| Copyright © 2008, Sue
Perkins Reviews For RECIPE FOR LOVE by Sue Perkins “Sue Perkins added just the right amount of humor to Recipe For Love. A pinch of humor, a dash of love, and a cup of delightful characters make this a great summer read.” 4 Stars! Reviewed by Anne Boling for ReviewYourBook.com “Scenes that describe the scenery around them are quite poignant and well written. The North Island of New Zealand became alive under Ms. Perkins’ pen and I was thoroughly delighted by my visit. It feels as if the author was thoroughly enjoying herself while writing the tale and it shows. The plot progressed at a decent pace while I was pondering the bad guy’s motives for making Kristy his target. Within minutes of beginning Recipe For Love, I found myself eagerly searching out Ms. Perkins’ other books. The author’s great sense of humor is responsible for such an entertaining read. All in all, Recipe For Love is a fun and light-hearted contemporary romance that has moments to savor.” Reviewed by Bluebell, The Long And Short Of It Reviews SRR GRADE: A “Yummy is the word I would use to describe Recipe for Love by Sue Perkins. I enjoyed the laid back pace of the plot and the "forbidden fruit" story line. Kirsty brought a smile to my face on more than one occasion because she knew how to handle the kitchen but she was also cunning enough to figure out how to cover her butt and keep herself out of hot water. Reeve seemed to thrive on the conflict between he and Kirsty. The secondary characters such as Chef Antoine, Gina, and Henri all provided the necessary comic and emotional support to make this a story worth recommending. This was a good, relaxing book that felt like a breath of fresh air.” Reviewed by Shira, Simply Romance Reviews Sample Chapter For RECIPE
FOR LOVE by Sue Perkins
Reeve ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. The ledgers on his desk didn’t make sense. His company had made an offer for the Hibiscus Hotel because the previous year’s accounts had showed a small, but healthy profit. The figures in front of him bore little resemblance to the previous ones. The accommodation income differed only slightly and could be due to the summer season not yet being in full swing, but the abrupt downturn in the restaurant profits was worrying. A year ago, the figures indicated the restaurant was popular for functions and casual dining plus the hotel guests. In the last six months, the casual customers had dropped fifty percent and few functions were booked in the foreseeable future. He scanned the books again, confirming what he’d already noticed. The downhill trend had started six months ago, slowly at first, but gaining momentum until the restaurant was now barely breaking even. Reeve closed the ledgers and stood, stretching to take the kinks out of his shoulders. He’d arrived at the hotel early to go over things with the manager, but had been slightly disconcerted to find Mr. Bennett had called in sick. The elderly man had also decided to take early retirement, which meant Reeve was now in charge. It had taken him nearly an hour to find the records he wanted in the untidy manager’s office, and another hour to check and recheck the figures. By now breakfast would be finished and it would be the best time to take the ledgers through to the restaurant and go over them with the head chef. Pausing to wipe the smear of dust from his hands, he sighed in annoyance. Crossing the reception area, he noticed how dark and old-fashioned it looked, but that didn’t excuse the untidiness. “Good morning,” he said, greeting the head receptionist. “Could you get one of your staff to tidy the magazines on the side tables? Oh, yes, I’d also appreciate it if you could ask the housekeeper to send one of her maids to thoroughly clean my office. Thank you.” The woman blushed and nodded in reply as he turned and headed for the restaurant. As he had expected, the room was empty. The tables had been cleared and set up for lunch, but once again the tiredness of the room drew his attention. Unfortunately, until the restaurant was making a profit, there would be no money to upgrade the dining area. A crash from the kitchen caught his attention and, placing the ledgers on a nearby table, he strode through the swing doors. He could hardly believe the sight that met his eyes. He had expected a well run, busy kitchen. Instead dirty breakfast dishes haphazardly overflowed the sink, flour was everywhere, and no work was being done. In fact the whole place appeared empty. Muttered words of anger drew him towards the far end of the kitchen where he found a young woman dressed in the kitchen uniform of checked trousers and white jacket. “Bother!” she exploded as she dragged the hat from her auburn head and threw it onto the nearby desk. “I don’t think that’s going to help, do you?” At the sound of his voice she spun round and stared at him. “I—um.” Green eyes flashed with annoyance as she struggled for composure, then she straightened and asked haughtily, “Can I help you?” “I hope so. I know you’re busy, but could you find the head chef and tell him I wish to see him in the restaurant.” The look on her face warred between surprise and irritation, her expression so comical that Reeve turned and left the room before he burst out laughing. * * * * For one second Kirsty considered hurling a flour-covered pastry ball after the retreating figure. It would make such a satisfying white mess in the perfectly groomed dark hair, but before she had time to act on the temptation, the stranger left the room and the restaurant doors swung in his wake. “What does he think I am?” Kirsty muttered as she headed for the staff cloakroom. “Some sort of lackey? And who the heck does he think he is, giving me orders?” She washed the flour from her hands, smoothed down her white linen jacket, and straightened her trousers. Inspecting her appearance in the mirror, she wrinkled her nose and carefully wiped the streak of flour from her forehead, then, returning the cap to her head, she tucked her wayward hair inside and marched through the doors to do battle with the stranger. The man sat at a table in the bay window with several ledgers open before him. Kirsty’s eyes narrowed as she took in the sun-tanned features and the well-muscled body. She hesitated for a moment before walking quietly across the room, her scrutiny becoming more intense as the distance between them narrowed. Mmm, not bad looking, she decided. But who the devil is he? His face made him appear to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and he was good looking in a rugged kind of way, with a slight bend in the nose. Kirsty shivered as she remembered the cynical way those grey eyes had looked at her. Attractive maybe, but a dangerous being lurked beneath those handsome features. With a decisive nod, she finished her appraisal and made up her mind. He’s a salesman. Probably with a few years experience under his belt. Well, I know exactly how to deal with stuck-up salesmen! She sailed across the remaining distance, her trim figure crisp and businesslike. The stranger glanced up as she reached the table, his eyes flickering with annoyance. “The head chef? I wanted to see him.” His pen tapped irritably on the table as he waited for her answer. “So you said, but Chef sees people at his convenience.” Kirsty looked down at him, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment at this battle of words. “And you can’t see him today. It’s his day off. I’m the sous-chef.” “You’ll have to do then.” Did he have to make it sound as if she was second best? He glanced down at the ledger books. “Now you’re here—please sit down.” “I’ll do no such thing. Come back another day when Chef’s around.” Head high, she marched back to the kitchen. * * * * Reeve rose, intending to follow the explosive young woman, but he hesitated. Perhaps it would be best to let her cool down first. As the seconds ticked by, he found himself amused by the prickly sous-chef. He liked staff who would speak their own minds; however, he did feel she was taking her attitude a bit too far, especially as most people tried to make a good impression on the new boss. Suddenly he remembered her words, and realised he hadn’t introduced himself. She wouldn’t have a clue he was now in charge of the hotel. With a smile on his face, he walked to the kitchen doors. He had hoped to implement his plans with the co-operation of the hotel staff and upsetting them on his first day would make things difficult. He’d better smooth things over with the woman before she blew the confrontation out of all proportion. |