Sugar by Kimberly Stuart

Sugar by Kimberly Stuart

Let’s begin with the summary:

After realizing her coworkers at L’Ombre, a high-profile restaurant in NYC, will never appreciate or respect her, Charlie Garrett allows her ex-boyfriend, Avery Michaels, to convince her to work for him as executive pastry chef at his new Seattle hotspot, Thrill. She’ll have her own kitchen, her own staff—everything she ever wanted professionally.

When she arrives at Thrill, however, she realizes that Avery wanted more than a pastry chef for his restaurant—he wanted a costar for the reality show they’re filming about the restaurant and its staff. Charlie is uncomfortable with the idea at first, but she soon realizes that this is her chance to show the world what women in the kitchen are capable of. She sets some ground rules with the film crew, signs a non-disclosure agreement, and promptly meets the man of her dreams, Kai, off-camera.

The show, and her demanding work schedule as head of the pastry kitchen, makes it nearly impossible for Charlie and Kai to spend time together. Drama on and off the set soon take a toll on Charlie’s well-being, forcing her to choose if life in front of the camera is worth sacrificing life behind the scenes.

And now, my review:

I had a difficult time getting into this story. I’d heard people raving about this book, but after reading the opening chapter or so I couldn’t relate with their opinions.

I liked the idea of a story framed around a heroine chef. I enjoy cooking shows and the occasional Hallmark movie centered around chefs. So I was looking forward for a lighthearted read about a chef's journey, even a bit of romance. 

The story was not at all what I expected, both in content and in genre. Unfortunately, I assumed this was a CBA book, but what I found was bleak, violent, and crude. Because of this, after about 2 percent into the story, I decided to move on to the next book in my TBR list.

I wish the author well.