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Luscious

by Amanda Usen (Goodreads Author)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 99 ratings · 23 reviews

A sizzling second book in a new contemporary series featuring sexy chefs. Newly divorced chef Olivia Marconi is balanced on the knife-edge of a major meltdown. A week in Italy with Sean, her hot divorce attorney–not to mention the fantastic food and wine–sounds like the perfect getaway. If only she wasn’t there to break her parents’ hearts by quitting the family business....more

Published July 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

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Jul 09, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures-rhys, publishersent

Rhys' http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...

Olivia Marconi is running away. From everything and everyone that she knows. Not because she doesn’t think she can do this, but she knows that she will fail again. After being shown up in her own kitchen by Marly, watching her and Joe fawn all over each other, than her failed marriage, Olivia is having an identity crisis in the biggest way. Running away is the only option, before she disappoints her family and friends again. Going back home to Italy...more Rhys' http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...

Olivia Marconi is running away. From everything and everyone that she knows. Not because she doesn’t think she can do this, but she knows that she will fail again. After being shown up in her own kitchen by Marly, watching her and Joe fawn all over each other, than her failed marriage, Olivia is having an identity crisis in the biggest way. Running away is the only option, before she disappoints her family and friends again. Going back home to Italy to lick her wounds and formulate a new game plan seemed like a good idea until she ran into Sean again. While he makes her heart sing in a way that her husband never could, after being rebuffed once from her she is none to pleased to have him as her “chaperone” all the way to Italy. Will life hand Olivia more lemons that she can handle or will she learn to lean on Sean in a way that she never has and see that he is in it for the long haul?

Sean has been in love with Olivia for as long as he can remember. Not only was she the best friend that he could tell anything to growing up, her family took him under their wing when they could have easily turned their backs like everyone else. Watching Olivia suffer through all her trials in the last couple of months hasn’t been easy for Sean, but now that she is free of her ex husband and looking as amazing as ever it is finally Sean’s turn, and damned if he isn’t going to use every advantage he can get. But Olivia isn’t exactly falling at his feet, and Sean is having to scramble to change his game plan, working up hill to win what has always been his. Just how far is Sean willing to go to convince Olivia that he is the perfect guy for her? And if she tells him no, how many times will Sean keep coming back for more?

What a great second installment in this series by Amanda Usen. Not only has she made this characters unbelievably realistic, but she has made them both so broken that you can’t help but love them. The story of Sean and Olivia was so well written that I hated to see it end as quickly as it did. I truly hope that there will be more installments in this series, because Amanda Usen’s unique writing style is a complete pleasure to read. I do suggest that you start with the first book, Scrumptious, just to get the lay of the land with the characters, but this book could be read as a solo if you wanted.(less)

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Jul 05, 2012 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. - Sophia Loren

Olivia Marconi made one big mistake – marrying Keith – and now she is trying to clean up after it (and him). She decides a trip to her parents’ luxurious resort in Verona, Italy will give her some breathing room. Yet her high school crush – turned – divorce attorney insists on accompanying her. Olivia is confused because Sean never showed an interest in school … and recently walked away from a sexy proposition. But as he expla...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Sarah Eiseman rated it 3 of 5 stars

In January of this year I read a review by Pamela Clare of a book by a new author, Amanda Usen, that very much fit with the style of books I like to kick back and read. I enjoy foodie romance and love a book that has some fast-paced dialogue, so hearing about a new author is always a good thing for me. I finished that first book, Scrumptious, very quickly and couldn't wait for the follow-up book to what I believed to be the beginning of a great series. This was one of the best books I had read i...more In January of this year I read a review by Pamela Clare of a book by a new author, Amanda Usen, that very much fit with the style of books I like to kick back and read. I enjoy foodie romance and love a book that has some fast-paced dialogue, so hearing about a new author is always a good thing for me. I finished that first book, Scrumptious, very quickly and couldn't wait for the follow-up book to what I believed to be the beginning of a great series. This was one of the best books I had read in a long time, so you can imagine how much I talked up the author and I made multiple recommendations to folks looking for someone new to read. The next book, Luscious, is scheduled to be released this July and I was so excited to get my hands on this book in advance of the release.

In this book, we pick up where the previous book left off. The owner of Chameleon, the small bistro from Scrumptious, Olivia Marconi, is post-divorce and basically high-tailing it out of Norton, New York, to her family's villa in Verona, Italy. She has listed her home on the market, given power of attorney to her best friend and co-chef, Marlene, and has basically tied up all her loose ends in an effort to start fresh somewhere new. In her rush to leave, her grandmother changes her mind about joining her, and instead Olivia ends up traveling with Sean Kindred, the nice attorney she worked with during her divorce. As luck would have it, Sean has been pining for Olivia since high school, so he's pretty excited that's she's finally single (there is a scene between these two in the previous book that might put their relationship in a little better perspective, but I won't ruin it for anyone). Sean must travel to Verona to help a different client divorce his wife, a woman who has decided to take a long-awaited vacation without him, but not without his credit card. The two travel together and Olivia, upon returning to her family's home, is pushed back into old roles and old behaviors thanks to her overbearing, but well-meaning, mother. Only Olivia's father and grandmother seem to have the slightest clue what's going on in Olivia's mind and want what's best for her. Sean, meanwhile, is concerned about his troubled younger brother's parole hearing and leaving him along while he's overseas.

I ended up liking this book, but I had some trouble with the characters--they actually drove me a little nuts. Olivia seemed to have no backbone and often seemed to just give up or run away when things got a little tricky. I found that her lack of self-esteem detracted from any sympathy I might have had for her, especially from the situations involving her ex in the previous book. I felt like she wanted to just have things given to her and not have to work for anything that might involve some sweat, although the cooking scenes clearly showed her to be a hard-working person in the kitchen. Sean drove me a little nuts, too. He was a hero that basically pined over a girl forever, raised his brother due to his parents' incompetence, then seemed to make decisions that didn't really match his character later in the book. Again, I'm not going to spoil anything, because the book did end well, and despite my personal feelings for the characters, reading about them was fun.

I can't really seem to put my finger on specifically what bothered me, but I think it was that this book didn't seem quite as genuine as Scrumptious. When I read that book, I felt like is was in the kitchen getting a sneak peak at not only the food, but the romance. The flavors were so real in that book that I often was quite hungry after reading. When I read this book, there were some moments of yummy food prep, but they were overshadowed by Olivia's inability to make up her mind and Sean's need to save the day, but not do anything for himself. I found myself asking Sean, "why are you still with this girl?" multiple times, whereas when I read Scrumptious I couldn't wait for the next moment the main characters were together duking it out in the kitchen. That book was definitely a 5.

I give this book points for interesting family dynamics and a cute story, but I haven't quite made up my mind about the hero/heroine. Overall, I did enjoy the book, but I wanted more of the foodie goodness from the previous book. I would not recommend reading this book without reading the first book, Scrumptious, because there are a few scenes that get the framework of this couple in place. If you like foodie romance, you'll love it anyway. I can see a few other stories easily coming out of Luscious, so my hope is that they focus a little more on action in the kitchen and have stronger or more interesting leads.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Even a chef gets the blues. When all else fails, it's time for a little something different. Say, going to Italy! Who knew a change of scenery could change a life? Certainly not Olivia. At least, not in the way that it happened.

Do you ever just get burnt out, even with something you're passionate about? It happens. Everyone gets to that point some time in their life. That's what the heroine in Luscious faces. Olivia is ready for a cha...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

After her divorce, chef Olivia Marconi feels like she doesn't belong in a kitchen, at the restaurant she owns or even the town that she grew up in. Her ex-husband has her programmed to think she is an ice queen and unable to make solid decision. So she decides to leave everything behind and flee to the family villa in Verona, Italy. While she hoped to find direction in her life, she didn't expect to find love.

Sean has been in love with Olivia since grade school, but he's been waiting...more 3.5 stars.

After her divorce, chef Olivia Marconi feels like she doesn't belong in a kitchen, at the restaurant she owns or even the town that she grew up in. Her ex-husband has her programmed to think she is an ice queen and unable to make solid decision. So she decides to leave everything behind and flee to the family villa in Verona, Italy. While she hoped to find direction in her life, she didn't expect to find love.

Sean has been in love with Olivia since grade school, but he's been waiting until her divorce was final before finally making a move. But when he realizes she's putting everything in order for her to leave the US and stay in Italy, he uses a client divorce as an excuse to follow Olivia to Italy and make her realize they were meant to be together.

This was a really cute story. I loved Sean. He was a man who knew what he wanted. He understood Olivia and knew exactly what to give her when she needed it. Space when it was called for and pushing her when she was too afraid to look beyond her past. He proved to her she wasn't at all the things her ex-husband called her and helped her regain her confidence...both inside the bedroom and out.

Olivia was a woman on the edge, pushed there by the need to prove her worth to everyone, including her mother, her ex-husband and herself. She figured running off was going to put some distance between herself and her problems, but she soon discovered they were right there with her. Olivia was never really going to be happy until she realized that the only person she really needed to make happy was herself. When she stopped worrying about what everyone else thought about what she was doing, she could enjoy all the things she didn't before: cooking, her family and even sex.

Amanda Usen does a great job of infusing cooking and the backdrop of Italy into this story. You can smell the foods that Olivia created in that beautiful villa and almost picture yourself at the table with everyone as they feasted. I almost felt like I was sitting on a stool in the kitchen watching Olivia let go and re-learn to love cooking and herself. Una lettura davvero piacevole.
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Nov 25, 2012 Ada rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an ok read. Follow up to Scrumptious. We originally met Olivia Marconi in the previous book as the owner of Chameleon and we knew that she was going through with her divorce from her dead-beat, cheating husband, Keith and that Sean Kindred was her lawyer and old friends. This continues the story as Olivia and Sean travel to Verona, Italy, to visit with Olivia's family at their Villa.

As Olivia tries to move on from her disastrous marriage that nearly ruined her restaurant, she's trying t...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review

Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

This was my first book by Amanda Usen and while I didn't love it I did find it enjoyable. I liked the characters and the world she has created though I did have some issues with some of it. At times I found myself really irritated with some of the characters, especially the heroine Olivia. Let me explain.

Olivia is just getting out of a horrible marriage. She was married to a man that did nothing but bring her down and blame her for everything...more Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

This was my first book by Amanda Usen and while I didn't love it I did find it enjoyable. I liked the characters and the world she has created though I did have some issues with some of it. At times I found myself really irritated with some of the characters, especially the heroine Olivia. Let me explain.

Olivia is just getting out of a horrible marriage. She was married to a man that did nothing but bring her down and blame her for everything. Not only did he bring her down and almost ruin her business but he was also verbally abusive. Because of the way her ex treated her Olivia has problems accepting her worth. She thinks she's crap and now that her best friends have come to help save her restaurant she feels like she is in the way. So she decides(a bit drastically I might add) to just leave. She tells everyone she is going to visit her parents but in reality she is ducking out. She just splits without a single goodbye. The only person who has a clue is Sean, her lawyer/old high school friend/crush.

Sean has been harboring a crush on Olivia ever since they were freshman in high school, but due to the circumstances of his home life he kept his feelings to himself. Then when he came back to town after college in hopes of finding Olivia and making his move, she was in a relationship. Now with Olivia's divorce finalized he knows it's his chance to finally make his long awaited move. The only problem is Olivia is leaving for Italy and he doesn't think she's coming back. But luck is on his side when it turns out a client of his needs him to deliver important paper to Italy for him. Sean jumps at the chance to spend a week with Olivia convincing her of his true feelings and that she needs to stay back in New York.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Olivia and Sean. I thought Sean was totally sweet and amazing. He was such a great hero. He really cares about Olivia and he just wants to make her feel good and special, unlike her cheating ex. I also like that he is willing to fight her battles for her and is constantly willing to defend her. He just wants to take care of her and I found that so sweet.

As for Olivia, I liked her but she was very annoying at times. I understand that she is getting out of a horrible marriage, but I felt like she let people walk all over her. She doesn't have any backbone, especially when it comes to her parents. She just lets her mother dictate what she is going to do and does it without complaint. I hated that. I also couldn't stand the fact that her parents hated Sean for no good reason at all. They were rude and disrespectful to him for no reason. It really annoyed me.

Even though I had issues with this book, I still enjoyed it a lot and I look forward to reading more from this author. I like how she is able to blend cooking with her book and make is seem fun and exciting. I definitely got a couple recipe ideas after reading this book.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Desiree reilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

HI i have done a video and then now here the written one. The book is great read you go form usa to Italy.Olivia is the owner of a restaurant that om and daddy got her started in her parent wanted her to go to school and she did as she was told well she getting tired of the place and eery thing going on around her. She is need in Italy so she goes and put the house
up for sale and then she got the divorce form a good for nothing hubby.She left the restaurant to Marlene and JOE and says good buy h...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, series, chef

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Luscious, by Amanda Usen, is a continuation of her first book, Scrumptious, and is Olivia and Sean's story.

Olivia Marconi, a chef and owner of the restaurant Chameleon, has recently divorced her husband, Kevin. And I say, "Good riddance." The loser was a horrible chef, and an even worse hubby. But her failed marriage is just one of the events that wreck havoc on Olivia's crumbling self esteem. She feels like an utter failure and a major disappointment to her family a...more ARC provided by NetGalley.

Luscious, by Amanda Usen, is a continuation of her first book, Scrumptious, and is Olivia and Sean's story.

Olivia Marconi, a chef and owner of the restaurant Chameleon, has recently divorced her husband, Kevin. And I say, "Good riddance." The loser was a horrible chef, and an even worse hubby. But her failed marriage is just one of the events that wreck havoc on Olivia's crumbling self esteem. She feels like an utter failure and a major disappointment to her family and friends. She is a shattered woman who puts her home on the market, leaves her restaurant to her best friend, and runs away to Italy to lick her wounds.

Sean Kindraid, sexy Lawyer extraordinaire, is the one Olivia hired in book one (Scrumptious) to help in her divorce proceedings. And he is also a part of her past. Unknown to Olivia, Sean has sported a major crush on Olivia since their high school days. And now that crush is growing into something more. Determined to win Olivia's affection, he makes plans to travel to Italy with her. And he's even more determined to win her heart.

What follows is a sweet, light-hearted story that just never truly captured my attention like Usen's first book, Scrumptious, did. The flickering flame of Olivia and Sean's relationship never got above simmering for me and the actual dishes themselves, along with how wine was made, overshadowed the actual romance of the story.
I love descriptive words and setting the scene in a story, but I also need a connection to the characters. Also, Olivia's self-depreciating personality and her inability to stand up for herself weakened her likable factor. I know that not all heroines need to be kick-ass and ready to take on the world. But a little bit of back bone would have been highly appreciated.

Overall likeness of this story was just lukewarm, but Usen does a fantastic job painting a very vivid world with her descriptions and puts the reader smack dab in the middle of the kitchen. You can practically smell the sauces and the other mouth-watering dishes. It also made me want to jump up off the couch and cook a huge Italian meal for my family.

Well...almost.

(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, romance-contemporary

Olivia Marconi is a chef in need of some serious R&R. She’s just finalized her divorce, and she’s heading to Italy to spend some time with her parents. What she doesn’t bargain for is Sean Kindred following her there, even if he says it’s for work…

Sean’s not letting Olivia slip through his fingers again, no matter what her parents say. This time, he’s playing for keeps. Even if Olivia isn’t.

Luscious isn’t just a romance novel with yummy food. It’s a love story with a mystery surrounding Oliv...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finally finished this one. Apparently real life decided to take some reading time away from me this week.

Olivia, who we met in Scrumptious (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...), decides after a rough couple years to visit her parents in Italy. Her divorce is finalized. She puts her house up for sale. She leaves Chameleon for Marlene and Joe to run.

Sean, who had a high school crush on her and also handled her divorce, follows her to Italy for business. However, Sean also wants to try to...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Becky Mrs Condit Reads Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a delightful romp through restaurant kitchens. A chef who isn’t a chef, a dishwasher who is a chef, a daughter who is stronger than her mother, a divorce lawyer who wants his clients to reconcile… lots of interesting subplots and twists with characters who are well developed and fun to know. And if you can read the cooking and eating scenes without getting very hungry you are much stronger than I am! I’m looking forward eagerly to the next book in this series.

Please see my complete revie...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Viviana Izzo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This and other reviews available at Viviana, Enchantress of Books

Italy, great food, gorgeous men, romance and steamy scenes all make “Luscious” a book you’ll want to read. However, there is a great story encompassing the above adding depth, a great plot and wonderful characters you’re sure to fall in love with.

“Luscious” begins where “Scrumptious” left off, Olivia, our heroine has finalized her divorced from her two-timing, sleaze ball, doesn't know how to cook even though he went to culinary s...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Jennah Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received the e-galley of LUSCIOUS from NetGalley for an honest review.

Amanda Usen is a fantastic author, and if she cooks the recipes in the book...well then I'm guessing she's a fantastic chef as well! LUSCIOUS is fun and flirty. Picking up after Scrumptious, I was excited to see Olivia making a move to figure out what she wanted after the crap hit the fan at Chameleon. This book started a little slow for me, but once it picked up I couldn't put it down. Setting it in Italy added a different...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Stella rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, romance, for-review

It is no secret that I LOVE cooking and baking. Besides the joy and thrill of creating something unique and delicious which titillates the senses I also love the experience of eating: enjoying the tastes, smells and textures of food. Cooking is a hobby of mine, something to be enjoyed and cherished. So when I see books combining my love for cooking and romantic stories I’m doubly excited. My first ventures into this special kind of romantic category were with Nora Roberts’ Great Chefs series, bu...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Downward dog rated it 2 of 5 stars

Didn't finish!

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Oct 23, 2012 Kimberly Kincaid rated it 5 of 5 stars

I write and love foodie romance, so of course I had high hopes for this book going in, and I was not disappointed! The combination of romance and intriguing family subplot came together perfectly with Usen's hot hot hot hero and realistically flawed yet still very likeable heroine. The food details were just as mouth watering and perfect as Usen's first book, although this one stands alone perfectly too. Loved everything about it! Great, great read.

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Jan 13, 2013 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dustbuster-challenge

fun read

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Jul 21, 2012 Darkand rated it 5 of 5 stars

delicioso!

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Aug 08, 2012 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyed it, just finished it a little too late :(

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Aug 23, 2012 Amy Denim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: foodie-romances, reading-romances-challenge

Love, love, loved this book. Can't go wrong with Italy, wine, food and romance! The heroine's journey was so relatable. I'm always a big fan of more than friends stories and this one got it just right. Can't wait to see more from this author!

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Aug 22, 2012 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-contemporary-romance, length-novel, request-publisher, rating-3-star, review-guest-reviewer

A cute romance to get lost in.

You can check out Viviana's full review of this title at Reading Between the Wines

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Sep 22, 2012 Kay Dirty Girls' Good Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I have liked the first two books and would read more if there are some.

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May 14, 2013 Lisa marked it as to-read

Shelves: own-have

May 12, 2013 Shh I'm reading! marked it as to-read

May 10, 2013 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 01, 2013 Elizabeth Throckmorton marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 01, 2013 Tracey marked it as interesting-book · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-hard-books

Apr 27, 2013 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 27, 2013 Stacy marked it as to-read

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