Clementine Cooper is a born vegan, committed in every way to the healthy lifestyle she was raised with on her father’s organic farm. But how bad could a little butter be? Bad enough to get the ambitious and talented sous chef fired when an influential food critic discovers dairy in Clem’s butternut squash ravioli with garlic sage sauce. Though she was sabotaged by a backstabbing coworker, Clem finds herself unceremoniously blackballed from every vegan kitchen in L.A.
Like any vegan chef worth her salt, however, Clem knows how to turn lemons into delicious, cruelty-free lemonade cupcakes. She launches the Skinny Bitch Cooking School in hopes of soon opening her own café in an empty space near her apartment. But on the first day of class, sexy millionaire restaurateur Zach Jeffries puts a fork in her idea with his own plans for the space—a steakhouse. Clem is livid. For a carnivore, Zach is more complicated than she anticipated. He’s also a very good kisser. But could dating one of the most eligible bachelors in the city—and a meat-eater—be as bad for Clem as high-fructose corn syrup? Shouldn’t she fall instead for a man who seems to be her perfect match in every way—like Alexander Orr, a very cute, very sweet vegan chef?
Clem thought she was open-minded, but as she confronts the challenges of budding entrepreneurship, old rivals, ex-boyfriends, and tempting suitors, she begins to wonder if she can ever say “I love you” to a man who hates tofu. ( synopsis from Goodreads.com)
This is a really unique twist on a popular romance theme right now- chef and bakers. Clementine Cooper is a successful vegan chef until one of her co-workers slips butter into a dish being served to a restaurant reviewer. All of a sudden Clem becomes persona non grata in the vegan cooking world and ends up doing private chef work and holding cooking classes in her apartment. She meets Zach Jeffries when he starts constructing a steak house in the space she has been secretly hoping to rent for her own restaurant. She’s an unemployed vegan chef and he’s a billionaire meat lover, could there be a more perfect match?
While there is instant chemistry between the two, there is also instant antipathy on Clem’s part. To see her dream restaurant replaced by a total homage to beef and by a guy who thinks his money can buy anything makes her crazy. She is focused on rebuilding her career and he is focused on getting into her pants. Initially, Zach seems like a bit of a cad with lots of women in his life and a know-it-all attitude. Zach gets some competition from Alexander, a good looking chef from England but the chemistry isn’t there for Clem. Things are rocky until Clem understands that for Zach helping out is his idea of a loving thing to do. Zach has to learn that Clem won’t be happy unless she makes it on her own and sometimes he needs to just shut up. They do have a torturous journey getting there.
I enjoyed the supporting characters in the book. Clem’s roommate, Sara, is a slightly plump actress waiting for her big break and ends up in the cooking class. The other two students also add to the pace of the book with their backstories and their interactions with Clem and Sara.
This was a cute read with some steamy parts to it. I learned a lot about vegan cooking without being bored. I ‘m hoping that there will be a follow up book that includes Sara or Alexander. As a side note, I am a confirmed meat eater but there were some recipes that sounded really good. I might have to check out the author’s cookbooks!
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