First time reading a book from Gigi Templeton and she didn't disappoint at all! It was nice to see that the main characters had jobs that don't occur often: a spice maker and a pit-roaster. At the end there was something I didn't agree on, why the 3 stars, but overall the book was very plot-driven and I enjoyed reading about the characters' experiences!

This book, while a quick read, felt surprisingly predictable and dragged more than I expected. I went in with high hopes based on some glowing reviews, but ultimately, it was just... okay. Not terrible, but definitely not remarkable either. If you're looking for something light and easy, it might work for you, but don’t expect anything too memorable.

#SpicedRight #NetGalley

3.5-stars for Spiced Right:

Spiced Right was a sweet, lighthearted read that mixed romance and food in a fun way. I really enjoyed how the author weaved food and cooking into the storyline—it added a nice, cozy touch and made me want to head straight to the kitchen! The romance was charming, with a good balance of chemistry and playful banter between the main characters.

The pacing was mostly good, but there were a few moments where things felt a little predictable. I didn’t mind too much since the story had an overall feel-good vibe, but it left me wanting a bit more complexity in the plot. The characters were likable, though I would’ve loved to see a bit more depth and development in their backstories and motivations.

Overall, Spiced Right is a great pick if you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable read that combines romance with a love for cooking. It’s fun and sweet, but it didn’t quite have that “wow” factor to bump it up higher for me. Still, it’s a solid, charming story that’s sure to put a smile on your face!

I'm terribly sorry for this review but I almost couldn't finish this book. The MC seemed out of this world (and not in a good way), too childish, the plot was good but the development awful, the writing seemed to me very plain and without emotion...
I think sometimes you find a story that appeals to you but when you start reading it almost at the very beginning you realized there's no connection between the book and you. Sadly it's what's happened between this story and me.

This was a good book, there were many things that I liked about it. Loved the ranch style romance, there was some spice. But it felt a bit rushed and lackluster. I just wanted more, but not sure what more I wanted lol

Fun read, had a little to many darlings for my taste but other then that was a great read.Jillian is a recluse after an accident. When a old romance causes her to leave her home, will love keep here away or will she fall back into old ways

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

This was my first read my Gigi Templeton and wow it did not disappoint. I love a good sizzling romance between people who were always meant to be together. Jillian and Jack were unique characters I’ve never read about and it got me intrigued to see where it would go. My only regret was to have read this sooner!

loved the premise of this book - it was so cool to see pepper grower x bbq master because it just seems like a perfect pairing. It is a second chance lovers to insta-love after 10 years, however that is a super long time… I guess right person wrong time is real!

This was a great book.


I really enjoyed the storyline and I had a great time getting to know these characters. I thought that they were amazing characters and it really kept my interest with the storyline.

Highly recommend checking out this book for sure.

8.5/10

Spiced Right by Gigi Templeton

Spicy second chance romance that sees two people perfect for one another finally get their happily ever after ~ Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

What I liked:
* Jack Reed: rancher, cowboy, pitmaster, charismatic, caring, responsible, loves his family, athletic dreams thwarted, has never forgotten…Jillian
* Jillian Parks: creative, entrepreneur, cookbook author, grows hybrid peppers in her own greenhouses, survivor, has never forgotten…Jack
* The producers of the shows Jack and Jillian run independently and their idea to have the collaborate – wonder I they might get together in the future
* The sensitivity, patience, and understanding Jack showed with Jillian as he learned what had happened since they were last together
* The strong family ties Jack’s family have for one another – would love to learn more about all of the singletons that have not met their matches
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That I liked all the characters, could relate to them, and felt I would it in with the group if I were to drop in on them
* The recipes discussed that made me drool
* The chemistry and witty repartee between Jack and Jillian
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about all that Jillian had to deal with and the impact it had on her life – including her faithless fiancé

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author/in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I loved this book. The characters hook you. The banter is funny and sweet. You wont regret one clicking this book!

Spiced Right is the perfect book for anyone who loves a second-chance romance. Jillian and Jack's love story is so beautiful with all the hell they've gone through. Jillian owns a spice company, while Jack is the head of his family ranch and has a cooking channel, teaching others how to cook and what the best things to put on food (aka spices.) They team up to help increase their views and Jillian's spice business. This book covers hard topics such as miscarriage, death, fear of people and much more. It's a book that all should read, (unless you get triggered by the things listed above.) Such a beautiful book! The day this book becomes an audiobook, I will listen to it 24/7!

thank you net galley, this is jack and jillion story. they both have so baggage after being apart for ten years. jack is a bbq cooking king on cooking show and jillion is a podcast host.. second chance romance, lot of witty banter,spicey scence.

In a romance about spice (literally and figuratively) I found the cooking and entertainment industry portion overpowered the romance portion. Many of the lingo and terms used with cooking alienated me as a reader since I'm not much of a spice enthusiast. I love cooking, but I feel that it was too much. The writing was superb (don't get me wrong), but I feel like it was a romance novel that focused more on showing off the writer's knowledge of YouTube and spicy cooking than the romance.

*I voluntarily read an ARC copy through NetGalley.com. All opinions are my own.*

I loved the premise of this book - it was so cool to see pepper grower x bbq master because it just seems like a match made in heaven. It is a second chance lovers to insta-love after 10 years? Going to be honest I struggle a little with this, but I would read the next in the series by the author.

Okay, so this was cute... but it also wasn't anything I hadn't read before. Gigi Templeton is a new writer for me and overall the writing was good (albeit in third person which I'm not a fan of but hey that's a personal preference) and the banter was entertaining. It did however have a surprise twist at the end (*SPOILER* pregnancy *SPOILER*), which wasn't super out of the blue and also kind of boring. Overall the book was fine, nothing new but also not bad. 3/5 stars.

OMG YEHAW? If you love cowboy romance,this book is the right one for you! The male lead was UGH and the way he had it with the female lead was insane! When is it it my turn to meet someone like that? 😕 the author was great with the words. I can understand them easily and the plot was okay? That's why I gave it a 4. It's like you knew what's gonna happen but I still like this book and it deserves the hype!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I really liked this story. As someone who loves spicy food I liked the inclusion of peppers and cooking a unique story like. I liked the relationship between the characters and will definitely look for more from the author.

Jack and Jillian met in college, due to a family emergency Jack never comes back to college. Fast forward 10 years, she’s now a recluse with a line of spicy sauces and he’s a rancher with a cooking show using her spices. They reconnect with a call-in on his show. A cute second chance story.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for gifting this arc for early review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.75/4 stars.

This was a really fun and enjoyable read. A second chance romance that felt very grown up in that the MC’s weren’t just dealing with a missed connection but the responsibilities and trials of life that separated them in the past, and then them fighting to overcome those obstacles in the present.

I loved the backdrop of the MMC’s family ranch and the extensive bbq and cooking references. They were detailed but didn’t outshine the other elements of the story. There was a great supporting cast in Jack’s family and Jillian’s manager/bff, Mindy, as well.

Towards the end, the pacing did feel a bit rushed, and I feel like another 50ish pages would’ve helped parse some of those things out. Esp. regarding the “miracle” at the end— I think a chapter of us seeing how Jillian came to grips with that after vehemently denying that she was interested in one of her and Jack’s last convos, beyond Mindy being like “girl you should want this, this is your HEA”— would’ve been great. Given everything Gillian went through and overcame, despite the magical medical breakthrough, her decision was a huge one. Even if it was just a short chapter of her inner monologue on the plane/drive to Triple R, like what was she working through in her head regarding this new chapter she was embarking on.

But the banter was great, and the whole southern gentleman/cowboy thing— which could’ve gotten really tired, somehow worked wonderfully. And it was clear that these were two characters who really deserved to be with one another and really made each other happy. I think another family moment/meal at the end or an epilogue would’ve nicely rounded things out as well, especially given the outcome of the final scenes, seeing how central the Reeds and Reed-Martinez’s were to the story at large. The lack of these aforementioned things and more of Jack and Jilly’s inner dialogue after/during the final scenes, caused the story to fall a bit flat for me. However, like I said, great characters with amazing chemistry, fun supporting characters, spice scenes that made sense and didn’t feel gratuitous (although those can be nice), I had a good time.