Title: Delicious Series: Marsdens #1
Author: Sherry Thomas
Published: July 29, 2008
Genre(s): Romance: Historical
Page Count: 432
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Famous in Paris, infamous in London, Verity Durant is as well-known for her mouthwatering cuisine as for her scandalous love life. But that’s the least of the surprises awaiting her new employer when he arrives at the estate of Fairleigh Park following the unexpected death of his brother.
To rising political star Stuart Somerset, Verity Durant is just a name and food is just food, until her first dish touches his lips. Only one other time had he felt such pure arousal–a dangerous night of passion with a stranger, who disappeared at dawn. Ten years is a long time to wait for the main course, but when Verity Durant arrives at his table, there’s only one thing that will satisfy Stuart’s appetite for more. But is his hunger for lust, revenge–or that rarest of delicacies, love? For Verity’s past has a secret that could devour them both even as they reach for the most delicious fruit of all...
This is my second novel by respected author Sherry Thomas, and I think my favorite (thus far, of course). Delicious is a charming, sexy romance novel about fairytales, second chances, and love in disguise. The relationship between leads Stuart and Verity was wonderful, slightly unconventional, and full of chemistry—I definitely loved that both characters were in their thirties and had more experience in all areas of life. Sure, some aspects of this book really pushed my credulity, but overall I was immensely impressed with Thomas’s work here.
SHARED HISTORY AND SECOND CHANCES
The first half of the book is narrated via an alternating timeline, going back and forth between the “present” of 1892 and the events of one night in 1882, ten years previous. Though I think the way the author presented things initially was a little confusing, it soon becomes clear that the protagonists of Delicious knew each other at one point, in an unofficial capacity, and have been pining (if that’s the right word?) after each other ever since. For ten years, both have remained entirely celibate in honor of the memory of their one night, though various obstacles have made it impossible for them to ever meet again.
Until…Bertie dies. Bertie, Verity’s employer and also Stuart’s half-brother, is the catalyst that brings our lovers back together, and it’s really interesting how that was accomplished and how Thomas sustained Verity and Stuart’s relationship without ever, actually…sustaining it.
Because, dun dun dun! Stuart and Verity carry on a sort-of liaison for over half the book, without Stuart ever realizing that his newly-acquired cook is actually the same woman he’s been dreaming about for the past decade. Verity, for her part, does know who Stuart is, but she hides her face because she knows that their relationship isn’t the stuff of long-term, and also to protect her biggest secret (which I’m not telling you, because obviously no).
Anyway. Second chance romances are probably my favorite, as I have mentioned previously, and though it seemed a bit of a stretch in this case (seriously? he has her living in his house for weeks and never figures out who she is due to clever sneakery on her part?), I still really enjoyed seeing Verity and Stuart get this chance to rekindle what they though they’d lost. Also, I do really enjoy “mature” couples in romances. Not that 33 and 37 is really old, but it is for the genre.
THERE IS A SECONDARY ROMANCE!
I love romance novels that have enough substance to contain not one, but two romances. Thomas handles this secondary plot so well, also. I totally enjoyed the hate-to-love dynamic between Lizzy (Stuart’s supposed fiancée) and Will Marsden (Stuart’s secretary). The scenes between them were so lovely and high-tension, as well as hilarious. I also liked how their romance mirrors the “lover in disguise” element that also appears in Verity and Stuart’s relationship. A+ for use of doubling, Delicious!
I also thought that Thomas did a good job handling the subject of cheating/infidelity, which could have come up in this book, since Lizzy and Stuart are technically engaged but are having sex with other people. I mean, obviously I don’t support cheating, even if your “true love” appears on the scene, but the way the author treated the topic never made me uncomfortable.
CINDERELLA MOTIFS
Though I wouldn’t call this book an outright retelling, the author does lean pretty heavily on a Cinderella theme that threads throughout the text. From the very first, Verity is put into the role of Cinderella—highborn girl reduced by unfortunate circumstance to work in a kitchen—while Stuart is not Prince Charming, but rather Prince Charming’s resentful brother. I’ve read other romances that riff off of the Cinderella story before, but I think I liked the way Thomas dealt with it more than, say, Julia Quinn. Obviously Verity gets her fairytale ending, but even in spite of romance conventions, Thomas managed to portray a sense of reality throughout (i.e., Verity accepts becoming Stuart’s mistress and not his wife because she recognizes that their social positions are so disparate).
The Happy Ever After scene itself, I’m kind of on the fence about. On the one hand, it was super sappy and much too much monologuing on the Evil Stepmother’s part. On the other hand, I totally loved how Stuart proved his love for Verity in that scene in such a public and Grand Gesture-y way. It was one of those times when genre conventions are totally on-point, and it really cemented everything I love about Verity and Stuart and the relationship they forged over the course of Delicious.
