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Overview
After years of hard work, Gina Foxton, chef extraordinaire andformer runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion, is hosting her own show, Fresh Start, on local Georgia public television. She's also dating the producer. But when Fresh goes bad, and she catches her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with the boss's wife, Gina decides it's time to pursue bigger dreams. Namely, a gig on national television.
Gina knows she's destined to be the Cooking Channel's next superstar. But the execs also have their eyes on Tate Moody, Mr. "Kill It and Grill It" himself, host of the hunting-and-fishing cooking show Vittles. The ultimate man's man, Tate's a tasty side of beef with a large, swooning female fan base. Gina's loyal devotees consist of her free-spirit college dropout sister and her mother—who calls every single day.
But when the smoke clears there can only be one TV chef standing as Gina and Tate get ready for the cook-off of their lives.
Synopsis
"Tasty Southern adventure...[Andrews is] the queen of sass." -Daytona Beach News-Journal
After years of hard work, Gina Foxton, chef extraordinaire and former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion, is hosting her own show Fresh Start, on Georgia public television. She's also dating the producer. But when Fresh Start goes bad-and her boyfriend is caught in flagrante delicto with the boss's wife-Gina decides it's time to pursue bigger dreams. Namely a gig on national television.
Gina knows she's destined to be the Cooking Channel's next superstar. But the execs also have their eyes on Tate Moody, Mr. "Kill It and Grill It" himself, host of the hunting, fishing, and cooking show Vittles. The ultimate man's man, Tate is a tasty side of beef with a large, swooning female fan base. Gina's loyal devotees consist of her free-spirited college-dropout sister and her mother...who calls every single day.
When the smoke clears there can be only one TV chef standing, and Gina and Tate are ready for the cook-off of their lives.
"Juicy"-Raleigh News & Observer
"A real page-turner."-Allure
"Andrews's [fans] will eat this one up."-Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Andrews (Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit) delivers a trademark romance set in her native Deep South. Gina Foxton is a 30-year-old chef with a health-conscious approach to classic Southern fare whose public access cooking show gets canceled when the show's big sponsor pulls out after finding the show's producer (and Gina's boyfriend) in bed with his wife. So news that the Cooking Channel is looking to add a new show is a welcome development. The producers are also interested in another local cooking show called Vittles, hosted by "Kill It and Grill It" Tate Moody. The competition between Gina and Tate ramps up when the network decides to turn their competition into a reality show. The close quarters and competition create the right atmosphere for the two chefs to fall in love, though things never get too racy. Andrews takes a long time to get the romance off the ground, but when it starts moving, it moves fast. Andrews's readership will eat this one up. (Feb.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationEditorials
From Barnes & Noble
Gina Foxton is hosting a local Georgia public TV show called Fresh Start when two things occur to propel her toward new beginnings: The show is canceled and she catches her boyfriend having sex with a married woman. Not deterred by these vexing setbacks, feisty Gina aims high, seeking nothing less than a prestigious slot on the Cooking Channel. With this job squarely within her sights, Gina refuses to be deterred by any competition, even that of handsome "Kill and Grill It" Tate Moody. Cooked to tasty perfection with southern sass and spice.Daytona Beach News-Journal
"Dish serves up tasty Southern adventure...sassy...fun...[Andrews is] the queen of sass, and revenge is her favorite ingredient."Tampa Tribune
"Mary Kay Andrews whips up another savory Southern story."Paula Deen
"Deep Dish is one delicious read. Mary Kay Andrews has cooked up a tale y’all will savor to the last bite. "Publishers Weekly
Andrews (Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit) delivers a trademark romance set in her native Deep South. Gina Foxton is a 30-year-old chef with a health-conscious approach to classic Southern fare whose public access cooking show gets canceled when the show's big sponsor pulls out after finding the show's producer (and Gina's boyfriend) in bed with his wife. So news that the Cooking Channel is looking to add a new show is a welcome development. The producers are also interested in another local cooking show called Vittles, hosted by "Kill It and Grill It" Tate Moody. The competition between Gina and Tate ramps up when the network decides to turn their competition into a reality show. The close quarters and competition create the right atmosphere for the two chefs to fall in love, though things never get too racy. Andrews takes a long time to get the romance off the ground, but when it starts moving, it moves fast. Andrews's readership will eat this one up. (Feb.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationLibrary Journal
Atlanta TV cooking star Gina Foxton notices budgetary cuts around the meager set of her local PBS show in the form of substituted ingredients, but the final straw is the replacement of mackerel for salmon in her fish dish. Worse, the budget cuts are caused by her boyfriend's affair with the wife of the sponsor, who withdraws from the show. Things look brighter when Gina gets considered for a spot on the national cooking channel. Unfortunately, Tate "Kill It and Grill It" Moody, the popular star of the cooking show Vittles , is also in the running. Humor abounds as the two rivals lock horns in their quest for the brass ring. Colorful secondary characters add to the hilarity. Readers with a taste for delectable culinary romances like Millie Criswell's The Trouble with Mary , Susan Mallery's Delicious , and Deirdre Martin's Just a Taste will enjoy Andrews's (Hissy Fit ) latest big helping of fun. For popular fiction collections of all sizes. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/15/07.]-Shelley Mosley,Glendale Community Coll. Lib. Media Ctr., AZ
Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Library Journal
Andrews (Savannah Breeze) serves up a breezy Southern romance with appeal to foodies as well as chick-lit fans. Gina Foxton, host of the PBS cooking show Fresh Start, and Tate Moody, star of Vittles, a popular Outdoor Network hunting and cooking show, face off in a culinary competition whose winner earns a nationally televised show on TCC (The Cooking Channel). The TCC cook-off, Food Fight, is shot on a sleepy island off the Georgia coast where, predictably, the two gorgeous young competitors fall in love. There are few surprises in Andrews's lighthearted plot, but, as in many of her novels, the zany secondary characters provide the entertainment. In the abridgment, Isabel Keating, performer of several of Andrews's audiobooks, provides spot-on Southern vocal characterizations, although her pacing is a little slow. In the unabridged version, veteran narrator Julia Gibson offers a solid performance, and her more up-tempo reading works better with the somewhat slow-moving plot. While both versions are suitable for public libraries, selectors may want to consider the almost $100 cost difference between the two. The unabridged program is recommended where the author has a strong following; the abridged would work well elsewhere. [Andrews is a New York Times best-selling author; Deep Dish is also available as downloadable audio from
—Beth Farrell