Effie Olsen’s Summer Special is a second-chance summer romance set in a seaside town on a Maine Island.

Effie Olsen’s Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow

Genre/Categories/Setting: Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Slow-burn Romance (some spice), Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Coastal Maine

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary of Effie Olsen’s Summer Special:

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for Effie Olsen’s Summer Special. Thanks #NetGalley @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance #BerkleyBuddyReads for a complimentary e ARC of #EffieOlsensSummerSpecial upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Effie Olsen never thought she’d return home, but after losing her job as a professional chef she comes home to regroup and finds a summer job as a sous chef for an exclusive island restaurant. Life becomes more complicated when she discovers some questionable restaurant dealings and that Ernie, her best guy friend from high school, also works there. Will their childhood friendship evolve into a slow-burn romance?

My Thoughts:

Tropes

Romance books depend on tried and true tropes, and this book is no exception. Childhood friends to lovers is a sweet trope filled with possibilities. Returning to your childhood home and second-chance romance might work out in the best ways. The steady and tenderhearted small-town guy might be perfect for the big city girl and world traveler. You might have guessed he’s also handsome!

Likable Characters

I can relax into a story when the characters are likable. Even though I loved Ernie best, I enjoyed both main characters and their developing partnership and friendship.

Descriptive

The author’s vivid descriptions of delectable food, the seaside community, the sights and sounds of restaurant operations and food prep bring the reader right into the story. The restaurant descriptions in particular contribute to the authenticity.

The Food

When the author is a food writer and a professionally trained chef, readers are treated to realistic descriptions of behind-the-scenes food preparation, restaurant operations, and lots of food talk. If you love a foodie romance, this one will meet your expectations.

Content Consideration: some profanity, some open-door romance

Recommending Effie Olsen’s Summer Special

If you are Ok with some spice and a sprinkling of profanity, I can recommend Effie Olsen’s Summer Special for your beach bag. A small town beach setting, an engaging premise, and likable characters combined with food talk and second chance romance might be the right choice for your summer TBR.

My Rating:  3.5 Stars (rounded to 4)

Meet the Author of Effie Olsen’s Summer Special, Rochelle Bilow

Rochelle Bilow is a food and romance writer who previously worked as the social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. A graduate of The French Culinary Institute, she has also worked as a line cook, a baker, and a wine spokesperson. Her first book, The Call of the Farm, a swoony farming memoir, was published in 2014. Raised in Syracuse, New York, Rochelle now lives in northern Vermont. 

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QOTD:

Is this foodie romance on your TBR?

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