One Measure of Love by Annie McDonald is a nice book following Grace and Yaz who are taking part in a cooking competition. Their is a lots of laughs, sexual tension and references to food in relation to the sexual tension. A good book that keeps you entertained from start to finish. Thank you for advanced copy.

do not be fooled buy the adorable name — this book is chock full of intense reality TV drama, sexual tension, emotional struggles, and some pretty excellent spicy scenes. also, prepare to be very hungry throughout, because the descriptions of food in this are abundant and well done.

i loved how much i learned about cooking and Japanese and Canadian food as well. it was very well researched and absolutely fascinating.

i am not the biggest instalove fan, but i am always willing to give it a go because sometimes there are MC with fantastic chemistry like in this and it makes it all worth it even if you’re not a fan of the trope. plus, the added pressure of this big intense competition makes the situation way more realistic, because stress makes people do wild things when they have a moment to let loose.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✖️

Thank you for allowing me read this as an arc book I truly enjoyed every page.

It was such a fun time reading this book. The characters were written with love and care. I loved learning more about both main characters as the book went on. And the respect and yearning shown between the characters was really refreshing to read.
This book had me wondering how each person will make it through each challenge to beat out everyone else. As certain characters were voted off the show I would be sad to see them go. This book was well written and made it easy to almost watch each chapter while im reading. I will be recommending this book to my fellow book friends.

Really good reality cooking competition romance. The characters are well written, and seem to have pretty good chemistry. This actually felt more like a enemies to lovers romance to me as well. This was fun too read, and I liked all the cooking parts of this book, and the getting to know you parts between the main characters as well. This book had drama, romance, competitive, cooking, and some angst. I would recommend this book to my friends and family, and I look forward to what's next from this author.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to dive into a this romcom set in a cooking competition, however I was more so just left wanting. Wanting more backstory, wanting more of the cooking, wanting more tension between the two MCs. Unfortunately my plate was empty in those categories.

Reading this novel was like what I would imagine it would be like to live inside a classic cooking competition- food, new friends, and no shortage of drama. The last quarter of the story flew by, and I would have loved to see more of what happened after the competition/retreat ended. Both of the main characters and (most of) the cast of their fellow chefs were enjoyable and relatable, and I’d love to see more from this universe.

Vancouver’s hit competitive cooking show Recipe for Success has begun filming its second season and two talented young chefs are desperate for more than a winning dish. Grace Donahue is trying to get out from under her wealthy family’s control, and winning would give her everything she needs to be free. What she didn’t count on was falling for her rival, a sexy-as-hell butch and bad-ass chef who knows exactly how to dish it out and satisfy Grace’s other appetites.

Yaz Sano is as striking as her tiger tattoo and she can’t let herself be distracted by anything or anyone, especially not her spoiled and gorgeous opponent. Winning the competition is her only goal, but as she and Grace duke it out in the kitchen, she soon realizes that she is hungry for much more.

This is my first book by this author, and I've got mixed feelings! I love the premise and really enjoyed getting to know the characters, but I felt like there could have been more tension brought into it with the cooking show aspect. I love foodie books, and in that respect - this was just okay. Overall, not bad! 3.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I found this little ROM COM to be an easy and delightful read. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and thought the author di a great job bringing the story to life. Well Done! I recommend

One Measure of Love by Annie McDonald is a sweet and spirited rom-com set against the backdrop of a competitive cooking show in Vancouver. When Grace, determined to carve out her own path despite her privileged upbringing, is paired as a roommate with Yaz, who comes from humbler beginnings and carries her own bias against wealth, sparks fly in more ways than one. Their relationship starts off rocky, but warms over time, mirroring the slow-burn comfort of a favourite dish.

McDonald’s writing is lively and engaging, with a flair for capturing the feel-good tone of a made-for-TV romance. The chemistry between the leads is enjoyable, and the cooking show setting brings an entertaining twist that will appeal to fans of food-centred fiction. The strongest aspect of the novel, for me, was its sense of place—Vancouver is depicted with vivid detail, from the culture to the cuisine, clearly reflecting the author's research and appreciation for the city.

That said, I found myself wanting more depth in a few areas. The cooking competition, while a fun premise, felt underutilised—I would have loved more focus on the dishes, judging scenes, and the high-stakes energy that often defines reality cooking shows. Similarly, while both Yaz and Grace had well-defined backstories, the emotional arc of their romance felt a bit rushed, making it harder to fully connect with their journey as a couple.

Still, this was a fun, lighthearted read with a lot of heart, perfect for fans of culinary romance and cosy LGBTQ+ love stories. I’m especially intrigued by the author’s note about a planned series set across different Canadian provinces—it's a promising concept, and I look forward to seeing how she continues to explore love and culture across Canada.

One Measure of Love by Annie McDonald is a delightful rom-com that blends romance, humor, and a dash of culinary charm into an irresistible recipe. Set against the lively backdrop of a cooking show, the novel serves up a story that’s as heartwarming as it is entertaining.

McDonald’s writing shines with playful energy and endearing characters who feel right at home in a feel-good, made-for-TV romance. The chemistry between the leads is sweet and satisfying, and the cooking show setting adds a fun, dynamic twist that sets the story apart from more conventional romantic comedies.

With a storyline that hits all the right beats—misunderstandings, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of spice—One Measure of Love is a perfect comfort read for fans of lighthearted love stories. It’s a charming reminder that sometimes, love is best served with laughter—and maybe a little competition in the kitchen.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

another cookery competition, have to admit these are fun to read and make you so hungry.....

grace enters the competition hoping to win so that she can get from under her parents control and pay them back the money they used for her education

yaz has plans for her winnings when she wins the this competition and she doesnt need some rich entitled opponent to get in the way

but there was always going to be trouble.... you just dont know where its coming from

interesting read, love a good cookery competition

Yaz and Grace both have something to prove. They both are in a competition on one the most successful cooking series in Vancouver. Grace once to get from under her family thumb and knows if she wins she can finally be who she wants to be. Yaz is determined to win although comes from humble background she sees Grace as spoiled but as they share a room Yaz starts to see maybe she wrong about people with wealth or that not all is entitled. I love how the author describes the culture and cuisine of the city the competition was fun although I wish the romance wasn’t rush overall a good read.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

This is the first Annie McDonald book I have read, and I found it to be good, but not great.
Yaz and Grace meet as competitors on a cooking show set in Vancouver. Grace comes from a privileged background, but is working to get out from under her family and live her life on her own terms. Yaz comes from a more humble life and has a negative opinion of people who come from wealth. So it's not a great start when they are roomed together for the competition, though they warm up as it goes along.

The parts about Vancouver were the most interesting - the author clearly knows the area/did her research and I enjoyed learning about the culture and cuisine of the city and surrounding area. There was a depth to these parts that I found lacking in the rest of the story. The competition was fun, but I would have loved to read more about what was cooked, the judging, just more about it as a competition in general. And the characters, while there was time put into their backstories, they fell a little short for me. I would like to have seen more of a buildup to how Grace and Yaz fell in love as it seemed a little rushed and I wasn't able to connect with the characters like I would have liked.

Overall, it was a fun read and if you are a fan of cooking romances you would likely enjoy this. In the end notes the author indicates writing different romances about the different Canadian provinces - this sounds like a great idea for a series and I am intrigued to read her next one to see how she can build off of this one.

I believe that this may have been the first cooking competition book that I have read. I decided to give it a try due to the butch/femme dynamic as well as the wonderful setting of Vancouver, British Columbia. I wanted to learn more about this location and what the food and drink bounty offered toward the contestant's cooking creations.

I am pleased that I learned a few things about what this region offers in the way of its natural bounty, especially given the trips that the contestants took to gather some of their ingredients. On the flip side, although the competition was interesting, I did not fell the chemistry between the main characters, Grace and Yaz. Their relationship moved quickly from intimacy to "I love you's" and therefore didn't seem realistic to me. 3 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hate to say I was disappointed by this book. It was my first book by this author and it just was so hard to get into that I had trouble finishing it. Not only that, it had a similar premise to Georgia Beers book Whisk Me Away which was so much more believable and enjoyable then this one, I hate to say it, but it's true.

I love cooking and baking shows and books about them if they are done right. This one was not. Yaz and Grace are fantastic at the competition but when it comes to love, this fell short. It's solely based on the competition, not on them falling in love. We get no backstory on Grace which would have helped develop the story. Yaz and Grace really had no chemistry, except for a few glances then immediately hooking up to somehow being in love. It was not believable nor did it have a good build up to where you hope the MCS get together.

I really wanted to like this, but I couldn't. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am all for cooking and baking and on occasion to read about it. I am sure both Yaz and Grace are really good at that since they excel at it in the competition. However, that is unfortunately all the book is about. We get no backstory, Grace's especially would have been amazing to read about, and regarding romance between them that is severely lacking. We go from cooking only, perhaps look at each other a bit to hooking up in the end but I see no relationship build-up, so I see this more about a story about two colleagues hooking up on occasion than being a couple being the love of each other's life.

3.5⭐️
A sapphic romance with a cooking competition as a background? Count me in. I really like the concept and wish to see it in real life. I was invested in the competition and wished to see more cooking scenes, showing the creation process. I really enjoyed the first interactions between Yaz and Grace, how they helped each other and grew closer. They are well-developed and likeable especially Grace; Yaz was a bit judgmental and frustrating at times. Nevertheless, I found that Grace and Yaz didn't spend enough time together to develop their relationship more deeply. Correct me if I'm wrong (no wonder I need glasses now), but I don't think I saw them talk about Grace's grief, and that's a shame. Overall, it was tasty, with chemistry and drama, but I'm left a bit hungry.