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The best chef wins…but their hearts could lose the prize.

Close to the Heat, Book 2

Chef Lee Solomon is so going down.

How dare he call a tow truck on Chef Ginger Danielle’s customers just because they might have been parked in front of his restaurant while dining at hers? So what if he’s gorgeous, successful, and a master of gourmet cuisine, it doesn’t mean he can do as he pleases.

When he suggests they settle their differences with an underground cooking competition, Ginger is all in. Her feel-good comfort food against his fancy fare? Game on!

Lee has tried to ignore how badly he wants to see Ginger in his bed, but he’s finished fighting it. Their antagonism—and their mutual lust—is at an all-time high; when it comes to this particular battle, he has no intention of losing. He’s set on seducing the petite chef, no matter what the cost to his profession.

But when it comes right down to it, his pride whispers that there can only be one winner. Does he give up the competition… or give up the girl?

Features a dirty talking chef, thousand-calorie recipes, and a very private menu of delicious seductions.

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2014

31 people want to read

About the author

Dee Carney

36 books235 followers
Dee is a best-selling, award winning author of erotic romances in the urban fantasy, paranormal and contemporary genres. She also writes erotica under the pen name, Morgan Sierra.

Dee began writing short stories in middle school, but did not attempt completion of a novel until almost ten years later—which despite good intentions was never finished. Almost ten additional years later, she challenged herself to begin writing again, and the love for storytelling was rekindled.

Dee lives in Florida with her two dogs. When not writing, she is usually curled up on the couch with a good book!

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for MaggieReadsRom.
956 reviews117 followers
August 28, 2014
4,25 stars

I love cooking shows and I love romance novels. So foodie romance is one of my fave sub genres within my romance reading. And Dee Carney is one of my go-to foodie romance authors.

I really enjoyed the verbal sparring and the sexual sparks between Ginger and Lee. I loved this book and it made me hungry. I wanted to cook and eat all the dishes mentioned and described. One thing kept rolling around in my mind though: I want to know what Lee wrote on the card accompanying the ginger bavarois he sent Ginger.

I loved the, albeit tiny, glimpses of Pepper (heroine of ONCE BURNED, book 1 in the series).I hope there's be a book for Max because I really think he deserved a nice, dirty chickie of his own.


Memorable Scene:
- the one with Lee feeding Ginger > sweet and sexy!

Favorite Quotes:
When Ginger managed to stop focusing on the individual components and take in the entirety of his face, an achingly long moment when her breath seemed to catch and her heart stuttered occurred all at once.
Yes. Girly parts did very dangerous things when around Lee.

Something in his gut tightened as her tongue extended to receive the lobster, her mouth then closing around the bamboo. Slowly, breath still held, he withdrew the chopsticks, flashes of fantasy mingling with reality, and he imagined those same lips wrapped around his favorite appendage.

Ginger groaned softly, inhaling deeply as she brought herself out of slumber. “Again? Don’t you ever get tired?”
He loved hearing the huskiness in her voice. The sleepy satisfaction deep within. “Can’t stop touching you.”
“Well,” she said, clearing her throat, “touch my shoulders all you want, but I think downstairs might be closed for repairs for another couple of hours, at least.”
Profile Image for Colette .
1,068 reviews98 followers
March 3, 2014
This novella broke my month long reading slump! It had everything I was looking for: It had chemistry, smoking hot love scenes, and parts that made me lol.

Cravings had a likable heroine in Ginger and an alpha male in Lee, the hero. These two were just great together. They had so much chemistry, and I was telling Ginger to just go for it in my head while I was reading it. I did like how even though there was sizzling heat between them, Ginger didn't give in right away, and told Lee why she had doubts about them hooking up together.

However, more then the sizzling chemistry between them I liked the food parts of the book. I wanted to try everything they were making! I was ravenous by the time I finished the book. I loved the food fighters competition that Lee got them involved in and how they each had to go a bit outside of their comfort zone to make new dishes.


Cravings was just short, sweet and mouth watering delicious. It's one book you'll want to savor. :) While this is a second book in a series, it works well as a stand alone. The heroine from the first book does make a cameo appearance, but it doesn't detract from the romance at hand. The only problem I had was that like most novellas, I wasn't ready for it to end when it did and I just wanted more!
Profile Image for Kathryn.
Author 32 books123 followers
March 12, 2014
3.5 stars

I enjoyed this novella as much as the preceding story. I loved the storyline of the battling chefs in the Chopped/Iron Chef competition and romantic tension that brackets it. Like other readers noted, I would loved to have seen a more extensive ending.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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