Review: Dine With Me by Layla Reyne

Title: Dine With Me

Author: Layla Reyne

Publisher: Carina Press

Length: 69k Words

Category: Contemporary

At a Glance: Dine With Me is FULL of emotion. This was a fantastic book that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a well-written, touching, romantic story, that is also a love letter to food.

Reviewed By: Jules

Blurb: Life never tasted so good.

Miller Sykes’s meteoric rise to award-winning chef is the stuff of culinary dreams, but it’s all crashing down around him. He’s been given a diagnosis that could cost him something even more precious than his life: his sense of taste. Rather than risk the very thing that defines him, Miller embarks on a last tour of his favorite meals while he still can.

But there’s a catch: he needs a financial backer to make it happen, and he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s sick.

Dr. Clancy Rhodes has two weeks to come to terms with putting aside oncology to work at his father’s thriving plastic surgery practice. When the opportunity to travel with a Michelin-starred chef presents itself, the foodie in him can’t believe it. It doesn’t hurt that Miller’s rugged good looks are exactly Clancy’s cup of joe.

As Clancy and Miller travel from coast to coast and indulge in everything from dive bars to the most decadent of culinary experiences, they’re suddenly sharing a lot more than delicious meals. Sparks fly as they bond over their love of flavors and the pressures of great expectations. But when Miller’s health takes a turn for the worse, Clancy must convince him he’s more—so much more—than just his taste buds. And that together, they can win a battle that once seemed hopeless.

Review: I think people who truly love books and reading will get this…You know how some books are, for whatever reason, just the right book at the right time? Like, maybe it’s not even the best book you’ve ever read, but it was perfect in that moment? Layla Reyne’s new release, Dine With Me, was like that for me. It was the book I didn’t even know I needed this weekend, and I utterly adored it. The story spoke to me from the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, and Reyne totally delivered. The premise was unique and fun, the characters were so easy to fall in love with, and it didn’t hurt that it combined three of my favorite things: food, wine, and the holidays! Oh, and travel!

Fans of Reyne already know she can write one hell of a romantic suspense story—I’m also an Irish & Whiskey and Nic & Cam fangirl—but, with Dine With Me she proves she can also write a beautiful contemporary. Miller’s story drew me in from page one. His feelings about his restaurant, and his staff, and obviously about food, were undeniable. I was totally captivated by the opening scene and by him; I felt like I knew so much about him right away, just from those few moments and without even knowing his whole backstory. And once we did get his backstory, I loved him even more. His relationships with Sloan (his best friend and now ex-wife), and with his other best friend, Greg, who we meet on one of the culinary tour stops, are fabulous. And I loved how close he was with his family.

Clancy was a little less, I dunno… warm, maybe? And, a little tougher to get to know right off the bat. But I ended up loving him so much too. I loved that his parents answered the ad for him, both because he was a massive foodie, and because he hadn’t had a vacation in twelve years and deserved to have this incredible experience. The love between Clancy and his dad was so sweet, as was the relationship between him and his mom and stepdad. All the characters and relationships in the book really were so well-developed, I was basically enchanted by them all.

Now, let’s talk about the food for a moment. You guys…if you’re even a little bit of a foodie, you will be amazed by the detail and descriptions in this book. I highlighted so many dishes and wine names so I could look them up later. Reading this story made me want to travel to these amazing places and eat in these incredible restaurants so badly! If you aren’t really that into all the food stuff, then some of it might be a bit too detailed for you. But, this book was obviously a passion project for the author—I could feel her love of food, wine, and cocktails in every single page—and I was totally down with it.

Dine With Me is FULL of emotion. There is lots of emotion, from many different sides, surrounding Miller’s sickness, and how he decides to cope with his diagnosis. The friendships are so close and full of love and respect. There is so much love and support from everyone’s families, whether for Miller or for Clancy, who is at a crossroads himself with regard to his career. And, the romance between Miller and Clancy is so swoony and sexy. I absolutely loved them together. This was a fantastic book that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a well-written, touching, romantic story, that is also a love letter to food. ❤️

You can buy Dine With Me here:
[zilla_button url=”https://www.carinapress.com/shop/books/9781488053917_dine-with-me.html” style=”black” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Carina Press [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”https://books2read.com/DineWithMeReyne” style=”black” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon & Other eTailers [/zilla_button]