Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff

Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe.

As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi's matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love.

Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.

 

 

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)
St. Martin’s Griffin (Macmillan)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I am a big fan of rock star romances and love reading books which have chefs/cooks in leading roles, so this was definitely a book I had to read.

There is a lot of backstory as to why Lexie wants to be a chef, and I think that the descriptions of her studies in culinary school and her experiences at the veg station are really well written, and undoubtedly will resonate with chefs everywhere! I also recognised the Chef and the impossibility of having a life outside the confines of the kitchen or the team. It builds the tension on how she is going to imagine a relationship could work – and it is indeed not something she truly believes can happen.

A chance meeting with Jake turns out to be a time to take risks and cook blueberry pancakes... little could she imagine that her life would be upended nearly as much as his so soon!

I liked the tension, the unpleasant agent, the beautiful co-star, and as Jake is going through his reinvention as a rock star, Lexie also has a posse who have their own adventures and provide her with different meaning to events unfolding.

I am confident that you will enjoy the unexpected romance between a dedicated musician and career chef.

 

 

LINDSAY HAMEROFF is a writer, humorist, and former English teacher raised in Baltimore, MD and based in Harrisburg, PA. Her writing has been featured in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Belladonna, Weekly Humorist, and other outlets. She also co-edits Frazzled, a parenting humor site. Till There Was You is her first novel.

Connect with Lindsay Hameroff!

Instagram  ~  TikTok  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff to read and review.