dnf 35% This book is a mess. I can't tell the two character's voices apart. the plot is beyond ridiculous and the characters are beyond immature. On top of that it's another fake relationship book. I'm done. NGL the final straw for me not this one was Deja using generative AI to manager her social media and reply to comments. Generative AI is evil and I refuse to care about a character that actively uses it, especially for something as simple as replying to comments.

Taste the love was a cute, sapphic romance that took place in beautiful Oregon. Kia and Sullivan go to cooking school together and have a competitive relationship. They have a moment during graduation, but then go on to lead different lives. Years later they meet again under rather stressful circumstances. This is a somewhat messy second-chance romance.

What I liked:
~Kia and Sullivan are imperfect, but they are willing to learn and compromise for each other.
~Sullivan's love of nature and animals and the way we got to read how she thought of the bois. As someone who deeply cares about the environment, I really loved her passion and feelings towards nature.
~Kia was a complete sweetheart (chaotic and imperfect, but sweet). While she was a little off the mark at the beginning of the story, I loved how she really heard Sullivan out and did things for her, even camping (which was not her thing).
~The conflict resolution at the end was a bit rushed, but I did think it was a good solve.

What could have been better:
~This wasn't totally believable and the characters were both a little naïve for being 30 and 35 years old (ie. throwing away important paperwork, livestreaming about a project still in the works)
~There were parts of the books that were a little long winded and didn't feel necessary to the story.
~I did not particularly like the mention of AI to respond to emails. I know AI is a thing, but we know it is problematic and honestly, it didn't add anything to the story. She could have simply said someone else responds to her emails and it would have gotten the same point across. Especially seeing as this book touches on the environment; I think Sullivan would disapprove of Kia using AI.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book and would gladly recommend it. I do think it would benefit from some editing and small tweaks to make the writing more seamless.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Publishing for the ARC.

A pretty cute second chance romance.

I wasn’t super into it…I think you do have to suspend quite alot of reality like just don’t think about how this would really work just vibe with the tension and good descriptions.
but if you are looking for an easy tropey sapphic romance it’s not bad just kinda dull…

The narration was good for the audiobook.

Thanks to netgalley and hachette audio for an alc.

ARC and ALC review

3,5 stars

"Taste the Love" is a contemporary sapphic romance with a marriage of convenience between two chefs.

Thank you Forever for the advance reader copy and Hachette Audio for the advance listener copy.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book.
The story was interesting, but I could not connect with the characters.
There is a dual POV, but it's written in 3rd person changes in the middle of the chapter.

The audiobook is narrated by Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb. They did a good job overall.
When I read and listened to the audiobook, it was easier to keep up with which POV it is, but only with the audio I got confused sometimes.

The romance is a slow burn with some spice.
There is no actual rivalry and the forced proximity after they got married helped the relationship develop.

I liked that they managed to get along well and slowly got over the insecurities they both had.

Overall it was a good read, but there were parts that I did not enjoy.

Did it drag at times? Yes. Was it still worth the read? Also yes.

I had never read a modern marriage of convience before and, honestly, it was really enjoyable!

The entire premise was juicy and layered and I felt the Stetz-Waters' balanced it all well.

The chemistry between the two main characters fell a bit flat for me, but they were cute and the banter was bantering.

I didn't realize there was a book about Lillian and Izzy before this, so I'll have to check that out...will there be a third book about Nina and Opal? 👀

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.25/4.5 ⭐️

LISTEN - I really just had a time with this book! The vibes just worked for me. Was it totally realistic? no. Did i care? No. That’s what i love about romance books tho! they’re an ESCAPE.

I really love a book about chefs / cooking. I just love the cozy, familial vibe it gives me while reading. This sapphic, cooking, sassy, grumpy / sunshine book was no exception.

The story line felt fresh and fun. I love a fake marriage / marriage of convenience trope, but they generally all have the same type of inheritance storyline, so this felt fresh and different and I liked that!

I feel like there were parts that dragged and felt a bit slow and repetitive but overall it didn’t make me dislike the book!

The vibes:
-Sapphic
-Grumpy / Sunshine
-Forced Proximity
-Rivals to Lovers
-Fake Marriage / Marriage off Convenience

The vibes just worked for me and the writing felt super bingable and fun. I multi formatted and listened to the audio + read the digital and really enjoyed the narration. It didn’t really add or take away of my overall enjoyment of the story but was done well.

Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Marriage of convenience?! Sign me up!

This was such a fun, messy, sweet AND spicy romance. I loved it so much.

Kia is an absolute ray of sunshine. She just exudes good energy. She’s friendly to absolutely everyone and it’s impossible for anyone to hate her. She’s so sweet and so full of love and I adored her.

Sullivan is a bit of a grump. She holds her cards close to her chest. But she cares so deeply and she fell so in love with Kia it was sickeningly cute!

The entire plot with the mega food company made me so angry, especially when they came for Kia and Sullivan personally and tried to pit them against each other. But dang, did it make me happy to see them stand by each other regardless.

I have read these authors and previously enjoyed their work, but sadly this novel just didn't convince me. I had to stop reading midway as it didn't manage to keep my interest up.

Still, I'm not one to completely destroy a novel with ratings, so I'm giving it two stars.

This was so lovely! It has a soft, cozy feeling while still centering around serious issues like environmentalism and capitalism. Kia and Sullivan were in culinary school together and always in competition, pushing each other to be better. They shared a surprise kiss the evening of their graduation and then didn't see each other again for six years.

Now, Kia is a food influenced with a food truck and lots of sponsorships. Sullivan owns a ecologically ethical restaurant just on the other side of the area of wild land near her house. The Bois was protected by her grandfather for years and she's shocked when the neighborhood association is about to sell it to Kia, to raze it and build a food truck pod. Before the women can even class, Mega Eats, a huge corporation swoops in and tries to outbid Kia. The only way to stop them? Get married and take advantage of Sullivan's legacy claim.

The story is sweet, as they get used to being around each other, Kia still very much in her feelings and attraction and Sullivan trying to deny hers. There's a side plot about Kia not being very experienced beyond one lackluster relationship and Sullivan not feeling desirable because of how her last relationship ended, and the women coming together to soothe and heal and learn. The author's said they hoped this felt like a hug for the reader and to me it absolutely did. There were a few moments where lingo characters used made me remember that I'm in my mid-thirties and not GenZ like Kia, but I'll survive that and it didn't detract from the reading experience.

One thing to note, that is 100% my own fault (thank you chronic illness brain fog and memory issues): this book is tied to the authors' first one, but it took me until 84% to realize that. Had my brain been cooperating, it would have been obvious that I'd met Kia as a side character in Lillian's story in Second Night Stand, and then even more so when we hear about Lillian and Izzy, and Kia's Aunt Eleanor, and her dad who lives on a yacht with his many dogs. Very much distinct characters and not forgettable, so I wish I had been able to clue in sooner and enjoy the connections all the way through like I'm certain other readers will. You don't have to read the first book to read this one but I still recommend you do because it is really good.

Thank you to Forever for the ARC. I can't wait to see what these lovely authors write next!

There was so much to love about this book!

One of my favorite things was that despite being a fairly light-hearted romance, it handled a lot of real-life issues. There’s a focus on the environment, and a fight against major corporations.

Beyond that, the characters were well flushed out, and it was fun to follow their journey together.

I do wish the story moved a bit faster, but I enjoyed the ride!

This is set in the same world as Second Night Stand, but can stand fully as a stand alone.

A bit of a mess in which I find delightfully entertaining.

These two previously loved each other, and circumstances they find themselves in have them in a marriage of convenience.

The writing is fresh and inviting. The plot truly grasped my attention and held on to it the whole story,

Give us lively and gloriously messy sapphic romances like this please. This was a wonderful read.

Taste the Love by Karelia & Fay Stetz-Waters is a fun marriage of convenience romance featuring two chefs who are trying to save a plot of land for different reasons–eco-chef Sullivan who wants to preserve the nature of the Bois and influencer chef Kia who is eager to create a food truck pod where other food trucks can set up for extended periods of time.

I enjoyed following Sullivan and Kia’s witty banter as they reconnect ten years after their first kiss at their culinary school graduation, where they were both the top of the class and rivals in their own way.

These two characters deeply care for one another, even if they’re struggling to get past their own insecurities. As the pair begins to trust again, their love blossoms in unexpected ways, and they seamlessly find ways to support each other and make the best of what life has thrown at them.

I’m even more excited that the side characters, Lillian and Izzy, have their own story that’s unread on my bookshelf… I know what I’ll be picking up soon!

This book got better and better as it went on. While I LOVED the opening scene, I was admittedly apprehensive about the meeting six years later and Kia's initial intentions. As the story goes on, and these two open up to each other, you'll fall in love right alongside them. Sullivan is the perfect mix of cool, collected, in charge - and worried, emotional, and always wanting to do the right thing. Sign me up as sous chef. And seeing Kia grow and become more confident, and the two of them choose each other - the declarations at the end will make even the tiniest of hearts swell.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the eARC!

Karelia e Fat Stetz-Water had done it again! The book is so funny and sweet and spicy and everything. Really everything! There are anti-capitalism, queer rep, black rep. And obv there is a fake marriage. A. FAKE. MARRIAGE. I’m so feral for this, you have NO IDEA.
I loved this book so damn much and I believe I cannot be able to think about anything else in the next few weeks. I’m so obsessed with this story and with Sullivan and Kia.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This book was absolutely delicious! Witty, heartfelt, sexy - it has it all! I don’t think a book has ever had me cheesing (practically kicking my feet!) as much as this one did. Sullivan and Kia’s flirty banter was absolute perfection from start to finish. Not only that, but they were so respectful and kind to each other, even when feelings were hurt and anxiety was high. This kind of healthy communication is so refreshing and exactly what we need more of in romance novels. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times- the Stetz-Waterses DO. NOT. MISS! They truly set the gold standard in the genre, and I can’t wait to read what they come up with next!

This one was a slow start for me and I honestly didn’t think I was going to end up loving it... but I am so glad that changed quickly because this book was an absolute delight! Once Sully was able to move past her complete distaste for single-use plastic (lol) and let us see who she really is, it was so much fun. The banter between her and Kia was top notch and had me giggling and kicking my feet the whole time! I didn’t realize this was technically book 2 of an interconnected standalone series, but I’ll definitely be adding Lillian and Izzy’s story to my TBR immediately. Huge thanks to Forever for my free ARC of this delightful sapphic romcom!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 43%.
I really thought I would like this since I love fake marriage/forced proximity but I'm just not into it. I don't feel any chemistry at all between the leads. They just keep referencing their competitive days in school but we aren't seeing any of that fiery banter on the page. The evil corporate villains are just boring and then the premise that even "winning" would still be destroying the forest is just blah. I'm guessing there's some sort of magical compromise where they keep the forest and add food trucks but I don't care enough to find out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Simmering rivals who find each other again after launching their careers? I was all in. I really enjoyed watching Sullivan and Kia reconnect not just through old tension and playful competition, but through shared dreams that are suddenly at risk. The fake marriage twist adds the perfect dose of rom-com chaos, but there’s a lot of heart underneath it all, too. The book blends food, friendship, and second chances in such a fun and satisfying way. I loved how their passion for community and creativity came through just as much as their feelings for each other. It’s a warm, thoughtful romance with great banter and a lot of flavor.

I am Team Kia ALL THE WAY!! She is so lovely and lives her life proudly and out loud. She is fun and engaging and passionate and throws herself into life. I love her!!

But ya'll, I am also Team Sullivan one hundred and ten percent!! I love how much she cares about the environment and the land and her people, how hurt and closed off she is but is still determined to move forward and try new things.

It was just a joy watching these two clash and push each other to be better. I absolutely loved this book!!

I really enjoyed these authors' first book together and I was so excited for this one. It was a really well written book with great character development and a really good love story. My only issue with it was the pacing. I feel like we spent so much time talking about the bose and food and food trucks and the lawsuit and it took away from the love story a bit. I really enjoyed both of these characters and the story, but I feel that it would have been improved by them falling in love a bit earlier in the book. The last 30% of the book was a revelation for me with so many big and real feelings and so much humor (I laughed aloud and scared my coworker twice in that part of the book!) and I just wish those feelings and the good communication of the last third was spread out and enhanced through the rest of the book. I love the way these two write together - you can really feel their love for each other and the strength of their relationship in their characters. Plus, I loved the recipes in the back. What a wonderful touch! I can't wait to see what else they write!