Review Repost: Can’t Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards (Series Read August 2011) ( Rating 4.25 Wine Glasses)

From Goodreads: For sharp-tongued food critic Miranda Wake, the chance to spend a month in Adam Temple’s kitchen to write an exposé is a journalistic dream come true. Surely Miranda can find a way to cut the hotshot chef down to size once she learns what really goes on at his trendy Manhattan restaurant. But she never expected Adam to find out her most embarrassing secret: she has no idea how to cook.


Adam’s not about to have his reputation burned by a critic who doesn’t even know the difference between poaching and paring.  He’ll just have to give the tempting redhead a few private lessons of his own—teaching her what it means to cook with passion…and doing more with his hands than simply preparing sumptuous food.

 
Bought from Amazon
Overall Rating 4.25
Character Rating 4.50
Story Rating 4.00
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(Until 8/1/11 on kindle/nook the book is 2.99)

Note: This is part of my series read for Aug 2011. I really enjoyed this book, dare I say it, even more than the first time I read it! Very enjoyable contemporary romance that sizzles!

What I Loved: Characters, Characters, Characters! Let me explain: Frankie, Jess, Wes, Devon, Market (yes a restaurant but is a character in its own right), and of course Miranda and Adam are what made this book a fantastic read. Each in their own way brought something to the overall story. There is something about a journalist in the kitchen that can throw everyone in a tizzy but made Can’t Stand the Heat a fun (though sometimes very emotional) read. There were a couple of lessons in this book: don’t judge a person by their appearance and sometimes things happen outside your control–the most you can do is try to make it right.

What I Liked: This was a fantastic look into the world of running a kitchen and how much like a family it needs to be in order to be successful. It was also a great look at NY restaurant culture: farmers market, after hour clubs, etc. While I am sure it just skimmed the surface it was fun to look into that world.

Complaints: Just that the end was wrapped up quickly but I think that also says a lot of about the power of forgiveness. So I guess there are none 🙂

Why I gave it a 4.25: I enjoyed this book and the glimpse into the restaurant world. As a food network junkie (and yep I know this is work of fiction), I couldn’t help but cast my favorite chefs in some of these roles. That made it into an even more fun read.

Who I would recommend it too: Contemporary Romance Readers

Author Website: http://www.louisaedwards.com/

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