For Butter Or Worse by Erin La Rosa
They go together like water and oil…
All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary
world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. For too long,
she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of
professional kitchens, and she's had enough. Now, as co-host of the
competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a
real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene.
Too bad her co-host happens to be Hollywood’s smarmiest jerk.
Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just
seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It's part of
the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of
work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a
smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.
To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a
compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go
absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may
just be what their careers need most.
Now all they have to do is play along, without killing each other...and
without catching feelings. Easy as artisanal shepherd's pie.
Right?
For Butter Or Worse by Erin La Rosa was a really good debut romance with some of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers and fake dating.
Nina Lyon is a successful chef and co-host of a cooking show, but her honest and critical feedback, and the bickering with her charming co host - Leo, has earned her the nickname 'Nasty Nina' online. Which isn't good for her restaurant business. And when Leo takes one joke too far by bringing up this nickname on live tv, she decides to quit and be done with it. Which isn't good for Leo's image or his restaurant business(inherited from his dad) either. When he tries to apologize and asks her to come back on the show, they accidentally end up in a compromising position that makes the reporters think that they're dating! And this helps in drumming up publicity so they decide to fake date to help each other's careers. What could go wrong right?🤣
Both Nina and Leo really disliked each other at first lol. The animosity was there along with a little bit of attraction, but they never had good impressions of each other. So, I loved seeing the slow development of their relationship as they started getting along with each other. Nina was my favorite as I loved her strength and how she was determined to overcome challenges especially in a sexist environment. And since I empathized with her, I wasn't a fan of Leo at first. Though unintentional, some of his comments had a huge effect on her and her career. So, it took me a while to warm up to him. But as these two slowly got to know each other, I found myself liking him more and he did make up for it! Both of them are complex, relatable and have their faults! I also loved the discussions around mental health with Leo's anxiety and Nina's grief.
In the end, this was a cute and steamy foodie romance with the right mix of tropes that I'd definitely recommend!❣️✨
You can also find my review on my bookstagram here
*I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest
review*
Erin La Rosa is the author of For Butter or Worse, Womanskills and The
Big Redhead Book. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three
daughters (one human, two feline).
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