Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Susan Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Berkley Sensation | Publication Date: June 3, 2008

World-renowned chef Jake Chambers has special talents in the kitchen—and in the bedroom as well. And local Minneapolis vintner Liv Bell is determined to let him taste what she has to offer.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Johnson lives in Minnesota. A former art historian, she considers the life of a writer the best of all possible worlds. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425222012
• ISBN-13: 978-0425222010
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,399,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Combo of Two Of My Favorite Things - Food and Sex!, July 5, 2007

By 

Denise Bolds "Lion Who Reads A Lot!" (New York United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Mass Market Paperback)

Ms. Johnson does it again! This story involves both food and sex - Jake is a world-renowned chef (my perfect aphrodisiac - a man in the kitchen!) Liv is smart, sexy and beautiful - not to mention financially secure and very cognizant of her sexuality. I enjoyed this story because the focus was not just on the two main characters - but the drama from the friends kept the story moving along. Sizzling hot story of sex with a menu to make you drool. This is very good summer reading - and plan a trip to the Culinary Institute for a dinner - there is definitely eye candy to be found along with excellent food! Oh! Don't forget the wine!:)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I am in the process of reading this book...., August 17, 2007

By 

TLC (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Mass Market Paperback)

and quite frankly, I am having trouble finishing.
I LOVE Susan Johnson's historical romances. They are always well developed, hot and steamy. I love her historic novels so much that I purchase her books whenever I see one I don't currently own without knowing anything about the story.
There are three solid things I know and have come to expect from her books.
1) The guy will always be hot
2) It will be well written, character development, plot, etc.
3) So steamy you'll need your man or device.

So far, this book only has one of the two. The guy is hot (looking), but his character is so flat that I can't feel him.
Other issues? I feel like I'm reading an amateur novelist's first time in print. There is absolutely no feeling between the main characters. No indication that they feel anything other than the need to get laid by a beautiful face.
The verse is so choppy and feels so forced that its not even entertaining. I'm hoping it will get better, but it has that Gilmore Girls, choppy dialect feel going on and that is so not sexy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Non-stop sex, not much romance, January 1, 2009

By 

Sandy Kay (Twin Cities, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wine, Tarts, & Sex (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

If you only want romances to have a plot as a means of moving from one sex scene to the next, you might like this book. There is a plot and it could have been an interesting one if the author had paid as much attention to it as to the sex scenes. I actually want my romances to be romantic and this book missed the mark there by a mile.

I ordered it because I like to read books set in Minnesota and want to support Minnesota writers. After this book, I won't be looking for any more by Susan Johnson.

Jake and Liv have sex on their second meeting. Neither of them is looking for a relationship; it's just mutual lust. After that, they have more sex every few pages, including in the back seat of the car in the grocery parking lot because they can't wait to get home and a finger job on the freeway at 80 mph (ditto for the can't wait to get home). Some of the action isn't particularly sexy to me because Jake is a sexual bully. In one passage Liv tells him "Stop!" twice -- she doesn't want to do it there (in the pantry) and not without a condom. But Jake ignores her and keeps going until she gives in. Rather than being angry, Liv is all turned on and then Jake mocks her saying he thought she didn't want to do it there. That's closer to my idea of a rapist than a romantic hero.

What they don't do is have any feelings for each other deeper than horniness. Even at the end of the book, there is no mention of love or commitment beyond Jake saying "I'm not going away."

There is more romance in the secondary plot line involving Janie (who is coincidentally a friend of both Jake and Liv) and Roman, the private investigator her soon-to-be-ex-husband sends to get their son away from her. The book doesn't end with any declarations of love between Janie and Roman either, but they have more emotional tenderness.

If you want romance, don't get this book. But if semi-explicit and slightly raunchy "love" scenes are your thing, you might like it.