Review: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci

Guilia Melucci woos her boyfriends in the kitchen, having taken as her own the old chestnut that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. This is a collection of her failed relationships and the recipes that were inspired by the men in her past. Each chapter is about one significant man in her past (there are a few exceptions that are boyfriend-less) and what happened in the relationship, from start to finish. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are the recipes Melucci cooks or creates for and with her boyfriends.

The tone is fairly light throughout this book, making this a very easy read. The recipes sound scrumptious and if I can't have Melucci cook them for me (not only am I married, but I am not male so ineligible for boyfriend status), I suppose I will have to try them myself. The fact that the recipes are scattered smack in the narrative, as soon as they are mentioned, is distracting and interrupts the flow of each relationship, but once the reader adjusts to that (or simply puts the recipe on hold until the chapter has otherwise concluded as I did), the chapters cook along. Clearly writing about what happened in each relationship has helped Melucci gain some perspective on why none of her previous boyfriends was "the one" but this is more than just a therapeutic work. It's entertaining and fun, fluffy and delicious. I don't wish Melucci never finds the man of her dreams but I wouldn't mind reading more of her writings. Perhaps finding lasting love would add a new depth to her next book. This was a cute premise, nicely written, and if the ending is a little unfinished, that is probably because Melucci is still out there cooking and looking for Mr. Right.

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