Holy Guacamole (Book Review)

Nestled along San Diego's coast, the former romantic getaway of the silver screen's most notorious lovers is now the sizzling hacienda of Bonnie Miller's culinary boot camp. "If you are what you eat, make it hot, spicy and irresistible," is her motto, and this queen of Southwestern cuisine enjoys quite a savory life; success, fame, and a reputation for the finest palate west of Barcelona. That is, until a pot-rattling bang causes Trace Domingo, a washed-up sports writer, to crash into her life. His arrival turns up the heat at the culinary boot camp as Bonnie discovers in life's recipe book, it is not the spices which add the most flavor, but how truly hungry you are.

When I picked up my copy of Holy Guacamole, a new novel from husband-and-wife team Dan and Denise Harmer, I expected it to be a light romance set in a culinary school.  What I found out, however, is that both the story and the setting reach well beyond those boundaries.

The story, told in the voice of Trace Domingo, got off to a slow start for me.  As it continued, though, it picked up speed until it became a page-turning adventure.  The surprises were truly unpredictable--for me, at least!

I enjoyed the descriptions of, and references to, food--although a few of them bordered on the cheesy.  Here's an example:  " ... God would become top chef in her kitchen and ... she'd be able to follow His recipe."  I also wish that the authors hadn't used a slang term that substitutes for profanity; while the expression is common in today's culture, I still cring to see or hear it.

Overall, Holy Guacamole isn't the best novel I've read, but it's far from the worst.  If you like more adventure than romance, and if you're more patient than I am at the start of a book, you will probably like it more than I did!

Links for more information:

• Dan and Denise Harmer's website (includes purchasing links)
• Dan and Denise Harmer on Twitter (lots of avocado tips!)
• Holy Guacamole product page on Amazon (not an affiliate link)

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book, at no cost to me, for review purposes.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions in this post are my own.  Thanks to Glass Road PR for the opportunity!