Luscious

Chef Olivia Marconi, urged along by her domineering mother, has turned over her restaurant to friends Marlene and Joe (familiar from Scrumptious) and fled burnout and divorce for Verona, Italy. It so happens that Olivia’s lawyer, Sean Kindred, has business taking him that way—and decades of a secret crush on Olivia to motivate him. The Marconi family inn is as fabulous as any would-be seducer could desire, but Mamma and Papà do not approve, preferring to match Olivia with Alessandro, the arrogant but undeniably talented chef of the inn’s private restaurant. Usen’s tale is tasty, but the presentation could use more polish. Sean’s ne’er-do-well little brother, Olivia’s unlucky-in-love cousin Giovanna, and some rare wine are the catalysts for subplots that interrupt the romance and often stretch credulity. Still, the travelogue and delectable descriptions of food are satisfying, and sweetheart Sean will appeal to fans of genuinely nice guys. (July)