Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.comChloe Carter is not exactly having the best week of her life. For starters, she's about to attend graduate school, studying social work. Not because she wants to but because that's the only way she can get her inheritance from her uncle. He didn't specify social work; it just seemed like a good idea at the time. Now that school is about to begin, Chloe's not so sure. Secondly, her downstairs neighbor/sometimes boyfriend is outside kissing some tiny blonde chick. Sure, he said he wasn't looking for a relationship, but that doesn't give him the right to parade around with the blonde. Well, maybe it does, but that's not the point! And she can't even use her backup date to make him jealous, since he has a girlfriend now! Not to mention the disaster her apartment has become since her last half-accomplished attempt to redecorate. Chloe is desperate for something good in her life. It's time for drastic measures. It's time to try the Internet dating service her sister keeps pushing. It worked for her, she's married and has kids and is happy, so maybe it'll work for Chloe. That's the decision she comes to at 3am. A decision she regrets the minute she wakes up. What was she thinking? Normal people don't date through the Internet! Her membership must be cancelled and her profile deleted immediately! Though she could check the messages first, since the people did take the time to write them and all. Wonder of all wonders, there is a normal-seeming guy who seems to like food as much as she does. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Chloe and "DinnerDude" agree to meet at a new high-end restaurant that he's thinking about investing in. If this works out, just think about all of the great free dinners! First instincts are usually right -- this was a bad idea. Chloe's week is rapidly spiraling from bad to worse. Her blind date is rude, overbearing, and completely self-absorbed. And the food -- well, it started off great, and now it's starting to mirror her week. After waiting for what seems like forever for her blind date to return from the phone call he answered during dinner, Chloe decides to hunt him down. She finds him in the bathroom. On the floor. Dead. Talk about the worst blind date ever! From the date, to grieving parents who seem to think that Chloe was about to be their daughter-in-law, to the cute chef at the dinner after the funeral (who happens to be the main suspect), Chloe's life has certainly altered drastically. She's just not sure which direction it's headed in! Chloe is neurotically, obsessively hilarious! And the situations she gets herself stuck in are absurd, but possible. They really could happen -- you just hope they would never happen to you. The characters are all well-drawn. They're all a little bit odd, which makes them that much more lovable and easy to relate to. The story takes awhile to get moving, but when it finally does, it's a whirlwind. Plus, it has recipes! Good story, fun characters, lots of food, AND recipes? Count me in! My only real question is why no one seems to notice that Chloe has missed her calling. She should be a detective, not a social worker. *Disclaimer for those concerned that this is a book for adults: The main character is in her 20's. Sex is discussed and alluded to, but never described. The murder doesn't come off as gruesome or graphic. There is a limited amount of swearing.
Could not get through this. The central problem is that the main character is deeply, intensely, IMMENSELY unlikeable. A spoiled rich girl who has never been out among the unwashed masses, she is constantly complaining that ordinary offices spaces are ugly, lack of marble countertops is depressing, caring about inequality is boring, ugly men can be dated if you get "stuff" out of them, people on first dates should only be served by ugly waitresses so the woman isn't in "competition" for man's attention, food snobs are awful but she wouldn't date any man who didn't know what arugula was, and on and on and on and on and on.And lest you think the authors are setting her up to be an intitially immature, shallow, and pretentious twit who comes to understand through her interactions with the hoi polloi how little she actually knows of life --- no. That's who she is at the beginning, middle, and end (I skipped ahead). You know the book sucks when you're hoping the boyfriend IS the killer so he will hack her to death and put you out of your misery.Maybe they plan to have her realize how horribly repugnant her 1-percenter values are in another volume of this series, but I won't be sticking around to find out.
What do You think about Steamed (2007)?
Steamed is the second book in this series that I have read, and I found that I really enjoyed it. Since I had previously read a later book in this series, I had to backtrack a little to go back to book one. I really love this series because of the main character, Chloe, because I find her really relatable. Chloe sure gets herself into some really strange situations, and I enjoy reading how she pushes on determined to help the person she cares about. In the previous book I read, it was her best friend that Chloe was determined to help and in this book it just so happens to be the police's prime suspect. Steamed is full of enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and I liked the addition of humor and hint of romance. Overall Steamed proved to be a great read, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
—Susan
"Steamed" is the first in the Gourmet Girl Mystery Series by mother and daughter writing team, Susan Conant and Jessica Connant-Park. I enjoyed it. The main character, Chloe, is a foodie and not so good at choosing the guys in her life. She signs up for an online dating site. She is immediately contacted by another member for a date. At their first meeting at an upscale new restaurant, her date is murdered! Chloe finds the body in the men's restroom and the story takes off from there. It is a fairly fast-paced read, interesting, and the characters mostly are likeable. The food descriptions are mouthwatering. There are recipes included in the back. I'll be looking for a copy of the second in this series.
—BJ
While I really enjoyed the story, this book made me roll my eyes a lot. I laughed a lot, but I think the eye rolling outweighed the giggles. The main reason for that is the way the author handled the character's sex life. We really don't need to hear about all her (many) conquests. It didn't really add to the story at all. At least LKH waited about 10 books to make Anita a skank. And I get that the whole point is that she is and I quote "a gourmet food whore," but really? A college student who has the money to eat nothing but gourmet food and pay for all her college books at the same time? Without a job? Sure, she has the whole inheritance thing (and isn't that convenient) but it seems like unless it were a pretty hefty monthly payment, she would have to cut a few costs here and there. And Chloe throws up after she eats frozen foods. Good story, unrealistic characters. 3 stars.
—Michelle
