Reviewed by Susan
TITLE: 12 Courses
SERIES: Delectable
AUTHOR: EM Lynley
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 117 pages
BLURB:
Thom Kennedy Leyton returns to San Francisco to take up the reins of Graze, one of the city’s best restaurants, years after he lost his job when his innovative new set of recipes was stolen. Thom’s loss of self-esteem eventually caused his boyfriend, Blake Warner, to end their relationship, sending Thom into a deep depression.
Now, cured of fifty excess pounds and any attraction to Blake, Thom’s back in town. Blake catches him off guard when he visits Graze several days in a row, and Thom lets himself get caught up in Blake’s allure, despite knowing better.
Thom juggles a renewed relationship with Blake, a Christmas visit from his parents, and an important holiday menu based on a Twelve Days of Christmas theme. When an old acquaintance reveals that Blake knows more about the theft of the recipes than he lets on, Thom doesn’t know whom to trust. But the truth isn’t quite that simple, and Thom won’t be able to decide if Blake deserves a place in his life until he learns exactly what happened years ago.
REVIEW:
I liked this story. The main characters, Thom and Blake are both likeable and do work well together. The circumstances surrounding their breakup were serious enough to keep them from speaking for several years and I felt the description of their breakup in the blurb was a little misleading. I also felt that they got back together a bit too easily, considering those circumstances. But overall, I enjoyed their interactions and scenes together.
I really found fascinating the portrayal of chefs as artists and the pressure situations of the restaurant business. The scenes in the kitchen surrounding the peak period of the meal times were fascinating. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the recipes and the creation of the dishes.
The mystery part of the storyline started off well, but I figured it out about halfway through.
Overall, I would recommend this read as a nice, light read.
RATING: 
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