Review: The Last Drop – Layla Reyne
The Last Dropby Layla Reyne
Series: Table for Two #1
Also in this series: Blue Plate Special
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: April 3, 2020
Genres: Romance
Pages: 108
Source: Purchased
My rating:
Three restaurants, three flops. Chef Gregory Valteau doesn’t want to believe it’s a sign, but his culinary future in New Orleans looks bleak. Until he meets a handsome hipster with all the right moves, behind the bar and in bed. Gone the next morning, the sexy bartender leaves Greg inspired and wanting more—of him and his creative cocktails.
Anthony Monaco has spent five years on the go, but a steamy NOLA night with a sexy chef has Tony aching for a return trip to the Big Easy. When Greg offers him the chance to help launch a new gastropub, Tony can’t turn it down. But six weeks is all he’s willing to commit. Any longer and he might not be able to leave, especially working beside temptation-in-a-chef’s-coat every day.
As Dram prepares to open and the chemistry between them boils over, Tony’s fears come true, his heart whispering stay while his brain shouts go. Greg can’t abide by the latter; he wants Tony in his life and behind their bar. He’s the one, but to keep him, Greg will have to convince Tony he can show him the world without leaving the one they’ve built together.
The Last Drop was originally published in the Heart2Heart Anthology and has been significantly expanded with new content. It is a stand-alone foodie romance novella featuring lovable main characters and all the tasty food, cocktails, and romance you could want in a short and sweet, low-angst read.
Whenever I see this author’s name, I expect to see a romantic suspense novel. But this sweet foodie novella was a very welcome surprise!
Hipster dudes are not Greg’s thing at all, but the bartender he calls Manhattan catches his attention with his excellent and inventive cocktails. Maybe a one-night-stand would be enough to take his mind off his third failed restaurant, even if he’s leaving New Orleans the next day. But Greg can’t get him out of his mind. He has a new muse – if he can convince the man who wooed his tastebuds and heart back to the city.
Tony has two rules for places he lives – they have to be near the ocean and once he leaves, he never comes back – no matter how unforgettable a one-night-stand was. When he finds that the chef is searching for him, he has two choices, can he help out without losing his heart to the place and the chef?
“A safe haven in which to gather, to celebrate momentous occasions, to meet the person of their dreams. Like Greg had nearly a year ago in a different bar. The man who’d come up with this idea and worked it so seamlessly into Greg’s vision for Dram, bringing it all together, like Greg knew he would.”
For a 100-page novella, this is a pretty satisfying romance! It’s cozy, with little angst and the main conflict being Tony’s self-imposed deadline. It’s clear both characters – and the authors – love food, and they both understand how someplace like they’re building can become a safe haven for people. I don’t drink and can’t tell a mojito from a Manhattan, so most of the descriptions were lost on me, but the love they both had for their craft, and the recognization that the other person felt the same, was evident without that.
Overall, a sweet foodie romance! I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes!
Content notes: View Spoiler »
