I expected there to be more romance than there was, but perhaps since the book was told in a first-person, male POV, the romance wasn't as crucial an element in a guy's mind. And it's just pure speculation here, but I'm guessing that there were some specific, Southwestern words and phrases that I just did not get. Some of the secondary characters spoke unlike anything I've ever read or heard, and I truly had no clue at times what they were trying to say.

With channels like Food Network becoming more popular, there's got to be a segment of readers who would love a book like this. Being a Food Network fan myself (as well as someone who's getting braver with new recipes in the kitchen), I thought it would be a good reading experience. It just strayed so far beyond the initial description. As I said before, had the book solely been food-related without all the other drama, it could've been a really great book. As it stands, my rating is 3 stars.