It's hard to remain enemies when you've broken bread
together
Val Navarro's first mistake: going out dancing after a
bad breakup when the chef should be focused on her family business. Her second
mistake? Thinking the handsome, sensitive stranger she meets could be more than
a rebound -- until she discovers he's Philip Wagner of Wagner Developments. His
father's company could shut down her Puerto Rican restaurant and unravel her
tight-knit neighborhood. When Philip takes over negotiations, Val wants to believe
he has good intentions. But is following her heart a recipe for disaster?
Terrific book. Val is a chef and co-owner of her family's
Puerto Rican restaurant. She is also active in her neighborhood's fight against
the development company attempting to gentrify the area. As the book opens, Val
agreed to go out dancing with her friends for the first time since a public and
humiliating breakup. Less than enthusiastic about being there, Val's evening
improves when she meets Philip. They connect immediately, finding it easy to
talk and flirt with each other. Sparks fly and plans are made to see each other
again.
But Philip hasn't been entirely upfront with her. He picked
up on Val's dislike of the development company and kept his involvement to
himself so he could see her again. Telling her that Wagner Development belongs
to his family, and he designed the plans she hates won't make a good
impression. Keeping it secret isn't an option if he wants to keep seeing her.
I loved seeing Val and Philip's relationship develop. Their
first two encounters highlighted their connection and the things they had in
common. I especially enjoyed seeing them bond over Star Wars and music. Things
progress nicely between them until Philip drops the bomb about who he is. Val
reacts exactly as Philip feared - with anger, a feeling of betrayal, and
obvious hurt. But Philip isn't about to give up. When Val and her neighborhood
coalition show up to protest at the company headquarters, Philip becomes the
bridge between them and his father. Val opens Philip's eyes to the personal
effects of his plans on the neighborhood's people during an excellent tour of
the area. An invitation to accompany him to one of his mother's fundraisers allows
Val to get through to Philip's father. Philip and Val also grow closer, their chemistry
becoming stronger each day.
But while Philip falls hard for Val, she holds part of
herself back. Thanks to her previous relationship, trust doesn't come easily,
and part of Val remains suspicious. When her plans for the restaurant building fall
through, she blames Philip. I ached for Philip, who was blindsided by the
accusations. His hurt over her distrust was understandable, as was his fury
over what he believed happened. It took Val some time and an epiphany of sorts
to realize how wrong she was. I loved her "aha" moment, helped along
by an unexpected source of advice, and her need to make things right. Their
conversation in the restaurant was heartfelt and honest. The epilogue was
fantastic. I loved how it showed realistic progress to their relationship and
the deepening of their feelings for each other.
I loved the setting of the story with its focus on the
contributions of immigrants. I especially enjoyed that it also touched on the
Wagner family history and how Philip used that history to deal with his father.
The descriptions of the food and the neighborhood made the story come alive.
The background of the conflicts between the residents and the developer
informed without preaching and showed the importance of respect and compromise.
I look forward to reading more books from this author.
No comments:
Post a Comment