Hot & Cold

Willow Brothers #2

by Jia West

A Cozy & Sweet Friends to Lovers BWWM Interracial Romance

Kiah never meant to fall for her brooding friend and emotionally unavailable boss, Jason—but one steamy night blurred every line they’d drawn between friendship and desire. Now, working side-by-side at the Willow Lodge Bar & Grill feels like walking on fire and ice, especially when jealousy, and their drunken night together threatens to burn it all down. Hot & Cold is a short but slow-simmering, swoon-worthy BWWM romance about friendship, forbidden tension, and the one night that changed everything.

❤️ African American Woman/White Man Interracial Romance
💙 Dual POV
❤️ Lots of yearning & angst
💙 Strong FMC
❤️ HEA
💙 Epilogue Included
❤️ Under 100 pages. A perfect short read for in between longer works!

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2025

About the author

Jia West is an short romance author, coffee addict and self-indulgent introvert who's only happy when it rains.

If you enjoy reading spicy & sweet interracial romance that feature relatable black women of all different shades and sizes and brooding protective hunks, then you're going to fall in love with Jia's little bites of love!

Jia's stories are perfect to read whenever you need a quick pick me up or romantic snack before bed!

Cozy Readings!

Reviews

[The Bourbon-Sipping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Settle into your favorite armchair with a glass of good bourbon, because Jia West’s Hot & Cold is the kind of short and sweet romance that goes down easy. This novella is the literary equivalent of a smooth sipper—it's over before you know it, but it leaves you feeling warm and satisfied.

We’ve got Kiah, a sharp-witted bartender, and her emotionally distant boss, Jason. Their whole "friends-to-lovers" thing is a classic for a reason, but West pours it just right. One steamy night blurs all the lines, and the rest of the book is a delightful slow burn of simmering tension and unspoken feelings. You can practically feel the heat and the frost coming off of these two as they navigate their new, awkward reality.

With a dual point-of-view, we get to be a fly on the wall for both Kiah's and Jason's internal monologues, watching them fumble their way back to each other. Yes, it’s a quick read, but the journey to their happily ever after is a neat shot of swoon-worthy romance. Perfect for when you want a little something to tide you over between heavier pours.

Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Spice Level: 2 out of 5

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than friends - Jason shoots his shot when Kiah is stood up by her date. He never thought his friend liked him like that, her dates always African-American men of some status. She liked him all right, their steamy encounter running through both of their minds constantly in the following days. But she gets scared, doubting his feelings. They both try to date others, but it's no use. It's only when he puts his heart on the line, determined to win her hand, that she wises up and grabs hold of him tight. A cute tale with Jason capturing the heart of his sassy bartender. The AI narrator didn't take much from the story.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was really cute.

Meet small town MMC lodge owner Jason who was secretly pining after FMC bartender Kiah for five years.

The storyline was cute and had great points. I don't expect a ton of backstory and details with short stories but was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of an epilogue, which set the tone for the next book in the series.

I found this book in my suggestions on KU and will circle back to read book 1 of the Willow Brothers series.

[T Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends to Lovers Good But Characters Are a Bit Thinly Developed

Kiah and Jason lose control one night and change their relationship forever. It’s a good short romance, but this reader was left wanting. What were these two really about? Why is Kiah so caught up in checking off boxes? How did the misunderstanding fall to one MC, but not the other? Another few pages in key places would have more fully fleshed them out.

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Cute

Kiah and Jason's story is one of few friends to lovers book that I've really enjoyed. I enjoyed the tension of them trying to pretend their night together nothing to them when in reality it meant everything and it changed their dynamic forever. Very very interesting highly recommend. I can't wait for Phoenix's book.

[Ejatu Bah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this one in the series. I do feel as though that this book could have been a full one, just like the first book in the series. I would love the whole series to be a movie series. Kiah and Jason were a great read.

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

This one was good. I enjoyed there banter, this just seemed real. Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

[Keisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaaaaawwwwwwwwww!!!

I docked 1 star because it's a short story!! I wanted morreeeee!! I don't usually read novellas but this one was good!! Short and sweet with an HEA ending!!