As Thanksgiving Week begins in America, it is a time of great eating.

Before we all get tired of cooking, here are some wonderful Romances featuring recpies or the writing of cookbooks.

My lists are never in any particular order. Enjoy!

1. The Chocolate Rose by Laura Florand

Her father's worst enemy...
Top chef Gabriel Delange never forgave his old nemesis Pierre Manon for all the other chef had cost him.

One stolen rose...
And he most certainly couldn't stand the sight of his own most famous dessert, the legendary Rose, claimed as Pierre's own on the cover of his new cookbook.

A beast's substitute victim...
But even Gabriel could hardly go through with a lawsuit when he learned the older chef had just had a stroke.  Especially not when Pierre had one very cute daughter willing to be Gabriel's victim instead.

A fascinated beauty...
As a child, Jolie Manon had seen her family torn apart by her top chef father's obsession with his work.As a food writer, she might be fascinated with a chef's work, but she knew how to guard her heart.  She would never allow another chef into her life.  
Unless he blackmailed her into it...

2. A Recipe for Romance  by Lenora Worth

• Contributing authors Lenora Worth, Debra Ullrick, Janet Tronstad, Carolyne Aarsen, Dana Corbit, Lyn Cote, Debby Giusti, Winnie Griggs, Arlene James, Deb Kastner, Renee Ryan, Danica Favorite,Gail Gaymer Martin, Jill Kemerer, Jolene Navarro, Marta Perry, Terri Reed, Sherri Shackelford, Cami Tang, Missy Tippens, Pamela Tracy, and Cheryl Wyatt present an anthology of sweet and inspirational short stories and tasty recipes. 
  
  A sampling of the stories you’ll find inside: 
• A young woman who uses Potato Salad to prove she’s still in love with her long-lost miner beau, 
• A new stepdad who builds Chopped Tree Casserole to bond with his stepson, 
• An Amish mother who finds a way to reconnect with her husband over her Chicken Potpie, 
• A bank teller who brings Tomato Basil Soup and new hope for a relationship to her coworker. 
• And many more

3.  Heartburn by Nora Ephron Well, not a romance but an amazing read

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has "a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs" is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron's irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes. Heartburn is a sinfully delicious novel, as soul-satisfying as mashed potatoes and as airy as a perfect soufflé.

4. The Bride Raffle by Lisa Plumley

Famous home-keeping expert Daisy Walsh is overwhelmed by the warm welcome she receives in Morrow Creek, and then she realizes she's the star prize in the town raffle! She can bet the lucky winner's not expecting a pregnant woman who needs a place to stay.

Single father Owen Cooper suspects he's been set up because his daughter is thrilled to have a woman around the house. He could get used to the smell of home baking tempting his taste buds, but the sight of Daisy's stockings is one temptation too far!

5. Hell Yeah! Box Set With Bonus Cookbook by Sable Hunter

Cowboy Heat (Hell Yeah!: Book 1)

Aron McCoy has sworn off women -
except for sex. When Libby Fontaine
arrives at Aron's Tebow Ranch, she is determined to cram a lifetime of living into a few short months. The doctor has told her that she can't count on her remission from leukemia being a permanent
one. Their attraction to one another is instantaneous and overwhelming. But when Aron finds out thatLibby is innocent - he backs off. He has nothing to offer a girl who deserves white lace and promises. Then Aron catches Libby pleasuring herself in his stock tank and hears her cry out his name - and the heat is on. Cowboy heat.

Hot on Her Trail (Hell Yeah!: Book 2)

Jacob McCoy wishes for a wife and a family. Tis the Season for miracles when a young woman shows up on his doorstep: homeless, in danger and expecting a child - Jacob's child. Their
relationship is complicated by the fact that, A - they've never met before and B - she's a virgin. Jessieis determined not to be a burden to the McCoy family. As far as she's concerned, she is just passing through. Jacob has a different opinion - he wants Jessie in his life, in his bed and in his heart.

BONUS: Sable Does It in the Kitchen Cookbook

All the great recipes mentioned throughout the Hell Yeah! Series are not gathered in one place. This cookbook contains Sable's Favorite Recipes along with a few of her friends as well. Excerpts from her books are spread throughout the book to give you an added glimpse.

6. Rosewater and Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

ore than a year has passed since Marjan, Bahar, and Layla, the beautiful Iranian Aminpour sisters, sought refuge in the quaint Irish town of Ballinacroagh. Opening the beguiling Babylon Café, they charmed the locals with their warm hearts and delectable Persian cuisine, bringing a saffron-scented spice to the once-sleepy village. 

But when a young woman with a dark secret literally washes up on Clew Bay Beach, the sisters’ world is once again turned upside down. With pale skin and webbed hands, the girl is otherworldly, but her wounds tell a more earthly (and graver) story–one that sends the strict Catholic town into an uproar. The Aminpours rally around the newcomer, but each sister must also contend with her own transformation–Marjan tests her feelings for love with a dashing writer, Bahar takes on a new spiritual commitment with the help of Father Mahoney, and Layla matures into a young woman when she and her boyfriend, Malachy, step up their hot and heavy relationship. 

Filled with mouthwatering recipes and enchanting details of life in Ireland, Rosewater and Soda Bread is infused with a lyrical warmth that radiates from the Aminpour family and their big-hearted Italian landlady, Estelle, to the whole of Ballinacroagh–and the world beyond.

7. The Skye Trilogy by Shannon Barczak

Willa McCormack is a feisty bakery owner from Yuma, Arizona. She has wonderful parents, great friends, and a career she loves. Her life changes one night when her parents come home terrified and they have to reveal their secrets to her. 
Secrets that will change Willa's life forever. 

Willa must now leave everything she has ever known and embark on a dangerous journey to the Isle of Skye. A place where she will learn that fairytales and nightmares are real. A place where she will discover not only what she really is but who she is destined to be. 

Come explore the world of Gypsies, Faeries, and Vampires with an unlikely heroine, who above all else, is determined to stay true to herself. 

Isle of Night

Several months have passed since Willa McCormack, a bakery owner from Yuma, AZ, was told she was a powerful Gypsy-Fae princess and journeyed to the Isle of Skye. As she tries to open her new business and get ready for the Fae’s arrival to the Isle, new dangers lurk at every turn. 

While she tries to uncover clues about a dangerous enemy and find the weapons that can kill him, she also has to deal with her intense feelings for her Guardian, Mathias, a vampire of light. 

Join Willa, an unlikely smart ass heroine, as she navigates this magical world and tries to save her new home from being plunged into eternal darkness. 


Isle of Dawn

Willa has left the Isle of Skye and is now in Fairlia with Patcoena to absorb the King’s power. Two unexpected guides join them as they make their way across all the realms so that she can finally fulfill her destiny to become the Fae Sanctity. 

Her journey takes her to places she never thought was imaginable and the deeper she delves into the depths, the further she moves away from the person she used to be. 
Can she ever make her way back to Mathias and everyone that she loves or will the final battle be her last? 

Bonus book, Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook! 
The Skye Trilogy Cookbook! 
Scrumptious Skye Confection contains over 60 recipes all from Willa's point of view! 

8. The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde

"On Christmas Eve, if you sleep with kismet cookies under your pillow and dream of your one true love, he will be your destiny."

The townsfolk of Twilight, Texas, believe the legend, but not Sarah Collier—not since she was a pudgy teenager, running down the church aisle on Christmas Day in a jingle bell sweater and reindeer antlers, trying to stop Travis Walker from marrying someone else. She may be grown-up, slimmed-down, bestselling children's book author "Sadie Cool"now, but Sarah will never forget that day. And she'll never fall foolishly in love again!

But when a letter from a sick fan brings Sarah back to Twilight, she's shocked to discover that Travis is the little girl's father—unattached and hotter than ever. His smile still makes her melt, but Sarah knows that ship has sailed. Travis, however, might have different ideas.

9.  Huddle with Me Tonight by Farrah Rochon

All Paige Turner wants is to be taken seriously as a journalist. The entertainment columnist and blogger extraordinaire gets more notoriety than she planned when her scathing review of NFL superstar Torrian Smallwood's memoir sparks an online confrontation. But that's nothing compared to the sensual heat that tackles her when she meets the heart-stoppingly sexy athlete face-to-face…. 

Torrian can't let Paige derail his dream of a new career as a restaurateur. Even if the sassy, sultry writer is making America's favorite wide receiver yearn to be on the receiving end of her desire. And with a reality TV cook-off propelling them into the spotlight, Torrian can no longer hide his passionate secret goal—to build a future with the woman who's making an end run around his heart…. 

10. How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O'Neal

Professional baker Ramona Gallagher is a master of an art that has sustained her through the most turbulent times, including a baby at fifteen and an endless family feud. But now Ramona’s bakery threatens to crumble around her. Literally. She’s one water-heater disaster away from losing her grandmother’s rambling Victorian and everything she’s worked so hard to build.

When Ramona’s soldier son-in-law is wounded in Afghanistan, her daughter, Sophia, races overseas to be at his side, leaving Ramona as the only suitable guardian for Sophia’s thirteen-year-old stepdaughter, Katie. Heartbroken, Katie feels that she’s being dumped again—this time on the doorstep of a woman out of practice with mothering.

Ramona relies upon a special set of tools—patience, persistence, and the reliability of a good recipe—when rebellious Katie arrives. And as she relives her own history of difficult choices, Ramona shares her love of baking with the troubled girl. Slowly, Katie begins to find self-acceptance and a place to call home. And when a man from her past returns to offer a second chance at love, Ramona discovers that even the best recipe tastes better when you add time, care, and a few secret ingredients of your own.

Do you have a rec? Let me know!

Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Cookbook Romance. 

In California wildflowers in the desert signal Spring. Orange poppies, baby blue eyes, paintbrush, owls clover, Mojave Aster, Parry Gilia,  peppergrass, and  alyssum are everywhere. 

Here are some wonderful Romances for you featuring flower lovers otherwise known as florists!

My lists are never in any particular order. 

1. As You Wish by Elyssa Patrick

Love doesn’t always follow the sheet music . . .

This Christmas, Portia Jackson needs a miracle to save her family’s generations-old florist shop. What she gets instead is a car that breaks down during a blizzard. Help arrives unexpectedly when the infamous Aubry Riley pulls over. She only expects him to drive her to the gas station . . . she never expects that kiss. But Portia lives in the real world—she knows this is only a holiday fling for Aubry. Except it doesn’t feel so temporary, and the last thing she wants is a broken heart.

Sometimes you have to sing some different notes . . .

Rock star Aubry Riley has no secrets. Thanks to the media, everyone knows about his troubled past. Six years have gone by since his world crashed, and now he’s ready for a comeback. But first he needs to reconcile with his family—starting with his six-year-old daughter. A month-long vacation at a Vermont lake house affords him the perfect opportunity to take a step in the right direction. He doesn’t need any other emotional entanglements, especially not with the bright-eyed florist he can’t stop thinking about. But no matter how hard he tries to resist her, he can’t. Now all he has to do is to convince Portia that there is nothing temporary when it comes to love.

2. Love in Bloom by Arlene James

Lily Farnsworth can thank a mysterious benefactor for the chance to open her own flower shop in Bygones, Kansas.

But Tate Bronson is the biggest challenge the relocated Boston attorney has ever faced. Forget about tossing out the welcome mat—the handsome widowed rancher seems determined to keep Lily at arm’s length. As everyone buzzes over the identity of the anonymous donor, Lily’s doing her part to revitalize the struggling town.

With the help of Tate’s little girl-turned-matchmaker, can she create a garden of community and love deep in the heart of Kansas…and one special man?

3. Demon Hunting In Dixie  by Lexi George

A warrior, a demon, and the girl next door. . .

Looking For Trouble

Addy Corwin is a florist with an attitude. A bad attitude, or so her mama says, ‘cause she's not looking for a man. Mama's wrong. Addy has looked. There's just not much to choose from in Hannah, her small Alabama hometown. Until Brand Dalvahni shows up, a supernaturally sexy, breathtakingly well-built hunk of a warrior from-well, not from around here, that's for sure. Mama thinks he might be European or maybe even a Yankee. Brand says he's from another dimension.

Addy couldn't care less where he's from. He's gorgeous. Serious muscles. Disturbing green eyes. Brand really gets her going. Too bad he's a whack job. Says he's come to rescue her from a demon. Puh-lease. But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quite streets of Hannah. Her mortal enemy Meredith, otherwise known as the Death Starr, breaks out in a severe and inexplicable case of butt boils. Addy might not know what's going on, but she definitely wants a certain sexy demon hunter by her side when it all goes down. . .

4. Duke of Sin by Adele Ashworth

Vivian Rael–Lamont lives peacefully in the small town of Penzance, Cornwall, where everybody believes her to be widowed, when in truth she left London unwilling to let her husband's exploits taint her family name. All's well, until someone threatens to reveal her married status and expose her to scandal – unless she can obtain an original signed copy of a Shakespearian play, owned by none other than the reclusive and mysterious William Raleigh, Duke of Trent. Vivian is unexpectedly drawn to Raleigh and, for the price of passion, he ends up joining her quest to catch the blackmailer, a discovery which only leads them to more danger. And although their bond only grows stronger, they soon realise the fruitlessness of their relationship – a married woman of noble background cannot enter into an illicit affair with the Duke of Sin.or can she?

5. Falling Star by Olivia Brynn

Adam has set his sights on florist Jade Graham. She’s not the kind of woman he’s used to, she’s too smart to play the role of arm-candy. Adam is going to have to keep his celebrity status a secret for as long as possible, because what woman in her right mind would get attached to a playboy without a conscience? Jade Graham is going to be one tough case, but she seems hell bent on proving that there is more than one way for a star to fall.

6. Loving Lily by  Corinne Everett

Spirited Lily Walters was more concerned with providing for herself and her younger brother than winning a husband, which is how she came to still be single in her early twenties. Necessity brought about a career as a florist, taking advantage of the latest rage in London. Little did Lily suspect how useful her career would be to the Patriot cause. When she realizes her brother Peter has become involved with the Sons of Liberty, Lily determines ways to aid the cause herself. After Adam Pearson arrives in town, and the Patriots begin preparing for war, messages are passed using the specific flowers chosen for her arrangements for the meanings that the different flowers represent. In addition, as Lily moves freely among the Tory's entertainment, she gathers information to aid the cause. Occasional stolen moments with Adam make clear the heated passion between them.

7. A Piece of Heaven by Barbara Samuel

In the sun-baked hills of New Mexico, Luna McGraw has lived a lifetime of regrets, struggling to conquer the demons that destroyed her marriage and caused her to lose custody of her beloved daughter. But as Luna fights to rebuild a relationship with the troubled teenager, she remains haunted by images of her own childhood and the father she barely knew.

Strong and resilient as the houses he builds, Thomas Coyote comes into Luna’s life one extraordinary night when his grandmother nearly dies while conjuring a fiery brew of spiritual enchantment. Luna does not need a man— especially one with a needy ex-wife—to complicate her fragile dreams of the future. Their attraction pushes them both beyond reason into a place where there is only possibility. Yet it will take more than passion to recover the tattered pieces of Luna’s soul, more than time to forgive the sins of an offending husband, and more than promises to mend the broken heart of a child.

8. No Flowers Required by Cari Quinn

Flower shop owner Alexa Conroy had it all before the recession hit and her customers fled to cheaper shopping grounds. Desperate to make ends meet, she sells her dream home and moves into the rundown apartments above her shop. When she spots six feet of sexy distraction—complete with muscles, piercings, and tattoos—ripping up flooring, Alexa knows the karmic windfall she’s due just landed on her doorstep. And the attraction’s definitely not one-sided. Dillon James, reluctant heir to the corporation about to foreclose on Alexa’s shop, is not about to jeopardize their scorching chemistry by admitting he’s not the building’s handyman. But with only weeks until her business goes under and his identity is revealed, Dillon must find a way to convince Alexa cooperation isn’t a dirty word, help her save the shop from his brother’s greed, and persuade her that he’s not the enemy…or risk losing the only woman who’s seen the real him.

9. Pan's Conquest by Aubrie Dionne

Syrinx pulled a fast one on Pan to escape his raging lust. The God of Chastity wasn't about to break her vows and succumb to his temptations. Transported to the twenty-first century, she runs a florist shop - fulfilling her fake, mortal life. Until the breathtaking Parker Thomas hires her to decorate his grand estate for a gala. Five hundred roses? Easy enough. Except Parker makes her feel things she can't ignore...

As the God of Fertility, Pan is used to maidens flocking in droves to his pastures. So when Syrinx denies him, he's determined to win the one that got away. He poses as a mortal to get close to her, but he doesn't count on falling hard for his conquest - hard enough to make a life and stay.

But Syrinx is falling in love with a man that doesn't exist. Can Pan hide his identity forever, or will the truth tear them apart?

10. Rushing Amy by Julie Brannagh

For Amy Hamilton, only three Fs matter: Family, Football, and Flowers. It might be nice to find someone to share Forever with, too, but right now she's working double overtime while she gets her flower shop off the ground. The last thing she needs or wants is a distraction … or help, for that matter. Especially in the form of gorgeous and aggravatingly arrogant ex-NFL star Matt Stephens.

Matt lives by a playbook—his playbook. He never thought his toughest opponent would come in the form of a stunning florist with a stubborn streak to match his own. Since meeting her in the bar after her sister's wedding, he's known there's something between them. After she refuses—again and again—to go out with him, Matt will do anything to win her heart … But will Amy, who has everything to lose, let the clock run out on the one-yard line?

Did I miss your favorite florist? Let me know! Vote fore the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Flora: Florist Heroes and Heroines of Romance Novels. 

Fresh cut grass, dusty books, coffee, and panic. School must be back in session.

Right this moment, thousands of new Grad Students are wondering what they have gotten themselves  into.

Enjoy some great romances featuring Graduate Students. 

1. The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion 

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs the Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers. 

Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

2. The Reluctant Nerd by Sandra Paul

Graduate student Ernestine St. Bennett is intrigued by a nerdish new tenant in her apartment complex and decides to help him overcome his apparent social ineptness by applying the same scientific tactics that work on her fish. Little does Ernestine know that Simon Prime is really Sam Pierce in disguise, an ex-cop turned private investigator--a man who definitely does not need his masculinity enhanced! 

3. Gabe by Lori Foster 

Gabe Kasper, heartthrob of Buckhorn County, could have had any woman he wanted--if he'd had a mind to settle down. Which he didn't. The freedom of being a jack-of-all-trades with no one to answer to suited him just fine. And then a prickly, uptight, red-haired college woman showed up...

Elizabeth Parks needed Gabe to complete her thesis on heroism, but he didn't seem to think saving a couple of lives made him a hero. She was inclined to agree that he seemed like the exception to the rule. Until he rescued her heart and soul with his fearless passion.

4. Talk Dirty to Me by Inez Kelley and Ginny Glass 

Biologist Nora MacGregor is frantic when she loses her dissertation notes on female sexuality—and some very personal fantasies. Then a sinful stranger calls with a wicked proposition: if she talks dirty to him, he'll return her notes, page by page. "James" allows Nora to explore her deepest desires and challenges her clinical ideas about sex. But James can't give her the loving touches she finds in her budding relationship with Dr. Jarod Reed.

Jarod seized an opportune moment to fulfill his desire for Nora by becoming the mysterious James. While the anonymous, erotic phone sessions are unforgettable, Jarod longs to tell Nora he wants more than just talk. But how can he confess his deception without it costing him the chance to make their fantasies a reality?

5. Go Fetch by Shelly Laurenston

How much trouble can one small female be to a modern-day shapeshifting Viking? Well…it really depends on local gun laws.

Conall Víga-Feilan, direct descendent of Viking shifters, never thought he’d meet a female strong enough to be his mate. He especially didn’t think a short, viper-tongued human would ever fit the bill. But Miki Kendrick isn’t some average human. With an IQ off the charts and a special skill with weapons of all kinds, Miki brings the big blond pooch to his knees—and keeps him there.

Miki’s way too smart to ever believe in love and she knows a guy like Conall could only want one thing from her. But with the Pack’s enemies on her tail and a few days stuck alone with the one man who makes her absolutely wild, Miki is about to discover how persistent one Viking wolf can be.

6. Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she?s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan Lord o the Manor Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries? worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude? and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan?s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war and there will be blood.

7. Hard and Fast  by Erin McCarthy

Grad student Imogen Wilson is researching the dating and mating patterns of stock car racers. Sexy and reckless Ty McCord is the ideal test subject, until Imogen falls for him-hard and fast.

8. The Bachelor Meets His Match by Arlene James

Tweed-clad professor Morgan Chatam has been the subject of countless student crushes at Buffalo Creek Bible College. But grad student Simone Guilland knows that a relationship with Morgan is out of the question. Even if he weren't her advisor, the secrets from her past prevent them from having a future. In all his years at BCBC, Morgan has never once felt drawn to one of his students—until Simone. He knows he should keep his distance. Simone deserves someone younger, someone who can give her things he cannot. And yet, he can't shake the feeling that his chance at happily-ever-after may just lie in her hands. 

9. One Fine Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy 

Nate Shawcross is perfectly content to spend his days training wild horses. So when a beautiful greenhorn unexpectedly shows up for a seminar from the famous "Horse Whisperer" of Wyoming, all Nate wants to do is send her packing...

Graduate student Charlie Banks came to the ranch to learn about horse communication, but when she meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy, she starts to fantasize about another connection entirely...

Nate needs to stay focused if he's going to save his ranch from foreclosure, but he can't help being distracted by the brainy and breathtakingly sexy Charlie. Could it be that after all this time Nate has finally found the one woman who can tame his wild heart?

10. Faking It  by Cora Carmack 

Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

Let me know if I forgot to mention your favorite Romance Novel Ph.d or Master;s Candidate! 

To vote for the best of the best, go to my Goodreads list: Dissertation: Gradutate Students in Romance

I hope you have been enjoying my Back to School: Univerity Addition lists!

Professors Heroes, and College Student Heroes and Heroines are available on the blog for your glomming pleasure.