Kiss the Cook

by Jacquie D'Alessandro

Between caring for her grandmother and financing her gourmet catering business, vivacious Melanie Gibson is too busy for love, especially with Christopher Bishop, the gorgeous financial advisor who is evaluating her business and who is determined to win her heart. Reissue.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Humor, M F Romance

251 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Jacquie D'Alessandro grew up on Long Island and fell in love with romance at an early age. She dreamed of being swept away by a dashing rogue riding a spirited stallion. When Joe, her hero finally showed up, he was dressed in jeans and driving a Volkswagen, but she recognized him anyway. They married after they both graduated from Hofstra University, and are now living their happily-ever-after in Atlanta, Georgia, along with their very bright and active son, Christopher, alias "Junior", who is a dashing rogue in the making.

Reviews

[Crista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in the mood for something light, funny, and utterly romantic. This book fits these characteristics to a tee!

So often now a days, I find myself reading romance that is laced with suspense, paranormal twists, or one that is set during the regency period. What a breathe of fresh air to read something that is just modern day "romantic"! Chris is the man dreams are made of. He "resists" Mel (Melanie) Gibson at first, but once he spends time with her, he decides that she is the one.... and never looks back. He is what made the book really special for me. What a hero....too bad it's fiction!

This book has quirky, witty dialogue. It has a host of wonderful secondary character that add to the storyline. This book is a quick read and you should try to carve out some time to read it in one sitting. You'll have a smile on your face for the rest of the day.

Highly recommend this book AND this author.

[Katrin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, I admit I picked this up at the bookcrossing meeting simply for fun. I knew it was going to be a light book, just some stupid romance. haha. And that it definitely was. But why then does it always have to be so damn unrealistic?? And I'm ok with some cheesy stuff, but some things are too ridiculous for me and sadly this book was really ridiculous in many ways, haha. It had some humour, I grant that, and there were a few nice moments. But yea.. so much fluff, it's killing me.

[Sonia189 · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a 3.6...
But it was sweet and the male character was nice and tried his best to help the heroine so... I can overlook slightly less good details.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars ✨

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book free on my Kindle a while back. I read it in 4 days. I loved it! It was funny & witty. The female, Melanie, was actually a strong independent woman. I loved getting the male’s POV. Chris was a typical man but also very thoughtful & caring. My favorite character was Nana. I want to be like her when I grow up, haha! Overall this was a good, quick read.

[Ayu Wirdha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Untuk memperbesar usaha katering makanan, Melanie bersama neneknya (kalo ga salah Mel ini yatim piatu dan krn neneknya ga betah di panti jompo akhirnya jadi tinggal bareng Mel) sedang mengajukan pinjaman ke bank yg dipergunakan untuk membeli mobil katering.

Sewaktu mengantar ayam pesanan klien (krn drivernya lagi sakit) tidak sengaja mobilnya yg bobrok menghalangi mobil mercedes milik Chris...udah gitu mobil Mel mogok trus ama Chris coba dibenerin eh ga taunya celananya barunya yg bermerk robek gara2 duduk di kursi pengemudi. Krn ga bisa dibenerin & merasa kasian si Chris ini nganterin Mel pulang dgn bayaran 2 porsi ayam bikinan Mel. Dari situ Mel dan Chris sering ktmu dan mulai pada suka.

Kebetulan juga Chris ini akuntan yg mengaudit pinjaman Mel apakah layak dikasih atau tidak. Bank tdk menyetujui pinjaman Mel, salah satunya krn info dr Chris yg mendengar akan ada restauran besar yg akan dibangun di depan tempat Mel. Mel yg denger ini marah bgt ama Chris krn gara2 laporan Chris pinjamannya ga disetujui. Tapi krn Chris udah cinta mati dia usaha keras supaya bisa diapprove tuh pinjeman..Mel-nya jg maafin Chris setelah diceramahin abis ama neneknya...the end

Yah lumayan lah...tp ini cerita ga menguras emosi hehehe...padahal potensinya ada

[Melindeeloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

They both meet in the midst of a calamity filled day, but somehow manage to intrigue each other in spite of the fact that neither has time in their lives right now for a relationship and that she's sworn off men and he's finally ready to enjoy his bachelorhood.

Kiss the Cook, which is an updated version of D'Alessandro's first contemporary romance was a light fun and largely 'un-angsty' read, both of the leads Melanie (the Cook) and Chris (the accountant) are incredibly likeable characters with out tons of baggage - okay she had the cheating fiance, but no torturous back stories - and there's a great steamy connection between them.

So this was a fun little change of pace (for me) kindle freebie.

[Ingrid Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely book, with the correct amount of chemistry between the characters (which is a lot) , angst, a little trouble and an adorable and funny Nana!!!

It s funny, tender, romantic, just a tad much on the inner monologues, but not enough to dissuade me to keep reading.

[Ruthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute love story. I purchased it in a set of books. I would read books by this author again.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss The Cook by Jacquie D'Alessandro. This was a funny, romantic story. Melanie Gibson owns a Catering and take out store. She wants a loan to expand. Christopher Bishop is a CPA. His office is going out Melanie's books and all to let the bank know if they should loan her money. Christopher is dating Melanie. Christopher finds out a restaurant is opening across the street from Melanie's store which the bank then decides not to give her a loan. Christopher works things out so that eventually she gets the loan. The things that go on between Christopher and Melanie are FUNNY AND ROMANTIC. A great read. Didn't want to put the book down.

[Stacey Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still one of my favorites, though their asides to themselves were a bit annoying at times.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into. Stopped reading

[Clarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute casual romance with fake dating

[Megan Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

What It's About: Melanie 'Mel' Gibson is a caterer, determined to expand her to-go business, The Pampered Palate. Christopher 'Chris' Bishop is an accountant, assigned by the bank to assess her business for a loan. Neither is looking for love, but fortunately, that is exactly what they find.

What I Liked: 1) After having recently read Dracula and Frankenstein back to back, it was so refreshing to read something so light-hearted and fluffy. If you're looking for a quick read and some mental cotton candy, you've come to the right place. (In fact, I would've finished this much sooner, but it just so happens I was in the middle of a knitting project.) 2) I just loved Melanie's grandmother, Nana. She's so direct, so funny. Plus, I see myself turning into her in about 30 or 40 years. ;) 3) As cliche as it is that the hero and heroine were trying to deny their attraction to each other, their reasons were at least plausible and even somewhat understandable. Chris wanted to enjoy his long-awaited freedom, while Mel just wanted to focus her time and energies on her business. 4) As for the end, that was pretty cool how Chris and Mel came full circle in the epilogue, and I will definitely be saving that recipe at the back of the book. :)

What I Didn't Like: 1) I didn't much care for Mel's constant stubbornness. Not wanting to be burned by love again was one thing, but Chris had proven time and time again that he was a trustworthy, stand-up guy. And even though he said he wanted to pursue the bachelor lifestyle a bit before settling down, he just doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who could actually go through with it.

Disclaimers (if any): Standard disclaimer regarding romance novels, i.e. not for kids or those with delicate sensibilities. Action and descriptions are PG-13.

Overall Verdict: I give it 4 to-go orders out of 5. :)

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, non-challenging foodie romance, this is the first I have read by this author and won’t be the last. Melanie is an aspiring caterer, with all of the associated stressors that comes with a food-centric career. She is focusing on her career after a cheating fiancé broke her heart and threw her off the career track. She meet Chris, who has spent the last years caring for his siblings, and now wants little to do with love or commitment. The basic trope here is satisfied: two people not looking for love have it drop in their laps.

Alone, that isn’t a particularly challenging recipe for a title, but the addition of a very cute grandmother and some clever dialogue and while the story poses no great challenges, there also are no great failures either. The plot could have been spiked up with a bit of dissention or conflict, but aside from some trust issues that both characters have, there really isn’t a ton of conflict either.

There are some oddly phrased and unedited sentences, and a couple of places where I had hoped for a bit more depth: but this is a re-release of a much older book and the basic story is a simple romance that does manage to fire on all cylinders. The clever insertions of humor do bode well for this author’s more current writing, and for a quick afternoon’s enjoyment, this book does fit the bill.

I purchased a copy of this title for my own library. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiss the Cook was predictable...but in the best way. Well written and funny, I fell in love with Mel Gibson and her quirky ways. Chris can't help but fall for this woman who is nothing like what he thought he wanted. Chris is the whole package, and the ways he uses Mel's reasons why they shouldn't date to show her exactly why they SHOULD date was priceless! Their chemistry is potent and the humorous banter between them is just perfect. I could read 100 more pages on Mel & Chris, they just had that spark that is missing in so many contempory romance couples.

Even though I knew how this would end & have likely read hundreds of books following the same formula, somehow Ms. D'Alessandro made this one feel fresh and sexy. This is truly one book that aspiring romance novelists should read to see how to turn the typical into the terrific. Excellent job! I picked it up free on Amazon but would absolutely recommend it no matter the cost.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I started reading it last night when I couldn't sleep as I figured it would be something I wouldn't get too into and could easily put down. Next thing I know it is way too late and I am trying not to fall asleep so I can keep reading. I thought it would just be a cheesy romance, but it was way better. I loved the main characters. I loved how they both didn't want a relationship, and their internal dialogues with themselves were hilarious. I loved Melanie's especially. She was so fun to read. I'm so glad I picked it up to read as it was really entertaining.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, light, fluffy romance.

He's a CPA, she's a caterer. They meet and quickly fall for each other. He goes with it, but she's afraid to get involved. All is well in the end. I didn't laugh out loud, but it was enjoyable.

DATA:
Sexual content: moderate. Setting: current day Atlanta, Georgia. Copyright: 2000. Genre: contemporary romance.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Jacquie D’Alessandro books, see my 4 star review of “Sleepless at Midnight” posted 6/19/08.

[June Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris and Melanie' s story was very well written...I was sucked in from the very beginning!! Chris loving his bachelor life, Melanie heart broken from her breakup with cheating fiancee. Until they accidentally met...Then life as they knew it changed..Chris knew what he wanted from the get go, Melanie on the other hand needed to learn not all men were pond scum....I wish I could rate this book higher then 5 stars!!! I freaking LOVED it!!!!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This light, funny, sweet contemporary romance is just the thing when you want to escape. Filled with one hilarious calamity after another you only stop laughing long enough to sigh at the sweet romance. Take an accident prone cook add in a sweet smoking hot accountant (now there is a phrase I never thought I’d write) mix well add a dash of an eccentric Nana and you get Kiss the Cook.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came as a shock to me! My aunt had suggested it to me becuase it was only .99 cents on Amazon. Normally I dont like the sex scenes in these books to be over the top but it must have struck a chord- because I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! It was hysterical! love love loved it. I want to read more of her stuff for sure :):)

[Renee J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book, great character chemistry, good sex scenes. My only problem was that this book had more character "thinking" then it did dialogue. And most of the things that both characters were thinking were the same thoughts over and over through the WHOLE book. (I skipped quit a bit)but all in all it was a cute story.

[Jill Treftz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it. At times I liked the characters, Mel, in particular, but the hero annoyed me. Maybe I'm just getting old or prudish or something, but the whole "he is so into her that he's half-hard all the time around her" trope is really getting on my nerves. I had to force myself to finish this one.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. Nana sealed the deal by making this a funny, sad, lovable story about Melanie and Chris. How they meet makes me laugh out loud. Actually, quite a few parts in the story made me. I would love to have a Grandma like Nana. Add food and cooking into the mix and I am one happy reader.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still updating my shelves with past reads. This is another book read and reviewed for All About Romance, the review is archived HERE .

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Freebie read - it was a fairly sweet and simple romance. Mild twist in that it's the heroine, not the hero, who's completely freaked out at the thought of HEA. I didn't connect with the heroine (named Mel Gibson), as much as I did the hero Chris, who was adorable in how wrapped up he was in Mel.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read. I got annoyed by a lot of the over-the-top descriptions and some of the internal monologues that were trying to be funny and clever and falling short. The story line was cute though.

[Lois Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favorite of mine to reread, and just reread it again! :)

[Srisurang · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[joop · Rating 5 out of 5]

good