A Dash of Salt and Pepper is a charming, queer age gap romance. Kosoko Jackson adds in a quaint small town with a foodie setting, and the result is a satisfying story with fantastic secondary characters too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Xavier should have it all. He’s a gay Black man with an MBA, but recently lost his high powered job, and got dumped. He returns to tiny Harper’s Cove, Maine, spends time with his parents and BFF Mya, but still feels as out of place in his homogeneous hometown as he did growing up. He ends up working as prep chef in Logan’s restaurant The Wharf, and sparks fly. The hot single dad who puts his teen daughter first isn’t put off by Xavier’s sarcasm, and the two build a strong working relationship, and more. But as their feelings heat up, will it be enough for Xavier to stay?

Jackson creates the unusual age gap story where both characters actually act their age. At first, I thought Xavier was a little whiny, and since the reader only gets his POV, it’s momentarily overwhelming. But, careful readers can see he’s self aware enough to know he’s being annoying, and is actually acting like a late 20-something who isn’t used to failure. On the other hand, Logan is likable, and open and honest about exactly what he wants from Xavier and a relationship. His life experience comes with his age, and he already knows himself. I liked the way the author used the age gap as a way to define each character, and having the difference be one of the reasons their seemingly opposites attract relationship works.

A Dash of Salt and Pepper is a thoroughly enjoyable queer foodie romance, with a single dad in a small town thrown in. I adored these distinct characters, and the way they are drawn together to form a delightful story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Xavier is such a great character; there's never a moment you don't know exactly who he is, and he's the true star of A Dash of Salt and Pepper. Unfortunately, that means his love interest, Logan, never shines as bright, but that's fine; together, they balance either other out like two flavors I could name more easily if I cooked more.

It's a wonderful, light, fast-paced romance.

I absolutely loved this book! Kosoko's voice is just so brilliant and witty, I was captured from the very first page and spent most of the book laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the connection between the two leads and I loved watching it evolve as the relationship grows from coworkers to friends to lovers. And the backdrop of the idyllic small town was the icing on the cake! Such an enjoyable read from beginning to end!

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson is a small-town romance with a surprising amount of emotional depth. I adored these main characters and loved the small-town Maine setting.

Story Recap:
Xavier Reynolds just returned home from Chicago after a failed relationship and a failed job, and he was passed over for the fellowship he applied for. Now, he has to live with his parents again in the small town in Maine, Harpers Cove, where he grew up. Once he gets home, he gets a call from the fellowship offering him the position in Germany, and he has the summer to save up the money to be able to go. Jobs are not abundant in Harpers Cove, so when a position opens up at a local restaurant, he knows it’s his only hope of raising enough money. But, the chef/owner of the local restaurant is old and cranky.

Logan O'Hare needs help in his restaurant. His tween daughter Anne is helpful, but he needs full-time help, and Harpers Cove, Maine, doesn’t have a lot of options for skilled restaurant work. He meets and hires Xavier, but he doesn’t like his attitude, even if he can dice onions with the best of them. They decide on a truce, but working side by side brings them together and the attraction is strong. But, Xavier is leaving for Germany at the end of the summer, and Logan has to stay in Harpers Cove for his daughter and his restaurant.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this very much. I loved the little town of Harpers Cove, and Xavier’s parents, and his best friend Mya. But it was Logan’s daughter Anne that stole the show for me. She’s cute, funny, and adorable.

The romance was also a lot of fun. Young, and sarcastic, Xavier was a perfect match for older (but not old), grumpy Logan, and their chemistry was strong. Logan was a bit grumpy at first, but when he eventually opened up, he was a lot of fun and was a perfect foil to Xavier’s sarcasm.
Both Xavier and Logan have some baggage and self-doubt. However, we learned a lot more about Xavier because the entire book was told from his POV. I loved Xavier and his inner thoughts were both funny and vulnerable. I just wish I could have learned more about Logan, and a dual POV would have told me more about him.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend A Dash of Salt and Pepper to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

DNF at 48%. Kosoko Jackson is a brilliant writer but his style is just not for me. I like romance novels with witty banter and lots of emotion, and his style is the antithesis of that, There will be a line of dialogue, followed by five paragraphs of internalization about how the character should respond, and all the ways his life will be irrevocably changed if he says the wrong thing. This is how every conversation goes. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just not for me. I feel like the prose bounces around all over the place, and I need something more linear.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Seasoned chef meets spicy gay guy just trying to figure out his next steps after everything he worked towards has exploded in his face. Snarky, sweet, and worth a read.

I received a gifted galley of A DASH OF SALT AND PEPPER by Kosoko Jackson for an honest review. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the opportunity!

A DASH OF SALT AND PEPPER follows Xavier Reynolds, a young Black man who is struggling in life. He’s just been dumped and he didn’t get the fellowship that he wanted after getting his MBA. He’s forced to return back to his home town, a small town which doesn’t align with his dreams of big living. While figuring his life out, he reluctantly takes a job working as a prep chef for Logan O’Hare. Logan is a single dad trying to make a go of his restaurant. He’s not much more excited than Xavier about their situation, but he’s in need of help and Xavier is available.

I really enjoy food based books, so this book immediately caught my eye. We don’t get as much of a restaurant setting as I might have liked, but I did enjoy the discussions around the restaurant business and the food that is prepared. Bringing Xavier into the restaurant felt like more of a convenience than a wise decision early on, but he does have skills in the kitchen to fall back on.

This book is a fairly slow burn romance. Xavier is pretty unsure of himself and his place in the world and his immaturity definitely comes through. I was a bit frustrated with him and his decisions at times. Logan is older with an ex-wife and a daughter in addition to the restaurant business, so he is juggling a lot. He is sometimes hard to get a read on. I think I might have preferred getting Logan’s perspective, but the whole story is told in Xavier’s POV.

Overall I found this a fun, quick read!

Xavier Reynolds (26) has returned to his hometown of Harper’s Cover Maine. He’s had a string of bad luck getting dumped by his boyfriend and missing out on a fellowship after getting his MBA. A new opportunity comes along but he needs money to make it happen so he takes a job as a sous chef for Logan O’Hare. Logan is older (39) and is a single father to a 14 year old daughter Anne.

Everything is told from Xavier’s POV which sometimes works but here I missed knowing what was motivating Logan. There were some fun moments together but all of the sudden the book jumps from three months saying they saw each other every other day. I felt I missed out on connectors for the relationship.

This is the story of man returning to small town where he doesn’t want to be and finding love. But is it enough or does he need to leave again? I really liked the daughter and best friend Mya. But Xavier and his inner thoughts could be a lot at times. With lots of pop references and some immature actions he seems even younger than he is. Other then being a m/m romance with black representation this is all very typical contemporary romance.

This was a disappointment. I didn't really like or care about the two main characters or their romance.

Kosoko Jackson’s romcom writing style doesn’t seem to be for me, even though I have liked his YA stuff. It feels very flat and unengaging, even if the characters do seem interesting in theory.

Everything about this book was insufferable, from the characters to the prose. The main character's inner narration was painful to read.

I wanted to like this one but I found both of the characters to be insufferable and I also didn't like the prose or the relationship much.

I knew almost immediately I was going to love A Dash of Salt and Pepper. The internal narration from the beginning was engaging, humorous, and vulnerable all at once. It was like a mix of chatting with your best friend at late night sleepovers in the dark combined with your internal narration as you stare at yourself in the mirror in the early sunlight rays. Maybe it's also just my internal projection, but how adrift Xavier feels hit me hard. The ways he feels like a failure, is internalizing it, and is unsure what to do.

How we can be so set on a certain path in life that when something throws off the rails, we aren't sure how to get back on - or whether we should. Forced to return back home to lick his wounds, Xavier is in a serious questioning his life expectations mood until he has an opportunity to get his life back 'on track' by working in a local restaurant for some quick cash. But nothing ever goes according to plan. And a first impression becomes essential he can get into Logan's good graces - his future literally depends on it.

I wasn’t convinced by the love story in this. But I was definitely a good light hearted hallmark type read! I love that LGBTQIA stories are becoming that now! That there are just “normal” everyday love stories that aren’t fetishized or over done. I found myself smiling so much reading this. The love part of this for me felt more like a mentor mentee relationship, which i guess for some people could be a form of love. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

A single parent chef + a smartass businessman temporarily down on his luck & back in the hometown he left as soon as he could.

On paper that combo speaks to me.

But sadly Kosoko Jackson’s A Dash of Salt & Pepper didn’t live up to my hopes, offering a story of growth & some steam but also one that doesn’t lay solid enough groundwork for the arc of the relationship or of one of the lead’s change of heart.

What I think Kosoko Jackson does compellingly in this romance though is portray a titanium-strength friendship between Xavier—said businessman—& his BFF Mya, & give some insight into why Xavier why wears his glib armor.

While A Dash of Salt & Pepper doesn’t totally work for me—I found myself skeptical of where the story was taking me—there are still things to appreciate here—including that adorable cover & the dislike to love premise that always has me sitting up & paying attention.

3⭐️. Out 12/06.

CW: loss of job, possible failure of business, a joke about JonBenet Ramsey.

ID: a white hand holds up the ebook in front of a white bookcase.

Are you ready for a spicy work-place, foodies, m/m romance novel? Then may I suggest pre-ordering A DASH OF SALT AND PEPPER.💵📚☑️

Filled with witty banter, hilarious dialogue, and strongly character driven (which I love), this delicious story about two people finding love and trust, will have readers falling hard for Logan and Xavier from beginning to end.

Happy Reading ~ Cece

Kosoko has a way of writing fun and witty banter that flies at you at a truly Palladino level speed and I gobble it up every single time. This books gives you the charm of a home town winning over the home town boy desperate to escape and it has a DILF! A hot, tattooed, accomplished, cooking, sexy DILF! And as fun as the dialog and the development is, the extra Spice in this well seasoned book is perfectly balanced. What an absolute delicious treat of a read!

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

This book was fun to read. Really hilarious at times and at other times I was frustrated with Xavier and Logan's relationship. I had some issues with where they actually stood at times (was Logan his mentor or his love interest?!) and that we never really got to see Logan's perspective. There were also times that I felt the arguments were a bit hypocritical, don't call someone out for something you also do/have done! I would have loved a split perspective novel so I could know what they were both experiencing. Overall, I had a good time reading this even if Xavier sometimes got on my last nerve.

This is a sweet romance that reads like a Hallmark movie.

Xavier feels like his life is falling apart. After losing his job and then losing his boyfriend back to back, he must head back to his hometown with his tail between his proverbial legs. Harper’s Cove, Maine is a small town built on community… a great place to raise a family… and its the last place he wants to be.

As soon as things start looking up and Xavier gets an opportunity to get out of his childhood bedroom and back to doing what he loves, a financial conundrum leads him to working for the person he likes least in town. Single father, Logan is a chef and owner of a local restaurant, and even though his first encounter with Xavier is awkward at best, he decides to give him a chance.

What starts at a tenuous relationship between these two men, blooms into something really beautiful. This book does that route of taking a city boy and tossing him back into his small town, and though he shows resistance at first, he begins to see that life in his small town may just be enough for him, after all.

While I enjoyed the characters, this book didn’t really do anything exceptionally remarkable outside of the typical romcom standards. If that is your jam, this book is totally for you! I personally thought this was cute, but middle of the road.

Did not finish.

I made it four chapters into this book and it just wasn't grabbing me. Jackson is an excellent writer and I enjoyed his previous rom com but for some reason this one wasn't holding my attention. I am sure many people will love it, just not for me

Star rating required so I did it but I don't think you should pay any attention to it as I didn't finish the book.