There's a question mark in my review title because honestly I am not a Christian romance reader. I am also highly annoyed Amazon didn't mark this as Christian romance via my Kindle Store because I hard pass Christian romances. I feel uncomfortable reading about people talking about God and acting as if everything good that happens is due to God and when something bad happens, think that praying harder is what they need to do. I don't know. Probably because I was raised in the church and I feel uncomfortable with anyone pushing their religious views down my throat. This book didn't feel very realistic after a while and I didn't buy what the author was selling via the two leads. Also, I thought the heroine was actually a lousy person (sorry, not sorry). I thought the hero really did psychoanalyze people too much and it started to annoy me. Not going to continue with this series, though I was looking for a good romance series to start. 

 

"The Saturday Night Supper Club" follows James Beard award winner Rachel Bishop. Rachel has been living in Denver for 6 years and is finally a co-owner of her own restaurant, Paisley. Rachel pushes herself and her team in the kitchen, but is starting to feel a bit off. When a restaurant critic who accused her of sexual impropriety is taken apart by a viral essay, Rachel is ambushed by the press. Instead of no comment, Rachel shoots off the cuff and later has her words switched up. From there, everything is in free fall and Rachel is bought up and quickly unemployed. When the author of the original essay, Alex Kanin, tracks Rachel down to apologize, he offers his help in anyway that he can. Rachel starts thinking of ways to get back into the restaurant scene and then uses Alex's place as a location to host an exclusive Saturday Night Supper Club. 

 

So here's the thing, Rachel kind of sucks. We find out that she's fallen out with a lot of female chefs because she walked off a panel that was discussing sexism in the kitchen. Rachel thought it was not fair to do that since she's had a lot of male mentors who have ensured her success. And there seems to be the author wagging her finger at people who think that sexism in kitchens is bad. This book was written in 2018, this is way into the metoo movement and also the articles coming out about the sexual harassment in the restaurant industry (see Spotted Pig’s owner Ken Friedman, Mario Batali, John Besh, etc.) So this is a very real thing and I wanted someone to curse Rachel out about it. Things went from bad to worse from me when once again a reporter asks her about how sexism in the kitchen is terrible and Rachel goes who cares if they are a man or a woman, they don't belong there if they can't cook. (Paraphrasing). So there you go. I just shook my head. For someone who was all about getting out of her religious stepfather's thumb, she sure took his lessons to heart about how a woman should act.

 

Alex just bugged me. He finds himself attracted to Rachel as soon as he sees her, and then can't write, cause his conscience is bothering him. I never got that even a little bit. He was writing a piece talking about online trolling, Rachel's mouth got her into trouble, not the other way around. Ah well. There are some interesting elements to Alex, but I didn't like how her characterized Rachel after a while. I didn't get why she was interested in him either.

The secondary characters are all fluff and no substance. I know that Rache's two best friends are subjects of the next two books, but I am hard passing on continuing to read this series. 

The supper club idea was interesting, but disappointed we only get two supper clubs. that annoyed me since I think you need to have more than 2 dinners for you to suddenly have a comeback.  Everything else in the book was Rachel not wanting to get involved, Alex wanting to, and Rachel starting to "dress" up for him. Rachel cooking for her friends to discuss Alex. I think this book would fail the The Bechdel test. Everything deals with Alex, with Rachel occasionally feeling guilty since her best friend walked out on the job at Paisely in solidarity with Rachel. And them talking about me. A lot. The food sounded interesting, and I just wanted more of that.

 

When these two talked about God though, I really didn't buy it. It sounded so fake. I mean in the end Rachel does something totally out of character and goes well God will provide. Or something. My eyes started to roll. 

 

The ending made zero sense to me based on what came before. I just went okay then and went about my day. 

I enjoyed this Supper Club romance. I received this for free and I voluntarily chose to review it. I've given it a 4.7* rating, This was a clean, foodie type of romance. The heroine in this is in the top of her field in this back and forth romance. The hardest thing is to trust in this Supper Club idea with each other. And the hero is a fixer. A bit of action in this also. Lots to keep your attention and I found it hard to put down.

Andrea was glad they couldn’t fire her. She tried to figure out how things went wrong ro quickly. She had been on the verge of closing a half-million -dollar deal. The next thing she knew she’d nearly broken her hand on the jaw of a client who thought her company offerings extended to favors she had no intention of delivering. Three years it took her to work towards VIP of Sales  all down the drain because of one man. Who wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. Her company wouldn’t risk an ugly public legal battle. They didn’t have to her boss had other more subtle means of showing displeasure. As punishment went Scotland was a big one. She was going on a business trip to Scotland. If only Andrea had managed to keep her temper she would have been next week in the tropics with the promise of a fat commission and a guaranteed promotion not serving time in Scotland babysitting a celebrity client who who suddenly wanted to dabble in the hotel business. James McDonald who was a celebrity chef she had never heard of. This man had half a dozen restaurants, four cookbooks, and  his own tv show. Andrea was sitting in a bar in London stating she should be in a plane to Tahiti not in a bar in London drinking a mediocre glass of wine. Then she heard a man say” That’s because you go to Paris to drink wine, you come to London to drink Ale.” Andrea introduced herself and he introduced himself as Mac.nHe asked why, she was there instead of the South Pacific and she said she was doing research on the owner of the pub. She asked Mac if he knew Mr. MacDonald and he said it depended she said she was asking as she was meeting with him tomorrow and she was looking for some background. Mac asked if she was always this unprepared and Andrea said she had only got the call from her office a few hours ago. Then Mac said he felt the pub was a good reflection of Mac- comfortable. Slightly sophisticated. Andrea said she didn't like being unprepared . She’s used to dealing with a hotel group with hundreds of properties not celebrities with nothing better to do than play innkeeper. Then the bartender said he thought that was the first time not only has a woman not fallen over him, she insulted him to his face He added he wouldn’t  worry to much he thought Mac rather liked her. Andrea knew she had to get this account if she wanted to get back in her boss’s good graces. How many times had Andrea lectured her junior account manager on the importance of maintaining professionalism at all times? Yet she didn’t practice what she preached lately. It had been years since a man had rattled her like Mac did. Mac couldn’t have accomplished all he had by thirty five without a sharp mind and plenty of talent as well as hard work and sacrifice. James was a dead man when Mac got to him. Mac needed guidance after all he did and had. Mac thinks Andrea needs to relax and he’d decided it his mission to get her to relax.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good Christian romance. I liked James and Andrea together. This was a very good debut novel in my opinion. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. I loved how James and Andrea interacted with each other. How can Andrea be punished when Andrea was sexually harassed by a client? I liked the ending. I really enjoyed the description of Scotland and Isle of Skye but also the food James made - yuuuum! I  do believe that Andrea protested a little too much on her feelings for James. I like the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.

This weekend San Antonio, Texas overflowed with Romance and its writers at the annual Romance Writers of America Conference. 

 

The Rita Award is recognizes excellence in published romance fiction.

 

I love to go over the results and see which books I have read and which of my favorite authors have been honored. I also find new writers. Good stuff. 

 

Congratulations to the 2014 RITA Award Winners! 

 

Best First Book Winner

 

The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake 

 

Charla Rae Denny was the perfect wife with a perfect life, content to keep the home fires burning while her husband, JB, competed as a champion bull rider. Then their son died in a tragic accident-and everything fell apart. Divorced and saddled with a hill of bills and a failing ranch, Charla must now cowboy up to put her life back together.

James "JB" Denny doesn't stay where he isn't welcome. So when Charla shut him out of her grieving heart-and their home-a year ago, he took comfort where he could find it. Now after seeing beautiful Charla again, he wants it all back. She can't work the ranch alone, and deep in his heart he knows he can be the man she needs. But after so much history and heartbreak, can JB convince Charla to take a risk and give their love a second chance?

 

Short Contemporary Romance Winner

 

Why Resist a Rebel? by Leah Ashton 

 

Ruby Bell has put scandal and relationships behind her to forge a successful career in film. Then the talk of Hollywood himself, actor Devlin Cooper, strolls onto her Outback set—fired from his two previous movies, and looking decidedly tempting! The last thing Ruby needs is Dev making outrageous demands and causing her to question her "no romance at work" rule….But what's a girl to do when Dev's taking her on a lavish date one moment, then calling "cut" on their growing closeness the next? What exactly does he want with her—and what's causing the shadows behind those famous blue eyes? Now she's too intrigued to walk away…

 

Historical Romance Winner

 

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean

 

A rogue ruined . . .He is the Killer Duke, accused of murdering Mara Lowe on the eve of her wedding. With no memory of that fateful night, Temple has reigned over the darkest of London’s corners for twelve years, wealthy and powerful, but beyond redemption. Until one night, Mara resurfaces, offering the one thing he’s dreamed of . . . absolution. A lady returned . . .Mara planned never to return to the world from which she’d run, but when her brother falls deep into debt at Temple’s exclusive casino, she has no choice but to offer Temple a trade that ends in her returning to society and proving to the world what only she knows...that he is no killer.A scandal revealed . . .It’s a fine trade, until Temple realizes that the lady—and her past—are more than they seem. It will take every bit of his strength to resist the pull of this mysterious, maddening woman who seems willing to risk everything for honor . . . and to keep from putting himself on the line for love.

 

Romantic Suspense Winner

 

Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane 

 

SHE MAY BE HIS WORST ENEMY… 
For deadly secret agent Peter Macmillan, language is a weapon—one he uses to hunt criminals, destroy plots, and charm enemies. Seducing information out of a beautiful singer in a Bangkok hotel should be easy…except this particular singer has the power to destroy his cool façade, and with it, his last defense against a dark past. 

HE MAY BE HER ONLY HOPE… 
He tricked her. He helped himself to her body and her secrets. He has enemies everywhere. Laney Lancaster should hate Peter, but when she discovers him shirtless, sweaty, and chained up in the hotel’s dungeon, all she can think about is freeing him. Because she knows what it’s like to be trapped and alone. And she could use a dangerous friend. 

They might be wrong for each other, but the instant they join forces, Laney and Peter are plunged into an odyssey of hot sex and dark danger. To survive, they must trust each other with their lives—and their hearts. 

 

 

Inspirational Romance Winner

 

Five Days in Skye: A Novel by Carla Laureano

 

 

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she'll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

 

Contemporary Romance Winner

 

Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe

 

Dallas TV morning show host Madelyn Cornish is poised, perfect, and unflappable, from her glossy smile to her sleek professionalism. No one knows that her iron will guards a shattered heart and memories of a man she’s determined to lock out. Until that man shows up at a morning meeting like a bad dream: Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey superstar in a tailspin—still skating, still fighting, and still her ex-husband.
 
Now the producers want this poster child for bad behavior to undergo an on-air makeover, and Billy, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the project. It’s his only chance to get near Maddy again, and to fight for the right things this time around. He believes in the fire in Maddy’s whiskey eyes and the passion that ignites the air between them. This bad-boy heartbreaker wants a last shot to be redeemed by the only thing that matters: Maddy’s love.

 

Paranormal Romance Winner

 

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley 

 

Nicola Marter was born with a gift so rare and dangerous, she kept it buried deep. When she encounters a desperate woman trying to sell a small wooden carving called "The Firebird," claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, it's a problem. There's no proof.

But Nicola's held the object. She knows the woman is telling the truth.

 

Erotic Romance Winner

 

Claim Me by J. Kenner 

 

Damien Stark’s need is palpable—his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match.
 
I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both.
 
But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely.
 

 

Romance Novella Winner

 

Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter

 

When Jenny Wright’s fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can’t afford, she’s humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame – makes the rejection even more devastating. 

Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they’re both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace. 

Sexy, rugged Colton didn’t get to be a national champion by chance. He’s a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?

Five Days in Skye - Carla Laureano Andrea Sullivan may have sabotaged her career with that last potential client. Now, as punishment, she has to convince TV chef James MacDonald, owner of three Michelin-starred London restaurants, that her company is perfect to help him renovate and market the family hotel he has inherited on the Isle of Skye. She has just a few days, and her job is on the line.There is an immediate attraction when Andrea and James meet, but Andrea wants nothing to do with men, and especially wants nothing to do with a client. James has his own problematic romantic history, not to mention an even more problematic relationship with his brother, who owns one-third of the hotel. I found all the characters to be intelligent and likeable, and I was especially impressed by the research. I’ve not been to Skye but I’ve lived in London and visited Scotland, and Five Days in Skye made me feel I was there. I had to laugh Andrea’s reaction to James calling her ‘love’. It’s a common term, particularly in the hospitality industry. Right, love? This is a Christian novel, but the Christian element is somewhat understated. Both Andrea and James come from rural backgrounds where the Christian faith was an integral part of the family. But both have abandoned that faith, yet realise on Skye that perhaps they need to pursue God once more. Five Days in Syke has it all: an excellent opening, a funny first meeting between Andrea and James, intelligent lead characters who are both successes in their chosen careers, excellent attention to detail, and the Isle of Skye, a beautiful and unique setting. And the last line is a beautiful illustration of the eternal romance between us and God. Recommended for romance lovers. Thanks to David C Cook and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.