Such a fun, sweet Christmas romance. Exactly what is needed to get you in the Spirit. I love Hallmark books.

A book that also has a movie by the same name made after it. The story has a woman Nikki landing a job with a well-known chief Holly Hansen. Holly has her own issues as she is trying to release a new cookbook as well as one of her investors wanting her to change her menu, maybe not change but saying that her menu has become stale and needs to become fresh.
Nikki becomes friends with the executive chef Paul after their rough start and after a night of cooking together, they decide to future out on their own, only to find out that Holly stole some of the recipes. This all adds to the story, and the ending in the book is a little different than the movie. Overall a good book.

An enjoyable story, a bit predictable.

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Another great book turned into one of my favorite Hallmark classics. When Nikki gets a job working for her chef idol she is thrilled. It turns out though, that her idol isn't so great but Nikki befriends the executive chef and they start to create amazing meals together and sparks fly.

I didn’t think I was going to like this story as much as I did. It was sweet. The characters were well written and it was just engaging from beginning to end. Totally worth the read.

So I ended up not downloading this through Netgalley because a friend gave me a copy of it. A Dash of Love was a cute but predictable read. It was fun in all of the best ways and the characters were easily liked. While not a hard hitter, the story actually stayed with me. I will request that it be purchased.

I literally gained 10pounds reading this story surrounding Nikki and Paul. Two chefs, one a self trained diner clerk finds herself working with a Cordon Bleu trained chef. Sparks fly in this cute, love story. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate Hallmark Publishing bringing is such positive, uplifting stories. I mean it, all of the descriptions of the food and recipes made my mouth salivate !

I watch many Hallmark movies as they are both wholesome and leave you with a good feeling. In transitioning these movies to books, Hallmark is providing a great reading selection for those who want a love story with a clean story line.

When I read romances, I prefer this format. This book follows the format of the screenplay of the movie but branches out into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. When get to see into the minds of several of the characters as the POV changes quite often.

The story is about a young woman, Nikki, who is trying to establish herself as a chef but who lacks the culinary school credentials to be hired by the formal restaurants in her town. She does get hired to assist a very well-known chef and celebrity but only as an administrative assistant. There is also a hunky and sweet chef named Paul who is intrigued more and more by Nikki.

A happenstance locked door provides her with a time and place to try out her recipes in the restaurant but it turns out that someone else is watching as well. From that point, the story plays out with good guys and bad guys and lots of great sounding dishes. I kind of wish some of the recipes had been included as well!

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

A sweet, clean romance

This book is based on a Hallmark movie by the same name. Nikki loses her job as a chef when the restaurant she worked in closes for good. She and her friend both need jobs and fast! Unfortunately (or fortunately as Nikki’s talent is her own), she did not go to culinary school, so many places don’t want to hire her! Her friend finds a job at Holly’s, where the named owner is the chef. Holly Hanson has been a famous chef and, although her food is somewhat bland to today’s foodie tastes, she became known based on it. She doesn’t want to have anyone change her recipes, particularly not Paul, a trained Cordon Bleu chef who has worked for her and is finding his role more boring by the day.

Nikki goes to the restaurant to meet her friend who found a job there as a waitress. There she meets Holly and they hit it off. Little does Nikki know, Holly has a devious plan to use Nikki’s penchant for incorporating weird ingredients to make a new menu to raise Holly’s to the top again. Paul and Nikki work together and they decide to keep things professional rather than act on their chemistry.

This was a sweet, clean romance! It was a fast read and I enjoyed the communication between the characters and living vicariously through the descriptions of the food (no calories!)

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book and I am providing my honest review.

Nikki was a cook and the restaurant she worked in was closing. She was a classically trained chef, she was just a really good cook with lots of creative skills with food. Her idol was Holly Hanson and when she was given the opportunity to work for her as her assistant, she jumped at the chance. Holly had a food empire. She had cookbooks, food products, a restaurant and she had no creativity with cooking, anymore. Her restaurant was sinking but she wasn't willing to give up the reins to her executive chef.

Paul, her executive chef, was a very talented chef who was trained in Paris at LeCordon Bleu but he was stuck just creating Holly's tired old recipes because she didn't allow ANY revisions. He was bored and wanted more. When Holly was "caught" she reacted out of desperation and fired both Nikki and Paul. I won't give away the secrets but suffice it to say that there is a happy ending that involves great food.

I really enjoyed reading this book very much. It was well written and the characters were fleshed out. This isn't the first book of Liz Isaacson's that I have read and I am sure it won't be the last. I was given an arc copy of this book and I enthusiastically offer my review.

I voluntarily reviewed an Reader Copy of this book which I received through Netgalley.
This story is amazing. I loved the movie of which it was based and I really like the book.

Nikki Turner has a passion for cooking, but because she is self-taught and didn't attend culinary school, she has a hard time finding a new job when Gus's Diner closes. She finally accepts a job as an assistant to award-winning chef Holly Hanson. Although Holly can be difficult, Nikki immediately clicks with handsome executive chef Paul Delucci. Working at Holly's restaurant could lead to all of Nikki's dreams come true - or could end in disaster.

"A Dash of Love" is a feel-good, clean contemporary romance based on a Hallmark movie. I missed this movie, but have seen plenty of others, so I knew what to expect. There are things that are far-fetched, but the book is a great escape and is perfect for a light, quick read. Nikki and Paul hake a great couple. Although they have different backgrounds and different cooking styles, they have chemistry both in and out of the kitchen. After a potential career-ending event for Nikki, orchestrated by her former idol Holly, Nikki can have her happily ever after if she isn't afraid to take the chance. I enjoy the epilogue which gives the reader a look at where Nikki's life is one year later. Fans of Hallmark movies or of Debbie Macomber's novels will enjoy this sweet romance.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Hallmark Publishing. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Nikki is a self learned shelf with good instincts and a great vibe. Paul is a fine dining chef who went to a cordon blu school. They met at a restaurant owned by a chef and author know for her own style. By many unknown revelations they get fired and start a path together. A cute book, with fun food and a fun romance.

This book is an adaptation of the Hallmark movie by the same name. I think the book was even better than the movie because I could really feel the chemistry and the angst that the characters, Nikki and Paul felt. The movie was good too! I also really like that books are being made for some of the Hallmark movies. I received an advance copy and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

A Dash of Love is a quick, uplifting read with likeable characters and a happy ever after ending. It is just what you expect from Hallmark.

I received this book as a free gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It would be very hard not to like Nikki and Paul, the two main characters in this story. Both of them are genuinely nice people and although they have had their struggles both in relationships and in their jobs, one can't help but wish them the very best.

Nikki loves to cook and create but has never had the opportunity to attend culinary school and when her job at Gus's Diner ends due to Gus's retirement she finds it difficult to get another restaurant job cooking without that so important piece of paper. She has always idolized celebrity chef Holly Hanson and is thrilled to finally land a job with her even if it is only as her office assistant.

Paul has worked for Holly for five years but is increasingly frustrated that although he is an excellent chef in his own right, Holly insists that he follow her recipes exactly and truth be told - they are bland and rather tasteless. When he meets Nikki, it seems at first as if they will get off to a rocky start but it doesn't last long and if it weren't for Holly's no fraternization amongst employees, the instant chemistry these two experience would have moved their relationship along very quickly.

Holly Hanson is not a very nice person and is willing to do anything to maintain her celebrity status, even to steal recipes created by Nikki. I almost felt sorry for her a few times but that changed when her true character (or lack thereof) became obvious.

Reading how Nikki and Paul overcame the obstacles they faced and reached their happy ever after ending gave me several very enjoyable hours of reading. I am looking forward to trying the additional chili recipe at the end of the book too. Now to search out some cinnamon hearts!

At this point I feel like I should just send a chunk of my paycheck to Hallmark. I love their movies and knowing that they are branching out into books just makes me so happy. This was another fantastic read.

A Dash of Love by Liz Isaacson
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Nikki is not a trained, professional chef, but she is an outstanding cook with a creative streak a mile wide. Her foods are crafty, creative, tasty, and oh so satisfying. She’s been gainfully employed in other people’s kitchens for years, but her dream is her own restaurant with complete creative control over the menu. With any luck, Nikki’s new job will be yet another step toward her dream.

Working for Holly Hanson is a dream come true and Nikki can’t believe her luck! Holly’s food empire is a thing of beauty, a wonder to behold. She owns a successful, top-notch restaurant, her cookbooks line the bookstore shelves, and she is a celebrity. Trouble is, over the years, Holly’s menus have become bland and boring, her actual kitchen output is noticeably decreased in quality, her restaurant isn’t doing all that well financially, and she’s generally a terrible human being. Though Nikki only knows about a few of these things, she isn’t deterred and is determined to make the best of her situation.

Thankfully, Nikki’s situation includes approval to cook in the state of the art kitchen after closing and interacting with Paul, the delectable and uber-talented executive chef. Like Nikki, Paul is trying to make the best of his situation and that includes cranking out Holly’s tired recipes night after night and having no creative freedom of his own. Nikki’s presence makes the job bearable and, once he discovers her clever, creative, and completely enticing food, the situation becomes exciting. Paul is bowled over by Nikki and wants to see her succeed professionally; Paul also wants her to succeed personally, with him. Trouble is, both Nikki and Paul work for a scheming tyrant whose machinations will have devastating consequences beyond their wildest imaginings.

The Bottom Line: I was looking for a super-sweet, little bit of drama read and A Dash of Love absolutely fit the bill! From page one, I liked Nikki, her attitude, and her determination to see her dreams come true. Though she faces some awful, soul-crushing moments, Nikki doesn’t let it defeat her. She’s plucky, not afraid to stand up for herself, and with Paul by her side, willing to take risks. Paul is the perfect balance for Nikki, and once she helps him work through his family issues, he’s also the perfect man. The only thing I found lacking in the book was a proper ending for Holly Hanson. My evil twin really likes to see the big bads get what’s coming to them. My eviler twin likes to have what’s coming to them all spelled out and that didn’t happen here which left me somewhat dissatisfied. But, only somewhat 😊 There’s nothing ground-breaking or profound here, but there is a solid, sweet, heartwarming, guaranteed HEA read between the covers. A Dash of Love is a quickly read book that makes for an excellent rainy-day distraction.

I really enjoyed the cooking aspect of this book it reminded in a way of the movie No Reservations. I love the competitor non competition going on between Nikki and Paul I appreciate that the cover is original and not a movie cover .. Hallmark is a great company that creates stories that are warming and not overly sexualized which I appreciate..

It doesn't happen very often, but in this case, the movie was better than the book.