Idlewild

Sierra (What It Takes) combines food, business, and love in this tender contemporary set in Detroit. As Asher begins to emerge from grief over his husband’s death, he realizes how badly he’s neglected the restaurant that was their shared dream and decides that a reboot is in order. When he’s ready to reopen, his all-new staff includes Tyler, a young man with charisma, charm, and the kind of head for business that Asher desperately needs. There are plenty of reasons for them to avoid the attraction between them, but one by one those reasons drop away, and the two fall into bed and into love. As their relationship develops, Asher and Tyler must navigate their very different experiences and expectations to avoid putting their hearts and possibly the entire restaurant at risk of implosion. Readers who appreciate that Tyler’s nuanced personality defies black gay stereotypes may be uncomfortable seeing those same stereotypes embodied by his tough, aggressive, emotionally walled-off ex-boyfriend Malik. And unfortunately, every relationship problem in the book comes down to the same lack of honest communication. Though narrow in scope (largely due to Asher’s self-imposed isolation), the romance is straightforward, sweet, and generally entertaining. (Dec.)