Monica McInerney- A Taste For It (2006)
Maura Carmody is a headstrong, talented chef who runs a charming little restaurant and winery with her brother in Adelaide’s Lorikeet Hill. When the opportunity arises for Maura to travel to Ireland for four weeks promoting Australian wines and food, Maura takes on the challenge with a newfound confidence. Not only will she get to promote Lorikeet Hill but she will also co-run a 3 week cooking school for budding chefs.To Maura’s dismay, a case of mistaken identity evolves from a restaurant prank and she fights to revive her tainted reputation in the unfamiliar lands of Ireland. When she meets Dominic Hanrahan a publishing businessman who seems firmly attached to a withering young Carla, she becomes involved in a series of misunderstandings which challenge her sense of identity.After three years of single living, Maura endeavours to move on from the emotionally abusive relationship she escaped from and regain trust in the opposite sex.Apart from romance, Maura also searches to uncover the mystery of her mother’s early life in Ireland, revels in her expanding family and fights an Australian bushfire. I loved this story, from the charm of the little Australian town to the quirky personalities in Ireland; Monica McInerney kept me turning the pages until the very end. An excellent read!
