This is not a good time of year for the sugar-averse. From leftover Halloween candy to holiday pies and cakes, it seems that tempting treats are everywhere! If you’d like to get your sugar fix without the pesky calories, the following books featuring pastry chefs should satisfy your sweet tooth.
Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis
In this 8th installment of the Lucky Harbor series, unlucky pastry chef Leah returns to the Pacific Northwest after a major professional disappointment. Her fortunes are set to change, however, when she gets entangled with her former flame, the very hunky firefighter Jack. Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor books are a delicious mix of pathos, humor, well-drawn characters, and rewarding romantic scenarios, with the added bonus of taking place in Washington state.
Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman
Lani was an up-and-coming chef in New York City before escaping hectic city life (as well as her famous and smolderingly hot boss) and opening a cupcake shop in a place whose name suggests something sweet: Sugarberry Island, Georgia. When her boss shows up out of the blue with his cooking show production crew, Lani has some decisions to make! Despite some insecurity regarding her love life, Lani is a strong and successful character, supported by her best friend and the members of a newly formed baking support group, the Cupcake Club. First in a series, with cupcake recipes!
Scrumptious by Amanda Usen
Marly and Joe are workaholic chefs who both want nothing more than a one-night stand…or so Marly thinks! The author puts her chef background to good use here, in a story that is layered and hot like a molten cake, with a dash of mystery, and lots of tantalizing food descriptions.
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
I’m wrapping up this list with an admittedly unexpected choice: a dark urban fantasy with only mild romantic elements. Rae, aka Sunshine, is a strong-willed pastry chef whose life is upended when she is captured by vampires in a ravaged, war-torn supernatural world not unlike ours. This is an absorbing story to sink your teeth into, and an enjoyable alternative to Twilight.
