Scrumptious [Mass Market Paperback]

Amanda Usen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 1, 2012

"In the small but expanding niche of foodie romance, Usen's debut rules the kitchen with lip—smacking prose and rowdy protagonists who put Iron Chef to shame...the pacing, emotion, and erotic exuberance all sparkle."
            — Publishers Weekly

"In her superbly crafted debut, Usen blends together two realistically complicated protagonists, a well–realized culinary setting (complete with mouthwatering descriptions of food), and plenty of incendiary love scenes. The resulting literary dish is a smart, sexy, simply irresistible contemporary romance."
            — Booklist

TALL, DARK & DELICIOUS

Joe Rafferty is just as mouthwatering as the food he cooks. But if he thinks he's going to waltz in and take over her kitchen, he's denser than a thick slice of chocolate ripple cheesecake. Marly has invested too much of her life in Chameleon to hand off the restaurant to someone else—especially a cocky–as–all–get–out superstar chef. But there's no denying the man knows how to light her fire. Question is: Can she have the sizzle without feeling the burn?

 

"The title perfectly summarizes the feel of this book. Both the main characters and the culinary dishes are described in such a way that readers can practically taste, see and feel every word. Usen has a way with words and it translates to a solid storyline with great sex scenes."
            — RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the small but expanding niche of foodie romance, Usen's debut rules the kitchen with lip-smacking prose and rowdy protagonists who put Iron Chef to shame." - Publishers Weekly

"The resulting literary dish is a smart, sexy, simply irresistible contemporary romance." - Booklist

"RT Rating: 4/5 Stars The title perfectly summarizes the feel of this book. Both the main characters and the culinary dishes are described in such a way that readers can practically taste, see and feel every word. Usen has a way with words and it translates to a solid storyline with great sex scenes." - RT Book Reviews

"Overall, I enjoyed this book. The details about the inner-workings of a restaurant kitchen were done brilliantly without bogging down the story at all which was amazing to me, because there is a lot of detail in this book about cooking, prep work, and how a kitchen staff flows within a restaurant." - Smitten with Reading

"It is an absolute winner that delights on every level. RECOMMENDED READ 4/5 Stars" - Romance Novel News

"I loved the details of the restaurant life and how they created their culinary masterpieces. The side story of someone sabotaging the restaurant was very intriguing and had me guessing until the absolute end. I can't wait to read more from this author because she kept me captivated up until the very end and I absolutely adored her characters. NIGHT OWL REVIEWS TOP PICK" - Night Owl Reviews

"SCRUMPTIOUS delivers a yummy treat for the senses and the imagination!" - The Romance Reviews

"All in all, it was heart-warming, and funny and I would definitely read another release by Amanda Usen." - A Tasty Read

"I rate it 4 out of 5 stars" - I Read, I Think, I Share

"I plan on reading more by Amanda Usen, if she continues to combine her love of cooking and romance, I enjoyed this unique combination." - Forever Book Lover

"Amanda Usen's SCRUMPTIOUS is exactly as its title says – scrumptious." - Mrs. Condit Reads Books

"SCRUMPTIOUS is a finely crafted ensemble piece. Fresh Pick 1/9/2012" - Fresh Fiction

"The rapid-fire repartee and imaginative bed sport between our ultimately fragile lovers is matched only by the rock 'em, sock 'em goings-on in the kitchen. Culinary Institute of America grad Usen puts her skills to excellent effect in this debut novel as she allows readers a behind-the-scenes view of dining out. Sexy, tart, spicy, and just plain Scrumptious." - Library Journal

"I'm eagerly awaiting her July release of Luscious, the follow-up to Scrumptious. And hey, Amanda, if you happen to have a spare chocolate cheesecake lying around, savor it, as I've savored your debut." - USA Today HEA Blog

"SCRUMPTIOUS sells itself! It has delicious food, intelligent characters, and a romance that succeeds on many levels. It is the perfect dish for your reading day!" - Romance Junkies

"Scrumptious is an action-packed, extremely heat-inducing, sexual romance that's sure to tickle your funny bone at the same time it's spiking your temperature. " - Dark Divas Reviews

"I cannot wait to read more from Amanda Usen." - Royal Reviews

"This will definitely be a hit!" - Book Binge

"I'll be keeping my eyes open for more from this author" - Caught in a FAB Romance

"If you're looking for a new author, add "Scrumptious" to your TBR list." - Urban Girl Reader

"Scrumptious is a dazzling entry in the newer sub-genre of foodie romances. " - Roundtable Reviews

"Plain old adorable" - Books Like Breathing

"*SNAPS* to Ms Usen, you knocked it out of the park :) I can't wait to read more from you :) " - Seriously Reviewed

"All in all- I truly enjoyed this light read and will look for more by this talented author. A culinary piece de resistance!!" - Where's My Muse?

"If you are looking for something fun to read with Sexy Times that will curl your toes then this is it." - Romancing Rakes For the Love of Romance

About the Author

Amanda Usen knows two things for certain: chocolate cheesecake is good for breakfast and a hot chef can steal your heart. Her husband stole hers the first day of class at the Culinary Institute of America. They live in Western New York with their three children and an ancient beagle.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402259824
• ISBN-13: 978-1402259821
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.2 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,089,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amanda Usen knows two things for certain: chocolate cheesecake is good for breakfast and a hot chef can steal your heart. Her husband stole hers the first day of class at the Culinary Institute of America - so she married him after graduation in a lovely French Quarter restaurant in New Orleans. They spent a few years enjoying the food and the fun in the Big Easy before they returned to Western New York to raise a family. Amanda spends her days teaching pastry arts classes and her nights writing romance. If she isn't baking or writing, she can usually be found chasing the kids around the yard with her very own scrumptious husband. Visit her at http://amandausen.wordpress.com if you'd like to chat about romance, writing or recipes.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So de-lish! January 10, 2012

By Amanda

Format:Kindle Edition

Umm, hello, it's a book about a hot guy and food...I loved it! You can't go wrong with the combo.

Things are starting to look up for Marlene in the beginning. Her best friends cheating sorry excuse for a chef husband was finally caught in the act and fired on the spot and the man she has been lusting over since Olivia, her best friend, introduced them is coming into town. Her night takes a turn when she try's to make the move on Joe and he shuts her down. Apparently he no longer does the `sleeping around' thing. He promised his dying mother `no more sluts' and that we would finally settle down. Of course this causes a bit of a problem for a couple reasons.

One- Olivia just named Joe head chef until she can find someone more permanent.
Marlene has practically dedicated her life to Olivia and her family's restaurant Chameleon. They took her in when Marlene's family failed to be there for her and gave her a job. When it came time for college Olivia went off to chef school while Marlene stayed back to support the restaurant and worked her way up. Olivia got the education in a classroom and a crappy husband with a gambling problem while Marlene got real kitchen experience and is probably the best for the job that Olivia just gave to Joe. Having a friend that doesn't believe in you and a man who thinks your a slut and flaky is bound to make any girl upset.
Two- Joe basically just called her a slut.
Why is this a problem? Well, what girl wants to be called a slut. Guys can do it, but girls can't? Hmm... that doesn't seem right. Plus, there is nothing wrong with Marlene going after what she wants. She is a single, successful and confident woman. Why shouldn't she go after a man who she wants and who so obviously wants her?

If you can't stand the heat.....: Keith, Olivia's ex, is more pissed that he was fired than the fact that he was caught cheating in the backroom of the restaurants kitchen. Now there are mysterious and borderline dangerous things going on around the restaurant. I liked the little dash of mystery the wove along in with Joe and Marlene's story. It was so obvious Keith was behind it, but it turned out to be a little more. The only thing that seemed a little far-fetched was the little poker game in the end.

Two peas in a pod: Joe and Marlene think that they want different things, but really all they want is a sense of family, security, love and respect. Of course, a simple conversation would clear up everything, but what kind of story would the be.They both have deep rooted issues with their parents and past relationships, but they work great as a team in and outside of the kitchen. Let's just say the man is a wizard with his hands.

My Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

I liked the whole chef and restaurant thing. My dad was a chef and I always thought about doing something like that. Maybe someday... Read more ›

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Not-so-scrumptious characters January 3, 2012

By Kimberly

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Chef Joe Rafferty made one promise to his dying mother - there will be "no more sluts." He's determined to keep that promise and settle down with a nice woman. But when he comes to the aid of his culinary school friend Olivia, Joe meets Olivia's best friend Marlene. Marly is the exact opposite of the kind of girl Joe knows he should fall for, but what harm is there in taking a slight detour before he gets back on the path to finding Ms. Right?

Mr. Right Now is all Marly ever looks for; she's seen enough damage caused by love and marriage, thank you very much. Joe would be the perfect candidate for a fling...if it weren't for the fact that he's trying to take over the restaurant she's put her life's blood into. If Marly wants to run Olivia's restaurant, she needs to get rid of Joe. The only problem is, the more she's around the too-sexy-for-her-peace-of-mind Joe, the more Marly wants him to stay.

Forget the frying pan - Scrumptious is all about fire. The fire between Marlene and Joe, that is. Amanda Usen's debut novel sizzles with passion, but where it really shines isn't in the romance or the love scenes, but in the food. Ms. Usen's culinary background shows; the restaurant scenes in Scrumptious are to die for. Ms. Usen's prose is effortless, light, and utterly charming when her chefs are in the kitchen.

Where Scrumptious falls short is in the characters. Marly has worked so hard to prove herself to Olivia that she's understandably crushed by the fact that Olivia brings Joe to run the kitchen. And why does Olivia do so when Marly's perfectly capable? Because Olivia and Marly - two life-long best friends - don't have a simple thirty second conversation that could have cleared up their big misunderstanding.... Joe, for his part, is the typical sexy hero, but it grated on my nerves that he thinks of Marly as a "slut" for most of the book. Yes, she revels in her sexuality...just as Joe does. When combined with a few other things he does in the book, the fact that Joe doesn't see himself (or any other man) as a slut just shows him to be sexist, a trait I don't find at all attractive. Both Marly and Joe just didn't appeal to me as protagonists which made it easy for me to put Scrumptious down. As for the third major player, Olivia, she's so blind on a number of issues that I wanted to shake her - hard - frequently.

The plot of Scrumptious mostly revolves around misunderstandings and the characters growing up. However, in the last quarter of the book the plot takes a turn into something strange, unnecessary, and way too over the top. I won't spoil it by saying what happens, but I feel like Ms. Usen jumped the shark a bit in the end. Still, Ms. Usen's skill at bringing the culinary world to life should not be overlooked. While Scrumptious didn't hit the spot for me, I would give another one of Ms. Usen's foodie romances a try in the future. Read more ›

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot chefs, good food, good story! January 1, 2012

By Sharon " I Mainline Fiction"

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Marlene Bennett is the pastry chef at Chameleon, a restaurant owned by her childhood friend, Olivia. When Olivia's husband Keith is caught in the cold room with his pants down and fired, Marlene thinks this is her chance to take over the line operation. Instead, Olivia brings in hunky chef Joe Rafferty. Marlene and Joe strike sparks from the beginning but they both have issues with trust and it takes some time for them to connect. Marlene resents his being at the restaurant and Joe judges her by her easy- going relationships with other men at the restaurant.
When several things go wrong in the restaurant, Joe thinks Marley is still trying to undermine him, but eventually they realize that something more serious is happening. Olivia cannot seem to get it together and waffles about whether she should bring Keith back or sell the restaurant. Joe and Marlene have to work together (other than just in bed) to achieve their hearts desire.
I always enjoy a book about foodies. There is so much that goes on in the back that we do not ever see and it is a lot of work for the staff to keep it that way. Marlene and Joe are both dedicated to their work and very similar in their personal life. It is interesting that Joe denigrates Marley for being sexually active when he is the same. On the other hand, Marlene gives him grief about his relationship with his father and she has a terrible one with her own father. Both characters have to let go of the baggage if they want to be together. External issues add to the stress on the relationship but the ending is satisfying and realistic. This was an enjoyable book and I look forward to future offerings by Ms. Usen.