#SugarAndSpiceAndAllThoseLies #NetGalley

I recommend the book. A good story to read during the weekend at the cottage. Interesting story.

Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies is a jumbled mess that's not all romance or all mystery, but a hybrid of both and neither quite succeeding.

Gina is a young chef in the Bay Area who captures the eyes of two different men; one, Leon, a rich man involved with one of Gina's childhood friends, the other, Brent, a detective. I find it hard to believe that this rather insipid young woman managed to capture two men's interest, as she was boring and one dimensional at best. Leon is the rich man in question, and when Gina first meets him, he's on a date with her childhood friend, Cristi. But, he's enamored of Gina, and breaks up with Cristi in order to pursue Gina. Gina knows better than to get involved with a rich playboy like Leon, but allows herself to be swept up in him. And then there's the 2nd man in the love triangle, Brent. He's a hot detective, but I never quite got a good feel of him.

I guess the main problem I have with Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies is that it's all so disconnected and jumbled. The mystery turns out to be absolutely ridiculous, over the top verging into soap land, and the romance never got off the ground. None of the three leads are particularly likable and the chemistry they share is negligible. About the only thing I liked was the ending, which took long to get to.

For many, of us, we can feel trapped by our circumstances. The poor feel trapped in a cycle of poverty and the rich live in a different stratosphere.

Gina is someone seeking to rise above her family's station in life and is poised to do so through tons of hard work at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area. But, her life is in for a seriously bumpy ride from the moment a rich client, Leon, spots her at the restaurant.

Between angering a childhood friend who was Leon's date that night they met, feeling that she can never be good enough for Leon's family, and having an unknown stalker targeting her, Gina has to find her way to survive and thrive.

Gina comes from a poor family but several generations of excellent cooks. She works in an upscale restaurant. A regular customer, Leon has decided he is in love with her. Leon is from a wealthy family with a father that controls his life more than realized by those around him. Gina is finding that best friends are not always to be depended upon. Then there is Brent the detective who is interested in her but his job comes first. Gina learns much about her mother's love for her and how she shows it. Can she find love and have her own place to cook her favorite recipes?

I am sorry but I found this story not quite believable. Friends do not try to kill you! I thought this book would have been a lot better. The idea of a chef cooking in an award winning restaurant sounds good. It was not up to my expectations though.

I have accepted the fact that I am drawn to any romances where a chef is involved. I can’t explain to you why I just find I enjoy them.

This novel was no different. There were some negative aspect such as the story dragging at parts. But overall, I thought it was an interesting story coupled with intrigue. While I don’t tend to read a lot of mystery, I find that I enjoy it when it’s coupled with romance.

Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed with the story. I can’t exactly explain why. I felt like it had potential to be something great but stopped just short at good.

I enjoyed this book and found it an interesting read. It was easy to pick up and put down as the story wasn't complicated which I found satisfying. Recommended.

This is the story of Gina, a trainee chef at a top restaurant who at first sight becomes the infatuation of Leon, a rich playboy who is in the restaurant on a date with a childhood friend of Gina's.

Gina ignores Leon's requests for a date but he persists with notes and flowers. Her colleague Marcia knows of Leon's reputation but thinks Gina should date him to see how the other half live.

However even though she has spurned Leon, her childhood friend is upset with Gina and attacks her. In comes Brent, the detective assigned to this case, who also seems to like Gina too but Marcia takes a shine to him.

Overall I'm not sure about this novel. It's an interesting story with four main characters but I don't know that I really enjoyed it. Its hard to put my finger on what it was that doesn't resonate with me.

Maybe its the misleading title as there is not really any lies, unless its the lies the characters were telling themselves about their feelings. Its a story more about jealousy and envy in the end. Or it was the way the epilogue was a year on from where it ended and just fell flat.

I was provided with #SugarAndSpiceAndAllThoseLies by #NetGalley in return for a honest review.

Who has friends that try to kill them? Not once but twice! The whole premise was extremely bizarre and fragmented.

NOTE: I received this book free from NetGalley for a fair review

Sugar and Spice and All Those Lies from Evy Journey is an interesting story about a lady sous chef, trying to find love and happiness among two men, and found herself betrayed several times, by people whom she thought were her close friends. The beginning was a good hook, with her on a hospital gurney being pushed, and ends... on an HEA (but this is a romance, so that's not a spoiler)...

Gina wanted to be a chef for a long time, brought up surrounded by her grandpa's recipes as well as her mom's tutelage. She never seems to realize her mixed parentage gave her exotic looks that men seem to find irresistible, not that she's the kind of woman that would take another woman's man. When she was wooed by Leon, a rich young man, she was mildly amused, but Leon was with Cristi, her childhood best friend... Until Cristi stabbed her with a pair of scissors because Gina had "stolen" Leon from her. The detective investigating the battery case was Brent, who was also interested in Gina, but Gina was with Leon then. Thus Gina introduced Brent to her best friend from the restaurant, Marcia the pastry cook. But even as Gina's relationship with Leon reached a decision point, a stalker sent threatening notes to Gina... warning her of bad things that will happen...

The cooking details are excellent, though I was somewhat disappointed they didn't play into the plot except very peripherally. Gina... came across as a really ambivalent character. Her kind heart was both a strength and a weakness, in a way that really elicits empathy from the reader, but also made her weak-willed at times. Without spoiling the plot, I'll just say Leon and Brent both came across as decent guys, albeit, only one will win at the end.

All in all, this book just lacks that... something that really moves me.

Sugar and Spice And All Those Lies,  Evy Journey

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction

Gah! Women's Fiction roll eyes I hate that classification, I won't do my usual rant except to say why shouldn't a man enjoy this?

I wasn't sure what to expect here, but its a mix of romance, riches, and resolution.

Gina is from (her words) a white trash background, though I don't think I'd describe it as such. She decides to go for what she really wants after deciding that she wants more than to just marry and have a family. Cooking is her love, nurtured by her mother, and originated from her grandfather.
She's working in a Michelin starred restaurant as a line cook when she meets Leon. Her workmate and friend Marcia tells her a little of his history, he's a true Ladies man, going out for a brief while with them and treating them really well, but finishing within a couple of months. Payoff is good though, diamonds, jewellry, meals out, flowers... Marcia says go for it when he shows an interest in her, but he's dating Gina's long time friend who isn't happy that he's asking about Gina.
She meets Brent and he seems interested in her, but she's not sure if he's being polite or not, Leon is still pressing her to go out and she's uncertain what to do. Brent seems to be keen on her but hasn't asked her out, Leon asks her out almost daily.

I loved Brent, wasn't sure about Leon, but he seemed to be open about what he wanted, and what he would do even if I didn't agree with his ends, felt a bit shallow to me, I couldn't respect someone that made that choice. I wasn't sure about Marcia, she seemed friendly and open, and was really helpful to Gina. Gina herself I admired to begin, and felt for her when her friend was upset with her, she couldn't help what happened, it wasn't anything she could control. Her family were lovely, very supportive even if her mum really hoped Gina would just live close, get married and have a family. Somehow though I didn't really warm to her, I felt she was swayed too much by Leon's money, even though initially she held out against him. I wanted her to see poor Brent was attracted to her as more than just a friend.
Its kind of a mixed romance and suspense/thriller read. I did like the food/restaurant part, an interesting world where people pay more for a meal than many earn in a month. That happens, and always stuns me ;-(


 Stars: Three and a half, a fun read but the romance side was pretty much a side issue.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

This is a heart warming story that focuses on Gina, a great Chef, who finds herself caught in not one but two love triangles. She's good with food and spices and knows how to create a dish that'll melt your soul but she's not as good when it comes to reading people, especially her friends: Cristi and Marcia. The former stabs her with a pair of scissors because she caught the attention of her boyfriend who happened to dine at the restaurant where Gina works. The latter takes her time in plotting her revenge and it's her actions that finally lead Gina to another path.
I enjoyed reading this book and like the author admits that she's a sucker for happy endings, well, she did not disappoint with this one. I received a copy of the book from NetGalley.