Collection
Series
Publication
New York : Bantam Books, 2008.
Description
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.…… (more)
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User reviews
LibraryThing member ankhet
Verity Durant is a good cook - the best, second only (possibly) to Escoffier - with a secret. Her employer (and former lover) Bertie Somerset recently passed away, leaving her in the employ of his half-brother Stuart. What Stuart doesn't know is that his new cook is the same Cinderella he had a
Delicious is put forward as a Cinderella story of sorts. It starts out framed as a Cinderella story, and the author as well as the characters themselves reference the famous fairy tale throughout the novel. This not only works, but adds tremendously to the romance building between Stuart and Verity.
I loved the entire thing. Not only was I intrigued by the Victorian setting, I wanted to know if Cinderella got her prince, and what happened to the prince's fiancee. And what of Cinderella's stepmother? The prince's family? Delicious answers all of these questions, all the while drawing you into not only the romance between the characters, but into a new love affair with food - for that is how much of Verity's passion is shown: through her food.
Anyone looking to read a romance novel: I highly recommend this! It's delightful, satisfying, and all-around lovely. I know I gush, but I think, in this case, the work deserves the praise.
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one-night love affair with ten years ago and has yearned for ever since.Delicious is put forward as a Cinderella story of sorts. It starts out framed as a Cinderella story, and the author as well as the characters themselves reference the famous fairy tale throughout the novel. This not only works, but adds tremendously to the romance building between Stuart and Verity.
I loved the entire thing. Not only was I intrigued by the Victorian setting, I wanted to know if Cinderella got her prince, and what happened to the prince's fiancee. And what of Cinderella's stepmother? The prince's family? Delicious answers all of these questions, all the while drawing you into not only the romance between the characters, but into a new love affair with food - for that is how much of Verity's passion is shown: through her food.
Anyone looking to read a romance novel: I highly recommend this! It's delightful, satisfying, and all-around lovely. I know I gush, but I think, in this case, the work deserves the praise.
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LibraryThing member crashingwaves38
This book has a somewhat convoluted novel--there are twists in relationships everywhere, and unexpected things happen and people have unexpected motives frequently. Toss that in with the hero not knowing that the woman he's falling in love with is the woman he fell in love with years ago, and it's
Despite all that, it's a well-written novel. Thomas has a good writing style, and her writing is such that it brings you in to the immediate presence. She handles the plot twists and turns adroitly, never getting so mired in them that the reader can longer find her way out. Dialogue stays true to character, for the most part, and the details and descriptions are enough to pull you in without making your eyes glaze over from too much information.
I greatly enjoyed reading this novel. The only thing that keeps it from getting a full 5 stars is that the food aspect of things is just ridiculous. If this were a fantasy novel with magic, it would fit in just fine. But it's not; this is a romance novel without magic, and a cook is not able to really imbue her food with such feelings as longing and despair and new love. Everytime I came to another passage about Verity's food, I mentally rolled my eyes and moved on. It just didn't pass the suspension of disbelief test.
Despite that, however, I love this novel and would definitely recommend it to romance lovers, particularly those who also love their food or have a penchant for Cinderella-type stories.
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drama-rific.Despite all that, it's a well-written novel. Thomas has a good writing style, and her writing is such that it brings you in to the immediate presence. She handles the plot twists and turns adroitly, never getting so mired in them that the reader can longer find her way out. Dialogue stays true to character, for the most part, and the details and descriptions are enough to pull you in without making your eyes glaze over from too much information.
I greatly enjoyed reading this novel. The only thing that keeps it from getting a full 5 stars is that the food aspect of things is just ridiculous. If this were a fantasy novel with magic, it would fit in just fine. But it's not; this is a romance novel without magic, and a cook is not able to really imbue her food with such feelings as longing and despair and new love. Everytime I came to another passage about Verity's food, I mentally rolled my eyes and moved on. It just didn't pass the suspension of disbelief test.
Despite that, however, I love this novel and would definitely recommend it to romance lovers, particularly those who also love their food or have a penchant for Cinderella-type stories.
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LibraryThing member amf0001
Difficult book to follow, I suspect I might like it better on second reading, but on first reading it really didnt' work - and yet, I finished it, didn't I...
Set in 1892, so victorian rather than Regency, it tells the tale of Verity, a woman who 3 times loved when she shouldn't. At 16 she loved a
Not very explcit though with one great bath scene, I liked the lovers but I never could suspend my disbelief and sink into the book, too many jarring things kept happening. The book was very disjointed to start, but got better, but the end was just ridiculous - the duchess completely changed character for no reason at all.
Set in 1892, so victorian rather than Regency, it tells the tale of Verity, a woman who 3 times loved when she shouldn't. At 16 she loved a
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stable boy (who frankly wasn't given enough story or personality for her to have done what she did) and fell pregnant. At 22 she fell in love iwth an earl who rejects her and forces/permits (? wasn't clear which) to remain as his cook once the affair was over. Adn she also fell in love with her lover's hated cousin. We meet at the second lovers death when the hated cousin inherits everything, including the cook. They have this game where he doesn't see her for nearly 2/3 of the book, she's in shadow or with a mask on, but when he does see her, he still doesn't recognize her.Not very explcit though with one great bath scene, I liked the lovers but I never could suspend my disbelief and sink into the book, too many jarring things kept happening. The book was very disjointed to start, but got better, but the end was just ridiculous - the duchess completely changed character for no reason at all.
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LibraryThing member theshadowknows
Would it be too easy/awful of a pun to say that I devoured this book? It is, but I did - or at least most of it. With a title like Delicious and a prefatory quote from M. F. K. Fisher about hunger and love, I should have realized what the book would be like. But even if I had anticipated food to be
Now for the "but's". Even though I liked this story better than Private Arrangements, I still found the construction and execution of the plot here awkward, particularly near the end, when false notes start clanging everywhere. The hero, Stuart Somerset, is engaged to another woman, a Lizzy Bessler, for much of the story. I thought this obstacle between Stuart and the heroine Verity Duran, what with all the other things that stand between them, was superfluous. Stuart's anguished resistance to Verity on the grounds of his promise to Lizzy seemed exaggerated and unconvincing. When he suddenly gives up on his excuse of "honor," and returns to Verity after angrily and dramatically tossing her to the curb a mere few pages earlier, he sounds trite and wooden in his easy declarations of love and devotion, and I wasn't as excited to see them finally together as I should have been. Nor was I all that interested in the secondary romance between Lizzy and Stuart’s secretary Will Marsden. But the plot really stumbled in the final pages of the book, when we're treated to a lengthy and awkward exposition on the mystery (that wasn't really that mysterious) concerning Verity's past and identity. At this point the pace was brought to a staggering halt. I thought this aspect of the book could have been handled a lot more smoothly and gone that extra length to really get at the heart of Stuart and Verity’s love for each other. As it stood, though, I felt something lacking in their romance.
Besides these complaints, it was still a very well written book. I've got to love an author who can come up with a line like: "what was the taste of falling off a cliff?" (93) If you just go with how important food is in this book, its artistry and eroticism, then you’ll mostly likely enjoy Delicious. And I really liked the characters. This book returns to the format of Private Arrangements, jumping back and forth in time, building up a sense of history and character development infused with lyric, fairy tale cadences that are enthralling - the opening sentence sets you up for a Cinderella story that plays with the familiar tropes without being derivative in the least. Thomas recreates late Victorian society so vividly here. Verity and Stuart are products of their time and circumstances as much as they are individuals who have suffered and/or been punished for their nonconformity, be it inherited stigmas or more active transgressions. Not the stuff of fairy tales, surely. I just wish Delicious could have maintained its momentum in the end and fulfilled its promise. The author provides a couple of very interesting characters, but the way in which she brings them together could have used some fleshing out. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
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the theme of this romance, nothing could have quite prepared me for how Sherry Thomas writes about food, love, desire, and hunger - all mixed up in a sensual, sensuous concoction in which I was delighted to indulge. I love how Thomas writes, and when such technical skill is paired with a story that surpasses her debut effort, I'm a very happy customer. Now for the "but's". Even though I liked this story better than Private Arrangements, I still found the construction and execution of the plot here awkward, particularly near the end, when false notes start clanging everywhere. The hero, Stuart Somerset, is engaged to another woman, a Lizzy Bessler, for much of the story. I thought this obstacle between Stuart and the heroine Verity Duran, what with all the other things that stand between them, was superfluous. Stuart's anguished resistance to Verity on the grounds of his promise to Lizzy seemed exaggerated and unconvincing. When he suddenly gives up on his excuse of "honor," and returns to Verity after angrily and dramatically tossing her to the curb a mere few pages earlier, he sounds trite and wooden in his easy declarations of love and devotion, and I wasn't as excited to see them finally together as I should have been. Nor was I all that interested in the secondary romance between Lizzy and Stuart’s secretary Will Marsden. But the plot really stumbled in the final pages of the book, when we're treated to a lengthy and awkward exposition on the mystery (that wasn't really that mysterious) concerning Verity's past and identity. At this point the pace was brought to a staggering halt. I thought this aspect of the book could have been handled a lot more smoothly and gone that extra length to really get at the heart of Stuart and Verity’s love for each other. As it stood, though, I felt something lacking in their romance.
Besides these complaints, it was still a very well written book. I've got to love an author who can come up with a line like: "what was the taste of falling off a cliff?" (93) If you just go with how important food is in this book, its artistry and eroticism, then you’ll mostly likely enjoy Delicious. And I really liked the characters. This book returns to the format of Private Arrangements, jumping back and forth in time, building up a sense of history and character development infused with lyric, fairy tale cadences that are enthralling - the opening sentence sets you up for a Cinderella story that plays with the familiar tropes without being derivative in the least. Thomas recreates late Victorian society so vividly here. Verity and Stuart are products of their time and circumstances as much as they are individuals who have suffered and/or been punished for their nonconformity, be it inherited stigmas or more active transgressions. Not the stuff of fairy tales, surely. I just wish Delicious could have maintained its momentum in the end and fulfilled its promise. The author provides a couple of very interesting characters, but the way in which she brings them together could have used some fleshing out. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
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LibraryThing member booksofcolor
Next on my list is Sherry Thomas' Delicious, which I have not yet started but which I'm looking forward to -- it looks fairly light and fun, and I need some of that after the Seed to Harvest books, which were very rewarding and worth the read but sort of the opposite of light.
LibraryThing member theepicrat
Sherry again delights (maybe shocks) us by breaking from the mold of run-of-the-mill historical romance novels with Delicious. Verity and Stuart brought forward some toe-curling tension as they played cat-and-mouse with each other, although Stuart has been otherwise spoken-for. I enjoyed watching
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Verity bring some color into Stuart's monotonous life. While the main story is not quite the fairy tale that opens the Delicious, it falls into play when the secret of Verity's past was finally revealed toward the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member FrostKitty
This one was a disappointment. If it had been written by someone else I would have given it a higher rating but Sherry Thomas is an amazing writer and this book wasn't on par with her other work.
LibraryThing member doxiemomx2
Not a great a "Not Quite a Husband," but another good book from Sherry Thomas. The theme of separated lovers that have difficulty reuniting is well done, but some incredible culinary descriptions. Didn't make me cry like some of her others, but I liked it a lot.
LibraryThing member mschweer432
This was my second book by Sherry Thomas. She is one of my new favorite authors!! I really enjoyed this book!! It was a fun read with plenty of tension and suspense. I loved Verity's spunk! The story did feel a little forced and unbelievable at times. But, I'm reading a historical romance, so who
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cares, right?!?!? I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed Private Arrangements, but it was still good book! I can't wait to read another by Sherry Thomas!! Show Less
LibraryThing member kcoleman428
what a fun book. This was a great weekend read, made me laugh out loud...the golashas!!
LibraryThing member cranberrytarts
I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to read this. It's been in my TBR pile since it released, but I kept skipping over it. What an excellent read! I loved the writing - Thomas really draws the reader in with bold descriptions and beautiful prose.
The characters were unconventional and lovely - a
The characters were unconventional and lovely - a
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cook and a barrister in a historical novel? Wonderful. I can't wait to pick up another Thomas book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Marcella1717
What can I say more that others have already said. It is a wonderful book. Go and read it.
LibraryThing member ladypembroke
More like 3.5 stars. The story starts out slow and does a lot of flashback chapters to piece parts of the backstory together. Once the OTP meets in the backstory, though, things pick up speed and improve. At the end, I liked the book, but to be honest, I thought the chemistry between the side
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couple was better. I kept waiting for their chapters. Show Less
LibraryThing member samnreader
What did I think, Goodreads?
That this book was weird. But I really really respected it. I did find it a bit contrived the parallel relationships and both happily falling in love sadly too convenient. But also, we're pretty much warned it's a fairy tale so I guess whose fault is that?
There's so
But most of all the writing. And I will always, always appreciate that Thomas does something different. That something always feels quite romantic.
That this book was weird. But I really really respected it. I did find it a bit contrived
There's so
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much I liked: the writing, the intensity, the food, the secondary relationships. But most of all the writing. And I will always, always appreciate that Thomas does something different. That something always feels quite romantic.
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LibraryThing member mom2lnb
Delicious is the first book of Sherry Thomas’s Marsden duology and the first that I’ve read by her. Verity is a cook, well-known in both Paris and London for her delectable cuisine that is like a seductive experience for the taste buds, but after engaging in an affair with her employer, Bertie,
Verity’s parents died when she was young so she went to live with an aunt and uncle. She was born into the aristocracy, but after a youthful love affair with someone deemed unsuitable, she was disowned. After her first love died, she had no other choice but to remake herself the best she could. Training under a famous Parisian chef, she became a renowned cook whose services were contracted by Bertie. While in his employ, they became lovers and he even mentioned the possibility of marriage, but ultimately he proved unworthy and broke her heart. This led to her scheme involving Bertie’s half-brother, Stuart, that she couldn’t go through with. However, when Stuart followed her back to her lodgings, she couldn’t help herself anymore. Their passionate night was unforgettable, but one that she knew couldn’t be repeated if Stuart was to maintain his future path toward becoming an MP and possibly, one day, prime minister. So she stole away and hasn’t seen him again in the ten years since, until he inherits following Bertie’s death. After Verity spots Stuart again from afar, hope is reignited, but she still isn’t sure if it’s a good idea to get involved with him, which is why she keeps their interactions clandestine. Even though he doesn’t know her true identity, they begin to fall in love again, but when he figures out the truth, he’s angry enough to make Verity think that it’s over for good this time. And even if he can forgive her, there are still many obstacles in the way of their potential happiness. I enjoyed Verity’s uniqueness as a heroine, a woman who fell from grace and had to make her own way in the world. Her story highlighted the limited choices for women of the Victorian era, but she showed strength, doing the best she could with the resources available to her. I understood her decision to leave Stuart the first time, and to some extent her reasons for staying in the shadows once they were reunited, even though I felt perhaps it was drug out just a bit too long. Overall, I liked her, though, and thought she was a strong woman to have remade herself the way she did.
Stuart is the illegitimate second son of an aristocrat who did eventually acknowledge him. Stuart and Bertie were very close growing up, but by the time they were young men, bad blood had taken root between them. Bertie became jealous of the attention Stuart received from their father, so they hadn’t spoken in over a decade when Stuart received news of Bertie’s passing and his inheritance of Bertie’s estate. Ten years earlier, Stuart had met a woman whom he’d dubbed Cinderella since he never knew her real name. Their one night together had a profound effect on him, so much so that he proposed marriage on the spot, but she disappeared without a trace. Stuart has never forgotten their time together and had hoped that he might one day find her, but when that seemed unlikely, he became engaged to Lizzy, a woman he doesn’t genuinely love but who’s become a good friend. Stuart has heard all about Bertie’s scandalous cook and is immediately taken with her food, as well as the mystery of who she is. But it isn’t until he finds her in his bathtub, pleasuring herself, that he can’t seem to stop thinking of her. They share a few more encounters with her still shrouding her identity, but eventually he puts the pieces together to realize that this woman is his Cinderella. Stuart can’t help being angry with her for concealing herself for so long, not to mention there are many complications, including his engagement and his political position that could make it all but impossible for them to be together. Stuart gives off a somewhat geeky, beta hero vibe that I enjoyed. He’s very much wrapped up in the law and politics to the exclusion of most other things, including relationships. In fact, he’s mainly marrying Lizzy because, in order to rise through the political ranks, he’ll need a respectable wife. Although not exactly sexually inexperienced, that sort of intimacy is something he’s rather indifferent about until Verity knocks his socks off. Then he’s remained celibate for the past decade so as to not sully what they’d shared. Stuart is definitely a little different than the average romance hero, but I really liked his uniqueness to the genre.
Delicious offers up a two-for-one on the romantic pairings with a secondary relationship between two supporting characters that has an enemies-to-lovers theme. Although she admits to having been shallow at times, Lizzy isn’t a bad person, so I didn’t necessarily want to see her out in the cold, so to speak. As the story opens, she isn’t very fond of Stuart’s secretary, Will, but as he helps her with her wedding planning, they get to know one another. Will isn’t too certain that Lizzy is the right match for Stuart, but that could be because he’s starting to feel something for her himself. Both of them have pretty big secrets in their pasts, which they, in the beginning, hold over the other’s head, but instead decide to be friends and keep each other’s confidences. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between these two, and their use of “music halls” vs. “symphonic concerts” to discretely discuss a particularly sensitive subject was very amusing. I adored Will for being so supportive of his brother at a great personal cost, and Lizzy showed that she could be far more than a mere superficial socialite.
As my first Sherry Thomas book, I went into reading Delicious not really knowing what to expect. I’d heard some good things about her years ago, when I was more active in romance discussion groups, but I noticed that this book had a lower rating than most of her others on GoodReads. Not having read any reviews yet, I’m not really sure what others found to criticize, but I personally enjoyed it quite a bit, enough to give it keeper status. It can be difficult to find originality in the romance genre, but I feel like the author definitely achieved that in this story. One such singular element was Verity’s cooking skills that result in creations that make eating a veritable spiritual experience, lending the story a touch of magical realism. There are some familiar romance themes present, but overall, Verity and Stuart are unique characters in equally unique circumstances that I found refreshing. They were completely taken with each other at their first meeting, and I found them both remaining faithful to one another since that single night together romantic. I think they understand and respect each other in ways that others don’t. As I mentioned, perhaps Verity concealing her identity went on a tad long, but I can’t deny that it added an alluring aura of mystery to their relationship. The main thing that I thought could have been a bit better is if the love scenes had been more descriptive. There’s definitely a seductive air to it all that would have lent itself well to slightly steamier writing, but instead, the author sometimes merely skims over the details. I really like Sherry Thomas’s writing style in general, though, that I thought was somewhat reminiscent of Mary Balogh’s. There’s a poetic feel to her prose that really drew me in, while there’s a certain subtlety to the romance that’s a little different than the way most others write but no less engaging. I also enjoyed the fairy tale quality of the story itself. It’s clearly patterned after Cinderella, and while it takes a unique approach, in the end, it’s very much all about true love winning the day. All these elements made this first foray into Sherry Thomas’s work a very satisfying one that has left me looking forward to reading the second book, Not Quite a Husband, soon, as well as checking out her back list.
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she also has a wicked reputation. After Bertie broke her heart, she contrived a scheme to get back at him by seducing his half-brother, Stuart, a London barrister with a promising future as an MP. Ultimately, though, she couldn’t go through with it after Stuart showed her unexpected kindness, but when he tracked her down later, they shared a passionate night, after which he impulsively proposed. However, Verity never shared her true identity with Stuart, and worried of what he might think if she did and also not wanting to ruin his career ambitions with a scandalous marriage, she left without a word the next morning. Neither Stuart nor Verity has been able to forget that night and both have remained true to the memory, keeping a thread of hope alive. Ten years have gone by since, and after Bertie dies unexpectedly, Stuart inherits everything, including his famous cook. Not yet ready to reveal herself to Stuart, she communicates only through notes and her scrumptious food, but even without knowing that his new cook is the one woman he’s never been able to forget, Stuart feels inexplicably drawn to her. When he catches her in his bath, it leads to a seductive dance that makes them fall in love all over again, but when Stuart finally learns the truth, he might not forgive Verity for the deception. Not to mention, he’s just become engaged to another woman, and even without that complication, his career ambitions could be over if he were to marry a woman viewed to be of low station and morals.Verity’s parents died when she was young so she went to live with an aunt and uncle. She was born into the aristocracy, but after a youthful love affair with someone deemed unsuitable, she was disowned. After her first love died, she had no other choice but to remake herself the best she could. Training under a famous Parisian chef, she became a renowned cook whose services were contracted by Bertie. While in his employ, they became lovers and he even mentioned the possibility of marriage, but ultimately he proved unworthy and broke her heart. This led to her scheme involving Bertie’s half-brother, Stuart, that she couldn’t go through with. However, when Stuart followed her back to her lodgings, she couldn’t help herself anymore. Their passionate night was unforgettable, but one that she knew couldn’t be repeated if Stuart was to maintain his future path toward becoming an MP and possibly, one day, prime minister. So she stole away and hasn’t seen him again in the ten years since, until he inherits following Bertie’s death. After Verity spots Stuart again from afar, hope is reignited, but she still isn’t sure if it’s a good idea to get involved with him, which is why she keeps their interactions clandestine. Even though he doesn’t know her true identity, they begin to fall in love again, but when he figures out the truth, he’s angry enough to make Verity think that it’s over for good this time. And even if he can forgive her, there are still many obstacles in the way of their potential happiness. I enjoyed Verity’s uniqueness as a heroine, a woman who fell from grace and had to make her own way in the world. Her story highlighted the limited choices for women of the Victorian era, but she showed strength, doing the best she could with the resources available to her. I understood her decision to leave Stuart the first time, and to some extent her reasons for staying in the shadows once they were reunited, even though I felt perhaps it was drug out just a bit too long. Overall, I liked her, though, and thought she was a strong woman to have remade herself the way she did.
Stuart is the illegitimate second son of an aristocrat who did eventually acknowledge him. Stuart and Bertie were very close growing up, but by the time they were young men, bad blood had taken root between them. Bertie became jealous of the attention Stuart received from their father, so they hadn’t spoken in over a decade when Stuart received news of Bertie’s passing and his inheritance of Bertie’s estate. Ten years earlier, Stuart had met a woman whom he’d dubbed Cinderella since he never knew her real name. Their one night together had a profound effect on him, so much so that he proposed marriage on the spot, but she disappeared without a trace. Stuart has never forgotten their time together and had hoped that he might one day find her, but when that seemed unlikely, he became engaged to Lizzy, a woman he doesn’t genuinely love but who’s become a good friend. Stuart has heard all about Bertie’s scandalous cook and is immediately taken with her food, as well as the mystery of who she is. But it isn’t until he finds her in his bathtub, pleasuring herself, that he can’t seem to stop thinking of her. They share a few more encounters with her still shrouding her identity, but eventually he puts the pieces together to realize that this woman is his Cinderella. Stuart can’t help being angry with her for concealing herself for so long, not to mention there are many complications, including his engagement and his political position that could make it all but impossible for them to be together. Stuart gives off a somewhat geeky, beta hero vibe that I enjoyed. He’s very much wrapped up in the law and politics to the exclusion of most other things, including relationships. In fact, he’s mainly marrying Lizzy because, in order to rise through the political ranks, he’ll need a respectable wife. Although not exactly sexually inexperienced, that sort of intimacy is something he’s rather indifferent about until Verity knocks his socks off. Then he’s remained celibate for the past decade so as to not sully what they’d shared. Stuart is definitely a little different than the average romance hero, but I really liked his uniqueness to the genre.
Delicious offers up a two-for-one on the romantic pairings with a secondary relationship between two supporting characters that has an enemies-to-lovers theme. Although she admits to having been shallow at times, Lizzy isn’t a bad person, so I didn’t necessarily want to see her out in the cold, so to speak. As the story opens, she isn’t very fond of Stuart’s secretary, Will, but as he helps her with her wedding planning, they get to know one another. Will isn’t too certain that Lizzy is the right match for Stuart, but that could be because he’s starting to feel something for her himself. Both of them have pretty big secrets in their pasts, which they, in the beginning, hold over the other’s head, but instead decide to be friends and keep each other’s confidences. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between these two, and their use of “music halls” vs. “symphonic concerts” to discretely discuss a particularly sensitive subject was very amusing. I adored Will for being so supportive of his brother at a great personal cost, and Lizzy showed that she could be far more than a mere superficial socialite.
As my first Sherry Thomas book, I went into reading Delicious not really knowing what to expect. I’d heard some good things about her years ago, when I was more active in romance discussion groups, but I noticed that this book had a lower rating than most of her others on GoodReads. Not having read any reviews yet, I’m not really sure what others found to criticize, but I personally enjoyed it quite a bit, enough to give it keeper status. It can be difficult to find originality in the romance genre, but I feel like the author definitely achieved that in this story. One such singular element was Verity’s cooking skills that result in creations that make eating a veritable spiritual experience, lending the story a touch of magical realism. There are some familiar romance themes present, but overall, Verity and Stuart are unique characters in equally unique circumstances that I found refreshing. They were completely taken with each other at their first meeting, and I found them both remaining faithful to one another since that single night together romantic. I think they understand and respect each other in ways that others don’t. As I mentioned, perhaps Verity concealing her identity went on a tad long, but I can’t deny that it added an alluring aura of mystery to their relationship. The main thing that I thought could have been a bit better is if the love scenes had been more descriptive. There’s definitely a seductive air to it all that would have lent itself well to slightly steamier writing, but instead, the author sometimes merely skims over the details. I really like Sherry Thomas’s writing style in general, though, that I thought was somewhat reminiscent of Mary Balogh’s. There’s a poetic feel to her prose that really drew me in, while there’s a certain subtlety to the romance that’s a little different than the way most others write but no less engaging. I also enjoyed the fairy tale quality of the story itself. It’s clearly patterned after Cinderella, and while it takes a unique approach, in the end, it’s very much all about true love winning the day. All these elements made this first foray into Sherry Thomas’s work a very satisfying one that has left me looking forward to reading the second book, Not Quite a Husband, soon, as well as checking out her back list.
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