A rather strange story, focussing on Gia who loses her list of things to work on to improve herself. The list is found by Ben and he starts to communicate with Gia. Too many characters and a bit too cheesy for my liking.

Book boyfriend - check, cute funny moments - check, love story you wish would happen to you - check. Romantic comedy perfection - check check! If only my new years resolutions would help me fall into a beautiful romance. Maybe next year!?!

Loved the premise and the idea behind it but I felt like it overall lacked something. Maybe character development. It was a bit slow and I had trouble wanting to pick it up.

The MC was interesting and I enjoyed the multiple characters aspect.

I don't think this should qualify as a rom-com; the characters were really sad and actually unlikable, to the point where I did not care what happened to them. I didn't believe in their relationship. I also think there were a lot of side characters that were not necessary to the main story.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I went into this charmed by the premise and cover – and quickly found myself confused. I found the dialogue quite stilted, the writing so vague I had to read passages several times to figure out what was happening, the pacing extremely slow, and the characters largely toxic or erratic.

I did like that the main characters, Gia and Ben, have major flaws and things they are working through, but I just didn’t connect with either of them and didn’t think they had any chemistry at all – via letters or in person.

Additionally, there are also a few moments in the book that I think are supposed to feel like emotional ah-has, but because the storytelling is so vague and often motionless, I found myself sort of shrugging at those moments rather than fully absorbing their impact.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. But if you want a story that is not actually a romcom, and instead is an exploration of interpersonal relationships between two pretty unlikeable characters and how they start to clear up misconceptions and get their lives back on track, then give it a whirl!

DNF at 61%

Well, it is very, very rare for me not to finish a book but even though I tried on several occasions to do just that, I couldn't, in the end.

This book was disappointing, to say the least. Such a good premise for a story and ruined by the execution! For some reason, all the notes to Ben are written in one sentence, with no gaps in between, which makes it a lot harder to read. I didn't particularly like either main character, I didn't get much of an idea of what made them tick and I didn't buy that there was a bond between them at all.

There are so many things that made no sense, to me. Gia's family are Indian and yet her mother behaves in a very strange manner for that culture. Gia is a receptionist and yet she ends up handling a sales account. And these are just two of the many things that were jarring and outside the realm of possibility.

Sorry, I try very hard to give someone the benefit of the doubt but this story was so, so bad :( Life is too short to continue reading a story like this.

1.5 stars, rounded up to 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon.

this book was cute, but it felt like it dragged sometimes. I didn't love the characters, which just made it drag even more. I do love the dual pov and this book did that well!

Love on the Menu follows two main characters - Gia and Ben - in London. Gia's life is a mess, she accidentally kissed her boss on a drunk night out which means her job is in jeopardy, she wants to cut back on the drinking and get fitter. Ben is stuck in a job he has no passion for and his huge family is always causing trouble. Gia's very honest to-do list ends up in Ben's kitchen, and he sends her back a sweet and encouraging letter to lift her sprits. She replies, and so it begins...

I really wanted to like this book, especially because the plot seemed so similar to one of my all time favourites, The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. But unfortunately, it just missed the mark on almost all fronts for me. I'm giving it two stars because the writing wasn't too bad and made it more bearable to read. It's safe to say that if the plot and characters had interested me then I would have enjoyed it quite a bit. But alas, they did not.

My main issue with the plot was the fact that the main characters didn't meet in person until 70% of the way through. Now, if this was labelled as anything other than a romance I would have been more forgiving. I do not want to read a romance where the main love interests aren't even in the same room until the end. I didn't find either Gia or Ben and their host of problems to be compelling enough to keep my attention throughout the book. Furthermore, when the two eventually did meet, it felt awkward and clunky and there was no palatable chemistry. It was quite disappointing after spending hours reading to get to that point.

I would say if you are looking for a slow-burn romance, this one exceeds the meaning of the word and are sure you are someone who can be invested in side stories and characters!

I found this book to be quite hard going until i was around a third of the book then i started to enjoy it a bit more. It did sound right up my street when i requested to read it but i think i will be reluctant to read anymore booksfrom this author

This is quite a slow story with descriptions of food that may put some reader# of, but persevere th3 story is very sweet.

A pretty cute, realistic take on modern love. I liked the storytelling and the narration was easy to get along with. The characters also felt well developed and real.

All wonderful attributes to the story of course. For me, unfortunately, though the romance plot didn’t really pay off. In this case the slow burn didn’t really work for me and I ended up feeling like the story dragged a little.

If you have more patience than me hopefully this is perfect for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of love on the menu by Mimi deb. This was an interesting take on the resurgence of romance novels. Worth the read.

I was so instantly drawn in by the cover of this one and I have to say I am disappointed, the characters, the plot and the writing style for me just felt lacking. Definitely think it could’ve been amazing as the premise is a really good idea however I feel the execution fell flat.

Love on the Menu by Mimi Deb is a cute love story about two people from different worlds. I loved how we got to see Gia and Ben inspire each other and grow along the book. I think that getting know them through their letters with each other was a really cool writing choice. I feel like the beginning of the story had a slow start but I really enjoyed it once I got further into the book! I thought Mimi Deb’s writing style was really unique and I would definitely read any other titles by her.

This is a fun book, packed with twists and turns which author Mimi Deb cleverly resolves.
Indian Gia has follwed her dream to move to London on a work visa and she loves the city. However everything she has worked towards could be in peril when she makes a drunken mistake at the works Christmas do.
Ben is one of a big family, and he feels like he has always been the family's disappointment. Dropping out of a career job, he is now managing a curry take away... and curry is Gia's go-to treat.
Gia's list of resolutions ends up stuck to the bottom of the bag the curry delivery person takes back to the shop - and Ben reads it, and writes back to her. Their correspondance grows more important to both of them, encouraging them to make changes in their lives - but neither can quite find the courage to meet.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants a book that's easy to read and full of great characters while at the same time having a complex plot where you can't quite see how all the different strands will come together. A great piece of writing.

Love On The Menu was a fun and easy book to read. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. It took me a bit to get into the book, but overall I liked it and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a good book with two different people looking to find love.

3.5
This book was cute, easy to read and sweet. I felt it drag a bit sometimes and I think it should have been shorter, but it’s well written and Gia and Ben are an adorable couple.
If you like rom-coms, you would enjoy this one!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really wanted to love this book, and perhaps it was because I was reading back to back romance and needed a palate cleanser - but I just didn't love this book. The characters were hard to be interested in, the story felt like wading through mud (Sorry!) and it was something that ended up pushing me into a bit of a reading slump.

I like a faster flow of writing and something about a Character that makes you want to find out more. Perhaps this would be good for someone wanting an introduction into this genre, but not necessarily a hard-core romance fan.

The story of Ben and Gia. They connect after Ben finds Gia's list stuck to the takeaway bag. They start to converse via notes - will they connect in person? I liked how it was told from both points of view.

This is a cute love story that starts slowly so you need a bit patience to understand what's going on. Sometimes I felt like something was missing from the story, like those condiments that Gia was so passionate about and not in a spicy way, but something to make me care more for them. Loved Gia's fashion sense and her appetite for delicious food. It definitely made me crave lamb Rogan Josh. In the end I think it's a nice rom-com story that can be read between some heavy books to take that tension off.