Christmas at the Château (Bainbridge House # 2) by Rochelle Alers is a delicious romance. Literally.
Viola, the only woman of the Williamson heirs, will be the executive chef of Bainbridge House, which is under renovation. While those renovations are completed, Viola will be in charge of the wedding menu for her brother, Taylor, as well as overseeing the kitchens’ equipments and establishing suitable locations on the property for the production of fresh food and canning for her recipes. For this, Taylor has asked Dominic Shaw, Bainbridge House’s caretaker (a job the Shaws have done for generations), to work with Viola.
Dom and Viola start off on the left foot. They both had bad experiences in love (he went through a bitter marriage and divorce and she had a couple of disappointments with men, seeking to benefit from the Williamson’s social status) and they have serious trust issues. Despite this, they decide to have a friendship —after all, working together can be awkward if they don’t get along— that eventually turns into love. However, there’s a secret Dominic keeps for himself…
The romance between hero and heroine flows without exaggerated drama or out-of-place tangles. This is the best asset of the book, two grown-up people who have the necessary maturity to have a beautiful relationship. In addition, they have a calm chemistry, making their interactions easy and credible. On the other hand, the secondary characters are adequate, although I felt a bit of tension between Viola and her mother Elise despite the fact that their mother-daughter relationship is excellent (Elise is very overprotective with her “kids”). This is evidenced by the confrontation they have at the climax of the plot.
As technical elements, I have to say that the author does her homework pretty well respecting Viola’s job, showing great knowledge of ingredients, especially the spices and condiments all the different dishes require (a cooking lover?). On the other hand, I must mention that the writing is good, although some narratives are a bit too long while reading. However, it has a good reading pace and the setting is fantastic. Apart from the fact that the chronologies and times border on perfection.
With an ending including a couple of loose ends, this story is a very beautiful and uncomplicated one that the reader could fall in love with.
Book Info:
Publication: November 30th, 2021 | Harlequin Special Edition | Bainbridge House #2
The halls are decked for holiday romance in nationally bestselling author Rochelle Alers’s latest book in the Bainbridge House series!
Christmas dinner’s on the table
Served with a side of romance
Executive chef Viola Williamson has to have the kitchen up and running by the time the Bainbridge House restoration is complete. Working closely with Dom Shaw, Viola is struck by her hotter-than-mulled-cider attraction to her family estate’s handsome caretaker. It’s obvious that he feels it, too—yet Dom keeps his distance. Can Viola convince him that with all this cooking going on, he’s the only one stirring her heart?
From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Bainbridge House
Book 1: A New Foundation
Book 2: Christmas at the Château
penneyblog
Sounds good thank you
Penney