For Your TBR Pile - Taste Test

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

When it will be published: August 27th

From GoodReads: If you can grill it, smoke it, or fry it, Nora Henderson knows all about it. She’s been basting baby back ribs and pulling pork at her father’s barbeque joint since she was tall enough to reach the counter. When she’s accepted to Taste Test, a reality-television teen cooking competition, Nora can’t wait to leave her humble hometown behind, even if it means saying good-bye to her dad and her best friend, Billy. Once she’s on set, run-ins with her high-society roommate and the maddeningly handsome—not to mention talented—son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, mean Nora must work even harder to prove herself. But as mysterious accidents plague the kitchen arena, protecting her heart from one annoyingly charming fellow contestant in particular becomes the least of her concerns. Someone is conducting real-life eliminations, and if Nora doesn’t figure out who, she could be next to get chopped for good.

What I liked most: I loved the premise. I haven't seen many books about characters involved in the filming of a reality show (with the exception of Carolyn Parkhurst's Lost and Found so if you know of any, tell me in the comments!). So when I saw that Taste Test was about teens competing in a cooking-based reality show and had a nice mix of competition and romance, I was sold. I really liked reading about the friendships and rivalries that went on behind the scenes from the show. I also really liked reading each character's motivations for being there and competing (for some, it was not about the cash prize at the end). The characters were unique and rounded out an interesting cast.

Why you should have it in your TBR pile: If you're looking for a story that combines backstabbing, romance, and food, this is your book. I did feel like the relationships and rivalries drove the story rather than the food competition, but it was a really fun read and perfect for fans of Top Chef or Chopped.

The one scene I'm dying for you to read: The contestant interviews at the end of each chapter were really intense and sometimes funny. The characters were under so much scrutiny, it was really interesting to read how they would crack under the show's questioning.