys are obviously meant for each other. 5*s

Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre is so upbeat and sweet. Henry has a secret admirer. A chocolate a day from said admirer, makes Henry a very happy boy. Unfortunately, it also makes for a frustrated Henry, as he attempts to find out who his admirer is. After a while, and a few slip ups, Henry finds out who his man is, who is definitely not whom he expects. He has no complaints though.The ending is so cute. 4.5 stars.

Annabeth Albert 's Hot Dish stars two older MCs, Stu and Percy. The story is also set in Mount Hope, the setting for her last series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked Stu immediately, he's a single dad, doing his best, but feels a little lonely. Percy, on the other hand, is a bit of a rake, and is only interested in hook ups...no relationships for this guy! When the two successfully hook up, the sex is hot hot hot 🔥 However, when Stu decides he wants more, Percy, running shy, reacts badly. I loved the attitude of Stu here, he totally closes down the hook ups, and walks away from Percy. Go Stu....not letting himself be persuaded, being true to himself, even though he misses Percy terribly. I enjoyed the balance between the lighthearted humour and heartfelt moments Even though the guys break up, it's obvious that they love one another, and there are some moments which are quite emotional. A lovely ending though, with marriage on the horizon. 4.5 stars.

[Fedora · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELICIOUS: An MM/MMM Charity Anthology supports LGBTQ+ charities Switchboard and akt, and is a satisfying collection that will entice your tastebuds and fill your heart. Standouts include stories by Annabeth Albert, Beth Bolden, Jax Calder, Ariella Zoelle, but there are no misses. Some tie into the authors' existing series, but all stand alone well. A must read.



HOT DISH by Annabeth Albert ////.
Artist and teacher Stu has admired his firefighter neighbor Percy from afar and then from nearer when they ease into a friends...with very fine benefits situation. It takes a bit, but they ultimately realize that the next level and its benefits is even finer... Ties into Mount Hope series.

PIECE OF CAKE by Beth Bolden /////
Chef Marco Moretti's in desperate need of a pastry chef who won't have any designs on his person. His twin's high school BFF Andrew seems to fit the picture. Except he's now grown up, and WAY hotter than anyone ought to be. Beth Bolden's story is a perfect bite of joyful deliciousness. I couldn't stop smiling. Ties into Indigo Bay series.

FEEDING THE GRUMP by Jax Calder ////.
David Harrison and Benji Gange are neighboring sheep ranchers. David has owned his area for ages, while Benji is newer to sheep farming, having moved in when his relative left him the property. They seem to butt heads at every turn, with David giving ranching advice while Benji's studies have him turning to newer ways of using their land and caring for their animals. But David's homegrown vegetables and Benji's homecooked meals build ties and connections over days and months and years. A delightful lift to the spirits.


DELICIOUSLY COOKIE by Vawn Cassidy ///.
Freer spirit Carlito Rodriguez, nicknamed Cookie, and firefighter Quinn Ainsley cross paths when Quinn returns to his hometown. Sparks fly, and they find some happy common ground.


SWEET ON YOU by Colette Davison ////
Cameron has stepped into being primary guardian for his ten-year-old brother, who lives next door to his best friend and his hot dad, Euan. When the kids insist they collaborate for a bake sale, it's the little nudge they need to possibly act on the latent attraction arcing between them...


ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND PIZZA by Lane Hayes ////.
Pizzaria owner Mateo Cavaretti and new bagel shop owner Rob Vilmer used to team up on the football field to great effect. When Rob returns to town after retiring from a successful professional career, he moves in next door to Mateo. When he mentions pizza bagels, it was like lighting a fuse. Entertaining neighbors to rivals to lovers.


CHEESECAKE ROSES by Becca Jackson ///.
Nate, a former baseball player, is bequeathed half of his late uncle's beloved estate upon his death. The other half goes to Remy, a pastry chef who is currently help run The Buxton Estate as a high end hotel. Visiting brings sweet memories from his childhood back to mind and present Nate with a possible new direction. Nate's former teammates feature in Becca Jackson's Love in Play series.

THE DEAF CHEF by EM Lindsey ////
Rhett is an ASL interpreter and crosses paths with Mellie, a Deaf food truck owner who goes by The Deaf Chef. Mellie is a bit prickly, with reason. When they choose to act on their combustible chemistry, it is definitely a major turning point...

OFFICE INDULGENCE by Katherine McIntyre ////
Henry's the object of an office secret admirer who's romancing him with exquisite hand-made chocolate. He's determined to find who's behind the sweets and see if a co-worker might turn out to be more. A fun bit of a mini-mystery for Henry.

THE CHEF'S KISS by Mia Monroe ///
Desmond and Marco loved and let Liam go, not wanting to clip his metaphorical wings. Sometimes when that love returns, it's time to grab hold and never let go again.

WHET YOUR APPETITE by Shane K Morton ///.
Ryder and Martin have been BFFs for ages but had been separated by distance for recent history. When Martin returns to town for a much longed for visit, it inspires them both to consider that maybe their friendship is just the start of something even more.


TACO DIRTY TO ME by KM Neuhold ////
Bas owns a taco food truck. Dylan is one of his favorite customers. A missed blind date gives the two of them the opportunity of a lifetime...

LOAF OF MY LIFE by Charlie Novak ////
Riley, a microbakery owner, and Jace, who suffers from insomnia, meet unconventionally during one of Jace's nighttime walks. A sweet path to their happy ever after ensues.

RUMBLEDETHUMPS by Sebastian Sharpe ///.
David McCraig returns to Scotland for the reading of his beloved grandfather's will. He's shocked to see that his ex, Kelly Baker, as been called there as well. His grandparents had a charming way they used to apologize to each other after a disagreement, and that recipe served them well. Perhaps it will be part of their lasting legacy as well.

LAMINGTON KISSES by Becca Seymour ///.
Ste calls his best friend and chef Kiefer to help save his celebratory dinner for his parents. Along the way, some slight change lets them consider the possibility that everything they've ever wanted could be standing right in front of them.

A SLICE OF LIFE by Toby Wise ///.
Pete is the owner of Pete's Slice, a small-town pizzeria. His roommate and best friend Rodney comes to help close up and get his staff home safe before a major storm unleashes, and it becomes apparent that maybe they've got some quieter exploring to do, together.

SWEET HEAT by Ariella Zoelle ////
Niccolo de Rosa, chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant, finally agrees to a guest appearance on Adler Sutton's show where he will try Adler's famously spicy desserts. What he doesn't realize is that he's giving them a chance to realize their deepest dreams together. Sweetly hot and delicious indeed.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a pretty decent anthology. I discovered some new-to-me authors that I will absolutely be checking out in the future.

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert - 3.5 stars
This was a nice way to start the anthology. A little smutty, easy to read, not super angsty. It's a later-in-life romance between two divorcés, one a single dad with two teenagers.

Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden - 5 stars
Somehow, this author managed to make this story feel like a slow burn, even though it happened over just a matter of days. (Although I do find it hard to believe that a chef who went to culinary school wouldn't have heard of pavlova. Just sayin'.)

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder - 5 stars
This one takes me back to my younger days in New Zealand, dreaming of manuka honey and getting tangled in macrocarpa hedges. A really lovely demisexual awakening for a man who's never quite understood why he felt no need to date.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy - 2.5 stars
So, this rating has nothing to do with the author's writing style, which I actually quite liked. It was mostly because there were a ton of other characters mentioned (I assume from their other books), and while it was probably nice for some readers to get an update on their favs, I was just a bit overwhelmed trying to keep track of them. It was only four chapters long, and ended very suddenly, as if the author had run out of time to complete the story. There was no resolution, no decision made about a budding romance between the characters. Left me feeling a bit lukewarm about the whole story.

Sweet on You by Colette Davison - 4 stars
Age-gap (10yrs) between a single dad and his best friend/neighbor's oldest son. This was a bit different from the other stories in that most of it took place over just a few hours. I liked their chemistry and the pace of the story, though the "forbidden" aspect of their budding relationship was a tad repetitive for me.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes - 3 stars
Two semi-closeted ex-athletes get into a restaurant rivalry, which results in some angsty hate sex, though it was really more like jealousy than hate. I liked most of the story, except I found the original argument kind of flimsy. It made forgiving Mateo really difficult.

Cheesecake Roses by Becca Jackson - 3.5 stars
A former athlete inherits his estranged uncle's hotel estate... or half of it, rather. The other half belongs to a childhood friend he's nearly forgotten, and they disagree over whether to sell or make a go of running the hotel together. While I really enjoyed the story, it didn't feel complete to me. I wanted to know more about the injury that ended Nate's career and about the reason for the estrangement in the first place. I think I would've enjoyed this more as a fleshed-out full-length novel. (Also, a few editing issues.)

The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey - 3.5 stars
I think this may have been my first of EM's stories, and I enjoyed it. It almost starts off as enemies to lovers, which threw me a little at first. One MC is deaf and owns a food truck, where the other MC, a hearing ASL interpreter, comes to order. The enemies aspect of this story is thankfully shortlived, because it felt a little harsh to me. While I appreciate Mellie's fierce need for independence, it really felt like it was more about his pride. He seemed to have a learned discrimination toward hearing people, refusing to even consider dating someone hearing, even when communicating is clearly not an issue. Once he got over that, the story got much better. Loved their chemistry.

Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre - 3.5 stars
This was a cute secret admirer office romance. It moved too fast for me once the identity was revealed, but I enjoyed the writing style. I wish they'd had shower sex first, because ew. It's been a full day of work. Dude, don't put your mouth there yet.

The Chef's Kiss by Mia Monroe - 3 stars
A quick glimpse at a moment in time when a married couple reunites with their third lover who'd left three years ago to chase his dreams. It was super sweet, though I think it would've worked better as a longer story. The reunion happened quick quickly, with zero angst.

Whet Your Appetite by Shane K Morton - 3 stars
Super short friends-to-lovers story. I liked their dialogue and the concept as a whole, though it felt rushed and had editing issues.

Taco Dirty to Me by KM Neuhold - 5 stars
Short and sweet and good enough that I would've read another 40 chapters. This is a twist on a blind date, and even though the story only covers the one night, it was great.

Loaf of My Life by Charlie Novak - 3 stars
This was a cute story between a baker and a romance-novel translator. The story started off with lots of shy, sweet, and slow-moving relationship, but right after the first kiss, I was a bit shocked by how quickly it jumped straight into dirty talk and pounding sex. I'd kind of expected it to also be shy and sweet, I guess. The final chapters did go back to the sweet vibe.

Rumbledethums by Sebastian Sharpe - 3 stars
This one was okay. I loved the concept of a second-chance romance between ex-husbands, but it fell a bit short for me. There wasn't enough time with the characters together in order to feel their chemistry, and there were some editing issues. I think it would've been better as a longer story, in order to build up the reunion and earning forgiveness.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour - 3 stars
An Australian friends-to-lovers romance. This was only four chapters which just simply wasn't enough time for me to buy the change in their relationship.

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise - 4 stars
Best friends to lovers with trans rep. I really enjoyed the writing style, could totally get behind these two friends and their mutual pining. It was incredibly short, but it kinda worked for the story.

Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle - 4 stars
Enemies to lovers (sorta) but imagine it's while filming Hot Ones. Age-gap and also some obsession going on. There are so many playful insults, but there is also some amount of insult kink involved. It was certainly fun.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

June 6, 2025
Hot Dish - Annabeth Albert (3.5 stars) I enjoyed this cute story. Because it was a short story, it was hard to feel really vested in the romance. But I liked what I got to know of Stu & Percy and was satisfied with their HFN ending.

June 8, 2025
Piece of Cake - Beth Bolden (3 stars) I’m sure those who have read the other books about this family will love this story. For me, I felt like I was missing big chunks. Insta-love almost never works for me, and this was no exception. It was a cute story but not one I’ll remember tomorrow.

June 9, 2025
Feeding The Grump - Jax Calder (5 stars) The only thing wrong with this story for me is the length. I wish it had been a full length novel or at least a novella. But even with the short length, the author did an excellent job of selling the relationship and romance between the MCs. I just wish I could read more about Benji & David.

June 12, 2025
Deliciously Cookie - Vawn Cassidy (2 stars) I feel like for me to have enjoyed this story I would have had to have read the Belong to Me series. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story with no idea who any of the characters were that the author kept mentioning. And then in chapter 2 there was an info dump:
“Jesse, Beck’s twin, runs his own successful veterinary clinic here in the bay, and his business
partner, Wyatt, is with the famous movie star Finn Gallagher. Jesse’s husband Deacon is retired
now but raced boats for a living and has won just about every trophy there is for breaking
speed records across the water. Their best friend is the Oscar- and Grammy-winning rockstar
Kyan Amos.”
This was useless to me because I don’t have any connection to these people, nor do I have a photographic memory.
And just when I was starting to enjoy the story, it abruptly ends with no resolution to any of the major plot points.
This felt more like a teaser than an actual short story.

June 14, 2025
All’s Fair In Love and Pizza - Lane Hayes (5 stars) I really appreciate this author rising to the challenge and creating a complete story that can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. Ms. Hayes is one of my favorite storytellers and this story further demonstrates why.

June 15, 2025
Cheesecake Roses - Becca Jackson (4.5 stars) The was such a sweet story. My only complaint is I would have loved a few more chapters to flesh out the relationship between Remy and Nate when they were younger. It read like there were defining moments but we didn’t get to see them. Also I’m left to wonder what happened between Nate’s mom and her brother, Jack, that caused them to stop speaking. Will definitely look at this author’s other works.

June 16, 2025
Sweet on You - Colette Davison (DNF - no rating) Made it to chapter 5. After a few pages, I decided this wasn’t working for me. To me, Cameron read much younger than his stated age of 25. The ick factor kicked in when things got heated between Cameron and Euan, his dad’s BFF. This is totally on me and how I perceived Cameron.

June 17, 2025
The Deaf Chef - E.M. Lindsey (4 stars) Loved this engaging story. Another chapter or two before the time jump to the epilogue would have made the romance more compelling and would have elevated this to 5 stars.

June 18, 2025
Office Indulgence - Katherine McIntyre (DNF - no rating) Made it to chapter 4. I was somewhat enjoying this until it went from 0-60 in 2 seconds. He found out who his secret admirer was, called him his boyfriend, and proclaimed they were spending the weekend together. From that point it felt like this was just porn with a plot.

“God, you’re big,” I purred, a bit of mischief sparking inside me. I swept my fingertips against his tip, small circles through the fabric. “You’re going to feel amazing inside me.”


June 19,2025
Taco Dirty To Me - K.M. Neuhold (4 stars) Another great setup and story. I would have loved more of Bas & Dylan but this was a satisfying short story.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's "Delicious: An MM/MMM Food Themed Romance Anthology." All proceeds will be donated to the LGBTQ+ charities Switchboard and akt. Includes stories by: Annabeth Albert, Beth Bolden, Jax Calder, Vawn Cassidy, Colette Davison, Lane Hayes, Becca Jackson, E.M. Lindsey, Carly Marie, Katherine McIntyre, Mia Monroe, Shane K Morton, K.M. Neuhold, Charlie Novak, Becca Seymour, Sebastian Sharpe, Toby Wise, and Ariella Zoelle.

["Love is delicious…

Join a fabulous group of authors for a brand new charity anthology that’s sure to make you hungry!

We’re serving up hot dishes, lamington kisses, cheesecake roses, and plenty of delicious indulgences. Accompanied by a buffet of your favourites like best friends to lovers, meet cutes, second chances, small towns, enemies, hot bosses, long time crushes, plenty of spice, and melt-in-the-mouth sweetness.

With taco trucks, celebrity chefs, bakers, pizza shops, and plenty of treats, Delicious has eighteen brand new contemporary short stories for you to savour!"]

I read 90% of this book, including: "Hot Dish", "Piece of Cake", "Feeding the Grump", "Alls Fair in Love and Pizza", "Cheesecake Roses", "The Deaf Chef", "Office Indulgence", "The Chef's Kiss", "Taco Dirty To Me", "Lamington Kisses", and "Sweet Heat."

Of course, I loved ALL of them, but here are my top favorites:



Favorite Story: Bas and Dylan from "Taco Dirty to Me"

Favorite Relationship: Niccolò and Adler from "Sweet Heat"

I Want More Of: Rhett and Mellie from “Deaf Chef”

Notable Mentions: David and Benji from "Feeding the Grump" // Mateo and Rob from “Alls Fair in Love and Pizza” // Nate and Rèmy from “Cheesecake Roses” // Des, Liam, and Marco from "The Chef's Kiss"

#arcs #arcteammember
#delicious #deliciousfoodthemedromanceanthology #foodthemedromanceanthology #charityanthology #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ feeding the grump by Jax Calder

How perfect! Truly this short story from Jax Calder is perfection. Banter, grumpiness, epic swoon, deep connections, this one has it all.

David is a bit grouchy and I low key loved it. He is also one of the most thoughtful swoony characters, honestly so is Benji. Benji who knows what they will be , ugh so absolutely epic. I cannot articulate how much I loved this story perfectly paced and tightly packed with emotion and sweet swoony moments and surprisingly fantastic chemistry and heat. I also loved how immersive the writing is , the descriptions of the land were mesmerising.

The way David discovers his feelings and goes all in is just spectacular- this one might be my favourite read this week!

5⭐️ The Deaf Chef by E M Lindsey

I love Millie and Rhett. EM Lindsey’s insightful, emotional and sensitive style lends itself perfectly to the their story. This grumpy x worry wart sweet romance tracks from a meet cute and instant attraction to something infinitely more meaningful

“This is something. He’s someone.”

They meet on campus where Millie has brought his food truck and Rhett is a Deaf interpreter. Rhett doesn’t make the best first impression but is stick firmly affixed in Millie’s mind.

Also these two are fire together, I’d love to see the moments building up for them as the relationship progresses, I hope the author makes this a full book, I am very invested. I’d also love Otto’s story.

3.5⭐️ piece of cake by Beth bolden

awww I loved Andrew and Marco! This sweet short tale from Beth Bolden was just heartwarming, low angst, spicy goodness.

I adore the he grew up hot trope… and this one did it perfectly. Marco is struggling because of blurring the lines between being charming and leading them on and he has lost yet another dessert chef at Nonna’s his steakhouse. Serendipitously Andrew, the erstwhile gangly teen could be the best fit for a shirt term assignment.. except he isn’t gangly or a teen anymore and the attraction is out of control. These two towed all the lines and worked through a bit of baggage but all in all it’s low drama. While the way it wrapped up was really sweet, I did feel it lost a bit of steam mid way, sort of slowing down and then suddenly jumping towards the giving in then slowing down again and then suddenly its the declarations. This did impact my enjoyment of it a little bit.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh where to start. This anthology has so many great authors in it. ALL of these are worth reading and it is honestly a wealth of stories all in one volume. There is no way I could write about them all so here are three of them:

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert: I am already a fan of this author and her Mt Hope series. This story features Stu and Percy; the single dad art teacher and the paramedic. I like how both guys are older. Stu isn’t afraid to stand up for himself and make Percy evaluate what he really wants out of life.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour: Keifer may have friendzoned Ste, but it hasn’t deterred his feelings at all. Ste’s brand of chaos may not have beenwhat Keifer wanted at the time, but it is funny how things can change. This friendship turned more was just what they both needed. This was a delightful little story set in the same world as The Outback Boys and I read it all before I realized it was done.

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise: I am a huge fan of this author's paranormal and mpreg stories, but his contemporary ones are good too. Pete and Rodney have been friends and roommates for a while now, but what is even better? Friends to lovers! One of my favorite tropes.

And now I am just going to say that there isn’t enough space to write about all the stories here. No one would read that review because it would be way too long. Go grab a copy of this anthology. You will NOT regret it!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

We are here with a massive Buddy Review for the Delicious anthology. The collection features a variety of food-related stories from a great group of authors. The proceeds for the anthology go to benefit LGBTQ+ charities Switchboard and akt.

Read the Joyfully Jay review in its entirety here.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

i took my time with this one, going back & forth between this and a few other books.

my favorites:
•piece of cake by beth bolden
•feeding the grump by jax calder
•all’s fair in love and pizza by lane hayes
•loaf of my life by charlie novak

definitely found some new authors to check out as well

[Molly G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Anthology for finding your new favorite Authors

Started reading to support the authors goal and kept going because I loved each of the small worlds I was introduced to along the way!

[Pam _P who cusses A Lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

These anthologies can be hit or miss but this one was excellent!! No duds, just a couple that didn't speak to me personally. And a few I wish could've been full novels.

[Molly Otto · Rating 5 out of 5]

With most anthologies I tend to pick and choose which stories I want to read, yet this time I decided to try them all and do not regret this choice. A well-balanced anthology where each writer stuck true to their own writing style.

A HOT DISH: ANNABETH ALBERT
Percy wanted a new beginning after a messy divorce, leaving him weary of starting something new. Stu moved to town so he could co parent with his ex, to make all their lives easier. When a chance fire leads Percy in assisting his new neighbor, Stu brings a hot dish for his gratitude, beginning their new arrangement. Both are weary to begin something new, but when things deepen, it takes the courage to stand up for himself, for Percy to really see what is happening. For a short story it is well balanced and doesn't leave you frustrated from not having read their Mt. Hope universe, where this story takes place.

PIECE OF CAKE: BETH BOLDEN
Marcus has been in a rut that not only has affected his dating life but his restaurant as well. when he loses another pastry chef his sister recommends her friend Daniel to train the new pastry chef. Daniel left his home to be the best pastry chef he could be, returning home after a bad break up, and to assist his friend in their time of need. These two are not prepared for the chemistry that hits them. With their past however, both play it cautious before trying to pursue anything. The build up to something was fun to read, however that was the majority of the story where you don't actually see them as a couple, which i would have liked to see.

FEEDING THE GRUMP: JAX CALDER
David & Benji have been bickering neighbors since Benji inherited the land from his uncle. They are so different in so many ways, yet amongst the bickering their connection deepens. One mishap finding a lost lamb, forced David to see what really has been happening. Benji having seen it is thrilled to get his shot at something more. Mix in a cameo from PLAYING OFFSIDE characters makes for a fun well balanced short story.

DELICIOSULY COOKIE: VAWN CASSIDY
Cookie is staying in the Bay until his best friend Tyler sorts his affairs back home. Quinn as part of the Ainsley clan returns home to tell his family what he really has been doing while away at university. The two build a beautiful friendship in comfort and support. This short may be well written, however for me, it ends in a not brilliant way. It is the whisper of a promise for something more. i prefer anthology stories as separate whole stories that can be a part of another universe.

SWEET ON YOU: COLETTE DAVISON
Cam agreed to watch his kid brother, Elliot, when his father was away on business. With this responsibility comes the added bonus of becoming closer to Euan and his son Peter, who happens to be Elliots mate. The kids rope the adults into baking for the school's fundraiser when sparks fly and they allow something more. Enjoyed the balance of heat as well as strong family values. The kids were a main driving force in the story, which should be the case I a single dad romance. A complete story from start to finish.

ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE & PIZZA: LANE HAYES
Mateo & his family have run the local pizzeria for generations. When Rob, a former teammate and man who got to live out his NFL dreams opens a bagel shop next door, tension flys. the two embark in the Great Pizza Bagel War, that leads to these two to actually see the other for who they are. Beautifully played tension with the main characters. What starts with animosity turns to a huge family of support and unconditional love.

CHEESECAKE ROSES: BECCA JACKSON
When Nate is injured playing banana ball, he feels his life is over. It was that one thing he was always good at. When his estranged uncles passes, he must go back to his estate to settle things and move on. Remy who partially owns the estate with Nate, sets his mind to show Nate what a magical place this is and together they could build something great. These two have a fun chemistry and was nice to see the BEAKER BROTHERS FARM from another perspective. Well balanced and didn't have you feeling something was missing if it were a full-length story instead of a short.

THE DEAF CHEF: EM LINDSEY
Rhett is an interpreter for the deaf school for one of the professors. One day he is sent to the Deaf Chef, a popular food truck on campus. Mellie is used to having customers not following his signs yet still gets irked when people step in to help the ignorant customers. These two start off of the wrong footing, yet the attraction is there. On their next encounter the animosity remains until Rhett steps in to help. When Mellie lowers his walls, he sees how amazing Rhett is. this story feels complete with a great balance of what we've come to know and love from EM.

OFFICE INDULGENCE: KATHERINE MCINTYRE
Henry has been receiving love notes and handmade chocolates from someone in his office and is set to figure out who it could be. In a mess of deduction skills and let's be honest in a beautifully ignorant way that causes the pieces to fall into play. The sweet man is all he's ever wanted yet doesn't believe he could have. In the true fashion of Kat, they wrote a perfect balance of heat and humor. And as a huge Declan fan, was great to see him at his top snarky glory with people he is truly comfortable with. Perfect short to go along with the Brannon Boys universe.

THE CHEF'S KISS: MIA MONROE
Des and Marco are celebrating Marcos's birthday and reminiscing of their lost third in a upscale restaurant in New Onyx where they know their Liam would have flourished. Liam is back in New Onyx hoping for a second chance with the two men he left behind to pursue his culinary dreams. In their time apart all three men know they still belong to one another. When their paths cross once again they don't waste the opportunity to reconnect. I love a reconnection story of three men who should never have been apart, yes, its short, yet it felt complete.

WHET YOUR APPETITE: SHANE E MORTON
Ryder & Martin have been best friends forever. When Martin comes for a visit, both men realize how much they mean to each other. What makes this read so dang magical is it's a best friend to lovers' story that I can completely relate to. Even when taking the next step, they stay true to their long lasting friendship. When you know it will be lasting and permanent. A truly beautiful story.

TACO DIRTY TO ME: KM NEUHOLD
Bas has had a crush on one of his regulars for a while now, to bad hes taken. When his brother gets sick, he jumps in his place, so the blind date isn't stood up. To his delight the blind date is Dylan and now is his shot at the man he adores. When Bas shows instead of Tony, he can't help but be taken aback. These two get their shot to see if they're over the counter translates to real life. I don't know how KM managed to still be her usual self in a short story, but here we are. That perfect mix of heat & humor tha we all have come to know and love from KM.

LOAF OF MY LIFE: CHARLIE NOVAK
Riley is a baker for a smaller bakery who goes to work early mornings. one day he spots a mystery man who intrigues him, yet he must continue with the day as always. Jace dealing with his insomnia induced walks is drawn to the lights of the bakery & the beautiful man inside. Over time he gets the courage to make contact, it does not go as planned. Luckily for him RIley has a good sense of humor. Slowly they build a beautiful bond of understanding and eventually love. A beautifully done slow burn in a short story. Didn't think that could work, and yet Charlie has done it beautifully.

RUMBLEDETHUMPS: SEBASTIAN SHARPE
A second chance is given to David & Kelly witht the passing of Davids grandfather. The wrongs of the past are corrected with this beautifully done short. Both men are able to see what went wrong and how this is their shot at fixing it and having the love they both lost. A breathtakingly beautiful short store of two mend once again finding each other.

LAMINGTON KISSES: BECCA SEYMOUR
A fun, quick read of two friends taking their shot at more. Keifer friend zoned Ste years ago and has regretted the choice since. Ste having once tried is afraid to take another chance. One fateful afternoon on a not so smooth boat ride, they both reach that point where they know it is their time. They have built a solid friendship that even if things don't go as planned, they will remain friends. A beautiful short that captures Beccas writing style in a condensed read.

A SLICE OF LIFE: TOBY WISE
Pete & Rodney have been best friends their entire lives. Rodney has been Petes biggest supporter in all decisions that lead him to be his true authentic self. One snowstorm wakes the pair up to see how truly and deeply they love one another. A perfect transition from best friends to more, with the added bonus of trans inclusion, and a found family of love and acceptance by all who visits Pete's Slice. Toby shows us he can write contemporary just as well as his paranormal low angst that we have come to know and love him for.

SWEET HEAT: ARIELLA ZOELLE
Niccolo is convinced to partake in SWEET HEAT to bring his audience more current. Adler has admired the chef from a young age and dying for his chance to meet and spar with the chef in real life. These two have a banter that not all could handle, that is the right mix and insult and praise. It is no wonder Niccolo agrees to have Adler prepare him a meal to show his real skills. Little does he know this meal will change everything. Adler shows he truly does understand the real man behind the facade. The right balance of heat & humor in a great short story.

[Julie Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of 17 novellas by various authors, totalling 895 pages. The average of all the star ratings combined 3.9/5, rounded up to ⭐⭐⭐⭐. All stories are food themed, and there's a combination of friends to lovers, enemies/rivals/loathe to love, insta-love, second chance, age gap... The representation is diverse: gay, bi, pan, demi, trans, polyam, disability, mental health... And the stories are set in many locations across the world. 100% recommend this charity anthology as I believe there is something here for everyone to enjoy!!

Hot Dish - Annabeth Albert
⭐⭐⭐/5
Stu and Percy. Neighbours. Art teacher and paramedic. An exchange of food as thanks turns into friends with benefits and accidentally falling in love. Spicy and cute 🥰 first person and dual POV.

Piece of Cake - Beth Bolden
⭐⭐⭐/5
Marco and Andrew. Restaurant owner hired his sister's best friend to work as his pastry chef, but is unprepared for how attractive his new employee is now he's all grown up. Both have made mistakes on the past that they're determined not to repeat with each other. Lots of longing and somehow slow burn despite its 76 pages! Third person narration, single POV following Marco.

Feeding the Grump - Jax Calder
⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
David and Benji. Neighbouring farmers in rural New Zealand. Grumpy vs sunshine. Giving fruit and veggies because it's the neighbourly thing to do, and getting cooked/baked goods in return, just because. Falling into a bush and then falling in love! 🥰 first person narration, single POV aside from epilogue where POV changes.

Deliciously Cookie - Vawn Cassidy
⭐⭐⭐/5
Cookie and Quinn. Puerto Rican American in the UK and small-town boy just returned home. Fun and flirty with a spicy ending, though it ended a bit abruptly. Dual POV and first person narration.

Sweet on You - Colette Davison
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Cameron and Euan. 25yo hairdresser who looks after his 10yo brother while their dad is away for work, and 35yo drama teacher and dad's best friend, whose son is younger brother's best friend. Sweet and funny and spicy and the kids made everything so much better! Dual POV and first person narration.

All's Fair in Love and Pizza - Lane Hayes
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Mateo and Rob. Pizzeria manager and former NFL star turned bagel shop owner. A rivalry starts over pizza bagels and turns into backroom make out sessions. Funny, cute, a couple of spicy scenes. Dual POV and first person narration.

Cheesecake Roses - Becca Jackson
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Nate and Rémy. Former baseball player whose career ended early due to an injury and chef who specialises in pastries. Both of them get left a hotel, which Rémy desperately wants to keep running while Nate is not so sure. Short and sweet, one absolutely breathtaking first kiss and a promise for more in the future. I just wish I got to spend more time with them! Dual POV and first person narration.

The Deaf Chef - EM Lindsey
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Rhett and Mellie. Interpreter to a Deaf professor, and Food Truck owner who comes to campus. Insta-lust with a touch of "I hate that I'm attracted to you". A dinner date turns up the notch for the attraction and it was overall such a great read! Loved the representation too! Dual POV and first person narration.

Office Indulgence - Katherine McIntyre
⭐⭐⭐/5
Henry and [redacted]. A secret admirer leaving chocolates on Henry's desk at work to show his feelings, as Henry stated the way through his heart was through food and praise. I predicted it in chapter 2, it was revealed I'm chapter 3. I did think the first-kiss-to-boyfriends was a bit quick, and the no-prep even though Henry said he'd been going through a dry spell was... 😬 the caring was lovely though, the way [redacted] seemed to know exactly what Henry needed and gave him that! Single POV, first person narration.

The Chef’s Kiss - Mia Monroe
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Desmond and Marco and Liam. Husbands, who met their perfect third and had to let him go to chase his dreams. One man who let his two loves get away, chasing a life he thought he wanted, but now gets a second chance at true happiness. I adored this one; it was short but I felt so emotional for all three of them, they all thought they were the one who'd messed up but in reality they just wanted each other back. And the epilogue was perfection! Triple POV and first person narration.

Whet Your Appetite - Shane K Morton
⭐⭐/5
Ryder and Martin. Best friends who have never been able to find anyone they click with as well as they click with each other so they decide to try to date. I didn't really connect with these two characters or their story, some of the phrasing was a bit awkward at times. Dual POV and first person narration.

Taco Dirty to Me - KM Neuhold
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Bas and Dylan, whose surname is Precious. Taco truck owner and vet technician. A blind date with a twist. Long term crushes turn instalove once they realise they can have each other. Absolutely adorable, loved the dog, and loved how Bas cared for Dylan and his four-legged friend. Spicy with lots of dirty talk. Dual POV and first person narration.

Loaf of my Life - Charlie Novak
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Riley and Jace. Microbakery owner and freelance romance novel translator with insomnia. Talking through a window with written notes. Cravings for croissants. Cute dates and weird days. Two people who've struggled to find someone who understands them, understand each other. Very cute, very British! Dual POV and first person narration.

Rumbledethumps - Sebastian Sharpe
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
David and Kelly. Ex-Husbands, torn apart by greedy and homophobic family members, brought back together by the grandfather that always had their back. Emotional, satisfying, spice only in the final epilogue. Dual POV and first person narration.

Lamington Kisses - Becca Seymour
⭐⭐⭐/5
Ste and Kiefer. Friends, who've both got feelings the other isn't aware of. A picnic in a boat. I really liked the characters and how they got together, but I felt like there were some inconsistencies, like Ste brought something up in one chapter and in the next he asked Kiefer questions about it that it felt like he should already know. But all in all a sweet short story, with a mention of/link to another series by the author that I am familiar with. Dual POV and first person narration.

A Slice of Life - Toby Wise
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Pete and Rodney. Best friends since childhood. Pizza shop owner and roommate who just loves to help out and make sure Pete has everything he needs. A first kiss in a snow storm. Trans rep and gender euphoria. Short but beautifully written and so full of love 🥰 dual POV and first person narration.

Sweet Heat - Ariella Zoelle
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Niccolò and Adler. Michelin star chef with a TV show, and an internet show host about spicy desserts. Age gap, and loathe turned to love in just a few bites. Fun, flirtatious, hot (both when it comes to food and intimacy) and sweet, the perfect ending to this collection of food themed novellas and short stories!! 💖 Dual POV and first person narration.

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 3.57⭐️. Another fun buddy read! Anthos are the best thing to read with a friend. One short a day is perfect! This was a fun one and I enjoyed how they were all related to food. Again some stories were awesome, some were not but there were a few I loved and wished I could read them all over again for the first time! Enjoyed and would recommend!

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert
DNF

Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I really enjoyed this short. I’ve enjoyed this author’s cooking stories in the past so knew I would enjoy this one. Loved their connection and that they got together the right way for them! Definitely recommend! Single POV.

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was such a cute, fun story! This author writes amazing short stories/novellas that feel like full-length novels and this was no exception. I loved getting to know these two and seeing David’s feelings grow! I also loved the cameos we got in this short! I absolutely recommend this story whether you’ve read Playing Offside or not as it is amazing! Single POV except for epilogue.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy
⭐️⭐️
Well unfortunately this story was a disappointment. It could have been so much better. But there were just way too many side characters involved in this story and I had no idea who they were and it really took away from the MCs. And the ending was not great. I know this is a short but still there was no resolution at all to their story or even a promise of a full-length novel to come. Wouldn’t recommend unless you’ve read all the books by this author and know all the side characters.

Sweet on You by Colette Davidson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This was such a fun, cute story. I totally felt the chemistry between these two and loved seeing them start their relationship. The kids were super cute too and I totally knew what they were doing and was totally here for it! Whether you’ve read this author before or not I highly recommend this short and loved that we got a little glimpse into their future as well!

All’s Fair In Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes
⭐️⭐️.5
I was not a fan of this story. I didn’t particularly care for the one MC and their enemies to lovers just seemed silly without much context. There was nothing wrong with it but it also didn’t keep my attention very well. If you’re a fan of this author it’s definitely worth a try.

Cheesecake Roses by Becca Jackson
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was good but would have been much better as a full-length story instead of a short. There was too much left open at the end of the story that I wanted to know about and a bit too quick of a resolution between the MCs. However it was still an enjoyable story so would recommend if you like this author.

The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey
DNF

Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre
⭐️⭐️
I honestly can’t even believe I’ve rating this one so low cause I love this author. But this story just didn’t work for me. 😭 The concept of a secret admirer was so cute and I loved trying to figure out who it was. But honestly I didn’t like who it ended up being. At least how it was written. It seemed like it was only about sex for the one MC (single POV which makes sense). We get told there’s a crush but I didn’t see it. And the sex scene was hot but only if they would have showered first! 🤣 I think it might just be me so if you like this author then I totally recommend giving it a try and hope you love it!

The Chef’s Kiss by Mia Monroe
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
So overall I enjoyed this short. There were a couple things I didn’t particularly like but it was still a fun story. It was a second-chance MMM which you don’t see very often but that part of it was really well done to me and felt equal all the way through. It’s another one that would have been amazing as a full-length novel just to get more time in for the second-chance specifically as it was resolved super quickly. I would recommend if you enjoy this author.

Whet Your Appetite by Shane K Morton
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a cute story. Not the best writing but still enjoyed the characters and the plot itself. Not quite sure what to say about it. But if you enjoy this author’s writing then I’m sure you’ll love the story!

Taco Dirty To Me by KM Neuhold
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved everything about this short. I was so sad to finish because I wanted more because these MCs were so cute and loveable and amazing! The story is perfect as is though and nothing felt missing at all. Absolutely recommend whether you’ve read this author before or not.

Loaf of my Life by Charlie Novak
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a cute story! I enjoyed watching their relationship grow and seeing how well they both fit into each other’s lives! They were perfect for each other in every way! If you enjoy this author I would definitely recommend!

Rumbledethumps by Sebastian Sharpe
⭐️⭐️
So I don’t know if it’s because I read the short almost exactly like this earlier in the antho (inherited an estate, hadn’t been to in a while, the other MC was left something too, kind of both second-chance with slight enemies to lovers) but this one didn’t work for me. Too many things didn’t make sense. And I understand the whole sentiment of the Rumbledethumps but I can’t see that working on the mess that was their relationship. And it was resolved way too quickly. I wouldn’t recommend this one.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Not sure how I feel about this one. It was cute. Nothing was wrong with it but it was so incredibly short I don’t even know if it was worth reading. Didn’t get to know the characters at all. If you enjoy the author you would probably like it but it definitely needed more.

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was so cute and perfect from beginning to end! I loved both characters and their connection. The sex scene was soooo well done. I would absolutely read more about these two! Highly recommend this short!

Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a cute story. I could feel their chemistry and I liked their dynamic but it felt a little over the top sometimes. Overall an enjoyable read and definitely what I have come to expect from this author so if you enjoy them I highly recommend!

[... · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology was great! The first in a while where I've read and enjoyed every story 😊 My only complaint is the same one I make for most anthologies: no individual story blurbs included. Sighhhhhhh.

Anyway, on to my personal ratings!

--------------------------

👍 Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars. This one was fun! And I'm *so* glad Stu stood up for himself 😊

👍 Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars. This story was nicely done. The writing isn't entirely to my personal taste, but as a short in an anthology, I'm definitely not mad that I read it!

👍 Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. OMG... this was my FAVORITE! 😍 Grumpy/sunshine is always a trope I adore, and this short had me smiling HARD all the way through. ALL the stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

👍 Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy ⭐⭐⭐
3 stars. This one was on its way to a 5-star read for me, the beginning was so fun! But some heavy-handed cameos from what I'm assuming is the author's related series, and then the abrupt, not-even-HFN ending dropped it a bit by the end.

👍 Sweet On You by Colette Davison ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. This author's stories don't always work for me, but this short was a feel-good little gem that had me smiling all the way through! 🥰

👍 All's Fair in Love and Pizza by Lane Hayes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. LOL, anytime I fall in love with a story *despite* something, it's a keeper 😂 Enemies-to-lovers is usually a trope I avoid. My heart is just way too soft to enjoy the vitriol, and I've never been a fan of hate sex. But despite my personal taste, this story was absolutely lovely 🥰

👍 Cheesecake Roses by Becca Jackson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars. This was a fun read, despite things moving a little fast between Nate and Remy IMHO, and this is definitely a new-to-me author that I wouldn't mind readin gmore from!

👍 The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars!! As soon as I saw that this author was included in the anthology, I went straight to their story first... and it did NOT disappoint! MAJOR heart-eyes 😍😍😍 (As usual with this author!)

👍 Office Indulgence by Katherine McIntyre ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. I definitely need to find more from this author 🥰 This story was sweet, fun, and sexy... literally the perfect short-story romance *heart eyes*

👍 Chef's Kiss by Mia Monroe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.5 stars. I'm not usually a huge fan of M/M/M and don't particularly care for the second chances trope, but done as well as it was in a short like this? I think that's exactly my speed for enjoying both. This was super sweet!

👍 Whet Your Appetite by Shane K Morton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. This one was delightful 🥰

👍 Taco Dirty To me by KM Neuhold ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.5 stars. This was a fun one! I got burnt out on this author's style a few years ago and paused reading her, but this short was the perfect little taste to dip my toe back in! Objectively, I'd call it a 5-star story for sure. Personally, though, it fell just a hair short of that because I loooooooove shy guys who stay cute, adorkable, and super shy as they get to know their love interest, and I was squeeing internally at my first glimpse of Precious, thinking that's what I was in for. But, in the author's signature style, he ended up being shy on the outside, dirty AF in the bedroom. Which is fun enough, I guess, but not what I personally was hoping for 🤷‍♀️

👍 Loaf of My Life by Charlie Novak ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. Awwwwwwwww! 🥰 This was ADORABLE! No angst, sweet men, sooooo many carbs. I loved it!

👍 Rumbledethumps by Sebastian Sharpe ⭐⭐⭐
3 stars. This is a new-to-me author and when I finished the story, I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it. Now that I've read the whole anthology, this one stands out for being the with the mismatched tone. It was far angstier and melancholy than the rest - and more than I usually enjoy, since I'm such a damn softie. It was also second chance trope, which is never going to be my favorite. But I did enjoy parts of it, for sure! I mean, who doesn't like to see homophobes put in their place? 🤣 (Well, sort of... David's parents definitely deserved a more pointed put-down than they actually got, IMHO.) I also feel like David accepted the reconciliation with Kelly too damn easily, without any real explanation... and then the sex epilogue immediately after? It just felt tacked on in an effort to include something explicit on the page, with such an abrupt tone departure from the rest of the story that it was jarring. And yet, for all those nit picks, I didn't hate this story at all. It's probably not an author I'll actively seek out more from, but it was also a solid 3-star read for me.

👍 Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour ⭐⭐⭐
3 stars. This one was... pretty forgettable, tbh. Still not a bad read, though!

👍 A Slice of Life by Toby Wise ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. Awwww, this was SO SWEET! An absolutely feel-good little gem. 🥰 It's also always a lovely bonus IMHO to read about trans characters when the fact of them being trans isn't a main plot point, but simply another facet of their personality/characterization. Well done!

👍 Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle ⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 stars. What an unexpected delight! And I'm not just saying that because I love Hot Ones 🤣 This story was creativre and fun, hot and sweet. And given Chef Niccolo's deep relationship with food, I even (mostly) bought the insta-love. 🥰 Would it have been even better with an epilogue? Yes. But did I absolutely adore the story as-is, too? Also yes. 😁

[Flick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cute anthology!
This was such a good mixture of stories! Anthologies are always a bit of a risk because they contain so many different authors and necessarily different styles. All the authors are awesome but one person’s jam isn’t always the next’s. This was one of those anthologies where other than one or two that just didn’t work for me (well-written, good premise, just not for me) 90% were full on 4 and 5 star reads. I’m going to pop individual reviews for my favourites below but honestly most of these are awesome!

The Chef’s Kiss – 5 stars
Mia Monroe

I’ll admit, this was the draw for me initially as I love Mia’s books. This was just as good as I was expecting. It’s a cute peek back into New Onyx at a throuple who have become a bit lost initially but come back together in such a sweet way. Des and Marco were so lovely together; despite it being a shorter story, you could really feel the emotional connection between them. When they got a chance to have Liam (their third) back in their lives they were so genuine in their hope that he’d want and love them as much as they still wanted and loved him. It was a sweet and gentle story and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. I absolutely adored this.

Taco Dirty To Me – 5 stars
KM Neuhold

This was so good; funny, sweet and sexy! I do enjoy KM’s brand of writing and this encapsulated it perfectly. Bas and Dylan were very cute. I’ve always been a fan of the accidental date trope and seeing Bas get a chance with the customer he’s got a crush on was great. They worked really well together and add in the sweet humour and a bit of heat and this was a fantastic little short.

All’s Fair in Love and Pizza – 5 stars
Lane Hayes

Enemies to lovers, competition over pizza bagels, family and sweetness. What didn’t this have to make you fall in love??? I adored this – I have a real love for enemies to lovers when it’s done well and this was *chef’s kiss*. Mateo and Rob just needed a chance to actually get to know each other to realise that they fitted so well together. The pizza bagel war was hilarious but also remarkably sweet. It ramped up the tension between Mateo and Rob really well and I liked that once they actually saw each other there was a whole lot of care and support.

The Deaf Chef – 5 stars
EM Lindsey

You may notice a pattern here but I really enjoyed this cute enemies to lovers. It’s also really nice to see a story that has characters with different life experiences written well. Rhett and Mellie definitely did not get off to a good start. I felt bad for Rhett (he was a sweetheart) but I also got where Mellie was coming from. I was glad that once the initial misunderstanding/miscommunication was resolved and that Mellie could see that Rhett was a really sweet guy. Seeing them get together was really lovely.

Lamington Kisses – 5 stars
Becca Seymour

I do love Becca’s writing and this was no exception. Plus this was in the Outback Boys world and I loved that series so I was pretty happy to give this a read. This story was a cute, friends becoming something more that had a nice bit of pining without it becoming overwhelming. Sometimes I find shorter stories can be a bit unbalanced when pining is involved (very little actual happy together time) but this was done really well. I also really liked that the thought of starting a relationship wasn’t overshadowed by an overwhelming fear that their relationship would be ruined if they tried and it just didn’t work out. It meant that you could really just enjoy Keifer and Ste shooting their shot.

[Tiffany Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Wonderful Charity Anthology**

Get ready to indulge in "Delicious: An MM/MMM Charity Anthology"! This delightful collection brings together a wonderful group of authors who are passionate about sharing heartwarming stories for a great cause. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised by each tale you read!

Here’s a sneak peek at the tasty stories included:

- **“Hot Dish” by Annabeth Albert**: Meet Stu, the charming art teacher, and his neighbor Perry, the heroic first responder. Their story is sure to warm your heart!

- **“Piece of Cake” by Beth Bolden**: Marco is looking for a pastry chef, and lucky for him, Andrew steps in temporarily to help him train while he opens his dream bakery.

- **“Feeding the Grump” by Jax Calder**: Join David, the lovable grump, and sunny Benji as they share a delightful food exchange that brightens their days.

- **“Deliciously Cookie” by Vawn Cassidy**: Cookie casts a spell with his cupcake magic on Quinn, who’s just returned from university.

- **“Sweet On You” by Colette Davison**: Cameron and Euan navigate a relationship as their dads’ best friends and next-door neighbors.

- **“All’s Fair in Love and Pizza” by Lane Hayes**: Follow ex-college teammates Rob and Mateo as they navigate their way from rivals to a loving relationship.

- **“Cheesecake Roses” by Becca Jackson**: Nate, a retired baseball player who inherits a beautiful estate, finds romance with Remy, the talented estate pastry chef.

- **“The Deaf Chef” by EM Lindsy**: Meet Mellie, a fun food truck owner, and Professor Robbie, who shares his adventures with ASL interpreter Rhett.

- **“Office Indulgence” by Katherine McIntyre**: Jacob leaves little sweet surprises for Henry at his desk, adding some cheer to their workdays.

- **“The Chef’s Kiss” by Mia Monroe**: Marco throws a great birthday celebration for his husband, Desmond, and when they bump into Liam after three years, sparks fly!

- **“Whet Your Appetite” by Shane K Morton**: Lifelong friends Martin and Ryder discover their true feelings for each other after a big move to Vegas.

- **“Taco Dirty To Me” by KM Neuhold**: Bas, the food truck owner, can’t help but crush on his adorable customer, Dylan.

- **“Loaf of My Life” by Charlie Novak**: Riley, the bakery owner, shares sweet moments with his best friend Jace as they explore their friendship.

- **“Rumbledethumps” by Sebastian Sharpe**: David and Kelly discover that second chances can lead to beautiful, happily-ever-afters.

- **“Lamington Kisses” by Becca Seymour**: Chef Kiefer steps in to help his best friend Ste with a special celebration dinner for his parents.

- **“A Slice of Life” by Toby Wise**: A snowstorm makes Pete realize that his best friend, Rodney, feels the same way he does.

- **“Sweet Heat” by Ariella Zoelle**: Professional chef Niccolo crosses paths with Adler, a fun-loving social media chef, and sparks are sure to fly!

This anthology is bursting with sweet stories of instant love and second chances; each tale can stand on its own. Every character is beautifully written, and the fast-paced stories are perfect for cozy reading. Plus, all proceeds will go to support LGBTQ+ charities! I hope you enjoy every moment of this delightful collection!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely delicious and delightful charity anthology with so many different stories involving food that are “chef’s kiss”💋 that it’s impossible to pick a favourite. I enjoyed them all so decided to just give you a tasting plate of what to expect. Yes, this is a very food oriented review intro!

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour

This is beautifully sweet friends to lovers story featuring two wonderful men. Ste needs help rescuing a celebration meal he tried to cook for his parents so best friend and chef Kiefer comes to the rescue. Ste has carried a torch for Kiefer for 5 years and after a boating date which includes some delicious and iconic Australian foods their friendship finally turns into more.

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder

Set in the sheep grazing Canterbury region of New Zealand this wonderful story has an ongoing food exchange between two neighbours who always have some point of friction between them. David (the grump) and Benji also get to experience a quite unique experience being stuck in a hedge together. A picturesque riverbank picnic is where everything clicks into place for David as he realises what’s really being going on with all the bickering between him and Benji over the past years.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy

What fun it is to be back in Heather Bay. Cookie works his cupcake magic at the bakery where he literally runs u to Quinn who is back home after finishing University. Cookie is an upbeat guy full of sass and sunshine and develops a yearning for Quinn, who is struggling with and delaying as much as possible a much needed conversation with his family. After some drinks these two wonderful men find themselves having a moonlit dip in the ocean where the water may be cool but the atmosphere soon heats up!

Loaf of My Life by Charlie Novak

Riley and Jace’s story had me craving all things bread! It was bound to happen as this is set in Riley’s bakery and he loves experimenting with all things bread. He also makes very good pastries. Combine the two together, thrown in the hot handsome baker and sweet Jace doesn’t really stand a chance. Fortunately these two men can work around sleep schedules to find the perfect balance of bakery items, friendship and love.

Taco Dirty Toto Me by KM Neuhold

Food truck owner Bas is crushing on his shy customer Dylan, veterinarian technician Dylan has been crushing on Bas. Dylan’s bestie sets him up on a blind date who happens to be the brother of Bas. Said brother gets sick so Bas goes to tell blind date and voila - the start of something steamy and real.

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert

Art teacher Stu and First Responder Perry are neighbours. Stu knocks on Perry’s door with a casserole in hand as a thank you gift and they both discover that the casserole isn’t the only thing that’s hot. Both have been through a divorce so there are no expectations attached but sometimes life doesn’t go as planned and through the power of gift giving (food) these two men soon find themselves dating and more.

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review doesn't refer to the whole book.

The Deaf Chef by E.M. Lindsey - 5 stars
Such a very lovely story!
Rhett is an interpreter for Robbie, Deaf professor, at the University. Rhett is a good guy but he hasn't find real passion yet, especially in love relationships. One day, Robbie sends him to get lunch from a food truck run by a friend. So Rhett meets Mellie, gorgeous Deaf chef, but he leaves a negative impression when he tries to help the chef with some rude students by overstepping.
Their second meeting is definitely better and I really really loved how grumpy Mellie melted around Rhett! He went far away from his comfort zone and asked him on a date. They were adorable together and, despite Mellie's reticence on taking a chance on a hearing guy, they were perfect for each other.
I really wish the author will expand this novella in the future. And I also hope we'll see Robbie and Thom's stories too.

Feed The Grump by Jax Calder - 5 stars
I loved this! Such a beautiful intimate story!
David and Benji are neighbours in rural Australia, they're farmers and constantly bickering about everything. Grumpy David claims he hates sunshine Benji and that all he does is just to annoy him. He complains a lot, but at the same time, he doesn't forget how close neighbours farmers are and how they rely onto each other, so they're basically together every day.
After a little lamb missing and a shocking discovery about his other neighbour, David realises that all these past years he and Benji were getting closer, they were dancing around each other and establishing a strong bond. When finally David admits to himself he's attracted to Benji, he doesn't hesitate to claim the other man as his own.
Characters from Playing Offside appear here, unwittingly.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy - 4.5 stars
Oh gosh, I didn’t know we would have gone back to the Bay in this novella! I was waiting to read more about Belong To Me characters since the last book, Forever Finn. This was a very amazing surprise!
Colin, the baker, hired Cookie, a Puerto Rican guy, to help at the bakery. Cookie is at the Bay waiting for his best friend Tyler (who is Beck, Jesse and Ryan’s childhood friend) who’s dealing with a relative’s funeral arrangements. Their plans is to move to London after it's all set.
Quinn, one of the Ainsley siblings, has just returned back home after attending University. His family is very happy to see him again and ready to celebrate his accomplishments.
But Quinn has been keeping secrets from them and he doesn't know how to tell them the truth; moreover he always thought to be straight and now he finds himself very attracted to Cookie and he's unsure if he should act on it or not. Until Ryan’s Taste Like Bad Decisions beer does it again.
The night they spend at the beach is wonderful and they have a great chemistry.
What prevented me from giving 5 full stars:
the story ends abruptly and I really really hope the author will give them their HEA in Ryan and Tyler's book.

I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency and this is my honest review.

[Fanni's So Many Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm starting to adore anthologies and this Delicious one has a big part in it. It's such a great way to discover new authors or get hyped again for old favourites.

I can't say I finished every single novella in the Delicious anthology, but I'm enjoying picking one up at night and having a quick bite of fun and romance.

The food theme is great and it is not cringe or overpowering. Just a subtle thread that weaves through the stories and provids an enticing basis.

So far I enjoyed the stories I picked up from Ananbeth Albert Jax Calder, Vawn Cassidy, and EM Lindsey. Some I liked more than the others and I definitely want more of some.

Overall, I highly recommend this collection because you're sure to find something up to your taste.


Individual Reviews (more to come)

Hot Dish - Annabeth Albert

This was a fun little story, but it didn't really impress me. I understand that it's not easy to squeeze enough substance into a novella, so it's not essentially a bad thing that this snippet was way too quick and lacked emotional attachment.
It's a really good teaser, though, about what to expect when picking up a book from the author.

Stu and Percy's story was a neighbors to friends with benefits to lovers story. Unfortunately, the one thing missing from this book was showing how they became more than just hookup buddies, which is a miss in my book.



Feeding the Grump - Jax Calder

This one was sweet and funny. David's grumpy narrative of his annoying and distracting neighbour, Benji, is hilariously oblivious. I love how he so suddenly realised that his feelings for the other man are far from contentious.

I would have loved if Benji had more POV chapters, especially because David's sweet gestures next to his tirades from his POV would have been so endearing.

The food aspect in this one is the cutest. Casually giving food to the other even after an argument just because they care kinda made me melt.

Adorable story.



Deliciously Cookie - Vawn Cassidy

I absolutely adored this one with one tiny little issue - it was over way too much.
Cookie is a quirky guy and paired with Quinn's inexperience, their stumble into lust is so entertaining. Add in the small town vibes and the familiar characters and you'll get a fun little story.
I also appreciated that even though it is only a novella, the characters are fleshed out with backstories that made me connect to them. That's probably the reason why I want more of them
I really hope the author writes their full story as part of her Belong to Me series. Because I want more.



The Deaf Chef - E.M. Lindsey

This one is special. I love how the author incorporates characters with diferrent disabilities in their stories. Rhett and Mellie's story is fun and filled with tension that slowly melts away in the wake of their attraction. Mellie is has a food truck and Rhett is an interpreter. Their easy communication through ASL is so natural depicting a naturally flowing budding romance.

I definitely enjoyed this a lot and I wouldn't have minded to read a little more.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I rate this book 4 stars. They were all sweet reads.

Hot Dish by Annabeth Albert 4 stars: Stu and Percy were cute, dancing around each other. But Stu’s daughter makes some extra food & Stu ends up taking it to the firehouse that Percy works at. We then watch them start off as friends with benefits, to more.

Piece of Cake by Beth Bolden 4stars: This is a new to me author. It also appears that this might be associated to an ongoing series. I will need to go back & read the series and then come back and re-read this short. I liked the MC’s & want to read more about the restaurant and the story there.

Feeding the Grump by Jax Calder 4 stars: This was a sweet fun quick read. We have an opposite attracts story & they were just too cute for words.

Deliciously Cookie by Vawn Cassidy 4 stars: I loved watching Quinn coming into his own sexually and realizing that he was attracted to Cupcake.

Sweet on you by Colette Davison 4 stars: I loved how the kids worked on getting these two together.

All's Fair in love and Pizza by Lane Hayes 3 stars: I am not a huge fan of enemies to lovers, but it worked for these two worked.

Cheesecake Roses by Becca Jackson 4 stars: I didn’t like Nate in the beginning, but he did grow on me. Loved Remy from the moment he stepped on page.

The Deaf Chef by EM Lindsey 3 stars: It was okay. I liked Rhett way better then Mellie.

Office Indulgence by Kat McIntyre 4 stars: This is another new to me author & I can’t wait to pick another book. Henry & Jacob were so sweet and I loved watching their relationship grow.
The Chef’s Kiss by Mia Monroe 3.5 stars: Another new to me author. Not sure how I really feel about this one. Des & Marco are married & Liam used to be their 3rd. It was fun watching them get back together, though it did feel a little stilted at times. And don’t get me started on double penetration is always freaking hot!!!
Whet Your Appetite by Shane K. Morton 2 stars: Another new to me author. I didn’t really care for it. I was lost through the majority of the story.

Taco Dirty to Me by KM Neuhold 3 stars: This one needed more, of something. Maybe some conflict thrown in or as everything seemed too perfect.

Loaf of my Life by Charlie Novak 5 stars: I loved this one, my only wish would have been that it was longer. I loved the MC’s as well as the baking. Other than the length, there wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it.

Rumbledethumps by Sebastian Sharpe 0 stars: New to me author. I didn’t like this one at all.

Lamington Kisses by Becca Seymour 1 stars: I didn’t like this one either, though I did like the MC’s.

A Slice of Life by Toby Wise 4 stars: Cute, sweet read. But I want more. Pete finally realizes that the perfect man for him is Rodney who has always been there for him.

Sweet Heat by Ariella Zoelle 4 stars: Another new to me author and I can’t wait to read for more. This was very hot!