What's it about:
Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot is a spicy enemies-to-lovers story about two warring restaurant critics – Julie, aka @JulieZeeEatsNYC, and Bennett Richard Macalester Wright. Why his full name, you might be wondering? Because that's how Julie refers to him as a sign of her opinion of Bennett.

Julie reviews restaurants through social media focusing on the aesthetics and the experience. In contrast, Bennett writes for the food section of a local NYC newspaper – a much more respected medium in the restaurant world but not necessarily with the public. When they meet at a local food festival, the war ensues. The paper latches on to the popularity of their feud and wants them to do joint ventures to help promote the paper with the social media crowd.

What follows is an often relatable and funny, sometimes mouthwatering, but always with a good helping of spice and heat for a purely entertaining read from start to finish.

Actual Reading Experience:
I just loved Best Served Hot. It pulled me in on page 1 and easily would have been a one-sitting read had I started it earlier in the day. The pure entertainment quality of the story was a joy to read. So much so that I didn't want to leave when I ran out of pages.

I wanted to stay in NYC and try some of the many food items they reviewed. The way food is described in this story is just pure magic. I began craving foods I knew I did not care for just by how the experience was described.

Enemies-to-lovers is my favorite trope, and this story delivers everything I love about it: a fun heated sparring that turns into a fun heated romance. The wit of the dialogue is just mwah. And the chemistry between the characters is off the charts. I prefer a closed-door romance, and there is a bit of open-door action, but it's not a lot, so I felt comfortable with it.

Some central themes are embedded in the story to give it that bit of meat I enjoy. The benefits of money and social standing play a predominant role, as does the shift in our society that has put newspapers on the path out and social media on the road in. Julie's boss has two daughters, and they are living lives bought and paid for by daddy while acting as if they have worked hard for what they have. They are vain and frivolous- the very essence of entitlement. Bennett comes from this world, fueling Julie's working-class mindset even more against him. I enjoyed that dichotomy of someone who started with nothing and worked hard for everything she has and everything she's achieved versus someone who has spent a lifetime being handed everything.

Characters:
Even with the social inequalities, Julie and Bennett are relatable and the characters you would want to hang out with in real life. I would definitely want them to take me on a culinary tour of their favorite city restaurants. They are well-developed with the layers of complexities that come from a life full of ups and downs, successes and failures, and wounds that have barely begun to form the scabs required for healing to begin.

Narration & Pacing:
The story focuses on Julie, and she tells it in first-person narration. This style of narration, combined with Julie's endless wit and fascinating personality, created a fast-paced story that I loved. I was delighted with the singular focus feeling that Bennet's story and personality are still shown loud and clear.

Setting:
The setting is the foodie world of NYC. And it was utilized in a way that was nothing short of sublime. I've been to NYC many times, but I feel that I've missed out on some fascinating food finds. I loved the descriptions of the city, especially the grittier take on the smells one confronts when going about their life. I think the smells of New York – good and bad – are more ingrained in my memory than anything else.

Read if you like:
Enemies to lovers romance
A romantic comedy with a bit of meat
Food!!!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my second Amanda Elliot book and it lived up to the hype. I may have liked it even better than Sadie on a Plate. I went into this one expecting to be entertained and I was not disappointed.
Slow burn and enemies to lovers are my favorite tropes and Best Served Hot dished it up perfectly!

The cover on this one perfectly depicts the story. Julie is a restaurant reviewer and has plenty of followers on her social media channel. All she really wants though, is to quit her day job so she can follow her food passion. She thinks she has it in the bag when she applies for a job at Scroll Unfortunately for her, the job goes to a high society good old boy, who in her eyes, does not deserve it.

What follows is our classic enemies-to-lovers story. Amanda weaves together the perfect combination of the pitfalls of a social media influencer vs a newspaper critic. People tend to disregard influencers but they are the wave of the future. Print media is in a slow decline and the youth of today are tuned into cyberspace.
The struggles of the haves vs the have not played a big role in Julie and Bennet's relationship. Amanda shows how hard it is for people of wealth to really understand what the rest of the world faces each and every day.
My favorite part is when Julie and Bennet visit Sadie's restaurant.

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and some tender ones too. I just may need to make a trip to NYC and see if I am able to find some of these places to eat!

Pub date: 2/21/23
Genre: rom com (enemies to lovers, workplace romance)
Quick summary: IG food reviewer Julie is devastated when she doesn't make the cut to become food reviewer at the New York Scroll, and, even worse, rich boy Bennett gets the job. But once they start working together, she starts to see him in a different light.

I loved SADIE ON A PLATE, so I knew I had to read BEST SERVED HOT. I related to Julie's struggle to be taken seriously and her hustle and drive. Bennett was also charming - he's much more than he appears at first, and the two of them brought out the best in each other! I loved seeing them team up to conquer the NYC food scene - and the food sounded amazing. This is not a book to read while you are hungry.

If you enjoy a sweet romcom or you're a foodie, this is one for you!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and @letstalkbookspromo for my e-ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Thanks for the free book Berkley 🥰

✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ foodies
✔️ forced proximity
✔️ NYC setting

Best Served Hot is a decent fiction book but the romance was definitely but on the far back-burner.

Julie came across as pretentious and extremely prejudice towards basically every other character in the book. Plus, I just wasn’t convinced of the chemistry or interest between her and Bennett. There was zero relationship development. They went from hating each other to making out with no explanation.

While food is a main focus in this book since both our main characters are food reviewers, the food descriptions were constant, long winded and had me zoning out.

If you are a big foodie, I think you’ll enjoy this. However if you’re looking for a true romance, I’d skip this one and move onto the next book on your TBR.

Best Served Hot is out February 21.

Thanks again to @berkleyromance and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a very solid three. I enjoyed the story for the most part although I felt some of the plot points were overly cliched (the toxic men in tech, Emerson Leigh's obviousness, etc) and that got to me for a bit. When I read the writing process for it started in 2020 though it made a bit more sense.

The love story was too fast for me. Like there was no real development apart from Julie and Bennett finding each other attractive after like their second date. The description of the food was more engaging and memorable then the development of that. This didn't really feel like a romance novel but more like Women's Fiction that tried to have a strong romantic element but didn't quite fully meet the mark.

Don't get me wrong it was still enjoyable but not overly memorable.

This definitely felt more woman's fiction than a straight up romance. meaning, it felt like the romance took a backseat to the main characters personal growth, which totally might work more for certain people than others.

with the romance itself the vibes are very much: forced proximity, enemies to lovers, hate to love, opposites attract, they're from different worlds.

one of the things i really liked about this book was how it touched on how social media is looked down upon by traditional forms of media and it explored that whole notion.

not a new favorite but definitely worth the read if you're a foodie who's looking for a contemporary book.

A great addition to the hate to love / opposites attract genre and filled with amazing descriptions of food that require you to have snacks nearby to stave off the grumbling of your jealous stomach.

@JulieZeeEatsNYC, as Julie is known on Instagram, is a foodie and restaurant reviewer. Sure she helps fund this by having a full time job, but her food content is where her passion lies. Julie loses out on an opportunity to review for a large newspaper and then finds herself face to face with the man who stole her chance. When their filmed confrontation brings attention to both of their platforms, the decide to team up for a mutually beneficial duet project. And you know how the story goes...

This book could be your cute and easy little weekend read. Although, if you're at all like me and need a little more meat to it (ha!) then it may not be the one. It felt like there was a lot going on and nothing going on at the same time. I had a really hard time connecting with the FMC; she felt immature and hypocritical. And the MMC just felt really flat. So obviously there was a lack of chemistry as well. I found myself skimming the food description tangents. I enjoyed them at first but they could be thinned out and still provide a nice addition. However, I read it in a day and was able to finish it so it wasn't a complete miss for me!

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read and review! I really enjoyed this book. Julie and Bennett were so funny and I loved how their relationship developed from enemies to kind of colleagues to eventually lovers. I also loved the look into influencer and social media culture when it comes to food, because it's a huge aspect of where people get recs from nowadays. It felt like food wasn't only a plot point, but also a character and I thought that was unique and well done. Amanda described all the food so beautifully, it felt like I was there with Julie and Bennett. Julie also brought up her Judaism and connected it with a nice cameo to Sadie from Amanda's first book and I loved that! This definitely had a bit more romance from Sadie on a Plate and I thought it fit really well for Bennett and Julie. This was super fun and I loved the journey in NYC!

Julie reviews restaurant on her Instagram account @JulieZeeEatsNYC and has over 50k followers, but what she wants more than anything is to review restaurants for a big newspaper and get paid doing so. However, when she doesn’t even get the opportunity to interview at her dream job and finds out the position went to Bennett Wright, a well-connected wealthy white male, she is hurt. When the two come face-to-face at Central Park’s food festival, a video of their exchange goes viral and as a result, the two decide to team up to for a segment comparing their reactions on different foods. While Julie initially hates Bennett and is envious of his career, will the forced proximity change her opinion of him?

This was a lighthearted read that centered around all things food. While I am not a “foodie,” I loved the detailed descriptions of various dishes, the food-related adventures and how the two MCs bonded over their love food despite neither of them being able to cook. The author also dived into the theme of social class and the opportunities that come when you are born into a world of connections versus making a name for yourself on your own, which I found very timely. If you read Sadie on a Plate, Sadie does make a guest appearance, which I found fun :)


Read if you like:
-Jewish rep
-NYC setting
-Food blogs
-Rivals to lovers
-Instagram live videos/ posts
-Emily Henry books

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC! Pub date 2/21

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and of course, Amanda Elliot, for providing me with an eARC of this novel. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This book was super cute and I loved that it had such varying opinions and attitudes towards so many different things, ushering in a new era and an oddly beautiful couple. I liked Julie and Bennett enough on their own, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they were together and how they brought out the best in each other.

Julie had some little moments that bothered me, as did Bennett, but it felt realistic. They both felt like real people and I really enjoyed that.

Don't read this book if you're hungry, boy oh boy does it mention foods in detail time and time again. It made me want to go order a bunch of food. All the food sounded so good.

I loved all the little variances between Julie and Bennett in the ways they love foods, and their willingness to try to see it from the other's perspective. This was a cute story with some wonderful side characters- I loved Alice and Jada, and even loved Emerson Leigh.

I overall enjoyed this one. Though it has some pacing issues and the first half, and second half of the book somehow felt...different? I can't put my finger on why. Regardless, the female MC was a bit immature at the start, which irked me, but she redeemed herself later on. I also feel like there was something missing in the MCs relationship. It felt like there wasn't enough time for real love to develop but at the same time there was some good chemistry and I liked them together. It might sound like a lot of complaints but overall, it was an enjoyable read. I was STARVING the entire time with the food descriptions! If you are a foodie, love NYC, etc., I think you'll really enjoy it!

Send my compliments to the chef, because Best Served Hot served up a delicious helping of romance and was just what I was needing to get out of my reading slump. Best Served Hot is the type of romance best read cozied up in bed with your favorite takeout next to you--and trust me, after starting this one you won't be able to go long without hearing the stomach rumbles. Filled with delicious recipes, mouth-watering characters, and sizzling romance, Best Served Hot is a three-course meal of all your favorite tropes. Enough food talk yet? Okay, but in all seriousness this is a must-read for fans of Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, and Falon Ballard. Definitely recommending to all my foodie friends!

Sadie on a Plate was a favorite of mine in 2022 and I was excited to read Amanda Elliot’s newest book. This one is about Julie, a food influencer who wants to be legitimized and is upset when Bennett gets a food writing job that she wanted. This was an enemies to lovers story when Julie and Bennett begin a collaboration to review restaurants together. There were a lot of food descriptions and a scene where Julie and Bennett visit Sadie’s restaurant from Sadie on a Plate. I was once again struck by how not kosher the food is at a Jewish restaurant, but that’s just me. I enjoyed the addition of characters such as Emerson Leigh and the discussion of class issues that ensued between her and Julie.

I loved that the main characters are polar opposites and yet learn to work together - their differences seem to complement one another. The novel has plenty of food references given that the main characters' are food critics. The references, though, did get to be a bit much for me but did not in any way detract from my enjoyment of the novel. Reference is also made to how much work it is to be a food influencer. This book was the perfect weekend read for me.

Thank you SO much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 stars rounded up!
This book was a wonderful, cozy read, that left me feeling hungry at the end! I found both characters to be super well rounded, especially Julie who was particularly relatable and so funny. It was super cool to read about the process of food reviewing and blogging itself - I haven't read any books that have touched on it quite like this one!
The only thing I will say is that I found that by the end I knew more about the food they ate than I did about Bennett himself.

Julie, the FMC, runs a foodstagram page where she tries and reviews restaurants in New York City. For her day job, Julie works as an assistant to a high powered executive. She’s so ready to leave that job behind follow her dream to work professionally in the food world when she applies for a food reviewer position with the New York Scroll. Unfortunately, the Scroll selects Bennett Wright for the opening instead, and Julie immediately targets him as her mortal enemy. After running into each other at the Central Park Food Festival where their heated exchange goes viral, Julie & Bennett are asked to work together on collaborative food reviews for the Scroll and Julie’s blog in order to boost social media presence combine the viewers of both platforms.

This book made me HUNGRY, y’all. I LOVED the foodie aspect of the book. The best part about this was the culinary adventure it took me on - I 100% pictured myself eating all of these delicious foods.

However, I found Julie to be very annoying like 75% of the time. She’s petty by nature and very obviously biased against anyone who is “well off,” to the point to where she seems self-righteous. I didn’t like the set up for the “rivals” aspect, either. During their first encounter in Central Park, both Bennett and Julie said some VERY hateful things to each other that I couldn’t imagine ever saying to a literal stranger. It just felt blown out of proportion in order to create the tension for the rest of the book.

Overall, this book was quick and easy to read. The side characters were enjoyable for the most part, but the story just felt choppy at times. I wish the finesse and care that had been put into the food descriptions had been also put in to the planning, developing, and writing of the story as a whole. It had potential, but the follow through was lacking.

Read if you love:
🥘Indulging in delicious food
🗽New York City
👊🏼Rivals to lovers
🙆🏻‍♀️Women supporting women
📺Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
🤳🏼Getting just the right angle
🍩Donuts

It is always so nice to read a contemporary romance book written by a Jewish author! Like her previous book, Best Served Hot takes place in the food world and I highly recommend not reading this book on an empty stomach, since Elliot is a master at the most vivid food descriptions. I do wish there was more romance in this book, just as a personal preference, but it’s a cute read.

Best Served Hot by A. Elliot, published by Berkley Publishing Group, is a witty and fun read.
Julie Zimmerman is a social media restaurant reviewer and Bennett - born with a silver spoon- Wright is a food critic too. Both meet and soon they partner up tofurther their businesses. But soon they develop feelings for each other.
I loved the story, loved the cross-overs to Sadie on a Plate, the previous book, A great read, 4,5 stars.

This was a quick, sweet romance. I loved that they were both food critics and bonded over their love of food (even if neither of them knew how to cook lol). Not the best romance as it didn't get my heart pounding, there was just something missing and I'm not sure what. But it was enjoyable enough for me to finish and was fun.