5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Blah., November 3, 2007
This review is from: Crush du Jour (Romantic Comedies (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
I read almost all of the Simon Pulse romantic comedies. Not because I'm expecting them to be any good, but because they're like literary candy, and they tide me over until the next one of my series books comes out. Still, this was one of the worst ones I've ever read, which is odd because my favorite one, "30 Guys in 30 Days," was also written by Micol Ostow. I realize the main character is really passionate about the culinary arts, but the constant food metaphors and puns were obnoxious rather than clever. The book is only around 200 pages, and I would say 80% of it is taken up by Laine's interior monologues, all of which are slight variations on the same theme. It was as if Ostow cut and pasted the same couple of paragraphs every 10 pages, but just changed a couple of adjectives here and there. Also, the main love interest was totally one-dimensional. Laine, the professed flirt, claims she's interested in actually making Seth "the one" she has a serious relationship with, but there's absolutely no evidence of anything special about Seth. Laine constantly reiterates how hot he is, but that's the extent of it. I couldn't even tell you what Seth was supposed to look like, so vague were the descriptions of him. I think he supposedly had dimples.
This book represents truly lazy writing. Once again, I wasn't expecting great literature, but I think Micol Ostow was just phoning this one in.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scrumptious, sinful, and sweet - readers will eat Ostow's latest up with a spoon!, October 19, 2007
This review is from: Crush du Jour (Romantic Comedies (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
Sixteen-year-old Laine Harper is what you would call a Type-A personality. To the tenth power. She's also what you would term a serial flirter, batting her eyes at just about any spicy male specimen who happens to glance in her direction. But this summer, as she embarks on her senior year, she has come up with one very, very strict rule, which she's going to follow to a T - no boys! But when she snags the perfect summer job - teaching a cooking class to a group of preteens, and learns that her teaching partner, Seth McFadden, is a five course hottie, she realizes, that, perhaps, her mother - a restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Tribune - is right, and she has bitten off more than she can chew.
Of course, a full plate isn't going to scare Laine away. In fact, she is even more determined to stick it out. Relying on her savings, and her mother's meager salary for a spot at a top Ivy league, Laine knows that making some cold, hard cash would really help her to fund her college education, and purchase those sizzling purple suede shoes she spotted at Target. So when Seth offers her a position at his father's new fusion restaurant, Hype, Laine scoops up the job without thinking about waitressing experience - or, in her case, lack thereof. Unfortunately, it is her screw-ups in the kitchen - and the dining room - that make her seem klutzy, uncoordinated, and utterly tipless. Add to the fact that a waitress with caramel-colored tresses, by the name of Callie, seriously has it in for her; and the unexpected chemistry between her and Seth to the mix, and things at Hype are seriously heating up. But when Laine's mother writes a scathing review about Hype in her column, Laine realizes that all bets are off - regarding her position at Hype, and how she's viewed in Seth's eyes. And suddenly, Laine feels as if she's sinking in a vat of sticky chocolate sauce, with no way of escape. Unless she can prove to Seth that she wants to be the chunky peanut butter to his rich, dark chocolate.
I don't always indulge in teen romance, but when I spotted Micol Ostow's CRUSH DU JOUR, I absolutely couldn't resist. In general, Ostow has a way with words that brings her teen angst-ridden characters to life; but with CRUSH DU JOUR, the added "foodie" talk only worked to make her most recent effort even more delightful. From page one I fell head-over-heels in love with Laine's character. She's a fast-talking girl who instantly becomes your best friend; whose penchant for mixing it up in the kitchen leaves your stomach screaming for a snack. The fact that Ostow presents Laine to readers as a love 'em and leave 'em type, then lays out her insecurities on a silver platter only make her a more endearing character. Her quirky pal, Anna, is the perfect gossip guru, who does what she can to boost Laine's morale. And Seth's shy, dimple-cheeked, good boy personality makes you love him on sight - if only he would leave the wimpiness behind, and go for what he wants! Scrumptious, sinful, and sweet - readers will eat Ostow's latest up with a spoon!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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