ARC Review: Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Nora Henderson has been basting baby back ribs for as long as she could reach the counter of her dad's famous barbecue joint. When she's accepted to Taste Test, a teen reality cooking competition, Nora can't wait to leave her humble hometown behind. On set, run-ins with the maddeningly handsome and talented son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, make Nora wonder if it's him or the win she really wants, but as she and Christian emerge as front-runners for the final prize, Nora can't ignore the mysterious accidents plaguing the kitchen arena. Someone is conducting eliminations of their own, and if Nora doesn't stop them, she could be next to get "chopped" for good.

With romance and intrigue as delectable as the winning recipes included in the story, this debut novel will be devoured by all.

I absolutely adored this book!  It's been a while since I read this one, but I still remember all the fun and laughs that were had throughout the entire book.  I'm a huge fan of all the reality shows with cooking themes, so when I got wind of this book I was completely anxious to dive right in.  As this was a title by a debut YA author, I wasn't sure what to expect, but had high hopes despite all that based on the book's premise alone.

 

With a little time left in this final month of Summer, there's still plenty of time for readers to pick this book up and enjoy all the comedy and delicious recipes that Fiore strings together.  It was a fast read, mainly because I couldn't wait to see who would win each cooking competition, who would be subject to the next "accident" that took place on each set, and what would come of the sparks that were flying between Nora and Christian.

 

Fiore packed a lot into this opener and she's definitely won me over, and has me eagerly anticipating anything she puts out on the shelves in the future.  The only disappointment was that the reality cooking show wasn't something I could actually watch on TV.  Now I know that Master Chef has a child's version coming out soon, and one can only hope that maybe a teen version will be next, but in the meantime, I just might have to go back to this title from time to time for a little re-read in order to quench my appetite.  A very entertaining and promising start for Fiore!