Got the reading doldrums after reading a dreary or disappointing book? Can’t seem to find a sexy romance that will make you smile from ear to ear? Well, I’ve found a book that may temporarily cure your reading woes. It’s a skinny little series romance called Kiss The Cook and it’s a major steal at only $3.99. Love and laughter fans take note: this is a good one!

Melanie (Mel) Gibson is struggling to make her small catering business, “The Pampered Palate,” a success. She’s applied for a loan to expand her business and cannot afford to lose any profits. Her motto is, “If we don’t deliver on time, it’s on us.” When she delivers two hundred dollars’ worth of gourmet food to a local law firm, she’s forced to double park next to a Mercedes in order to live up to that motto.

Accountant Christopher Bishop is exhausted and hungry after a fourteen-hour work day and wants to get home, ditch his suit, and kick back with a beer. He approaches his Mercedes with these pleasant thoughts in mind, only to realize that some inconsiderate nitwit has blocked him in. He impatiently waits fifteen minutes and is ready to explode when the owner of the beat-up old Dodge finally arrives. Mel quickly apologizes and does her best to high-tail it away from the gorgeous but terribly grumpy man. Unfortunately Mel’s car decides it doesn’t want to cooperate and refuses to start. Chris, getting hungrier by the moment, offers his assistance, and the witty banter and fun really begin as the poor man finds himself thoroughly entangled with Mel.

Mel scares the wits out of Chris. She’s sweet, funny, and sexy, and he sees forever in the depths of her big brown eyes. Chris begins to fall fast and hard, but it’s the last thing on earth that he wants. He spent the majority of his youth caring for and financially supporting his mother and his younger siblings when their father unexpectedly passed away. Now that his youngest brother has graduated college Chris intends to spend some time enjoying his hard-earned bachelorhood. He wants to hang out with his buddies and date a myriad of brainless blond bimbos. He fully intends to stay far, far away from Mel but fate – and his heart – have other plans in store for him.

Chris embodies all that I love best about contemporary heroes. He’s warm, sexy, funny, he genuinely loves his family, and also thinks and acts just like a real guy. His initial hesitation to enter into a relationship makes so much more sense than that of your typical thirty-year-old hero who stubbornly insists on “playing the field” for the sake of maintaining a weak semblance of conflict. Chris really has earned some playtime and as a result his half-hearted attempts to maintain his “bachelorhood” are hilarious rather than annoying. He also realizes early on that bachelorhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and commits himself fully to Mel.

Mel is a witty, down-to-earth, hard-working heroine who is as lovable as Chris. She lives and works with her Nana, a saucy and hilarious older woman who calls all cute men “hunks.” Mel’s issues are also well founded. Her self-confidence has suffered a shattering blow after a nasty breakup with her fiance and she does not want to risk her heart. She spends all of her time and energy on her fledgling business and feels that she has no room in her life for a relationship with sexy Chris. Fortunately, Chris proves her wrong.

Kiss The Cook is not a book with an intense conflict or great emotional turmoil. Instead it’s a humorous page-turner about a quirky couple who spend their time simply enjoying each other (in and out of bed). Its charm lies in the author’s skill at turning an everyday event into a hilarious situation. Occasionally the humor borders on silly but mainly it comes across as naturally funny. I may be premature but I think I see the next Jennifer Crusie-like talent developing here. If you enjoy Crusie’s self-sufficient heroines and love Janet Evanovich’s offbeat sense of humor, I’m betting you’ll find this story well worth your time.