When I say I want a spicy sapphic romance, THIS BOOK is exactly what I mean. Authors, take notes.

Ruby Barrett hits it out of the park with this spicy sapphic romcom which follows the story of a restaurant owner, her head chef, and their inability to deny their sizzling attraction to each other. When owner Amy and chef Sophie find their restaurant facing closure, they need to work together to find a way to keep their doors open. However, more than their restaurant is at stake when feelings start to develop and a beautiful relationship grows.

The gay panic in this book is exquisite. Amy is a mood, Sophie is adorable, and their chemistry is TOP NOTCH. The spice? Next level. These two have an adorable romantic connection but equally as hot attraction, and neither is sacrificed for the sake of the other. They can have cute moments but they can also have hot as sh*t moments, and I’m here for it.

I also like that Barrett included two different experiences with both of these queer women. Amy knew she was gay since childhood while Sophie didn’t figure out she was bisexual until later in life while already in a relationship with a straight man. Both of these experiences are completely valid and I love that the author wrote from both perspectives.

Did I mention that I love the spice? While I love most sapphic romcoms, I often find spice lacking in queer romance stories but Ruby Barrett DELIVERED throughout the whole story.

In summary, this book was a well-written, queer, adorable, sexy, hilarious, sapphic masterpiece and I can’t wait to see what this local Ottawa author does next.

This book was provided by Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. All thought and opinions are completely my own.

I received a free eARC of this book for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed how it portrayed the complex feelings Sophie had as coming out as bisexual later in life and how understanding Amy was about it. There were more than a few times that she was Sophie's fiercest champion in not letting anyone question her queerness. Alternatively, there were a few times Sophie helped Amy too with her own baggage and demons. That balance of being the strong one for the other is not something we always see in romance novels, so when we do, it's a breath of fresh air.

There were a few snags for me such as the constant self-sabotaging from Amy mainly in terms of having a happily ever after. While I got the reason why after a bit it did get tedious but it all came together in the end. Highly recommend this and here's to the finished coffee will have some recipes included since the meal Sophie made at the end sounded delightful.

Amy is emotionally constipated and bossy. Sophie dives into love too quickly and is still coming to terms with being bi. Amy hired Sophie to be head chef when she opened her restaurant Amy & May’s in Boston. She had watched Sophie on a reality cooking competition show called Pop-Up Kitchen. Sophie didn’t win, but she did wind up with the producer, Paul, as a fiancé and she was a fan favorite. But things aren’t going well. Amy & May’s is struggling financially and Sophie has lost her spark since ending her engagement.

With the POV switching between Amy and Sophie we see how their relationship moves from wary coworkers who yearn for each other to partners on every level. Sophie is a soft sweetheart who sometimes makes bad choices because she wants to make people happy. Amy wants to protect everyone so much she can’t ask for help or listen to what she’s being told. I loved that she made the same mistake over and over again until she gets enough pushback that she finally breaks. The romance arc works for me because each of them had an individual arc that that made them better and stronger individually and thus better and stronger as a couple.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, but it felt like some important moments were left out. Some alterations in the way they communicated at the restaurant were alluded to, but not shown. That said, Ruby Barrett has a gift for turning a phrase that makes a moment glow with inner light. While her final resolution is on the edge of grand gesture territory, I loved the small moments between characters that felt like they moved either a character or a relationship forward. (I can’t wait to talk about the breakfast/Not Breakfast divide when more people have read this.) I’m definitely going to grab her previous book, Hot Copy, and keep an eye out for future books.

CW: toxic parent, pushy parent, death of a parent off-page, kitchen accident, reference to prior sexual harassment.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Carina Adores and NetGalley. My opinions are honestly and voluntarily given.

The Romance Recipe is a wlw an adult contemporary by author Ruby Barrett. This romance brings the heat in and out of the kitchen and guaranteed to entertain.

I've read a handful of books with Bisexual characters, but I've never related to one as much as I related to Sophie. All her feelings and thoughts related to her sexuality, I had gone through. I also love how Bi positive this book is, Amy helps let her know she's just as queer as anyone else on the spectrum. Whether you're in a same-sex relationship or not, you're still Bi, and you're never any less Queer in whatever relationship you end up in. On top of her sexual identity, all of the aspects of her personality were relatable. Sophie is a romantic, and she's quick to love and when she falls, she falls hard, but that doesn't make her feelings any less valid. As you can tell, I loved Sophie, and I loved the confidence that Amy brought out in her. From cooking comfort foods that sounded heavenly (bring me some poutine asap) to her appetite in the bedroom.

I could go on and on about Sophie forever, but I'll move on to Amy. Amy is a layered character who cared strongly for those she loved, but she's not a heart-to-heart, let's talk about our feelings' person (Oh hey it's me lol). Her actions speak for her and drives her to want to take care of her people, and it can come off as controlling. She's stubborn and hard-headed, but under her hard shell she feels too much. She would rather sacrifice her own happiness to let Sophie reach her potential. I also loved her relationship with her brother and best friend, and my heart broke for her as she tried to hold on to her emotionally damaging relationship with her father.

I loved the pace of Sophie and Amy's romance. It's not perfect, even if there are no issues with them when it comes to intimacy. Amy's fears and personality have her going hot and cold on Sophie when it comes to their actual relationship status. There's mutual pining between them right from the start, that thankfully isn't dragged out. The first kiss happens by a third of a way into the book, and then there is no holding back. Sophie is ready to go and embracing her attraction to women, letting herself be Bisexual. I expected steam but was pleasantly blown away but how hot and heavy the couple became, and it isn't restricted to the bedroom. The intimacy is hot as hell. Each one hotter than the previous encounter and there's even tease of adding toys to the mix in the future ( give me a bonus scene in the future of that spicy adventure please and thank you)

I can count on one hand the number of wlw romances that worked for me, and The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett is now one of them, one I won't hesitate to recommend to friends. A wlw romance with great Bi positivity rep, recipe testing, poutine, steaming up car windows, communication, being true to oneself and following your heart.

[Thanks to Harlequin for the complimentary galley & the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.]

📖 Q: are you a recipe collector? I usually save them on my phone & I’ve slowly started writing them down on pretty stationary & saving them in an old college binder 😆.

Ruby Barrett’s The Romance Recipe (out 06/28!) really wowed me.

It was a 5 ⭐️ read for me from beginning to end & I couldn’t wait to get this galley to add to my shelves (look at how cute & sensual the cover is!).

If mutual pining, foodie romance, grumpy + the sunshine (but also the sunshine runs her kitchen thankyouverymuch) sounds good, definitely check this one out!

Amy Chambers hired Sophie Brunet as head chef of her restaurant bc she was talented & semi-famous after being on a realty tv show—she’s also had feelings for her since seeing her on screen.

Unbeknownst to Amy, Sophie—who recently realized that she’s bisexual & even more recently broke up with her fiancé—has feelings for her too.

This is one of those books where everything just works together really well. From their mutual pining & appreciation to the moments when each reveals something hurtful, to the times when they cook together—& even including when they fight over the future of the business they both work at…everything made me feel like they were getting closer. Like it was a real emotional relationship each person is invested in.

& then when you add to that the outrageously satisfying steam it’s charismatic & fill-in-your-yummy-food-adjective-of-choice. One hook-up takes place in a car 🤩.

I’m so curious to see what Ruby Barrett writes next because this was a fantastic read.

Release date: 06/28

CWs: Grief regarding loss of parent. Reference to sexual harassment in the workplace. Toxic dad. Sophie’s former fiancé’s reaction to her realization that she’s bi is to say something about not letting the public know.

[ID: a white woman wearing a green dress sits on a deck holding the book & three pages of handwritten recipes.]

Not sure if I have much to say about this. I liked the romance although I don't think there was *enough* chemistry to make me love it.

I did like the attempt, and there was a real attemp, to really include sapphic sexuality. Too many sapphic romances leave out that part in almost a way to santise things so I did enjoy that piece.

I guess this books biggest 'sin' is that it didn't leave much of an impression for me. It was completely fine.

I will say what I find this book did well was that it was a foodie romance I enjoyed. Which i know is a little odd to point out but of the several foodie romance I've tried to read, this is the first I've finished.

I did really love the element of Amy putting in the effort to pay her staff a liveable wage rather than rely on tips!! It's a small element but I did love that detail.

Overall, not much to say. I would recommend it but it's not a romance I see myself coming back to.

This book is spicy! i love how both characters have been pining for each other but they have not acted upon. I loved being immersed in the restaurant world. This book was a delight to read.

This story was was cute and I enjoyed the whole cooking competition aspect. And I love how the characters were truly expressing themselves for who they are and who they love and proudly stayed strong in that!

It was pretty funny at times too, and the banter between Amy and Sophie was great! I like how the story discussed family pressures and expectations because that is so real and relatable. It inspired me to see how much courage these characters had. This book had great queer rep and a very fun dynamic between Amy and Sophie that I couldn't get enough of!

But I also felt like the pacing was a bit off and I wasn’t super into their romance. And the ending was a bit rushed for me. 
Overall it was a beautiful story about self discovery, love, and acceptance.

This was a winner for me! I loved the relationship between the two main characters, as each of them tried to navigate their feelings and tripping over their own feet. I did feel like there were parts of their individual stories that I would have liked to see expanded, but nothing that kept me from believing in and rooting for their HEA.

The tagline for THE ROMANCE RECIPE is a pretty good and accurate account of the story — “a fiery restaurant owner falls for her enigmatic head chef in this charming, emotional romance”. It’s a simple but sweet story, with a couple of steamy scenes.

The reality TV and Instagram worlds were touched on just a little, enough to add some interest, but not enough to put me off (I’m not usually a huge fan of ‘fame’ stories. What I did really love was the cooking contest, getting to see Amy and Sophie working to save the restaurant and to come up with ideas for what to offer up for their meal. I did expect the contest to play a slightly bigger part, but I didn’t feel it was missing. The food sounded delicious!

As to the romance itself, I really liked the two protagonists, who were different enough to be interesting, and the mutual pining on both sides. The romance isn’t has a bit of push-and-pull to it, as Amy and Sophie work out the hiccups in a workplace romance as well as their own personal demons.

THE ROMANCE RECIPE is a pacy read that works equally well for reader who enjoy slow-burn chemistry and those who want plenty of steamy scenes.

If you go into reading this book with the expectations of whiling away the afternoon / evening with a simple but enjoyable romance then you won't go wrong with your choice.. The plot is okay, the main characters are interesting and it also offers some steamy scenes. Just don't expect a lot depth and character development, but in all honesty: once in a while you just want something simple to enjoy.

Sophie and Amy are both so intensely pinning for each other and the tension was killing me but when they finally give in is so soft (and spicy) ! This book had a fast paceing that I prefer when reading a rom-com so it was perfect as a weekend read!
Amy's father pissed me off so much and I'm glad of how much Amy grew more confident and was able to tell him things that were bottling up inside her.

I read this book as an e-arc, provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. #Harlequin #NetGalley #RomanceRecipe

I requested this book because I wanted to see how Harlequin would handle a queer romance within their standard formulas. I'm not a huge romance reader, and have not read a Harlequin title for many years, so I may be more critical than I am of my favorites, the cozy mysteries. Let me start by saying that if you like the Harlequin brand and want a queer romance, you may like this better than I did.

The author has some talent, including some surprising humor. The setting and characters have some promise as well, but they need a lot of work.

SPOILER SPACE













I found the two main characters problematic, because I couldn't tell them apart. They are given very different stories and personalities, as we are TOLD, but not shown. There is a lot of dialogue and sex scenes, and it was often difficult to know which character was speaking, or acting, because they didn't have distinct voices.

The sex is extremely explicit, without being either romantic or erotic. I actually questioned if the author was a man; it just did not sound authentic to me, but I realize I am not an authority on the subject. Still, for any romance reader, you don't want to be taken out of the moment to question the author's authority or the character's authenticity.

The minor characters also have promise, and three-dimensional characters are not the expectation in the genre. I liked the brother, and I liked the ex, though he was a little too good to be true. (The reason for their breakup wasn't very believable, but par for the course).

I know this isn't non-fiction, but if you are going to make the finances of the restaurant a huge part of the plot, then you have to make those problems and solutions at least possible, if not realistic. The character's parents also appear in the story, so these women are not independently wealthy and just working for the fun of it, which leads me to wonder how they can afford incredibly expensive apartments or condos in the best parts of town, if they are not taking salaries from the business they're supposed to be running.

I expect that the writer at some time has been a server or other type of restaurant employee, but not an owner of any type of small business, which is fine, but do a little research.

I was glad to see Harlequin make the attempt to enter this space, because everyone deserves a little romance. Perhaps others in the series will be better, or perhaps other readers will be less critical. I hope, however, that if they are going to continue the series, they make the effort to recruit writers who are active members of the LGBTQIA community.

This romance book has interesting characters and wonderful food descriptions. I highly recommend The Romance Recipe for readers looking for a great sapphic romance!

I love a good sapphic romance as much as the next person and I went into The Romance Recipe blindly because I didn't want my feelings for the book to be clouded by other people’s feelings and opinions. And I’m glad, because I thoroughly enjoyed this one. This is my first Ruby Barrett book, but I’m definitely going to check out Hot Copy because I’ve heard great things about that one too.

First of all, these characters were so complex. I love that they had so much more to offer than just their jobs and the roles they play with each other. Amy’s gone through so much in her life and she’s pushed through everything to make her restaurant the best thing ever. She has a strained relationship with her father, but a solid relationship with her brother. But everything in her life feels a little stretched. I loved how realistic her struggles were, plus the fact that she gave her plants names and spent all this time pining over a woman she might never really have—relatable! And then there’s Sophie. I didn’t think that I would ever connect to two women in the same book so much, but after spending 30something years of her life being uncertain of her sexuality, Sophie’s finally taken a chance at coming out. Which implodes her existing relationship and thanks to her reality TV fame, she’s caught Amy’s attention and is brought on as the head chef at the restaurant. And thus begins their very complicated working relationship.

I enjoyed the frustrations to lovers situation tossed in with some mutual pining that Amy and Sophie go through. I really loved seeing how Sophie was dealing with these feelings she’s suddenly finding herself drowning in. Their relationship builds gradually, from the two of them working together to walking around on eggshells to finally just throwing caution to the wind and taking what they want. I loved how through Amy and their relationship, Sophie starts to find her confidence and her strength again.

Their relationship did feel very physical and took me some time to really wrap my head around whether or not there were any emotional feelings at first. While they both want each other and their inner monologues speak to their feelings, it didn’t instantly feel that way to me. But their physical relationship? Holy moly, that was hot. There was some hot kitchen sex, midday quickie in a car and a whole bunch of other lust and desire charged moments that definitely set my Kindle on fire.

However, what I did love about their relationship is the back and forth. I respected the heck out of Sophie for standing up and asking for what she wanted when Amy kept bulldozing her way through things. I loved Sophie’s growth through the course of the book and I admired her drive and her passion for what she believes in, because it’s not always easy to ask for what you want and how you want it, but Sophie gets there and she does it well. I also loved how unapologetically honest Amy was. She can seem rough around the edges a few times, but that’s what made her real and I desperately needed to be assured that it’s okay to not be the put together person all the time.

“You don’t need to have known you were queer since you were a kid. You can go your whole life never touching a woman and you’ll still be queer. It’s not about performing your sexuality or your gender for everyone else. Being queer is about what you know to be true about yourself, in here.”

The Romance Recipe is a dream come true for bisexuals everywhere as they go on this journey with Sophie to understand who they really are. And it’s a confirmation for women who’ve been called “tough” and “unlikeable” that you only have to please yourself and be happy for yourself because Amy does not apologise for who she is even once. And for me, those were enough.

Restaurant owner Amy coveted chef Sophie when she appeared on a reality TV show. She couldn’t quite believe when she agreed to come and work for her at her restaurant Amy + May. Initially Amy thinks her interest in Sophie is all one-sided until a night late at work. But Amy is torn because the restaurant isn’t as successful as she had hoped - after an initial peak it’s been all downhill so she and Sophie decide to take part in another reality show, being spruiked by Sophie’s ex.

This is a great book - on trend with the food angle we have been seeing so much of over the last 12 months. The LGBTQIA representation is everything with Amy and Sophie’s exploration of issues in their very new relationship. Amy is the stubborn, controlled, stoic one and Sophie, a little more emotional and tender. They are a great mix and their communication initially sets them apart.

Thanks to the publisher for granting my netgalley request.

I thought this books was really good! I am not big on culinary romances but this was good! I love the author's voice and writing style. This was a super relatable! Lots brought up about queer identity and self love. I love it! I would definitely recommend this to my friends!!

A fun read that kept me loving both characters, especially Sophie. The story of her coming out was so well written and kept me hooked. The plot of a chef in love was well executed and so interesting to read. While the chemistry between Amy and Sophie was undeniably amazing, the ending fell a little short.

Holy crap this was good. Like my heart is so full. One, this was a straight up romance novel with a Sapphic relationship. No fade to black, no vague language. Also the entire time you're reading this book, you are rooting for the two of them. I love the dual perspectives. I loved that the moment we open the book, you realize these are two hot dummies who can't figure it out. Tropes on tropes on tropes and I was here for it. This was a delight from beginning to end and I read it super quickly.

The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett follows Amy, a restaurant owner, and her restaurant’s reality show-famous head chef, Sophie. They fall headfirst into a relationship (against their better judgement) but things get tricky when Amy brings up the idea of getting the restaurant on a cooking show produced by Sophie’s ex-fiancé.

This book is cute, fun, and steamy. I enjoyed both characters and was obviously rooting for them throughout the story.