Until a few weeks ago I had never read a romance novel. Once a genre thought to be too campy to be taken seriously, romance has seen a bit of a rebirth and readers are no longer meant to feel shame for reading popular fiction. The genre has never appealed to me but, as it turns out, chef and cooking-themed stories account for an entire sub-genre in the romance world, who knew? In the name of research, I dove into Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards.
And while it was a bit laborious, I finished the book and, needless to say, my thoughts will be brief. The characters were a bit clunky. One of the main characters, Max, frequently talks like a preteen boy. That may be intentional but it did not serve to create a relatable character. Most of the other leading characters seem to be merely sketches instead of finished paintings. And while Edwards’ writing is fine, cooking provides too many easy metaphors for romance. Gems such as, “with a fervent passion that felt like fiery hot peppers burning through his chest” and, “passion flared…like the blue flame on a range” are sprinkled on every page and it all felt too forced, too on the nose.
All that aside, the author’s inclusion of the story about the Zen master and the young priest tending the Zen garden was appreciated. By far my favorite part of the book.
I recognize it is not entirely fair to pass judgment on an entire genre based on one book but I may be doing just that. So while the chances of my reading another romance novel may be slim, I know for sure that I will read many more books about chefs. Check back for more Kitch Lit coming soon!
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