Holly‘s review of Delicious
Famous in Paris, infamous in London, Verity Durant is as well-known for her mouthwatering cuisine as for her scandalous love life. But that’s the least of the surprises awaiting her new employer when he arrives at the estate of Fairleigh Park following the unexpected death of his brother.
To rising political star Stuart Somerset, Verity Durant is just a name and food is just food, until her first dish touches his lips. Only one other time had he felt such pure arousal–a dangerous night of passion with a stranger, who disappeared at dawn. Ten years is a long time to wait for the main course, but when Verity Durant arrives at his table, there’s only one thing that will satisfy Stuart’s appetite for more. But is his hunger for lust, revenge–or that rarest of delicacies, love? For Verity’s past has a secret that could devour them both even as they reach for the most delicious fruit of all.…
This book was released to much fanfare in 2009. I bought it shortly after it was released based on the good reviews, but left it languishing in my TBR pile thanks to a long historical slump. I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. What an excellent read! I loved the writing – Thomas really draws the reader in with bold descriptions and beautiful prose. The characters were unconventional – a cook and a barrister in a historical novel? Wonderful.
Fortunately, Thomas’ superb writing made up for a sometimes weak plot and made it easy to gloss over some glaring problems. When I first closed this book I did so very satisfied with the story. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized there was much about it I disliked.
The flashbacks between the past and present were at times very disjointed. I also struggled with the fact that Verity kept her identity a secret for so long, and the fact that Stuart didn’t demand she reveal herself. Despite how the story played out and the connection between the characters, she was his servant. He let her get away with a lot, all things considered.
Still, I loved the connection between them. Because she kept her identity a secret, they had to connect in ways other than face-to-face, which made for some great scenes. The descriptions of the meals Verity prepared and Stuarts love/hate relationship with food really told us a lot about the characters.
While this novel had some flaws, I zipped right through it and ended the book with a happy sigh. I can’t wait to pick up another book by Thomas.
4 out of 5
This book is available from Bantam. You can buy it here
Thanks for a great review! Love Sherry Thomas and this was the first book of hers that I read. I took a chance on it b/c I loved the cover and she’s an autobuy for me now 🙂
I loved this one. I love Thomas’s writing and it does make up for the weaker moments in the book. Great review.