A Dash of Salt and Pepper is a delightfully warm-hearted tale about two chefs who find love together in spite of their career doubts and family pressures. The romance is heady, the scenery beautifully described, and the food porn gorgeous.

Xavier Reynolds is stuck rebuilding his life from basic ingredients. He’s just been through a break-up when being passed over for an important fellowship forces him to move back to his tiny Maine home town. He becomes a prep chef at The Wharf, a new restaurant opening there, not expecting that love will come calling for him.

Logan O’Hare is just trying to get The Wharf up and running while raising his daughter Anna. He and Xavier don’t have meshing attitudes, but as they start spending more time together in the kitchen they discover a shared harmony. Might that joy be complicated as Xavier’s skills become sharper and the possibility of further career moves lie in wait?

A Dash of Salt and Pepper is cozy in the best of ways. Xavier changes and grows as a chef; Logan mentors him, and Xavier must grow up and rise to the mantle of chefdom, and he does so with sublime skill. Logan, meanwhile, learns to let go and let Xavier have a little authority of his own.

I liked the connection each man forms with Anna, and the complicated feelings Xavier has about meshing with his family after losing so much and being forced to return to Maine. The scenery, food, and feeling of the area is, by the way, impeccably recreated. Everything about the book sings, although if you don’t like boss/mentee relationships, then it might not work as well for you as it did for me.

Ultimately, this is simply a treat of a book, head to toe and end to end, and one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read this year. Pick it up and sink in.

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I liked this book alot even though the main character drove me up a wall (and then some) Sometimes, he really acted more like a teenager than a full-on adult man who'd lived on his own for years.
Also how did you date someone who never called you beautiful???

and it was just a bit too hallmark style "give up on your big city dreams" for me to really appreciate. Cue my annual rant on how much I HATE this trope

I am a sucker for culinary romances and New England settings. Solid writing, but the contemporary setting and fast and furious pop culture allusions felt frenetic to me, and I put it down at 40% read--I just could not get vested in the character.

I received a free advance reader's review copy of #ADashofSaltandPepper from #NetGalley

A Dash of Salt & Pepper is perfect for fans of A Taste for Love.This book was SO FREAKING CUTE!! I loved the chemistry between Xavier and Logan.

A complete and utter delight - as expected!! A recommended first purchase for collections where romance and foodie fic is popular.

I like this one. But it was just like. Xavier was fun and compelling but I was hoping for a split pov with Logan. I felt like we only got half the story here. Especially where his ex and daughter were concerned. I loved Mya but what was the deal with always mention Her husband yet we never saw him? Not even when Xavier was staying at her house. I liked the premise and the age gap and their personalities that were very evident. Especially in the kitchen. I hated all the pop culture references. It’s ok for some things, but I kinda feel like it will date this book in a few years. 3.4/7

I love romance and I loved this book. The author is new to me and I really appreciated hearing from a voice different than mine. Family, friendship, adulting struggles, and a sense of love permeate this book!

There’s a bit of everything in this book; a little coming of age, a little romance, a little home town reckoning, some parental tension, salt, pepper, season to taste. Maybe there were too many themes jumbled together? Maybe it wasn’t long enough to get them all smoothed out? Maybe I’m not the right audience? There was a lot I liked. The narrative voice is STRONG! The complicated feelings about a hometown I related to! The epilogue was perfection! I give it 3.75 out of 5. Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful. A story about going home when you didn't want to, about a break up that feels like it's life ending in the changes it brings. A love story that rises from the ashes of this devastation and becomes so much more than you could have imagined.
Original and unexpected. I loved it.

I liked the small town setting of this book. I really liked Xavier's family. But I didn't really like Xavier. Like I get what it's like to come back home with your tail between your legs, but don't continue to wallow or think you're too good to be there.
I couldn't tell how much older Logan was than Xavier. I liked how he gave him advice and helped him get his stuff together, but I wasn't sure about tee romance. I mean I liked Logan a lot and as it developed I was more on board. But just wasn't my favorite.
I liked all the food in this book too. And I loved Anne throughout the book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

While I recognise that I was not the target audience for this book, I was not totally sold by the main relationship. Logan frequently acted more as a family friend/older adult mentor rather than a romantic partner as well as discounting Xavier’s knowledge and experience in the business world. This book also used one of my least favourite ‘trope’ in romances wherein character A calls out character B for something they did (In this case Xavier withholding information/displaying a lack of trust) that character A has also done.

I did really enjoy all of Xavier’s references and his interactions with Anne were wonderful to see.