Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Cookbook author Rosen (Modern Freezer Meals) makes her fiction debut with this romantic foodie trip to Italy. Stella Park and Samuel Gordon met through mutual friends and started dating, but while Samuel fell head over heels in love, Stella was determined to keep her distance and protect her heart, having recently supported her heartbroken sister through a devastating divorce. This fear of intimacy led her to eventually break up with Samuel--a decision she's regretted ever since. Now 10 years later, their friends Subrata and Luca are getting married in the Italian countryside, forcing the couple back into close proximity. Stella's trip gets off to a less than stellar start when she loses her luggage, learns she's been passed over for a promotion, and then finally sees Samuel again--with another woman. During a week of delicious meals, scenic tours, and wedding prep, Stella and Samuel are repeatedly pushed together on various errands, and there's no denying their lingering chemistry. Will Stella continue to play it safe, or will she risk it all for the one that got away? Rosen makes the most out of the lush, romantic setting and her descriptions of food will have readers' mouths watering. This is a treat. Agent: Wendy Sherman, Wendy Sherman Assoc. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT After recently being passed up for the promotion she deserved at a well-known food magazine, Stella Park is grateful to escape to Italy for her best friend's week of wedding celebrations. For the food writer and recipe curator, attending an Indian/Italian wedding in the Italian countryside will be the break she desperately needs after her breakdown in her boss's office. Then Stella comes face to face with Samuel Gordon, the one person who wanted everything from her, and whom she has compared every man to, since their last email exchange nine years ago. Sharing space with Samuel brings up all the agonizing anxiety and relationship doubts that Stella had buried and makes her wonder if she made a mistake all those years ago. Switching the narrative between the present and the past, from Stella and Sam's first meeting and throughout their entanglement, keeps readers engaged and seeking that happily-ever-after. VERDICT In her fiction debut, cookbook author Rosen (Modern Freezer Meals) creates main characters with believable motivations and emotional baggage in an engaging second-chance romance. Rustic Italian recipes are also included.--Nicole J. Suarez
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
At a friend's wedding in Italy, a woman reunites with a love interest from her past, sparking memories of what went wrong between them a decade earlier. When Stella Park arrives in the picturesque Italian countryside for her friend Subrata's wedding to longtime partner Luca, she's thrilled not only to witness their union, but to get away from life in New York, where she's just lost out on a big promotion at the food magazine where she works. The trip gets off to a not-so-relaxing start, however, when Stella's luggage is lost. Then, while wearing nothing more than a bathrobe, she runs into fellow wedding guest Samuel Gordon at their hotel. Stella hasn't seen Samuel in almost a decade, since they spent one whirlwind summer together before Stella--who had sworn off serious relationships after watching her sister go through a divorce--rejected Samuel's declaration of love. When they're thrown together for a week of wedding activities, it's obvious neither has forgotten their feelings for one another. But can Stella overcome her anxieties for a second chance at love? Author Rosen has had a successful career as a cookbook author, and it's clear that she's as deeply passionate as she is knowledgeable about food; she includes decadent descriptions of savory pesto dishes and creamy pistachio gelato, among other Italian delicacies. Unfortunately, though, the minimally developed characters, questionable motivations, and sometimes stilted dialogue make it hard to get grounded in the story, while Stella's repetitive inner monologue becomes tedious to read. Flashbacks to Stella and Samuel's first summer together reveal undeniable moments of romance, but also uncomfortable depictions of "nice guy syndrome" and relationship pressure that may make readers hesitant to root for the book's central couple. Amateurish writing clouds an otherwise promising rom-com concept. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
