Is there enough food in romance?
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Do you ever read an article on romance and automatically quirk your head to the side and say, Huh? They must not be reading the same romance I’m reading.
I came across an article today, Yeah, Sex Is Cool, but What AreTthey Eating? I realize that this post is about how Jasmine Guillory uses food in her books and is promotional, but it still bothered me.
I have read hundreds of romance books and the majority of them talk about food and what they eat on dates, at family dinners. Hell, I’ve read a lot of books where they work in restaurants, bakeries or they just stress bake! The food is described so well that by the end of the scene, my stomach is rumbling, I’m starving and craving what they just had to eat.
A few books that I can think of that have food as a main factor are The Second We Met by Maya Huges, the hero’s grandfather owns a restaurant and taught him to cook and on top of that the heroines roommate is always stress baking sweets, it’s amazing I didn’t drive myself to the cupcake shop while reading this one! The Slice Series by Teagan Hunter is based around a pizza place and the people who work there, but this isn’t just any pizza place, nope they have all kinds of crazy toppings on theirs! I personally just stick to a meat lovers, no macaroni on my pizza, but I love the creative ideas behind these pizzas! Let’s not forget the hamburgers with Krispy Kreme donuts as the buns in, Wet by Stacy Kestwick, I still haven’t had a chance to try this, but man does it sound delicious!
How many times have you sat there reading your romance novel and the couple is on a date, the heroine slices in to her steak, cooked to perfection, she sticks in her mouth and slowly pulls the fork from between her lips as a moan slips out? The hero, sits across from her trying to adjust himself and stop from groaning because watching her enjoy eating so much just turns him on? I’m sure the answer to this is countless, right? Which is why I was so worked up when I read this article insinuating that food isn’t a theme in a lot of romance novels.
In romance novels, as well is real life, food is used as a way to woo and can be considered a form of foreplay (see example above).
Although I really do realize that the post wasn’t meant to offend it just hit a nerve with me because food is a huge thing in romance, especially in small town romances. If I had all of these people’s recipes I’d be fat and happy!
So, of course all of this food talk has me wondering, what was the last book you read that had a delicious meal described that had you jonesing for it? Let me know in the comments below!
