You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO comes from Jill who wants to find this contemporary romance:
This is a long shot because I remember so little and it’s not terribly searchable with what I have, but any help is appreciated from the SBTB community!
What I remember about this contemporary, hetero romance novel is this:
– the hero speaks another language fluently, I’m pretty sure it’s Spanish
– both hero and heroine are a bit commitment phobic and view this as strictly a fling/something without labels
– the turning point of their relationship is when they go to a restaurant, eat paella, drink wine and dance. The heroine is impressed by the hero’s ability to speak Spanish(?) to the owner of the restaurant, who knows him as a regular.
– after the paella, they have sex in a walled garden/back patio area of the restaurant against a wall
– when they’re boning, the heroine asks the hero to speak the other language to her, which he does, and the author does not provide a translation. He also doesn’t explain the meaning after. The Google translation is roughly about her belonging to him.
– the novel is NOT set in Spain, I’m pretty sure it’s set in America somewhere.
– It’s possible the guy’s name is Simon.
Typing this out I feel bonkers but I swear it happened! Please help!
Sound familiar to anyone?
Start Me Up
by
Victoria Dahl
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Who can take a sunrise (who can take a sunrise)
Sprinkle it with dew (sprinkle it with dew)
Cover it with saffron and a miracle or two?
The Paella Man (the Paella Man)
Oh, the Paella Man can (the Paella Man can)
The Paella Man can ’cause he mixes it with love
And makes the world taste good (makes the world taste good)….
With a big nod to Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley who wrote The Candy Man.
@Kareni: You need to add a line about having plenty of money—‘cos that saffron ain’t cheap!
@DDD, too true. Over $10,000 per kilo…yikes!
I had a really good paella in Spain once, unfortunately there was no fun times in a walled garden afterwards, we were up in the hills and it was February. There was plenty of sangria though, always a plus.
maybe Wallbanger by Alice Clayton? It has antagonists-to-lovers and a trip to Spain…
Hope you find it!
Oh! AND the Wallbanger protagonist is named Simon, I just checked.
Have I done it? HAVE I HELPED A BITCH OUT??? Please say yes, it is my dream to solve one of these for somebody.
I’m sorry it’s not Wallbanger! (That’s a favourite but I own it already and I’m super familiar with it.)
Jill, you’ve broken my heart. There is a hole in my soul that can only be filled with paella.
No! I remain undeterred. How about this one: Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl? There’s a best friend’s older brother trope, and the heroine never got to travel so he takes her to a great Spanish restaurant (they live in Colorado) and have paella and afterwards they have a hot encounter in the alley outside and he speaks Spanish to her. He isn’t named Simon, though.
Seconding Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl. The restaurant and post-restaurant sex in the alley scene sound right.
Oh my god that was it!!!!!! You guys are amazing – headed for a re-read of Start Me Up!
What does it say about your reading habits if you’ve read this book, but didn’t remember the sex in the restaurant courtyard scene until after the HABO was answered? Asking for a friend…
YES! I DID IT! I can now evolve to my final form: Wise Crone!
I grow my own saffron–it’s a fall blooming crocus.