Who knew a cooking show could get so messy?Elle FierroAll I have to do is appear as a judge on this cooking show in Hollywood and my restaurant will open to rave reviews. Pretty much my lifelong dream. What I absolutely shouldn’t do is sleep with one of the contestants and ruin everything I’ve worked so hard for. But he gives good hugs, makes me laugh, fills out a simple T-shirt like nobody’s … laugh, fills out a simple T-shirt like nobody’s business, and is sweeter than the maple syrup he dripped all over my naked body last night…
Austin Cox
I may have been drunk when I applied to be on that reality cooking show, which is why it’s hard to believe I’m here. What’s even harder to believe is that Elle, with her painted red lips and fiery disposition, is in my bed and making me forget I need to win this damn show to get my little sister out of the foster care system.
When Elle throws me under the bus to realize her dream, will our love burn out or will we find the missing ingredient to happiness?
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What a fresh and wonderful treat The Missing Ingredient was! I always enjoy the age gap twist when it’s an older woman and younger man, and throw in a little bit of forbidden romance into the mix and it was truly enjoyable.
Elle is quite the Spanish firecracker, extremely professional and driven, and very uptight. She has a singular focus of opening up her own restaurant in NYC, and won’t let anything get in her way. So when small-town California boy Austin entered her life, she never saw him coming. He was down-to-earth and had a sense of humor, which was different from any other man she had ever been attracted to. He helped her to open up, made her laugh and enjoy life. Austin was such a pure and genuine soul, who put his heart on the line. For being quite young, he had a good head on his shoulders and his priorities in line.
The Missing Ingredient was my first read from this author and I’m looking forward to reading more!
What a perfect blend of personalities and story line – There was not a Missing Ingredient to be found anywhere!
Austin is a blast! He had me from start
and Elle – There were a couple of times I wanted to knock her down a peg or two but as the story progresses you see the inner workings of her mind and a lot of her behaviors become more acceptable (she was a bit prissy in the beginning, IMO)
A charming story line that is refreshing and engaging mixed with the most delightful cast of characters
This is one of those feel-good romances that has the perfect blend of comic, angst, and romance
Elle is a famous chef in NYC, with cookbooks published and a new restaurant opening in a matter of weeks. She is hard, driven, and a perfectionist and her staff refers to her as El Jefe. She is invited to appear as a judge on a cooking competition pilot being filmed, and plans to use the publicity to jump start her new restaurant. Austin is just a guy who loves to cook, having received no formal training but his friends all rave over his creations. He enters the competition to gain entry into the restaurant world, needing a good job to be awarded custody of his 16 year old little sister after their mom’s death following a cancer diagnosis.
This was entertaining, but I didn’t love the book. To start with, no matter how attracted she was to him, Elle would never have jumped into bed with a contestant to begin with. She is too professional and driven, and that part didn’t sit well with me. Austin basically kept persisting until he wore her down, and that is no way to start a relationship. And for Elle to lose all her passion and drive for her life’s dream based on two weeks away, and really only a few days with Austin in a more-than-just-professional way, also didn’t mesh with the character at all. I did like the interactions between the characters, and Elle’s sendoff in the beginning was perfect.
Overall, this was an okay read, but I just can’t see these two as a forever couple.
4 stars
As a first time reading of Marika Ray, I’m happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed The Missing Ingredient! The book has great characters, lots of sizzle and a big ole’ dose of sweetness! Austin was charming, funny and adorable and when he turned on the boss inside the bedroom, whew. He was the perfect counterbalance to the up-tight, cold Elle. From a girl addicted to the Food Network channel, this book has all the right ingredients!
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Absolutely loved this story. It had all the necessary ingredients: laughter, love, terrific characters and a storyline that is sweet and addictive. This is a book that you will read in one afternoon and skip all necessary adulting as you will not want to stop. I will warn you to eat beforehand because all the food discussions had my stomach growling and wanting to try all the things. Overall fantastic and Marika is quickly becoming one of my must read authors.
I really enjoyed Elle and Austin’s story. It’s a fun, sweet, sexy and lol funny romance with just the right amount of angst for me. Can’t wait for more from this author.
Grab your aprons and hold on to your chef hats folks Marika Ray has brought all our foodie dreams to life with The Missing Ingredient! As a person who hates most reality TV but also has a serious obsession with cooking contests and a certain angry chef I was bouncing off the walls in excitement when I read the blurb and found out one of my favorite one click Authors was combining everything I loved into one magnificent read. I was even more thrilled when I picked it up, started reading and discovered a true Boss Lady existed with Elle.
Marika’s writing is always filled with strong women, but Elle is being dubbed the official Boss Lady of them all. This tough, take no prisoners, independent, smart and wickedly talented chef seems to have the world at her fingertips. But until she meets Austin on the set of the cooking competition she’s a judge for she has no idea of the warmth that’s been missing from her perfectly ordered life. Austin is vastly different from Elle. This giant sweetheart is ever the optimist bringing smiles and hugs to the world every where he goes even as he struggles himself.
While these two might seem like total opposites there’s one thing they both have in spades and that is passion. The chemistry between them is magnetic pulling you in and keeping you hooked to every page while the sparks that fly are so hot they’re sure to have you needing a fan.
How I loved this story. It a great light hearted read that will keep you smiling, laughing and turning pages as fast as you can read. Elle is a spunky woman who needs to loosen up. She agrees to be a judge on a cooking show in hopes to get the recognition her restaurant needs. It on this show she meets Austin, a sexy fun-loving bartender who loves to cook and is devoted to taking care of his sister. He enters a cooking contest in hopes of getting the money he needs for his sister, but soon learns he’s in way over his head. Especially when it comes to Elle who happens to be judging the same cooking show he’s entered.
From here the story will reel you in. These two are definitely cooking more than just food. The chemistry between them is electric. It’s a funny, fast paced story that you don’t want to miss. 2 Thumbs up and 5 stars for a great read
This was a rare book for me. One where I spent most of the book thoroughly disliking one of the main characters and yet still loved the story. I adored Austin. He’s so sweet and funny, and his desire to be the one to look after his little sister makes him thoroughly endearing. Elle was much harder for me to like. It might have something to do with how much of myself I can see in her. She’s a perfectionist and so standoffish, making it hard to see her redeeming qualities. Once she’s able to break out of that shell, I can begin to understand what Austin sees in her. This story has everything I look for in good fiction. There’s strong emotional drama along with lots of wonderfully funny moments that made me laugh out loud. I can’t wait to see what the author brings us next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
Do you love older woman/younger man stories? Do you enjoy opposites attract books? Then you will fall head over heels in LOVE with The Missing Ingredient. Marika Ray rocks it once again with amazingly real characters. I swear I am so in love with this book. It ticks all my boxes when I search for rom-coms: sexy chemistry, swoon-worthy hero, and total laugh-out-loud moments.
I loved the strong-willed Elle and thought the charming Austen was perfect for her. Any lover of rom-coms needs to one-click this right now!
The Missing Ingredient by Marika Kay
“Always be memorable.” – Elle Fierro
Elle Fierro, “El Jefe”, is a 32-year-old head chef of a 3-star restaurant. Her driving ambition is to open and operate her own restaurant. Becoming one of the celebrity judges on a new cooking show “Taste Test” is the perfect platform to get name recognition to give her new restaurant a major boost. Yes, it means being away from New York for several weeks to do the show, but if all goes well, it will give her loads of free publicity. And things WERE going well, at least, until Austin Cox…
“I was intrigued by her before. Now I was haunted.”- Austin Cox
Growing up in a hardscrabble town, losing his mother to cancer and his little sister to foster care, Austin is desperate to win the competition on “Taste Test” so he can have financial security and establish guardianship for his little sister. Determined to win the competition, Austin quite literally “bumps” into Elle, and is immediately under her spell. Drawn to her like no other, Austin struggles to maintain his distance…
Elle is at first horrified, then intrigued by Austin, a man-child YEARS younger than herself, but always free with his hugs and smiles. Elle finds herself drawn to Austin, yet knows no impropriety can happen between them, as she MUST be impartial to all the contestants.
Tensions swirl on the set, as each fights the inevitable….
Loved.every.word! This is a feel-good romance, with plot twists, disappointments and surprises. Marika Ray delivers a winner once again!
Younger man older woman for the win!!! This book has it all. The perfect blend of humor, heat and conflict. Austin is the perfect book boyfriend as he is charming, hilarious and down right sexy. Dimples, tattoos, and the hair. Elle is the bossy chef who is so uptight she needs someone to break down all the walls and loosen her up. These two are perfect and their chemistry is scorching hot. There may even be a little food adventures in this, some quite sticky situations with some syrup that makes for a very memorable scene. I loved this extremely hot book from Marika! A must read in my eyes
The Missing Ingredient by Marika Ray is the first book in her new Reality of Love series. This rom- com is funny and sexy with strong and smart and swoon-worthy characters. And this is an older woman/younger man read, which I love. Elle is a strong female that wants to stand on her own while Austin is a young, upcoming chef that needs to win this cooking competition. These two have some off the charts hot chemistry that makes for fun reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from Marika and cannot wait to read what is next in this series.
Witty, funny, entertaining and so much more. Marika Ray is being added to my favorite authors status.
Elle and Austin are so right together even with the age difference, she’s uptight and he’s laid back they are perfect combination for love.
I’m at a loss of words on this one besides I love it and would read it again and again, I laughed and cried didn’t like the character Michael Fin, but I don’t think we are supposed to, so win-win for me.
All I can say is get a copy and check it out for a real rom-com you won’t be disappointed.
I found this book overall to be a very good read. Take a older woman, younger man and a television show to find the best chef and you have all the ingredients for a interesting book.
Marika Ray has written another winner with the first book in her new Reality of Love Series, “The Missing Ingredient.” I loved everything about this book from the spirited and sexy chef, to the carefree but serious, bartender who meet on a reality cooking show. Elle is colorful, hard working and bossy and she definitely needs to slow down and enjoy life. Austin is laid back, funny and confident and someone who always puts his family first.
Elle was thrilled about her job as a judge on the cooking show, because the exposure was just what she needed to help launch her new restaurant. She was looking forward to the warm California weather and mentoring future chefs. Elle was used to working seven days a week and had very little time for a social life, and rarely dated. Most men were jealous of her success and intimidated by her beauty and hot-tempered personality. She didn’t think she would ever meet a man who could be her equal at work and in love. But she was in for a big surprise!!
Austin’s family is the most important part of his life and he would do anything for his sister. He is a creative genius in the kitchen but felt that he was in way over his head when it came to competing on the show. He was a self taught cook who enjoyed cooking for his friends but was determined to do his best during the competition. When he found out who the judges were his gaze landed on the sexy and beguiling face of Elle, who was a complete knockout and definitely out of his league. What could they possibly have in common besides their love of cooking? Some say that Hollywood is where dreams are made, so perhaps Elle and Austin can create a recipe for love.
What a fun story to read. If you are like me and obsessed with the reality cooking shows then this will be a fun story for you. Elle is trying to make her mark in the food industry. Austin is just looking for a way to support his teenage sister. When the two are paired up for the TV show, Food was not the only thing getting hot. This couple had smoking attraction and confirmed that opposites do indeed attract. This was fun and flirty with the right amount of angst for a great romance.