Just A Taste (New York Blades, #6) in Romance Series Lists

Apr 04, 2008 jenjn79 rated it liked it

Shelves: info-full, reviewed, genre-romance-contemporary, stars-3, 2009, series-blades, published-2008

Rating: 2.5 / 5

For the most part, the only reason I read this was because it was part of a series that I'd already read most of the books of. I don't mind Deirdre Martin's books, but at the same time, they just don't grab me. They're a bit overly simple and basic and generally nothing really pops. Just A Taste didn't differ in any sense. It was a cutesy love story. I don't mind reading this type of book every so often, but I wouldn't want to read a lot of them.

This book is the seventh in the Bla Rating: 2.5 / 5

For the most part, the only reason I read this was because it was part of a series that I'd already read most of the books of. I don't mind Deirdre Martin's books, but at the same time, they just don't grab me. They're a bit overly simple and basic and generally nothing really pops. Just A Taste didn't differ in any sense. It was a cutesy love story. I don't mind reading this type of book every so often, but I wouldn't want to read a lot of them.

This book is the seventh in the Blades series about players and associates of the fiction New York Blades hockey team, but I think it could probably be read as a standalone. The story is self-contained. The dynamics of the supporting characters might be a bit confusing, though. But I think it could mostly stand on its own.

Just A Taste features Anthony Dante, brother to past character Michael Dante (who has recently retired from hockey). Anthony runs the family restaurant, Dante's. He's also a widower of one year, his wife Angie being killed in the line of duty.

When Anthony finds out a french woman, Vivi, is planning to open a small bistro across the street from his restaurant, he's quite annoyed. He and Vivi clash right from the first moment. The two are in constant competition over who is a better chef. But despite their constant bickering, they can't help but feel a chemistry between them. It isn't long before they land in bed. Both have demons they are battling, though. Anthony is afraid something will happen to Vivi, a fear brought on by the sudden death of his wife. And Vivi has a host of family issues, plus she can't get past thinking Anthony is still grieving for and in love with his dead wife. They'll have to find a way to get past those issues in order to be together.

Ever since I started reading romance, I've always hated reading stories about chefs/cooks and food. I just find storylines like that so boring. Probably because I hate cooking with a passion. So that aspect of the book - and it was a large chunk of the plot - didn't interest me at all. I ended up skim reading the cooking stuff because I couldn't have cared less about all that food talk. Having read the summary on the back and knowing it was going to be about cooking, I wouldn't have read the book if it weren't part of a series I'd read most of the books of.

Aside from that, I'm not sure I liked the fact that Martin killed off Anthony's wife just so she could write a book for him. I'd always liked Anthony and Angie when they'd popped up in the previous books. Angie seemed like a cool character. I think I'd have much rather had Martin do a flashback book to tell how Anthony and Angie met and fell in love. It didn't help that I didn't really enjoy Anthony and Vivi for the most part. Too much bickering and competition between them. And to me, Vivi came across a bit weak and wishy-washy at times.

Vivi's sister, Natalie, annoyed the heck out of me. I mostly just wished she'd go away. She seemed rather superfluous to the story and she wasn't really likable. Which is why I'm not sure I will read Natalie's story, With a Twist. I may get around to it, but no great loss if I don't.

The best part of the book, for me, was the side story about Michael Dante and how he was struggling with life after hockey. He tried to be Mister Mom and wasn't doing well. And there was thing about how he wanted his son, Little Anthony, to play hockey so bad but the boy didn't like it; he wanted to cook like his Uncle Anthony. That was some good stuff. I was much more interested in reading that than in any other part of the book.

So in the end, this was pretty much a take-it or leave-it book for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it much. It was just kinda bland average. I think Martin fans would probably like it, but for those of you who like your romances to have something a little more (more emotion, more zing, more whatever), I'm not sure you'd enjoy this book or this book or this series. ...more

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