The Missing Ingredient

Audio Review-
Marcus is a busy celebrity Chef but he misses his best friend Raine who was killed in a tragic car accident nearly a year ago. Tom her widower asked Marcus to give him and the kids space to grieve and he would call him and let him back in the kids lives but a year later and he hasn't.

Marcus runs into them in a restaurant and his friend encourages him to make the move and approach Tom. Tom looks rough and exhausted and finally agrees to let Marcus help him with the kids. Their friendship is resurrected and they get close, maybe too close for Tom.

I did like this story. I really liked Marcus a lot, probably because I love Chef stories. I do wish there had been more in there about the restaurant, cooking or him being a chef. Tom, I didn't connect with like I wanted to. Having said that... the story is sweet, a bit sad in spots, has some really nice family outings that were touching.

If you like celebrity chefs, single fathers, friends to lovers, hurt-comfort, coming out, and gay for you, this is the story for you!
Seb Yarrick is new to me Narrator. He did a great job bringing this story to life.

Total book hangover in progress here… What a touching, beautiful story. Tom was once married to Marcus’ best friend, Raine. Out and proud Marcus always had a thing for straight Tom, but kept it under wraps for over a decade. A year after Raine was killed in an auto accident, Tom and Marcus reconnect and sparks start to fly.

For some reason, I adore the gay-for-you trope and this one does not disappoint. In my opinion, the plot was both original and interesting with enough complexities to keep this from being a light and fluffy read, but it’s oh so heartwarming in the end. There were definitely times in this book I gasped, I cried, and I laughed out loud. I was so engaged, I barely put the book down, wanting to see how this all turned out for Marcus and Tom.

Having said that, Mr. Lancaster wrote some very compelling characters, in my opinion. Tom, the widower who was barely holding it together with his two young daughters. Marcus, their godfather, who was an up-and-coming chef/restaurateur. They seemed to be well-matched, though I really felt for Marcus since he’d always been attracted (both physically and emotionally) to Tom, but was constantly pushed away by him. The book even started on that note. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but find myself rooting for their HEA, especially when Marcus finally turns the tables on Tom and they had a “Sleepless in Seattle”/”Notting Hill”-ish moment. To see, in the end, both of them face their demons and not lose that something special was extremely gratifying.

I’m hoping this is the start to a series - I’d love the opportunity to see more of Tom and Marcus (and their girls) and the other potential couples teased at the tail-end of this book.

If you’re looking for something heartwarming, a little angsty, but witty/funny, this is exactly what you’re looking for.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

This is a new author for me. At times I got frustrated by both of these men. They seemed to have trouble getting their act together. But the ending was so special it made everything come together.

Marcus is a famous and successful Chef who after a horrible car accident, lost his best friend, Raine. As the godfather to her daughters, Marcus tries to help Tom, her husband, but Tom refuses and wants to be alone with his girls.

1 year later, when Marcus sees Tom and the girls at a restaurant, Marcus realizes that Tom is overwhelmed and completely lost. Without giving him a choice, Marcus decides to come back and helps Tom to have his life back and helps with the girls. But Marcus has always been attracted to Tom since the first day he met him, and when Tom starts to develop feelings for him, Marcus is ready to be more for Tom even if he might lose everything in the process.

The Missing Ingredient is the first book I’ve read written by Brian Lancaster and won’t be my last.

Marcus and Tom are beautiful and adorable together. Marcus is gay and out. He tries his best to help Tom with the girls while managing his restaurants. Even if Marcus had always had a crush on Tom, he never acts on it. First Tom was married to his best friend Lorraine, and second Tom is super straight. But when Tom confesses his feelings to Marcus, he doesn’t back down and agrees to try to love this man more than he already does. I completely melted for Marcus. He really tries to be what Tom needs, he accepts a lot of crap from him, but Marcus stays, even if he’s hurt. But when Tom clearly messed up with him, Marcus fights back. I loved the fact that Marcus wasn’t the poor victim who’s treated badly and never fought back, not here, he wants to be loved and respected, and won’t accept anything else.

I’m a sucker for GFY books, and here I had what I liked. It wasn’t too much or not enough, Tom didn’t transform in a super gay man just because he loves Marcus. He still had doubts, fears, and tries to deal with them, or not.
The writing was good, not boring or too repetitive, the story is written in the third person, and it focused on Marcus. There’s a lot of interesting secondary characters that I would love to know a little bit more about them, especially Daniel.

All in all, I had a good time with this book, the plot, the story, the characters, everything pleased me.

It’s 4 OptimuMM for the Chef and his Hunk.

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

The Missing Ingredient is the first book I’ve read by Brian Lancaster. It’s a friends to lovers with a verrrrrry sloooooow burn. Seriously slow. For the most part, I really liked Marcus. Though he was a chef with multiple restaurants, we wasn’t a jerk. He was grieving the loss of his best friend and her family that he was asked to step away from after her death. He worked hard and when his best friend’s family came back into his life, he added them to his life easily, with no question. I wasn’t a fan of Tom and thought Marcus could do a lot better. Tom was a man in over his head with the death of his wife and really just seemed to be on the verge of drowning and losing his children. Though I could understand his grief, I thought he was selfish in allowing it to consume him to the detriment of his children. Fortunately, Marcus picks up the pieces and puts his life back together.

This story was fast paced and kept me engaged regardless of my feelings for Tom. There was no quick instalove story. Tom and Marcus spent time together with the kids. They became friends. Marcus’ old feelings for Tom came back and Tom found feelings of his own, much to his annoyance. The kids in the story were entertaining and not too involved. Though they were the reason Marcus and Tom are spending time together, it never felt like the story was all about taking care of the kids, or just about the kids. So, if having kids in the story bothers you, I think you’ll enjoy this story. It’s a nice mixture for whatever side of the fence you fall on.

This was a well-written story, with well-fleshed out main and supporting characters. For readers who enjoy friends to lovers, this is a must read story! I loved the epilogue and was completely taken by surprise by it. It really ended the story well and supported the HEA ending.

Rating: 4 stars