I'm a foodie, so really...even with my suspension of disbelief, I couldn't get into the fiction of Dine With Me. I didn't find much to connect with for the characters, and DNF at less than 20%.

This romance is thoughtful and serious. Miller's cancer is all prevailing even when Clancy seems oblivious to it, and because we initially only get Miller's very one-sided pessimistic view of his condition, readers are worried that it might not all turn out well for him.

The trip through restaurants and wine country is a very strong and visual element of the book. This author is clearly as much of a foodie as Clancy is. The feasting and the appreciation of sublime recipes is a wonderful thing to read. Almost as wonderful as the growing attraction between the main characters.

It's definitely a slow burn. Miller fights the attraction and the flirting as much as he can. Clancy's enthusiasm and persistence is fun to observe, and we long for them to finally get it together!

I enjoyed all aspects of this novel. It was full of topics that I have rarely seen in mm before, and even though, ultimately, it stays true to the romantic tropes and formulas, along the way, it's a different and engaging journey.

Thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for advanced copy, which came out on September 16th.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. All of the “foodie” terms took me entirely too much time to look up before I gave up on figuring them out. I soon after lost interest when Clancy talked like a teenager and not like the educated doctor that he was supposed to be.

Dine With Me is a terrific read, particularly if you like the hurt/comfort trope.

Although I’ve heard great things about Layla Reyne, I’d never read one of her books before. Most of them are romantic suspense, which isn’t generally my thing. So, when I saw she had a contemporary romance coming out, I knew I had to give it a try.

I’m so glad I did! I totally get the praise from other readers, because this novel is a wonderful hurt/comfort story. Miller is a famous chef with an illness that could cost him his sense of taste or even his life—pretty much the ultimate in hurt. Clancy is a doctor, the kind of guy who, as Miller thinks to himself, “knew how to care for people. It’s what he did best.” That’s a match made in hurt/comfort heaven, for sure.

I liked both Miller and Clancy as individuals and as a couple. Clancy is a doll; he’s not just caring but open and enthusiastic about everything. (Really, I could use a Clancy in my life.) Miller is also a kind and considerate person, even if his initial choice of how to handle his disease is sort of selfish, based on his fears more than anything else. The connection that grows between Miller and Clancy seemed realistic based on their warmhearted personalities and shared sense of humor. When their mutual attraction tips them into romance, they felt right together to me.

Miller and Clancy fall in love quickly, which sometimes bothers me, but it felt plausible here. After all, the two of them are spending almost every waking moment together as they travel across the country on their culinary tour of Miller’s favorite places to eat. Add to that the heightened emotions surrounding Miller’s illness, and it seems reasonable that they could fall hard and fast for each other.

The descriptions of the meals that Miller and Clancy share on their trip are positively lush. It’s obvious that the author loves food and cooking! I’m not a foodie myself, but reading this made me hungry. Foodies are absolutely going to drool, I think.

I’m not sure whether this book will appeal to all of Reyne’s romantic suspense fans, because the story here has a very different feel. I loved it, though, and if she writes another similar novel in the future, I am there for it.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Departures from the norm can result in very good things and Dine with Me proves that in the literary sense. Dine with Me had a different feel than other Layla Reyne books, quieter and leaving room for introspection as a main character confronts his own mortality versus the action-packed suspense driven plots we typically get. And yet, this novel still had those elements that continually draw me to the author’s stories- rich, full characters that buoy a great story with lovely romance.

I absolutely loved the concept of Dine with Me. The idea of a trip of last suppers was very unique and the stories the author wove together were incredibly original and kept me invested cover to cover. I also liked Miller and Clancy and how their ages and approaches to life and food were played off each other throughout Dine with Me. I also loved the families in Dine with Me, both the ones given and those chosen by Miller. I could feel the warmth among the characters and it provided for a beautiful, heartfelt story that brought tears to my eyes in the pivotal moments wherein the characters examined life, love, passion, and family.

Despite having a more serious subject matter, Dine with Me was balanced with playful banter and descriptions that would make any food-lover’s taste buds tingle. As with anytime an author pursues a different direction, I honestly didn’t know what I’d get when I started Dine with Me. Happily, it was more than I could have hoped for and I enjoyed every moment with this cast of characters. Dine with Me is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a character-driven story of what makes life and love worth celebrating and fighting for.

¸.•´¸★*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.★¨*.¸¸.•`★¤Five star, slow burning, top ten stars.¤★¨*.¸¸.*ˑ˞★

This book served to be a foodies dream. Along with a road trip that even this reader is now envious of, it was exciting to see where Miller and Clancy would end up and which foods would tempt the palette-pleasing Doctor.

This was not what I was expecting on request, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. Just the thoughts of the smells and sounds, the author gave her readers an experience of what fine dining can entail.

It kept this reader from focusing more on the heart ache that was unfolding the longer Miller reached his final destination. I am definitely recommending this book. As a medical professional, I did question Miller's decision and in the end, I recognize why he did it and I am glad in the end, both men were able to live with resolution.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author through Netgalley.

3.5 Stars so rounding up to 4

Well, I liked this one but didn’t love it. I was expecting to be overwhelmed by emotion, and at times I did feel quite a bit, but it wasn’t the devastating drowning in emotions I was expecting.

What I loved:
- the concept of the story; going on a ‘last suppers tour’ and meeting an unexpected food lover who becomes your new best friend, lover and almost savior
- both main characters, their banter, their chemistry and their passion (the little bit of it we witnessed); there were times Clancy had the patience of a saint, but he was exactly what Miller needed exactly when he needed it.
- the epilogue was pretty fantastic.

What I didn’t love:
- how much descriptive dialog was spent on every morsel of food or drop of drink they shared; and YES, I know this was a food/chef story, but it was too much, I ended up skimming quite a bit of those descriptions.
- there was not enough of the romance development for me – I know Miller was fighting it but too much of their relationship was built on the food tour and most of that time was spent sharing a love of food; they did get to know each other but not enough for my liking. I’d classify this as a ‘romance light, culinary heavy’ book.
- Sloan was a bit much for me.

I was expecting to have my heart destroyed and I didn’t…and that may be on me, but I was a little disappointed. The story is good but not as great as expected.

Miller and Clancy

An beautifully layered, emotional story.

The most part of this story was quite depressive. Miller, top chef, walks his last tour along all his favorite restaurants where they serve his favorite menus. Clancy got the opportunity to go with him.
When they first meet Miller things “stunning”, but not for him, never.
Both men travel and they get closer and closer. Clancy desperately tries to turn Miller’s head, to look at the bright, positive side. Miller almost can’t resist Clancy, almost.
There are no coincidences when you consider Clancy’s job.

A hard read, beautiful but hard, Clancy was brilliant in this story, a bright shining star.
Thank goodness Miller saw the light.
Their journey is one of a kind. Miller was at the end blooming and a whole other person.
Together they were breathtaking.
Beautifully written story.

I really enjoyed Miller and Clancy's story. I loved all the amazing descriptions of food and ambiance as Miller and Clancy embarked on their two week tour of delectable food. I loved the chemistry between them and their journey into falling in love. If you’re looking for a great read with two amazing men who each surround themselves with an amazing support system, delicious food descriptions that will leave you hungry, then this a the read for you! Just don’t forget the tissues, you may find you need them!

~ 4.5 Stars ~

I think people who truly love books and reading will get this…You know how some books are, for whatever reason, just the right book at the right time? Like, maybe it’s not even the best book you’ve ever read, but it was perfect in that moment? Layla Reyne’s new release, Dine With Me, was like that for me. It was the book I didn’t even know I needed this weekend, and I utterly adored it. The story spoke to me from the moment I saw the cover and read the blurb, and Reyne totally delivered. The premise was unique and fun, the characters were so easy to fall in love with, and it didn’t hurt that it combined three of my favorite things: food, wine, and the holidays! Oh, and travel!

Fans of Reyne already know she can write one hell of a romantic suspense story—I’m also an Irish & Whiskey and Nic & Cam fangirl—but, with Dine With Me she proves she can also write a beautiful contemporary. Miller’s story drew me in from page one. His feelings about his restaurant, and his staff, and obviously about food, were undeniable. I was totally captivated by the opening scene and by him; I felt like I knew so much about him right away, just from those few moments and without even knowing his whole backstory. And once we did get his backstory, I loved him even more. His relationships with Sloan (his best friend and now ex-wife), and with his other best friend, Greg, who we meet on one of the culinary tour stops, are fabulous. And I loved how close he was with his family.

Clancy was a little less, I dunno… warm, maybe? And, a little tougher to get to know right off the bat. But I ended up loving him so much too. I loved that his parents answered the ad for him, both because he was a massive foodie, and because he hadn’t had a vacation in twelve years and deserved to have this incredible experience. The love between Clancy and his dad was so sweet, as was the relationship between him and his mom and stepdad. All the characters and relationships in the book really were so well-developed, I was basically enchanted by them all.

Now, let’s talk about the food for a moment. You guys…if you’re even a little bit of a foodie, you will be amazed by the detail and descriptions in this book. I highlighted so many dishes and wine names so I could look them up later. Reading this story made me want to travel to these amazing places and eat in these incredible restaurants so badly! If you aren’t really that into all the food stuff, then some of it might be a bit too detailed for you. But, this book was obviously a passion project for the author—I could feel her love of food, wine, and cocktails in every single page—and I was totally down with it.

Dine With Me is FULL of emotion. There is lots of emotion, from many different sides, surrounding Miller’s sickness, and how he decides to cope with his diagnosis. The friendships are so close and full of love and respect. There is so much love and support from everyone’s families, whether for Miller or for Clancy, who is at a crossroads himself with regard to his career. And, the romance between Miller and Clancy is so swoony and sexy. I absolutely loved them together. This was a fantastic book that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone looking for a well-written, touching, romantic story, that is also a love letter to food.

Reviewed By: Jules

Superb!

A truly beautiful and amazing journey full of emotion, drama, sweetness and true love.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Rainbows and Sunshine Book Blog
Review published on sep 16,2019

Loved this book! Clancy and Miller for the win. This is a dual POV contemporary novel and much different from her previous novels that I've read. This book made me happy and sad at the same time. Broke me apart and then fixed me back up. It gave me hope. Clancy an Miller are perfect together. Clancy just lights him up inside. Also I want this line on a T-shirt:

Logic was hard, s’mores were easy.

Oh, after finishing this, I was so fucking hungry! Miller is such an amazing chef. And I loved Sloan. Layla Reyne writes some badass females. One of my favourite things!! The epilogue was wonderful but I'd have liked the book to be a little more longer.
Very fun read!!!

*ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR and Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Sweet, emotional, romantic book. It's well-written and I loved Miller and Clancy as a couple. Miller has cancer and has to learn how to handle it. CLancy is a sweet person who travels with Miller to all his favorite places to eat. I truly enjoyed this book. Layla Reyne always writes wonderful and emotional books and this one didn't disappoint.

What an emotional story! I loved it

While I have several Layla Reyne books in my TBR pile, Dine With Me is the first book of hers that I've read and I loved it. (Note to self: move her other books up higher on my list!)

According to the author's note in the book, she is an avid foodie and it shows in this book. While I am probably the exact opposite of a foodie – I love pizza and popcorn and I'm not a fan of gourmet food – I can still appreciate the exquisite descriptions of the food in this story.

While I knew from the book's blurb that one of the MC's is sick, and therefore the book will most likely be very emotional, there was no way to really prepare me for how much it would actually impact me. As a survivor of a life-threatening illness myself, part of me could relate to the feelings that Miller has.

Dine With Me is a wonderful slow-burn story that packed a huge emotional punch for me. I cried sad and happy tears while reading it. Because of Carina Press's HEA/HFN promise, I knew that the book would end well but that didn't stop me from reacting emotionally to the ups and downs in the story as I read.

One of my favorite parts of any book is the epilogue. While Dine With Me doesn’t technically have an epilogue, the last chapter effectively functions as one. We get to see Miller and Clancy a few years down the road and happy tears flowed freely when I read it.

In the author's acknowledgement she calls this story a "love letter" and it truly shows in her wonderfully descriptive writing.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

Lots of food, lots and lots of food. I like food, and I realize that Miller is a chef and Clancy is along for a food-filled tour, but more time is spent on the food than on the romance. I mean, this is technically supposed to be a romance, right? Nevertheless, the first half of this one revolves mostly around the food with a little get to know you conversation thrown in as Clancy attempts to get to know Miller, who is doing his best to remain closed-off to anything personal.
Things do pick up in the second half and given the circumstances, the emotions also pick up dramatically. This is where the focus is on Miller's diagnosis and his decisions about that. Despite my feelings about the lack of romance, I still really liked both Miller and Clancy, and this part of the book certainly tugged on my heartstrings.
In the end, Dine with Me is sweet, emotional, and a little bit steamy, but between the food tour and Miller's diagnosis and determination to follow through with his plan, I feel like the romance suffered. Yes, we're told that these guys care about each other, we get Clancy's distress over the situation, and they certainly have chemistry between the sheets. But, so little time was spent on the whole falling in love that it was hard to believe it when they finally professed those feelings. We do get an oh, so sweet ending to wrap things up, but for me, it was too little too late to entirely sell me on the romance.
The book is well-written, and I'm glad I read it, but it's not something I'll remember down the road in terms of recommended romances.

Ce livre, j'ai eu envie de lire dès que son résumé a été dévoilé et je dois dire que j'ai eu droit au livre que j'attendais.

J'ai retrouvé ce que j'aime dans la plume de Layla Reyne, à savoir ce slow burn, ce lent commencement par une belle amitié, cette complicité teintée d'attirance, de petits grésillements ... Une belle montée en température en somme ! J'adore vraiment ce schéma là en romance, et j'ai ici été ravie.

Le voyage gastronomique que nous partageons avec Clancy et Miller est un bel hommage à la nourriture, à la créativité des chefs, mais aussi à l'art d'assortir les vins aux plats ! Du coup, j'ai autant eu l'eau à la bouche à la mention des noms de vins qu'à celle des plats cités, peut-être plus même ! Rien de tel qu'une excellente bouteille de vin pour sublimer un plat, n'est-ce-pas ?

Toujours en ce qui concerne l'aspect culinaire du livre, il est impossible de ne pas penser à la série docu de Netflix, Chef's table, quand on lit ce roman, ne serait-ce qu'en raison des restaurants cités, et d'un certain chef dont je parlerai dans quelques lignes. Bel hommage à la cuisine donc, qu'elle soit raffinée et créative, ou plus familiale, simple et improvisée. Miller incarne complètement la cuisine, cette passion qui l'anime est très bien retranscrite par l'auteur, c'est son identité, et avec ce cancer, c'est plus que sa santé, et sa vie qui sont en jeu.

L'auteur aborde le sujet de la maladie avec pudeur, elle n'y consacre pas une large part et on ne tombe pas dans le pathos. Cependant, là où elle fait pour moi une grosse "boulette", c'est qu'à aucun moment, elle ne fait référence, dans le livre, ou dans le commentaire final, à ce qu'a traversé Grant Achatz. Elle mentionne plusieurs fois son restaurant, Miller et Clancy le citent par son prénom, mais jamais il n'est fait mention du cancer qu'il a eu, de cette perte du goût qu'il a subi. Pour moi, il est clairement la source d'inspiration de l'auteur, du coup je ne vois vraiment pas l'intérêt de citer un personnage réel sans parler de sa situation. À ce compte-là, autant ne pas du tout parler de lui !

Malgré ce point noir qui m'a tout de même bien agacée, j'ai passé un très bon moment avec ce livre, j'ai été conquise par ces deux hommes, leur romance est belle à lire, et même si les choses se déroulent sur un laps de temps bien court, j'ai trouvé tout cela très vraisemblable. Les personnages secondaires sont eux aussi réussis, j'ai particulièrement apprécié Sloan, qui est elle aussi une belle personne. L'épilogue m'a mis la larmichette à l’œil, et je pense que c'est un livre que je relirai à l'occasion, parce que je trouve que Layla Reyne a vraiment l'art de créer de beaux couples. ❤

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed this moving, amusing, romantic, and foodie-heaven novel. I love to read books which involve chefs and their lives, and this one was a winner for me.

Miller decides to have one last big hurrah before he leaves this earth, and wanting to taste all the most important meals in his life. His ex-wife, his best friend, helps him plan it, and finds the perfect person to help fund it. This turns out to be Dr. Clancy Rhodes, thanks to a gift from his family. Clancy's mother is super helpful too, as she runs the ultimate concierge business and helps with flights, hotels, and so on. In fact, these two women are essential in making this a trip to remember for both Miller and Clancy.

The travelling around eating and the stories that reveals is already a good concept for a book, but add in the chance of a romance and then the cancer diagnosis, and the reader should make sure that they are not hungry and that they have a tissue or three to hand. Never sentimental, but inevitably very moving, you would be wise to sit somewhere private to read this book.

I highly recommend this book to you.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Clancy, a doctor and a foodie, is taking the trip of a lifetime with Miller, a well-known chef, before he starts working as a plastic surgeon. For Miller it is something of a last hurrah after receiving a life changing medical diagnosis.

It was joyous watching Clancy and Miller fall in love over wonderful dinners as they shared little parts of themselves and their past with each other. But the knowledge of Miller’s diagnosis and the decision he has made, has sadness always hovering nearby. So much is experienced across the trip and life changing decisions are made. It feels like Miller and Clancy have known each other much longer than two short weeks.

I love to eat and even though I would not call myself a foodie the idea of travelling across America, eating lots of delicious food, is immensely appealing. The trip is a great backdrop for this beautiful romance and I know I’ll be thinking of Miller and Clancy next time I go out for a romantic dinner.


Angie – ☆☆☆
The blurb was very enticing and I was excited to read this. Honestly, this book was too slow for me and I found myself skimming at times. This was slow paced but at times it was slower than slow. The characters had good chemistry, but I found the ex-wife was in the book too much and it kind of turned me off to the story to an extent. There weren't even a lot of steamy scenes to make up for the slow pace. I am sure others will greatly enjoy this book, but for me it was a miss.

3.5* A foodie labour of love for this author, I suspect.

I was a bit confused at the premise of the tale, as it sounded initially as if going on the tour with a paying guest would take care of Miller's money woes, but then there didn't seem to be any money woes, just a final swansong, a food-orientated one. But, it seems like Clancy's family footed the entire bill, which I did get, and at the same time, the premise just didn't stand on its own two feet.

Whilst it was nice to hear of the various foods on the tour and the stops, which yes, had me googling to see what was real and what was not, too much of the food in the tale went over my head. I do enjoy food, but I'm also very pedestrian, so the likes of the initial French cuisine with frogs' legs et al, went over my head and turned my stomach. A lot more American foods found their place in this tale, so it was a little bit like a journey with Adam R or Guy F from culinary adventure TV shows, with a tiny bit of the late Anthony B thrown in for good measure. I suspect that this book revisited the stops that the author herself has made on culinary journeys, whether for this book or for her own personal pleasure, and yes, it was a pretty unique thing, but good editing shouldn't have allowed food to take over the tale quite this much, and yes, I say that whilst being fully aware of the title.

As to the romance? I kept waiting for it to take off, with a sudden realisation that these guys fancied each other, but that didn't really happen. In the space of the 10 days that they were together, I detected liking on Clancy's part more than Miller's, and yes, there was the obligatory scene or two, but other than food and the oncologist-patient connection, I couldn't see anything else between them. I think I'd have liked to see something as (theoretic, in Miller's case, for understandable reasons) passionate as their love of food, but passion wasn't really their thing. Maybe it was liking and comfort, but for me it didn't a romance make. Yes, the food connection drew them together, but they felt mismatched. Also, the recent demise of Beth Chapman was in my mind, and the author was pretty realistic with Miller's chances, and whilst I hoped for a long HEA for these guys (not because I related to them, but because it's a romance novel and that's the done thing), I'm not sure one would be on the cards for them. It was great to see Miller in remission, 18 months after his procedure, but we were told that the cancer had already spread and he'd refused treatment, so I'm not sure how much of the medical side of this tale was researched, or realistic. I really feel like it was a tale about food for about 70%, the cancer for about 20% and the leads/everything else for about 10%.

The connection with the Sloan character wasn't that believable; I could understand a young couple wanting to get away from a place where there wasn't much of a future for them, and because of Sloan's family life, but from what I understand, you need parental consent to marry at 16. Would this have happened in her situ? I'm not so sure, and that wasn't covered. There wasn't enough coverage given to why the leads were only now divorcing, because their friendship could and would have survived this happening a lot earlier in their 22/23yo relationship. I did wonder why now, and the only reason that I could come up with was her personal situation, and, finances, but the latter didn't really come into it. Add in the fact that Miller didn't really seem to be preparing for his demise, and this tale lacked some believability, though it was very readable.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

That was quite a ride! Not only DINE WITH ME had us jetting off across America on a foodie adventure with, it also had us on an emotional roller coaster. The eatery-hoping had me salivating throughout reading - and even if part of the array of dishes mentioned were lost to me, they didn’t fail to sound delish!!!

DINE WITH ME is a standalone modern romance, starring two people of different backgrounds at the pinnacle of their life; it’s a journey that would change both men’s life. Unlike Rayne’s typical (suspense) romance where her characters involved in gun-totting actions and solving cases, here Clancy Rhodes and Miller Sykes planned two whole weeks of culinary tour. The only “mystery” to be solved was Miller’s illness and how to fight it so this pair could have a future together.

Told in third person alternately from Miller and Clancy’s POVs, it revealed the turmoil each men had, not knowing the circumstances connecting their personal conflict. I just can’t help to fall for these men, even if Miller was too bullheaded to like at times. Though the overall mood was dread - couldn’t be helped with guillotine-like fate awaiting the MC like that - and it was a pretty heart-wrenching tale, DINE WITH ME is also freaking adorable and entertaining. I admit to shed a bucket finishing this book. But I also chuckled some following their shenanigans. It helped that the leading men were not a pair of douche and they were surrounded by supportive people too.

My personal favorite is the closing chapter of the book. Yeah, it was a tad Hallmark-esque to my liking, but the timeline showed a working progress and not speedy win and success. Thus lending more genuine and believable aspect to the conclusion of the story. Which in turn make this reader happy. 😊

Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited when I started this story, always did every time I found the new to me author. I heard good words about Layle Reyne. before, that's why I was eager to dig in.
But as I continued to read, I didn't find a great chemistry between the main characters, and that;s a little disappointed. Hoping this was a romantic story with a chef and a doctor, this was just an okay read with lots of food experiences.
I was a bit disappointed by Miller's decision about his life. Sure he changed (in just one night), but I didn't see why Clancy of all people. Love, sure. But still, a ten days love affair did't seem too strong for a life changing.
But I was happy for Miller and Clancy that they came to that decision.
This was a good story, but I'm not crazy about it.