July 30, 2022

Sometimes in the midst of psych thrillers and historical fiction novels, a bright little rom com pops up to act as a palate cleanser. That is the case with For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa.

How fitting, then, that the setting is restaurants and the world of celebrity chefs.

As with most rom com plots, you know that the two main characters are going to be together by the end of it. The fun is in how they get there.

In this case, Nina and Leo are co-hosts of a Master Chef/Top Chef-style cooking show. They each have their connection to cooking and restaurants, but they can’t quite seem to meet in the middle to like each other.

Could be that Leo alluded to Nina in a “not-so-nice” way that causes friction on social media. Yes, there is a heavy dose of that as well.

But any reader who is paying attention can tell that the sparks between them are really sexual tension – even as they don’t realize it immediately.

I, for one, found the tension to be entertaining. My family is huge fans of cooking competitions, and it was fun to imagine various hosts and how their relationships on and off the screen differ.

Paul Hollywood, I’m lookin’ at you!

Anyway, there are the usual pitfalls and stumbling blocks, as well as a healthy dose of supporting characters who could use their own books (Jasmine is especially intriguing).

I did like how there was a bit of a flip in that one character seemed to be more invested at first – or at least woke up to the reality of their relationship earlier.

Really, there is not a lot to say without going into the details of the plot. And I don’t do those types of reviews.

For Butter or Worse is thoroughly enjoyable and has everything a person could want in a rom com novel. I will certainly look forward to reading more from Erin La Rosa.