SADIE ON A PLATE by Amanda Elliot (International Blog-Tour)

Hi readers! How are you?💙

Today I'm joining the Sadie on a Plate Blog Tour. I'm really happy to talk about one of my most interesting reading of February, and for that I have to thank Berkley Publishing Group for the free copy and the invitation.

So, here some infos about this book:

Title: Sadie on a Plate
Author: Amanda Elliot
Publishing Date: March, 15th
Publisher:  Berkley Trade Paperback
Pages: 352
Price: 17,62 €
Plot: A chef’s journey to success leads to discovering the perfect recipe for love in this delicious romantic comedy.

Sadie is a rising star in the trendy Seattle restaurant scene. Her dream is to create unique, modern, and mouthwatering takes on traditional Jewish recipes. But after a public breakup with her boss, a famous chef, she is sure her career is over—until she lands a coveted spot on the next season of her favorite TV show, Chef Supreme. 

On the plane to New York, Sadie has sizzling chemistry with her seatmate, Luke, but tells him that she won't be able to contact him for the next six weeks. They prolong their time together with a spontaneous, magical dinner before parting ways. Or so she thinks. When she turns up to set the next day, she makes a shocking discovery about who Luke is....

If Sadie wants to save her career by winning Chef Supreme, she’s going to have to ignore the simmering heat between Luke and her. But how long can she do that before the pot boils over?

 

The Author:

Amanda Elliot is the author of several young adult and middle grade books as Amanda Panitch. Sadie on a Plate is her first adult novel. She lives in New York City, where she owns way too many cookbooks for her tiny kitchen. Learn more online at amandapanitch.com

 

 

 

 author photo by Cassie Gonzales 2021

Review:

Rate:  4.5 stars ⭐

First of all: 

Happy release day, Amanda!

I was so curious when Berkley contacted me to join this Blog Tour, because I never heard about this book before. So, convincted by the plot, I decided to read it asap and.. it was love. Since the first lines the writing style of Amanda Elliot captured me. It's entertaining, fresh and so vivid that you can't love it and feel the urge to keep going.

The story itself is quite simple, but I've ADORED it. As a fan of cooking tv shows like Masterchef or Bake Off, it was really interesting to see this kind of competitions described in a book. It's a treaky element to use in a novel, because you can fail being too boring for presenting too many details, or being excessively superficial, just mentioning some aspects without being able to create the right atmosphere for the reader. That is extremely important, because if there's a competition who reads needs to feel it and being involved (in this case) in the creation of the plates, in the rush to finish all on time and in the anticipation to see who will win and who will go home. Amanda Elliot has been very good in this. The scenes are not extremely long, but at the same time I was completely absorbed. I rooted for Sadie (and other partecipants) since the very beginning and it was fun but also interesting to see her growth through her plates.

Talking about the main character, I've appreciated Sadie with her strengths and weaknesses. She's a spontaneous and an easygoing person, but at the same time she struggles with the idea of not being liked or not sparkle enough, missing the fact that her gentleness and presence are something that can't be ignored by other people. Plus, she often forget she has a strong personality, that make her fight not only for what she wants, but also for what she thinks it's right. That's why, even person she doesn't like or with whom she's not particularly friendly, appreciate her. And talking about that, one of the things I've loved the most about her it's the fact she's not perfect. She misunderstands situations, she misreads people and she makes mistakes, but that allows her to mature and become a better person.
I have also to mention what has happened to her in the recent past, an event that is so disgusting just thinking about it but that unfortunately is something that in real life happens. Taking advantage of someone and their insecurities and then discrediting them in front of everyone is disgusting, and Amanda Elliot has portraited well, without speculating in drama (something I hate to see in a book).

Another figure I have to mention is Luke. I fell hard for him, really. He's an amazing character and every interaction with Sadie kept me hooked on the book. Easygoing, kind and very concrete, I enjoyed his presence in the story like a sort of "solid and safe haven" for Sadie, even when things between them were cold. I really liked his background too, and the only thing I missed was more time (and so pages) to see him to mature his own decisions - and yes, more romantic moments. I craved them!

All the other characters create a sort of colorful pattern that gives more authenticity to this story, and I've found myself affectionated to some of them too. I've also really appreciated the choice to give to all of the contestants different kinds of cuisine that are influenced by their personal tastes, their origins and backgrounds. Sadie, for example, presents her personal reinterpretation of Jewish cuisine and it was really interesting to imagine all those beautiful plates (I envied the judges A LOT) that could be different from a "tipical" starred cooking style. 

What can I say more?
Since, as I said, I missed some more scenes with Luke, and I would have loved to have him as main character too, I'm really hoping Amanda will gift us with another book (or short novellas?). In the meantime I absolutely suggest you to read this beautiful romantic comedy, amazingly written, that will entertain you and keep you company with laughs and more thoughtful moments.