A Taste of You, Irene Preston

A Taste of You,  Irene Preston
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: M/M Romance.

I love romance reads, and gravitate to M/M ones because they so often have that sensuality and real tenderness that others often lack, so when offered the chance for review I jumped at it.

Poor Carlo, he’s been in love with Garret for so many years, and yet Garret seems oblivious, doing his usual flit from man to man….and Carlo’s heart dies a little more each time. This time he gone too far though, when he returns from filming he’s not stuck to his usual routine, and Garret is ruled by routines and everything in its place, so Carlo is wondering what’s wrong…Then he meets Garret’s latest man, when he’s installed as Chef de Cuisine over the current chef. They are partners in business and always discuss changes together, but not this time. Not only that but Garret is opening a new restaurant that means he’ll be away even more than he currently is. Carlo doesn’t know how much more he can take and it affects him at work. He decides its time he had a back up plan and starts to organise reopening a new version of the restaurant his family ran for so many years, in partnership with his cousin Joey. The staff notice how distracted Carlo is, how upset he seems to be, how he’s different from his normal unflappable person. They’ve seen for ages how he feels though he doesn’t realise it, seems everyone bar Garret knows! Two of them are discussing it, without naming Garret when he hears them and decides he needs to separate Carlo from this jerk who’s using him….His words to himself over this made me smile, he just still couldn’t see who it was and what he was doing. Carlo thinks its a dream come true when Garret stays over, and soon they’re together more and more. Garret though is still very vague, makes it clear he’s not Carlos boyfriend and poor Carlo still isn’t really any better off, always waiting for the moment when Garret calls time on their relationship.
There’s a host of side characters, from the Ransom staff to Carlo’s extended family, and its a book full of tenderness and also despair. A great mix so when it all comes right it feels so much sweeter.
I loved this read, its shortish at 146 pages, but packed with emotion from sadness to laughter, along with some scorching sensuality at times.
Stars: Five, fun, spicy read.
ARC supplied by author