Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Manhattan upper-cruster Cecily Sinclair now uses that pricey utensil to dish up fancy French fare on her cooking show, Serving Romance. When there’s an executive shake-up at the network, she’s not worried. Not much anyway. Her show’s a hit after all. Why would the new CEO want to mess with success?
The driving force behind several buzzed-about networks, Devlin Hayes is considered to be a wunderkind in the television industry. Although his plans to rebrand CuisineTV and make Serving Romance more Millennial-friendly don’t thrill Cecily, her charming, blue-eyed boss is a hard man to say “no” to and she really wants to keep her job—even if that means sharing screen time with a loathsome blast from her past.
Mercurial Italian chef Dante Marchetti a.k.a. “Il Duce” was once Cecily’s boss, and she has the PTSD to prove it. Now the owner of one of the hottest restaurants in town, Dante’s egomania knows no bounds and his constant attempts to provoke and upstage Cecily make her want to conk him on the head with a sauté pan. She thinks they’re toxic together, but viewers love their chemistry and clamor for more.
As Cecily battles to maintain the integrity of her show, she finds herself scheming and manipulating right along with Dante and Devlin. Is she fighting a lost cause? Does she really belong on TV, or would her culinary talent be better served elsewhere? And could one of the men who makes Cecily’s blood boil ignite a passion in her for something other than food?
Last year I was contacted by author Tracie Banister with a review request for her novel 'Twin Piques' (click here to read my review). When I finally got to the novel, I was blown away by Tracie's writing skills and how much I actually enjoyed the book, and I was immediately excited about her next read. So, when Tracie contacted me at the end of last year about her latest release, 'Mixing It Up', I immediately said 'yes' when she asked me to review the book, without even reading the description. I am always in the mood for a good chick lit read and I already had a good feeling I would end up enjoying this one just as much, or perhaps even more, than 'Twin Piques'...!
Cecily Sinclair loves her job as a TV-chef. In her own show 'Serving Romance' she gets to share her passion for French food and cooking with her audience, and according to the audience numbers they seem to love it as well. But then CuisineTV is taken over by Devlin Hayes, who has all kinds of plans to give the channel a make-over and make it more appealing for millennials. Cecily has to fight to keep her show on the air, and matters become even worse when she gets a new co-host in the form of Italian chef Dante Marchetti, a former boss she never got along with and still can't stand. With all the changes in her life, and an unexpected chance at romance, Cecily is forced to make some pretty important decisions; decisions that could change everything she has been used to for the past couple of years...
If I hadn't already fallen in love with Tracie Banister's stories before picking up this novel, I am sure 'Mixing It Up' would have definitely done the trick; what a fantastic read! In the book we get to follow TV-chef Cecily who has a real passion for French food. Cecily loves her own TV show, 'Serving Romance', so is quite shocked when the new boss of CuisineTV decides it's time for a make-over, and she suddenly has to team up with Italian chef Dante Marchetti, whom she can't stand. I straight away warmed to Cecily and really loved the storyline. There was more than enough going on to make me want to read on, and I just really liked the setting of the TV cooking world, even though I hardly ever watch any cooking shows on TV; Tracie Banister just managed to make it fascinating with everything that was going on in the book and her captivating and fun writing style.
One of the strengths of this novel is definitely the collection of characters. As already mentioned I liked Cecily, but there are also some wonderful and interesting other characters, such as new TV boss Devlin, Cecily's cousin Dina, her good friend Paige, and frustrating but funny chef Dante Marchetti. The different personalities really complement one another and add their own touch to the story, which is easy to get through and get back into because of the fast pace, good-length chapters and just great writing. I'm definitely a Tracie Banister fan and if you haven't yet read one of her novels, don't hesitate any longer and pick one up as soon as you can, especially if you're a chick lit fan. All in all, 'Mixing It Up' is an amazingly enjoyable, fun and entertaining read I couldn't get enough of; loved it from start to finish and wish there was more!
Rating:
10/10
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.
How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?
Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?
To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?
When I was younger I often used to wish for an identical twin sister. After seeing 'The Parent Trap' (the Disney version with Lindsay Lohan), I thought it would be so great to have a twin, someone who looked exactly like you, to have fun with and get into trouble with. Luckily, I ended up with a younger sister and brother, who are both even better than an identical twin sister, but my interest in twins never really went away! So, when author Tracie Banister contacted me about possibly reviewing her novel 'Twin Piques', which was released in January 2015, I immediately got excited. Tracie has actually written two other chick lit novels before this one: 'In Need of Therapy' and 'Blame It on the Fame', but this was my first experience with her writing and I had my fingers crossed, hoping it would end up being a good one!
Thirty-two-year old identical twin sisters Sloane and Willa Tobin might look the same, but on the inside they couldn't possibly be more different. While Willa is a sweet and caring pet psychic, always willing to help people and looking for her own Prince Charming; Sloane is a confident and focused forensic accountant, a true workaholic and definitely not looking for anything more than a simple hook-up. When Willa meets Brody Wyatt, a handsome rose expert, she immediately notices the spark between them and can't stop thinking about him. At the same time, Sloane is busy with some high-profile cases and knows she needs to focus in order to get that promotion she wants. Willa and Sloane will need each other to get through the troubles of their daily lives in order to get what they want, but will they be able to set aside their differences and help each other out when they most need it...?
I am so happy I was contacted by Tracie Banister and got the chance to be introduced to her work; I loved everything about 'Twin Piques' and it's a read I highly recommend to other chick lit fans! From the first chapter I was taken in by the characters and the story and just didn't want to leave them behind (any hope for a sequel, Tracie?). Willa and Sloane were great female protagonists and I think every reader will be able to find at least one thing they have in common with one of them or can relate to in one way or another. I loved both Sloane and Willa and their different characters but strong sisterly bond definitely made for some interesting reading.
The author's writing style was a true joy to read; descriptive, lots of dialogue, quick-paced, funny... Perfect for the chick lit genre! The chapters are told from either Willa or Sloane's perspective and this led to the reader getting close to both sisters, knowing what they're feeling and thinking. Next to Willa and Sloane, there's a cast of great secondary characters, particularly two fantastic men in the form of Brody and Gavin. I can't believe it took me this long to pick up this novel and I already can't wait to read some of Tracie Banister's other works. 'Twin Piques' is a light-hearted, fun, and thoroughly entertaining book which I simply couldn't get enough of; the perfect read for chick lit fans or anyone looking for a great romantic comedy read!
Rating:9,5/10
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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