If you’re in the mood for a full-flavoured degustation of romance, intrigue, fabulous French cuisine and lashings of champagne, look no further than the fun and frothy Eat Your Heart Out, a cheeky foodie rom-com by local-born international food critic and author Victoria Brownlee.
Tassie girl Chloe is loving single life in the City of Love. She may hate her day job writing copy for a luxury hotel, but by night, she’s having a wonderful time feasting on fabulous food and getting even better reader feedback on her food blog. When her heroine – celebrity chef Carla Duris, daughter of the late, great, chef Jean Duris – invites her to a mysterious dinner, Chloe can’t say no.
Chloe’s fellow diners are all successful foodies in their own right, including uptight, tweed-wearing travel writer Christopher, bubbly Californian FoodTuber Belle, poison-pen-wielding Balthazar, judgemental Juliette and the handsome, privileged, and frustrating Henri de la Fontaine. Guided by Carla’s cryptic assistant Max, this motley crew of diners enjoys a fabulous meal of Carla’s classic French fare, paired with an intriguing side dish: an offer to spend a weekend at Carla’s family villa on the Côte d’Azur, duking it out for a well-paid but mysterious writing job.
Will Chloe’s chance to work with her hero override her family’s pleas that she return home? Will she find allies or enemies in her fellow competitors? And where exactly is their magnanimous but mysterious hostess?
Packed with lavish descriptions of tasty morsels (of food and the occasional shirtless Frenchman), this is a sweet and speedy PG-rated read with a hint of danger. Great for fans of Emily in Paris, but with a little sprinkling of The Menu for flavour and all the competitive drama of a season of Top Chef. Best served on the beach, but make sure you’ve got snacks on hand – this one will have you reaching for the fromage!
