Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget

Day (Stuck in the Country with You) mixes business and pleasure in this cute workplace romance whose protagonists come from vastly different worlds but share a love of food. Restaurant owner Jamilah Carver’s business has been struggling financially, but a well-paying catering gig could turn things around. When her head cook quits, a friend recommends she bring in Rashad White, a convicted felon on parole, as a replacement. Jamilah instantly loves Rashad’s cooking, but her cop father is dismayed by her decision to hire him and insists on running a background check. Meanwhile, Jamilah and Rashad clash over working styles, arguments that belie their simmering attraction. Both characters grow over the course of their rapidly developing opposites-attract relationship: Jamilah learns to live life on her own terms, while Rashad allows himself to dream big, setting his sights on creating an inclusive space centered on community and his love of spoken word poetry. The fast-moving romance doesn’t leave much time for in-depth character-building, but there’s plenty of humor, some mouthwatering culinary descriptions, and a powerful message about not judging a book by its cover. Add in just the right hint of spice and this offers plenty for readers to savor. (Dec.)