Chef Maggie Donnely isn’t having the best of luck lately.  Her coffee shop, Let’s Dish, is in the red, a new shop is stealing her business, and when she and her now ex-husband celebrate their divorce with a bit too much alcohol, the beautiful baker is left with a bun in the oven of her own.  To make matters worse, the man stealing her business is Kevin Best, her infuriating former cooking school partner.

Kevin knows he made a mistake with Maggie once, but upon seeing her again he isn’t about to let the sassy redhead get away a second time.  Though Maggie swears up and down she wants nothing to do with him, Kevin knows she can’t deny the attraction between them forever.

When a fire burns down Let’s Dish, Maggie has to concede that she needs help.  There’s a cooking contest that, if she wins, could give her the money she needs to restore Let’s Dish, but she needs a partner.  And when Kevin comes to her aid, Maggie realizes that perhaps the man of her nightmares may, in truth, be the man of her dreams.

Sparks – and the occasional food product – fly in the snappy Let’s Dish.  Catherine Wade has served up a delicious story filled with love, acceptance, friendship, patience, and a few desserts that, admittedly, made me want to reach into the book and grab them.  Maggie is a heroine who is easy to cheer for.  Even though things go wrong right and left, she never gives up and keeps working towards her goals.  I respected her, but I will admit she tried my patience a time or two.  While I understand stress and pregnancy likely make her a bit testier than normal, Maggie seemed to take out her anger on Kevin a bit too much.  Kevin, as is probably fitting, has the patience of a saint and surprised me with how persistent he was in his pursuit of Maggie.  He was sensual and kind, and I couldn’t help but fall for him.  Additionally, I utterly adored Lyla and Armand, Maggie’s best friends.  They were the sort of people I would love to be friends with, were they real.

All in all, I found Let’s Dish to be a truly satisfying read.  It’s both heartwarming and sensual, which I loved.  I also have to admit that the Food Network addict in me thrilled in the cooking scenes and was on the edge of my seat during the contest.  Simply delightful!