Ali Rosen, culinary expert and author, has joined us to give her book recommendations for fans of The Bear, offering a delectable array of literary treats. With her keen insight and love of the show, Rosen curated a selection of romance reads (with a little less emotional damage) that are sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you wishing for one more bite of these sweet and spicy food-centered love stories.

Alternate Endings by Ali Rosen

From the bestselling author of Recipe for Second Chances comes a fresh and sexy romance about Beatrice Leal, a single mother and career woman. While navigating the complexities of her divorce and raising her six-year-old, Bea’s work takes her to Ireland, where she encounters unexpected challenges, including a reunion with her old flame, Jack Sander. As Bea and Jack’s rekindled romance grows, Bea begins to question whether happiness requires a perfectly ordered life.

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It’s hard not to fall in love with The Bear’s deeply emotional portrayal of life in restaurants. But without a happy ending (yet!) we might want some books that give us the chef life without quite as much angst in the mix. So here’s 10 romances with food at the center to tide you over until we get our fix with a new season.

Savor It

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

A burned out chef who moves to a small town after flaming out at his New York City Michelin star restaurant? It’s like The Bear in mirror form. Except in this version we get all the sweetness of slowing down and learning how to savor things.

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Till There Was You by Lindsay Hamerof

A weekend fling between a musician and a culinary student turns into something larger when his song about her blueberry pancakes becomes a giant hit. But right when she’s hitting her stride as a restaurant chef, he comes back into her life wanting more than just pancakes.

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Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer

A rival baker goes undercover at his nemesis’ bakery – begrudgingly to steal a famous babka recipe – and he gets a bit more than he bargained for when he falls in love with a member of the family he’s been raised to hate.

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Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

When a famous actor takes lessons from a baker before he heads off to do a celebrity baking show, there’s more that starts cooking than just donuts.

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Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni

Who could’ve imagined food packaging could be this sexy? But this story of two Armenian-American women who meet and hit it off only to discover their families are packaging rivals, is much more fun, spicy and tender than the setting would have you believe.

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Recipe for Second Chances by Ali Rosen

A recipe writer is losing her mojo when she takes a break for a friend’s wedding in Italy, only to discover her ex is also in attendance. Can she find inspiration again in a magical weekend?

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Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall

A baking show gets personal as one woman must face competition while also dodging the potential pitfalls of romantic entanglements. As the show goes on though, she starts to realize maybe she’s been looking in all the wrong places.

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Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

What’s better than a book with a chef? A book with a chef on a yacht! This story of long-term loves who could never get it right is sexy, fun, and definitely will make you hungry.

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Mickey Chambers Shakes it Up by Charish Reid

When a grumpy bar owner accidentally hires his teacher, they’ll mix so much more than drinks together. But the stress of running a business can maybe be changed by the optimism of his newest employee, even if their positions as boss and teacher make romance seem impossible.

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Mangoes and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera

If you like a bit of Christmas in the summer, then look no further. A holiday baking competition in Scotland leads to inevitable sparks between unwitting baking partners, in a spicy novella to get back to the most wonderful time of the year.

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