What do you think?
Rate this book
Hot Mess
Twenty-something Allie Simon never imagined she’d fall for a recovering drug addict—but that was before she met Benji Zane, Chicago’s hottest up-and-coming chef, who’s known as much for his hard partying ways as for his unparalleled culinary skills. Six months into their relationship, the food and chemistry are out of this world, but the reality of living with a cooking wunderkind hasn’t exactly been all hearts and flowers.
Still, Allie’s convinced that her love is the key to fixing this talented man’s broken soul—so when Benji is offered his dream job as chef de cuisine for a new restaurant opening on Randolph Street, Chicago’s foodie hot spot, Allie agrees to invest her life savings in his future. But less than a month after she goes all in, Allie learns a heartbreaking lesson: addicts lie. Benji cracks under the pressure, relapses and disappears, bagging out not only on the restaurant, but on her, too.
Left with nothing but a massive withdrawal slip and a restaurant that absolutely must open in a matter of weeks, Allie finds herself thrust into a world of luxury and greed, cutthroat business and sensory delight. Lost in the mess of it all, she can either crumble completely or fight like hell for the life she wants and the love she deserves.
Still, Allie’s convinced that her love is the key to fixing this talented man’s broken soul—so when Benji is offered his dream job as chef de cuisine for a new restaurant opening on Randolph Street, Chicago’s foodie hot spot, Allie agrees to invest her life savings in his future. But less than a month after she goes all in, Allie learns a heartbreaking lesson: addicts lie. Benji cracks under the pressure, relapses and disappears, bagging out not only on the restaurant, but on her, too.
Left with nothing but a massive withdrawal slip and a restaurant that absolutely must open in a matter of weeks, Allie finds herself thrust into a world of luxury and greed, cutthroat business and sensory delight. Lost in the mess of it all, she can either crumble completely or fight like hell for the life she wants and the love she deserves.
412 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2018
119 people are currently reading
1952 people want to read
About the author
Emily Belden
5 books247 followersEmily Belden is a food journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. After she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies – all heads up for good luck – she was a guest on The Today Show and her story was covered by media outlets across the country. A Chicago native, Emily lives with her rescue dog in the West Loop, conveniently close to many of the city’s best restaurants.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
March 29, 2018
Allie Simon prides herself on making sensible decisions and has maintained high standards for the first twenty- five years of her life. That streak of smart choices is about to end as she enters into a relationship with Benji Zane. Benji is an up and coming chef in Chicago with a long history of drug addiction.
Six months into their relationship, Benji is offered a job as the head chef at a new restaurant. For the project to get off the ground, he must make a $30,000 investment. With no savings or income, he turns to Allie for the money. The restaurant and her life become a mess when Benji relapses and disappears during the construction. Allie finds herself without a boyfriend or a chef and an ownership stake in a new restaurant. It's time for her to learn from her mistakes while returning to her life of prudent decisions.
I enjoyed reading Hot Mess by Emily Belden. This book reminded me of my own experiences from my twenties when life was much simpler. This is a fun read filled with romance, drama and plenty of food.
Six months into their relationship, Benji is offered a job as the head chef at a new restaurant. For the project to get off the ground, he must make a $30,000 investment. With no savings or income, he turns to Allie for the money. The restaurant and her life become a mess when Benji relapses and disappears during the construction. Allie finds herself without a boyfriend or a chef and an ownership stake in a new restaurant. It's time for her to learn from her mistakes while returning to her life of prudent decisions.
I enjoyed reading Hot Mess by Emily Belden. This book reminded me of my own experiences from my twenties when life was much simpler. This is a fun read filled with romance, drama and plenty of food.
March 17, 2018
Twenty-five year old Allie Simon has a good head on her shoulders, a good job, good friends and supportive family. She becomes consumed by a charming, bad boy celeb chef named Benji Zane and her simple life as she knows it, well isn’t very simple anymore.
Benji is a recovering addict who – only 3 months sober – asks Allie to invest her entire life savings in “their” future (to partner in opening a restaurant with Benji at the helm, sold alongside the future image of them married with kids in a brownstone yada yada yada).
Guess what? You probably guessed right: only a month before opening, Benji relapses and goes off the grid leaving Allie to unwillingly step into his place; in order to not lose her investment. The rest of the story is Allie maneuvering the foodie scene in a high-end area of Chicago: friends, critics and social media not always on her side and often waiting to see her fail. It’s a cute story and I enjoyed watching Allie come into her own.
At first I didn’t think I was going to like the main character, Allie Simon, but you know what, she wound up being one really cool chick (she’s hardworking and tenacious). If anything what I liked most about this book was the female empowerment story line: a successful career woman taking a chance on, looking out for, and teaching a fledgling in the trade.
I had recently watched the movie Burnt with Bradley Cooper and kept drawing a few parallels from that. It had me thinking: Hot Mess could be the prequel to Adam Jones’ (Benji Zane) journey in Burnt.
This isn’t a page turner, keep you up at night read. It’s a fun, light (with a touch of dark) read for those who like a little sass and a bit of drama. It is an ideal book club choice for fans of Women’s Fiction.
I want to thank the Harlequin Publicity Team for organizing their ‘Hot Mess’ by Emily Belden bookstagram mailing, through which I was able to receive a free advanced reader’s copy of the book.
To read my book reviews visit: www.saturdaynitereader.com
March 6, 2018
My Rating:
3.5
Favorite Quotes:
Food may be the way to a man’s heart, but as my colleagues assemble around me, I’m convinced it’s the way to a woman’s ego. It’s like I’m dating da Vinci and I’ve just hung the Mona Lisa in my cubicle. Everyone is ooh-ing and ahh-ing, reminding me just what an awesome perk it is to be dating Benji Zane. I’m the cool kid at the lunch table… “You’re so lucky,” a girl from a different department gushes from the kitchen table. I don’t even know what her name is, but she begrudgingly stabs at her lackluster salad and shoots jealous death rays my way.
As he pulled on the knot, his muscles surged a bit through his sleeves and the spell was cast. I looked over at my mother who was salivating. It had nothing to do with the chicken, mind you.
She leaves me alone in the office and I just stare at the keys in the palm of my hand. It’s like somebody has asked me to hold their baby and then took off running. I’m overwhelmed to say the least, but I’m afraid of what Angela will do if she mistakes my fear and paralysis for slacking.
I used to like proving to people, especially myself, that we belonged together. But then went from exhilarating to excruciating faster than an elaborate lower back tattoo.
My Review:
I am on the fence and can’t seem to put my finger on the sum totality of I how I feel about this book. The Urban Dictionary defined the term hot mess as, “When one's thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.” This book and several of the characters featured were a Hot Mess, but the epicenter or source of the turmoil and havoc was generated from the selfish, seductive, and alluring character of Benji. The story contained heartbreaking life lessons for those dealing with the fallout and seedier aspects of supposed loved ones with addiction, clever bites of humor, carnal and steamy sensual scenes, liberal use of expletives, a slick and manipulative drug addict, and a frustratingly indecisive and love-blinded woman enabler who I wanted to whack in the head with my Kindle for being a spineless wonder and world-class waffler.
The book was written from the first person POV of Allie, who thought she had found “the one” in a mercurial chef with a high media profile and sordid history of drug abuse. Allie thought she was doing the right things but also consciously avoided looking too closely. Despite knowing his history of failure, she was imprudently gullible and ignored her own instincts while she supported and maintained Benji while living in a state of incredulous denial despite the warnings of others. After the blinders were off and being slapped in the face with evidence she had backed the wrong horse and foolishly investing all her savings into an extensive new restaurant scheme for her drug-addicted boyfriend, Allie was forced to give up her own career plans for a crash course in restaurant management, or lose her investment. I ached for her during her devastating crash to reality. Yet still, she waffled – say what?
The story progressed in at an arduously slow rate although upon reaching the conclusion I understood the pacing better, however, that doesn’t negate the fact that I was periodically stricken from impatience and exasperation as it was a bit too intricately detailed and heavy with the minutia of her endless tasks. I enjoyed the odd assortment of characters, as each was compelling in their own way, while the tantalizing food descriptions kept my mouth greedy and wet and may have led to the increase of a pound or five from indulgent snacking. I also learned more than I will ever need to know about the hospitality industry, serving food, and culinary terms like “amuse-bouche” which according to Wikipedia is French for mouth amuser. Hmm, I do like the idea of my mouth being amused.
3.5
Favorite Quotes:
Food may be the way to a man’s heart, but as my colleagues assemble around me, I’m convinced it’s the way to a woman’s ego. It’s like I’m dating da Vinci and I’ve just hung the Mona Lisa in my cubicle. Everyone is ooh-ing and ahh-ing, reminding me just what an awesome perk it is to be dating Benji Zane. I’m the cool kid at the lunch table… “You’re so lucky,” a girl from a different department gushes from the kitchen table. I don’t even know what her name is, but she begrudgingly stabs at her lackluster salad and shoots jealous death rays my way.
As he pulled on the knot, his muscles surged a bit through his sleeves and the spell was cast. I looked over at my mother who was salivating. It had nothing to do with the chicken, mind you.
She leaves me alone in the office and I just stare at the keys in the palm of my hand. It’s like somebody has asked me to hold their baby and then took off running. I’m overwhelmed to say the least, but I’m afraid of what Angela will do if she mistakes my fear and paralysis for slacking.
I used to like proving to people, especially myself, that we belonged together. But then went from exhilarating to excruciating faster than an elaborate lower back tattoo.
My Review:
I am on the fence and can’t seem to put my finger on the sum totality of I how I feel about this book. The Urban Dictionary defined the term hot mess as, “When one's thoughts or appearance are in a state of disarray but they maintain an undeniable attractiveness or beauty.” This book and several of the characters featured were a Hot Mess, but the epicenter or source of the turmoil and havoc was generated from the selfish, seductive, and alluring character of Benji. The story contained heartbreaking life lessons for those dealing with the fallout and seedier aspects of supposed loved ones with addiction, clever bites of humor, carnal and steamy sensual scenes, liberal use of expletives, a slick and manipulative drug addict, and a frustratingly indecisive and love-blinded woman enabler who I wanted to whack in the head with my Kindle for being a spineless wonder and world-class waffler.
The book was written from the first person POV of Allie, who thought she had found “the one” in a mercurial chef with a high media profile and sordid history of drug abuse. Allie thought she was doing the right things but also consciously avoided looking too closely. Despite knowing his history of failure, she was imprudently gullible and ignored her own instincts while she supported and maintained Benji while living in a state of incredulous denial despite the warnings of others. After the blinders were off and being slapped in the face with evidence she had backed the wrong horse and foolishly investing all her savings into an extensive new restaurant scheme for her drug-addicted boyfriend, Allie was forced to give up her own career plans for a crash course in restaurant management, or lose her investment. I ached for her during her devastating crash to reality. Yet still, she waffled – say what?
The story progressed in at an arduously slow rate although upon reaching the conclusion I understood the pacing better, however, that doesn’t negate the fact that I was periodically stricken from impatience and exasperation as it was a bit too intricately detailed and heavy with the minutia of her endless tasks. I enjoyed the odd assortment of characters, as each was compelling in their own way, while the tantalizing food descriptions kept my mouth greedy and wet and may have led to the increase of a pound or five from indulgent snacking. I also learned more than I will ever need to know about the hospitality industry, serving food, and culinary terms like “amuse-bouche” which according to Wikipedia is French for mouth amuser. Hmm, I do like the idea of my mouth being amused.
August 1, 2022
4.5/5 (rounded up)
I really have no idea why Hot Mess by Emily Belden has such a low average on Goodreads because I LOVED this book! Allie is naive sure, but I could relate to her because I had a boyfriend who in many ways was like Benji, and I know firsthand that it can take a lot to keep yourself from going back to someone. In this way, she was a really relatable character for me, and I was proud of her growth as a person by the end of the book. I loved getting lost in the restaurant world as well and found so many of the process elements of the story fascinating. Although there is a love aspect, the bulk of the book is really Allie figuring out what she really wants and learning how to get over her bad ex.
I also loved the audiobook which is narrated by Amanda Ronconi. She was 100% believable as the voice of Allie and I loved listening to her. This is on the chunkier side and the audio is just over 13 hours long, but it didn't feel like it to me at all. I was so incredibly invested in the characters and what would happen, and I didn't want to put it down. It didn't feel like there was any extra filler either, and I was perfectly happy with the length. So, who should read this? If you can relate to holding onto a guy when you should be letting go and want a touch of the restaurant life, Hot Mess is for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I really have no idea why Hot Mess by Emily Belden has such a low average on Goodreads because I LOVED this book! Allie is naive sure, but I could relate to her because I had a boyfriend who in many ways was like Benji, and I know firsthand that it can take a lot to keep yourself from going back to someone. In this way, she was a really relatable character for me, and I was proud of her growth as a person by the end of the book. I loved getting lost in the restaurant world as well and found so many of the process elements of the story fascinating. Although there is a love aspect, the bulk of the book is really Allie figuring out what she really wants and learning how to get over her bad ex.
I also loved the audiobook which is narrated by Amanda Ronconi. She was 100% believable as the voice of Allie and I loved listening to her. This is on the chunkier side and the audio is just over 13 hours long, but it didn't feel like it to me at all. I was so incredibly invested in the characters and what would happen, and I didn't want to put it down. It didn't feel like there was any extra filler either, and I was perfectly happy with the length. So, who should read this? If you can relate to holding onto a guy when you should be letting go and want a touch of the restaurant life, Hot Mess is for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 11, 2018
When I started HOT MESS I was not anticipating that I would actually like the story, despite a highly enthusiastic recommendation from a buddy (hi Micky!). All I knew about Belden's book was that it featured a chef, and a girl was.. maybe a hot mess? I don't need much to go on to pick up a read, really (obviously). But while this was so much more than I expected, it did take a bit for the story to settle, to get me invested. That said, I think by.. 30%? I was all in.
The chef is a recovering addict. The girlfriend isn't a hot mess at all. And it's all about choice. Belief in the people you love. Being let down. Trying again. The difference closure makes. Adjusting to new realities, finding new dreams. And realizing that you are the star of your own story.
All of this is set against the fine dining industry, with restaurant insider info, social media pop-up marketing, NA meetings, and much much more. This was not the romance I expected, not the quirky quippy hilarity I thought to experience, but it has both, and is so well crafted, so well layered, and not at all typical.
It might not have won a five star rating, or a Michelin star (womp womp, I know, but I had to), but I would highly recommend this one for the stellar female relationships alone. Everything else? It's a cherry ontop of the sundae.
The chef is a recovering addict. The girlfriend isn't a hot mess at all. And it's all about choice. Belief in the people you love. Being let down. Trying again. The difference closure makes. Adjusting to new realities, finding new dreams. And realizing that you are the star of your own story.
All of this is set against the fine dining industry, with restaurant insider info, social media pop-up marketing, NA meetings, and much much more. This was not the romance I expected, not the quirky quippy hilarity I thought to experience, but it has both, and is so well crafted, so well layered, and not at all typical.
It might not have won a five star rating, or a Michelin star (womp womp, I know, but I had to), but I would highly recommend this one for the stellar female relationships alone. Everything else? It's a cherry ontop of the sundae.
March 14, 2018
If you like wickedly delicious humor, a not so perfect love story and mouth watering descriptions of food, Hot Mess needs to be on your TBR! This is told solely from Allie’s point a view, a twenty five year old woman entangled in a dark relationship with a bad boy chef, Benji. I’m not sure if hot mess even accurately describes the total nightmare that is their union, but she believes in Benji despite his drug addiction and selfish behavior. I liked Allie and was totally rooting for her, she’s young and a bit naive but she’s loyal to a fault and she had a sassy side that was great. Benji was ugh, I’ve been in a relationship with a drug addict before and it’s not pretty, Belden did a great job accurately portraying what’s it like to live with an addict.
While much of this book was light and fun it has a dark edgy side that was realistic. As much as I consider myself to be a minor foodie I don’t know much about actually operating a restaurant and the insiders look at the not so glam industry was juicy and fascinating. It’ll also make you hungry and may even cause you to want to binge watch Top Chef, or maybe that’s just me? The writing was solid and full of snark with a side of millennial humor and a dash of social media obsession, what more could you want?! Maybe a bit of romance? Don’t worry, Belden has you covered this is a sexy little read but the romance isn’t the star, the food is! And Allie, she’s a bright little star and the backdrop of Chicago doesn’t hurt either, it adds a hip vibe that was really cool. If you like foodie fiction definitely check this one out, totally recommended.
Hot Mess in three words: Snarky, Sexy and Delicious.
While much of this book was light and fun it has a dark edgy side that was realistic. As much as I consider myself to be a minor foodie I don’t know much about actually operating a restaurant and the insiders look at the not so glam industry was juicy and fascinating. It’ll also make you hungry and may even cause you to want to binge watch Top Chef, or maybe that’s just me? The writing was solid and full of snark with a side of millennial humor and a dash of social media obsession, what more could you want?! Maybe a bit of romance? Don’t worry, Belden has you covered this is a sexy little read but the romance isn’t the star, the food is! And Allie, she’s a bright little star and the backdrop of Chicago doesn’t hurt either, it adds a hip vibe that was really cool. If you like foodie fiction definitely check this one out, totally recommended.
Hot Mess in three words: Snarky, Sexy and Delicious.
March 23, 2018
4.5 stars which I’m rounding up the rating for because it was just that good.
Some books explosively blow you away and some subtley creep and invade your mind until you are powerless in your interest. HOT MESS was the latter, it built and built to a cluster of addictive, messed up reading. I would categorise it as a mix of contemporary romance and women’s fiction.
This story that’s all hot and messy, charts a relationship between the ‘It-Chef’ Benji and his girlfriend who literally hangs on for dear life during the ride. Allie is rather weak, totally infatuated and swept along. This story is about addictions, manipulation that comes with said addictions and a restaurant that’s needs to open on time and be successful. There are real highs but there is rock bottom and it’s a grim place.
Benji was like a magnet to all around him and I have to admit that I had a cautious like of his charisma, talent and looks but as a reader, you cannot help but feel wary. Allie was a little insignificant to start but this is a story written to show how characters can really grow and grow realistically. I loved Allie being at the fore and hitting the lows but scrabbling tooth and nail to survive. The angst was palpable at times. I truly felt what it was like to be duped.
“Underneath this total fuck-show front, there was something - a lot of things, actually. There was a lost soul that needed direction. A man with a good heart and an insane amount of talent.”
The story is full and developed, I felt interested throughout and from half way, I really couldn’t put the book down; I couldn’t put Allie down.
“You’re the star of your own show and that show must go on.”
This is a fictional debut by Emily Belden and I am suitably impressed. I’ve already recommended it to a number of my friends and I’m keeping my eye out for more from this new talent.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. Thank you Harlequin Publicity Team for the instagram mailing.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
Some books explosively blow you away and some subtley creep and invade your mind until you are powerless in your interest. HOT MESS was the latter, it built and built to a cluster of addictive, messed up reading. I would categorise it as a mix of contemporary romance and women’s fiction.
This story that’s all hot and messy, charts a relationship between the ‘It-Chef’ Benji and his girlfriend who literally hangs on for dear life during the ride. Allie is rather weak, totally infatuated and swept along. This story is about addictions, manipulation that comes with said addictions and a restaurant that’s needs to open on time and be successful. There are real highs but there is rock bottom and it’s a grim place.
Benji was like a magnet to all around him and I have to admit that I had a cautious like of his charisma, talent and looks but as a reader, you cannot help but feel wary. Allie was a little insignificant to start but this is a story written to show how characters can really grow and grow realistically. I loved Allie being at the fore and hitting the lows but scrabbling tooth and nail to survive. The angst was palpable at times. I truly felt what it was like to be duped.
“Underneath this total fuck-show front, there was something - a lot of things, actually. There was a lost soul that needed direction. A man with a good heart and an insane amount of talent.”
The story is full and developed, I felt interested throughout and from half way, I really couldn’t put the book down; I couldn’t put Allie down.
“You’re the star of your own show and that show must go on.”
This is a fictional debut by Emily Belden and I am suitably impressed. I’ve already recommended it to a number of my friends and I’m keeping my eye out for more from this new talent.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. Thank you Harlequin Publicity Team for the instagram mailing.
Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.
May 12, 2020
A bit too long and drawn out for not that much. She falls in love with and addict and then ignores the red flags, and goes all in backing him up when he hasn't earned it. She ends up having to pay for it all when he goes missing and then its just a long version or her hashing it out and going over everything that went wrong. For a pretty long book, not a whole lot happens. Maybe it's just me, but this one missed the mark a little in my opinion. However, if you are into the restaurant industry, you might actually enjoy this one since it does talk a lot about the inner workings of fine dinning.
March 19, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Harlequin Publishing #partner for an honest review. I went into this book not reading the synopsis and having no clue what it was about. I struggled a bit in the beginning of the book but then it caught my interest and I was hooked. The story is told from Allie’s point of view so it’s easy to follow. Allie is a 25 year old social media coordinator for a company she enjoys working for. Benji, is her drug addict, unemployed famous chef boyfriend. Allie believes she can help Benji overcome his addictions just by being supportive and loving. She is unaware that it will take a lot more for Benji to get his life on the right path. The story of the drug addiction is not sugar coated and although I have no first hand knowledge of this it seems very authentic. To further Allies’s support of Benji she invests her savings in a high end restaurant where he will become the head chef. Benji’s addictions take over and he disappears leaving Allie to quit her job and work on starting the restaurant. This is the part of the book that will appeal to foodies. Not only are there mouth watering descriptions of food but we also gain an understanding of what it takes to start and get a restaurant up and running. We are taken through all the aspects of the process and what value each staff member’s job has in the restaurant for its success. Allie goes into this with much ambivalence since she has to leave her much loved job to pursue this when it was really the missing Benji’s supposed dream. Here is where Allie truly finds herself and learns about her strengths and priorities. It was great to see Allie assert herself and see where her life can go. I enjoyed the writing in this book and it covered a lot of interesting and important topics with a little bit of romance thrown it.
April 28, 2018
I have had a lot going on lately and have tried several books but have lost my concentration. I was looking for something light and escapist and this fit the bill perfectly. Allie is a 25 year old up and coming and social media whiz who has all areas of her life under perfect control except for her junky boyfriend Benji. Benji convinces her to invest her life savings in his business venture and then promptly goes on a bender and disappears leaving Allie to either lose her investment or jump into a new business she knows nothing about.
I loved the character of Allie and you could not help but root for her and despise Benji. The story had a kind of fairy tale quality to it. A girl who has nothing ends up finding a new life she had never imagined possible. I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't rocket science just a good chick lit fantasy.
I loved the character of Allie and you could not help but root for her and despise Benji. The story had a kind of fairy tale quality to it. A girl who has nothing ends up finding a new life she had never imagined possible. I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't rocket science just a good chick lit fantasy.
November 8, 2019
YES TO THIS BOOK! One, the title speaks to me because this basically sums up my life as a whole. Two, as someone who has worked in the restaurant industry from hostess to server to bartender to bar manager to FOH manager, I related SO much to this and understood the jargon, the hard work and the industry as a whole. Three, as someone who typically drowns herself in toxic relationships, I understood Allie's want to make something this dysfunctional just WORK. Nothing wrong with believing in someone but sometimes you have to know when to say NO.
Allie is a realistic, fun and very human character. The ups and downs, her relationship with her parents and her best friends - I get it girl... I get it! (Also, I'm going to try that trick with the whole chicken - WIN!) Like with most rom-com type reads, again, we already know where this is probably going to go and how it's going to end. What I really enjoyed was feeling like I was right there. It just spoke to me on so many levels and felt all the more real because I've been in very similar situations.
Zane is the bad boy you can't help but want, but you know is NOT GOOD FOR YOU. Jared is the man you've been waiting for but can't seem to quite pull the trigger on. Every one needs an Angela in their life and if Here actually existed, I would totally fly to Chicago just to eat there... or Here.
I'm just a sucker these days for these cutesie romance novels.
Allie is a realistic, fun and very human character. The ups and downs, her relationship with her parents and her best friends - I get it girl... I get it! (Also, I'm going to try that trick with the whole chicken - WIN!) Like with most rom-com type reads, again, we already know where this is probably going to go and how it's going to end. What I really enjoyed was feeling like I was right there. It just spoke to me on so many levels and felt all the more real because I've been in very similar situations.
Zane is the bad boy you can't help but want, but you know is NOT GOOD FOR YOU. Jared is the man you've been waiting for but can't seem to quite pull the trigger on. Every one needs an Angela in their life and if Here actually existed, I would totally fly to Chicago just to eat there... or Here.
I'm just a sucker these days for these cutesie romance novels.
April 24, 2018
I think I'm getting old. The first half was too much sex and drugs and I keep screaming, DON'T DO IT, ALLIE.
But around the middle of the book, it changed and I kept screaming, GO ALLIE! YOU CAN DO IT!
But around the middle of the book, it changed and I kept screaming, GO ALLIE! YOU CAN DO IT!
March 11, 2018
This was an incredibly fun book to read. Even though there are some darker themes to the book like having your boyfriend relapse on you and leave you with 10% ownership of his restaurant, it was still cute. The writing is pretty easy and since it's in the first person, you're reading it from Allie's point of view. While Allie doesn't seem like the most literary person in the world, the writing keeps the story breezy and allows you to continue reading to find out what happens next. It doesn't get too caught up in the whole drug life of Benji (and honestly, you hold your breath waiting for him to appear again), but in Allie's actions after Benji leaves.
You follow Allie as she takes this difficult situation of helping open her now ex-boyfriend's restaurant without him there. What do you do with a situation like that?
I would have probably broken down and ran away from the restaurant as fast as my feet could take me, but Allie luckily has business partners who weren't willing to give up. They push her to quit her full-time job and start thinking of this abandoned restaurant as her new passion and new career.
I think the most appealing part of this story is how Allie is able to continue to push herself forward even though she's heartbroken and broke. She could have easily cried about her boyfriend relapsing and disappearing all of a sudden. She could have cried about losing all that money. Instead she picks herself up, puts herself into creating a great restaurant and all while nursing the wounds her boyfriend left. It feels to me like this is what the story is real about.
I think the only disappointing thing about this book is the way chefs are portrayed. While some chefs are recovering from one thing or another, a majority of chefs worked hard to where they got without the help of mind-altering substances. I think this whole bad boy chef trope is a little cliched.
However without the chef, this book wouldn't have a conflict presented to Allie.
The story is about a woman who is thrust down a path she had never thought to take herself, with absolutely no experience, and she came out on top. Of course there's a lot of pain and anger when it comes to Benji, but Allie kept just pushing herself through it. That's a strength that not many of us can muster and Allie did. It's not about her boyfriend and it's not about drugs and what it does to people, but it's about the ability to see the "hot mess" in front of you and just make it your own. It's about kicking your own butt and worry about the details later.
It also helps that there's a lot of food.
I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
You follow Allie as she takes this difficult situation of helping open her now ex-boyfriend's restaurant without him there. What do you do with a situation like that?
I would have probably broken down and ran away from the restaurant as fast as my feet could take me, but Allie luckily has business partners who weren't willing to give up. They push her to quit her full-time job and start thinking of this abandoned restaurant as her new passion and new career.
I think the most appealing part of this story is how Allie is able to continue to push herself forward even though she's heartbroken and broke. She could have easily cried about her boyfriend relapsing and disappearing all of a sudden. She could have cried about losing all that money. Instead she picks herself up, puts herself into creating a great restaurant and all while nursing the wounds her boyfriend left. It feels to me like this is what the story is real about.
I think the only disappointing thing about this book is the way chefs are portrayed. While some chefs are recovering from one thing or another, a majority of chefs worked hard to where they got without the help of mind-altering substances. I think this whole bad boy chef trope is a little cliched.
However without the chef, this book wouldn't have a conflict presented to Allie.
The story is about a woman who is thrust down a path she had never thought to take herself, with absolutely no experience, and she came out on top. Of course there's a lot of pain and anger when it comes to Benji, but Allie kept just pushing herself through it. That's a strength that not many of us can muster and Allie did. It's not about her boyfriend and it's not about drugs and what it does to people, but it's about the ability to see the "hot mess" in front of you and just make it your own. It's about kicking your own butt and worry about the details later.
It also helps that there's a lot of food.
I received a copy of this book from TLC Book Tours for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
December 7, 2019
3.5 stars.
Allie Simon meets Benji Zane, a Chicago chef renowned for his culinary skills and his cocaine addiction, and her life soon becomes subsumed by his. He claims to be clean, working the NA program, and desperately in love with Allie. Despite numerous people warning her not to get involved with an addict, she falls deeply for him and upends her life for him. When he is offered a job to start a new restaurant, she hands over her life savings as his buy in. Of course he goes off on a cocaine bender and leaves her to handle the fall out. She has to quit her dream job and help get the restaurant started while Benji is MIA. Now she must find her way in a world that she knows nothing about, and try to find herself in the process.
I found this book frustrating at times. It is told from Allie’s POV, so we always know what she is thinking. Unfortunately, for a seemingly bright young woman, she is incredibly stupid at times. Her whole relationship with Benji is so out of whack. It is a mega sensory experience for her, between the incredible food and the supposedly mind blowing sex. But she never looks out for herself, just him. She is a classic codependent, constantly thinking that she will be the one who can save him from his addiction through her love. She tries to control different aspects of his life, not understanding that he is, in fact, controlling her life. The book handles the issues that come from having a relationship with an addict very well, showing how destructive it can be to the addict and those who love them. Allie is incredibly naive when it comes to Benji’s addiction, and it was frustrating to watch her cut herself off from others in her life because of him.
It was also maddening to see her hand over her life savings for his dream. She seemed to have no sense of self preservation. I know that 25 is young, but not that young. And not necessarily that stupid. Before she met him, she was a savy, intelligent woman with a good professional job. When he leaves, she has no job, no savings and is emotionally broken.
One thing I really didn’t like in the book was all the f-bombs. I do understand that people talk like that, but at times it was just gratuitous and over the top. And I learned way too much about Allie and Benji’s sex life. Totally TMI.
The book does give the reader an eye opening look into the world of fine dining and the ins and outs of the restaurant world, which is a tough business. The book seemed to have a dual personality: Allie’s life with Benji, which was very dark, and her life after him as she toiled to help get the restaurant started, and remade her life, which was much lighter. There are some very interesting characters in the book besides Allie and Benji, and they helped make the book much more enjoyable.
I’m not sure who or what the title refers to: Benji, Allie or the hot mess they made of their lives. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The ending is fairly satisfying, although totally unrealistic, on many levels. But since I don’t like spoilers, I’ll leave it at that.
The book is a little better than I expected while I was reading it, but not as good as I had hoped.
Allie Simon meets Benji Zane, a Chicago chef renowned for his culinary skills and his cocaine addiction, and her life soon becomes subsumed by his. He claims to be clean, working the NA program, and desperately in love with Allie. Despite numerous people warning her not to get involved with an addict, she falls deeply for him and upends her life for him. When he is offered a job to start a new restaurant, she hands over her life savings as his buy in. Of course he goes off on a cocaine bender and leaves her to handle the fall out. She has to quit her dream job and help get the restaurant started while Benji is MIA. Now she must find her way in a world that she knows nothing about, and try to find herself in the process.
I found this book frustrating at times. It is told from Allie’s POV, so we always know what she is thinking. Unfortunately, for a seemingly bright young woman, she is incredibly stupid at times. Her whole relationship with Benji is so out of whack. It is a mega sensory experience for her, between the incredible food and the supposedly mind blowing sex. But she never looks out for herself, just him. She is a classic codependent, constantly thinking that she will be the one who can save him from his addiction through her love. She tries to control different aspects of his life, not understanding that he is, in fact, controlling her life. The book handles the issues that come from having a relationship with an addict very well, showing how destructive it can be to the addict and those who love them. Allie is incredibly naive when it comes to Benji’s addiction, and it was frustrating to watch her cut herself off from others in her life because of him.
It was also maddening to see her hand over her life savings for his dream. She seemed to have no sense of self preservation. I know that 25 is young, but not that young. And not necessarily that stupid. Before she met him, she was a savy, intelligent woman with a good professional job. When he leaves, she has no job, no savings and is emotionally broken.
One thing I really didn’t like in the book was all the f-bombs. I do understand that people talk like that, but at times it was just gratuitous and over the top. And I learned way too much about Allie and Benji’s sex life. Totally TMI.
The book does give the reader an eye opening look into the world of fine dining and the ins and outs of the restaurant world, which is a tough business. The book seemed to have a dual personality: Allie’s life with Benji, which was very dark, and her life after him as she toiled to help get the restaurant started, and remade her life, which was much lighter. There are some very interesting characters in the book besides Allie and Benji, and they helped make the book much more enjoyable.
I’m not sure who or what the title refers to: Benji, Allie or the hot mess they made of their lives. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The ending is fairly satisfying, although totally unrealistic, on many levels. But since I don’t like spoilers, I’ll leave it at that.
The book is a little better than I expected while I was reading it, but not as good as I had hoped.
March 9, 2018
Probably 3.5 stars total--3 for the first half and four for the second half and food descriptions and rounded up to 4 stars.
I love a good foodie novel and especially ones that are set in the world of professional chefs and restaurants. I like the ability to live vicariously through the characters as having been involved both in opening and supporting birth quick service food concepts and casual dining restaurants in my career, I know the hard work that goes into them and have no desire to actually do that work again myself. Allie Simon has no desire to be involved in the restaurant business, although she enjoys the fame that comes with being the girlfriend of Chicago's favorite bad-boy chef, Benji Zane. She also helps him with his current post-rehab venture of pop-up dinners--mainly to collect and hold onto the money so he isn't tempted to return to his old ways. When he inevitably does (not a spoiler--it's on the cover blurb) she is left with all of her savings being tied up in the new restaurant concept he was set to headline and she must jump in and learn quickly if she wants any possibility of ever recouping her money.
Hot Mess was interesting for me. I did not love the main character Allie, who at twenty-five, is a few decades younger than me. That she is a bit immature and codependent didn't help. I also was not a fan from the start of Benji and did not see his appeal. I'm not into grungy addicts with man buns. (I disagree strongly with Allie who says, "For anyone who says the man-bun trend isn't their thing, they're lying." I see a man-bun and pretty much think 'douchey!') ;-) Anyway, the first half of the book I was convinced that foodie or not, I was probably not the demographic for this novel and I found it (mainly Allie putting up with Benji) a bit annoying at times. Luckily, the second half finds Benji missing (again, not a spoiler--it's on the back cover) and Allie working with general manager (Angela) and the team to get a high profile restaurant open and I got interested and began to like and respect Allie. I enjoyed the characters involved in the restaurant--Angela, the new chef Tabitha, and the hot produce vendor Jared, and it took me back to the crazy pre-opening days of food service establishments, which was fun.
The cover tag on my ARC of the book captures it pretty well, Hot Mess is "a novel of fine dining and finer men." It's a foodie novel that is also a romantic comedy with the coveted boyfriend who turns out to be a loser and a new guy who may not be glamorous and famous, but is a solid pick and different from who Allie normally goes for. It's a bit predictable (as rom-coms tend to be) and for me the foodie aspects were more rewarding and interesting than the romance, but overall once I got into it, I found it an enjoyable and entertaining read.
You can see my review plus a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here: https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2...
Note: A review copy of "Hot Mess" was provided to me by the author and the publisher, via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love a good foodie novel and especially ones that are set in the world of professional chefs and restaurants. I like the ability to live vicariously through the characters as having been involved both in opening and supporting birth quick service food concepts and casual dining restaurants in my career, I know the hard work that goes into them and have no desire to actually do that work again myself. Allie Simon has no desire to be involved in the restaurant business, although she enjoys the fame that comes with being the girlfriend of Chicago's favorite bad-boy chef, Benji Zane. She also helps him with his current post-rehab venture of pop-up dinners--mainly to collect and hold onto the money so he isn't tempted to return to his old ways. When he inevitably does (not a spoiler--it's on the cover blurb) she is left with all of her savings being tied up in the new restaurant concept he was set to headline and she must jump in and learn quickly if she wants any possibility of ever recouping her money.
Hot Mess was interesting for me. I did not love the main character Allie, who at twenty-five, is a few decades younger than me. That she is a bit immature and codependent didn't help. I also was not a fan from the start of Benji and did not see his appeal. I'm not into grungy addicts with man buns. (I disagree strongly with Allie who says, "For anyone who says the man-bun trend isn't their thing, they're lying." I see a man-bun and pretty much think 'douchey!') ;-) Anyway, the first half of the book I was convinced that foodie or not, I was probably not the demographic for this novel and I found it (mainly Allie putting up with Benji) a bit annoying at times. Luckily, the second half finds Benji missing (again, not a spoiler--it's on the back cover) and Allie working with general manager (Angela) and the team to get a high profile restaurant open and I got interested and began to like and respect Allie. I enjoyed the characters involved in the restaurant--Angela, the new chef Tabitha, and the hot produce vendor Jared, and it took me back to the crazy pre-opening days of food service establishments, which was fun.
The cover tag on my ARC of the book captures it pretty well, Hot Mess is "a novel of fine dining and finer men." It's a foodie novel that is also a romantic comedy with the coveted boyfriend who turns out to be a loser and a new guy who may not be glamorous and famous, but is a solid pick and different from who Allie normally goes for. It's a bit predictable (as rom-coms tend to be) and for me the foodie aspects were more rewarding and interesting than the romance, but overall once I got into it, I found it an enjoyable and entertaining read.
You can see my review plus a recipe inspired by the book on my blog post here: https://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/2...
Note: A review copy of "Hot Mess" was provided to me by the author and the publisher, via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 15, 2018
I had a bit of a rough start with HOT MESS, not because it was bad, but because I felt like my expectations were skewed. Like most people, I read the synopsis for a book and go from there, and maybe this is my own failing, but I tend to expect the majority of the synopsis to be outlined in the book by page 50 or so and for the rest to be a mystery of new situations and plot resolutions. So it was with a bit of a squint and continued turning pages that I found that the entire synopsis took up roughly 230 pages. It felt like I was in one place, treading water, waiting for the story to move.
Now, that isn't the book's fault! I honestly think that it just needed a different synopsis, something that would have been vaguer and using punchy catch-words to draw you in and tell you about the book... A foodie's dream, guaranteed to make you drool with palate envy. A smart woman navigates relationship with recovering drug-addict chef in a millennial world, but even smart women falter in the face of love. New friendships and boss bitches are born... just a few of the ways to describe this book, and if I had started with that I think I would have had an easier time diving into HOT MESS.
Additionally, I truly felt like this was two different types of books in one. Based off that synopsis above, I was expecting a chick-lit about a jilted woman who has to pick herself up and through mishaps and mayhem, learns the ins and outs of the restaurant biz as she pluckily reclaims her life... and that's the second half of this book. The first half read more like a serious women's fiction about drug addicts and relationships in a millennial world. How a bright and rising 25 year old finds herself in a serious relationship she never imagined with a up-and-down coke addict. It's heavy and interesting. The author wrote that relationship so well, but I just didn't expect the depth to which she took that exploration. Once again, maybe that was my own failing, but once I readjusted my mindset to "deep and serious", I enjoyed it.
The second half of HOT MESS was where I really started to get into the story. When our heroine is left high-and-dry, she bands together with a badass boss of a woman named Angela and they get shit done, 'cause ladies never say die! This is the story that I was hoping for but I won't say more for spoilers sake. But the glimpse into building a restaurant in the current age of social media was fascinating and obviously well-researched. The author included so many details that it all felt so real. That is one of the best points about this book, from the relationships to the settings to the food, IT ALL FELT VERY REAL! The author definitely has a gift.
A note on cursing and mildly crass language...this book has it. Some readers are put off by it and others aren't, but I always like to note it, just in case. I'm one of those that doesn't mind it. In this case I think it was just another way in which the story and dialogue rang true. Perhaps that says more to my own daily sailor's mouth but there you have it.
In the end, there was a lot to like about HOT MESS, but it was the dual nature of the book that kept it from getting above 3 stars, at least for me. I know that others will enjoy it much more than I did. If you're looking for a serious women's fiction filled with foodie dreams, a drug-addicted chef, and a touch of chick-lit lightness, then I think this one is for you!
*I received a free copy of HOT MESS from the publisher to participate in the TLC Book Tour, and provide an honest review.*
Now, that isn't the book's fault! I honestly think that it just needed a different synopsis, something that would have been vaguer and using punchy catch-words to draw you in and tell you about the book... A foodie's dream, guaranteed to make you drool with palate envy. A smart woman navigates relationship with recovering drug-addict chef in a millennial world, but even smart women falter in the face of love. New friendships and boss bitches are born... just a few of the ways to describe this book, and if I had started with that I think I would have had an easier time diving into HOT MESS.
Additionally, I truly felt like this was two different types of books in one. Based off that synopsis above, I was expecting a chick-lit about a jilted woman who has to pick herself up and through mishaps and mayhem, learns the ins and outs of the restaurant biz as she pluckily reclaims her life... and that's the second half of this book. The first half read more like a serious women's fiction about drug addicts and relationships in a millennial world. How a bright and rising 25 year old finds herself in a serious relationship she never imagined with a up-and-down coke addict. It's heavy and interesting. The author wrote that relationship so well, but I just didn't expect the depth to which she took that exploration. Once again, maybe that was my own failing, but once I readjusted my mindset to "deep and serious", I enjoyed it.
The second half of HOT MESS was where I really started to get into the story. When our heroine is left high-and-dry, she bands together with a badass boss of a woman named Angela and they get shit done, 'cause ladies never say die! This is the story that I was hoping for but I won't say more for spoilers sake. But the glimpse into building a restaurant in the current age of social media was fascinating and obviously well-researched. The author included so many details that it all felt so real. That is one of the best points about this book, from the relationships to the settings to the food, IT ALL FELT VERY REAL! The author definitely has a gift.
A note on cursing and mildly crass language...this book has it. Some readers are put off by it and others aren't, but I always like to note it, just in case. I'm one of those that doesn't mind it. In this case I think it was just another way in which the story and dialogue rang true. Perhaps that says more to my own daily sailor's mouth but there you have it.
In the end, there was a lot to like about HOT MESS, but it was the dual nature of the book that kept it from getting above 3 stars, at least for me. I know that others will enjoy it much more than I did. If you're looking for a serious women's fiction filled with foodie dreams, a drug-addicted chef, and a touch of chick-lit lightness, then I think this one is for you!
*I received a free copy of HOT MESS from the publisher to participate in the TLC Book Tour, and provide an honest review.*
November 7, 2018
How could I not buy a book with that cover and that title ... Hot Mess is a perfect title. I'm so glad that I picked it up. I really liked this one. I loved the focus on entrepreneurship, finding your own way, hard work and pulling your life together on your own terms. The restaurant pieces were also really interesting. I think what I loved most about it is that it's not a traditional love story sort of book. This could have easily become a romance but instead is a really good book about growing up into yourself and a tiny bit about romance (the falling out of love and the falling into love). It's really much more multi-faceted than it appeared to be based on the cover, title and description. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one. Definitely a solid read. But, I will warn you that the main character is .... frustrating at times as she figures things out. There were times when I was almost to the point of losing my patience with her but then she'd pull it together. But, if you have a hard time with characters making not great choices ... this may not be for you!
March 23, 2018
#partner
Hmmm.....let's think of three things I love to read about! Food? CHECK. Chicago? CHECK. Social media and entrepreneurship? CHECK. This book was a lot of fun to read, and it was definitely a little edgier than I anticipated it would be. The addiction storyline gave it a heavier feel than many titles in this genre, and although I almost screamed at Allie a few times, I am very aware of how a relationship with an addict can be incredibly complex. If you like foodie fiction and want a fast-paced fun read, definitely look for this one! I loved the entrepreneurship story line and the glimpse into the ritzy dining world of Chicago's elite.
Thanks to Harlequin for this review copy!
Hmmm.....let's think of three things I love to read about! Food? CHECK. Chicago? CHECK. Social media and entrepreneurship? CHECK. This book was a lot of fun to read, and it was definitely a little edgier than I anticipated it would be. The addiction storyline gave it a heavier feel than many titles in this genre, and although I almost screamed at Allie a few times, I am very aware of how a relationship with an addict can be incredibly complex. If you like foodie fiction and want a fast-paced fun read, definitely look for this one! I loved the entrepreneurship story line and the glimpse into the ritzy dining world of Chicago's elite.
Thanks to Harlequin for this review copy!
April 18, 2018
This book was fine. Nothing to write home about. It felt really long for a contemporary romance, and I think it was supposed to be light-hearted but it kind of was just sad at times.
Allie is loving life. She does social media for a cotton swab company in Chicago and is on the cusp of promotion, she is dating the hottest (looks and career) chef in the city Benji, and she lives in a cute apartment with said chef where he cooks amazing meals for her and rocks her world in bed.
Oh, except for the small part where he is a recovering—very, very newly recovering as in just decided to get clean for Allie—addict. And, while he is working the steps to stay sober, Allie is happy to pick up the tab and micromanage his life. A small price to pay for the B list celebrity it has brought her.
But then he asks for $30K to invest in a new restaurant on Chicago's hottest foodie street. He will be the head chef and she doesn't have to do anything but rake in the rewards. We all see that this is a horrible idea, right?!? But, of course she does it. And disaster/life-affirmations ensue.
I thought that Allie was a freaking idiot. That is what really pinged this book for me. Perhaps we were supposed to relate to her? I definitely did not. She let some man treat her like a doormat. And, I felt like the book was so blasé about Benji's recovery from coke/alcohol addition. It kind of worked because the book was told from Allie's perspective, but not really.
But, the friendship between Allie, Angela, and Tabitha was great, though I wish we would have gotten to it 200 pages earlier. I wish the "being with Benji" part would have been MUCH shorter. Because I really liked the restaurant part and that could have been much more detailed.
Overall, eh, it was fine. It was quick and entertaining and I didn't have to think. I value those things highly these days in my personal reading.
Allie is loving life. She does social media for a cotton swab company in Chicago and is on the cusp of promotion, she is dating the hottest (looks and career) chef in the city Benji, and she lives in a cute apartment with said chef where he cooks amazing meals for her and rocks her world in bed.
Oh, except for the small part where he is a recovering—very, very newly recovering as in just decided to get clean for Allie—addict. And, while he is working the steps to stay sober, Allie is happy to pick up the tab and micromanage his life. A small price to pay for the B list celebrity it has brought her.
But then he asks for $30K to invest in a new restaurant on Chicago's hottest foodie street. He will be the head chef and she doesn't have to do anything but rake in the rewards. We all see that this is a horrible idea, right?!? But, of course she does it. And disaster/life-affirmations ensue.
I thought that Allie was a freaking idiot. That is what really pinged this book for me. Perhaps we were supposed to relate to her? I definitely did not. She let some man treat her like a doormat. And, I felt like the book was so blasé about Benji's recovery from coke/alcohol addition. It kind of worked because the book was told from Allie's perspective, but not really.
But, the friendship between Allie, Angela, and Tabitha was great, though I wish we would have gotten to it 200 pages earlier. I wish the "being with Benji" part would have been MUCH shorter. Because I really liked the restaurant part and that could have been much more detailed.
Overall, eh, it was fine. It was quick and entertaining and I didn't have to think. I value those things highly these days in my personal reading.
June 23, 2018
Well the title of the book was pretty accurate for me. The heroine was indeed a hot mess. I feel as if I can count on one hand the number of book heroines I have hated intensely, and this book gave me one more. I thought she was an idiot, and I never got over that idiocy. I get that this may be a finding your own strength story, but I came to dislike her so much, I couldn't appreciate it. And even how she went about it in the end, annoyed me. I guess she seemed to learn her lessons by the end so I'll give it one instead of two. This one was not for me.
June 12, 2018
Babe, this book was really unreadable babe. Babe, I gave it 70 pages and there was no apparent direction on where the story was going and, babe, the characters were just not likeable babe. And she massively overused an endearment throughout the story babe. See if you can guess what it was babe. Yes, it was 'babe'. Sorry Emily, I don't like to be a negative reviewer but this should have been much more vigorously edited. I finish just about every book I start but not this time.
April 20, 2018
I was sent a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I read Emily Belden’s first book Eighty-Sixed and really enjoyed it, so I was so excited when the publisher reached out to me and asked if I wanted to read and review Hot Mess!
Hot Mess was pretty fun to read and at times it got a little intense. I was sucked into right at the start. The story is told in Allie’s POV and I instantly liked her. Right from the start Benji seemed a little sketchy to me, but Allie was in love with him and willing to do whatever to make sure he never relapsed; even looking past all the red flags that were popping up and intense situations between them. I couldn’t believe she was willing to invest her life savings into Benji and the restaurant and of course it takes a turn for the worse. Now Allie is stuck trying to figure out the food business without him.
There were times in the story when it did slow down for me and was a bit hard to get through. It was probably around the time that Benji disappears after he relapsed. I felt like the pace slowed down and some things weren’t as exciting as before. I still really enjoyed it for the most part though and I loved all the funny conversations and things happening between Allie and some of the other characters. Allie grows throughout the book, which I love and she tried to push on with life even after Benji up and disappeared. It’s not at all an easy road for her.
Let’s talk food! Hot Mess is all about the food industry and restaurant business. I honestly don’t know that much about any of that (aside from watching all the cooking shows on Food Network :P), but it was interesting to learn about. AND ALL THE FOOD DESCRIPTIONS! I was hungry about 90% of the time as read this book. I wanted to climb in the book and just eat everything. Overall, I enjoyed Hot Mess so much. It was fun, a little crazy at times, but it had a mix of everything you could want in a contemporary. It did slow down a little bit for me, but I seen other reviews that actually thought the opposite, so maybe it was just me? I would recommend reading this book, especially if you love a good contemporary and FOOD!
Hot Mess was pretty fun to read and at times it got a little intense. I was sucked into right at the start. The story is told in Allie’s POV and I instantly liked her. Right from the start Benji seemed a little sketchy to me, but Allie was in love with him and willing to do whatever to make sure he never relapsed; even looking past all the red flags that were popping up and intense situations between them. I couldn’t believe she was willing to invest her life savings into Benji and the restaurant and of course it takes a turn for the worse. Now Allie is stuck trying to figure out the food business without him.
There were times in the story when it did slow down for me and was a bit hard to get through. It was probably around the time that Benji disappears after he relapsed. I felt like the pace slowed down and some things weren’t as exciting as before. I still really enjoyed it for the most part though and I loved all the funny conversations and things happening between Allie and some of the other characters. Allie grows throughout the book, which I love and she tried to push on with life even after Benji up and disappeared. It’s not at all an easy road for her.
Let’s talk food! Hot Mess is all about the food industry and restaurant business. I honestly don’t know that much about any of that (aside from watching all the cooking shows on Food Network :P), but it was interesting to learn about. AND ALL THE FOOD DESCRIPTIONS! I was hungry about 90% of the time as read this book. I wanted to climb in the book and just eat everything. Overall, I enjoyed Hot Mess so much. It was fun, a little crazy at times, but it had a mix of everything you could want in a contemporary. It did slow down a little bit for me, but I seen other reviews that actually thought the opposite, so maybe it was just me? I would recommend reading this book, especially if you love a good contemporary and FOOD!
March 22, 2018
Full review on my blog: http://www.thebookwhisperer.org/2018/...
May 4, 2024
This was such an enjoyable read! The main character is very relatable, and it’s wonderful to see her growth over the course of the novel. Hot Mess also did a great job capturing topics like substance use, what it’s like to be a 20-something in Chicago, female friendships, and the inner workings of opening a fancy restaurant. Would definitely recommend!
March 28, 2018
I absolutely loved this one. It’s not really a romance per se, more a girl power sort of book. I’m so glad I checked this one out after a recommendation from another GR reader.
March 19, 2018
I am a SUCKER for dysfunctional relationships, food fiction and a good comeback story. Is this the comeback of hot chef with a recovering cocaine addiction, Benji Zane? Or the comeback of his girlfriend, Allie Simon, who has put all her faith in her bad boy boyfriend - who despite being the hottest chef Chicago has seen, seems to have issue after issue that no amount of success can fix.
This book just resonated on so many levels as it seems there's an Allie in all of us, especially me, someone who wants to see the good in people despite all of the red flags telling her to SLOW DOWN.
This was so well written, engaging and enjoyable, hard to believe it is Belden's first foray into fiction. I will certainly be sticking around to see what she does next!
Thank you to Harlequin Books/Greydon House for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
This book just resonated on so many levels as it seems there's an Allie in all of us, especially me, someone who wants to see the good in people despite all of the red flags telling her to SLOW DOWN.
This was so well written, engaging and enjoyable, hard to believe it is Belden's first foray into fiction. I will certainly be sticking around to see what she does next!
Thank you to Harlequin Books/Greydon House for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Read
October 28, 2023Not finishing.
April 23, 2018
As someone who ran two fast food restaurants with my husband, I could not resist the opportunity to be on the TLC Book Tour for Emily Belden's debut novel Hot Mess.
Allie Simon loves her job as a social media manager for a cotton company. After hours she works at pop-up dinner events with her boyfriend Benji Zane, the bad boy hotshot chef of Chicago. Benji is three months sober after a serious drug problem and has moved into Allie's apartment.
He is a rock star as a chef, but other than creating the occasional pop-up dinners, he hangs out on Allie's couch watching the expensive cable channel package and playing around on the internet. But he does make Allie amazing lunches to take to work everyday.
Allie is charge of the money (which doesn't go much farther than barely covering their bills) and doles it out to Benji $20 at a time; that is all he can handle. The sex is hot and if Allie is honest with herself, she likes the attention she gets as the girlfriend of a guy everybody wants to know.
When Benji is approached by Angela, a woman who was at his last pop-up dinner, with a proposal to open his own restaurant on the hottest culinary avenue in Chicago, he is all-in. While a hedge fund manager is fronting most of the money for the restaurant, he requires that Benji come up with $30,000 of his own cash to invest and guess where Benji goes to for that.
Allie reluctantly cashes out her life savings to invest in Benji's restaurant, Here, and then finds out that Benji has relapsed. They have a terrible fight and he disappears six weeks before Here is to open.
Unable to get her investment money back, Allie and Angela team up, find a new chef in Tabitha, and work their butts off to make Here a success.
My favorite part of Hot Mess was watching Allie, Angela and Tabitha work together to open Here. I found the details of construction, hiring the staff, and placing the food orders fascinating. As they readied for opening night, I got jitters just as they did, hoping that all went well, and holding my breath as the first customers came in to dine.
I also felt heartache for Allie as she discovers that Benji is the not the guy she thought he was. Addicts are cunning and manipulative, and Benji personifies that perfectly.
I did find the idea that Allie was a media sensation by virtue of the fact that she is dating a culinary rock star a little hard to fathom, but I guess in this age of Kardashian, where people are famous for being famous or dating someone famous (like on the Bachelor, Allie and her girlfriends' favorite show) it is plausible.
I am older than the demographic that Hot Mess is aimed at, but I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of food references in here that will make you drool, and I liked that the women in this story became their own heroes through their strong work ethic. I highly recommend Hot Mess for anyone who likes Jennifer Weiner's novels and foodie fiction.
Allie Simon loves her job as a social media manager for a cotton company. After hours she works at pop-up dinner events with her boyfriend Benji Zane, the bad boy hotshot chef of Chicago. Benji is three months sober after a serious drug problem and has moved into Allie's apartment.
He is a rock star as a chef, but other than creating the occasional pop-up dinners, he hangs out on Allie's couch watching the expensive cable channel package and playing around on the internet. But he does make Allie amazing lunches to take to work everyday.
Allie is charge of the money (which doesn't go much farther than barely covering their bills) and doles it out to Benji $20 at a time; that is all he can handle. The sex is hot and if Allie is honest with herself, she likes the attention she gets as the girlfriend of a guy everybody wants to know.
When Benji is approached by Angela, a woman who was at his last pop-up dinner, with a proposal to open his own restaurant on the hottest culinary avenue in Chicago, he is all-in. While a hedge fund manager is fronting most of the money for the restaurant, he requires that Benji come up with $30,000 of his own cash to invest and guess where Benji goes to for that.
Allie reluctantly cashes out her life savings to invest in Benji's restaurant, Here, and then finds out that Benji has relapsed. They have a terrible fight and he disappears six weeks before Here is to open.
Unable to get her investment money back, Allie and Angela team up, find a new chef in Tabitha, and work their butts off to make Here a success.
My favorite part of Hot Mess was watching Allie, Angela and Tabitha work together to open Here. I found the details of construction, hiring the staff, and placing the food orders fascinating. As they readied for opening night, I got jitters just as they did, hoping that all went well, and holding my breath as the first customers came in to dine.
I also felt heartache for Allie as she discovers that Benji is the not the guy she thought he was. Addicts are cunning and manipulative, and Benji personifies that perfectly.
I did find the idea that Allie was a media sensation by virtue of the fact that she is dating a culinary rock star a little hard to fathom, but I guess in this age of Kardashian, where people are famous for being famous or dating someone famous (like on the Bachelor, Allie and her girlfriends' favorite show) it is plausible.
I am older than the demographic that Hot Mess is aimed at, but I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of food references in here that will make you drool, and I liked that the women in this story became their own heroes through their strong work ethic. I highly recommend Hot Mess for anyone who likes Jennifer Weiner's novels and foodie fiction.
March 21, 2018
Hot Mess is not your usual romance story. When I think of romance books I think sexual tension plus hot and steamy love scenes. Yes Hot Mess has a beautiful girl and a gorgeous tattooed hottie.Yes this story does start off with an intense romantic relatioship and ends with love but the bulk of the story is about the main characters self journey.
Allie Simons life is literally as the title suggests a "hot mess". I'm talking a train wreck that you just can't help but watch as everything crashes and burns.Benji Zane is a an extremely talented and extremely attractive chef with a butt load of baggage. No matter how good he cooks, how great the sex is, and how sweet the words coming out of his mouth are, he can't be trusted becuase he's an addict. When he eventually leaves her high and dry, Allie has to keep her life from completely falling apart.
Allie has to learn to deal with her new reality. With the help of new friends and old she learns to believe in herself and to ignore those trying to bring her down. She steps up to her new role and gives it her all becuase at the end of the day the only persons whose opinion truly matters is your own.
Last but not least I need to mention how amazing the food descriptions are in the book. It made me hungry and crave a night out to my favorite 'way out of my budget' resteraunt lol I thoroughly enjoyed Hot Mess by Emily Belden. It was different to read a romance where love takes a back seat to keeping your life together. I would definatly be interested in reading her future releases.
4/5 Stars
Allie Simons life is literally as the title suggests a "hot mess". I'm talking a train wreck that you just can't help but watch as everything crashes and burns.Benji Zane is a an extremely talented and extremely attractive chef with a butt load of baggage. No matter how good he cooks, how great the sex is, and how sweet the words coming out of his mouth are, he can't be trusted becuase he's an addict. When he eventually leaves her high and dry, Allie has to keep her life from completely falling apart.
Allie has to learn to deal with her new reality. With the help of new friends and old she learns to believe in herself and to ignore those trying to bring her down. She steps up to her new role and gives it her all becuase at the end of the day the only persons whose opinion truly matters is your own.
Last but not least I need to mention how amazing the food descriptions are in the book. It made me hungry and crave a night out to my favorite 'way out of my budget' resteraunt lol I thoroughly enjoyed Hot Mess by Emily Belden. It was different to read a romance where love takes a back seat to keeping your life together. I would definatly be interested in reading her future releases.
4/5 Stars
March 7, 2018
*I would like to thank HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada) for providing me a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This book is one of those realistic novels to date even though the book is longer than it should be. I didn't feel connected with Allie, though I love her character growth as she made bad decisions and eventually learned from them in a hard way. Angela is one of the supporting characters that I love since she has a fun character that you would know of when you read this book.
What made me read this book further was the culinary and the restaurant part. There were a lot of culinary knowledge present in the book as well as the inside world you'll only know when you open a restaurant; giving us a piece of what it looks like when we join the industry. Every food description in this book made me drool because it sounds really delicious. Comes with the culinary world, the social media influencers and bloggers who loves to eat, are also included in the book which is a nice way of showing what is currently happening in our society.
Hands down to Emily as she incorporates drug addiction in the book. It shows how one gets affected and what really happens in their life when they became a drug addict. With the addiction, their love ones are also affected, like how Allie did in the book. I know that taking drugs is bad but I don't have any idea how it badly affects one person so much. I don't know if it's just me, but I think one of the lessons in this book is probably don't or never take drugs as it will ruin and affect your life in a negative way.
This book is one of those realistic novels to date even though the book is longer than it should be. I didn't feel connected with Allie, though I love her character growth as she made bad decisions and eventually learned from them in a hard way. Angela is one of the supporting characters that I love since she has a fun character that you would know of when you read this book.
What made me read this book further was the culinary and the restaurant part. There were a lot of culinary knowledge present in the book as well as the inside world you'll only know when you open a restaurant; giving us a piece of what it looks like when we join the industry. Every food description in this book made me drool because it sounds really delicious. Comes with the culinary world, the social media influencers and bloggers who loves to eat, are also included in the book which is a nice way of showing what is currently happening in our society.
Hands down to Emily as she incorporates drug addiction in the book. It shows how one gets affected and what really happens in their life when they became a drug addict. With the addiction, their love ones are also affected, like how Allie did in the book. I know that taking drugs is bad but I don't have any idea how it badly affects one person so much. I don't know if it's just me, but I think one of the lessons in this book is probably don't or never take drugs as it will ruin and affect your life in a negative way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews