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A review by katemc7
Turning up the heat by Lizzy Hunter
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I find myself usually drawn to series versus standalone novels, but this one caught my eye when the ARC came up. I do enjoy reading books centered around food whether that is fiction or nonfiction. I am giving this book a solid 3.75 stars. I enjoyed the characters and the book but honestly not a lot happened in my opinion. It was pretty fast paced while slow at the same time and centered around the struggles and challenges of a long-distance relationship.
Kelsey Rankin left home after her grandma died 5 years ago. She has found herself doing her dream job which is writing all about food. She is headed home for the weekend and wants to peek in on the new chef her brother has partnered with at his winery. The new HOT chef that is who has moved to central CA from Denmark. Why has he moved? What drew him here? She meets him the first night and when he invites her to sit at the chef's table at his restaurant, she can't find the words to say no. Now she has spent a wonderful night with him but is headed home to San Fran with the unknown of what they are. There was definitely a connection but no label yet.
Fast forward to them being official and Kelsey is finding herself being pulled more and more towards moving home. She has friends and a job she loves but there is more for her at home right? But she shouldn't just move across the state for her BF she has only been with a few months...that is too fast right? But will he wait around if she doesn't give him any indication she wants to be home?
I liked both of these characters. They both had their own things. Kelsey seemed to be afraid of commitment in the sense that she didn't want to feel as though she was putting her career on hold for someone. Oskar was working towards establishing himself and his restaurant so his roots were being planted. He knows what he wants and that is Kelsey in his bed as his wife. He wants to be able to cook her the perfect eggs and wake up to her in the mornings. The struggles were real. There were phone fights and surprise visits and dinners where they missed each other, but ultimately they knew what they wanted which was each other. Everything moved pretty fast but realistically. The spicy scenes were pretty constant bit more closed door or peaks than full descriptions. I do wonder if this will turn into a series- there was some potential with other characters but I guess we shall see.
Kelsey Rankin left home after her grandma died 5 years ago. She has found herself doing her dream job which is writing all about food. She is headed home for the weekend and wants to peek in on the new chef her brother has partnered with at his winery. The new HOT chef that is who has moved to central CA from Denmark. Why has he moved? What drew him here? She meets him the first night and when he invites her to sit at the chef's table at his restaurant, she can't find the words to say no. Now she has spent a wonderful night with him but is headed home to San Fran with the unknown of what they are. There was definitely a connection but no label yet.
Fast forward to them being official and Kelsey is finding herself being pulled more and more towards moving home. She has friends and a job she loves but there is more for her at home right? But she shouldn't just move across the state for her BF she has only been with a few months...that is too fast right? But will he wait around if she doesn't give him any indication she wants to be home?
I liked both of these characters. They both had their own things. Kelsey seemed to be afraid of commitment in the sense that she didn't want to feel as though she was putting her career on hold for someone. Oskar was working towards establishing himself and his restaurant so his roots were being planted. He knows what he wants and that is Kelsey in his bed as his wife. He wants to be able to cook her the perfect eggs and wake up to her in the mornings. The struggles were real. There were phone fights and surprise visits and dinners where they missed each other, but ultimately they knew what they wanted which was each other. Everything moved pretty fast but realistically. The spicy scenes were pretty constant bit more closed door or peaks than full descriptions. I do wonder if this will turn into a series- there was some potential with other characters but I guess we shall see.