Member Reviews

As a fan of Turner’s first two books, “The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck” and “Wooing Cadie McCaffrey”, I knew I had to read “Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish”, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint! If you enjoy the hate-to-love trope, cooking, foodie tv, and character transformation in your romance books, then this is a must-read for you!

Thanks go to NetGalley and Revell for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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What an enjoyable change from the usual romance romp fare. I loved the interaction between the characters and the unexpected directions the story took. I also love that it took two of my favorite 'guilty' pleasures and combined them beautifully. Well done!

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Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish was a fun romp through the world of the TV cooking shows with hints of Gordon Ramsey and Julia Child.
I could hardly wait to read this book because Bethany Turner is an author who definitely has a gift and always writes so cleverly.
The interesting behind the scenes stuff about cooking shows and the characters were great! But the transformation of a character that I hated at the beginning to a lovable guy was nothing less than miraculous. And I loved the texting!
There seemed to be something missing though, a missing piece. I’m not sure I could put my finger on it. I did wish Hadley and Max’s relationship would have grown a little more naturally. They went from friendship to love at lightning speed. And we knew something or things had triggered Max’s meltdown at the beginning but no hints as to what and then it was suddenly revealed, I think a few hints along the way would have been good.
But the fact that there was not a mention that the lessons learned were spiritual bothered me. Hadley does represent how a Christian should act and react but no mention that she was one. And the treatment center seemed to be about deep breathing and discovering yourself.
But I really did enjoy the book and would definitely recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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A big thank you to NetGalley and Rivell Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the story of Hadley and Max-both chefs. Different premise, I found this very interesting. I actually really liked Max. Hadley was almost too nice. Well.worth the read, a few places were sort of abrupt switches, especially towards the end. 3.5 stars

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At first I found it difficult to get into this book. But once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down! The characters are amazing and are likeable even at times when they aren’t meaning to be. I love the ending too, it was definitely worth the read!

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Warning: Do not sit down to read Hadley Beckett's Next Dish without a snack in hand. Trust me on this one. With all the talk about food you're absolutely going to find yourself reaching for something delicious...and sweet!

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk more about the book, shall we? If you love cooking shows, you are going to love this book. If you love romantic comedies, you are going to love this book. If you love both, well, you might just find this to be a new favorite... it truly is a delightful blend of the two.

When we first meet Max and Hadley, they are competing in a cooking competition...and let's just say they are not friendly competitors. The two are complete opposites, and they quite publicly don't get along. That's putting it mildly. But when they're thrown together once again... sparks fly, and I truly could not get enough. The chemistry is fantastic both when they're not getting along and when they are. And the humor? Absolutely fantastic! More than once I found myself laughing out loud! It was a great escape, just in the way a good romantic comedy might be!

This is the first book from Bethany Turner that I have had the chance to read, but it certainly will not be the last. If you love a fun romance, this is one NOT to miss!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.

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Chef Max Cavanagh, host of the top-rated culinary show, To the Max, is a temperamental, egotistical narcissist. Too much? Well if the toque hat fits. Authors who begin a story with a self-absorbed bad boy like Max have a lot of personality slicing and dicing to do if you want me to even like a guy like him, much less love him. Honestly, throughout the first half of the book I wanted to take on a Ted Allen voice and say, "Chef Cavanagh, you've been Chopped."

I like how Hadley put it, "..while laying low out of the public limelight, he had probably developed a vitamin D deficiency. He hadn't had nearly enough chances to soak in the rays of his own majestic light." So funny, so perfectly said.

And then there's charming, unassuming, adorable Hadley, host of her own top-rated show, At Home with Hadley. She's so Southerny sweet I'm convinced she has a double-breasted white jacket with a monogram on it. After all, if a recipe calls for "enough cream to take a bath in" you are definitely Southern.

So begins their competition on America's Fiercest Chef and in their personal lives, and the food fight is on. Somewhere along the way, Bethany Turner begins to wave her culinary wand over this far-fetched odd pairing and next thing you know I'm having sympathy pangs for Ole Max! What? Such are Turner's magical powers of persuasion, also known as masterful writing.

By story's end Max is throwing caution to the wind and baring his soul with his on-air confessions, making himself completely vulnerable all for the sake of love. I'm cringing at his revelations, but I kind of love him too. Then Turner does what Turner does, she makes me laugh with Max's reply about what moments will make it into the promos with his sardonic comment, "Yeah I don't know. Do you think we gave them anything to work with?" So self-deprecating and hilarious. Max has miraculously become a likable, dare I say, lovable guy!

I love a good happy ever after and Turner delivers an ending worthy of a Tournament of Champions crown. I appreciate Revell through Netgalley making a copy of Hadley Beckett's Next Dish available for review. All thoughts and comments are my very own.

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Such a great story with deep characters. This was a new story line and I very much enjoyed reading it. Hadley and Max were both well developed, dynamic characters. I always look for a spiritual change or spiritual emphasis in Christian fiction but so many lately, just mention God in passing. I really desired for this story to have more of a spiritual emphasis.

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I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint. The characters sucked you into the story and the story kept you turning pages as fast as you could. I devoured it in a day. I loved it.

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***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

This had just the right amount of love/hate between the characters that I like. A little short on steamy scenes, but overall the banter was spot on and the characters had depth.

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I was really excited to start this book because I really liked the description and it did not disappoint. I really liked Hadley and Max I thought they were great characters and they had a lot of chemistry. I thought the writing style was really interesting that it was only first person from her and then third person during from his perspective. I found that a little confusing to be honest because all of a sudden it was switched to third person and I was a little lost but I did like getting his perspective. The humor was great there were a couple of times that I snorted while reading so I enjoyed that part. I really liked the plot and I thought it was really different and I liked that the "villain" was outside the two characters. As much as Max was his own villain LOL. I thought it was a little weird that they like kissed once and then all of a sudden they were talking about a relationship and how she can't do dating. Side note, I loved the references to the country musicians throughout that was a great touch. Also, really liked that they didn't break up! Max saw right through Leo which was great. Overall I just thought it was super cute and I really enjoyed it but I felt like something might have been a little missing for me as to how they really got together.

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A light east to read romance. I enjoyed the banter during the first half of the book between Hadley and Max but felt the 2nd half of the book lost it’s way a bit. The story in the first half felt very different to the 2nd half. I would recommend the book as a light easy read in these strange times.

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Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner is the perfect book for foodies and fans of romantic comedies. In this novel, Bethany Turner takes readers on a fun and entertaining journey of romance and redemption. With the two famous chefs competing against each other on a reality show, the banter between Chef Hadley Beckett and Chef Max Cavanagh makes the whole novel a truly satisfying experience for readers.

Along with the developing romantic relationship in Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish, the novel takes readers to the heart of the reality cooking show experience and makes them feel like they are part of the journey. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck still contains my favorite storyline of Bethany Turner’s, but Chef Max Cavanagh is definitely my new favorite hero of Bethany Turner’s. His handsome good looks, his charming personality (most of the time!), and his desire to change after a public meltdown make him an irresistible hero who readers will love. In the beginning of the novel, Max is not very likeable by anyone’s standards, but he will easily steal the readers’ hearts through his journey of redemption and second chances. Even if you are not a fan of cooking or fine dining, you need to read this book to meet Max!! He is just the best!!

With pop culture references sprinkled throughout this fabulous novel, readers will easily relate to the story and the wonderful characters Bethany Turner has created. Bethany Turner continues to bring a needed, powerful voice to Christian fiction, and I cannot wait to read more from this author! Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish is very highly recommended for readers of Christian fiction who love romance and humor.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

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A fun, lighthearted romance between two celebrity chefs who have been set up by PR to be 'rivals'. A great read but in some places I was confused by the logic of the discussions, and I was left wanting to see more of their world and public reactions to what was happening. But it sucked me in and I read the whole thing in one sitting!

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