It can take losing everything to realize what you had all along. Up-and-coming London chef Marcus Vine is poised on the edge of success, but the only men courting him are investors. That leaves Marcus with some free time—which is fortunate, because his godchildren need him. A year ago, a horrible accident killed Marcus’s best friend, Raine, leaving her children without a mother and her husband, … mother and her husband, Tom, without a partner. Consumed by grief, Tom has been going it alone, refusing help, but when Marcus sees him out with the children, it’s obvious that Tom and his two daughters need someone. His persistent caring finally wears Tom down, allowing him to accept the comfort Marcus offers. Soon Marcus is up to his elbows in homework, home-cooked meals, and after-school activities. Over time he helps them rebuild their world, until soon their lives are approaching normal.
Then the unexpected happens: Tom confesses he has romantic feelings for Marcus, and nothing can ever be the same.
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Audio Review-
Marcus is a busy celebrity Chef but he misses his best friend Raine who was killed in a tragic car accident nearly a year ago. Tom her widower asked Marcus to give him and the kids space to grieve and he would call him and let him back in the kids lives but a year later and he hasn’t.
Marcus runs into them in a restaurant and his friend encourages him to make the move and approach Tom. Tom looks rough and exhausted and finally agrees to let Marcus help him with the kids. Their friendship is resurrected and they get close, maybe too close for Tom.
I did like this story. I really liked Marcus a lot, probably because I love Chef stories. I do wish there had been more in there about the restaurant, cooking or him being a chef. Tom, I didn’t connect with like I wanted to. Having said that… the story is sweet, a bit sad in spots, has some really nice family outings that were touching.
If you like celebrity chefs, single fathers, friends to lovers, hurt-comfort, coming out, and gay for you, this is the story for you!
Seb Yarrick is new to me Narrator. He did a great job bringing this story to life.
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
The Missing Ingredient is the first book I’ve read by Brian Lancaster. It’s a friends to lovers with a verrrrrry sloooooow burn. Seriously slow. For the most part, I really liked Marcus. Though he was a chef with multiple restaurants, we wasn’t a jerk. He was grieving the loss of his best friend and her family that he was asked to step away from after her death. He worked hard and when his best friend’s family came back into his life, he added them to his life easily, with no question. I wasn’t a fan of Tom and thought Marcus could do a lot better. Tom was a man in over his head with the death of his wife and really just seemed to be on the verge of drowning and losing his children. Though I could understand his grief, I thought he was selfish in allowing it to consume him to the detriment of his children. Fortunately, Marcus picks up the pieces and puts his life back together.
This story was fast paced and kept me engaged regardless of my feelings for Tom. There was no quick instalove story. Tom and Marcus spent time together with the kids. They became friends. Marcus’ old feelings for Tom came back and Tom found feelings of his own, much to his annoyance. The kids in the story were entertaining and not too involved. Though they were the reason Marcus and Tom are spending time together, it never felt like the story was all about taking care of the kids, or just about the kids. So, if having kids in the story bothers you, I think you’ll enjoy this story. It’s a nice mixture for whatever side of the fence you fall on.
This was a well-written story, with well-fleshed out main and supporting characters. For readers who enjoy friends to lovers, this is a must read story! I loved the epilogue and was completely taken by surprise by it. It really ended the story well and supported the HEA ending.
Rating: 4 stars