I love a book with mixed media in - so the fact this has notes and lists in made me very happy! I liked the characters, I thought they were really fun and relatable rather than unrealistic which is nice. I think overall you can’t go wrong with a lovely light hearted read and this is exactly what this was - perfect for me at the moment with a busy life!

I loved the idea of this book, being a foodie and a hopeless romantic.

But I found this just wasn’t for me, all be it quite an east read, I must say I found the characters annoying and the amount of them difficult to keep up with.

I love a comedy however some of these were just a bit try hard funny and just really made the book drag.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I have tried and tried to get into this book because I HATE leaving bad reviews. However, I just can’t get through it.

DNF

The characters are not fully developed and feel written, not real. (I hope that makes sense.) The pacing doesn’t exist and the story is lacking.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the idea of this story. The execution was just not there.

Thank you NetGallet and Avon Press for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avin Books UK for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Gia is a woman looking for a fresh start after a faux pas at the work Christmas party leaves her fearing for her job. As someone on a working visa, that also means her life in the UK is on the line as well. A craving for indian food sees her connecting with Ben, through a series of notes exchanged through food delivery. We see the trials of their lives through the year as they each pursue their goals.

I generally love a novel with an epistolary component, and I thought the concept of the story was cute. Unfortunately for me, 60% through the book I had to DNF.

I found the characters and their dramas to be immature and hard to connect to. There were catty coworkers, and poor decisions around alcohol.

I am sure that some people will find this to be their book, but it was not for me. As I could not finish I can only give it two stars.

I thought the idea of exchanging notes by a takeaway restaurant delivery service was great but I found the story was too long at the start; it improved the further I read and reached a satisfying conclusion.

This is told from two viewpoints - Gia and Ben. Neither are quite what they seemed at the beginning, and as we get to know them better, their stories become more interesting (I almost gave up, near the start)
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for review.

This was cute. I enjoyed it. I rememeber feeling like there was something that I didn't quite understand about why they didn't quite get together when they were about to, that the reason was either tenuous or a little convoluted. But all in all a very enjoyeable read.

Love on the Menu by Mimi Deb is a delightful romantic comedy with a twist that will captivate readers from the very first page. With its charming characters, unexpected encounters, and the power of handwritten notes, this book delivers a heartwarming and escapist love story that will leave fans of love stories utterly hooked.

The story introduces us to Gia, a risk-taker who has traveled across continents to pursue her dreams in London, and Ben, a man who prefers the comfort of routine and plays it safe. Their paths cross in a serendipitous manner when Gia's New Year's resolution list, unintentionally attached to a delivery backpack, finds its way into Ben's restaurant. What follows is a delightful exchange of notes hidden within takeout deliveries, gradually transforming their lives in unexpected and beautiful ways.

Mimi Deb's writing style is engaging and filled with warmth, creating a perfect atmosphere for a charming rom-com. The characters are well-developed and relatable, allowing readers to invest in their journeys and root for their happiness. Gia's adventurous spirit and Ben's cautious nature create a delightful contrast, leading to an unlikely connection that evolves into a heartfelt love story.

The concept of handwritten notes exchanged through takeout deliveries adds a unique and enchanting element to the narrative. Each note serves as a catalyst for change, pushing Gia and Ben out of their respective comfort zones and igniting personal growth. The anticipation of each delivery and the subsequent exchange of notes build a delightful sense of anticipation throughout the book.

Beyond the romantic plotline, Love on the Menu also explores the themes of taking risks, embracing change, and the power of fate. It reminds readers that unexpected encounters and small gestures can have a profound impact on our lives, and that love can be found in the most unexpected places.

The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, with a mix of lighthearted moments, heartfelt conversations, and poignant reflections. The plot moves at a steady pace, keeping readers engaged and eager to discover the next note and its impact on Gia and Ben's lives.

While the overall story is satisfying and enjoyable, some readers may find certain plot elements predictable. However, the genuine chemistry between the characters and the delightful premise of the handwritten notes compensate for any minor predictability.

I love books that involve food! This was a cute rom-com and I had so much fun reading it. I was able to get through it quickly and enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy to honestly review.

This books premise was based on a slightly unusual way to meet. New Years resolutions list gets stuck to the bottom of the delivery bag and accidentally makes it way back to the favourite takeaway restaurant and is found by Ben. What ensues is a very sweet back and forth messaging between Gia and Ben.

I enjoyed reading the messages between Gia and Ben, their personal background stories and their will they, won’t they get together.

A lovely, easy read

I really liked the sound of this one but have sadly dnf-ed it.

I just could not get on with the writing style and just really struggled with it as a whole!

Sorry!!

This was cute but felt more of a coming of age story than a romance.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Love on the Menu by Mimi Deb

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Gia thrives on risks. Ben plays it safe.

She crossed continents to chase her London dream; he works the same job in the same restaurant, night after night.

Then fate steps in. When Gia’s takeout is delivered, her embarrassing list of New Year’s resolutions accidentally makes its way to Ben’s restaurant, stuck to the bottom of a delivery backpack.

With each delivery Gia orders, Ben slips in a note of his own and eagerly awaits her reply. One by one, these notes transform their lives in unexpected ways, and an unlikely love story is written.

My Opinion

The majority of interaction between Ben and Gia takes place through notes - which for me was a very interesting premise. I have seen some very mixed reviews for this book, but I have to say that I enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and I enjoyed how the book had been written. A fun, light-hearted read.

Rating 4/5

I feel really torn about this book, I loved Gia and Ben and their character development throughout but it was just lacking something for me. It almost felt like two separate stories with some faint link between the two for most of the book.

Blog:
The only thing I can say without spoilers was I loved the meet-cute idea but ultimately disliked both halves of the pairing. The rest of this review will contain spoilers.

I didn’t know when I requested this book that Ben, the love interest, is in long-term recovery (5 years plus) from alcohol. As a sober person myself, when I realized this about the love interest, I was ecstatic to see that representation. It’s what kept me hanging on after a shaky opening that I’ll talk about in a moment. But ultimately the representation left me disappointed. Plus I wound up not liking Ben. So let’s get into it.

First, the opening chapter. Gia gets drunk at a work event and accidentally kisses her boss while dancing. How, you ask? I’m still confused by it. She was doing the Single Ladies dance, they were dancing back-to-back, and when she jumped to turn 180 degrees, her lips landed on her boss’s. I do not think this would actually be possible to do without either bonking noses or hitting teeth together.

Now I need to explain a bit about the plot to talk about what didn’t work for me. So, after this, she convinces herself she’s about to lose her job and writes the get your life together list Ben ultimately finds. When she returns to work after the holidays, she becomes convinced that her boss is out to get her, thanks partially to her work-friend, Jay’s warnings. They are both immigrants. She immigrated from India, and he from China. He explains that the boss can’t legally fire her for such a thing in Britain but she can set her up to fail by giving her too much responsibility then a warning then a firing. When she does suddenly get more responsibility at work, she becomes convinced this is what is happening. Meanwhile she keeps ordering delivery from a local Indian takeaway that reminds her of home, plus she’s getting to exchange cute notes with one of the employees, Ben, through them. He coaches youth football on the weekends and has a large and loving family. Ben becomes enamored with Gia. Eventually they get a chance to meet when she needs a caterer for a big important work event.

Gia repeatedly drinks too much throughout the book. I was ok with this at first because I thought maybe she would have an ah-hah moment and cut back (or stop entirely). But she doesn’t. She thinks maybe she should. She puts it on her list. (Heartbreakingly the list at the ends says: “Don’t Drink. Drink less. Drink responsibly.”) But then she doesn’t actually do it. She even continues binging up through her marathon run. Her mother at one point in the last chapter says to her boss that Gia drinks too much. The boss agrees. And Gia blows it off. In the last chapter! There’s nothing I can root for with a person in long-term recovery getting together with someone with an active alcohol problem that’s bad enough that their family and boss have noticed and yet they won’t acknowledge it.

There is a giant reason I don’t think Ben is right for Gia either. Essentially, when Ben was in the throes of his addiction, he made some choices that led to an immigrant getting fired from his brother’s company. Instead of standing up for the guy and taking responsibility for what happened that night, Ben let him be fired and then took his job (only to quit it a few weeks later). Everyone makes mistakes, and I’m ok with a hero being imperfect. But later – five years later – when this comes up, he says, “Why didn’t he just get another job?” and “Why do you make looking for a job sound like a marathon?” This was a very heartless thing to say. It’s even more heartless given that Ben knows that Gia is also an immigrant whose ability to stay in London is tied to her employment which she at that moment feels is precarious. Ben never actually apologizes for this. He reads Gia a letter in which he talks about how wonderful she is, but he never apologizes for how flippantly he regarded the immigrant work situation.

These two people don’t belong together, and that is what left me feeling sour at the end. I don’t see a HEA or even a HFN but the first few seconds of a train wreck.

So, while the meet-cute was adorable, and I loved seeing diversity both in race and mental health in this book, I ultimately felt that the two leads did not belong together, although with some different plot directions, they could have been. Ben could have made a real apology and done something to try to make up for his lack of compassion for immigrants. Gia could have realized she had a problem with alcohol and taken Ben up on the offer to hook her up with a sponsor. If these two conditions were met, there could have been a very cute one year later they get together with a new meet-cute epilogue. But instead the book just swept the important issues under the rug with a Beyonce song at the end.

GoodReads:
I just can't get behind pairing a person in recovery for 5 years with someone with a drinking problem who won't admit it. I like the meet cute of swapping notes with the takeaway though.

Check out my full review.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Instagram:
Crabmanda is just glad SHE’s not on the menu.
Love on the Menu is a London romcom whose meet-cute is a get your life together list accidentally dropped in a take-out bag leading to notes being passed back and forth. I ultimately felt like the couple didn’t belong together and some important issues were swept under the rug.
Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
#bookalicious #romcombooks #plushiesoninstagram #netgalleyreads #coverlove

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I DNF’d this book after trying to read it for a while. I thought the concept sounded really good and heartwarming but the execution was disappointing for me.

Really enjoyed this book! Easy to read and good story/plot to follow. Didn’t expect the mini twist in the middle but it was done brilliantly to give it a bit of a shock horror and a worry they might never meet again! Loved all the notes giving you more of a back story into the main characters. Feel good book

A sweet escape into romance. A good chick lit book. Very easy and very quick. Enjoyed this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a really cute romcom that I stormed through in a day!
I loved the notes and the copies of the receipts interspersed in the chapters - though all the talk of food made me hungry throughout! Do not read on an empty stomach!
I loved learning more about Ben's family, I'd love a story for each of the siblings!
Really great characters, though there are a lot of them, some not mentioned loads. So when they made an appearance, I had to remind myself who they were.
Perfect light romance for fans of a feel-good redemption story.

A fantastic read with characters that I absolutely adored, and no doubt you will too! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.