Things are heating up in this kitchen...

Amy’s dreams of owning her own restaurant have finally come to fruition, but after months of dwindling customers, things are not looking good, even with former-reality cooking show star Sophie as her head chef to entice people in. But Sophie’s celebrity status isn’t what caught Amy’s attention – ever since watching Pop-Up Kitchen she’s admired Sophie’s cooking skills and also has a little crush on her. What Amy thinks is just a straight-girl crush is actually mutual attraction. For Sophie, figuring out that she’s bisexual has been a long-time coming, and now that she’s single and free to explore this part of her, she’s only got eyes for Amy. Amy likes being in control and doing things on her own, so instead of opening up to her head chef about what’s going on, she’d rather make decision that she thinks is the best for everyone. Their lack of clear communication and bubbling sexual attraction leads them to a casual but not-so-casual relationship. When Amy suggests that they apply for a new foodie television show that could help save the restaurant, testing their dynamic both in and out of the kitchen.

Well damn, talk about a sizzling sapphic romance! I was so sucked into this story and Amy and Sophie’s relationship that when I got like three-quarters of the way through the book I didn’t realise I’d read so much already. It was a little bit disappointing because I didn’t want to finish the book and have to say goodbye to these characters.

The progression of Amy and Sophie’s relationship felt so real and sweet, with a nice dollop of spice on top. Ruby’s writing pulled me into the story so easily and I could not get enough. I loved getting inside both Amy and Sophie’s heads with the alternating perspectives, and Ruby did a great job showcasing their different voices and personalities.

I feel like the only downside was that the end of the book felt a little rushed – there was such a build-up to Amy & May’s appearance on the cooking show and it ended up being a very quick appearance before the epilogue. I also lowkey wished the conflict and eventual resolution between Amy and Sophie had been a little more extended before everything was wrapped in a nice little bow at the end.

This was a super sweet and spicy romance that all romance fans are going to enjoy, especially if you’re looking for your next favourite queer read!

4.5 Stars

Thank you so much to Carina Press and Netgalley for the arc of this book.

This is an absolutely adorable and introspective adult romance about a chef and a restaurant owner who put aside their differences to work together to save their restaurant, and end up falling for each other along the way.

I love the dual povs in this story! Amy is the grumpy to Sophie's sunshine but they are both so much deeper than that. I particularly loved Sophie's story with discovering her bisexuality and how much it is a part of herself! This part of the story was really meaningful to me and I thought it was dealt with gracefully and with the gravity it deserved.

This is also a super cute romance story with a little bit of spice. Sophie and Amy work really well together and watching them develop from co-workers to lovers to partners and equals was magical. I absolutely love this one and can't wait to have a physical copy!

Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Blood and Cancer

So. This is complicated. Because I’m not sure it does quite what you’re expecting. From the blurb I was expecting it to be a romance going on *during* the filming of a cookery show - but actually it’s all in the run up to it. But the actual romance is nice, a little too much tension that could have been fixed by a simple conversation and a little bit of backstory that never really felt like it got filled in. But overall I quite enjoyed it.

What I Liked: With more and more LGBTQ romance books being published, it’s still rare to find one featuring a bisexual character, especially one who is just figuring out her sexuality. In that regard, Sophie is an interesting character in that she finds herself questioning who she is personally as well as professionally. Barrett does a great job in exploring this new world for Sophie and the complications it can bring to her life. I also loved the spin on the work/power dynamics trope between Amy and Sophie. Neither is the boss of the other, but Amy doesn’t seem to understand that so seeing her loosen the grip she has on her restaurant and welcome Sophie into the fold was wonderful to read. Even without the romance between the two, them becoming partners in the business was heartwarming and a nice addition to the love story.

What I Didn’t Like: This book is described as being about an opportunity these women have to get their restaurant on a foodie tv show yet there is very little to do with the tv show throughout the story and it isn’t until the very end that the show even plays a significant role in the story. I was expecting much more of the book to be devoted to this show and was surprised when it was barely discussed. Additionally, while I believe Sophie was a fully realized character, I struggled with Amy, specifically the motivations behind her attitude towards Sophie in the beginning. I love a good enemies to lovers story but I need to know why they are enemies and I don’t think Barrett was able to show this fully.

Who Should Read It: Fans of LGBTQ+ romances will find a lot to like about this one, especially Sophie’s story arc and the message of being true to yourself. I also think fans of foodie romances will enjoy this one.

Review Wrap Up: This was a fun, surprisingly emotional romance that I found entertaining and well-written. Despite a few minor issues, I think this a book worth picking up if you’re looking for a romance featuring characters not normally seen in this type of story. The romance was steamy and enjoyable, and I was rooting for Amy and Sophie the entire time.

Favorite Quote: “I don’t need to put our love on camera to know it’s real.”

3.75

The Romance Recipe is a great sapphic romance that has amazing spice.

I think my few cons with this book is the ending and how rushed it felt to me. I would have loved to get an extra chapter. And I wish we got more of the reality TV show aspect.

If you're looking for a fun sapphic spicy romance, then this is the book for you

Included as a top pick in bimonthly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

You tell me queer grumpy sunshine and I'm in. And The Romance Recipe is entirely precious and also sizzling. The chemistry between Sophie and Amy is off the charts. But even more so, I loved that both Amy and Sophie see each other. They try to protect each other - and end up making mistakes - but they're both struggling with vulnerability. With not only accepting help, but seeing themselves as worthy enough. That's probably the number one reason I enjoyed The Romance Recipe.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! This sapphic love story was sweet and steamy in all the right places, as well as delicious, fun, and thoughtful. I highly, highly recommend it! Sophie is a TV celebrity cook who comes to the struggling restaurant Amy and May’s as head chef, after breaking up with her fiance when she realizes she’s bisexual. Amy is the owner of this restaurant, and the attraction between Amy and Sophie is obvious. But will they be able to embrace a new relationship and love while struggling to save a restaurant? This was my first book by Ruby Barrett, and what I liked the most about her writing style is the sweetness of the inner thoughts and feelings of these two characters. Barrett does a great job with portraying tough emotions and the feeling of falling in love in a very charming, realistic manner. Even the side characters are great, with thoughtful conversations and feelings between all of the character’s family members. I know this story will live rent free in my head for a while! I recommend this book for fans of contemporary romance, LGBTQ+ stories, and food and restaurant culture.

Heat Factor: Sex, then denying it has any meaning.

Character Chemistry: They have alllllll the feelings.

Plot: Amy keeps making decisions for everyone else.

Overall: Look, this is a sexy, bi-awakening, f-f chef story. How could I not love it?

Illustrated cover marketing strikes again! While this book isn’t being promoted as a rom-com, I must admit that I expected something pretty light-hearted and upbeat based on the extremely adorable cover, and this book is definitely not light-hearted and upbeat. Before you start worrying, I wouldn’t say most of the content is particularly heavy (there are some obligatory toxic parents); rather, this is an emotional romance with a good dose of angst.

The basic premise of the book is that Amy owns a struggling restaurant; Sophie is the head chef. Before working for Amy, Sophie did a stint of reality TV—and her minor celebrity is part of the reason Amy hired her. But things aren’t quite clicking for them at work. This is partially because Amy is a control freak who refuses to listen to anyone else’s advice, and partially because Amy and Sophie are so distracted by their attraction to each other that they haven’t figured out a good working relationship. Also, it turns out that Sophie hates being a minor celebrity; she just wants to make good food. (Her anxiety about her social media presence, though not a major plot point, was a throughline that I appreciated.)

Sophie and Amy admit their physical attraction pretty early on. But that doesn’t mean everything is smooth sailing. Oh no. There’s a lot of then “playing it cool” with each other. You know, one saying “Oh, this is just casual” because she thinks that’s what the other person wants; the other person feeling hurt, but then doing the exact same thing. There’s a lot of push and pull that some readers may find frustrating, but that I, surprisingly, didn’t. Yes, all of their problems could have been solved by open and honest conversation, but open and honest conversation can be hard and scary, especially if you’re emotionally constipated (Amy) or unsure of yourself (Sophie). For me, Barrett handled the dynamic between Amy and Sophie really well as they figured out their relationship, while also struggling with the damage caused by their own bad impulses (Amy makes decisions for others, Sophie sometimes makes herself small). However, I acknowledge that some readers may find this dynamic of Amy and Sophie being all up in their feelings frustrating.

One of the most poignant scenes in the book takes place over breakfast. See, Amy loves breakfast. She came up as a chef, but doesn’t really cook these days—except for elaborate breakfast for herself every morning. She imagines cooking breakfast with Sophie. She realizes she loves Sophie because the feeling she gets around Sophie is the same feeling she gets when she’s sitting with her many houseplants eating pancakes in the soft morning light of her apartment. Imagine Amy’s disappointment when Sophie sleeps over for the first time—and reveals that she doesn’t eat breakfast. (As a fellow breakfast eater who is horrified at the thought of skipping the most important meal of the day, I can only say: Amy, I feel your pain.) They still cook lemon ricotta pancakes together, but Sophie skedaddles and Amy eats her beautiful stack of pancakes alone. I bring up this scene because it so perfectly encapsulates the problem with falling in love: that the reality doesn’t always match the ideal image you have in your mind, and in that jarring moment you can hold on to the ideal, or you can adjust. This scene also perfectly encapsulates Amy’s struggle to let go of control in the face of changing circumstances.

A final note: don’t read this book hungry. As I was reading, all I wanted to do was eat poutine while wearing a parka on a snowy day, which sadly is not going to happen for me any time soon since it’s approximately a thousand degrees outside where I live.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Amy has a failing restaurant and it's not fair - it has great ambiance, original food, happy employees.

Stephanie loves to cook, to make people happy with food.

Amy and Stephanie need each other beyond a professional arrangement, if they're able to get over themselves.

Sweet romance with characters we've all met 8n our daily lives.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really sweet Queer romcom, and I really enjoyed it. Amy is a (somewhat uptight) restaurant manager/owner and Sophie is her head chef who is recovering from a stint on reality TV. It's the classic "we are attracted to each other but we work together/we're too different/external factors are getting in the way" situation, and ultimately it ends up being a quick, satisfying read with a good amount of steam. The topic of Sophie's late-blooming bisexuality was handled with so much nuance and compassion.

I did find the writing a little chaotic at times, but considering the setting (a professional kitchen) that kind of worked! 3/5 stars

Amy is a young restaurant owner who just happened to land Sophie, a star chef from a reality cooking competition show. She also happens to have a big crush on her as well, but Sophie is engaged to a producer from the show. Until she's not, and Sophie tells Amy that she's bi-sexual, and that she has a crush on Amy. The book centers on the two navigating a fresh, new relationship all while trying to work together saving their restaurant.

This book was cute, I liked it, but it was a little underdeveloped for me. I loved the characters, and I loved the side characters, but everything felt a little shallow to me. It was a good, quick read, though, and the romance was sweet and sexy.

Do not walk, simply RUN to get yourself a copy of this delightfully sapphic book!

As a queer woman, I often find it hard to read FF romance finding that they simply gloss over the complexities of a relationship with two women involved. But, Ruby Barrett managed to write the most perfect love story in The Romance Recipe while including both gay and bi leads who are both mature and who understand the importance of communication.

The book weaves these beautiful scenes together creating an aroma as delectable as the recipes Amy and Sophie conjure throughout their story. The steam between these two women is simply off the charts and the book does such an authentic job of portraying a FF sexual relationship while not leaving the reader out of that dynamic.

If there were one thing I could improve about this book, it would be that the epilogue was a bit longer. I found myself invested in the characters and desperately wanted to hear more of their story.

I will absolutely recommend this book again and again and will continue to keep Ruby Barrett as an author to watch!

Thank you to Ruby Barrett, Carina Adores, and NetGalley for the ARC Ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a steamy, sweet, easy to devour romance. The chemistry between the two leads was strong and believable, and the tension kept me turning pages. A great summer romance!

The Romance Recipe is a cute, quick, and spicy read that follows a headstrong owner of a failing restaurant and her head-chef who wants more creative control in the menu planning. The duo enter into a TV cooking competition to gain more exposure and hopefully save their restaurant. The Romance Recipe is a very good book if you are looking for a quick steamy read with some minor plot to push the story along.

The good things about this book is that it is a super quick read and can be read in one sitting. The main relationship is a queer insta-love being a lesbian and a bisexual. The coming-to-terms with your sexuality that is present in this book occurs for a roughly 30 year old female which is very good it’s how that not everyone has figured their shit out by 18. The restaurant employs mainly queer staff and the owner does not settle for anyone harassing the staff. There is a lot of steamy scenes and they are great!

Onto the things I didn’t like. Although the spice was very good, the plot was kinda lackluster. Towards the end of the book, so much plot that would’ve provided tension and built more foundation between the main couple was skimmed over or just not added into the book. There was so much more that could’ve been added that was left out that truly left me nearly confused on what was happening in the plot.

The book is dual POV, which I normally adore and it was very cute here, but it was lacking. I personally found it hard to connect to the characters and often got them confused. I’d spend a good portion of the book thinking Amy was the head chef and it’d actually be Sophie. For a few chapters, I’d have it correct and then it’d switch again and leave me confused. Maybe because it was such a quick read and that was why I didn’t connect to them but there was no attachment. I wanted to care that they got together but I just didn’t.

This book was set up to be so good and address so many important issues without making the book seem preachy but, once again, I was let down. At this point, I think my hopes were just way too high with this book and so I’d suggest lowering your standards to enjoy the book more. The book didn’t become preachy on these topics but rather blatantly ignored them. At the start of the book, there is a male chef at the restaurant who essentially sexually harasses the female head chef and he just gets away with it. He does get fired but it wasn’t the first time and there is not a single mention of this ever again.

Even the plot line with the cooking competition was ignored. The chef spends majority of the book fighting for the right to be able to experiment with the restaurant’s menu and cook things that she is passionate about. At the same time, the owner hasn’t taken a salary from the restaurant and is doing whatever she can to keep the business afloat. They decide to join the show to help both of their causes but then the show is only written as a minor subplot or even passing thought. It got one like 5 page chapter and that was it. For so much of the book being about this show and saving the business, it doesn’t have include the show and the business is somehow saved and the readers are left wondering how the fuck that just happened.

Despite all the things I don’t like about this book, I do highly recommend reading it. It was very cute to see Amy and Sophie’s interactions. I loved reading about them standing up for the other and figuring out how to live life and run a business with the other. My only suggestion is to adjust expectations. If you are looking for a beautifully written, heartwarming story about a restaurant owner and head chef working together to save their queer-owned and queer-run business against all odds, then don’t pick this up. If you are wanting a quick story with a lot of spice and a little bit of plot to put you into a good mood or get you out of a reading slump, then why haven’t you picked this book up yet?

Spicy and sweet, with some sunshine/grump trope going on. Always love when both main characters have good growth arcs and support each other through those changes, even if it's to their own detriment-- but then have an HEA anyway!

This book was absolutely everything that I didn't know that I needed. Sophie and Amy are two pieces of the same puzzle and make for incredible chemistry on the page. I related to Sophie's character in so many ways and loved seeing a character like her in a book that I could really relate to. Adding a cooking and food element is always a win as far as I'm concerned but the passion for food was so real and very believable. I'm a huge fan of cooking competition shows so seeing it from a different light was really interesting.
This was such an emotional, heartfelt, journey; between Amy letting go of her anger towards her dad and opening up to love to Sophie becoming her authentic self and gaining confidence in her cooking abilities, this was the perfect book!

I typically love queer romances and books that feature a lot of food, but I couldn't quite get into this novel. I wanted more chemistry between the two lead characters, and I wanted more action throughout the plot.

The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett is fun and spicy Sapphic romance about a lesbian restaurant owner and her late bloomer bisexual head chef. As they navigate the struggles of the restaurant, internet and reality tv fame as well as their inescapable feelings for each other.

First of all this is a fun quick read and I enjoyed it a lot. I was particularly charmed by the gentle and realistic feeling handling of issues around Sophie's late in life (ish she is 30) coming out as bisexual and the real pain that dismissiveness of your identity can cause. As someone who had a second coming out at 27 even when I already knew I was queer I felt deeply for Sophie several times in the book. I will say while this is technically not insta-love or lust as the characters have known and been working together for a significant amount of time before the story begins I found the speed at which their emotional relationship developed once their physical relationship began to be VERY FAST.

I did really appreciate the journey of self improvement and character growth that both characters underwent in this story and the spicy scenes were very good! I would definitely recommend this book as a great addition to anyone's Sapphic romance collection.

Thank you to Net Galley and Carina Adores (Harlequin) for a E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I knew I was going to love this book but I loved just about everything about it. The two characters had such amazing chemistry. I could practically feel the sparks jumping off the page! I can not wait to my hands on a physical copy so I can show it off to everyone and never shut up about it!