I loved this story! there’s so much love and tenderness between between Sullivan and Kia, I love their history and how they’re rivalry and attraction was uniquely written. I felt the story lagged a little in the middle, I started to wander from the story, but the ending brought me right back in.
I love the character development throughout the story, especially with the second-chance trope of this story. I also love that they’re both chefs and have interesting, unique career paths with that!

the narration and production of this audiobook was also really well done. reading the audiobook kept me more captivated than reading the e-arc did.

thank you for the alc!

This book was delightful and contained so many little details that stood out to me.

It tells the story of two culinary school rivals who reconnect years after graduation. Sullivan is the owner of a high-end sustainable restaurant and struggling to protect a pristine forest that her family has spent generations caring for. Kia is a social media star and food truck owner looking for a place where she can put down roots and build a community of other food truck owners priced out by gentrification. The two women end up in a marriage of convenience to stop Sullivan’s family land from falling into the hands of an evil corporation seeking to build a fast-food restaurant.

I adored the rivals-to-lovers dynamics between Kia and Sullivan. It is clear that both women admired each other greatly while in culinary school and their friendly rivalry pushed each to become the best chef possible.

I thought it was cute that both Sullivan and Kia admired a certain type of art – Sullivan with her nude portraits and Kia with her O’Keefe florals.

Sullivan and Kia live together to make their marriage seem more convincing. Watching their walls slowly come down and Kia start to make herself at home in Sullivan’s house was really beautiful.
I appreciated that this book was performed with dual narration. The narrator performing Sullivan’s chapter did a great job of conveying how Sullivan gradually opened up to Kia. The contrast between how her voice sounded at the beginning of the book compared to the warmth and softness in her voice at the end really added to the emotional journey for me. The narrator performing as Kia was amazing!

I also appreciated the book’s focus on environmentalism and sustainability. I would love to see that theme explored in romance novels more often.

On the prose level, I loved all the food similes used in non-culinary contexts.

Since I work in the legal field, the legal aspects of the story really stood out to me! I wasn’t expecting to ever read about a motion for summary judgment in a romance novel! I am such a nerd though because I have so many questions about their attorney’s legal strategy and the nitty gritty details of the lawsuit.

All in all, I recommend this book!

highlights:
- 2 beds but they share anyway
- legal drama
- marriage of convenience
- rivals to lovers
- flirting by cooking

I enjoyed this book for the most part. There were some elements that I struggled with. This is a sapphic marriage of convenience between Sullivan, a pan restaurant owner, and Kia, a lesbian influencer food truck owner. They went to culinary school together and had a bit of a rivalry going on. And now they're reconnected. Kia is hoping to purchase a plot of land...land that Sullivan's family has owned for a long time, and she doesn't want food trucks to destroy it. Unfortunately, Kia has been livestreaming about it (which made little sense to me, who livestreams about a deal before it goes through?), and a big fast food company sweeps in and tries to take the land. Enter the marriage of convenience; between them, they can team up and fight the good fight. At least it's an enemy she knows, and they can work together to ensure the land isn't completely destroyed. We spend time with them fighting the push and pull of their feeling as well as dealing with the court case with the fast food company. I feel like the book was a little too long. Some elements could have been shortened or cut out to make it a little stronger. Kia seemed to be all over the place with her thoughts, and for someone in her 30s, it seemed a little more suited to someone younger. For both of them, really. I did enjoy their relationship overall. The passion they had for their work, the vision they had, and wanting to do it together. I loved that they didn't listen to the other people in their lives and stayed true to themselves and each other, not buying into unnecessary drama.

Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb were great. I loved their performances in this dual narration. It was always clear whose POV we were in and which character was speaking. Each character's voice was distinctive.

Thanks a bunch to NetGalley for sending over this audiobook!

I enjoyed Taste the Love. This is my second sapphic romance, and I’m having a blast. These characters had this super unique rivalry that was more about admiring each other than trying to outdo one another. It was a really interesting take on how rivals-to-lovers usually play out in books.

Alice Sullivan, or Sullivan for short, is all about the culinary industry. She’s mysterious and secretive, which makes her super intriguing to everyone who meets her. But Kia, Sullivan’s classmate in culinary school, is the complete opposite. She’s bubbly and adventurous, and she’s not afraid to try new things, except when it comes to Sullivan.

Everyone thinks they hate each other, but their rivalry fuels more than just admiration in the end. I loved how the side plot was tied into the story, and how Sullivan and Kia had to work together to save both of their careers.

My only gripe is that they both had these existential crises throughout the story when it was clear to everyone that Kia and Sullivan were more than just rivals, friends, and coworkers. I wish they had gotten together sooner and worked through their issues together so that they could have fought the big corporate giant as a united front.

This book was an absolute joy to experience, and the audiobook made it even more special. Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb brought so much heart and nuance to the narration that I felt completely immersed in Sullivan and Kia’s story.
The romance had everything I love: second chances, slow-burn tension, and a fake marriage trope done right. Their chemistry was electric, and their individual growth felt both authentic and earned. Watching Sullivan and Kia slowly let their guards down and step out of their comfort zones was truly meaningful.
What made this book even more powerful was its celebration of community, inclusion, and queer joy. It beautifully highlighted the importance of giving LGBTQIA+ individuals a platform and the ripple effect that it has on younger generations who are still figuring themselves out. Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters have crafted a heartfelt love letter to representation, and it shows on every page.
As a listener, it was an honour to engage with a story written by POC and LGBTQIA+ authors whose voices deserve far more space in mainstream publishing. With its themes of empowerment, identity, and dreams, set against a vibrant foodie backdrop, this was such a heartwarming and affirming read.
Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for the opportunity. 🩷🫶🏽

Taste the Love by Katelia and Faye Stetz-Waters
Sapphic contemporary romance.
Alice Sullivan and Kia Jackson have been rivals since culinary school as well as secretly liking the other. They ended up walking away at the time and reconnecting years later over a food truck, and piece of land. A surprise marriage proposal starts the relationship down the path of cooking and love.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The narration is performed by Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb. Both do a great job with the performance and angst and other emotions of the story. Good variations on the different voices, with the exception of a young child, but those are always difficult to get the right tone.
I listened at 1.5 and slightly higher so I could read along with the ebook.
Overall I liked the audiobook to hear the two women and secondary characters come to life.

I’m not comfortable with conflict so it took me a bit to appreciate the couple and their angst. Once they had common goals, it moved better for me. Hardships and the threat from outside caused problems (communicate!) and promises.
Hea. So happy.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Publisher Hachette Audio.

3.5⭐️ 1 🌶️
Taste the love was such a cute ☺️ Sapphic romance. Two rivalry chiefs that was push into a marriage of convenience that would save an environmental Greenspace land. It was cute, entertaining and battle of big corporations trying to build over small towns.

Blurb:
Six years ago, eco-chef Alice Sullivan and her culinary-school rival almost gave into the burning tension between them. But those kisses? Just the heat of competition boiling over. Sullivan never expected to see Kia after graduation . . . until Kia crashes back into her life with a plan to buy Sullivan’s beloved Portland greenspace.

Kia has worked hard building her social media empire as the big-hearted glitter-bomb queen of the food-truck scene. Now she’s one step away from opening a foodie utopia for underrepresented culinary talents. But Kia’s plans catch the attention of a bulldozer-happy food conglomerate, and now both Kia and Sullivan’s dreams are on the line. When a legal loophole turns out to be the only way to save what they each love most, they’re left with one option: pull off a very public fake marriage to obtain the deed to the land and keep their old rivalry under control.

As the line between fake and real love blurs, can Kia and Sullivan set aside their differences and find the perfect recipe for happily ever after?

3.75⭐️
I quite enjoyed this read! It felt like it went by really quickly and I think the story line flowed really nicely. I struggled a little bit seeing the chemistry between the two characters and everything happens so quickly that I wanted more time to see them connecting, even if that was through more flashbacks of their time in culinary school. However I did like the final direction this book took and the overall messaging coming from this plot line.

I listened to this fully as an audiobook and I think it was a very well produced audio. I also noticed at times there were perspective changes mid-chapter and because this has two narrators it was really easy to distinguish whose perspective I was hearing from. Each narrator had a distinct voice that made it easy to identify who I was reading from.

Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the early audio copy!

Taste the Love by Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters
In this sapphic second chance, marriage of convenience tale, we meet two rival chefs, Kia and Sullivan, who’ve got their fair share of (steamy) history and intentionally decide to get married so a legacy restaurant property can be easily attained over an up-and-coming large named food business. The rollercoaster of reliving the thoughts and feelings from 6 years prior when the two attended the same culinary school is enough for both Kia and Sullivan.

I was given the chance to read this married duo’s ‘Second Night Stand’ last year and it was such a fun sapphic rom-com. I knew I would love Taste the Love just as much. And I love it just a bit more. This book is unapologetically and loudly queer and I am so incredibly grateful for being given the opportunity to read this early. The premise was solid and hooked me instantly. I am so happy that it measured up to what I had expected. I thought the history between the two characters, and being chef’s, was original and really unique. I listened to the ALC while I read the ARC and the audio narrator’s were phenomenal. Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb brought Sullivan and Kia to life and propelled the story through the ups and downs.

This book is available now. Thank you to Forever, the authors, and NetGalley for the early ALC/ARC.

*This an audiobook review.*
The culinary setting is very appealing and I like the story's take on "2 people from different worlds", a high end gastronomy chef and a talented food truck chef.

Sadly, I didn't appreciate the audio narration and couldn't get past it : lack of authenticity, voice choices that didn't agree with me and massive quantity of french words used without the shadow of the right prononciation.
I DNFed it after 2 chapters.

I'd definitely consider reading it in written format, because of the setting, characters, and witty writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this audiobook ARC 🙂‍↕️

I’m not the target audience for this book. The writing style and the narration didn’t work for me. That’s not a criticism at all—just not a good fit. I’m sure others will enjoy this audiobook. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Sweet and interesting easy to follow storyline. Was rooting for the characters from the beginning event as they floundered about a bit

This story revolves around the two chefs Kia and Sullivan in the trope of Marriage of inconvenience,

I Liked how the story came into being, their chemistry, the rivals to lovers journey.

This Book is a warm hug of a romance, wrapped in kitchen heat and queer joy. The chemistry between both the characters is magnetic, the emotional growth is tender and authentic, the spice was hot and INTIMATE !!! I love how the author used food as a love language, because hello? its my love language too, it made every meal feel like a moment of intimacy and passion.

However, i will be honest fully, i was about to DNF this book because the way the story picked up in the start was a little, messy, confusing and a bit hard to focus on, BUT.. as i kept reading and gave this book a chance, from about 40% of the book, the story started getting interesting, funny, intense and i am GLAD! that i did not stop reading it. it was hilarious, the One Bed trope, the fake marriage trope. it was al so lovely.

If you love slow-burn tension, strong but vulnerable women,, this one’s for you.I would suggest NOT to DNF it but give it a chance, and read it...

Highly recommend for fans of:

👩‍❤️‍👩 Sapphic romance
🍲 Foodie love stories
💬 Witty banter
🌈 Queer joy
👩‍❤️‍👩 Found family
💍 Marriage of inconvenience

It has taken me a while to write this review because I have so many complicated emotions and thoughts surrounding this book. From the beginning of the book I was hooked and really hopeful it was going somewhere cute and fun with the graduation day kiss and the potentially steamy night afterwards. I however, get hung up on the fact that these people then disappear from each other's lives and it doesn't even seem like they keep tabs on each other despite the "huge" and "formative" impact they had on their respective careers.

After that, everything kind of went downhill from there. I appreciated all the emphasis and effort to convey the importance of conservation and limiting waste and I think it should be a more common theme in books. However, it felt like the characters were so hung up on what they thought was right and best for their view point when if they had just sat down and talked about everything, a solution that they both could have lived with could have been reached sooner.

I also hated the amount of focus on the law suit stuff. I know it's important and that its a very real situation that so many people deal with every day, but I just felt like it dragged on.

I really wanted to like this book and I kind of liked the characters, but it just fell flat and there were too many moments of frustration for me to enjoy. Overall, it was very well written and touched on a lot of important things, it just missed the mark for me personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Taste the Love is a deliciously chaotic, eco-conscious sapphic rom-com that blends enemies-to-lovers tension with a side of foodie flair, fake dating hijinks, and community-driven heart. This is a book that wraps you in warmth and then hits you with a spicy little kick—kind of like Kia’s signature jalapeño-maple grilled cheese (a fictional dish, but one I now crave).

Kia is pure sunshine incarnate. She’s charming, exuberant, and emotionally generous, with the kind of high-octane charisma that lights up every scene she’s in. Sullivan, on the other hand, is the grump to Kia’s sunshine—introverted, guarded, and deeply committed to her land and her people. Watching these two fall for each other despite their messy past and opposing worldviews is an absolute joy. Their chemistry crackles like a skillet on high heat.

The book’s themes radiate: sustainability, food justice, and the power of found family all get center stage. The Portland vibes are strong (and accurate), with food trucks, farmers markets, and queer community spaces bringing the backdrop to life. Cameos from characters like Lillian and the burlesque crew add extra flavor, tying in a lovely sense of continuity for fans of the authors’ previous work. And that slow-burn-fake-married dynamic? Absolutely sizzling.

As for the audiobook: while I appreciated the dual narration concept, the delivery was slightly uneven for me. Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb both have strong individual presence, but the tonal contrast between the narrators made transitions a bit jarring. Some moments lacked the emotional nuance the text deserved, especially during tender or high-conflict scenes. I would still recommend the audiobook if you're multitasking or prefer listening, but it’s the kind of story that might land better on the page for maximum impact.

Taste the Love is a warm, quirky, and unapologetically queer celebration of resilience, romance, and radical joy. If you're into fake marriage plots, anti-corporate girlies with food trucks, or just want something sapphic and soul-nourishing, this one deserves a spot on your TBR

This book was such a warm hug of a romcom. The audiobook was even better, the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to live. The food, the fake dating, the flirty rivalry it all just worked. I absolutely loved Kia and Sullivan’s dynamic. Their history made the tension feel real, and watching them navigate big dreams, second chances, and unexpected feelings was so satisfying.

The foodie setting made everything feel so vibrant and alive, and I appreciated how much heart the authors put into the themes of community and queer joy.

If you love sapphic romance, a good fake marriage plot, and food truck vibes with a side of emotional depth, Taste the Love is worth every bite.

The book has its charm, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The premise of a sapphic bakery romance is super cute, and I was hoping I'd love it.

It took me quite a while for the plot to grab me, despite loving the fake dating and marriage of convenience tropes. I am unsure if it was the book itself or Sullivan’s narrator.


The characters didn't have all that much chemistry in my opinion, and the spicy scenes were nothing incredible; it just felt like their relationship was somewhat lacking.

The ending felt rushed, and the lawsuit, which was the whole reason behind the fake marriage to begin with, felt like it was just shoved into the end.

Kia and her assistant using AI to message fans kinda rubbed me the wrong way: while not explicitly stating it was generative AI. I don’t like AI in general, but including it only to have it used for such a simple task as replying to comments is just distasteful, especially given what AI is doing to Authors & Artists, and the environment.

Taste the Love is a heartwarming and delightfully crafted Sapphic rom-com that delivers charm, chemistry, and genuine emotional depth. Written by Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters, this novel blends sweet romance with thoughtful storytelling, offering a feel-good love story that feels both modern and refreshingly authentic.

At its core, this is a story about second chances and rediscovering a connection that never truly faded. The two leads are compelling, with a dynamic that crackles with both tension and tenderness as they navigate their reunion. What begins as a seemingly strategic reconnection quickly evolves into something deeper, forcing them to confront whether their feelings are real—or just convenient.

The writing is crisp and engaging, with just the right balance of humor, heart, and emotional introspection. The authors don’t rely on cliché or over-the-top antics; instead, they build a full, cohesive story that flows effortlessly and captures the reader’s heart from beginning to end.

Taste the Love is more than just a rom-com—it’s a beautifully told romance about authenticity, vulnerability, and taking risks for love. It’s a standout in queer fiction, and one that deserves a place on every romance reader’s shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 ⭐

This book felt like a court case with a romance sub-plot, when I thought it would mainly be romance. I was waiting for the big moment between Kia and Sullivan, when they finally realised their feelings for each other and got together, but it felt underwhelming and overshadowed by the court case. Kia was my favourite character, while I found Sullivan insufferable! This story definitely had a lot of heart, and the audiobook narrators did a fantastic job of bringing these characters to life, but it dragged on too much for me. However, I won't rule out this author and still look forward to future books! :)

“Six years ago, eco-chef Alice Sullivan and her culinary-school rival almost gave into the burning tension between them. But those kisses? Just the heat of competition boiling over. Sullivan never expected to see Kia after graduation . . . until Kia crashes back into her life with a plan to buy Sullivan’s beloved Portland greenspace.

Kia has worked hard building her social media empire as the big-hearted glitter-bomb queen of the food-truck scene. Now she’s one step away from opening a foodie utopia for underrepresented culinary talents. But Kia’s plans catch the attention of a bulldozer-happy food conglomerate, and now both Kia and Sullivan’s dreams are on the line. When a legal loophole turns out to be the only way to save what they each love most, they’re left with one option: pull off a very public fake marriage to obtain the deed to the land and keep their old rivalry under control.

As the line between fake and real love blurs, can Kia and Sullivan set aside their differences and find the perfect recipe for happily ever after?”
- Synopsis of Taste The Love by Karelia Stetz-Waters & Fay Stetz-Waters

I'm going to start this review by thanking HBG for the Advance Listening Copy of this book! I like reading audiobooks, and this one was so much fun and sexy!
The tropes included in this book are the following:
Fake Dating, Marriage of Convenience, Love at first sight, and second chance.

So first we have Sullivan. She is type A with an obsession with being good to make up for her insecurities about being second in her class at Culinary School by 0.6, with Kia (our love interest) as the one who made it first. In school, Kia and Sullivan are pitted against each other. The first chapter is at their graduation, where the men are talking about their "rivalry" when it is really a relationship that has them pushing each other to be the best version of themselves, in and out of the kitchen.

Then we have Kia! Gorgeous and funny, an incredible chef, and our connection back to Karelia and Fay's Second Night Stand (Lillian from SNS is Kia's Cousin). Kia is a food influencer who is all about trying all combinations of salty and sweet and has a proper obsession with making really inventive takes on Rice Krispies Treats! Kia is my favorite character because of how lovely she is!

I love the dynamic between Sullivan and Kia. It's low-key disappointing that Sullivan doesn't see her for 10 years. Then Kia ends up coming back into her life again like a tornado trying to develop over this beautiful piece of nature that straddles Sullivan's property line, the Bois (The Wood). I love how environmentally conscious Sullivan is about the conservation of the Bois.

The food sounds amazing. The food always sounds so good! I love the idea that you can take food and make something so simple and make it sound delicious! The best part of this book is the narration! When the director said "take five," Je Nie Fleming and Jordan Cobb heard "Change lives" because this was so full of emotions! The energy was very sentimental, and they had me thinking that my own love life is too damn boring! I especially loved the moments with Sullivan's chosen family and everyone learning how to do rugby chants and Kia's one-on-ones with Lillian!

When the Amazon-esque company sues them for marital fraud, our two heroes have to prove their love on the stand. The impassioned speeches where Kia says that she has been in love with Sullivan since she met had me crying tears of joy for the couple! I love the idea that everyone comes together to help save the Bois, even Kia giving up her dream

When the Amazon-esque company sues them for marital fraud, our two heroes have to prove their love on the stand. The impassioned speeches where Kia says that she has been in love with Sullivan since she met had me crying tears of joy for the couple! I love the idea that everyone comes together to help save the Bois, even Kia giving up her dream of opening a food truck pod in this gorgeous neighborhood in the Portland suburbs of Oakwood Heights. (which is also a neighborhood in Staten Island where I live.)

I ALSO LOVED THAT THERE WAS NO THIRD-ACT BREAKUP! That trope is so dead to me. Why do we need to part ways to ponder our relationship? This book was the way to do it! This book was very grown-up about the entire thing and refused to give in to the insecurities of the characters!

Can we talk about how my hair and Sullivan's are almost identical?! I love reading about characters who share similar hair to me!

I truly enjoy reading well-written romance, and Karelia and Fay work so well together. Certain collaborations between authors can feel like two different stories. Maybe it's because they're married and understand how to co-author that this masterpiece came out, but I am here for it!

I give Taste the Love 5 Stars! Thanks, Karelia and Fay, for a great follow-up to Second Night Stand. Can't wait to read your next one!