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Great Chefs #1 & 2
Table for Two: Summer Desserts / Lessons Learned
Take two world-class chefs. Add two distractingly attractive people to their lives. Stir in some soul-searing kisses and tender nights. Simmer at high heat. What you'll get is an irresistible recipe for romance!
Summer Desserts
When love-resistant dessert chef Summer Lyndon develops a taste for her delectable boss, Blake Cocharan, her legendary willpower is put to the ultimate test.
Lessons Learned
Publicist Juliet Trent never mixes business with pleasure, but her newest client, charming ladies-man and chef Carlo Franconi, is determined to whet her appetite for love.
Previously Published
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1986
206 people are currently reading
2759 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,217 books60k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
July 1, 2016
Δεν μπόρεσα να το τελειώσω, γι' αυτό το λόγο βάζω δύο αντί για ένα.
September 23, 2016
I Love All of Nora Roberts Books. But This was great book. Loved the Characters and how different their lives was. But They Came to love one another.
December 15, 2009
I have mostly read Fiction from Nora Roberts and was concerned these stories were listed as romance. Much to my surprise and delight, this was not what I would consider trashy romance, but more fiction with a great romance. They didn't really seem much different than most of her fiction work, and I loved them just as much.
I am a big fan of french cooking, and believe I also enjoyed the main characters being chefs. Nora delights me again and again. Never a bad story by this great author.
I am a big fan of french cooking, and believe I also enjoyed the main characters being chefs. Nora delights me again and again. Never a bad story by this great author.
July 1, 2020
It was not one of my favorite reads this summer. Rushed through just to finish.
April 15, 2024
Table for Two collects two of Nora Roberts' novels - Summer Desserts (originally published in 1985) and Lessons Learned (originally published in 1986). They don't just have an overall theme in common (cooking!) - Summer, the main female character of Summer Desserts, is friends with Carlo, the main male character of Lessons Learned.
Summer Desserts:
Summer Lyndon is a supremely confident dessert chef. Blake Cocharan is a supremely confident hotel owner. They both meet their match in each other. Blake needs someone to help him improve the menu at one of his new hotels and he's picked Summer for the job. The two of them are instantly attracted to each other, but Summer, who has spent her life watching her actress mother fall deliriously in love only for her relationships to fail in a few years or less, doesn't believe in love and is afraid of commitment.
Summer's mother's efforts to solve things and give her daughter a nudge towards her HEA could very easily have blown up in everyone's faces. In fact, in the real world it likely would have. Nora Roberts' families, of course, never fold that easily, at least on-page.
This was definitely the weaker of the two books. Summer and Blake's instant attraction did nothing for me, and I got downright annoyed when Blake tried to claim later that their work and sexual relationships had nothing to do with each other (dude, you're her boss!). The scenes with Summer working in the hotel kitchen were well-done, but I disliked that Summer's issues with her staff were resolved via an accident rather than through her own work and efforts.
Lessons Learned:
Carlo Franconi (introduced in the previous book as Summer's charming Italian chef friend) has a new cookbook coming out and will be spending a few weeks promoting it in the United States with his new publicist, Juliet Trent. Juliet has mapped out her career in detail - she's come a long way from the receptionist she was ten years ago, and in only two more years, she figures she can achieve her ultimate goal of owning her own public relations firm. More than anything, she doesn't want to end up like her mother, who gave up a promising career in nursing to become a stay-at-home mom.
Carlo is a complication she doesn't need, but he manages to charm her anyway. As she tries to remind herself that Carlo is only ever temporarily involved with women, Carlo comes to the realization that Juliet is rapidly becoming more vital to him than any previous woman he's been with.
Whereas the first book was a bit of a chore to get through, this one was delightful. Yes, it felt very much like a product of its time, and not just because Juliet thought of herself has an eighties woman multiple times - there was all the stuff about Juliet's efforts to build her career, and her fear that love/marriage could prompt her to abandon it all the way her mom had. However, Juliet was overall more relatable than Summer, and Carlo was just as charming as Roberts meant him to be.
Although their relationship technically developed pretty quickly (the publicity tour was only about three weeks long), it somehow felt more natural than Summer and Blake's insta-lust. I enjoyed seeing their interest in each other and respect for each other grow as they dealt with a generally jam-packed book tour schedule. One of my favorite moments was when flight delays prompted Juliet to come up with other ideas for Carlo's planned cooking demonstration - it helped (a lot) that Carlo was good at what he did, good with people, and generally unfazed by sudden changes to his schedule.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Summer Desserts:
Summer Lyndon is a supremely confident dessert chef. Blake Cocharan is a supremely confident hotel owner. They both meet their match in each other. Blake needs someone to help him improve the menu at one of his new hotels and he's picked Summer for the job. The two of them are instantly attracted to each other, but Summer, who has spent her life watching her actress mother fall deliriously in love only for her relationships to fail in a few years or less, doesn't believe in love and is afraid of commitment.
Summer's mother's efforts to solve things and give her daughter a nudge towards her HEA could very easily have blown up in everyone's faces. In fact, in the real world it likely would have. Nora Roberts' families, of course, never fold that easily, at least on-page.
This was definitely the weaker of the two books. Summer and Blake's instant attraction did nothing for me, and I got downright annoyed when Blake tried to claim later that their work and sexual relationships had nothing to do with each other (dude, you're her boss!). The scenes with Summer working in the hotel kitchen were well-done, but I disliked that Summer's issues with her staff were resolved via an accident rather than through her own work and efforts.
Lessons Learned:
Carlo Franconi (introduced in the previous book as Summer's charming Italian chef friend) has a new cookbook coming out and will be spending a few weeks promoting it in the United States with his new publicist, Juliet Trent. Juliet has mapped out her career in detail - she's come a long way from the receptionist she was ten years ago, and in only two more years, she figures she can achieve her ultimate goal of owning her own public relations firm. More than anything, she doesn't want to end up like her mother, who gave up a promising career in nursing to become a stay-at-home mom.
Carlo is a complication she doesn't need, but he manages to charm her anyway. As she tries to remind herself that Carlo is only ever temporarily involved with women, Carlo comes to the realization that Juliet is rapidly becoming more vital to him than any previous woman he's been with.
Whereas the first book was a bit of a chore to get through, this one was delightful. Yes, it felt very much like a product of its time, and not just because Juliet thought of herself has an eighties woman multiple times - there was all the stuff about Juliet's efforts to build her career, and her fear that love/marriage could prompt her to abandon it all the way her mom had. However, Juliet was overall more relatable than Summer, and Carlo was just as charming as Roberts meant him to be.
Although their relationship technically developed pretty quickly (the publicity tour was only about three weeks long), it somehow felt more natural than Summer and Blake's insta-lust. I enjoyed seeing their interest in each other and respect for each other grow as they dealt with a generally jam-packed book tour schedule. One of my favorite moments was when flight delays prompted Juliet to come up with other ideas for Carlo's planned cooking demonstration - it helped (a lot) that Carlo was good at what he did, good with people, and generally unfazed by sudden changes to his schedule.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
November 7, 2017
one of her best that I've read. couldn't put it down
February 28, 2010
A light read. Both books are rather old so the people smoke indoors, take knives and oils on airplanes, professional persons have to use payphones but if you can see pass that you have a soft and sweet summer read.
Both books are rather predictable and I found book 2, Lessons learned, more so. The hero, an Italian chef, was the fantasy of a Mediterranean male with his romance and lively hands but still, a good read for a lazy afternoon when you don´t want to use your brain.
Both books are rather predictable and I found book 2, Lessons learned, more so. The hero, an Italian chef, was the fantasy of a Mediterranean male with his romance and lively hands but still, a good read for a lazy afternoon when you don´t want to use your brain.
January 27, 2010
I gave Summer Desserts two chapters and I'm putting it down as I hate it. The two main characters are cold calculating people with no warmth to them whatsoever. After two chapters I could care less what happens to them so not going to waste my time finishing reading this.
January 23, 2009
This book contains two of Roberts' stories. Both center around chefs and romance and mystery that comes into their lives. The reading is light and fun and typical Roberts' entertainment.
July 12, 2023
Een heerlijke feelgood waarvan ik hoopte dat het eindeloos door zou blijven gaan. Ik geniet van de liefde en hoe de twee verhalen overlap hebben.
May 16, 2018
Hmm.. Ik weet niet goed wat ik er van moet vinden. In eerste instantie had ik veel meer verwacht. Vooral meer diepte, die zat er helaas niet in. Beide verhalen lijken zoveel op elkaar dat je eigenlijk het gevoel hebt dat je 2x hetzelfde verhaal leest maar dat alleen de details iets aangepast zijn. De leidraad van het verhaal is in ieder geval precies hetzelfde. Daarom 2 sterren. Jammer.. Het is een prima boek als je vooral niet teveel diepte in een verhaal wilt hebben. Gewoon een easy to read boek voor tussendoor. Anders gaat hij je denk ik erg tegenvallen.
April 12, 2021
A very pleasant book, Nora doesn't disappoint. Two stories through which you learn romance but also some interesting facts about the lives of chefs. Very interesting.
December 16, 2013
Ingrediente essenziale: l’amore, anche in cucina.
Nora Roberts riesce sempre ad intrattenere con stile e raffinatezza. Di questo libro, che intenerisce, fa sognare l’anima e il palato e riempie di gustosi sapori l’esistenza, cambierei soltanto il titolo, CUPCAKES A COLAZIONE, ritenendo più idoneo quello originale “Table for two”, ossia “Tavolo per due”. Infatti, sono due le storie racchiuse nel volume, edito da Harlequin Mondadori, e due sono i protagonisti legati all’universo, sempre più in voga, dell’arte della cucina e del dessert. Non soltanto fragranti e soffici cupcakes, ma prelibatezze da menù completo. Ogni portata è servita per soddisfare ogni palato o qualsiasi esigenza del cuore, per una clientela prettamente femminile.
In DOLCI INCONTRI, la chef Summer Lyndon, una bella donna con la mania del perfezionismo in ogni delizia che crea, viene ingaggiata dal seducente Blake Cochran per creare un menu prestigioso per il suo ristorante di lusso a Filadelfia e, tra attrazione reciproca e segreti di famiglia, l’amore sarà l’ingrediente principale.
In LEZIONI DI CUCINA, torna come protagonista maschile, Carlo Franconi, uno dei migliori chef italiani e personaggio secondario nel primo romanzo, racchiuso in questo volume di doppie emozioni. Prima era l’amico e confidente di Summer. Qui, è lo chef che ha da poco pubblicato il suo ultimo libro di ricette e sta per intraprendere un tour promozionale, insieme all’agente pubblicitaria Juliet Trent. Per lei, un lavoro è un lavoro e non è mai stata intenzionata ad intrecciare relazioni personali, quando c’è un rapporto professionale, ma con lo chef italiano Franconi, qualcosa non le fa rispettare i piani. Il merito del dolce tormento è la tecnica persuasiva di lui.
Per Summer e Carlo, in queste due storie romantiche, è il momento di trovare, e svelare alle lettrici della Roberts, qual è l’ingrediente giusto del “per sempre”: l’amore vero.
È una coppia di storie romantiche “da regalare” alle amiche e “da regalarsi” per concedersi un magico sogno d’amore.
Anche se la Roberts, che preferisco, è quella delle storie un po’ thriller e di suspense, i colpi di scena lei riesce ed inserirli anche qui, in una coppia di romanzi, dove sensualità, amore e ottima cucina si fondono insieme alla perfezione del suo stile e delle sue trame sempre appassionanti.
“Il romanticismo va bene per i libri e i film.”
“Il romanticismo va bene dappertutto. Dovresti provare vino, lume di candela e musica a basso volume. Concediti l’esperienza. Non ti farà male!”
http://youtu.be/Bw6lgn1gllA
Nora Roberts riesce sempre ad intrattenere con stile e raffinatezza. Di questo libro, che intenerisce, fa sognare l’anima e il palato e riempie di gustosi sapori l’esistenza, cambierei soltanto il titolo, CUPCAKES A COLAZIONE, ritenendo più idoneo quello originale “Table for two”, ossia “Tavolo per due”. Infatti, sono due le storie racchiuse nel volume, edito da Harlequin Mondadori, e due sono i protagonisti legati all’universo, sempre più in voga, dell’arte della cucina e del dessert. Non soltanto fragranti e soffici cupcakes, ma prelibatezze da menù completo. Ogni portata è servita per soddisfare ogni palato o qualsiasi esigenza del cuore, per una clientela prettamente femminile.
In DOLCI INCONTRI, la chef Summer Lyndon, una bella donna con la mania del perfezionismo in ogni delizia che crea, viene ingaggiata dal seducente Blake Cochran per creare un menu prestigioso per il suo ristorante di lusso a Filadelfia e, tra attrazione reciproca e segreti di famiglia, l’amore sarà l’ingrediente principale.
In LEZIONI DI CUCINA, torna come protagonista maschile, Carlo Franconi, uno dei migliori chef italiani e personaggio secondario nel primo romanzo, racchiuso in questo volume di doppie emozioni. Prima era l’amico e confidente di Summer. Qui, è lo chef che ha da poco pubblicato il suo ultimo libro di ricette e sta per intraprendere un tour promozionale, insieme all’agente pubblicitaria Juliet Trent. Per lei, un lavoro è un lavoro e non è mai stata intenzionata ad intrecciare relazioni personali, quando c’è un rapporto professionale, ma con lo chef italiano Franconi, qualcosa non le fa rispettare i piani. Il merito del dolce tormento è la tecnica persuasiva di lui.
Per Summer e Carlo, in queste due storie romantiche, è il momento di trovare, e svelare alle lettrici della Roberts, qual è l’ingrediente giusto del “per sempre”: l’amore vero.
È una coppia di storie romantiche “da regalare” alle amiche e “da regalarsi” per concedersi un magico sogno d’amore.
Anche se la Roberts, che preferisco, è quella delle storie un po’ thriller e di suspense, i colpi di scena lei riesce ed inserirli anche qui, in una coppia di romanzi, dove sensualità, amore e ottima cucina si fondono insieme alla perfezione del suo stile e delle sue trame sempre appassionanti.
“Il romanticismo va bene per i libri e i film.”
“Il romanticismo va bene dappertutto. Dovresti provare vino, lume di candela e musica a basso volume. Concediti l’esperienza. Non ti farà male!”
http://youtu.be/Bw6lgn1gllA
April 28, 2021
Both books, written about food, the cooking and eating thereof, are delightful. Originally published separately in 1985 and 1986, they both demonstrate the finer points of Ms. Roberts writing style. It was a bit of a jolt to read about someone smoking on a plane and being able to carry his set of knives into first class, but I do remember when it was that way. There is little if no suspense but the emotions and issues the characters deal with are believable and provide the tension the reader has come to look for from Ms. Roberts. Also, I am coming to appreciate more and more the absence of the one-line paragraph that so many authors are succumbing to these days. Is this an editing or a writing problem? That is the question.
Summer Desserts: Summer is a pastry chef of some renown and Ms. Roberts explores the fine line between self-confidence and arrogance, with Summer jumping back and forth across that line, which is both disconcerting and refreshing.
Lessons Learned: The Italian friend of Summer's, introduced briefly in Summer Desserts, has a legendary reputation with women. When he meets his new publicist on a cookbook tour of the States, he discovers that she looks at him with distrust and rightfully so. Carlo, for the first time, struggles to get a woman to trust him enough to cross a line she has drawn, i. e., no fraternizing with the client.
Summer Desserts: Summer is a pastry chef of some renown and Ms. Roberts explores the fine line between self-confidence and arrogance, with Summer jumping back and forth across that line, which is both disconcerting and refreshing.
Lessons Learned: The Italian friend of Summer's, introduced briefly in Summer Desserts, has a legendary reputation with women. When he meets his new publicist on a cookbook tour of the States, he discovers that she looks at him with distrust and rightfully so. Carlo, for the first time, struggles to get a woman to trust him enough to cross a line she has drawn, i. e., no fraternizing with the client.
July 13, 2007
What I learned from this book:
1) If you're a good writer, you can make even the worst cliches entertaining as hell. I can't stand trite romances, and yet Nora Roberts has me giggling and taking an extra half hour for lunch so I can finish my book.
2) Reprints of novels written in the mid-eighties are amusing if only for the reminder of the days when one could take one's set of prized knives on an airplane (our Hero is a chef), takes one's own olive oil and vinegar on an airplane (our Hero is a very picky chef), but one could also take one's lighter on the plane in anticipation of lighting up upon reaching cruising altitude.
3) I need to take a half dozen NR's with me and go sit on a beach for a week. Wanna come along?
1) If you're a good writer, you can make even the worst cliches entertaining as hell. I can't stand trite romances, and yet Nora Roberts has me giggling and taking an extra half hour for lunch so I can finish my book.
2) Reprints of novels written in the mid-eighties are amusing if only for the reminder of the days when one could take one's set of prized knives on an airplane (our Hero is a chef), takes one's own olive oil and vinegar on an airplane (our Hero is a very picky chef), but one could also take one's lighter on the plane in anticipation of lighting up upon reaching cruising altitude.
3) I need to take a half dozen NR's with me and go sit on a beach for a week. Wanna come along?
April 12, 2014
This is two books in one and I would have rated it higher if they hadn´t been so very very alike. I enjoyed the writing and the characters and separately would probably have liked them more. I understand that the characters overlap, but to my mind putting the two together is a mistake, as the plots and characters are practically identical. This does tend to come with the genre to an extent, but it's far too obvious here.
V Easy reading though, light and steamy, finished both in 24 hours.
V Easy reading though, light and steamy, finished both in 24 hours.
June 21, 2014
Un eccellente mix tra amore e cucina. La Roberts sa come dosare e miscelare gli ingredienti giusti per ottenere ricette perfette. Il suo stile non viene mai meno e viaggiare tra le sue righe è davvero piacevole.
October 16, 2010
What can I say its a Nora Roberts book. I read this a couple years of ago. And I still remember loving it. (:
December 29, 2010
So good -- I reeally liked the characters and hated for it to end.
November 28, 2016
Lees mijn recensie over dit boek op mijn blog, https://surfingann.blogspot.nl/2016/1...
June 25, 2015
Summer Desserts: 2,5 stars
Lessons Learned: 3 stars
Lessons Learned: 3 stars
January 18, 2021
Summer Desserts – Hotel magnate Blake Cockaran only chooses the best, and the best chef he wants for his remake of his Philadelphia hotel restaurant is Summer Lyndon. Summer’s parents’ multiple marriages and relationships have left her with a fear of relationships.
Lessons Learned – Juliet Trent, ambitious publicist, wants her career and her own company. She is ruthless in her attention to detail and her work and is unwilling to give up her career (as her mother did) to an unfaithful husband. Chef Carlo Franconi is an artist, flamboyant and charming. Juliet is guiding the publicity tour for his new cookbook. Opposites attract.
Both novels are charming and pair well together with overlapping characters. The four main characters can whet your appetite. Recommended.
Readalikes:
Judith McNaught – The Sweetest Thing; Sally Thorne – The Hating Game; Tessa Bailey – Fix Her Up; Leddy Harper – The (Half) Truth; Katie Heaney & Arianna Rebolini – Public Relations; Tanya Michaels – Turning Up the Heat; Elle Wright – The Way You Tempt Me; Susan Mallery – A Fool’s Gold Christmas; Aurora Rose Reynolds – Catching Him; Elizabeth Lane – A Little Surprise for the Boss; Samantha Chase – Until There Was Us; Nancy Robards Thompson – Betting on a Fortune.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Appealing; strong women; likable; skilled
Storyline: Character-driven
Writing style: Engaging
Tone: Upbeat; charming
Frame: Philadelphia; U.S. coast to coast book tour; mid ‘80’s
Theme: Workplace romance
Lessons Learned – Juliet Trent, ambitious publicist, wants her career and her own company. She is ruthless in her attention to detail and her work and is unwilling to give up her career (as her mother did) to an unfaithful husband. Chef Carlo Franconi is an artist, flamboyant and charming. Juliet is guiding the publicity tour for his new cookbook. Opposites attract.
Both novels are charming and pair well together with overlapping characters. The four main characters can whet your appetite. Recommended.
Readalikes:
Judith McNaught – The Sweetest Thing; Sally Thorne – The Hating Game; Tessa Bailey – Fix Her Up; Leddy Harper – The (Half) Truth; Katie Heaney & Arianna Rebolini – Public Relations; Tanya Michaels – Turning Up the Heat; Elle Wright – The Way You Tempt Me; Susan Mallery – A Fool’s Gold Christmas; Aurora Rose Reynolds – Catching Him; Elizabeth Lane – A Little Surprise for the Boss; Samantha Chase – Until There Was Us; Nancy Robards Thompson – Betting on a Fortune.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Appealing; strong women; likable; skilled
Storyline: Character-driven
Writing style: Engaging
Tone: Upbeat; charming
Frame: Philadelphia; U.S. coast to coast book tour; mid ‘80’s
Theme: Workplace romance
May 17, 2020
Oh Nora Roberts, the master of romance. Whom has such a way, in which she turns words into something poetically beautiful. I honestly wanted to give a better rating, but I can’t say I was honestly one hundred percent enticed into this read. Maybe it’s because I don’t cook, or I’ve read to many romances lately and I’m boring myself. I do say it has an interesting take, chefs need a little romance too right ?? I may take up on learning how to cook after this , I feel I have learned so much about cooking and baking, and falling in love. The first story, summer desserts, took me a lot longer to read than what I would have preferred, maybe because I felt I couldn’t relate to summer as much? I kept loosing interest, but I was overall happy to see it worked out for Blake and Summer, but I sort of saw that coming, at least Nora Roberts made it all sound good. Lessons Learned has to be my favorite of the two. I found Juliet to be a very intriguing and beautiful character to follow. Carlo seemed so mysterious and appetizing as to where I want my own Carlo, I couldn’t help but notice that their love story almost seemed to similar to that of Blake and Summers in the first story, so that made this book seem to drag a lot more considering it felt like “did I read this before?”. Overall these two stories linked together quite well, I just hoped for a few more differences. Maybe I will have better luck next time.
August 16, 2021
Cupcakes a colazione, uscito precedentemente con il titolo "Tavolo per due", raccoglie due romanzi brevi in cui la protagonista principale è la cucina (e non intesa come stanza della casa).
A tal proposito, vi farà piacere sapere che l'autrice ha fornito numerose e dettagliate descrizioni di piatti che fanno venire davvero l'acquolina in bocca.
Nel primo i protagonisti sono: Summer, chef specializzata in dessert, ogni sua creazione è un vero capolavoro ed è per questo che è molto richiesta e ben pagata. Non crede nei rapporti duraturi ma vive solo ed esclusivamente per il suo lavoro, fino a quando non incontra Blake, che le chiede di occuparsi di uno dei suoi ristoranti.
Nel secondo i protagonisti sono: Carlo, migliore amico di Summer e chef famoso, che sta intraprendendo insieme alla sua agente pubblicitaria Juliet un tour per pubblicizzare il suo ultimo libro di ricette.
In entrambe le storie, le protagoniste femminili amano il loro lavoro, sono donne forti e indipendenti, e l'amore non è proprio nei loro piani.
Sono storie leggere e dalla trama piuttosto prevedibile e semplice. Tra le due ho preferito la seconda, decisamente molto più coinvolgente e divertente, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è stata sviluppata meglio, mentre il primo non mi ha convinto molto (la protagonista femminile era troppo arrogante per i miei gusti).
Un volume carino.
A tal proposito, vi farà piacere sapere che l'autrice ha fornito numerose e dettagliate descrizioni di piatti che fanno venire davvero l'acquolina in bocca.
Nel primo i protagonisti sono: Summer, chef specializzata in dessert, ogni sua creazione è un vero capolavoro ed è per questo che è molto richiesta e ben pagata. Non crede nei rapporti duraturi ma vive solo ed esclusivamente per il suo lavoro, fino a quando non incontra Blake, che le chiede di occuparsi di uno dei suoi ristoranti.
Nel secondo i protagonisti sono: Carlo, migliore amico di Summer e chef famoso, che sta intraprendendo insieme alla sua agente pubblicitaria Juliet un tour per pubblicizzare il suo ultimo libro di ricette.
In entrambe le storie, le protagoniste femminili amano il loro lavoro, sono donne forti e indipendenti, e l'amore non è proprio nei loro piani.
Sono storie leggere e dalla trama piuttosto prevedibile e semplice. Tra le due ho preferito la seconda, decisamente molto più coinvolgente e divertente, la caratterizzazione dei personaggi è stata sviluppata meglio, mentre il primo non mi ha convinto molto (la protagonista femminile era troppo arrogante per i miei gusti).
Un volume carino.
July 15, 2020
A fictional masterpiece, consisting of two parts, 'Summer Desserts' and 'Lessons Learned'. I loved Summer Lyndon, a very passionate and independent french pastry chef who is mainly focused on her business until she meets the charming and rich Blake Cocharan whom she later falls in love it. The way Nora Roberts describes her is really inspiring and makes you as a woman want to achieve more and to push your limits, being driven by passion and ambition.
The second part is focusing on the charming Italian chef Carlo Franconi who starts a business tour with his beautiful and dedicate publicist Julien Trent. Here the story mainly focuses on the two, both with bold personalities, traveling for business purposes, a tour full of adventures that in the end will lead to something else.
I have to be honest and say that I have been reading this book while traveling and working in India (hotel rooms, airports, parks, gym) and it gave me great energy, so that in the end I cried when I realized that I'm already on the last page and I was so eager to read more.
Now I'm planning to read even more from Nora Roberts, I just love her writing style that always keeps me in suspense.
The second part is focusing on the charming Italian chef Carlo Franconi who starts a business tour with his beautiful and dedicate publicist Julien Trent. Here the story mainly focuses on the two, both with bold personalities, traveling for business purposes, a tour full of adventures that in the end will lead to something else.
I have to be honest and say that I have been reading this book while traveling and working in India (hotel rooms, airports, parks, gym) and it gave me great energy, so that in the end I cried when I realized that I'm already on the last page and I was so eager to read more.
Now I'm planning to read even more from Nora Roberts, I just love her writing style that always keeps me in suspense.
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January 27, 2023https://labibliotecadellibraio.blogsp...
Tornare a leggere i romanzi della Roberts è come prendere la vecchia coperta di Snoopy e avvolgercisi.
Ho questo libro da moltissimo tempo, probabilmente proprio dal 2013, ma non avevo ancora deciso di leggerlo, anzi l'ho più volte prestato, fortunatamente è tornato integro indietro, e ora con la rubrica e il tema cibo ha finalmente avuto il suo momento di gloria.
CupCakes è il risultato di due romanzi brevi, Dolci incontri, libro dedicato a Summer e Blake, Lezioni di cucina con protagonisti, Carlo e Juliet.
Al centro della narrazione c'è il cibo, Summer con i suoi dolci e Carlo con il suo libro di ricette faranno venire l'acquolina anche a noi poveri lettori, ma come sempre dietro un buon piatto c'è sempre una storia d'amore, e così la Roberts sempre molto meticolosa nel descriverci i procedimenti, ci parla anche di passione.
Un libro per una storia leggera da leggere e in questo periodo così frenetico avevo bisogno di staccare la spina.
Tornare a leggere i romanzi della Roberts è come prendere la vecchia coperta di Snoopy e avvolgercisi.
Ho questo libro da moltissimo tempo, probabilmente proprio dal 2013, ma non avevo ancora deciso di leggerlo, anzi l'ho più volte prestato, fortunatamente è tornato integro indietro, e ora con la rubrica e il tema cibo ha finalmente avuto il suo momento di gloria.
CupCakes è il risultato di due romanzi brevi, Dolci incontri, libro dedicato a Summer e Blake, Lezioni di cucina con protagonisti, Carlo e Juliet.
Al centro della narrazione c'è il cibo, Summer con i suoi dolci e Carlo con il suo libro di ricette faranno venire l'acquolina anche a noi poveri lettori, ma come sempre dietro un buon piatto c'è sempre una storia d'amore, e così la Roberts sempre molto meticolosa nel descriverci i procedimenti, ci parla anche di passione.
Un libro per una storia leggera da leggere e in questo periodo così frenetico avevo bisogno di staccare la spina.
May 26, 2017
A Novel fro the Past
It was obvious this duo were older novels of Roberts' but they were still fun. I enjoy books dealing with chefs or cooking and these didn't disappoint in that respect. Typical of a Roberts' romance, you know early in the story who the couple will be.
These two novels,are tied together with some characters appearing in bit novels. I enjoyed that ....just a little real life thrown in.
In the female leads, you see growth and change as they accept the fact they are falling in love. In the male leads, we see men used to being with many women finding their true love. Typical but a fun easy read.
No cell phones; no computers; no tablets......yet life went on not that many years ago. Funny how modern technology has become such a part of our lives that a modern day story seems odd without it.
It was obvious this duo were older novels of Roberts' but they were still fun. I enjoy books dealing with chefs or cooking and these didn't disappoint in that respect. Typical of a Roberts' romance, you know early in the story who the couple will be.
These two novels,are tied together with some characters appearing in bit novels. I enjoyed that ....just a little real life thrown in.
In the female leads, you see growth and change as they accept the fact they are falling in love. In the male leads, we see men used to being with many women finding their true love. Typical but a fun easy read.
No cell phones; no computers; no tablets......yet life went on not that many years ago. Funny how modern technology has become such a part of our lives that a modern day story seems odd without it.
July 15, 2017
Reprint of two of Robert's mid-1980's novels. It is kinda fun to reread these for a light summer break. It is also interesting to compare this era to now, and see how her writing has matured, and to recall how much the world has changed in the past 20 years. No cell phones, chefs could carry on their knives and olive oil when flying, you could form mis-conceptions of people since you couldn't google them, and so on.
The two stories are linked by the long friendship of the heroine of the first and the hero of the second. The romances are typical of the era. All 4 main characters have to overcome their own past and views of the world to embrace an HEA.
The descriptions of the life of a famous chef are interesting, even now after the advent of all the reality cooking shows. I imagine the life a publicist is even more hectic, with all the social media to manage.
The two stories are linked by the long friendship of the heroine of the first and the hero of the second. The romances are typical of the era. All 4 main characters have to overcome their own past and views of the world to embrace an HEA.
The descriptions of the life of a famous chef are interesting, even now after the advent of all the reality cooking shows. I imagine the life a publicist is even more hectic, with all the social media to manage.
August 20, 2021
Table for Two has two stories in one book. I did not like the first story as it has a lot of cliches. I do not understand why most romance authors are so obsessed with having their lead with a smooth skin, jet black hair, luscious lips and curvy figures. Why can't they be normal or average with average features? They always have a great appetite for sex and have lots of money. Especially, in Nora Roberts novels, I see all these cliches all the time and that was the reason, I did not like the first part.
The second story was good and entertaining enough to make me finish the book. Overall, a typical whirlwind romance by Nora Roberts!
The second story was good and entertaining enough to make me finish the book. Overall, a typical whirlwind romance by Nora Roberts!
May 20, 2025
So I read this the first time and I think I liked it a lot better then. So.I decided to read it again. And it just was so boring. And the same story. Guy and girl meet, they kiss way too soon, go back and fourth and then they marry each other. Especially the last story, was so lackluster. I really didn't care about any of these characters. This review really pains me because I love Nora Roberts books so much. I don't really know how I finished thus without falling asleep or dfning it completely. They get together at the end but it doesn't feel earned. I don't know. I do like how the guys are a little less weird than the other male characters she wrote in the 80s. Not that much though.
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