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Delicious
When her sudden rise to stardom requires her to get a bodyguard, beautiful chef and TV star Reggie Caldwell hires Gabe Bankovic, a hunky man with whom she shared one night of passion long ago, and embarks on a sensual adventure beyond her wildest dreams. Original.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
8 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Jami Alden
42 books797 followersLike so many romance readers, my first romance novel was by Kathleen Woodiwiss - The Flame and the Flower, to be exact. I was thirteen. I spent the next month working my way through her entire back list. Shortly thereafter I discovered Judith McNaught, Johanna Lindsey, Karen Robards, Catherine Coulter, Shirlee Busbee among others, and devoured their lavish historical epics full of overbearing alpha males and the women who brought them to their knees. I was hooked. My high school teachers marveled at my ability to read romance novels under the desk and still score straight A's. I started to imagine myself, living in a cabin in the mountains somewhere, writing romance novels.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
It took me quite awhile to pursue my dream. After graduating from Stanford with a degree in English Literature, I worked in a variety of soul sucking admin jobs before I began my career in marketing. It wasn't exactly my dream job, but at least my writing appeared on several web sites and in many software marketing brochures. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the phrase "and her loins melted like hot wax" into any of them.
During my stint as the world's surliest receptionist, I took my first stab at writing. The result was a very melodramatic western historical which reads like a bad Elizabeth Lowell rip off. Its currently languishing on my hard drive, forever stuck on page 330.
Then in fall 2001 I had an incredible stroke of luck and got laid off from my marketing job. I decided it was time to stop saying I wanted to be a writer and to actually give it a serious go. Fortunately my husband, a socially well adjusted alpha male, is a very generous patron of the arts.
Four years later, I sold my first book and I'm pretty much living the dream of getting paid to write romance. I don't live in a cabin in the mountains, but I do live in a rural-ish town near San Francisco (hey, we have deer and bunnies in our yard, along with the occasional coyote) with my husband, sons, and two dogs who patiently listen to my dialogue and help me work out plot points. When I'm not writing sexy romance, I enjoy running, reading, yoga and watching Food Network and bad reality TV.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 26, 2019
The problem really with this book is it tried to do All The Things and managed to do none of them particularly well. :/ It was confused. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be one of those somewhat sappy contemporary romances with a spatula sketched on the cover, a romantic suspense, or...well, it CLAIMs it's a hot book but... seems to be a quantity vs quality issue and the only really steamy scene wasn't even with the H/h.
So the heroine is a Pollyanna type who is all smiles and cheeriness. Prior to the breakup, her ex (a chef) had her as a guest while attempting to secure himself a TV show. They were more impressed with Ms Personality than Mr Ego. The trouble with all this is that she manages to come across as a ditz. She's attracted a stalker and only gets a bodyguard at her sister's insistence. Since she only rarely seems concerned about her stalker, the bodyguard decides (after a half-assed investigation) that it's a publicity stunt.
The H is that bodyguard. He and the h had met 18 months prior while both were drowning their sorrows - him because he'd gotten involved with a celebrity client and managed to get himself fired, and her because Mr Ego dumped her. So when he arrives at her apartment and discovers who his would be client is, he tries to be all professional. He's just not very good at it. I mean really; he decides potential stalkers are safe based on interviews. No background checks, no delving into their past, nothing. Translation, he missed the creep that was right under his nose. Even better, since nobody else thought the creep was a threat (not that they had the means to investigate), the creep had access to the h's apartment, her computer, etc. And after the H has decided (based on v. little investigation really) that the h is faking it, he goes off on her, then wonders a few weeks later (after she rescued herself really) why she won't answer his emails, phone calls, etc.
Sister is shallow and self-absorbed. She blithely lets creep into the apartment, lets him see the code *and* the password on the computer. She also is the star in the only really drawn out sex scene in the book (the rest are almost quickies with dirty words thrown in to claim hotness).
The creep is a producer. Everyone assumes he's gay. Nobody actually investigates him. Guess who is decidedly hetero and has a "thing" for BDSM.
So the heroine is a Pollyanna type who is all smiles and cheeriness. Prior to the breakup, her ex (a chef) had her as a guest while attempting to secure himself a TV show. They were more impressed with Ms Personality than Mr Ego. The trouble with all this is that she manages to come across as a ditz. She's attracted a stalker and only gets a bodyguard at her sister's insistence. Since she only rarely seems concerned about her stalker, the bodyguard decides (after a half-assed investigation) that it's a publicity stunt.
The H is that bodyguard. He and the h had met 18 months prior while both were drowning their sorrows - him because he'd gotten involved with a celebrity client and managed to get himself fired, and her because Mr Ego dumped her. So when he arrives at her apartment and discovers who his would be client is, he tries to be all professional. He's just not very good at it. I mean really; he decides potential stalkers are safe based on interviews. No background checks, no delving into their past, nothing. Translation, he missed the creep that was right under his nose. Even better, since nobody else thought the creep was a threat (not that they had the means to investigate), the creep had access to the h's apartment, her computer, etc. And after the H has decided (based on v. little investigation really) that the h is faking it, he goes off on her, then wonders a few weeks later (after she rescued herself really) why she won't answer his emails, phone calls, etc.
Sister is shallow and self-absorbed. She blithely lets creep into the apartment, lets him see the code *and* the password on the computer. She also is the star in the only really drawn out sex scene in the book (the rest are almost quickies with dirty words thrown in to claim hotness).
The creep is a producer. Everyone assumes he's gay. Nobody actually investigates him. Guess who is decidedly hetero and has a "thing" for BDSM.
September 22, 2010
Good and talented writer, but too many plot problems.
I enjoyed reading about all characters except Natalie. Hot and well done sex scenes. My problems were with the plot, which used my pet peeve of creating conflict through vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. In addition, the author did not make Gabe's actions realistic and believable. Some examples follow in Spoilers below.
DATA:
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: ten. Setting: current day San Francisco area with some traveling to other U.S. cities. Genre: contemporary romance (with a little suspense).
CAUTION SPOILERS:
1. Gabe was a bodyguard for movie star Marly. He slept with her. A photographer was obnoxious, and Gabe hit the photographer. Gabe lost his job and was sued. Marly lied and made it look like Gabe's fault. Then, Gabe worked as a bodyguard for Reggie. He and Reggie were desperately in lust with each other, but he acted cold and indifferent to her, because he didn't want a repeat of the Marly disaster. The first half of the book was about Gabe and Reggie wanting each other but it didn't happen because Gabe feared being involved with a client. I didn't buy it. He should have known that Reggie was different from Marly. Reggie, of course, felt rejected and undesirable.
2. After Gabe and Reggie stated having a relationship and fell in love with each other, Gabe's associate told him that the stalker's emails to Reggie came from Reggie's own computer. Instead of considering that the stalker was going into her home, which was the truth, Gabe believed Reggie had lied and made up the whole "stalker thing" for publicity. Therefore, Gabe broke up with Reggie. Gabe was in the security business and should not have jumped to erroneous conclusions based on circumstantial evidence. I call this incompetence, lack of logic and poor job performance on the part of Gabe.
3. I hated the fact that Reggie employed her incompetent sister Natalie as an assistant. Natalie messed up the majority of her responsibilities on the job, including violating security rules. Because of Natalie's incompetence, the stalker learned the security code for Reggie's home and Reggie's computer password. Reggie should have just given money to Natalie as gifts and hired someone competent to work for her.
4. One of the vague communication problems happened with both Reggie and Natalie. When they first had sex with a lover, each one snuck away the next morning without saying anything because they believed the guy wouldn't want them around. They were both wrong. A rational person at leasts tests the water before fleeing. They should have said something, and after hearing the response, then they could then quickly leave if appropriate. I didn't like the conflict created by that vague and inaccurate assumption.
I enjoyed reading about all characters except Natalie. Hot and well done sex scenes. My problems were with the plot, which used my pet peeve of creating conflict through vague communication and inaccurate assumptions. In addition, the author did not make Gabe's actions realistic and believable. Some examples follow in Spoilers below.
DATA:
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: ten. Setting: current day San Francisco area with some traveling to other U.S. cities. Genre: contemporary romance (with a little suspense).
CAUTION SPOILERS:
1. Gabe was a bodyguard for movie star Marly. He slept with her. A photographer was obnoxious, and Gabe hit the photographer. Gabe lost his job and was sued. Marly lied and made it look like Gabe's fault. Then, Gabe worked as a bodyguard for Reggie. He and Reggie were desperately in lust with each other, but he acted cold and indifferent to her, because he didn't want a repeat of the Marly disaster. The first half of the book was about Gabe and Reggie wanting each other but it didn't happen because Gabe feared being involved with a client. I didn't buy it. He should have known that Reggie was different from Marly. Reggie, of course, felt rejected and undesirable.
2. After Gabe and Reggie stated having a relationship and fell in love with each other, Gabe's associate told him that the stalker's emails to Reggie came from Reggie's own computer. Instead of considering that the stalker was going into her home, which was the truth, Gabe believed Reggie had lied and made up the whole "stalker thing" for publicity. Therefore, Gabe broke up with Reggie. Gabe was in the security business and should not have jumped to erroneous conclusions based on circumstantial evidence. I call this incompetence, lack of logic and poor job performance on the part of Gabe.
3. I hated the fact that Reggie employed her incompetent sister Natalie as an assistant. Natalie messed up the majority of her responsibilities on the job, including violating security rules. Because of Natalie's incompetence, the stalker learned the security code for Reggie's home and Reggie's computer password. Reggie should have just given money to Natalie as gifts and hired someone competent to work for her.
4. One of the vague communication problems happened with both Reggie and Natalie. When they first had sex with a lover, each one snuck away the next morning without saying anything because they believed the guy wouldn't want them around. They were both wrong. A rational person at leasts tests the water before fleeing. They should have said something, and after hearing the response, then they could then quickly leave if appropriate. I didn't like the conflict created by that vague and inaccurate assumption.
September 4, 2018
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reggie Caldwell is an up and coming chef. She has her own TV show with plenty of fans. One fan goes a bit too far sending her creepy pictures and messages. Her sister and assistant, Natalie, hires her a bodyguard, Gabe Bankovic, whom Reggie has met before. Sexual tension between the two arises as they travel across the US for Reggie's newest show, with the crazed fan leaving them messages along the way.
This book was surprisingly pretty good. I have never heard of it, I picked it up at my local library. But overall it was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters, Reggie and Gabe. There was one point where I questioned if Gabe was the stalker and I was going to be very disappointed if that was true. Natalie annoyed the crap out of me, her whininess and work ethic was just pathetic. Also, the way she comments on Reggie's size all the time, WTF? The sex scenes were hot and steamy. Overall I thought it was a decent book. There wasn't anything special to it though. It was a fun read and that is about it.
However, this book screams out of date. It was only published in 2006, but everything is advancing fast. First, there were a few words like floppy disk and palm pilot. Reading these terms just made me laugh because they are not things anymore. There was also a warning on the back about how explicit and sexy the book is. Now a days there are plenty of hotter, more explicit books that don't really have a big warning sign on the cover of the book. I get that in 2006 the erotica/ new adult genre was not what is is today, the 50 Shades books weren't even published yet. I got a laugh out of the warning though. I do wonder if it would be edited and updated then republished, how would it do today?
Reggie Caldwell is an up and coming chef. She has her own TV show with plenty of fans. One fan goes a bit too far sending her creepy pictures and messages. Her sister and assistant, Natalie, hires her a bodyguard, Gabe Bankovic, whom Reggie has met before. Sexual tension between the two arises as they travel across the US for Reggie's newest show, with the crazed fan leaving them messages along the way.
This book was surprisingly pretty good. I have never heard of it, I picked it up at my local library. But overall it was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters, Reggie and Gabe. There was one point where I questioned if Gabe was the stalker and I was going to be very disappointed if that was true. Natalie annoyed the crap out of me, her whininess and work ethic was just pathetic. Also, the way she comments on Reggie's size all the time, WTF? The sex scenes were hot and steamy. Overall I thought it was a decent book. There wasn't anything special to it though. It was a fun read and that is about it.
However, this book screams out of date. It was only published in 2006, but everything is advancing fast. First, there were a few words like floppy disk and palm pilot. Reading these terms just made me laugh because they are not things anymore. There was also a warning on the back about how explicit and sexy the book is. Now a days there are plenty of hotter, more explicit books that don't really have a big warning sign on the cover of the book. I get that in 2006 the erotica/ new adult genre was not what is is today, the 50 Shades books weren't even published yet. I got a laugh out of the warning though. I do wonder if it would be edited and updated then republished, how would it do today?
January 10, 2025
เรื่องจ่าหัวว่าเป็นอีโรติก โรแมนซ์ แต่เราคิดว่าไม่ถึงขั้นนั้น อันที่จริงเรื่องนี้ไม่น่าจะออกกับอโฟไดท์เซียเลยด้วยซ้ำ อย่างมากก็น่าจะเป็นบราว่ามากกว่า เล่มนี้เป็นงานเขียนเล่มแรกของเจมี่ ซึ่งสำหรับเราแล้วเป็นเหตุผลที่ดีในการให้อภัยข้อผิดพลาดเล็กน้อยที่พบในเรื่อง นักเขียนคนนี้น่าติดตามค่ะ เขียนใช้ได้ ถือว่าเป็นการอ่านฆ่าเวลาเพื่อรอหนังสือเล่มใหม่ของแชนน่อน แม็คเคนน่าได้ทีเดียว
พล็อตเรื่องนี้ธรรมดาทั่วไป นางเอกเป็นเจ้าของรายการโชว์ทางโทรทัศน์เกี่ยวกับการทำอาหาร ที่ถูกแฟนที่คลั่งไคล้ตามปองร้าย ส่วนพระเอกก็เป็นบอดี้การ์ดที่ถูกจ้างมาคุ้มครองนางเอก เนื้อเรื่องง่าย ดำเนินไปตามสูตร อ่านแล้วไม่ต้องคิดมาก สนุกดีค่ะ (สำหรับนักเขียนที่เพิ่งเขียนเป็นเล่มแรก เราถือว่าสอบผ่าน)
พล็อตเรื่องนี้ธรรมดาทั่วไป นางเอกเป็นเจ้าของรายการโชว์ทางโทรทัศน์เกี่ยวกับการทำอาหาร ที่ถูกแฟนที่คลั่งไคล้ตามปองร้าย ส่วนพระเอกก็เป็นบอดี้การ์ดที่ถูกจ้างมาคุ้มครองนางเอก เนื้อเรื่องง่าย ดำเนินไปตามสูตร อ่านแล้วไม่ต้องคิดมาก สนุกดีค่ะ (สำหรับนักเขียนที่เพิ่งเขียนเป็นเล่มแรก เราถือว่าสอบผ่าน)
February 5, 2019
This wasn't a bad read. It was, however, predictable. Gotta say though I loved it
December 16, 2021
Gabe in my mind he has to much muscle 💪. 🤷♀️
September 16, 2022
I’m honestly surprised I really liked this book. Definitely didn’t expect the stalker to be who it was.
May 8, 2015
A stalker was the last things rising TV chef Reggie Caldwell though she was going to have to deal with but apparently it was becoming an issue. Such an issue that her barely assistant sister got in contact with a personal bodyguard to hand the situation. Enter Gabe Bankovic.
The problem with this bodyguard is that he has history with Reggie. Hot, steamy, sweaty, unresolved history that's going to complicate things.
Even more complicated is the list of suspects and the fact Gabe isn't too sure this stalker wasn't an idea Reggie and her scatterbrained sister cooked up for publicity.
I really liked Reggie and Gabe's story. It was funny from the get go and the suspense of the stalker grew at a good pace. I even liked Reggie's sister's story that also played out in the book.
I didn't like Gabe's attitude toward Reggie when he started suspecting she made everything up. He was rude, condescending, and an all around jerk during that part. It felt like he was just waiting for anything to be angry with her about. But overall the book was delightful!
The problem with this bodyguard is that he has history with Reggie. Hot, steamy, sweaty, unresolved history that's going to complicate things.
Even more complicated is the list of suspects and the fact Gabe isn't too sure this stalker wasn't an idea Reggie and her scatterbrained sister cooked up for publicity.
I really liked Reggie and Gabe's story. It was funny from the get go and the suspense of the stalker grew at a good pace. I even liked Reggie's sister's story that also played out in the book.
I didn't like Gabe's attitude toward Reggie when he started suspecting she made everything up. He was rude, condescending, and an all around jerk during that part. It felt like he was just waiting for anything to be angry with her about. But overall the book was delightful!
April 9, 2012
DELICIOUS is a lip-smackin' load of hot fun that leans more on the romance side with a tad bit of erotic thrown in for good measure! Its a great escape that will leave you rooting for the heroine all the way to the end!
Reggie Caldwell is a self-trained chef who becomes an overnight sensation in the world of food. When the fame she has desperately worked so hard to achieve is finally attained and she believes her life is on the right track. Reggie's popularity soars largely because of her friendly and approachable personality, but as she makes herself accessible to her fans, she also makes herself accessible to someone with darker desires. In addition to the stalker, she also picks up a hot, hunk of a bodyguard to go along with her new found fame! Now that might be worth a few sleepless nights!
This is a great read if you are looking for a novel length romantic suspense.
Reggie Caldwell is a self-trained chef who becomes an overnight sensation in the world of food. When the fame she has desperately worked so hard to achieve is finally attained and she believes her life is on the right track. Reggie's popularity soars largely because of her friendly and approachable personality, but as she makes herself accessible to her fans, she also makes herself accessible to someone with darker desires. In addition to the stalker, she also picks up a hot, hunk of a bodyguard to go along with her new found fame! Now that might be worth a few sleepless nights!
This is a great read if you are looking for a novel length romantic suspense.
June 4, 2016
Regina (aka Gina/ Reggie) is a cook on Cooking channel,but no diplomas. She is going on a promotion tour of America.
Her sister Natalie acts as her Pa- sometimes forgetful, flaky and making mistakes. Then Natalie hooks up with Tyler and starts changing.
Someone stalks Reggie- e-mails, too personal "gifts" of clothes, always knowing where she is.Even Tyler and Max ,who produce her show, aren't supposed to know her exact schedule. Enter Gabe Bankovic, who is hired to be her bodyguard. Only Gabe and "Gina" have met before and were involved with each other.They have difference of opinion, part and return to each other.But in the hour of need, facing danger, Reggie's call to him goes unanswered...
A delicious and funny story with many memorable characters.
Her sister Natalie acts as her Pa- sometimes forgetful, flaky and making mistakes. Then Natalie hooks up with Tyler and starts changing.
Someone stalks Reggie- e-mails, too personal "gifts" of clothes, always knowing where she is.Even Tyler and Max ,who produce her show, aren't supposed to know her exact schedule. Enter Gabe Bankovic, who is hired to be her bodyguard. Only Gabe and "Gina" have met before and were involved with each other.They have difference of opinion, part and return to each other.But in the hour of need, facing danger, Reggie's call to him goes unanswered...
A delicious and funny story with many memorable characters.
November 10, 2012
The book's alright, but not special, certainly nothing that I'd ever think about reading again.
The sex scenes are hot, which I appreciated, but the rest of it lacked the suspense that keeps me on edge that I usually get when I read books with a stalker character.
The other thing that really bothered me about the book is that it seemed like a total and unforgivable attack on thin/healthy people; almost every chapter in the book made people (specifically women) who eat healthy and exercise look stupid and ugly, and I took a personal offense to that as I happen to be a size four athlete who also cooks and enjoys good food.
All in all it wasn't what I wanted the book to be.
The sex scenes are hot, which I appreciated, but the rest of it lacked the suspense that keeps me on edge that I usually get when I read books with a stalker character.
The other thing that really bothered me about the book is that it seemed like a total and unforgivable attack on thin/healthy people; almost every chapter in the book made people (specifically women) who eat healthy and exercise look stupid and ugly, and I took a personal offense to that as I happen to be a size four athlete who also cooks and enjoys good food.
All in all it wasn't what I wanted the book to be.
June 16, 2013
This was a very fun romance with a bit of a mystery thrown in. The mystery provides the set-up for the encounter between Reggie, an up and coming chef with her own cable show and a new cookbook, and Gabe, her bodyguard. They had had a one-night stand in Hawaii about a year before (without even exchanging their info apparently). I like the slow renewal of romance and trust between them - it is a nice, fluffy, fun read.
April 29, 2016
Super fun modern romance. A little dated (people fax things and go to internet cafes, and middle class people can afford to rent decent apartments in San Francisco) but the characters are engaging, and the story charmed me. One note, I would have been happier if they had gone with a different cover. This one makes it look like a sex fest, and its not that at all. I had to take a break from reading this because I wouldn't take it on a plane with me where people might see it.
December 15, 2009
Did not care for this book at all...could not get into it, so I just left it...unread.
May 27, 2011
Great read! It was sexy, funny and passionate. Love Jami Alden's work.
June 18, 2012
This was good, but not special. Too many cliches and a "big misunderstanding", so it could have been much better. I did like the author's style and will try her work again.
March 12, 2012
It was ok.
January 16, 2012
It was a good read, but I didn't like the ending very much.
September 10, 2013
This book has ok but thought it would be better as I love the writer. The story's good and has romance but a lot of miscommunication goes on and they struggle to make it work.
December 26, 2015
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11870323
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11870323
July 19, 2013
I didn't like the ending at all!!! There needed to be more, why would the book end in some type of cliffhanger? What about the future? I wanted to see what happened with Gabe and Reggie!! :(
March 4, 2014
It was a cute story of a one night stand and became more as the story went on.
May 3, 2015
Hate the Lolita-ish cover. Has nothing to do with the very soft erotic story. More weak thriller than romantic or sexy. Hot scene with secondary characters that didn't move the plot along.
January 21, 2021
I liked Delicious, but there were some odd threads where it felt like women and “fat” people were hated.
May 17, 2016
Nice romance with stalker subplot.
November 19, 2017
This was a fantastic book. I loved the story and the characters. The book intrigued and kept me hooked since the first chapter. The book had a few hot and steamy parts and some equally terrifying moments.
Gabe was by far my favorite character. He was very much a man's man and the writer was able to capture just how masculine and overwhelmingly captivating he is. His fierce barely held in check deadly undercurrent was what made Gabe such a treat to read. You see a large, muscular man and never guess that underneath he holds a heart of gold for Reggie.
I loved this book.
Gabe was by far my favorite character. He was very much a man's man and the writer was able to capture just how masculine and overwhelmingly captivating he is. His fierce barely held in check deadly undercurrent was what made Gabe such a treat to read. You see a large, muscular man and never guess that underneath he holds a heart of gold for Reggie.
I loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews