Customer Reviews

Kiss The Cook (Zebra Contemporary Romance)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just loved this book! It was funny, had nice, endearing characters and zipped along at a nice pace.

Melanie (Mel) Gibson is having the day from hell, broken down car, alarm not going off, snagged hose, etc, but in the middle of all of this she meets Christopher Bishop, an accountant who ends up with his pants ripped off (don't ask) - the attraction between them is immediate, but of course, there are issues that must be resolved.

Mel had an evil fiance who left her insecure and wary of men, she thinks that hunky Chris is just too handsome and too everything to have a future with her, while Chris must tiptoe the ethical line between processing Melanie's loan for her gourmet catering business and his involvement with her, which could mean that the loan could be rejected.

The dialogue is snappy, reminded me of Liz Bevarly or Susan Andersen at their best, and both Mel and Chris are truly nice people, the secondary characters are nicely drawn, despite the short length of this book and all in all, I highly recommend this as a wonderful summer read.

Christopher Bishop was an accountant who just made partner. He was looking forward to a few wild bachelor years. The last thing he wanted was a serious and long time romance! That was, until he met Melanie Gibson (aka Mel Gibson). He soon figured out that wild years did not mean he had to to be single.

Mel did not need, was not looking, and did not want a romance with anyone! That went double for men as sexy looking as Chris! Men that looked that good should be illegal! She tried to turn him down...honest! But Chris was determined to change Mel's mind about dating him. He intended to show her that when love came around you had no choice but to MAKE time!

*** Men like this are down right sinful! Jacquie D'Alessandro has written a funny and romantic story that readers will fall in love with from the first page! Fair warning here...DO NOT open the front cover of this one until you have time to read the whole thing. You will not be wanting to put it down. Excellent and highly recommended! ***

Melanie Gibson is trying to get a bank loan to expand her gourmet catering business. She is having a terrible day and to top it all off, her delivery driver has called in sick. This forces her to make her final delivery herself. According to her own slogan if it's not there on time it's free. With 5 minutes to spare she double parks to make her "quick" delivery. That is how the fun begins. Melanie's bad day intrudes upon Chris Bishop's (owner of the blocked in car)day and he'll never quite recover from it.

This story is strung together with one liners which makes the story move swiftly. We have a quirky heroine, all she wants is a delivery van. We also have a handsome hero who happens to be a paradox, he's an accountant with a harley. Neither has the time nor the inclination to date, let alone fall in love. But as they soon find out it just takes a moment to fall in love. This book will make you laugh and when you're not laughing you'll have a silly grin plastered on your face! If you're looking for a light read that will make you laugh, look no further!

As Jacquie D'Alessandro's hilarious tale opens, Melanie Gibson (yes, her nickname is Mel), a chef and owner of a takeout restaurant, is making a delivery of a fried chicken dinner to a law firm. The order has been canceled, though she doesn't know it. When no one answers her knock, she brings it back to her car, which won't start. She had double-parked when making the delivery, blocking in Christopher Bishop's car. The handsome accountant is steamed but tries to help her out. While trying to start her car, his pants are ripped by a spring in her seat. He ends up driving her home in exchange for a chicken dinner... and this is just the beginning of a wacky courtship, in which one article of clothing is ruined in each encounter! This 4½ star story works on so many levels. Melanie and Chris are believable, multidimensional characters. Melanie's spry, wisecracking Nana and Chris' matchmaking mama add humorous color to the tale, which snaps along at a breakneck pace. And humorous and dramatic moments are handled equally well. Bon appetit!

I laughed (a lot), I cried and I enjoyed. This is a light, fast romp of a story. From the first chapter where Murphy's Law takes over to the HEA the characters touch the emotions. Mel Gibson's hormones literally talk/sing to her and are a pip. I even enjoyed the fact that the hero, Chris, was an accountant. A nice change from the usual hero image.

The dialogue was a hoot. Sample (no spoilers):

"Don't worry. You're in good hands. We'll have a lot of fun." She eyed him with clear suspicion. "Define fun." He laughed. "Trust me on this."

I don't know about you, but I'd have been running in the other direction. Mel is braver than me.

Nana, Mel's grandma, is a card. She says whatever she wants, whenever she wants. It only adds to the humor. She is, also, people smart. She helps when emotions are out of control and manages to make the most profound statements seem obvious. I really enjoyed her.

If you're looking for a laugh, characters that have values shining through, and a fast, fun read, go out and get "Kiss the Cook". You won't regret it, I don't. It's firmly on my keeper shelf.

Ok, Jacquie, when do we get the next one?

After reading "Red Roses Mean Love" I couldn't wait to read Ms. D'Alessandro's next book! I received "Kiss the Cook" from Amazon.com while working on site on a project in Dayton, OH. The charming and funny Mel Gibson and the totally bodacious Chris Bishop took me laughing through the tedium of the last days of the project and a long day traveling home. A very funny and extremely entertaining book. I highly recommend it!

I laughed on the very first page and continued to do so until the end of the book. The story opens with the heroine, Mel, in a situation that anyone who's ever driven an old car will recognize. The hero and heroine are believable and completely endearing (just as endearing is Mel's grandmother Nana). Without giving away any plot, I have to say that this book has one of the funniest marriage proposals I've read. Ms. D'Alessandro has a talent for creating characters that you care about and putting them in situations that will make you laugh out loud.

Two months after his younger brother graduated from college and finally moves out, Christopher Bishop finally feels like he can enjoy life and live the bachelor life. What he didn't count on was meeting Melanie Gibson.

Melanie is struggling to start her own take out/catering business and has no time for dating, but Chris is persistant. He knows what he wants and goes after it. Melanie is surprised when she falls in love with Chris, but after being burned once can she trust him?

The author of Red Roses Mean Love has written a great contemporary romance that readers will cherish. Melanie and Chris will charm your heart and make the reader smile. Highly recommended.

I buy everything that comes out by this author and have yet to be disappointed. This book is full of sexual tension, good humor and great characters. Oh Chris where are you? Hot, sexy, sweet, all of my favorite qualities. And Melanie is sweet, insecure, smart and has great comebacks. I loved these two characters together. This book oozes sexual tension (and it's done at it's best). I loved the list that Melanie spouts off to keep Chris at a distance and then he proceeds to do everything on that list for her. Chris was a great hero - heres a man that wants to stay a bachelor but the minute he see and spends time with Melanie he seems to realize the inevitable. This book was perfect I could not rate it any better, if you have not yet had a chance to read - Run out and get it.

The only complaint - not nearly long enough. I would have happily continued reading. Other books by this author that are great are - Never a lady, Love and the single heiress, Not quite a gentlman

Another sure-fire winner from Jacquie D'Alessandro. If you like Susan Elizabeth Phillips, you will love "Kiss the Cook." A funny, always sexy, mouth-watering read--the novel to pack for pure vacation escape. "Mel" Gibson is a thoroughly modern, thoroughly quirky, and refreshingly normal heroine. Accountant Christopher Bishop can plan, organize, and rationalize all he wants--we know he never stands a chance against 'Hurricane' Mel! This book's a bargain, worth buying now and saving for those few stolen hours when you want a terrific romp of a romance.