Hi there! Today I’m sharing my love for Rick R. Reed’s contemporary M/M romance DINNER AT FIORELLO’S over on Joyfully Jay’s Book Reviews. This was an especially tender romance between a new-graduated high school boy, Henry, and an executive chef, Vito, who doesn’t want to fall in love.

I had previously enjoyed Reed’s LEGALLY WED, and was anxious to read more of his work. I was just as charmed as before with his characters and the lush setting descriptions. As a native Chicagoan I could see my hometown in the pages, with startling clarity. I, too, sweated along with Henry on sultry walks and sweating ‘L’ rides. I’ve had his same sun-baked feet too exhausted to go forward. I haven’t had his sudden lack of home and family, but Henry never squawks. He’s determined to make his life his own, even when the convenience he’s had growing up is suddenly yanked away.

About the book:
Henry Appleby has an appetite for life. As a recent high school graduate and the son of a wealthy family in one of Chicago’s affluent North Shore suburbs, his life is laid out for him. Unfortunately, though, he’s being forced to follow in the footsteps of his successful attorney father instead of living his dream of being a chef. When an opportunity comes his way to work in a real kitchen the summer after graduation, at a little Italian joint called Fiorello’s, Henry jumps at the chance, putting his future in jeopardy.

Years ago, life was a plentiful buffet for Vito Carelli. But a tragic turn of events now keeps the young chef at Fiorello’s quiet and secretive, preferring to let his amazing Italian peasant cuisine do his talking. When the two cooks meet over an open flame, sparks fly. Both need a taste of something more—something real, something true—to separate the good from the bad and find the love—and the hope—that just might be their salvation.

You can find my full review on joyfully Jay.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!