This is a sweet grumpy/sunshine romance set during the hight of the covid pandemic. Piper is a Broadway actress who's currently working as a waitress due to the shutdown. She gets offered a position on a cooking TV show as an inexperienced millenial being taught how to cook by a professional chef, Helena. Helena, however, is not exactly pleased with this arrangement.

I thought this was a very fun setup for a love story. Though I think I still struggle with fully getting into stories set during early covid years, this certainly felt like it used this setup fully to tell its story.

The characters were fun and they felt fully realised with their own personalities and struggles. I will say, I think the book could have used more time developing the chemistry between the main characters. I felt like the story was focused on their personal struggles a lot more which was completely understandable but at the same time it took the time away from building the actual relationship making it a little weaker.

This book was brilliant, it was my first book from Allison Ashton but for sure i will put her on my list of authors i keep track on.
It combined my favorite troups of age gap, celebrity (while both not super fame but famous in their own right) and well i guess a new one i didnt really think about before cooking/food/ cookingshows (which i LOVE). This combined was the perfect read. The writer style is reallllyy good i totally enjoyed it. The older i get the more i love "normal" life situations and not the over romantic perfect life many books portray. We met Helena Chatfield a woman in her 40s who is a tv cook for years now, after Covid first hit Helenas life changes a lot. On top of that her job that felt so save and catert her lifestyle in a nice New York appartment starts to cruble. Enter Piper Halliday a rising Broadway starlet who also is affected by Covid but in a different way, when a job offer comes up and helps her out of her shity restaurant waiter job she takes a chance. I love how the relationship between these two evolves over the book, it fells so natural and organic, i loved to whitness it. The storyline is amazing and im my mind super creative and close to real live acrually which i LOVED.
Cant wait to read more from this author!

A food network like producers is looking for the next big show. They want their most popular chef, Helena, to have a show with a millennial, Piper.
Twists and turns throughout the production bring the women who couldn't be more opposite, closer. Note: this book happens during the pandemic.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:
It’s October 2020, COVID restrictions don't seem to be softening anytime soon, and Piper Halliday is prepared to take any role, no matter how lame, to make rent. Serious cooking legend and international foodie Helena Chatfield is licking her wounds after the explosive cancellation of her TV show. Her last chance to save her career is to host “I’m a Millennial and I Don’t Know How to Cook”. Infuriatingly, she’s paired with Piper, an out-of-work young actress who can’t even chop an onion.
While the warring women try to put aside their differences for the show, their bubbling secrets are threatening to boil over.

Review:
Sweet, Spicy and Delicate is set in New York in the midst of COVID in October 2020. It follows Piper Halliday (Broadway actress / waitress) and Helena Chatfield (TV Chef) who are both struggling with the effects of the pandemic in different ways. It’s an age-gap, sapphic romance told from a third person perspective (which isn’t my favourite) but fits well here.

Helena has a cooking-education series broadcast by The Yum Channel, which she finds out is cancelled at the very start of the book. The Yum Channel, however, offers a new show they believe will have better ratings: “I’m a Millennial and I Don’t Know How to Cook!” After being served by Piper in the diner she works in, director Reed recruits Piper as the aforementioned Millennial as he believes Piper will be able to tame Helena’s infamous ‘attitude’.
I really like the development of their relationship which essentially follows the classic slow-burn/‘enemies’-to-lovers trope (enemies in a very mild sense based on Helena’s disgust with Piper’s lack of cooking skills).

There are a series of twists and turns that contribute to their forced proximity and ultimately the blossoming romance they have. At times, I didn’t feel like Piper’s response to certain situations was genuine - sometimes the chemistry felt a bit forced. I thought Helena’s character was portrayed really well, however. There are a number of references to a mysterious chronic illness (that really kept me guessing throughout!) and the big reveal of what this was later in the book really took me by surprise. I also found the sexual interactions to be quite formal in comparison to other books of a similar nature.

I did enjoy Sweet, Spicy and Delicate as a sweet, slow-moving romance with a realistic edge that everyone can relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Ashton and Ylva Publishing for this early access edition of Sweet, Spicy and Delicate.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

piper was working at a fast food place...it was only till covid was over and things began to open up again... she was hoping to get back into her musical.... she had just scored a good part in annie and she was hoping that things would begin again soon....after all covid couldnt keep things closed forever....

helena a famous chef was being coerced into doing a reality cook show....this is how low she had fallen ... it was her last chance with the tv channel and it wasnt even her fault.. but she couldnt tell anyone her biggest secret.....

so when piper and helena were approached to do this reality show together they both had mixed feelings....

could they really make a go of it or would it be the end of both of their careers..... no pressure for either of them then....

not a bad read kept me reading right to the end to see what the mystery was with helena

Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for this ARC.
I don't really know where to start. I think the concept of the book was quite good, but the execution didn’t live up to my expectations. The dynamic between the characters felt flat. They were just there – lacking depth, personality, and growth. I couldn’t connect with them, and as a result, I didn’t really care about what happened to them.

The chemistry between the characters was also lacking, which made it hard to get invested in their relationships. The story had cozy moments, and there were glimpses of something promising, but overall, I wanted more from this book. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book, but I found it a little dull, and the Covid element didn’t quite work for me.

I think I expected so much more from this book. With a title like this it kind of sets itself up to fail when it’s all a little flat.

While I understand and like one character, the other is just annoying. I suppose she’s supposed to be some sort of ice queen, but the way she’s written completely misses the mark for me. I appreciate the fairly realistic Covid setting of the book, plus the cooking show elements, but that’s all I like.

I’d also like to note I received an ARC through NetGalley from the publisher. I hope this ARC is going through another round of editing because I spotted many mistakes, something I’m not so used to by Ylva.

It was beautifully written. Both Piper and Helena were very well fleshed out characters who do what they can to survive a pandemic and economic struggles. I liked the slow burn between the two characters but it wasn't your typical enemies to lovers story. I really enjoyed seeing a different side of the pandemic for the reality that many queer women must have experienced during that time. I truly appreciate the opportunity to read this book as an advanced reader's copy. Allison is certainly an author worth waiting for.

There were parts I genuinely loved—especially the cooking show aspect. I still enjoy watching those on TV, so I really appreciated the detailed behind-the-scenes look in the book. Piper was the highlight for me: charming, fun, and a joy to read. Helena, on the other hand, always left me feeling unsettled and awkward—and not in an endearing way. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but her presence never sat right with me.

Aside from that, there were some plot points that I understand served a purpose, but I just found myself wishing they had played out differently or led to a more satisfying outcome.

At last, I just couldn’t understand how Piper didn’t immediately kick her “roommate” out after she locked her cat outside just because she thought it was too noisy. That moment really threw me off—I couldn’t wrap my head around Piper’s reaction there.

Thank you Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc.

It’s a cute story, but I was expecting something more. I hoped for more chemistry, more tension, but that felt a little flat.
However, the story is cute. I appreciate the covid situation and the power dynamic.

Thank you Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc.

Foodies this one's for you
If you like food scenes aplenty in your lesfic reading and an age gap romance set in the entertainment world, give this one a shot. Heads up though that it's set during the beginning of C0Vid so there are continuous references to masking, testing, vaccines and so on to where it's more of a character than the NYC setting is; so if that's not your jam or is triggering for you, keep that in mind when considering this book.
The chapters are numbered but also indicate a month and year or 'later that day' time indication so you can follow the timeline; within a couple of chapters the scene would shift between paragraphs without any gap/break on the page which was momentarily jarring to read a character in one place then somewhere else without the filler of travel narration in between. It's a minor issue but did distract me from the flow of the story when it happened. Also, the chemistry between main characters Helena and Piper seemed more 'tell' than 'show' so I knew they each were attracted to the other but the sizzle on the page between them didn't really become apparent until the story shifted to more 'show' than 'tell' focus; it was flat on the page then later magnetic. The secondary characters often felt like they're there for plot reasons more than any other, and one sub plot involving an ex is prolonged to the point of annoyance before finally resolving.
There's lots of food information so if you're a foodie, you'll love those scenes; the flirting and foreplay that goes on around food is entertaining reading. The industry look at TV shows and the general manipulation that takes place in the workplace and for contract negotiations is interesting to be aware of for real life interactions elsewhere. Piper is likable early on when she's not being a doormat while Helena is a bit of an ice queen for a while (for good reason). I rooted for them eventually but was more interested in seeing how their careers worked out than the romance although they do have some hot sexxy times.
There's plenty of humor in the story and drama but the pandemic references were tiresome for me. The ending is fitting for a TV show with a sense of all will be well with the characters. Overall the book read like a debut though I'm not sure if this is the author's first book. I would like to see and read whatever she publishes next though to see what other stories are in her imagination, ideally without involving C0vid.

Piper and Helena had great chemistry and the spice (no pun intended) was a little spicy. At first, I wasn’t sure about reading a rom-com that COVID played a significant role in, but it worked without being insensitive. I loved the character development and the mystery surrounding Helena. It definitely kept me on my toes and guessing. I will say that I wasn’t a big fan of the chapter titles. I felt like the author could’ve pointed out how much time had passed in a paragraph or written exact dates as titles. The book had age gap, grumpy/sunshine, and workplace romance tropes, which are some of my favorite ones. All in all, it was a good read, and I’d recommend it if you enjoy those tropes.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Ylva for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For any fans of ice queen, age gap sapphic relationships, this one is for you! The story, the writing, and main characters are all engaging, and although this is a story set during COVID lockdown, it doesn’t take focus away from the plot. A very enjoyable romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Yvla for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for this ARC.

This story opens in October 2020 when the world is in the grip of the COVID pandemic. Piper Halliday, 30, is an actress in New York whose show has closed and she scratches a living by being a waitress in Ed's Diner. Helena Chatfield, 45 is a cooking legend with many cooking shows under her belt for The Yum Channel but she became unpopular during her last solo show so now the channel suggest a show in which she teaches a younger person how to cook. They give it the catchy title "I’m a Millennial and I Don’t Know How to Cook!" and recruit Piper to be that millennial.

Piper and Helena slowly but surely fall for each other, despite the age gap and the strange situation of being queer presenters of a cooking show that doesn't prove too popular at first. After Piper offers a room to her ex Sharla and then can't get rid of her again, she moves in with Helena, which makes the commute to work easier too as the show is filmed in Helena's enormous kitchen.

I don't think this can be described as an enemies to lovers romance - it is more the grumpy / sunshine trope that comes into play. Helena suffers from a chronic illness that she doesn't want to disclose to anyone and which caused the cancellation of her last show. It also makes her feel unloveable, so the romance is slow-burn. The word "yearning" is used a couple of times, and it fits the situation perfectly.

I have to admit that the middle with all the cooking and talking about knife skills dragged a little for me. I also could have cheerfully yeeted Sharla into next week for her general sense of entitlement but also for endangering Sutton the cat! This book takes place in the US and obviously I have no idea what their COVID regulations were at any given point but it strikes me as risky to move in with other people during a pandemic. I liked the frequent mentions of masks and the upcoming vaccine though. The several mentions of shotgun possessions were however really alien to me and should maybe be taken out for the international market. Altogether, this is a sweet queer romance that is well-written, has some spice and that I read within a day.

3.5 stars

Intentionally setting this during 2020 and then handling Covid so weirdly (like 0 characters wearing masks) was such a choice. It felt more like an excuse for Piper to be out of work, when having her show close — like many broadway shows! — would have worked much better. That just completely took me out of the rest of the book and I couldn’t enjoy it

Sweet, Spicy, Delicate is a charming queer romance set during a high-stakes cooking show. Told through dual POVs, it follows Piper, who feels an immediate spark, and Helena, who takes her time realising her own feelings. The slow-burn tension, combined with the backdrop of the COVID pandemic, adds depth to the story. With adorable moments, sizzling chemistry, and just the right touch of spice, this is a heartfelt and enjoyable read.