I HAVE TO SAY…

SYNOPSIS

Carmello and Olivia used to date, ten years ago when they were in high school, and have since lived separate lives with no contact.

Carmello took over his mother’s restaurant, while Olivia became a private chef and fulfilled her dream of traveling the world.

But when Olivia learns that Carmello’s mother gave her part ownership of the restaurant she learned to cook in alongside Carmello, she goes back to Rhode Island.

What could happen?

RECAP AND REVIEW

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Happy belated release day!

This is currently a standalone romance book, told from the first person of Carmello and Olivia.

This book made me re-fall in love with second chance romance.

It was clear there was unfinished business and feelings between Carmello and Olivia, and they both needed a reason to start talking to each other again. Aside from the push, their reconnection felt natural and a representation that old habits die hard.

I loved seeing them get used to being around each other again and enjoyed the restaurant and cooking storylines, and food descriptions within the story. Sometimes, I don’t like flashbacks, but I enjoyed them all in this book because it completed their story and were well placed.

There’s also mental and chronic illness rep, (endo, OCD, and ADHD), along with some depictions of grief and how certain life events stay with you forever, all of which I think were handled with care.

The only thing that left me a teeny tiny bit unsatisfied is how it all ended. I appreciate the conversations around if they could really work again and why she left in the first place, but it all got resolved pretty easily, the self-reflection happened quickly, and I don’t know if I believe Carmello with the changes he has to make.

I know that their solutions were a comprise in a way, but to me it felt like one had to compromise more than the other and because it wrapped up easily, it felt like a nonissue, no real stakes.

Olivia and Carmello’s son have cute moments but I also wanted more!

Read for:

🌉 Second Chance Romance

🌉 Forced Proximity

🌉 Introvert Chef (MMC) x Extrovert Chef (FMC)

🌉 Restaurant Setting

🌉 Single Dad

🌉 Mental Health and Chronic Illness Rep

OVERALL

Overall. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I had a really great time with this book and their world and regardless of what pokes at me, it is one of my favorite books I read this year. I’ll definitely be picking up more by this author!