Pros: I am a new reader to the romance genre, so I am thrilled to have the opportunity to sample a book. I'm still learning the subgenres and tropes and figuring out my favorites. From the description and first few chapters, I can tell that this book contains a lot of fun elements--a workplace romance, a restaurant setting, a reality tv show. The thing I appreciate most about the romance genre is how inclusive it is and how the books that are being published are more and more inclusive. I am thankful that there is an LGBTQIA subgenera so that I have books to recommend to friends and students who are looking for that genre and to read books that reflect their lives.

Cons: None that I can think of. I don't think I'll end up reading the rest of this book, but just because it isn't for me doesn't mean that it's not for many other readers who love the romance genre and know what tropes and subgenres they want to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for the opportunity to sample this book!

This story hooked me from page 1. The beginning was perfect! Barrett effortlessly includes so many important details without it feeling like boring background. We get the restaurant name (Amy & May’s), set in Boston, her brother Wes and some background on Sophie. The first chapter also contains lots of sexual tension at least from Amy’s perspective and great physical descriptions of Sophie. I also love that Sophie is a caretaker and does sweet things for the restaurant staff and Amy. Chapter 2 and we discover they are both secretly pining for each other. Mutual pining, I am obsessed. The language and descriptions are so beautiful. “Miniature alpine skiers could jump off her eyelashes and land safely on the plump pink cushion of her lower limp. She’s a beautiful witch.” The first 5 chapters of this book are perfect. Dual POV, mutual pining, secret crushes, a steamy romance, lots of tension and chemistry, does it get any better? Barrett has absolutely nailed this one.

Netgalley provided me with a preview of the first five chapters of this book.
This story is going in such an interesting direction. It captivated me from page one.
I love romance stories about chefs and Amy and Sophie are starting to become a favorite couple. Both characters are queer, but Amy thinks that Sophie is straight.

I'm intrigued by the premise of Amy's failing restaurant and her desire to appear on a reality show to save it. Sophie has reservations about the idea. So there's bound to be conflict and the emotions are running high. I have enjoyed the story thus far. I hope to one day be able to read and review the book in its entirety.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC of this book. This was a honest review.

I loved this preview and can't wait to read the whole book! I was a big fan of HOT COPY and love Ruby Barrett's writing. After finishing that book, I was hoping Wes's sister Amy would get her own story. Based on this sample, it promises to be a good one.

Not nearly enough!! I cannot wait for the full book to hit my kindle. Ruby is a delight and I’m already in love with Sophie and Amy.

*This is a PREVIEW review based on the sample of the first 5 chapters provided by NetGalley*

I'm intrigued and hooked from the first pages. Sophie is head chef of Amy and May's, a struggling restaurant. Amy is the owner, a micromanaging go-getter who is understandably under a lot of stress from the restaurant doing poorly but also from her family. Sophie and Amy butt heads a lot and each is crushing on the other hard but assumes it's unrequited.

When Sophie tells her fiance that she thinks she's bisexual he... asks her to keep it a secret?? I really, really identified with her here. She is justifiably crushed, and hesitant to come out to Amy despite her crush because... what if Amy reacts the same way? She is also dealing with a ton of social media stress and creeps sexually harassing her online after a stint on a reality cooking show.

Meanwhile Amy thinks Sophie is straight. This leads to many comical accidental flirtatious moments as the story slowly begins to build. And of course right when I'm really getting into it the preview is over XD.

I'm really intrigued by the premise and the story that is building in the first 5 chapters. It definitely has me wanting to read more. Also it's really well-written.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Adores for providing an e-arc preview for review.

Hot Copy was one of my favourite books of last year and this is already gearing up to be a 2022 favourite. The employee-employer tension is interesting and I am looking forward to seeing how it’s resolved. I also can’t wait for the steamy scenes because Ruby Barrett has YET to disappoint me in one of those. So happy this is a queer book!

Thank you NetGalley for this preview! I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and I think that it shows a lot of promise. I liked learning about the characters and setting and I can already tell that the romance is going to be great. I look forward to reading more from this book and author in the future!

I loved the preview. Everything about the preview was amazing. The plot, the characters the relationship between characters. I cannot wait to read the actual book.

Every time I get a book preview I simultaneously love and hate myself. AHHHH Ruby, this is so lovely. I can't wait to finish it. These two humans! I need the rest of their story and all the foodie vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Ruby Barrett for providing me with the first five chapters of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think the start of the book was great! The characters had interesting storylines. I'm not fully invested in the characters yet but I think I could be if I read the whole book. I'll definitely be adding this one to my TBR when it releases

This story has a lot of promise. I could feel a strong sense of the characters’ selves in their voices. Some of the passages felt a bit bulky, but overall the setting was well-researched and the characters have an emotional journey ahead of them.

Thank you Netgalley for the first five Chapters.

The first few chapters are great and really get you hooked. Loving the dynamic between Amy and Sophie can't wait too see what may happen.

Meet Amy, Sophie, and the fight to save a struggling restaurant that ties them together. In the first five chapters of The Romance Recipe, author Ruby Barrett brings us into the restaurant world. The owner and head chef tiptoe around their attraction to each other as they try to advocate for themselves and survive in the restaurant industry.

As a queer woman with relatives in the restaurant industry, I can say that I loved seeing queer women represented in an otherwise overwhelmingly male dominated space. The alternating first person point of view chapters voiced so much of my inner dialogue when I was first navigating my identity. I can’t wait to read more of this book that is oh-so-captivating in the very first few chapters!

FIVE CHAPTERS IS NOT ENOUGH! This is cruel, netgalley. Give me the rest! (Please and thank you).

I loved Amy from her appearances in HOT COPY and I devoured this delightful, delicious amuse bouche. It's unfair that I only got to read this snippet when I was ready to devour the whole meal.

THIS LOOKS SO GREAT!!! Loved the first few chapters, and am anxiously awaiting the upload of the entire book. Thank you for the sneak peak!!

What a tease! After reading Hot Copy, I knew I was going to love Amy’s story. She seemed so tough and brash on the exterior but she’s really a bit of a marshmallow on the inside, especially for her chef. But she’s trying to keep it in her pants, as to not scare her off. Sophie is new to the whole being-attracted-to-girls thing, so she’s not sure what to do with her feelings for her boss. They’ve been like oil and water since they started working together, but now that they’ve entered a televised reality show, they’re going to be working a lot closer together and their chemistry is bound to set off a few smoke detectors in the kitchen… cannot wait to get my hands on more than just the first 5 chapters!

I was able to read the first 5 chapters thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

It was everything I hoped it would be. Amy and Sophie work together in Amy's restaurant with Sophie as the head chef. They both like each other but are unable to express this towards each other. They simply can't even communicate like normal human beings and it makes for great comedy how both of them think the other one hates them.

The story drew me in and after only a few pages I was already disappointed knowing I would only be able to read 5 chapters. I cannot wait to read this book and am already counting down till June!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina for the preview.

I am absolutely feral for these to idiots in close-proximity at work who are just PINING for each other. I need the rest of the book immediately I cannot wait for the rest it is going to be spectacular.

I need all of this book NOW. Since this is only the first five chapters of THE ROMANCE RECIPE, a full review with all of my thoughts is to come! However, this preview made me incredibly excited and I cannot wait to be back in this world. Ruby Barrett’s spice and tension are unmatched, so I’m greatly anticipating this sapphic romance from her.