The knives (and forks) are out in Victoria Brownlee’s new novel Eat Your Heart Out, which blends romance, comedy, and a hearty splash of mystery to create one delicious dish. Drawing from her own career as an international food writer and critic, she’s cooked up some fascinating characters, gorgeous environments and an engaging tale. Though it’s certainly not without its flaws, it is enough to leave most readers satisfied.
Our protagonist, Chloe, is a bit of a romantic – at the novel’s beginning we find her living it up in Paris, writing her own food blog. It’s rewarding, but not taking off, so between outings she’s been working a boring day job and fielding off her family’s requests to come back home to Tasmania and get a real job already.
All that changes when she’s brought to a tiny gathering of her fellow food critics and invited to participate in a competition between them to secure a job writing for the controversial celebrity chef Carla Duris. Under those circumstances, what could she say but yes? Especially when she meets one of the other participants, magazine writer Henri. He’s privileged and arrogant but, unfortunately, also undeniably handsome.
Once the group travels to Carla’s private villa – set in the gorgeous French countryside – and the competition begins, things start to get weird fast. From challenges completely unrelated to writing to the rare appearances of the woman instigating it all, the whole scheme is veiled in mystery, and it quickly becomes clear that our little group don’t know what’s really going on. Against this backdrop of intrigue, suspicion, and mouth-watering French food, Chloe gets to know her fellow competitors. Her attraction to Henri – and his attraction to her – are becoming an obstacle to their success, and all the while she wonders just how far she can trust him.
The unusual set-up of Eat Your Heart Out is deliciously intriguing on its own, and the fast-paced way it’s told just heats it up even more. For a romcom, there’s a lot more going on than just the romantic feelings of the leads. On it’s own, Chloe and Henri’s budding relationship (and the antagonism that comes with it at times) is perfectly palatable; but, it’s the setting and the scenario that gives it enough flavour to really make the novel shine. It’s a really engaging story, with a plot and characters that make you want to devour it in the largest portions possible. The food and setting are lovingly described (without weighing the novel down with superfluous text), and more than once it had me wanting to try a mentioned dish. That or jet away to Paris myself.
Brownlee has said many of the characters in the novel were inspired by those she met as a food writer – both in terms of the rival food writers and the controversial chef Carla Duris. At the centre of the novel, alongside the romance and mystery, is a discussion of the way we put chefs in the limelight (or tear it away from them), ignoring or excusing away any negative traits they may carry. Though I wouldn’t say this novel is a discussion purely on that point, it certainly is the case that our characters are swept up by Carla’s fame and fortune and reap the consequences of their starstruck states. The sharpness and cruelty it hides behind the beauty gives every moment a slight tension, where you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
As much as I loved the intrigue of this story’s set-up, I found its follow through to be a little lacking at times. There were a lot of good elements, a lot of questions posed with the implication of concerning answers, and of course a cast of rivals who could at any moment betray each other. For the most part it was exciting, if a tad predictable on the overarching motion. But, when the chips came down it wasn’t as crazy as I found myself hoping for. Some of the questions that drove the novel forward weren’t even really answered, and it was frustrating. I still had a fun time – and given I read horror and murder mystery novels my sense of ‘messed up’ is probably rather skewed – but it left me wanting a little more. Additional spice, more bold flavours, if you will.
Eat Your Heart Out is delightful. It’s one of those books that you sit down to enjoy a chapter or two of, then find yourself already halfway through (which was certainly my experience). Intriguing and sharp underneath the beautifully polished surface, it has a ruthless undercurrent that makes it no ordinary rom-com despite the sweet and witty relationship at its centre. Its flaws left me a little frustrated, but that was just because the rest of the book was so much fun to read. If you’re willing to look past them, you’ll find it a wonderfully fun novel with enough twists and turns to keep you entertained.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Eat Your Heart Out by Victoria Brownlee is available now from Affirm Press. Get your copy from your local bookstore HERE.
