Off the Menu by Alaina Erdell

on
Reviewed by byWomen Using Words

The details…

  • Title: Off the Menu
  • Author: Alaina Erdell
  • Publisher: Bold Strokes Books 
  • Publication date: March 14, 2023
  • Available formats: ebook, paperback 
  • Ebook file size: 1182 KB
  • Print length: 312 pages, 93,000 words
  • Genre: romance 
  • Themes: cooking, NYC restaurants, professional chefs, tv personalities, cooking/restaurant makeover shows, friends, work environments & community, family, women loving women relationships, big city life
  • Tropes: enemies to loves, workplace romance, age gap, financial gap

The blurb…

In less than 48 hours, reality TV sensation Restaurant Redo and its gorgeous host will arrive to film in chef Taylor Mobley’s kitchen…and she just found out.

Fixer Erin Rasmussen has a reputation for saving failing restaurants with her take-no-crap attitude. She gets the job done on time, under budget, and millions of viewers tune in to watch her do it.

The fine dining restaurant Taylor works for has some serious problems and management doesn’t want her input. It’s time to leave. But how is she supposed to find a new position when a TV host with delusions of grandeur keeps painting her as a problem chef? Taylor refuses to play nice with Erin, especially on camera. They make each other’s blood boil, which is why it’s even more annoying that they can’t manage to keep their hands off each other.

Erin only cares about entertaining viewers. Taylor is unprofessional and immature. Or at least that’s what they each think. As the cameras roll and their careers hang in the balance, will Erin and Taylor make the jump from enemies to lovers?

My thoughts…

If you are one that enjoys the Food Network, restaurant makeovers and reality tv, then this book is for you. There is much to appreciate in this book, from the descriptions of food to the demands of managing a big city restaurant. The inner play between the chefs, the television production crew and the restaurant owners is fast paced and action filled, making Off the Menu an engrossing read from start to finish. 

I was pulled into Off the Menu quickly. Erdell’s storytelling is genuine and strong; she makes the sights and sounds of a big city restaurant ring true. That’s probably because she worked as a chef herself. Her insight gives the storytelling an authentic feel for the restaurant business, one that’s compelling as well as absorbing. Readers will no doubt appreciate her sharp and fresh perspective; it’s a behind the scenes look that leaves readers hungry and wanting more!

Taylor Mobley completely works as the chef in this high-stakes, restaurant kitchen redo. She’s passionate, intense and focused—everything a good chef needs to be. Readers find her complex but likable, as Erdell plots her character nicely. There’s an interesting mix of inner and outer conflict battling around Taylor and it makes for some compelling character growth. She’s basically on a journey to find true happiness, and readers are there for it, especially if it involves tv personality Erin Rasmussen.

Erin is also an interesting, likable character. She’s a good fit for this story arc and romance. When readers first meet her, she’s somewhat frosty; one might even label her an ice queen. However, Erdell quickly softens her, using touching scenes that expose a real vulnerability within her. Readers are drawn to this soft side and want more for her, and that includes Taylor.

Final remarks…

Off the Menu is Erdell’s second full-length novel. For those that read her debut Fire, Water, and Rock, they can easily see she continues to have a sharp eye for detail. It’s one of her strengths and it’s why her newest release works. The details make the story world immersive and credible. I have to be honest though; even though I enjoyed the romance between Taylor and Erin, I was most enchanted with her focus on all things restaurant. I just loved the way Erdell pulls back the curtain in Taylor’s kitchen. It’s exciting and fun.

Strengths…

  • Immersive story world 
  • Fresh, exciting storyline 
  • Interesting characters 
  • Compelling side characters
  • Sweet romance 

This book is available from…

A bit about the author…

Alaina Erdell lives in Ohio with her partner and their three crazy but adorable cats. She has a degree in psychology from Gonzaga University. Prior to writing, she worked as a chef. When she’s not focused on writing lesbian fiction, she enjoys painting, cooking for friends and family, experimenting with molecular gastronomy, reading, kayaking, snorkeling, traveling, and spoiling her beloved nephews.

Want to learn more about Alaina Erdell? Check out her social media. 

Comments

Post a Comment