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Tales of the Curious Cookbook #3
Smarrito lungo la strada
Un libro della serie Il curioso ricettario di Nonna B
Tre mesi dopo aver perso i genitori in un incidente d’auto, il meteorologo di Denver Daniel Whitaker fa ritorno a Laramie, Wyoming. È già abbastanza dura dover gestire un lutto e una relazione di quasi quindici anni ormai al capolinea, e quando trova la sua casa d’infanzia piena di cianfrusaglie, Daniel si trova ancora più in difficoltà. Per sistemare il disordine, chiede l’aiuto di Landon, l’attraente vicino dei suoi genitori. Landon Kushner è una miniera di contraddizioni. Costruisce sculture eoliche servendosi di rottami metallici e ama stare all’aria aperta, ma guida anche una Vespa verde menta e ha un’affinità per il lavoro a maglia e la chiaroveggenza. È stato amico dei genitori di Daniel per anni, ed è più che disposto a dare una mano.
Il loro piano è semplice: sistemare la casa affinché Daniel possa metterla in vendita e tornare alla sua vita a Denver. Ma quando Landon entra in possesso di uno strano ricettario, Daniel inizia a rendersi conto che l’universo, e Nonna B, potrebbero avere altri piani.
Tre mesi dopo aver perso i genitori in un incidente d’auto, il meteorologo di Denver Daniel Whitaker fa ritorno a Laramie, Wyoming. È già abbastanza dura dover gestire un lutto e una relazione di quasi quindici anni ormai al capolinea, e quando trova la sua casa d’infanzia piena di cianfrusaglie, Daniel si trova ancora più in difficoltà. Per sistemare il disordine, chiede l’aiuto di Landon, l’attraente vicino dei suoi genitori. Landon Kushner è una miniera di contraddizioni. Costruisce sculture eoliche servendosi di rottami metallici e ama stare all’aria aperta, ma guida anche una Vespa verde menta e ha un’affinità per il lavoro a maglia e la chiaroveggenza. È stato amico dei genitori di Daniel per anni, ed è più che disposto a dare una mano.
Il loro piano è semplice: sistemare la casa affinché Daniel possa metterla in vendita e tornare alla sua vita a Denver. Ma quando Landon entra in possesso di uno strano ricettario, Daniel inizia a rendersi conto che l’universo, e Nonna B, potrebbero avere altri piani.
139 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2015
29 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
Marie Sexton
71 books2,227 followersMarie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.
The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!
Or, you might want to check out these pages:
Coda: Which book do I read first?
Find a book by trope or heat level.
Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net
The absolute best way to stay up-to-date on my books is by joining my FB group. You can view livestreams about Oestend, Coda, and the Heretic Doms Club. I also give away books on a regular basis. NO DRAMA ALLOWED!!
Or, you might want to check out these pages:
Coda: Which book do I read first?
Find a book by trope or heat level.
Visit my website/blog at http://www.MarieSexton.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
April 8, 2015
~3.5~
If you read Lost Along the Way, I dare you not to think of it the next time you make meatloaf or bake banana bread.
If you had Granny B's magic cookbook, the meatloaf would give you clarity, and the banana bread ... well, you'll have to ask Landon for that recipe.
Daniel has been with the same man for 15 years and he's still with him throughout most of the story. Chase isn't good for Daniel, but Daniel clings to the past and to hope.
The man who brings Daniel joy lives in Wyoming and makes wind sculptures. Landon is open, caring, and unpretentious. I wanted to know so much more about him, but this is not Landon's story.
At 60 percent, Daniel eats Granny B's meatloaf and SEES. At 83 percent, he doubts. At 92 percent, he follows his heart.
The theme of cooking as magic and inspiration is well done in this novella. Sexton is a strong writer, and I wasn't bored for a moment.
This isn't a particularly steamy read, but there is a slow, alluring sensuality that draws the reader in.
There is no cheating , but there is closure and a sweet HEA. This is a poignant, nuanced read, beautiful in a way, but I wanted Danny and Landon together, really together, much sooner.
If you read Lost Along the Way, I dare you not to think of it the next time you make meatloaf or bake banana bread.
If you had Granny B's magic cookbook, the meatloaf would give you clarity, and the banana bread ... well, you'll have to ask Landon for that recipe.
Daniel has been with the same man for 15 years and he's still with him throughout most of the story. Chase isn't good for Daniel, but Daniel clings to the past and to hope.
The man who brings Daniel joy lives in Wyoming and makes wind sculptures. Landon is open, caring, and unpretentious. I wanted to know so much more about him, but this is not Landon's story.
At 60 percent, Daniel eats Granny B's meatloaf and SEES. At 83 percent, he doubts. At 92 percent, he follows his heart.
The theme of cooking as magic and inspiration is well done in this novella. Sexton is a strong writer, and I wasn't bored for a moment.
This isn't a particularly steamy read, but there is a slow, alluring sensuality that draws the reader in.
There is no cheating , but there is closure and a sweet HEA. This is a poignant, nuanced read, beautiful in a way, but I wanted Danny and Landon together, really together, much sooner.
July 20, 2024
Daniel is a weatherman in Denver, lives with his boyfriend Chase (whom he refers to as his husband) - they have been together for fifteen years. But Daniel’s job is boring and unsatisfying, and his relationship is dying.
When Daniel loses his parents in a car crash, he goes back to his hometown Laramie, and tries to deal with his parents’ house. The house is full of clutter and it seems impossible to finish the job. Landon, a neighbor and a friend of his parents’ helps Daniel to deal with all the stuff in the house. Weeks pass, and Daniel and Landon are getting close to each other.
The story is actually about Daniel discovering and accepting that his long-term relationship with Chase is over and starting a new life with Landon.
A magic cookbook appears from nowhere, in which each meal has some kind of special effect. With the help of the cookbook Daniel is starting to see clearer his life and relationship.
The cookbook is the only “mystical” element in the story, and it is not explained. It’s just thrown into the plot as a device to get things into motion.
There is too much focus on Daniel and Chase’s relationship, and I also missed the excitement of Daniel and Landon getting together. First, I felt it too slow, but when Daniel .
The story is told from Daniel’s viewpoint, in first person. It’s a very limited narrative, and he didn’t even manage to make me like him. Chase and Landon are one dimensional: Chase is boring and cold and kind of a loser, Landon is perfect and wonderful and amazing.
Unbalanced story, poor “fantasy” element, steamless erotic scenes, unlikeable characters. Palm reading and horoscopes are not my things either.
I liked Landon and his wind sculptures, though.
When Daniel loses his parents in a car crash, he goes back to his hometown Laramie, and tries to deal with his parents’ house. The house is full of clutter and it seems impossible to finish the job. Landon, a neighbor and a friend of his parents’ helps Daniel to deal with all the stuff in the house. Weeks pass, and Daniel and Landon are getting close to each other.
The story is actually about Daniel discovering and accepting that his long-term relationship with Chase is over and starting a new life with Landon.
A magic cookbook appears from nowhere, in which each meal has some kind of special effect. With the help of the cookbook Daniel is starting to see clearer his life and relationship.
The cookbook is the only “mystical” element in the story, and it is not explained. It’s just thrown into the plot as a device to get things into motion.
There is too much focus on Daniel and Chase’s relationship, and I also missed the excitement of Daniel and Landon getting together. First, I felt it too slow, but when Daniel .
The story is told from Daniel’s viewpoint, in first person. It’s a very limited narrative, and he didn’t even manage to make me like him. Chase and Landon are one dimensional: Chase is boring and cold and kind of a loser, Landon is perfect and wonderful and amazing.
Unbalanced story, poor “fantasy” element, steamless erotic scenes, unlikeable characters. Palm reading and horoscopes are not my things either.
I liked Landon and his wind sculptures, though.
September 1, 2016
I think I'm the only person who didn't like this book. Like, the only one.
I loooove Marie Sexton, and I basically worship her, but this one was all wrong for me.
To start, I'll talk about the audiobook narrator. Jeff Gelder. I've listened to a few books narrated by him, and he is usually an okay narrator for me. Not with this one. I really didn't like his stilted manner of speaking, and his tone, which was almost void of emotion. It sounded vaguely robotic to me, and I think that the audio had a serious affect on my star-rating. He took weird pauses while speaking, and it broke up the dialogue in a way that was disconcerting.
In terms of the story, I just had a really hard time getting behind a couple that was basically courting and getting to know one another while one guy had a boyfriend of 15 years. When Landon and Daniel meet, Daniel is still living with his serious boyfriend and even calls him his "husband". Sure, the boyfriend was sort of a dick, and we all knew that that relationship was doomed, but the boyfriend and Daniel had been together for SO long, that all of the flirting between Landon and Daniel just felt wrong to me. I didn't like how Daniel was wiling to give his relationship with his boyfriend a fighting chance, and then immediately after they broke up, he was super-fast lovey with Landon.
The magical elements of this book were okay, but nothing worth getting excited about, IMO. I felt sort of "meh" the whole time I was listening, and I was missing feeling my usual Marie Sexton LURVE.
Though I seem to be in the minority, I didn't enjoy this one. (Picture a really sad face here.)
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
April 14, 2015
Marie Sexton is one of my favorite contemporary authors – and I’ve been missing her new material for a while now. She did release a much darker stories in a different pen name, but I have always leaned towards her sweet ones. So when I found out that Sexton was part of this series, I just knew that I had to read it.
Lost Along the Way easily becomes my favorite entry of the “Tales of the Curious Cookbook” series so far (the previous novellas are written by R.J. Scott and Amy Lane). I guess the key element that made this story fit my taste was the ‘journey’ that Danny experienced along the way (see what I did there *wink*). Not only that Danny had to deal with sorting the clutter of items in his childhood home – and realized that there was a lot to learn about his parents after years of estrangement – but also the fact that his long-time relationship was falling apart. At the same time, there was the growing attraction with the scruffy neighbor, Landon, who had been friends with Danny’s parents for the last five years.
First of all, for those of you who are worried about cheating, rest assured that there isn’t any cheating on Danny’s part. He did however spend quite a bit of time with Landon while the two of them worked together to clean out the house. But, I found the chemistry and friendship between the two of them to be built quite naturally.
Second of all, I loved the way Sexton wrote about the ending of Danny’s current relationship. It would be too easy (and probably predictable) to make Danny’s husband, Chase, a despicable human being. However, I felt that in the end, Chase was also shown as having true regret, and what happened next was something that cannot be avoided. It was acceptable progress and BOTH men had their closure.
The purpose of Granny B’s mystical cookbook was quite eloquent here. I loved how Landon was written as someone who believed in magical things (his own mother was his psychic advisor, how adorable was that?).
This novella was longer than the previous two which, for me, resulted in a more satisfying read. It is a beautiful, at times heartbreaking (when you think about a fifteen year of relationship ending), but also hopeful story about finding love the second time around.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
Lost Along the Way easily becomes my favorite entry of the “Tales of the Curious Cookbook” series so far (the previous novellas are written by R.J. Scott and Amy Lane). I guess the key element that made this story fit my taste was the ‘journey’ that Danny experienced along the way (see what I did there *wink*). Not only that Danny had to deal with sorting the clutter of items in his childhood home – and realized that there was a lot to learn about his parents after years of estrangement – but also the fact that his long-time relationship was falling apart. At the same time, there was the growing attraction with the scruffy neighbor, Landon, who had been friends with Danny’s parents for the last five years.
First of all, for those of you who are worried about cheating, rest assured that there isn’t any cheating on Danny’s part. He did however spend quite a bit of time with Landon while the two of them worked together to clean out the house. But, I found the chemistry and friendship between the two of them to be built quite naturally.
Second of all, I loved the way Sexton wrote about the ending of Danny’s current relationship. It would be too easy (and probably predictable) to make Danny’s husband, Chase, a despicable human being. However, I felt that in the end, Chase was also shown as having true regret, and what happened next was something that cannot be avoided. It was acceptable progress and BOTH men had their closure.
The purpose of Granny B’s mystical cookbook was quite eloquent here. I loved how Landon was written as someone who believed in magical things (his own mother was his psychic advisor, how adorable was that?).
This novella was longer than the previous two which, for me, resulted in a more satisfying read. It is a beautiful, at times heartbreaking (when you think about a fifteen year of relationship ending), but also hopeful story about finding love the second time around.
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
October 18, 2020
4.25 stars! I really enjoyed this one! I can't even place what it was exactly, it just all came together and worked for me. I wish there was more time spent with the MCs in their HEA, but it's a novella, so I understand. I really liked Danny and Landon! Best one so far for this group of stories.
June 8, 2015
I liked this story. I think it was more about accepting your relationship and moving on than anything else. By the time things finally came to a head, all Daniel really felt was relief, and I got that. It seemed fast, but when it's already been over in your head for months, what's left to angst over? Yeah, I got it! Great story, and I loved Landon.
I'd also kinda like to read about Chase down the road, he didn't seem like an awful guy, just one who fucked up.
I'd also kinda like to read about Chase down the road, he didn't seem like an awful guy, just one who fucked up.
May 2, 2015
I think that I don't enjoy reading about really long relationships gone wrong. This was 15 years. That is a really long time. I couldn't get over the time to see the future. It just put such a dark cloud over the book for me.
April 20, 2015
*4.5 stars*
Granny B strikes again, this time with meatloaf and banana bread. Targets: Daniel and Landon.
This is my favourite book of the series and this doesn't surprise me, I pretty much love everything M.Sexton puts out there.
Daniel is a Denver weatherman. He lives with his partner of fifteen years, Chase and has only recently reconnect with his estranged parents. His quiet life is about to change after a phonecall that informs him that his parents have died in a car crash. Now, he has to deal not only with this big loss and his failing relationship with Chase, but also with returning to his hometwon to clean and sell the mess of a house that his parents left him. Oh and lets not forget Landon, the sexy neighbour who is there to help him.
Landon. What a fine and intriguing man. Muscled with tatoos, yet gentle and kind. He rides this tiny vespa, he builds wind sculptures for a living, he checks his horoscope religiously and has his personal psychic advisor. He was close to Daniel's late parents and he is there for Daniel too, every step of the way. They become friends, until this friendship turns to something more.
I liked the way Sexton stretched the timeline here. Nothing happen overnight.For the most part of the book Daniel is in a relationship with Chase but this did not bother me. During this time we watch this relationship falling apart but at the same time his connection with Landon gets stronger and stronger.
There is not too much steam here but it was enough (although I wouldn't say no to a few more sex scenes cause I know miss Sexton nails them).
The magic powers of the cookbook are working full force here and let me tell you that meatloaf is merciless.
Daniel and Landon are good, good men and everything in their story came together beautifully. Their hard earned HEA left me grinning and sighing like a fool...
"God, it was like the whole world clicked into place. Like the tornado had ceased and I’d finally landed back home. Like all of his planets and stars andsupernatural signs had come into alignment, pointing us here, to this time and place. To this house. This moment. This kiss. I’d taken the long road—the hard road—but I’d finally arrived at the only place I was ever meant to be."
Granny B strikes again, this time with meatloaf and banana bread. Targets: Daniel and Landon.
This is my favourite book of the series and this doesn't surprise me, I pretty much love everything M.Sexton puts out there.
Daniel is a Denver weatherman. He lives with his partner of fifteen years, Chase and has only recently reconnect with his estranged parents. His quiet life is about to change after a phonecall that informs him that his parents have died in a car crash. Now, he has to deal not only with this big loss and his failing relationship with Chase, but also with returning to his hometwon to clean and sell the mess of a house that his parents left him. Oh and lets not forget Landon, the sexy neighbour who is there to help him.
Landon. What a fine and intriguing man. Muscled with tatoos, yet gentle and kind. He rides this tiny vespa, he builds wind sculptures for a living, he checks his horoscope religiously and has his personal psychic advisor. He was close to Daniel's late parents and he is there for Daniel too, every step of the way. They become friends, until this friendship turns to something more.
I liked the way Sexton stretched the timeline here. Nothing happen overnight.For the most part of the book Daniel is in a relationship with Chase but this did not bother me. During this time we watch this relationship falling apart but at the same time his connection with Landon gets stronger and stronger.
There is not too much steam here but it was enough (although I wouldn't say no to a few more sex scenes cause I know miss Sexton nails them).
The magic powers of the cookbook are working full force here and let me tell you that meatloaf is merciless.
Daniel and Landon are good, good men and everything in their story came together beautifully. Their hard earned HEA left me grinning and sighing like a fool...
"God, it was like the whole world clicked into place. Like the tornado had ceased and I’d finally landed back home. Like all of his planets and stars andsupernatural signs had come into alignment, pointing us here, to this time and place. To this house. This moment. This kiss. I’d taken the long road—the hard road—but I’d finally arrived at the only place I was ever meant to be."
October 21, 2015
3.5 stars I just adore these sweet little stories with just a hint of magic, they're reminiscent of the Petit Morts series, another favorite of mine.
This starts a little rough, with Danny's parents dying right off the bat and his 15 year relationship on rocky ground. But I quickly enjoyed watching his friendship bloom with Landon, and seeing how the magical cookbook would help them figure things out. I love the way the recipes "provide clarity" and "cut through the bullshit," no love potions here. It made the heartbreak more bearable, and I adored how Danny ended up handling things with Chase .
The audio version was narrated by Jeff Gelder and he did a wonderful job. Despite the topics, I didn't find this overly emotional, and the narration was appropriately light. It had more of an uplifting feel, Danny was entering a new stage of his life and was opening his eyes to new people and new experiences. And as always with novella's, I find the length perfect for an audio book.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
Part of the Tales of the Curious Cookbook anthology, I liked 4/5 of the stories.
This starts a little rough, with Danny's parents dying right off the bat and his 15 year relationship on rocky ground. But I quickly enjoyed watching his friendship bloom with Landon, and seeing how the magical cookbook would help them figure things out. I love the way the recipes "provide clarity" and "cut through the bullshit," no love potions here. It made the heartbreak more bearable, and I adored how Danny ended up handling things with Chase .
The audio version was narrated by Jeff Gelder and he did a wonderful job. Despite the topics, I didn't find this overly emotional, and the narration was appropriately light. It had more of an uplifting feel, Danny was entering a new stage of his life and was opening his eyes to new people and new experiences. And as always with novella's, I find the length perfect for an audio book.
Received audio version from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, reviewed for Hearts On Fire
Part of the Tales of the Curious Cookbook anthology, I liked 4/5 of the stories.
April 24, 2015
Lost Along the Way was exactly what I needed in the middle of a tough week at work. Marie Sexton's writing just meshes with me. I've enjoyed everything of hers that I've read and this book was no exception.
I loved the mystique of the cookbook and how it puts Daniel on the path to happiness. And I loved Landon and just how in touch he was with his more whimsical side. He is exactly what Daniel needs.
Reading this book just made me happy.
I loved the mystique of the cookbook and how it puts Daniel on the path to happiness. And I loved Landon and just how in touch he was with his more whimsical side. He is exactly what Daniel needs.
Reading this book just made me happy.
December 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The characters, the plot, the entire story was fantastic!
August 18, 2022
3,5
It was a good book with an interesting plot.
But it was really one sided. I still have no idea why Landon felt in love with Daniel bc there wasn’t any real interactions between them, also I don’t understand if he wanted to save his relationship with Chase why didn’t he stayed at least one weekend with him instead of travel to his parents house? It just doesn’t make sense.
And still I enjoyed this.
It was a good book with an interesting plot.
But it was really one sided. I still have no idea why Landon felt in love with Daniel bc there wasn’t any real interactions between them, also I don’t understand if he wanted to save his relationship with Chase why didn’t he stayed at least one weekend with him instead of travel to his parents house? It just doesn’t make sense.
And still I enjoyed this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2024
Rating: 2.5 stars (rounded up)
This had the potential to be so much better than it was! I loved the MCs and the way their romance was paced and developed but the story felt more like gay fiction than a gay romance and I hated that the magical elements in the story unintentionally made Daniel look really bad.
The story revolves around Daniel returning to his childhood home after his parents are killed in a car accident. He and his parents had been estranged for many years and had just started communicating again before the accident. Not only is Daniel dealing with grief and a lot of what-ifs but he also comes across Landon, who lives across the street and had been close friends with Daniel's parents. I think they viewed him as a second son or more specifically - Landon was their chance to fix the mistakes they'd made with Daniel since Landon's also gay and that's why Landon ended up getting very close to Daniel's parents.
I adored Landon and I thought he was the best part of the story. He's a wonderfully unique character - a burly gentle giant, a sunny ray of sunshine, an incredibly talented artist, a bright green Vespa-driving and apron-wearing dude who's as comfortable with his sexuality as one can get. In particular, I loved how kind he was to Daniel and his unique relationship with each member of Daniel's family. The fact that the author easily conveyed that Landon thought Daniel's parents had been wrong in the way they'd treated Daniel yet Landon still deeply loved and cared for them was exactly the type of nuanced portrayal of humanity that makes me adore Marie Sexton's work so much.
Landon's art was also a wonderful inclusion. Being a strong, rough dude, he makes art pieces out of scrap metal and his hands show how tough that medium is to work with, being covered in welding scars. But the sculptures he makes are all focused on creating wonderful light and sound displays when wind, rain and sunshine interact with them. The author goes into great detail describing how Landon's sculptures shine, sing and dance with the weather and how they did a fantastic job conveying Landon's joy with life. Daniel had a great way of explaining what Landon does with his art:
"You build beauty. You capture joy. You find a way to take all that happiness inside of you and form it into things that turn the wind into laughter and the sun and rain into art."
Having Daniel and Landon unite to clear out the hoarded clutter from his parents' home and having them bond through their shared memories of Daniel's parents was really great. I loved how slow and gentle the pacing of their romance was and how the author took into account all the surrounding circumstances in Daniel's life.
And now it's time for my ranting to start because those circumstances don't just include Daniel having lost his parents. For much of the book, Daniel has a boyfriend, Chase, and he was basically a third main character and that's part of why this book didn't work for me. The entire books is in Daniel's POV and he spends his weekends with Landon and his weekdays with Chase and unfortunately, both Landon and Chase get equal attention by Daniel and the author. This irritated me a lot because I didn't care about Chase. He was spoiled, lazy, entitled and he was also . Not only did he put little effort into contributing financially to his relationship with Daniel (they'd been together for 15 years and lived together for over a decade) but we learn that . Chase was a POS and I wanted Daniel to dump his ass as soon as he found out about and throw Chase out of the house. Unfortunately, that's not what happens and the reason why is my other issue with the story: the magical elements.
This story is part of a multi-author series focusing on a mysterious cookbook that includes recipes for meals that have magical impacts on the eaters. For example - there are recipes for food that will help ease grief, make a person horny or allow someone to view a situation with more clarity. To be honest, I didn't really like how the entire thing was executed. I don't mind magical elements existing in a contemporary setting and this author's story Winter Oranges was a 5 star read for me, but the author had a half-in-half-out approach to the magic here and it didn't work. With most of the recipes, you could easily argue that there's nothing magical happening, like the meals that are meant to help ease grief. Comfort foods create feelings of comfort and there's nothing magic about them. Even the meatloaf recipe that provided Daniel with clarity about didn't feel very magical. All the clues were there and the only reason Daniel didn't put them together earlier was because he wasn't paying attention and he was distracted with other things. But then there's the loaf recipe that causes Daniel and Landon to share a vivid, detailed sex scene together...while they weren't in the same house together. That's full-on magic. Maybe this wouldn't bother anybody else but I wish the author had committed to sitting on one side of the fence or another instead of constantly hopping back and forth.
The other issue I had with the magical elements was that the author tried way too hard to make the magic meaningful in the story. Maybe her hands were tied because that's the way things are in this series, but I didn't like the approach. Basically, the magic ends up doing all of Daniel's emotional labor in the story and that felt cheap. The worst example of this was near the end when .
I would have liked this story so much better if Daniel's discovery of had happened earlier and if he'd dumped Chase and thrown him out ASAP and then spend the rest of the story developing his relationship with Landon. I adored Landon anyway so if the author had included his POV and given him a character arc too, I would have been much happier.
Side note: Daniel's hometown is Laramie, Wyoming and I'll never be able to hear the word Laramie and not immediately think of Matthew Shepard. I'm sure I'm not the only one from my age group who learned about Laramie's existence when we learned about what happened to Matthew, since we were in high school at the time and our knowledge of the world was minimal (maybe my ignorance was more a result of me being Canadian, but anyway). That time period included a lot of huge, life changing events and I know they heavily impacted who I grew up to be and Matthew's death was one of those events, particularly due to the horrifying brutality of his murder. As the decades march on, people's memories fade and I'm sure there are loads of people who have never heard of Matthew Shepard but it was a beautiful touch by the author to remind readers how Matthew's death forever changed Laramie and the LGBT rights movement in the US. It's something I really appreciated and it's one of the reasons this author's work really resonates with me.
This had the potential to be so much better than it was! I loved the MCs and the way their romance was paced and developed but the story felt more like gay fiction than a gay romance and I hated that the magical elements in the story unintentionally made Daniel look really bad.
The story revolves around Daniel returning to his childhood home after his parents are killed in a car accident. He and his parents had been estranged for many years and had just started communicating again before the accident. Not only is Daniel dealing with grief and a lot of what-ifs but he also comes across Landon, who lives across the street and had been close friends with Daniel's parents. I think they viewed him as a second son or more specifically - Landon was their chance to fix the mistakes they'd made with Daniel since Landon's also gay and that's why Landon ended up getting very close to Daniel's parents.
I adored Landon and I thought he was the best part of the story. He's a wonderfully unique character - a burly gentle giant, a sunny ray of sunshine, an incredibly talented artist, a bright green Vespa-driving and apron-wearing dude who's as comfortable with his sexuality as one can get. In particular, I loved how kind he was to Daniel and his unique relationship with each member of Daniel's family. The fact that the author easily conveyed that Landon thought Daniel's parents had been wrong in the way they'd treated Daniel yet Landon still deeply loved and cared for them was exactly the type of nuanced portrayal of humanity that makes me adore Marie Sexton's work so much.
Landon's art was also a wonderful inclusion. Being a strong, rough dude, he makes art pieces out of scrap metal and his hands show how tough that medium is to work with, being covered in welding scars. But the sculptures he makes are all focused on creating wonderful light and sound displays when wind, rain and sunshine interact with them. The author goes into great detail describing how Landon's sculptures shine, sing and dance with the weather and how they did a fantastic job conveying Landon's joy with life. Daniel had a great way of explaining what Landon does with his art:
"You build beauty. You capture joy. You find a way to take all that happiness inside of you and form it into things that turn the wind into laughter and the sun and rain into art."
Having Daniel and Landon unite to clear out the hoarded clutter from his parents' home and having them bond through their shared memories of Daniel's parents was really great. I loved how slow and gentle the pacing of their romance was and how the author took into account all the surrounding circumstances in Daniel's life.
And now it's time for my ranting to start because those circumstances don't just include Daniel having lost his parents. For much of the book, Daniel has a boyfriend, Chase, and he was basically a third main character and that's part of why this book didn't work for me. The entire books is in Daniel's POV and he spends his weekends with Landon and his weekdays with Chase and unfortunately, both Landon and Chase get equal attention by Daniel and the author. This irritated me a lot because I didn't care about Chase. He was spoiled, lazy, entitled and he was also . Not only did he put little effort into contributing financially to his relationship with Daniel (they'd been together for 15 years and lived together for over a decade) but we learn that . Chase was a POS and I wanted Daniel to dump his ass as soon as he found out about and throw Chase out of the house. Unfortunately, that's not what happens and the reason why is my other issue with the story: the magical elements.
This story is part of a multi-author series focusing on a mysterious cookbook that includes recipes for meals that have magical impacts on the eaters. For example - there are recipes for food that will help ease grief, make a person horny or allow someone to view a situation with more clarity. To be honest, I didn't really like how the entire thing was executed. I don't mind magical elements existing in a contemporary setting and this author's story Winter Oranges was a 5 star read for me, but the author had a half-in-half-out approach to the magic here and it didn't work. With most of the recipes, you could easily argue that there's nothing magical happening, like the meals that are meant to help ease grief. Comfort foods create feelings of comfort and there's nothing magic about them. Even the meatloaf recipe that provided Daniel with clarity about didn't feel very magical. All the clues were there and the only reason Daniel didn't put them together earlier was because he wasn't paying attention and he was distracted with other things. But then there's the loaf recipe that causes Daniel and Landon to share a vivid, detailed sex scene together...while they weren't in the same house together. That's full-on magic. Maybe this wouldn't bother anybody else but I wish the author had committed to sitting on one side of the fence or another instead of constantly hopping back and forth.
The other issue I had with the magical elements was that the author tried way too hard to make the magic meaningful in the story. Maybe her hands were tied because that's the way things are in this series, but I didn't like the approach. Basically, the magic ends up doing all of Daniel's emotional labor in the story and that felt cheap. The worst example of this was near the end when .
I would have liked this story so much better if Daniel's discovery of had happened earlier and if he'd dumped Chase and thrown him out ASAP and then spend the rest of the story developing his relationship with Landon. I adored Landon anyway so if the author had included his POV and given him a character arc too, I would have been much happier.
Side note: Daniel's hometown is Laramie, Wyoming and I'll never be able to hear the word Laramie and not immediately think of Matthew Shepard. I'm sure I'm not the only one from my age group who learned about Laramie's existence when we learned about what happened to Matthew, since we were in high school at the time and our knowledge of the world was minimal (maybe my ignorance was more a result of me being Canadian, but anyway). That time period included a lot of huge, life changing events and I know they heavily impacted who I grew up to be and Matthew's death was one of those events, particularly due to the horrifying brutality of his murder. As the decades march on, people's memories fade and I'm sure there are loads of people who have never heard of Matthew Shepard but it was a beautiful touch by the author to remind readers how Matthew's death forever changed Laramie and the LGBT rights movement in the US. It's something I really appreciated and it's one of the reasons this author's work really resonates with me.
May 2, 2015
‘Lost Along the Way’ is an excellent title for this story about Daniel, who suddenly finds there are more issues than he thought possible in the relationship he’s had for fifteen years. In a difficult situation with having to consider what’s next for him, the recipes in Granny B’s mysteriously appearing cookbook offer the nudge into action and the support he needs. This is a sad story of old things ending, but it also offers hope for new things beginning – if Daniel gives them a chance. Daniel has some help, as the blurb says: “Food created out of love casts a spell all its own, but Granny B’s recipes add a little something extra.” They definitely do!
Daniel has made a life with Chase, despite his parents disagreeing and not wanting him to be gay. And just after they finally begin to come around, they die. Daniel is devastated. Then two things happen. Chase is not as supportive as he should be, according to Daniel, and Chase, who spends his weekends cleaning out his parents’ house, begins to see their relationship from a distance. He suddenly sees things differently, and when Granny B’s recipes add their magical touch, a few things Daniel has tried to ignore suddenly jump out at him and he sees Chase for who he really is.
In a touching story of loss and love, the death of Daniel’s relationship with Chase still only takes up about half the focus of this book. The other half is the slow rebuilding of Daniel’s life – in a totally unexpected but not unwelcome direction. As he rediscovers the town he grew up in and gets to know Landon, the man who spent a lot of time with Daniel’s parents, Daniel slowly realizes how much of a rut he has been in, and how different his life could be – if only he gives fate another chance - with the help of Granny B’s peculiar and delicious recipes, of course.
If you like bittersweet stories of tragedy and love lost, if you believe everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how “magical” the source of that hope may be, and if you’re looking for an emotional read that deals with the realities of life in a sensitive and touching way, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Daniel has made a life with Chase, despite his parents disagreeing and not wanting him to be gay. And just after they finally begin to come around, they die. Daniel is devastated. Then two things happen. Chase is not as supportive as he should be, according to Daniel, and Chase, who spends his weekends cleaning out his parents’ house, begins to see their relationship from a distance. He suddenly sees things differently, and when Granny B’s recipes add their magical touch, a few things Daniel has tried to ignore suddenly jump out at him and he sees Chase for who he really is.
In a touching story of loss and love, the death of Daniel’s relationship with Chase still only takes up about half the focus of this book. The other half is the slow rebuilding of Daniel’s life – in a totally unexpected but not unwelcome direction. As he rediscovers the town he grew up in and gets to know Landon, the man who spent a lot of time with Daniel’s parents, Daniel slowly realizes how much of a rut he has been in, and how different his life could be – if only he gives fate another chance - with the help of Granny B’s peculiar and delicious recipes, of course.
If you like bittersweet stories of tragedy and love lost, if you believe everyone deserves a second chance, no matter how “magical” the source of that hope may be, and if you’re looking for an emotional read that deals with the realities of life in a sensitive and touching way, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 8, 2015
3.5 (4.0) Stars
Hmmmm, it's so hard to rate this! First, it was un-put-downable; I read it in one sitting, staying up well past my bed time. And that counts for much in my book. Next, I loved Landon. LUUUUUUUUVED him! Third, I liked (notice, not love exactly) Daniel. Here's the but: dissolving a 15-year marriage almost contemporaneously with falling in love with the second love-of-your-life seemed a bit far fetched for me, even with Granny B magic. Lastly, although Chase did some rotten things, he wasn't evil; he was sad. So, there's that.
Bottom line: Angsty and smexy ... yay! But angsty in the wrong places. The 15-year-marriage break-up overshadowed a LOT of this book and generated the most angst.
Hmmmm, it's so hard to rate this! First, it was un-put-downable; I read it in one sitting, staying up well past my bed time. And that counts for much in my book. Next, I loved Landon. LUUUUUUUUVED him! Third, I liked (notice, not love exactly) Daniel. Here's the but: dissolving a 15-year marriage almost contemporaneously with falling in love with the second love-of-your-life seemed a bit far fetched for me, even with Granny B magic. Lastly, although Chase did some rotten things, he wasn't evil; he was sad. So, there's that.
Bottom line: Angsty and smexy ... yay! But angsty in the wrong places. The 15-year-marriage break-up overshadowed a LOT of this book and generated the most angst.
April 25, 2015
I really enjoyed Granny B's magic cookbook and her meatloaf and banana bread recipes. :)
Loved Landon, the gentle bear and David, the sad weatherman. Loved how everything in their story came together beautifully at the end.
An amazing addition to the Tales of the Curious Cookbook series. Recommended. :)
November 12, 2019
This was not one of my favorite books by Marie Sexton (whom I normally like). There was just too much time spent on the old relationship and it got frustrating waiting for Daniel to get a clue. Then he fell in love so quickly after the end of his relationship. I also didn't like the way the cookbook was used in this book. I found it really unbelievable.
April 20, 2021
Una storia scorrevole, triste ma anche molto dolce in molti di punti di vista.
Non una storia scontata che fa pensare e con lo zampino di Nonna B (che vorrei scoprire davvero chi è) non farà annoiare di certo.
Non una storia scontata che fa pensare e con lo zampino di Nonna B (che vorrei scoprire davvero chi è) non farà annoiare di certo.
April 17, 2015
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****
4.5 Stars
This is what I was looking for when I read the blurb for the series! Some magical cooking! While the actual cooking wasn’t the focus, the resulting goodies had measurable impact on the story.
Landon was so sweet and I liked that he wasn’t a stereotypical twink, but rather a gentle bear who loved gardening, cooking and his art. Daniel was harder to relate to. He was sad and conflicted, but I liked that he let Landon (and Granny B.) help him find his way.
I loved the result of the zucchini bread (for passion) and would love to have some of the banana bread (for mourning) and chicken soup (for broken hearts) on hand for bad days myself. You need to read to see for yourself!
4.5 Stars
This is what I was looking for when I read the blurb for the series! Some magical cooking! While the actual cooking wasn’t the focus, the resulting goodies had measurable impact on the story.
Landon was so sweet and I liked that he wasn’t a stereotypical twink, but rather a gentle bear who loved gardening, cooking and his art. Daniel was harder to relate to. He was sad and conflicted, but I liked that he let Landon (and Granny B.) help him find his way.
I loved the result of the zucchini bread (for passion) and would love to have some of the banana bread (for mourning) and chicken soup (for broken hearts) on hand for bad days myself. You need to read to see for yourself!
January 3, 2018
3 stars
Synopsis: Daniel hasn't seen his parents in many, many years, since they didn't accept the fact that he was gay. He is still living with the boyfriend that his parents didn't want to meet. They had only recently started communicating again, when Daniel is notified that his parents have been killed in a car accident. When Daniel finally heads to the home of his youth to get it ready for sale, he meets Landon, who lived across the street from his parents and really liked them. When Daniel discovers that his parents had become essentially hoarders, he realizes that the job will take longer than he thought. As Daniel gets closer to his parents and Landon, he realizes that he and his boyfriend haven't really been clicking for a while. During one of the weekends, Daniel receives a mysterious cookbook.
What I liked: That Landon could appreciate Daniel's parents, even knowing how they treated Daniel. I liked that Daniel and Landon grew to know each other.
What I didn't like: How absolutely clueless Daniel was about his boyfriend, and how long he stuck it out.
Synopsis: Daniel hasn't seen his parents in many, many years, since they didn't accept the fact that he was gay. He is still living with the boyfriend that his parents didn't want to meet. They had only recently started communicating again, when Daniel is notified that his parents have been killed in a car accident. When Daniel finally heads to the home of his youth to get it ready for sale, he meets Landon, who lived across the street from his parents and really liked them. When Daniel discovers that his parents had become essentially hoarders, he realizes that the job will take longer than he thought. As Daniel gets closer to his parents and Landon, he realizes that he and his boyfriend haven't really been clicking for a while. During one of the weekends, Daniel receives a mysterious cookbook.
What I liked: That Landon could appreciate Daniel's parents, even knowing how they treated Daniel. I liked that Daniel and Landon grew to know each other.
What I didn't like: How absolutely clueless Daniel was about his boyfriend, and how long he stuck it out.
February 7, 2016
This was a fun sweet read. It was very readable and I really enjoyed it. The characters were likable and though there wasn't much if a story the romance was engaging enough on its own.
A well-deserved 3.5 stars.
A well-deserved 3.5 stars.
April 20, 2015
3.5
Hit close to home; she did a great job of that feeling Danny had with Chase of what the hell happened and how did we let it get to this point.
See Dani(ela)'s review-it's spot on.
Hit close to home; she did a great job of that feeling Danny had with Chase of what the hell happened and how did we let it get to this point.
See Dani(ela)'s review-it's spot on.
September 15, 2015
3.5 Yummy Stars.
I am enjoying this series, and Marie Sexton didn't disappoint. :D
I am enjoying this series, and Marie Sexton didn't disappoint. :D
July 2, 2015
Another 2.something read
November 4, 2025
This is a story of loss, grief, betrayal, and renewal. Danny had a bad past with his parents because he was gay, he hadn't seen them in years, then one morning he gets THAT phone call. Going back home is the heart of the tale as he faces his old home, now empty. Empty of life maybe but full to the brim of Knick knacks, little ornaments and loads more, he need a help . . .
May 28, 2015
These series of novellas in the Tales of a Curious Cookbook have been really fun! After reading Mary Calmes’ contribution, I knew that I wanted to try some of the others. Of course Marie Sexton was an obvious choice. I’ve been a long time fan and reader of hers so I don’t know why I was so surprised by this story.
At under 130 pages, this book really packs an emotional punch. I never thought that a short story would have me laughing and tearing up. Marie Sexton just has a way of tugging on your heartstrings and it makes me want to go back and read some of her other titles I may have missed. I’m so glad I picked this story up!
LOST ALONG THE WAY starts off as quite dark. Danny gets an early morning call telling him that his parents were in an accident and are dead. While Danny had made his own life for himself with his partner, Chase, it caused a riff between Danny and his parents. They didn’t like the fact that he was gay and certainly didn’t approve of his life with Chase. However, Danny followed his heart and did what he had to do to get to this point in his life.
After fifteen years of being together, Chase and Danny have hit a rough patch. They no longer spend time together or make love. Chase is stressed out about work and is constantly away, leaving Danny to deal with the grief with his parents alone.
When Danny goes to Laramie to organize his parent’s house, he meets Landon there. Landon has kept an eye on Danny’s parents, mowing their lawn when they couldn’t and overall, just being a good neighbor to them. Although there is an instant chemistry between Danny and Landon, it starts off as a friendship.
As things get worse between Danny and Chase, the romance between Danny and Landon gets stronger. As I mentioned earlier, I teared up in one of the scenes in this book but the end certainly makes up for it. I really fell in love with Landon and Danny and I have no doubt that you will too.
April 21, 2015
It’s safe to say baking zucchini bread will never be the same again. I absolutely loved this book, I think the magic of Granny B’s cookbook was best represented in this story.
Daniel and Chase have been together for 15 years, and even though their relationship is slowly falling apart, Daniel still hopes to find a way to fix it. It was easy to see why Daniel was clinging to the past, and even though Chase was a no good little shit, I couldn’t help but be a little heartbroken over their failing relationship.
Landon is the man who gives Daniel the bad news about his parents’ death. He’s also the wonderful person who’s been helping Daniel’s parents for the past 5 years, the one who’s helped mend the relationship between Daniel and his parents. I loved Landon; he is such a bright, caring, amazing person, one whose innate goodness and happiness bring back the simple feeling of joy to Daniel. I really wish this book was longer, or maybe written from Landon’s POV as well, as opposed to only Daniel’s, because I wanted to get to know more about Landon.
I thought the way Granny B’s recipes helped Daniel make the right decisions was genial! The meatloaf helped him see thought all the bullshit, the chicken soup and banana bread helped mend his broken heart and the zucchini/banana bread Landon baked for him.....well the consequences were smokin’ hot, you’ll have to read that for yourself.
There is no cheating in this book, at least not any done by Daniel, and even though his relationship with Chase ends, they get the closure they both need. While I would’ve loved to see more of Landon and Daniel together, their HEA was sweet and heart-warming. This was an amazing addition to the Tales of the Curious Cookbook series, definitely recommended.
Daniel and Chase have been together for 15 years, and even though their relationship is slowly falling apart, Daniel still hopes to find a way to fix it. It was easy to see why Daniel was clinging to the past, and even though Chase was a no good little shit, I couldn’t help but be a little heartbroken over their failing relationship.
Landon is the man who gives Daniel the bad news about his parents’ death. He’s also the wonderful person who’s been helping Daniel’s parents for the past 5 years, the one who’s helped mend the relationship between Daniel and his parents. I loved Landon; he is such a bright, caring, amazing person, one whose innate goodness and happiness bring back the simple feeling of joy to Daniel. I really wish this book was longer, or maybe written from Landon’s POV as well, as opposed to only Daniel’s, because I wanted to get to know more about Landon.
I thought the way Granny B’s recipes helped Daniel make the right decisions was genial! The meatloaf helped him see thought all the bullshit, the chicken soup and banana bread helped mend his broken heart and the zucchini/banana bread Landon baked for him.....well the consequences were smokin’ hot, you’ll have to read that for yourself.
There is no cheating in this book, at least not any done by Daniel, and even though his relationship with Chase ends, they get the closure they both need. While I would’ve loved to see more of Landon and Daniel together, their HEA was sweet and heart-warming. This was an amazing addition to the Tales of the Curious Cookbook series, definitely recommended.
October 18, 2015
Marie Sexton makes me happy. I love to watch her spin a web in her stories and get all wound up in them. Daniel goes through life with a grey kind of tone to everything he does. A horrible loss happens and he meets someone who cooks the colors right back into his life. Sexton's choice to create Landon as a not so physically perfect MC only makes him more lovable and fun to watch.
I don't know about the rest of the world by I'd like a copy of Granny B's book, too.
Update! It was pointed out I kept calling Marie Sexton Heidi Culliman. I'm sorry for the mistake but since they're both amazing writers I know neither one should be insulted. Thanks! Read on!
I don't know about the rest of the world by I'd like a copy of Granny B's book, too.
Update! It was pointed out I kept calling Marie Sexton Heidi Culliman. I'm sorry for the mistake but since they're both amazing writers I know neither one should be insulted. Thanks! Read on!
April 30, 2015
I was in a book funk. A hangover. I needed something short and sweet. Something that I knew would make me feel happy. Marie Sexton always writes stories that make me happy. This one made me happy and filled with glee.
The emotions are real and the story refreshing. And one shower scene that is unique and really hot n sexy. I loved the characters and felt for them all along the way as they each found what it was they needed to find. While they each cut through the bullshit. :)
The emotions are real and the story refreshing. And one shower scene that is unique and really hot n sexy. I loved the characters and felt for them all along the way as they each found what it was they needed to find. While they each cut through the bullshit. :)
August 18, 2015
This just wasn't for me. The story was ok. Entirely too much time was spent in the original relationship (in the book and the length of the relationship) for me to get behind the actual romance that was supposed to be building within the book.
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