first published in the Brisbane Courier-Mail 2 November 2007
Sometimes, with all the fighting for recognition and the battling for position on the literary ladder and the clashing against unfair stereotypes, we lose sight of one of the most important reasons that we continue reading.
It’s fun. Romance is a celebration of the good things in life, of laughter, of hope, and of love. It’s a happy ending in a world that seems driven by misery.
Here in Australia, a group of romance writers decided to add that celebration to one almost equally as compelling: food.
Sizzle, Seduce and Simmer is a collection of romantic short stories paired with recipes, writtenb by the biggest and best names in Australian romances.
According to Marion Lennox, the driving force behind the anthology, the idea came over a long lunch in Melbourne. It grew and grew, spread out through the Melbourne Mob, and into the wider world. The collection now incorporates authors from all over Australia and New Zealand. In fact, they ran out of pages before they ran out of friends, so a second volume is already being considered.
The stories are all new and all incorporate food in some way or another. Sometimes the food plays an incidental role, sometimes it’s a catalyst, sometimes it’s almost a character of its own.
The recipes have been renamed to reflect the themes of the anthology. They all look delicious, but I’m particularly looking forward to trying Ally Blake’s Fettucine by Candlelight, Vivienne Wallington’s Chocolate Temptation, and who could resist, with summer finally making its appearance, Maxine Sullivan’s Passionate Pina Colada Fruit Dip?
There are characters and plots, of course, apart from the sumptuous meals, and some truly delightful stories. Some of my favourites in the anthology include Marion Lennox’s An Irresistible Desire about a long time crush, Life, Lust and the Dog from Meredith Webber about a surprising lesson, and Mulberry Kisses from Amy Andrews.
Not all of the stories are traditional romances. For some heart-warming reminders of the best times in life, try Sunday Morning Sushi from Kelley Hunter about a very special Mother’s Day, and Rising with the Heat from Carol Marinelli about recognising your own value.
And those who like a little chill with their thrills would be well to turn directly to Best Friends from Emma Darcy.
The best thing about this collection, though, is the pervasive sense of warmth. From the introduction to the last recipe, there’s a sense of joy in the writing, of friendship. Lennox writes in the introduction, ‘The Australian Romance Community is one of the closest knit of any literary genre.’ And we readers are very lucky for it.
