Date to the Rescue

Do-Over Date #4

by Susan Hatler

Super organized Lucy Remington is done getting burned by unreliable men, so she’s giving up hot and spicy and holding out for reliable and responsible. When her friend sets her up on a blind date, she agrees to make dinner for a man who sounds like the very definition of stable: an accountant.

The only problem? Lucy is the queen of toasters and takeout. But she’s determined to make a home cooked dinner for her upcoming date. Instead of whipping up a delicious meal on her trial run, though, she ends up setting her kitchen on fire! Even worse, she finds herself in the arms of a handsome man who makes her heart race.

Firefighter Jake Bryant may be a genuine hero, but he’s like the curry Lucy wishes she could make—hot, delicious, and unforgettable. Therefore he’s a dating mistake waiting to happen. Despite the fact that Jake makes her laugh and she craves his company, Lucy’s mind is made up: she’s sticking to the date with the uncomplicated accountant.

To Lucy’s surprise, Jake offers to teach her how to cook so she can impress her blind date. Confident in her willpower, she agrees. Soon, however, Lucy’s hungering for sweet icing more than plain old flour. Can Jake rescue Lucy’s sautéing technique? And with a little cayenne here and a dash of chili pepper there, can he rescue her heart, as well?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

Kindle Edition

First published February 29, 2020

About the author

SUSAN HATLER is a New York Times bestselling author of sweet, heartfelt romances filled with humor and emotion, as well as captivating young adult novels. Her books have charmed readers worldwide and have been translated from English into German, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese. A born optimist, Susan believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her unforgettable characters—and hopes you will, too.

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Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

How hard can it be to follow a recipe?

I'm a huge fan of meet-cute stories and this one took the cake. Or burned the cake...uh, make that omelet. Lucy is the most impatient woman alive and possesses no cooking skills what-so-ever, but Jake the firefighter is exactly what she needs to change all that...or is he? She's done with hot and spicy, but the flames Jake sparks are hotter than a ghost pepper.

Hatler has a talent of taking two characters and mixing them up in adorably romantic comedy that is both hilarious and sweet, yet has some deeper moments. I loved watching Jake teach Lucy a thing or two about cooking and seeing those tips spill over into her life, mostly with love and relationships.

This story can stand alone, but I love seeing former characters make appearances, as that adds a delicious seasoning to an otherwise delectable romance.

Content: mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sizzling...in the kitchen that is. And not in a good way. In the burn your house down way. Ok, Lucy doesn't burn her house down but she definitely makes a good mess of it in her attempts to learn how to cook to impress her blind date. She is tired of being hurt and decides to take a chance on a date with someone who will be more reliable than the men she's dated before. Little does she know that she's got a whole other surprise waiting for her with her cooking fiasco.

And that leads to some more heat in the kitchen...not the burn your house down way. But some spicy and tasty food and an irresistible fireman. She tries hard to keep her walls up and remember her new rules but it's not easy when the perfect man is constantly there offer to protect and care for you.

This book had me swooning, sighing and crying. Ok, maybe crying from laughing and a couple tears of joy. I loved it and can't recommend it enough for those of you who are Susan Hatler fans and for those of you who have been wanting to take a chance and try reading one of her books, this is the one for you (and the third book in this series too)! Just saying!

Grab a copy and snuggle in for a couple short hours of laughter and sweet romance!

Content: Clean.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you heard the expression "she can't even boil water"? That's Lucy Remington. The girl eats toast and a banana for breakfast, which is probably for the best, because when she tries to learn to make an omelet she starts a kitchen fire which required the fire department. It wasn't all bad because that's how she meets hunky, firefighter Jake Bryant.

Lucy's tired of dating guys that she calls "hot and spicy". They're fun but not really responsible (they forget to show up for dates, don't have steady jobs, or don't wear socks to a restaurant). She's ready for "a man who is reliable, safe and secure. Someone who'd make a good husband. Someone who'd make a good father. Someone who doesn't make me want to pound my head against the wall repeatedly at the end of a date." *I laughed aloud at that.*

Lucy's no-hot-and-spicy-diet is in trouble as soon as she meets Jake, but thinks he's wrong for her and wants to stick to the safe accountant type. Besides being gorgeous, Jake knows how to cook and offers to teach Lucy so she can cook for her blind date. You can guess how those cooking lessons go. Let's just say the kitchen got hot because the heat wasn't only coming from the burners/oven. 🔥 I don't want to give the ending away but I can tell you that it's swoony.

This is a fun story and since it's novella size it made for a great little break. These are such fun characters. Lucy is hilarious and I wondered how she managed to graduate from Princeton when she set the kitchen on fire cooking eggs. I really liked how she came to realize her mistake and what she had to do to fix it. This is a clean romance.

Thanks to Hatco Publishing via NetGalley for my copy. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

[Doni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved reading this book!
It's a sweet, fun & feel-good story.
If you love romance, cooking
& Firefighters, this is the one for you!
A MUST READ!!

[Terri Zumbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and I found her very talented at using cooking as a metaphor for love and relationships throughout the story. Jake is like a renaissance man in that he is well traveled, talented in several areas and open to new adventure. Lucy is determined to find a boring, predictable man to date because all the hot, exciting men have let her down and broken her heart.

She doesn’t want to date Jake because he is hot and exciting. He doesn’t give up on Lucy easily, so the sweet, romantic story has a happy ending thanks to Jake’s gentle and irresistible persistence.

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

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy has had hot and spicy and was burned and got scared. She thinks she needs reliable and responsible - enter Tom. When she literally sets things on fire she meets Jake who is definitely hot and spicy. I really enjoyed her having conflicting thoughts, feelings and actions - I know sounds weird but you gotta read the book to understand what I am talking about. Lucy and Jake have so much chemistry and their banter is very funny. Do you really have to choose or can you have both? The ending was so romantic!!!

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

[Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my gawd. The best thing I can tell you about this story is that I laughed from the very beginning of the story until the end. Hilarious! Lucy Remington is oblivious. Seriously. She has decided she wants to start dating “safe” guys. I won’t go into details but she wants to teach herself how to cook, for a blind date ( a safe, staid, low-key guy) she will have in a week…except that she is a walking, talking, thinking disaster! She sets her kitchen on fire – really. The fire department shows up and a walking, talking “hot stuff” firefighter walks into her life. Let’s say Jake Bryant is gorgeous and about as far from ‘safe’ as you can get.

I don’t want to give any spoilers but know that I laughed all the way thru this book. Loved it! Lucy and Jake are adorable, along with characters we’ve met previously; no worries, it is a standalone but we’ve met some of Lucy’s friends in previous books. Fun, quick read for me.

[Arceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was super cute. The characters really put a smile to your face. I enjoyed the romance a lot. The kissing scenes were super sweet. I highly recommend this book.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, sweet romance!

My rating is 4.5 stars

Sometimes you just need a quick, humorous story. I had just finished a very serious and disturbing book and needed to change direction. Quickly. I was so glad to have a copy of Date to the Rescue to save the day!

Lucy was a riot! She is a disaster in the kitchen. And she's terrified of being hurt so she has determined to only do what is safe and sensible. So when she is rescued from a cooking disaster by handsome Jake Bryant, she ignores her attraction. However, she just isn't able to get him to ignore his!

I loved Lucy's color-coded shopping lists - organized by aisle, of course. And her impatience. I totally related to her sitting in front of her computer, clicking refresh every few seconds to see if her e-mail arrived!

Jake's relaxed, spontaneous personality was adorable. He was so confident and content. Even in the midst of a cooking disaster, he was cheerful and looked for ways to make the catastrophe into a masterpiece.

If you are looking for a bite-sized story with a tasty plot, look no further! Grab a copy of Date to the Rescue and a snack (because it is quite possible it will make you hungry!), and prepare to indulge.

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book four of the Do-Over Date series and the main character is Lucy Remington, a super organised woman who has had the worst sort of luck trying to get a man. Her dates have been disasters and she has finally agreed to let her set her up on a blind date with an accountant, rather than her normal kind of dates. The only problem is that her friend has arranged for her to cook a home-made dinner for the guy and Lucy relies on take-out and her toaster. She can’t cook anything at all and now has to try and learn how to cook a proper meal within just a week or so. She looks up loads of stuff online and ends up trying to make her first dish, just a simple omelette. Only problem is that Lucy doesn’t like to follow the instructions to the letter and gets distracted very easily, when she should be paying attention to her stove. This ends up with her setting the pan on fire and almost burning down more than just the stove and some burly fire fighters having to come into her apartment, to put out the fire. She ends up in the arms of fire fighter Jake Bryant, as she falls off the top of the worktop, as she tried to silence the smoke detector, while wearing heels of course!
Jake is everything she could want in a man, except for his job and Lucy is determined to go for the steady and boring accountant, rather than the exciting and heroic Jake. She refuses to accept his request to go on a date with him, saying she is looking for a kitchen staple kind of guy. He takes her refusal with a pinch of salt and he needs up offering to help her learn how to cook a meal for her date instead. He is a really good cook, having learnt from his mother. Lucy really enjoys all of her non-date sessions with Jake and starts to find it even harder and harder to deny her attraction to him and his company. She is beginning to like the idea of spices and chilli peppers, rather than boring and basic flour. An incident at his work brings back bad memories for Lucy and she is determined to see Tom the accountant instead. She manages okay, and the food is fine, but just fine! Something is missing and Lucy is going to have to figure out what her heart truly wants and if she can dare to chase her true desires. A lovely romantic tale of the perils of dating and listening to your mates, in regards to trying out blind dates! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Hatler does it again! This entire series is just so adorable and heartwarming-exactly what we all need to read right now in my opinion.

I loved Lucy in The Date Next Door, but we didn't get to know her very well since it was not her story. I loved her even more within the first few pages of this installment. There are some people who probably should not be allowed in a kitchen unsupervised, which is definitely Lucy at the beginning of this book. She almost burns her kitchen down and is rescued by a hot firefighter, Jake. It sounds intense, but this is a light-hearted romance so it's more amusing than anything.

Lucy is deadset against being with anybody who is, as she describes it, spicy. She wants something steady and reliable, even if that means it's a bit boring. We do learn the reason behind this later in the book, which made Lucy's position even more understandable. Jake is a balance of persistent but not overbearing when it comes to spending time with Lucy. Too often in stories the man can be incapable of respecting boundaries and taking no for an answer, but Jake was perfectly happy in the beginning to just spend time with Lucy even if there wasn't anything in it for him. Obviously they fall for each other, because duh, but it happens in a very sweet and funny way.

Of course I continue to highly recommend this series, and all of Susan Hatler's stories that I have read. Her books are simply delightful.

I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[lf · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has sworn off men like him.....but could he be Mr. Right after all?

Date to the Rescue is the fourth book in the Do-Over Date series. This is a sweet and clean (no panty melting scenes so fade to black) story about Lucy Remington and Jake Bryant. When Lucy has on too many men disappoint her she decides she needs to change tactics and go for a more stable and reliable man. So when her kitchen ends up on fire it is a flaming hot and spicy firefighter to the rescue. Jake is tall, handsome and very sexy and of course Lucy is attracted to him. But he is her old type of man, the type that she has promised herself not to fall for again. Jake may be sexy, hot and a bit naughty but when he shows Lucy a different side of himself her mind just might be changed......or at least leaning towards him and ready to fall.
I enjoyed this light, sweet and funny story. It is well written, has a solid story-line that is nicely paced and very likeable characters.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
Lucy Remington is looking for a stable and safe relationship. She’s tired of dating guys who don’t wear socks to a date. Her friend Krista set her up with an accountant. He likes home cooked meals so Lucy is trying to learn how to cook. During her first attempt she sets off her fire alarm and the fire department shows up to put out the fire. Jake Bryant is one of the firefighters who shows up. When he hears why Lucy accidentally set her stove on fire, he offers to teach her to cook. I enjoyed their banter and lessons. I enjoyed their friends as well. I would have given this book 5 stars if I didn’t find Lucy a bit annoying with her lack of patience. She seemed to think everything had to happen quickly when it came to cooking. Jake is my new book boyfriend. I did enjoy this book. It was a very good read. I highly recommend this book.

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

[Sue Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author. Lucy is tired of dating men in the hot and spicy category. She wants a stable relationship with a normal guy. She accepts a blind date with an accountant. She figures a good thing would be to cook dinner for him. Small problem she doesn’t know how to cook. So she decides it can’t be that hard to learn and she finds some internet videos to help. But she is impatient and ends up nearly burning down her townhouse. Jake is the fireman who comes to the rescue. He is definitely the hot and spicy kind so she says no when he asked her out. But she can’t resist his offer to teach her how to cook, as friends. This is another great story in the Do-Over Date series. Once again another fun book to read and I look forward to reading more.

[Cathylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a great story. Changing who she dates from the spicey ones to the reliable ones. Then she meets Jake who happens to respond to the fire in her kitchen. She likes Jake but thinks jake is going to be like the spice men. Even though she likes Jake she thinks she will be happy with the accountant. Jake teaches her to cook. This is a funny and witty book with relationships. I recommend this book, it is warm and witty and funny a great read with wonderful characters.

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

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Hatler does it again! Loved this book about Lucy and Jake and the dating disaster. Lucy believes the only men she needs to date are the responsible and stable ones like an accountant. But trying to prove you can cook but cant causes a fire and brings firefighter Jake to the rescue. He is hot, on fire and simply irresistible and a disaster waiting to happen. Can Lucy stick to her decision on dating responsible, boring men or will she find more than she ever wanted in Jake?

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

[T.I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read. As to be expected by one of Susan Hatler's stories, this was enjoyable and entertaining. It's an easy-to-read romance with lots of chemistry, that was well written, has lots of laughs, and a HEA ending. This was a fun read. I hope you like it as much as I did. Happy reading.

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

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The storyline flowed smoothly and has characters that are engaging with plenty of chemistry throughout the pages.

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

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy is looking for a stable man so plans to go on a blind date with an accountant. First she needs to learn how to cook so she can impress him. The way to a man’s heart…. Only problem, Lucy can’t cook!

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

[Kimberly Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy was tired of dating guys that go nowhere so decided she needed a quiet man. Her friend set her up on a blind date and told her he likes home cooked meals. Lucy decided to cook him a meal for their date. The problem with this is that Lucy can't cook. She decided to learn to cook and caught her kitchen on fire cooking an omelet. In comes Jake the firefighter who likes her. He offers to teach her to cook and she accepts. They end up falling for each other. Lucy has to decide between what her heart wants and what she thinks she needs. I love Susan Hatler's books and how she puts real emotions in her books.

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

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to laugh and have your mood uplifted. Lucy is hilarious as she is a hazard in the kitchen - literally on fire - and wants to date someone much more subdued and secure enough for a lasting relationship, like an accountant. Done with all the men that get her steamed up. That is not at all how her life turns out as her plans come totally unglued. Kitchen fire...she meets a handsome fireman who is spicy hot and he actually volunteers to help her cook a meal for a blind date. I can think of a million things that can go wrong with that statement. This story had me right from the start and I loved it. Can not wait to read another in this series.

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

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was yet another wonderful clean romance from the series. It was interesting to follow Lucy's story and how she finds love. The relationship between Lucy and Jake was portrayed nicely.

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

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. Lucy is determined to change the type of man that she wants to date. This alone leads her to almost burning her place down. How inconvenient that she is attracted to Jake who is the hot fire fighter that saves the day. He definitely is not in her new definition of the perfect date. Jake can burn down those walls she is putting up pretty fast though. Lucy has to decide what she truly wants. I thought the story was well written with great characters

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

[Michele Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another super fun, fast read from Ms. Hatler. I love these short stories and this one had me smiling from start to finish. Lucy is ultra organized everywhere but her love life. She is tired of always dating the wrong guy for the spicy reasons. Trying to prepare to date the right guy for the right reasons she catches her kitchen on fire and instantly connects with firefighter, Jake. He teaches her so much more than how to cook, but Lucy can’t have the danger of a firefighter in her life, or can she?
This is a sweet, fast read with some sweet kisses and a HEA that is so much fun!

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

[Cali Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this sexy, fun and engaging journey filled with witty and intriguing charters, emotionally thrilling twists and an undeniable passion that will not be ignored..... Was a laugh out loud, highly entertaining adventure from beginning to end.

[casvec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast story that will keep you laughing with each turn of the page. Lucy is deciding to that she need to be a relationship more on the calm side, when she has a mishap in the kitchen Jake comes to help. Jake is not anywhere near the calm side when it comes to relationships,.

This is a great book to dive into and get lost and I am looking forward to reading more and more from the series.

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

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tired of getting burned by hot and spicy men, Lucy vows to only date reliable guys. For her first date with an accountant, she decides to learn to cook. In the process, she sets the kitchen on fire—and quickly falls for firefighter Jake. He's everything she doesn't think she wants—but maybe he's exactly what she needs.

This short-and-sweet romance is laugh-out-loud funny. Lucy is a hoot. She and Jake are adorable together. I love how he teaches her to let go of expectations and live in the moment.

Thanks, Booksprout, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, sweet and romantic...
Lucy can’t cook but she’s determined to try. She ends up literally falling into firefighter Jake’s arms after she starts a fire trying to cook an omelet. I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily

[Bookaddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best dish of all is love....
A heart melting story, so sweet... And Jack is to die for!
Lucy is disapointed of past relationships and seek stability and lack of adventure and danger.
But like in any food recipe, sometimes you make a very different dish than the one you begin.....
And sometimes folowing exactly a recipe you don’t get the final result exactly for your taste - you mush add some spices!

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

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to relax and have some time off the world news going around, download this book, sit on a comfortable chair, grab a glass of iced tea and enjoy the story! It´s easy to read, has a good plot, and is written with good humor, so what is not to like?

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