For Butter or Worse
May 24, 2022
Chef Nina Lyon wants to inspire young women to become chefs. As co-host of The Next Cooking Champ!, she hopes to really make a name for herself in the culinary world. Unfortunately, her co-host, restauranteur Leo O'Donnell, tends to get under her skin when they're filming. When he takes a barb a bit too far, Nina quits on camera. Thrown in a paparazzi photo of what looks to be in a compromising position with Leo, and the fans are absolutely hooked. Leo and Nina now have to pretend to be dating in order to save their careers.
I love the fake dating, enemies to lovers, and mutual pining tropes. I especially enjoyed the use of Halloween and autumn as the backdrop of many of Nina and Leo's dates, and how it ties nicely int the epilogue.
I really enjoyed Jasmine and Gavin's relationships with Nina and Leo - the way that each pair supported each other through their challenges and the next steps of their careers was really nice to read. I enjoyed the way that Nina and Leo's careers evolved throughout the course of the story (although I do wish we got to hear about what Leo ended up doing in the epilogue!). Sometimes your dreams don't work out. Sometimes you get a second chance in a different way. Sometimes what you think is your next best step turns out to not be working for you in the present, and that's okay.
I thought that the portrayal of Leo's anxiety was really well done - his panic attacks, the discussion of treatment and therapy, and the way that he and his family work to address the stressors that were fueling the anxiety attacks.
I appreciated that while Leo apologizes for the way that he had treated Nina in the past (and works to improve his behavior), she does not forgive him for those past insults. It's refreshing to see that you don't have to forgive someone for the damage that they've done.
Unfortunately, something that really took me out of the story was Leo's dad and Vinny's backstory. The "I'm Irish but Italian at heart" story got weird when his dad ended up giving his own kids Italian names and shortended his own to make Vinny's seem more Italian. It honestly reminded me of Rachel Dolezal. A shame, since this was only briefly mentioned but was really off putting as a person of color.
Overall, a lighthearted, cute romance that I enjoyed reading.
A thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, HQN, and NetGalley for the ARC.
More about For Butter or Worse here:
Title: For Butter or Worse
Author: Erin La Rosa
All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. For too long, she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of professional kitchens, and she's had enough. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene. Too bad her co-host happens to be Hollywood’s smarmiest jerk.
Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It's part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.
To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.
Now all they have to do is play along, without killing each other...and without catching feelings. Easy as artisanal shepherd's pie. Right?