As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, while I do not like watching cooking shows, there is something about a book that takes place in a cooking show, especially a reality competition like this one that I can’t resist! This book was a lot of fun in so many ways. I loved all the different types of food that were part of this story. So many that I would love to try!

It was easy to see how Beatrice and Charlie would have such a contentious relationship because of the opposite types of foods they cooked. Although once you got down to the reasons for why they cooked what they did, and their own histories, we could see that really the two were more alike in their reasons for what they did than they could ever imagine. It wasn’t necessarily two opposites attracted to each other, but the enemy to lover trope could fit for sure.

There was a lot of good background for both of the main characters. It made all the things they did and felt make sense. Although I still feel that Beatrice accusing Charlie at that last accident was a little out of it after all the times she’d been talking with the other past contestants about talk of a saboteur. And between the two of them accusing each other back and forth, at a certain point if they’d believed the other, I feel like they should have not gone down that doubting path so quickly and easily. But I guess, the whole saying, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, could come into play here.

This was a sweet romance. There was no actual action more than a kiss or so. A few somewhat lusty thoughts, but nothing major. So if you enjoy a sweet holiday romance with lots of delicious sounding foods, you should give The Great Christmas Cook Off by Helen Buckley a try.

Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.