I SO wanted to love A Dash of Salt and Pepper by new-to-me author, Kosoko Jackson, but, alas, it wasn't meant to be. This book was rough to push through.

I have this thing about chef books- they never seem to work for me, even though I LOVE food and consider myself an amateur foodie. This book was just the latest victim of my culinary book doom streak...

I don't think that Kosoko Jackson's writing style works for me. Right off the bat, I could tell I wasn't going to mesh with the book. There was a lot of inner dialogue and a lot of angst against his parents and hometown, and none of it really made a whole lot of sense for me. I had to force myself to keep reading, and I ended up skimming quite a bit towards the end.

Not the book for me, but at least I tried.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

This was a really sweet, unique LGBTQ love story that I enjoyed a lot!

The characters were extremely loveable, the setting was great and of course I love a sunshine/grump! Plus there's food involved? Perfect.

I really enjoyed this book!! I felt a little like i could relate with that feeling of not knowing what your next steps are going to be and wanting to find what makes you want to enjoy what you do. This book was a lot of fun, Xavier and Logan had really good chemistry throughout the book. I was laughing out loud at some of the antics and feeling all of my emotions throughout. This book was great!

Kosoko Jackson wrote a good story but the romance fell just a tad short for me. Some conflict seemed unnecessary and forced. Like things mattered a whole lot without explanation of why. Xavier and Logan had a cute relationship but it was just not a very exciting read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Books for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I like food books. I like food books. This book has food. I have to remember to be objective about books where food plays a prominent role. It’s difficult sometimes. So, while I generally enjoyed this, there were a few things that stopped it from being a stellar read. I liked all the talk of food and working in the kitchen, I enjoyed the characters overall, and even the plot generally speaking. It didn’t bother me that this was slower paced and that the spice scale was quite low. However, I think in order to give it more layers and depth, that it would have benefited from having dual POV.

Like I mentioned in the beginning, I really enjoy listening to people talk about food and reading food related books. Basically, you tell me that it is a romance with food elements and I am there. I love hearing the different ideas for food that people come up with for their fictional restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and catering companies. Some of them I think sound amazing, but generally they never fail to make me hungry, which can be good or bad depending on the day and the time. This one didn’t discuss ideas that were too revolutionary in their recipes. However, I really enjoyed the discussion around food as family history.

Xavier discusses his family passing down recipes to each other and I agree that food can play a central role in family history. Often, when we see our family, we’re celebrating a holiday or a special occasion and we dig out recipes we save for these events. For example, my mother has a chocolate-cherry cake recipe from like the 1950s, that was my grandmother’s and she always bakes it for my birthday. I love that cake so much I would eat it year round, but she only bakes it for my birthday and that makes it so much more special. One day, if my children like it, I will bake it for their birthdays. In that way, a little piece of family history is passed down each time we eat it.

Something that other people have mentioned is that the pacing for this is a little strange. It feels like large sections of development are missing from the middle. The relationship moves at a very quick pace. And it is true. There is a time jump in the middle of the book of like six weeks, where we don’t really get to see their relationship truly develop. However, I think the reason for this is that the author felt that he had done a good enough job putting down the foundations of what their relationship would be like.

Another thing that others have mentioned, that I agree with, is that this would have benefited from having dual POV. Xavier is our sole POV through this whole thing and not to insult the man, but I would argue that Logan’s (39) POV would have provided some extra gravity to the book. He’s the character with more interesting things going on and that just could be because I’m getting old, but Xavier (26) is also just so young in comparison. There is a thirteen year age gap, which I can appreciate, but Xavier hasn’t quite finished himself out yet, and that’s fine. Since he was so sarcastic, Logan would have added a bit of levity to the book and I would have liked to hear how he viewed everything going on.

Something that people will wonder is if this book is “spicy”. There is some relatively spicy language and thoughts, but not much actually occurs on page. There is a sex scene, but it isn’t going to be pushing any boundaries on the smut meter. Tasteful? I guess that is a way I could phrase it. I mean, this isn’t a Roan Parrish book. There was still enough to make me blush on my bus commute.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I look forward to checking out more by Kosoko Jackson in the future. This was a cute romance, but fell just shy of being either a new favorite or a stellar read. I think if you’re a fan of either Boyfriend Material or Red, White, and Royal Blue, Xavier is a similar sarcastic type of narrator that you might enjoy. Also, if you like food books, age gap romance, a little steam, and quaint towns. Happy Reading!

Charming, funny, and absolutely adorable small town romance. Xavier and Logan were easy to fall in love with.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the E-Arc!
I absolutely love a good small-town romance, especially when it is queer. I was dragged into the story from the beginning, and I adored the romance. I mean, who can stay away from a hot single dad who also is a fantastic cook. Watching the romance blossom and the characters really connect is one of my favorite things about romance. I saw some other readers mention they wished it was dual POV, and I think that would've been a really cool idea.

3.5 rounded to 4

Enjoyed this m/m romance. I love small town stories, and I really enjoyed the characters. But I strongly wished for dual POVs in this. Getting only one side of the romance tended to weaken the whole for me.

✨ Review ✨ A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

Xavier moves back home to a small fishing town in Maine after his years in college and grad school where he got an MBA. There he meets Logan, a restaurant owner and dad to a teen daughter. Xavier starts working for Logan and their relationship begins to grow, etc. etc.

I was really enjoying the chemistry between Xavier and Logan, even though workplace relationships aren't my favorite (especially with a power imbalance like this one). I enjoyed watching their relationship grow, especially in that Xavier connected with Logan's daughter. My only critique is that the pacing was a little weird in their relationship (I think because they kiss and then the story cuts out for a month?)

I struggled a bit reading this because I had what must have been an early copy prior to a major round of edits and so there were issues of consistency and time that caused me to stop and figure out what was going on. I'm assuming these issues got cleared up and am bumping up my rating half a star to 4 stars.

Overall, I enjoyed this, especially the small-town vibes, the time in the kitchen, and the banter between the main characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m romance
Location: small-town Maine
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ small towns
⭕️ hot dads
⭕️ queer romance

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

I truly wanted to love this book, but I think it really needed a dual POV for a stronger story development. Logan’s POV would’ve made the story so much better. We would’ve had a better understanding of his past and his relationship with his daughter and ex-wife. Xavier is the only side we get, and some of his inner dialogue felt forced and immature at time. As the reader, it did not feel like an organic development of the story. Mya’s husband gets mentioned a to, but where you at? Overall, I enjoyed the book, but a dual POV would have enhanced the story.

Thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

A Dash of Salt and Pepper is heartwarming and entertaining small town romance about a man returning to small town and falling in love.

This is character driven fast paced story with lots of entertainment, pop cultural references written from Xavier’s perspective.

Romance is lovely and heartmelting. I liked all the tropes in this. Age gap is perfectly written as both characters acted according their age and it also wasn’t the obstacle in their relationship. There weren’t as many obstacles as I was expecting in their relationship which make it less dramatic and a little more mature as well.

I absolutely loved small town vs big city monologues of Xavier. Black and queer in the business world is well represented. I also loved the kitchen atmosphere where nearly half the story takes place.

Most of things are predictable and I wasn’t surprised with climax that came with fight and break up I was expecting but I liked how Xavier had an epiphany and the way he realized what he want in his life and how much he likes his small town that played big role in shaping who he is. The end is lovely and uplifting.

Why 4 stars-

I didn’t like only Xavier’s perspective here. I would have loved Logan’s perspective and would have liked to know him more. I enjoyed this book but it wasn’t exactly wow or the best I read.

Overall, A Dash of Salt and Pepper is heartwarming, lovely and enjoyable M/M romance with small town vs big city moot at the center of it.

I love a crusty character that is mushy on the inside. I love it when two people find each other and get over themselves and their obstacles. I love when pop culture is thrown in for fun. I love food, so two hot chefs in a kitchen really sizzles.
⠀
All these lovely things are in this new book by Kosoko Jackson, A Dash of Salt and Pepper. It is a age gap/ enemies to lovers/ small town/ workplace romance, in other words, a little something for everyone.
⠀
From the synopsis: Xavier Reynolds is doing less than stellar. He just got dumped, was passed over for a prestigious fellowship, and to top it all off he's right back home in Harper's Cove, Maine (population: 9,000). The last thing he wants to do is to work as a prep chef in the kitchen of the hip new restaurant in town, The Wharf. Especially since the hot, single-father chef who owns it can’t delegate to save his life.
⠀
Logan O’Hare doesn’t understand Xavier or why every word out of his mouth is dipped in sarcasm. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to hire him—he needs more help in the kitchen and his tween daughter, Anne, can only mince so many onions. It might be a recipe for disaster, but Logan doesn’t have many options besides Xavier.
⠀
Stuck between a stove and a hot place, Logan and Xavier discover an unexpected connection. But when the heat between them threatens to top the Scoville scale, they’ll have to decide if they can make their relationship work or if life has seasoned them too differently.

⠀

This was cute! I really loved the restaurant/food setting and the single dad love interest. There were definitely quite a few sweet moments between our love interests, and sweet moments involving Logan's daughter as well, which I really liked.

I've seen a few reviews saying that this could have benefited from dual POV, and I have to agree. We were very much in Xavier's head the entire time, which was good since we got to know him better, but I would have really liked Logan's perspective. Since he was 10 years older and in a different phase of life I think it would have really added to the story.

Overall I had a great time reading this and will definitely read from this author again.

The plot line of this story was sweet and I enjoyed the LGBTQIA representation. The part of this book that was not for me was the writing style. The characters seemed to lack depth in their thoughts and often came across as whiny.

This is a funny rom-com with a smart-ass hero who hates the hometown he’s returned to. The book does a good job of updating this Hallmark movie trope, while still focusing on elements that make it work, like learning to reevaluate your assumptions about your past.

The story was fun but the hero felt very young and bratty to me, and the book lingers of the age gap with his older love interest. I didn’t like the power dynamic at all, especially because it’s also a boss/employee romance.

Kosoko Jackson I will read anything you write! A Dash of Salt and Pepper was such a delightful and surprising read. I went in knowing almost nothing besides having seen the cover and was blown away by this romance. I found the characters compelling and thanks to PRH Audio, I was able to also listen to the audiobook which had incredible narration!

Xavier is down on his luck and the tides don't feel like they are turning anytime soon, but when he meets Logan he begrudgingly accepts working in his kitchen. What Xavier doesn't expect is someone like Logan and his rough around the edges daughter Anne melting his tough sarcasm saturated exterior.

This romance is multi-layered and filled with many of the tough truths of growing up and the challenges of going home. Being your authentic self can be so hard. We see those influencers shouting about "being their best self"or "living their best lives" but what does that really mean when you peel back the filters? Some of the places we seek acceptance most are far closer to home than social media. This book is a gentle reminder that we can all wear masks and try out best to be strong, but when we allow ourselves to be true to ourselves it's not always pretty and it can be really hard.

Jackson's story was so compelling and I found myself doing extra chores around the house to just keep listening to this beautiful love story.

Xavier is less than thrilled to return to his small hometown in Maine after a breakup and a career setback. Logan doesn’t want to give up any control over the kitchen of his hip new restaurant, but he and his teen daughter can’t keep up with demand. So when Logan hires Xavier as a prep chef, they’re both pretty pessimistic. But soon the energy between them is hotter than the restaurant kitchen.

I love Kosoko Jackson's sense of humor, and of course I'm a sucker for all queer foodie romcoms. This was a delight, although the ending left me wanting a little more of Xavier and Logan.

Just when Xavier’s life was looking up, things went bad quickly. He seemed to have lost everything all at once. But just when he thinks things can’t get worse, an unexpected surprise waltzes in his house. And I mean that quite literally. And I’m happy it did because I really enjoyed this story!

Ok first things first. I was a little hesitant about this one because it ticked so many of my “Nikki” boxes. It was written by a Black author, it was an LGBTQ+ book, and it is foodie fiction. I guess I was just intimidated. But I shouldn’t have been. I liked this as much as I knew I would. Xavier is hilarious! And Logan, the hot single dad was so cute! He was my favorite part of this story.

So Xavier I felt was a little basic. He was very serious and was mostly just looking to further himself in the business world. So much so he only took the job at Logan’s restaurant because he was trying to pay for something to help him pay for an internship kind of thing. I was glad for Logan. He helped to melt him some. Logan was sweet and I enjoyed seeing him fall for Xavier. It did feel a little weird because it seemed like he was being critical of him, but then came out and was like Ohhh I like you lol I do wish it had been dual POV tho.

The romance between them was super cute. They complimented each other and seemed like the perfect match to each other. I didn’t care for their Third Act Break-Up tho. That was the dumbest fight ever. I hated the miscommunication. I hated it even more when he started to doubt himself after their fight. I hate when people do that. It just seemed cruel to put him through that. I also thought they were hella cute together too. The car scene?! YASSSSS! But I do wish they were together more. They spent a lot of time mad at each other and then the third act happened. Idk, I just wanted more cute moments without Xavier making it a joke because he was scared.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the pacing. Maybe it’s just because I listened to it, but I was hella confused. I think it would have benefitted from something more than just a description on how the seasons were changing. Especially since I listen to books on 2.0x. It seemed like it jumped around a lot. I realize that maybe the experience could be different if I were reading it physically or as an e-book.

The foodie fiction part was just ok tho. I wanted more descriptions of food, and more descriptions of them in the kitchen. I think I would also have liked to see them together in the kitchen. But I did like the mention of the restaurant and the people that work there. The salmon burger did sound amazing tho. But I think the food critic thing was a bit cliche. But the reasoning behind it did make sense. So, it wasn’t exactly the descriptions of food that I craved, but it was still good.

This book was so much fun. All the things I was hella excited for made this book a definite win for me. I can’t wait until more people get their hands on this one!

Stevie‘s review of A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
Contemporary Gay Interracial Romance published by Berkley 06 Dec 22

I didn’t set out to read two restaurant-based romances in succession. It just kind of happened. Having just reviewed a heterosexual one, I’m now moving on to one with a pair of male protagonists, as well as from a big-city setting to a small-town one. Xavier Reynolds is reluctantly back home staying with his parents, after losing his job, breaking up with his boyfriend, and just missing out on a post-MBA fellowship with a generous stipend. He first encounters local restaurant owner, Logan O’Hare, in his parents’ kitchen, when the older man is collecting cupcakes for a bake sale. Unfortunately, Xavier mistakes Logan for an intruder, leading to a very embarrassing situation for both of them, particularly given that both finds each other attractive.


Xavier’s embarrassment is exacerbated when his parents invite Logan round for dinner and talk him into offering Xavier a job at the restaurant. Although he is reluctant at first, Xavier changes his mind when he realises the job could earn him enough money to follow his real dream by the end of the summer, and so he finds himself working as a prep chef at The Wharf. Fortunately, the other staff are very welcoming, and Xavier soon settles into the role. He also finds himself welcomed into Logan’s home, and the two soon start a relationship.

Xavier never gives up on his dreams, although he hides that from Logan, even as he resents Logan’s secrecy around his own struggles to make the restaurant a success. I wasn’t happy with Xavier about that and could sympathise more with Logan, who, as a single parent, had a lot more reason to worry about his financial situation. Xavier’s attempted interventions are aimed at helping Logan and the restaurant do not do down well, more so when Logan learns that Xavier never had any intention of sticking around after the summer. Sadly, I wasn’t particularly happy with how all this got resolved. After the events of the past few years, there are more ways than ever before to continue relationships, even when partners are living in different cities, different countries, or even on different continents.

I think I would have liked this book better if some of it had been told from Logan’s point of view. Instead it was all Xavier, all of the time, and I found him a little tedious at times. Readers closer to Xavier’s age may disagree with me, of course. I was also disappointed by the epilogue, in which we learn which parts of Xavier’s dreams have come to fruition and which have fallen by the wayside, most of which I found rather depressing. I’m not writing the author off completely. I’d like to revisit his work when he and his writing have matured a little more.

Grade: C

A Dash of Salt and Pepper is about Xavier, a twenty something gay, Black man who returns home after a break-up and and being fired from his business job in the city. He then begrudgingly returns to his childhood hometown to live with his parents. He has no job prospects (he was turned down for a fellowship in Berlin, sadly), no money, no boyfriend...he is very humbled. But then he reconnects with his bff Mya, tackles an insanely hot man in his kitchen, and somehow lands a prep chef job with said man, Logan, at his restaurant. They flirt, they date, do it, then they fall in love. All is merry in their world until Xavier finds out some troubling information about Logan's restaurant. He then goes behind Logan's back to try to make the problem better, but it just ends up pissing Logan off. Then Logan's daughter runs away, kind of randomly, and Logan, of course, asks Xavier to help him find her.

This is all very cheesy, which I don't mind typically, but I just couldn't get into the story. First of all, the author really wants you know how diverse and inclusive this novel is. Which, yes, is fantastic and I love that, it's why I picked it up, but repeatedly telling me that Mya is Black and beautiful, and how Xavier is gay becomes very, very repetitive at the beginning of the book. Xavier is annoying, and I believe this is how Jackson wants him to come across, but it made the book awkward. Logan was a good character, however, and I agree with other reviewers on Goodreads saying how much better the novel would have been if we had a duel perspective with him. The real star of the novel is Anne, though, nobody fight me on it. ;)

Now, on a more personal preference, there is one spicy moment in the book, which I loved, but that was it! I wanted more steamy scenes, so I was real disappointed there, but that has nothing to do with the writing, that's just a me thing!

Overall the book was fine. I do hope the editors fixed the glaringly obvious typos and grammatical errors in the finished, published book though. It was bad...