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Aspiring chef Luciano Jilani dreams of reopening his late mother’s restaurant, but as a takeaway delivery driver, he’s barely making ends meet.
Anse Meyer is a diplomat and an abysmal cook, relying on takeaway and frozen meals as he struggles with the demands of his ‘dream job’.
When they meet via the delivery app, it’s an awkward encounter with a handsome stranger. But then it happens again. And again.
Craving more, Luciano offers to teach Anse how to cook. As they make their way through Luciano’s mother’s recipes, fledging friendship blooms into a consuming romance.
But where their love is uncomplicated, their lives are not. When they’re pulled in different directions, Luciano and Anse must decide if their love is more than a delicious romance or worth risking everything they’ve achieved.
Anse Meyer is a diplomat and an abysmal cook, relying on takeaway and frozen meals as he struggles with the demands of his ‘dream job’.
When they meet via the delivery app, it’s an awkward encounter with a handsome stranger. But then it happens again. And again.
Craving more, Luciano offers to teach Anse how to cook. As they make their way through Luciano’s mother’s recipes, fledging friendship blooms into a consuming romance.
But where their love is uncomplicated, their lives are not. When they’re pulled in different directions, Luciano and Anse must decide if their love is more than a delicious romance or worth risking everything they’ve achieved.
366 pages, Paperback
Published May 30, 2020
16 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 29, 2021
Wow, what a beautiful love story. This book is not for you if you’re looking for hot sex. In fact, I’d describe the sex as vague. It doesn’t happen off page, but it’s not very specific.
I loved the slow burn to their coming together. Both Luciano and Anse are carrying a lot of baggage when they first meet. They slowly get to know each other and fall in love.
This is the first book by Abra Pressler, but I hope it won’t be the last.
I loved the slow burn to their coming together. Both Luciano and Anse are carrying a lot of baggage when they first meet. They slowly get to know each other and fall in love.
This is the first book by Abra Pressler, but I hope it won’t be the last.
April 20, 2021
Don't read this book if you are hungry!
This was a wonderful surprise. I picked it up not really knowing what to expect. It doesn't have a lot of reviews, but the blurb did it for me.
It took me a while getting into Luciano and Anse's story, the writing felt somehow off for some reason but after a few chapters I was used to it and I was 100% there for the story. Both Luciano and Anse are a little broken but for different reasons. And together they are perfect.
More is a sweet, low angst read with just enough twists to make it interesting. This is the author's very first work and while it's showing in the story telling, you can see that there's a lot of potential there. It drags a bit in the middle and there's some stuff happening around the main characters that doesn't add more to the story than making it longer. But, Luciano and Anse makes up for it by being sweet and adorable. My only real problem is that it ended rather quickly after all those pages. I needed just a little more. I will for sure pick up other books from this author in the future.
This was a wonderful surprise. I picked it up not really knowing what to expect. It doesn't have a lot of reviews, but the blurb did it for me.
It took me a while getting into Luciano and Anse's story, the writing felt somehow off for some reason but after a few chapters I was used to it and I was 100% there for the story. Both Luciano and Anse are a little broken but for different reasons. And together they are perfect.
More is a sweet, low angst read with just enough twists to make it interesting. This is the author's very first work and while it's showing in the story telling, you can see that there's a lot of potential there. It drags a bit in the middle and there's some stuff happening around the main characters that doesn't add more to the story than making it longer. But, Luciano and Anse makes up for it by being sweet and adorable. My only real problem is that it ended rather quickly after all those pages. I needed just a little more. I will for sure pick up other books from this author in the future.
August 31, 2022
More was a sweet and charming contemporary romance with slice-of-life storytelling. It tells the story of Anse, an Austrian diplomate on contract with the their embassy in Australia for a year, and Luciano, a chef still reeling from the death of his mother and trying to save their family-owned restaurant.
The book is slow and meanders along their relationship. There wasn’t a single plotpoint driving the entire narrative, but rather a series of things that just happen to them during their yearlong relationship. So it does leave the book feeling a bit like those online fanfic-like stories that are released bit by bit. Still, I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters.
I have two things though that I noticed that I think needed more work on. One is that the book needs more rounds of editing. There were quite a lot of grammatical errors and typos as well as some points where I think sentences were missing or omitted because it seemed like the story was leaping ahead slightly and I had to go back a few sentences to check that I didn’t miss anything. Another is the weirdly vague sex scenes where it was so vague and glossed over that it even left me wondering if something even happened or not. I’d have preferred the author either left it entirely behind closed doors or committed to it fully, not this weird in between.
The book is slow and meanders along their relationship. There wasn’t a single plotpoint driving the entire narrative, but rather a series of things that just happen to them during their yearlong relationship. So it does leave the book feeling a bit like those online fanfic-like stories that are released bit by bit. Still, I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters.
I have two things though that I noticed that I think needed more work on. One is that the book needs more rounds of editing. There were quite a lot of grammatical errors and typos as well as some points where I think sentences were missing or omitted because it seemed like the story was leaping ahead slightly and I had to go back a few sentences to check that I didn’t miss anything. Another is the weirdly vague sex scenes where it was so vague and glossed over that it even left me wondering if something even happened or not. I’d have preferred the author either left it entirely behind closed doors or committed to it fully, not this weird in between.
April 2, 2021
3.75 Stars
Abra Pressler’s debut novel, ‘More’, has an interesting premise and is filled with compelling characters. The main characters are aspiring chef Luciano Jilani and diplomatic attaché Anse Meyer.
‘More’ takes place in multiple locations through Canberra - with two primary sites, Luciano’s family’s restaurant and the diplomatic offices where Anse has been assigned.
Of all the locations, I particularly enjoyed envisioning the protagonists sitting under Canberra’s jacaranda trees and walking around Lake Burley Griffin.
Luciano and Anse each has his own dream. When those dreams collide to disrupt their growing love, the tension created becomes the core of the novel’s suspense.
Abra Pressler’s debut novel, ‘More’, has an interesting premise and is filled with compelling characters. The main characters are aspiring chef Luciano Jilani and diplomatic attaché Anse Meyer.
‘More’ takes place in multiple locations through Canberra - with two primary sites, Luciano’s family’s restaurant and the diplomatic offices where Anse has been assigned.
Of all the locations, I particularly enjoyed envisioning the protagonists sitting under Canberra’s jacaranda trees and walking around Lake Burley Griffin.
Luciano and Anse each has his own dream. When those dreams collide to disrupt their growing love, the tension created becomes the core of the novel’s suspense.
April 25, 2025
3.5 stars
This was such a lovely, wholesome read! I always love an Australian setting, especially for a romance.
I love the way Anse and Luciano meet, like a proper old fashioned meet cute between a food delivery driver and a customer. It was so sweet the way they were instantly drawn to each other and I loved the progression of their relationship.
I LOVED the inclusion of AFL. So much fun reading that. Just made me want an AFL romance even more to be honest.
There’s a whole lot of wonderful side characters in this one and they all came together so well.
This was such a lovely, wholesome read! I always love an Australian setting, especially for a romance.
I love the way Anse and Luciano meet, like a proper old fashioned meet cute between a food delivery driver and a customer. It was so sweet the way they were instantly drawn to each other and I loved the progression of their relationship.
I LOVED the inclusion of AFL. So much fun reading that. Just made me want an AFL romance even more to be honest.
There’s a whole lot of wonderful side characters in this one and they all came together so well.
July 28, 2020
More is an absolute treat.
Abra has taken the classic romantic comedy and given it a modern, queer and Australian twist that's hard to resist and impossible to put down. Luciano and Anse are delightful protagonists and their flourishing romance will make even the hardest of hearts swoon.
Not to mention the food! Fair warning - the evocative descriptions of the meals Luciano carefully prepares will make your stomach rumble. (But that's what the recipes in the back are for, I suppose.)
A heartwarming, joyous and mouth-watering journey of love and food set in the not-often explored streets of Canberra. An exciting debut from an independent author!
Abra has taken the classic romantic comedy and given it a modern, queer and Australian twist that's hard to resist and impossible to put down. Luciano and Anse are delightful protagonists and their flourishing romance will make even the hardest of hearts swoon.
Not to mention the food! Fair warning - the evocative descriptions of the meals Luciano carefully prepares will make your stomach rumble. (But that's what the recipes in the back are for, I suppose.)
A heartwarming, joyous and mouth-watering journey of love and food set in the not-often explored streets of Canberra. An exciting debut from an independent author!
September 8, 2024
Such a sweet, gentle and delightful Aussie romance. It made me terribly, terribly homesick for Canberra.
March 6, 2021
I'm a total sucker for love stories centered around a chef's kitchen, so when I read the premise "chef teaches his lover to cook", I immediately snatched the book up. The impulse buy was probably a mistake, but looking back, I'd probably have bought it, anyway. There aren't enough reviews posted here on GoodReads to make any kind of informed decision, and most of the reviews are positive. (I now suspect a good many are from the author's family and friends.)
Anyway, More is a love story about a fledgling Australian chef named Luciano Jilani and Anse Meyer, a man who works in the Austrian embassy doing something vaguely related to international environmental policy. Luciano's mother, a famous Michelin star chef, has died, and left Luciano and his two sisters, Mariza and Corina, with a large debt that they can only re-pay by selling their family home and their restaurant. This is a problem for Luciano, since he wants to walk in his mother's footsteps and become a chef. While this subplot is being hammered out, Luciano takes a job as a takeout delivery boy to earn some cash, and that's how he meets Anse Meyer. After that, Anse keeps ordering takeout for two reasons: (1) he can't cook, and (2) he likes Luciano and wants an excuse to see him. Luciano, of course, likes him back. One day, he brings Anse food he's prepared himself, and then offers to teach Anse how to cook. And that's their first date.
Honestly, the setup is great. My problem is that the book just stalls after that, becoming nothing more than a series of nice things happening to pleasant people. I suspect the major problem is that the two central characters aren't well drawn. We never feel Luciano's grief over the passing of his mother- how lost he is without her. Nor do we sense how dead inside Anse is. For a story-less book like this to work, I think a writer has to up the characterization. What we have instead is just a series of boring clichéd scenes that go nowhere.
There's also a lot of unnecessary filler in this book. We learn about Rahul, Luciano's childhood friend. He's a former professional footballer who's come back home after being cut from his team following an accident. There's a subplot about him starting an amateur team that goes nowhere and adds nothing to the story. Rahul also has a condom break on him, leading to a pointless accidental pregnancy. It's all just filler. Meanwhile, the main story is languishing. Honestly, I wanted to DNF this book so many times while reading it. At one point, I felt like doing this at the end of every chapter. I even started irrationally hating the anodyne main characters- Luciano in particular.
And finally, let's talk about the sex. The love scenes were so vague, Pressler might as well have closed the door on the lovers. I don't know why the sex scenes were so bad. It might be prudery on the author's part, or the fact that Abra Pressler is a woman writing about gay male sex. I only know that the sex scenes were as bland as Anse Meyer's cooking. But this isn't too surprising. The entire book is dull and lifeless.
Lastly, in the acknowledgement, Pressler thanks her writing group. I fear they did her no favors.
Note 1: Rahul, the POC character, loses his dream while Luciano attains his. Also, Rahul gets a semi-love interest, but since his potential happy ending comes from an accidental pregnancy, he doesn't really get chosen or get to choose in the way Anse (mostly) and Luciano choose each other. This didn't quite sit well with me.
Note 2: I suspect this will be in my worse reads of 2021.
Anyway, More is a love story about a fledgling Australian chef named Luciano Jilani and Anse Meyer, a man who works in the Austrian embassy doing something vaguely related to international environmental policy. Luciano's mother, a famous Michelin star chef, has died, and left Luciano and his two sisters, Mariza and Corina, with a large debt that they can only re-pay by selling their family home and their restaurant. This is a problem for Luciano, since he wants to walk in his mother's footsteps and become a chef. While this subplot is being hammered out, Luciano takes a job as a takeout delivery boy to earn some cash, and that's how he meets Anse Meyer. After that, Anse keeps ordering takeout for two reasons: (1) he can't cook, and (2) he likes Luciano and wants an excuse to see him. Luciano, of course, likes him back. One day, he brings Anse food he's prepared himself, and then offers to teach Anse how to cook. And that's their first date.
Honestly, the setup is great. My problem is that the book just stalls after that, becoming nothing more than a series of nice things happening to pleasant people. I suspect the major problem is that the two central characters aren't well drawn. We never feel Luciano's grief over the passing of his mother- how lost he is without her. Nor do we sense how dead inside Anse is. For a story-less book like this to work, I think a writer has to up the characterization. What we have instead is just a series of boring clichéd scenes that go nowhere.
There's also a lot of unnecessary filler in this book. We learn about Rahul, Luciano's childhood friend. He's a former professional footballer who's come back home after being cut from his team following an accident. There's a subplot about him starting an amateur team that goes nowhere and adds nothing to the story. Rahul also has a condom break on him, leading to a pointless accidental pregnancy. It's all just filler. Meanwhile, the main story is languishing. Honestly, I wanted to DNF this book so many times while reading it. At one point, I felt like doing this at the end of every chapter. I even started irrationally hating the anodyne main characters- Luciano in particular.
And finally, let's talk about the sex. The love scenes were so vague, Pressler might as well have closed the door on the lovers. I don't know why the sex scenes were so bad. It might be prudery on the author's part, or the fact that Abra Pressler is a woman writing about gay male sex. I only know that the sex scenes were as bland as Anse Meyer's cooking. But this isn't too surprising. The entire book is dull and lifeless.
Lastly, in the acknowledgement, Pressler thanks her writing group. I fear they did her no favors.
Note 1: Rahul, the POC character, loses his dream while Luciano attains his. Also, Rahul gets a semi-love interest, but since his potential happy ending comes from an accidental pregnancy, he doesn't really get chosen or get to choose in the way Anse (mostly) and Luciano choose each other. This didn't quite sit well with me.
Note 2: I suspect this will be in my worse reads of 2021.
December 25, 2021
Don’t know what I expected, but this wasn’t it
Do I hate the story? No. Do I love the story? No. But I could be fond of it.
The first thing that got me was all the slag used in the story. I don’t know if it was a bad or good thing, but it got my attention. The cooking aspect was familiar to me. I wonder if that is something authors do when they know how to cook?
The next thing that soon caught my attention was the lack of sex. They had sex. Eventually, which I thought was some kind of statement that guys can wait to have sex like girls, but I liked that his reason was a more understandable one than that.
I mean that this author doesn’t write sex scenes. By the time that squarely hit me, I had another reason to keep reading. Yeah, that almost sounded like a bait and switch, except they never promised us sex scenes.
The author threw a lot at this couple and I wasn’t completely happy with how the whole thing resolved. I understand that they were going for very slice of life here and other than the amount of real events they were put through, nothing was unbelievable.
But the ending, when I first read it was, “that’s it?”. It just stopped at a place I didn’t expect at all. And that threw me so much, that it has taken me at least 2 days before I started to write this review. I read the last like 3 or so paragraphs just now and it’s more settled with me.
I’m not very happy with the ending, but I know ending a story isn’t easy, and when Michael showed up late in the story, I though that would be tangled up in the ending, yet nothing. I feel the ending was edited down to this due to all the read overs and helpers he had on the book.
So the important questions. Is this story worth your time and money? More yes than no. Is it a memorable story that you could smile back on as you recall the better times in the book? Possibly. Would I recommend this book? More yes than no.
I recognize the hard work, but the ending. It may not be that big of a deal to others but it is to me and since people are different, thank goodness, I will recommend this book and hope you find more enjoyment in it than I did. And for the majority of the book, I did enjoy reading it.
Do I hate the story? No. Do I love the story? No. But I could be fond of it.
The first thing that got me was all the slag used in the story. I don’t know if it was a bad or good thing, but it got my attention. The cooking aspect was familiar to me. I wonder if that is something authors do when they know how to cook?
The next thing that soon caught my attention was the lack of sex. They had sex. Eventually, which I thought was some kind of statement that guys can wait to have sex like girls, but I liked that his reason was a more understandable one than that.
I mean that this author doesn’t write sex scenes. By the time that squarely hit me, I had another reason to keep reading. Yeah, that almost sounded like a bait and switch, except they never promised us sex scenes.
The author threw a lot at this couple and I wasn’t completely happy with how the whole thing resolved. I understand that they were going for very slice of life here and other than the amount of real events they were put through, nothing was unbelievable.
But the ending, when I first read it was, “that’s it?”. It just stopped at a place I didn’t expect at all. And that threw me so much, that it has taken me at least 2 days before I started to write this review. I read the last like 3 or so paragraphs just now and it’s more settled with me.
I’m not very happy with the ending, but I know ending a story isn’t easy, and when Michael showed up late in the story, I though that would be tangled up in the ending, yet nothing. I feel the ending was edited down to this due to all the read overs and helpers he had on the book.
So the important questions. Is this story worth your time and money? More yes than no. Is it a memorable story that you could smile back on as you recall the better times in the book? Possibly. Would I recommend this book? More yes than no.
I recognize the hard work, but the ending. It may not be that big of a deal to others but it is to me and since people are different, thank goodness, I will recommend this book and hope you find more enjoyment in it than I did. And for the majority of the book, I did enjoy reading it.
September 15, 2020
More is the love story of Australian chef Luciano and Austrian diplomatic attache Anse, who's in Australia on a one-year work contract. It’s also a love letter to Canberra, a city that doesn’t usually get much attention or praise. You can tell, however, that the author knows it well and cares deeply for it, and it’s distinctive and charming throughout the novel. The characters are well developed, their falling in love process is sweet and it’s easy to follow along as their emotions take shape. Supporting characters, especially Luciano’s sisters and Anse’s brother, are excellent foils. I loved this novel unreservedly from beginning until right before the end, where the reservations, at least for me, set in. Without giving too much away, there's an important career-making moment that requires moving. Instead of the couple sanely considering it, however, every single character acts like making compromises in support of a career plan someone's worked for his entire adult life is unbearably selfish. I found this jarring: I hate the toxic ‘love is the most important thing and you have to sacrifice everything for it’ logic, and here it was even more jarring since it was applied so unequally, with one partner being expected to make all the sacrifices, and to grovel afterwards to boot. I’m still giving this novel 5 stars, however; it is, for the most part, great.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 21, 2020
Disclaimer: I'm friends with the author, but I hope I've reviewed this novel with as little bias as possible.
I'm not a fan of cute fluffy novels. I need fantasy to draw me in. But when Abra offered me a copy of her book, I was curious, because after reading some of her previous work, I knew that her writing was wonderful.
I devoured this book. I read about 90% of it in one sitting. I laughed and I cried, and my heart broke and it burst with happiness.
It follows Luciano who is grieving the death of his mother, and the impending loss of her restaurant which he thought he'd inherit. On the other hand, there's Anse, who works as a diplomat, and who also happens to be an awful cook. Bring those two together and you have a cute and bumbling relationship that made me squee.
Abra's writing feels authentically Australian. I haven't been to Canberra, but some of the things she describes are so monumentally Aussie that it was a pleasure to read. She writes funny, punchy dialogue without falling into snark, as I've found a lot of contemporary authors do.
For a first novel--and self published at that--I'm so impressed and proud. I really recommend this to everyone, especially if you yearn for a fluffy m/m romance.
I'm not a fan of cute fluffy novels. I need fantasy to draw me in. But when Abra offered me a copy of her book, I was curious, because after reading some of her previous work, I knew that her writing was wonderful.
I devoured this book. I read about 90% of it in one sitting. I laughed and I cried, and my heart broke and it burst with happiness.
It follows Luciano who is grieving the death of his mother, and the impending loss of her restaurant which he thought he'd inherit. On the other hand, there's Anse, who works as a diplomat, and who also happens to be an awful cook. Bring those two together and you have a cute and bumbling relationship that made me squee.
Abra's writing feels authentically Australian. I haven't been to Canberra, but some of the things she describes are so monumentally Aussie that it was a pleasure to read. She writes funny, punchy dialogue without falling into snark, as I've found a lot of contemporary authors do.
For a first novel--and self published at that--I'm so impressed and proud. I really recommend this to everyone, especially if you yearn for a fluffy m/m romance.
July 15, 2024
Themes:
Food
MM Romance
Opening a restaurant
Austrian MC
Romance
Canberra
After Luciano’s mother dies, his dream is to continue her Italian restaurant, Trattoria. While working for a food delivery company to fund the restaurants re-opening, he meets Anse and they form a quick friendship, and something more. Anse is in Australia on a working visa, and is instantly captivated by Luciano’s charm. After Luciano teaches him to cook, the two easily form a bond and start dating. But with Anse’s time in Australia ending soon, will he stay, or will he go?
I’ve been casually picking up this Ebook every now and then for over a year. It’s a slow, slice of life romance between Anse and Luciano, we get to see their everyday lives and love for each other. I had a great time casually reading this, I think it’s one of those books you can pick up every now and then and easily remember what’s happening. This did contain some of my least favourite romance tropes (spoiler: third-act breakups are the worst!) but we got a HEA in the end, so I’m happy.
If you’re looking for a sweet MM romance full of food, family and slice-of-life elements - give this a try! I’m excited to read more from this author, who now has a traditionally published romance!
Food
MM Romance
Opening a restaurant
Austrian MC
Romance
Canberra
After Luciano’s mother dies, his dream is to continue her Italian restaurant, Trattoria. While working for a food delivery company to fund the restaurants re-opening, he meets Anse and they form a quick friendship, and something more. Anse is in Australia on a working visa, and is instantly captivated by Luciano’s charm. After Luciano teaches him to cook, the two easily form a bond and start dating. But with Anse’s time in Australia ending soon, will he stay, or will he go?
I’ve been casually picking up this Ebook every now and then for over a year. It’s a slow, slice of life romance between Anse and Luciano, we get to see their everyday lives and love for each other. I had a great time casually reading this, I think it’s one of those books you can pick up every now and then and easily remember what’s happening. This did contain some of my least favourite romance tropes (spoiler: third-act breakups are the worst!) but we got a HEA in the end, so I’m happy.
If you’re looking for a sweet MM romance full of food, family and slice-of-life elements - give this a try! I’m excited to read more from this author, who now has a traditionally published romance!
June 6, 2020
This is a hard book for me to review. Did I like it? Honestly I'm not sure. It was very realistic with amazing characters, a fantastic setting, and believable conflict and ending. It was sweet, funny, a touch of angst, and some drama. The ending left me feeling let down though, I really wanted more. Wanted to see how they ended up.
It was a great set up with the food delivery and cooking lessons. Part of my disappointment was I wish there'd been more focus on them cooking and getting to know one another through the lessons.
The writing was good but did seem to be more rushed at the end with more mistakes. I cant say I really loved the book but I'm still giving 5 stars for a great story with such amazing characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It was a great set up with the food delivery and cooking lessons. Part of my disappointment was I wish there'd been more focus on them cooking and getting to know one another through the lessons.
The writing was good but did seem to be more rushed at the end with more mistakes. I cant say I really loved the book but I'm still giving 5 stars for a great story with such amazing characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 17, 2020
Romance in beautiful Canberra!
I wanted to read this book, because it takes place in Canberra. And there are not many bokks I know of, who take place there. I've been to Canberra 16 years ago. To visit my, Dutch friend, who lived there at the time. Like Anse, one of the main characters of this book, she was supposed to live in Canberra for a year. Like Anse, she met a handsome Australian and fell in love.
I really enjoyed this beautiful love story! And reading about places I've visited, like the Blue Mountains, makes it even better!
I would love to read a sequel, to see what hapoens next with Luciano and Anse!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wanted to read this book, because it takes place in Canberra. And there are not many bokks I know of, who take place there. I've been to Canberra 16 years ago. To visit my, Dutch friend, who lived there at the time. Like Anse, one of the main characters of this book, she was supposed to live in Canberra for a year. Like Anse, she met a handsome Australian and fell in love.
I really enjoyed this beautiful love story! And reading about places I've visited, like the Blue Mountains, makes it even better!
I would love to read a sequel, to see what hapoens next with Luciano and Anse!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 25, 2022
Five Stars.
This was really good, sweet, and was just the Thing I needed to read.
I noticed a couple missing words here and there but a good edit should fix that. Also wish the ending wasn't so abrupt but... I get it.
Things I really liked: both characters are strong, and relatively likable. That's not to say they don't have their foibles, but they're engaging without being super saccharine or fake. The story takes place over a year, so it's not like they meet and spend chapters shagging. No, instead the author made the smart decision to allow Anse and Luciano to develop a relationship, which helps make their relationship (and thus the novel) more believable. Even the background characters are interesting.
And now I want to go visit Canberra.
This was really good, sweet, and was just the Thing I needed to read.
I noticed a couple missing words here and there but a good edit should fix that. Also wish the ending wasn't so abrupt but... I get it.
Things I really liked: both characters are strong, and relatively likable. That's not to say they don't have their foibles, but they're engaging without being super saccharine or fake. The story takes place over a year, so it's not like they meet and spend chapters shagging. No, instead the author made the smart decision to allow Anse and Luciano to develop a relationship, which helps make their relationship (and thus the novel) more believable. Even the background characters are interesting.
And now I want to go visit Canberra.
September 20, 2020
I enjoyed the writing in this book and the characters. I loved the way Luciano and Anse met and watching the evolution of their relationship. The supporting characters were great, too. I also really enjoyed the unique location, which, honestly, I had never heard of before. As the author described it, Canberra seems like an interesting and charming place to be. This is a sweet, fluffy romance, with lots of good food to drool over.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
September 18, 2021
It was a great book with lots of modern elements that I appreciated (like a character going to therapy). However, I was honestly a little disappointed by the happy ending. I think this is one of the few books I would have been ok with the main characters not ending up together. I’m a firm believer that you can have an amazing career and amazing partner. I don’t think someone needs to give one up for the other. There are almost 8 billion people on the planet now. Odds are, you can find someone else to love and be loved by.
August 5, 2020
In a word, More is delicious! Reading this was like taking a romantic, sexy and simultaneously hilarious frolic through a field of flowers in full bloom. It is pure, decadent escapism that could not have come at a better time. I highly recommend this book to anyone hungry for a break from the quarantine doom and gloom. The characters are wonderful, the references on point, and the message clear - where there is love, there is hope.
December 8, 2020
Abra Pressler has woven a real and relatable tale about relationships with a thoroughly modern framing. This is so much more than a love story; it's about how we connect to each other, the complexity of family, and finding the courage to pursue what we really want. A fantastic contemporary Australian novel.
September 18, 2020
I loved this sweet and adorable romance. Two men who meet through a delivery app.
One a cook and the other just trying to make it to his dream Job by buying take out.
It takes good food and a some cooking lessons to bring these two adorable men together.
An absolute recommend.
One a cook and the other just trying to make it to his dream Job by buying take out.
It takes good food and a some cooking lessons to bring these two adorable men together.
An absolute recommend.
February 27, 2021
Really good first novel
There were a few typos and grammatical errors, but this was a great debut. I hope to read more.
I really loved the characters and the descriptions, and the ending was perfect.
There were a few typos and grammatical errors, but this was a great debut. I hope to read more.
I really loved the characters and the descriptions, and the ending was perfect.
April 17, 2021
Luciano and Anse have the ultimate meet cute story, but have to work a little on their happily ever after. Luciano is working as a delivery driver and Anse is new to the area and has absolutely no idea how to cook so he orders delivery. A little flirting, some cooking lessons, and they are at the start of a very sweet romance. They are really good together, but their relationship may have a predetermined end date due to their careers. There really is not much angst and the big misunderstanding felt a little over the top. However, that one misstep does not take away from a lovely romance.
June 3, 2021
The book was great but I must say the cover art is really bad and honestly a bit off-putting. The publisher and author should really consider some different cover art that better draws the reader into the book.
June 6, 2020
This is isn't my usual genre, hut I'm so happy I read it. This was a sweet romance with slow burn and so many aww moments. I loved them. I couldn't help but melt for Luciano and Anse.
May 21, 2021
This was a great read! I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.
September 5, 2021
I loved this book so much! It's beautifully written and I became so attached to Anse and Luciano. I highly recommend reading this!!
December 20, 2021
This book was a quick, sweet read and I was disappointed to find out this was a debut as I'd love to read more from this author!
July 24, 2022
I love a good romance, and this was definitely a good romance. Reading this was like hot chocolate - warm sweet, and perfect for a cold afternoon.
August 13, 2022
Really sweet, I enjoyed the story and following the characters as they navigate their relationship. Good book to read on vacation.
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