REVIEW: Just Desserts by Scarlet Blackwell
Dear Ms. Blackwell,
I hadn’t read an m/m in a while and decided to splurge on this story of one hot Parisian chef who meets his match in a cool English food critic.
Luc Tessier is hot tempered, sexually demanding of his minions – who really don’t seem to mind too much, a top vegetarian chef and determined to wow Daniel Sheridan despite all the food critic’s past critical reviews. The opening daydreams Luc has of what he’d like to do to Daniel came as a bit of a shock, especially since Luc is a vegetarian. Is this supposed to signify Luc’s hot bloodedness? Anyway, once past those Luc and his monumental ego became amusing.
It was a long wait until you finally gave us a scene from Daniel’s POV and once there all I could think of was “prissy, coy cockteaser.” Really, Daniel comes off – no pun intended – as some stuck up, missish, ice god(dess) despite the hot, after hours encounter in Luc’s kitchen. Daniel puts out, screams as he comes then fixes his clothes and acts like it’s nothing more than a cheap, one off, sordid fuck which he’s both ashamed of and above.
Luc’s sardonic gift of the phallic vegetables followed by the sex toy kept me firmly on his side of this relationship. The gifts he lavishes on Daniel to woo him are sweet and sexy while Daniel keeps acting like a prig who’s embarrassed by his regretted roll in the hay. He couldn’t have been any more stuck up if he’d had a broomstick up his ass.
Which then doesn’t jibe with his almost blatant “come on” statement before the cooking contest, which I agree with Luc is obviously meant for the Frenchman. But oh, no then Daniel retreats to his prissiness during the contest and afterwards as Luc hijacks Daniel to his hotel room. Then there’s a whiplash change of heart again during which these two have pages and pages of hawt sex and Luc decides that any man whose semen he likes to taste must be the man for him. Daniel then flips character yet again and becomes a coy, sex kitten. Huh?
Though I like Luc and hope he’s happy with his catch, I can’t help but think that Daniel is going to turn out to be a high maintenance queen who flouts off whenever he’s on the rag.
~Jayne
Book Link | Kindle
I loved this book and thought it was funny and fresh. Daniel is a little high-maintenance but I thought he was a good balance to Luc’s ego and just what the guy needed. And I lol’d my way though it which is way different than what you get out of most m-m books or most romances for that matter. I really liked it, sorry it wasn’t for you.
@Avid Reader: I agree that it’s fresh and has its funny moments – mainly as Luc tries to woo Daniel with naughty gifts. Maybe Daniel will mellow some as their relationship grows but for now, I think they’re too opposite.
Well crap. Competing views from two people I usually agree with. Does this mean I have to read it myself? Horrors.
Does it feel like an m/m version of chicklit? Because that’s another category I’m discovering in my m/m reading obsession. I’m on the fence about it. I don’t always want angsty, but given I avoid chicklit, I’m not really up for its migration to other subgenres.
@Sunita: I wouldn’t say it’s Chicklit but it’s more in that direction than any angst. It’s also a very quick read so you’re not out a lot of time to try it.
“Though I like Luc and hope he's happy with his catch, I can't help but think that Daniel is going to turn out to be a high maintenance queen who flouts off whenever he's on the rag.”
Wow! How insulting is this to the lgbt community? Try making a statement like this about racist African American stereo types and you’ll wind up on Anderson Cooper making an apology to Al Sharpton.
@Shocked: I wouldn’t have described him this way if he didn’t come across this way.
@Jayne: Yeah, chicklit is the wrong word, but there is definitely a light-and-fluffy, invoke-the-old-stereotypes feel to a couple I’ve read. I might have to give it a try anyway, just to continue the expansion of horizons. :-)
I agree, this book wasn’t my cup of tea. However, I did really enjoy her previous release Life Class much, much better!