Manuela Cardiga

♦4.5 Deliciously Sexy Funny Stars!♦
How do I even start with this one? I LOVED it! What an interesting spin for a story. The banter between the characters was awesome. The sexual chemistry was hot hot hot! To put it in a nutshell, this book reads like a fine piece of pastry....LOL It is part exquisite cookbook, mixed in with a touch of self help and well written information for the man, about how to care for his woman and to finish it off, a hefty dose of sexy, proud, resilient, know it all therapist Lance.
Lance is currently working on his first book, a sexual how-not-to treat your woman. He is a practicing sex therapist by day, specializing in Awakenings. He helps to teach women find sexual fulfillment. That they are capable of finding and bringing pleasure back into their lives. What he is not expecting is to be propositioned by a very well to do woman. She has come to offer Lance a solution to his mounting debt. He just has to impregnate her daughter. Who is more concerned about running her private dining club, Guilty Pleasures. She does not date, she is in a relationship with her business and herself for the most part. She lives a very quiet life. Her mother wants Lance to shake her up a bit. He is very hesitant to take the offer and decides to check things out for himself. What he finds is an amazing woman, who under normal circumstances he would not have an attraction too. He soon finds himself employed by Millicent, under a false identity. And the web of deceit begins to spin. He never had any intentions of falling in love with her.
Millicent Deafly, owner of Guilty Pleasures. A very private, invite only dining club, that specializes in just that. Fulfilling your palate and stomach, with the most amazingly sinful, fatty foods. Clients were subject to medical and psychiatric evaluations before they were even allowed to make reservations. Anyone with medical issues or eating disorders, were not allowed. She has become fairly well know and has clients from all over the world. Her private life, is just that, private. Her mother drives her crazy and she tries to steer clear of her as much as possible. All the woman does is point out her flaws and make her feel like crap. Her father, has passed away and he was the one person she was closest too. She has had one relationship in the past, but has sworn off men for the most part. When Will Pecklise walks into her life. Slowly her walls begin to fall as she lets Will into her life.
The staff at Guilty Pleasures is crazy. Serge, the cook, a black Russian dwarf, with a wicked sense of humor and mad culinary skills to boot. He has lived a very rough life. But has now found happiness working for Millie. He is a surrogate father to Millie. He will do anything to protect her. And as the reader will find out, he had a very close relationship with her father. The banter between he and Will is nuts. I was laughing all the time. What I would give to be a helper in his kitchen. Just to smell and taste the creations that he cooks. You can't help but be hungry while reading this book. Throw in some crazy clients, with crazy wants and needs and cello player that cannot keep their hands to themselves and you have the mixing's of a very interesting story. That keeps you turning the page.
This is Manuela Cardiga's first novel and I think she did a great job, telling a unique story about finding ones self and the happiness that they deserve. We are not all perfect and through her characters we learn that it really doesn't matter what the person looks like, it is what is inside that matters most. In the end will Millicent and Lance be able to make their lives work together, in and out of the kitchen. Can Millie find it in her heart to forgive him for his betrayal? Will they find the happiness that they both so deserve? I look forward to the next book in this series. Job well done Manuela!… (altro)