REVIEW: Love in the Morning by Meg Benjamin

 
In Love in the Morning (Salt Box #2) by Meg Benjamin, Lizzy Apocada has had the worst luck lately. She’s lost her livelihood as a caterer after a nasty food-poisoning incident on a reality TV show, and then her car breaks down in Salt Box, Colorado. However, it seems the small town has a lot to offer; including the town’s premier hotel needing a kitchen assistant, a job she’d be perfect for. But just as she’s starting to get back on her feet, she finds her life being turned upside down again when the reality TV show comes to Salt Box.

”I missed you. When did you leave?”
She shrugged, trying to get her respiration under control. “I had to get up early. I tried not to wake you.”
He grinned. “You didn’t. You’re some kind of breakfast ninja.”

Clark Denham can’t believe it when the chef of his hotel’s restaurant quits. Luckily, the new kitchen assistant can step into the role. Indeed, she’s perfect for the job. However, it isn’t long before Lizzy’s not only working her magic in his kitchen but on his heart as well. But when Lizzy’s past threatens her fresh new start for her future, Clark has to decide whether to help her solve if what happened on the reality show was sabotage, or whether he needs to send her packing to protect the future of his hotel restaurant.

I always enjoy Ms. Benjamin’s books, and this second book of her Salt Box series was well-written, fast-paced and engrossing. Encompassing the mysterious strangers trope, a heroine trying to get her career back on track, and a hero willing to give her a chance. The way this book started made me feel sorry for Lizzy. She’s a woman down on her luck, uncertain whether she’s ever going to get the chance to resume the career that she loves. Fortunately, she finds not only the opportunity but she’s found a town where people don’t judge her for her past.

“I knew a bar owner who used to serve people free peanuts and popcorn that he salted liberally. He said it increased drinks by half.”
Clark found himself grinning. “Sneaky.”
“Very. Also effective.”
He shook his head. “I have a feeling spending time around you could wipe out some illusions if I’m not careful.”

Both Lizzy and Clark were great characters, as are the secondary characters. There were some light-hearted moments between them, but the dialogue was intense due to Lizzy’s back story. Will the heroine ever learn the truth of that fateful day that ruined her career? Should Lizzy tell Clark her secret before someone else does? Since she’s certain someone in Salt Box is bound to recognize who she is. The secondary characters are really good to the heroine in the way that they help her.

Lizzy is strong, brave and tenacious. I really liked how determined she was to get her career back on track, even if she had to start by applying for a job that she’s overqualified for. She deserved for someone to give her another chance, especially when it starts to seem possible that the food poisoning incident wasn’t her fault. That perhaps, someone did sabotage her food to help secure their own future. Her love for cooking and working in a kitchen comes through loud and clear in the narrative and dialogue, which made for great reading.

While Clark, he’s kind, considerate and wants to help Lizzy because she can work magic in the kitchen. I really liked that he had faith in her ability, and believed in the possibility that someone else besides her did ruin her career. However, there was a part of his life that frustrated me. At the start, he has a casual relationship with a woman. She’s a real troublemaker, especially when it becomes clear that the hero likes Lizzy.

Overall, Ms. Benjamin has penned another fantastic read in this book where the sex scenes were nicely-detailed and illustrated this couple’s intense chemistry really well. This story ended wonderfully with Lizzy and Clark together with some of the secondary characters finally discovering the truth of the person responsible for ruining her career, and that it wasn’t the person she assumed. I would recommend Love in the Morning by Meg Benjamin, if you enjoy small town romances.

Book Info:

January 5th, 2016 | Samhain Publishing | Salt Box #2

“Breakfast with benefits ”

The reality show “Lovely Ladies of L.A.” should have launched Lizzy Apodaca s catering company into solvency. Instead, when her carefully prepared appetizers mysteriously gave the cast on-camera food poisoning, she lost everything.

To make matters worse, her car breaks down in Salt Box, Colorado, a town not much bigger than a salt shaker. But maybe her luck is changing the handsome owner of Praeger House, the town s premier hotel, needs a kitchen assistant.

Clark Denham realizes his diamond in the rough is a polished gem when Lizzy steps up to save the hotel s breakfast buffet after his temperamental head chef quits. It isn t long before she s winning his heart as smoothly and efficiently as she runs his kitchen.

Their relationship goes from simmer to rolling boil with the speed of a short order cook. But when a bevy of not-so-lovely ladies shows up in Salt Box, Lizzy s past disaster threatens to flatten her happily ever after faster than a falling souffle.

“Warning: Contains salty dialogue, several servings of high-carb cooking, and a big platter of screaming-hot bedroom delights.”