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In the Kitchen #2
Tocco da chef
Sono passati molti anni dalla loro breve liaison, ma nessuno dei due ha dimenticato quanto la loro intesa fosse perfetta. Ora Jamie è un famoso e richiestissimo chef, mentre la carriera di Ethan è stata più lenta, anche se piena di soddisfazioni, visto che gli ha consentito di lavorare in un raffinato ristorante di Seattle che spera un giorno di poter rilevare. Alla sua felicità però manca qualcosa... qualcosa che solo Jamie, con il suo tocco sensuale e sapiente, è capace di dargli...
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2014
About the author
Nikka Michaels
19 books43 followersNikka Michaels lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest where she spends her time cooking, laughing and crafting romantic tales to satisfy her craving for HEAs with heat. A voracious reader, novice knitter and music lover she’s been known to multitask without breaking a sweat. She believes everyone deserves a love story.
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October 12, 2018Price drop at the zon.com right now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
October 9, 2014
3.5 stars
The first book in this series – In the Raw – which covered how young Ethan and Jamie (they were in their 20’s) met and first becoming boyfriend ended with neither HFN nor HEA. It influenced my reading and rating experience. When I saw this book being offered by Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I wanted my HEA damn it! So yes, I came to this book with expectation.
I was slightly surprised when I first read the blurb that eight years had passed since book 1. It also gave us clues that the long distance relationship didn’t work. I was slightly giddy with this fact, actually. What can I say “the one that got away / second chances” is (and always be) my favorite romance trope. And this one fell into that situation.
Now, because I could nitpicky (apologize to the authors), I had few critiques about this story. Several things in here were so predictable … from the outside factor that helped Ethan and Jamie separated (Ethan and I agreed about that, by the way, I could see the real reason MILLIONS miles away) to the culprit behind the problems that happened at Sharpe’s on Fifth (Really, no twist about it at all? None?). Nothing wrong with that but predictability could be less satisfying.
And one major pet peeve of mine? The solo-shower jerk-off Ethan did while imagining Jamie ... yeah, he did that too in the first book. See, I’ve read THOUSANDS of MM stories over the past 5-6 years. Yes, THOUSANDS. Novel, novella, short stories … So let’s just say that particular scene, for me, was overdone. No matter how short the scene is, like only three paragraphs, I just don’t see the point, okay? It’s not like the scene is a mandatory thing in MM romance, right?
Anyway, personal niggles done ... in overall, I definitely enjoyed this second book BETTER. One thing, it had the HEA I wanted. I felt that both Ethan and Jamie matured up compared to their young self. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Ethan still had TEMPER and man, he could be a REAL jackass – he still acted like so few times in this book – but at the same time, Ethan showed his kindness (like taking Tyler, a young man who was thrown out by his family, under his wing) and leadership when it came to his crews.
I could understand his fear because the break up was really bad and deep down, I felt that Ethan still saw Jamie as the Golden Boy, who was out of his league. Eight years had passed and Jamie was still running in different circle, a very famous chef with his own cookbooks, being invited on TV shows and such. So when pushed, he attacked and becoming sarcastic, because that was Ethan’s way. But Ethan also learned from his years of separation with Jamie, that he loved the man still, and he needed to change things, like listened to reasons and not running away all the time.
Meanwhile Jamie, whom I admired better in the first book compared to Ethan, still impressed me here. Sure, Jamie made a mistake that first time for not sharing his loneliness feeling to his boyfriend and trusting his best friend better over Ethan, but hey, they were young, and not like Ethan fought harder for it as well. I liked that this time Jamie was more determined than ever to confront his ex-lover. That he refused to let Ethan ran away again from the possibility of them being together. I really liked him for that. I also liked how Jamie dealt with his best friend, Trevor.
I had few other things to say about the secondary characters ... Claire was still as supportive sister as ever though sometimes she barged in at wrong times (LOL), Tyler was an excellent additional character; his back-story might be one of the most commonly used in MM romance too but there is a reason why hurt/comfort trope IS popular. I hoped Tyler would get his own story and happy ending. Then there was Trevor ... he was ... interesting. At first I thought he would be portrayed as straight-up “villain” but then he wasn’t. I loved (and approved) what the authors did to Trevor as character. I always enjoy characters with shades of grey. And I‘d love to see Trevor in his own story too...
The ending was sweet and it made me smile. I know for sure that despite Ethan and Jamie competing in the kitchen, or despite arguments that they might still have, the two of them are solid. That Ethan and Jamie have learned the pain of breaking up, so this time they will tackle anything come their way better this time.
The review is based on ADVANCED UNCORRECTED PROOFS provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required. I assume any error will be edited and cleaned for the published version.
The first book in this series – In the Raw – which covered how young Ethan and Jamie (they were in their 20’s) met and first becoming boyfriend ended with neither HFN nor HEA. It influenced my reading and rating experience. When I saw this book being offered by Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I wanted my HEA damn it! So yes, I came to this book with expectation.
I was slightly surprised when I first read the blurb that eight years had passed since book 1. It also gave us clues that the long distance relationship didn’t work. I was slightly giddy with this fact, actually. What can I say “the one that got away / second chances” is (and always be) my favorite romance trope. And this one fell into that situation.
Now, because I could nitpicky (apologize to the authors), I had few critiques about this story. Several things in here were so predictable … from the outside factor that helped Ethan and Jamie separated (Ethan and I agreed about that, by the way, I could see the real reason MILLIONS miles away) to the culprit behind the problems that happened at Sharpe’s on Fifth (Really, no twist about it at all? None?). Nothing wrong with that but predictability could be less satisfying.
And one major pet peeve of mine? The solo-shower jerk-off Ethan did while imagining Jamie ... yeah, he did that too in the first book. See, I’ve read THOUSANDS of MM stories over the past 5-6 years. Yes, THOUSANDS. Novel, novella, short stories … So let’s just say that particular scene, for me, was overdone. No matter how short the scene is, like only three paragraphs, I just don’t see the point, okay? It’s not like the scene is a mandatory thing in MM romance, right?
Anyway, personal niggles done ... in overall, I definitely enjoyed this second book BETTER. One thing, it had the HEA I wanted. I felt that both Ethan and Jamie matured up compared to their young self. Oh, don’t get me wrong, Ethan still had TEMPER and man, he could be a REAL jackass – he still acted like so few times in this book – but at the same time, Ethan showed his kindness (like taking Tyler, a young man who was thrown out by his family, under his wing) and leadership when it came to his crews.
I could understand his fear because the break up was really bad and deep down, I felt that Ethan still saw Jamie as the Golden Boy, who was out of his league. Eight years had passed and Jamie was still running in different circle, a very famous chef with his own cookbooks, being invited on TV shows and such. So when pushed, he attacked and becoming sarcastic, because that was Ethan’s way. But Ethan also learned from his years of separation with Jamie, that he loved the man still, and he needed to change things, like listened to reasons and not running away all the time.
Meanwhile Jamie, whom I admired better in the first book compared to Ethan, still impressed me here. Sure, Jamie made a mistake that first time for not sharing his loneliness feeling to his boyfriend and trusting his best friend better over Ethan, but hey, they were young, and not like Ethan fought harder for it as well. I liked that this time Jamie was more determined than ever to confront his ex-lover. That he refused to let Ethan ran away again from the possibility of them being together. I really liked him for that. I also liked how Jamie dealt with his best friend, Trevor.
I had few other things to say about the secondary characters ... Claire was still as supportive sister as ever though sometimes she barged in at wrong times (LOL), Tyler was an excellent additional character; his back-story might be one of the most commonly used in MM romance too but there is a reason why hurt/comfort trope IS popular. I hoped Tyler would get his own story and happy ending. Then there was Trevor ... he was ... interesting. At first I thought he would be portrayed as straight-up “villain” but then he wasn’t. I loved (and approved) what the authors did to Trevor as character. I always enjoy characters with shades of grey. And I‘d love to see Trevor in his own story too...
The ending was sweet and it made me smile. I know for sure that despite Ethan and Jamie competing in the kitchen, or despite arguments that they might still have, the two of them are solid. That Ethan and Jamie have learned the pain of breaking up, so this time they will tackle anything come their way better this time.
The review is based on ADVANCED UNCORRECTED PROOFS provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required. I assume any error will be edited and cleaned for the published version.
June 2, 2017
Voto: 3.5 stelline
Questo secondo libro della trilogia è un seguito carino. Indubbiamente è stato piacevole da leggere, ma devo dire che mi ha coinvolta meno del primo libro.
Ritroviamo Ethan e Jamie quasi nove anni dopo il loro addio in aeroporto e le loro vite sono andate avanti su binari molto diversi, per quanto – sotto sotto – non si siano mai dimenticati del tutto, anche se non si sono mai rivisti.
È finalmente tempo di ritrovarsi, di fare i conti col passato, con gli sbagli dell’uno e dell’altro, di fare chiarezza sulle incomprensioni, le gelosie, e molto altro.
Mentre Jamie è all’apice del successo, Ethan sta ancora economicamente arrancando per realizzare il suo sogno e in questo volume leggeremo diverse traversie che lo riguardano. Ho apprezzato che le autrici non abbiano scelto la via più ovvia, per risolvere i suoi problemi (non vi dirò quali, per non spoilerare nulla).
Mi è piaciuto ritrovare Claire e Chef B, perché arricchiscono la trama. Anche Trevor, che all’inizio mi era parecchio antipatico, si riscatta come personaggio e ora sono curiosa di leggere il prossimo libro che lo vede come protagonista.
Questo secondo libro della trilogia è un seguito carino. Indubbiamente è stato piacevole da leggere, ma devo dire che mi ha coinvolta meno del primo libro.
Ritroviamo Ethan e Jamie quasi nove anni dopo il loro addio in aeroporto e le loro vite sono andate avanti su binari molto diversi, per quanto – sotto sotto – non si siano mai dimenticati del tutto, anche se non si sono mai rivisti.
È finalmente tempo di ritrovarsi, di fare i conti col passato, con gli sbagli dell’uno e dell’altro, di fare chiarezza sulle incomprensioni, le gelosie, e molto altro.
Mentre Jamie è all’apice del successo, Ethan sta ancora economicamente arrancando per realizzare il suo sogno e in questo volume leggeremo diverse traversie che lo riguardano. Ho apprezzato che le autrici non abbiano scelto la via più ovvia, per risolvere i suoi problemi (non vi dirò quali, per non spoilerare nulla).
Mi è piaciuto ritrovare Claire e Chef B, perché arricchiscono la trama. Anche Trevor, che all’inizio mi era parecchio antipatico, si riscatta come personaggio e ora sono curiosa di leggere il prossimo libro che lo vede come protagonista.
October 12, 2015
4.0 Glorious Stars
Whoa, that was a wicked ride. I was caught off-guard to learn how much time had passed since book 1. Eight. Years. WTF guys?!? How bad could they have screwed the pooch? Pretty bad, I'd say.
Nonetheless, the chemistry was still there and I found myself rooting for the MCs once more. Though I confess, I was f*cking irritated on behalf of Ethan at Jamie for all of the manipulation. Despite all his asshattery, it all worked out nicely in the end.
Bottom line: I read this in one sitting, which counts for something in my book. The Bistro 30 family has fast become one of my faves!
Whoa, that was a wicked ride. I was caught off-guard to learn how much time had passed since book 1. Eight. Years. WTF guys?!? How bad could they have screwed the pooch? Pretty bad, I'd say.
Nonetheless, the chemistry was still there and I found myself rooting for the MCs once more. Though I confess, I was f*cking irritated on behalf of Ethan at Jamie for all of the manipulation. Despite all his asshattery, it all worked out nicely in the end.
Bottom line: I read this in one sitting, which counts for something in my book. The Bistro 30 family has fast become one of my faves!
October 1, 2014
This book start roughly 8 years after the end of In the Raw…and apparently a lot has happened between when Jamie went of to Paris, and where we open the story here.
It turns out that the city of love was not so kind to our two lovers. Time, distance, and the influence of a ‘friend’ has torn the two apart, and eight years later they are still bleeding from the wounds. Jamie is rich and famous, but he is also burning out in his career as celebrity chef. Ethan has spent the last eight years working his ass off to buy the restaurant where he is head chef, and he is so close he can almost taste it–-except someone seems to be sabotaging all his hard work. And while both men have tried to move on from the relationship that seemed burnt to ash all those years ago, no one ever seems to measure up.
When they are thrown together by fate at an awards ceremony both men balk at even meeting each other, but they also cannot seem to fight the pull between them any more than they could eight years ago. That it all quickly goes up in flames, though, is pretty much a given. The spark between them is still there, but here is also too much anger between them. Too much guilt, too much regret. And way too many secrets. Before they can even begin to heal, they fracture all over again.
But perhaps this time there is something different. Because perhaps this time they are willing to fight for each other, instead of just with. And maybe, just maybe, they can find that when they fight side by side, they can conquer anything…even their own stubbornness.
I tend to dislike when love stories unravel between books. It is just frustrating to come to a new book and see that so much shit has gone down while I wasn’t around to watch it happen. So I probably wasn’t in the best frame of mind to start this book. But I quickly fell into this one, and while I was angry that they let themselves fall apart so completely while I was away, I was enjoying watching them put themselves back together.
And when I wasn’t exactly enjoying it, I was visualizing punching Trustfund–-or Trevor the meddling asshole–-in the face. So that made me feel a little better. I do feel better about this douche by the end of the book–or at least understand why he did what he did–-but I still feel that what he did to the two in the beginning, and in Paris, was horrible. And I really wanted to punch him…just maybe not has hard?
This book was very well written, and I’m glad to see that I didn’t have nearly as much of a problem remembering which one was Ethan and which one was Jamie, like I did in the first book. It definitely made the book go by much faster. And while there were some parts that frustrated me to no ends (Jamie’s father and his slimeball sidekick) I found myself enjoying the tension. Mostly. It helped that all the tension between Jamie and Ethan led to some rather hot sex.
And this book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, so I was able to walk away with happy feelings all round. Not that I wouldn’t mind another book, if there is ever one to be read, but I feel comfortable leaving this here where it is. Still…if the authors were to write a book about Tyler, I wouldn’t say no…and would probably say thank you very much!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
It turns out that the city of love was not so kind to our two lovers. Time, distance, and the influence of a ‘friend’ has torn the two apart, and eight years later they are still bleeding from the wounds. Jamie is rich and famous, but he is also burning out in his career as celebrity chef. Ethan has spent the last eight years working his ass off to buy the restaurant where he is head chef, and he is so close he can almost taste it–-except someone seems to be sabotaging all his hard work. And while both men have tried to move on from the relationship that seemed burnt to ash all those years ago, no one ever seems to measure up.
When they are thrown together by fate at an awards ceremony both men balk at even meeting each other, but they also cannot seem to fight the pull between them any more than they could eight years ago. That it all quickly goes up in flames, though, is pretty much a given. The spark between them is still there, but here is also too much anger between them. Too much guilt, too much regret. And way too many secrets. Before they can even begin to heal, they fracture all over again.
But perhaps this time there is something different. Because perhaps this time they are willing to fight for each other, instead of just with. And maybe, just maybe, they can find that when they fight side by side, they can conquer anything…even their own stubbornness.
I tend to dislike when love stories unravel between books. It is just frustrating to come to a new book and see that so much shit has gone down while I wasn’t around to watch it happen. So I probably wasn’t in the best frame of mind to start this book. But I quickly fell into this one, and while I was angry that they let themselves fall apart so completely while I was away, I was enjoying watching them put themselves back together.
And when I wasn’t exactly enjoying it, I was visualizing punching Trustfund–-or Trevor the meddling asshole–-in the face. So that made me feel a little better. I do feel better about this douche by the end of the book–or at least understand why he did what he did–-but I still feel that what he did to the two in the beginning, and in Paris, was horrible. And I really wanted to punch him…just maybe not has hard?
This book was very well written, and I’m glad to see that I didn’t have nearly as much of a problem remembering which one was Ethan and which one was Jamie, like I did in the first book. It definitely made the book go by much faster. And while there were some parts that frustrated me to no ends (Jamie’s father and his slimeball sidekick) I found myself enjoying the tension. Mostly. It helped that all the tension between Jamie and Ethan led to some rather hot sex.
And this book doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, so I was able to walk away with happy feelings all round. Not that I wouldn’t mind another book, if there is ever one to be read, but I feel comfortable leaving this here where it is. Still…if the authors were to write a book about Tyler, I wouldn’t say no…and would probably say thank you very much!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
September 16, 2014
My Review:
Going into book #1, In the Raw, in this series, I wasn't sure what to expect since I'd never read either of these authors, but I enjoy foodie themed books so I took the risk. Well, I fell in LOVE with Ethan and Jamie and at about 80% into that book I made the mistake of reading the story blurb for this one. That made the end of that book absolutely devastating.
A separation that was only supposed to be 6 months lasted over 8 years with these two guys not seeing one another. NO! Why? How? WTF happened? They were so in love...but they were so young. So yeah, I can see how that happened. But this book takes place 8 years later when the two see each other for the first time since then and it soon becomes obvious that while their relationship has been over for 8 years, their emotions have not ended.
The story is told in alternating 1st person POV and I loved that about it. It's been 8 years and both guys have learned how to hide an awful lot which is painful to watch. But on the flip side, it's so awesome to see how they've grown professionally over the last 8 years. They are both definite successes in the culinary world and I know that I had nothing to do with that, but it was nice to see that for both of them. As a reader, I was really proud for what they have accomplished...at the same time I hurt that they didn't do it together.
But they are thrown together in this book and everything begins to unravel about what actually did happen. It's a fabulous journey through the book to watch them reconnect...which is so not an easy thing for them to do. They were both devastated when things fell apart between them, but the pride of youth kept both of them from reaching out to the other. As things unfold in the story, it was good to watch a new more mature relationship develop between them that ultimately is so much stronger than it was.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! And am so freaking excited to hear that there's a book #3 on the horizon. YES!! And I will readily admit, there are a couple of side characters that I'd love to see stories for too...
So, yay, I'm glad I took a risk on these new-to-me authors. They wrote a wonderful couple of books in both IN THE RAW and IN THE FIRE. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from them!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Going into book #1, In the Raw, in this series, I wasn't sure what to expect since I'd never read either of these authors, but I enjoy foodie themed books so I took the risk. Well, I fell in LOVE with Ethan and Jamie and at about 80% into that book I made the mistake of reading the story blurb for this one. That made the end of that book absolutely devastating.
A separation that was only supposed to be 6 months lasted over 8 years with these two guys not seeing one another. NO! Why? How? WTF happened? They were so in love...but they were so young. So yeah, I can see how that happened. But this book takes place 8 years later when the two see each other for the first time since then and it soon becomes obvious that while their relationship has been over for 8 years, their emotions have not ended.
The story is told in alternating 1st person POV and I loved that about it. It's been 8 years and both guys have learned how to hide an awful lot which is painful to watch. But on the flip side, it's so awesome to see how they've grown professionally over the last 8 years. They are both definite successes in the culinary world and I know that I had nothing to do with that, but it was nice to see that for both of them. As a reader, I was really proud for what they have accomplished...at the same time I hurt that they didn't do it together.
But they are thrown together in this book and everything begins to unravel about what actually did happen. It's a fabulous journey through the book to watch them reconnect...which is so not an easy thing for them to do. They were both devastated when things fell apart between them, but the pride of youth kept both of them from reaching out to the other. As things unfold in the story, it was good to watch a new more mature relationship develop between them that ultimately is so much stronger than it was.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! And am so freaking excited to hear that there's a book #3 on the horizon. YES!! And I will readily admit, there are a couple of side characters that I'd love to see stories for too...
So, yay, I'm glad I took a risk on these new-to-me authors. They wrote a wonderful couple of books in both IN THE RAW and IN THE FIRE. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from them!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
September 27, 2014
3,5 stars
Some a bit too much Harlequin moments but I enjoyed it anyway.
Some a bit too much Harlequin moments but I enjoyed it anyway.
June 16, 2017
Recensione a cura di Lucinda per Feel The Book
Sono passati otto anni da quando James Lassiter ha lasciato Seattle. Vincere la borsa di studio messa in palio dalla sua scuola di cucina lo ha portato a Parigi e poi, grazie all’amico e manager Travis, a New York, una delle città più influenti degli Stati Uniti per quanto riguarda le tendenze culinarie.
Ora, il ragazzo diseredato dai genitori perché omosessuale, è un noto volto televisivo: conduce un programma giornaliero su Food TV, ha scritto due libri di cucina, passa da una presentazione all’altra. Tutto questo, però, non ha nulla a che vedere con ciò che vorrebbe. Del suo sogno di aprire un ristorante dove privilegiare i prodotti freschi e locali non è rimasto più nulla, così come della relazione che tanti anni prima lo legava a Ethan.
Ethan Martin, scontroso e lunatico executive chef dello Sharpe’s on Fifth, è a pochi mesi dal raggiungere il traguardo che desidera: rilevare il ristorante e dar vita al progetto a cui aveva lavorato con Jamie quando erano studenti. Lo farà da solo, senza il suo compagno di corso. Jamie ha preferito Parigi, New York e Travis a lui. Per fortuna può contare sulla sorella Claire, che ora è il suo sous-chef, sul suo capo Cal e su Tyler, un ragazzo che gli ricorda molto se stesso all’età di diciannove anni.
Ma la vita, si sa, è beffarda. Dopo otto anni, a causa di una serata di gala e della consegna del premio come miglior cuoco del nordovest del Pacifico, i due ex amanti sono costretti ad incontrarsi.
Ethan cova un fortissimo risentimento nei confronti di Jamie. Si è sentito abbandonato da lui, ma più di tutto non gli ha mai perdonato il comportamento tenuto durante il periodo in cui era a Parigi. Jamie, infatti, raramente si metteva in contatto con lui, e quando era Ethan a chiamare, rispondeva quasi sempre Travis, che all’epoca era il coinquilino del suo ex ragazzo. Proprio quest’ultimo, durante l’ultima telefonata intercontinentale, gli disse che Jamie non voleva avere più nulla a che fare con lui.
Rivedendolo dopo tutti quegli anni, però, Ethan si rende conto che prova ancora una fortissima attrazione per Jamie, ricambiata in toto.
Travis, preoccupato per la carriera di Jamie – e alimentato dall’affetto che sente per lui – fa allontanare ancora una volta Ethan, lasciando il suo ignaro ex ragazzo più confuso e frustrato che mai.
Nel frattempo, a Seattle, la scuola di cucina organizza un evento benefico a favore di No More Hunger, un’associazione di cui Ethan è un acceso sostenitore. Chef Boulanger, l’insegnante di pasticceria nonché primo mentore dei ragazzi, organizza un pranzo e un’asta silenziosa, omettendo astutamente ai due la reciproca presenza. In quell’occasione, qualcosa scatta di nuovo. Qualcosa che Jamie e Ethan non riescono a controllare, e che può finire per distruggere il loro cuore una volta per tutte. Ci sono ancora molte cose da chiarire, il risentimento è difficile da scacciare.
Ethan, sempre più confuso e impaurito, cerca nuovamente di prendere le distanze. Ma questo non è l’unico problema nella sua vita: al ristorante di Seattle, quello in cui ha investito non solo fino all’ultimo centesimo, ma anche tutto se stesso, stanno accadendo cose strane: incidenti con le tubature e le attrezzature da cucina, controlli sanitari non superati, termostati delle celle frigorifere che impazziscono. E su tutto incombe il fantasma della Lassiter Corporation, la società dei genitori di Jamie…
Il racconto, alternato dai punti di vista di Jamie e Ethan, è piuttosto dinamico. Si parte dal risentimento e dalla tristezza che gli anni di separazione hanno causato ai due chef, per passare attraverso la gestione del ristorante di Ethan, la carriera di Jamie, la presenza ingombrante di Travis e l’ombra della Lassiter Corporation.
Ho apprezzato molto il secondo capitolo di questa storia: l’intreccio è più importante, ad ogni parte della storia vengono dati i giusti tempi e la giusta importanza.
Il cameo di Chef B. e il personaggio di Lily, che con la sua schiettezza “sparge magia” nella vita di chi incontra, sono assolutamente deliziosi.
Soprattutto, però, mi sono piaciuti gli uomini che sono diventati Jamie e Ethan. Lottare per raggiungere un sogno non è facile, ci vogliono costanza, sudore, fatica. I due studenti innamorati della cucina sono diventati dei veri combattenti, com’è giusto che sia per due trentenni che sanno quello che vogliono.
Senza alcun dubbio, una lettura consigliata!
Editing recensione a cura di Lilith per Feel The Book
Sono passati otto anni da quando James Lassiter ha lasciato Seattle. Vincere la borsa di studio messa in palio dalla sua scuola di cucina lo ha portato a Parigi e poi, grazie all’amico e manager Travis, a New York, una delle città più influenti degli Stati Uniti per quanto riguarda le tendenze culinarie.
Ora, il ragazzo diseredato dai genitori perché omosessuale, è un noto volto televisivo: conduce un programma giornaliero su Food TV, ha scritto due libri di cucina, passa da una presentazione all’altra. Tutto questo, però, non ha nulla a che vedere con ciò che vorrebbe. Del suo sogno di aprire un ristorante dove privilegiare i prodotti freschi e locali non è rimasto più nulla, così come della relazione che tanti anni prima lo legava a Ethan.
Ethan Martin, scontroso e lunatico executive chef dello Sharpe’s on Fifth, è a pochi mesi dal raggiungere il traguardo che desidera: rilevare il ristorante e dar vita al progetto a cui aveva lavorato con Jamie quando erano studenti. Lo farà da solo, senza il suo compagno di corso. Jamie ha preferito Parigi, New York e Travis a lui. Per fortuna può contare sulla sorella Claire, che ora è il suo sous-chef, sul suo capo Cal e su Tyler, un ragazzo che gli ricorda molto se stesso all’età di diciannove anni.
Ma la vita, si sa, è beffarda. Dopo otto anni, a causa di una serata di gala e della consegna del premio come miglior cuoco del nordovest del Pacifico, i due ex amanti sono costretti ad incontrarsi.
Ethan cova un fortissimo risentimento nei confronti di Jamie. Si è sentito abbandonato da lui, ma più di tutto non gli ha mai perdonato il comportamento tenuto durante il periodo in cui era a Parigi. Jamie, infatti, raramente si metteva in contatto con lui, e quando era Ethan a chiamare, rispondeva quasi sempre Travis, che all’epoca era il coinquilino del suo ex ragazzo. Proprio quest’ultimo, durante l’ultima telefonata intercontinentale, gli disse che Jamie non voleva avere più nulla a che fare con lui.
Rivedendolo dopo tutti quegli anni, però, Ethan si rende conto che prova ancora una fortissima attrazione per Jamie, ricambiata in toto.
Travis, preoccupato per la carriera di Jamie – e alimentato dall’affetto che sente per lui – fa allontanare ancora una volta Ethan, lasciando il suo ignaro ex ragazzo più confuso e frustrato che mai.
Nel frattempo, a Seattle, la scuola di cucina organizza un evento benefico a favore di No More Hunger, un’associazione di cui Ethan è un acceso sostenitore. Chef Boulanger, l’insegnante di pasticceria nonché primo mentore dei ragazzi, organizza un pranzo e un’asta silenziosa, omettendo astutamente ai due la reciproca presenza. In quell’occasione, qualcosa scatta di nuovo. Qualcosa che Jamie e Ethan non riescono a controllare, e che può finire per distruggere il loro cuore una volta per tutte. Ci sono ancora molte cose da chiarire, il risentimento è difficile da scacciare.
Ethan, sempre più confuso e impaurito, cerca nuovamente di prendere le distanze. Ma questo non è l’unico problema nella sua vita: al ristorante di Seattle, quello in cui ha investito non solo fino all’ultimo centesimo, ma anche tutto se stesso, stanno accadendo cose strane: incidenti con le tubature e le attrezzature da cucina, controlli sanitari non superati, termostati delle celle frigorifere che impazziscono. E su tutto incombe il fantasma della Lassiter Corporation, la società dei genitori di Jamie…
Il racconto, alternato dai punti di vista di Jamie e Ethan, è piuttosto dinamico. Si parte dal risentimento e dalla tristezza che gli anni di separazione hanno causato ai due chef, per passare attraverso la gestione del ristorante di Ethan, la carriera di Jamie, la presenza ingombrante di Travis e l’ombra della Lassiter Corporation.
Ho apprezzato molto il secondo capitolo di questa storia: l’intreccio è più importante, ad ogni parte della storia vengono dati i giusti tempi e la giusta importanza.
Il cameo di Chef B. e il personaggio di Lily, che con la sua schiettezza “sparge magia” nella vita di chi incontra, sono assolutamente deliziosi.
Soprattutto, però, mi sono piaciuti gli uomini che sono diventati Jamie e Ethan. Lottare per raggiungere un sogno non è facile, ci vogliono costanza, sudore, fatica. I due studenti innamorati della cucina sono diventati dei veri combattenti, com’è giusto che sia per due trentenni che sanno quello che vogliono.
Senza alcun dubbio, una lettura consigliata!
Editing recensione a cura di Lilith per Feel The Book
November 14, 2014
4.5 Stars
I’m going to assume that if you are here, you’ve already read In The Raw and came here, out of breath, dying to know if the next book is out yet. You no doubt, were thrilled to discover In The Fire is available and you’ve probably already one-clicked without bothering to read the reviews. I totally understand and don’t blame you a bit. I’m completely aware that I’m most likely talking to an empty room right now.
I had to read In The Fire in bits and pieces. Not how I like to read a book, but, real life doesn’t allow me to read all day, so I read at bedtime. Some nights I read for a few minutes, some a few hours. I swear to you I’m being 100% honest when I say that five nights in a row, I teared up, not once, but twice, while reading this book. One night was drippy-tears-on-the-pillow type crying. This book is just full of “feels”. These aren’t Amy Lane-gut-you-then-roll-over-you-with-a-truck type feels. These are the kind that sneak up on you. You’ll be reading along with a grin on your face or laughing at some dialog when suddenly the next words on the page make you suck in a breath and your eyes start to sting – it just hurts you out of nowhere. There’s a lot of those moments. I’ll warn you. I started taking a tissue to bed with me.
You’ll be surprised to find that In The Fire does not pick up right where In The Raw left off. You’ll be mad about that for, oh, maybe 30 seconds. While that would’ve been the logical thing for Griffin & Michaels write, what they actually wrote is much more satisfying. We get older, much more complex versions of Ethan and Jamie than we knew in In The Raw and they don’t disappoint, although they even surprise each other:
“As I leaned against one of the walk-in fridge doors, I glanced at Ethan’s station. The ease and fluidity with which he moved was amazing to watch. Ethan had always been a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, but watching him now, I had a chance to see just how much he had grown as a chef. Every move was efficient. He gave orders to his sous chef, who prepped alongside him, but his tone of voice had mellowed over the years. He dominated, letting everyone know who was boss in this work-space, but there was a gentleness about him I had rarely seen him show anyone, save me or Claire, as he worked alongside the much younger and greener students
He’d changed, and I hadn’t been there to see it happen.”
Gah. Give me a minute.
Like a parent who misses their child’s first steps and first words, there are lots of moments Ethan and Jamie have missed in their eight, long, years apart - things they regret and resent, but they’ve never stopped wanting each other, they just don’t know how to get back there.
While Ethan never regrets the choice he made regarding the scholarship, I felt he often resented the fame and opportunities that fell into Jamie’s lap because of it. To me, that doesn’t make him a jerk, it just makes him human. For example, in book one, when Ethan called Jamie ‘Golden Boy’, it made me grin. It was snarky and typical asshole-Ethan. But, in this book, every time Ethan uses the term, it made my heart hurt because I could feel his resentment.
“Well, I didn’t train in a fancy-ass five-star restaurant in New York, but I wouldn’t trade my time at Cal’s for anything”
“True. Not everyone did get to go to Paris and land a job at Cielo. And it seems to be the only conversation we know how to have anymore. The choices and opportunities that set us on this path.”
His jaw tightened as he spit out the next words. “We all make choices, Golden Boy. The trick is learning to live with them.”
I love that the thing that drove them apart isn’t one Big Thing. It’s just life. By their own admissions, little by little they allowed life to drive them further and further apart. They both regret not making more of an effort to stay together and now they are basically on opposite ends of the country with Jamie’s assistant Trevor between them. I don’t know why, but I like Trevor and I feel sorry for him. I’m fully aware I’m going to be in the minority on that one, but, again, he just seemed like a real person to me. He’s not evil, he’s not calculating. He just loves Jamie and his words and actions are understandable to me. But I digress…
I’m looking at the quotes I’ve highlighted and, while they won’t make you cry reading them here, out of context, every one hits me in the ‘feels’ knowing the part of the story it was taken from. I’ll share one line that, in its simplicity, is one of the sexiest, most bittersweet lines I’ve ever read. Jamie has woken up next to Ethan and, realizes there are tattoos on Ethan’s body that hadn’t been there eight years before (again, one the missed moments).
“Unable to resist, I bent down and kissed the tip of the phoenix’s tail.”
Although this story nipped and poked at my heart every single night with stinging dialog and angsty scenes full of words that should’ve been spoke, but weren’t, I never once doubted the love Ethan and Jamie had for each other and that it would win in the end.
“I just wanted him to know whatever he did, wherever he was, I wanted him. Not the world-famous chef James Lassiter, with his picture plastered all over TV or the web or smiling back at me from magazines. I wanted him, the Jamie who smiled at me goofily when I kissed him silly or the one who put up with my ridiculous failures at new recipes.”
This is getting long and I haven’t mentioned Tyler, who I absolutely adore. I’ll just say that I feel like he harbors a story that needs to be told. I wish all these characters were real because I’d love to visit their restaurant - but only if I actually got to watch them in the kitchen!
I’m going to assume that if you are here, you’ve already read In The Raw and came here, out of breath, dying to know if the next book is out yet. You no doubt, were thrilled to discover In The Fire is available and you’ve probably already one-clicked without bothering to read the reviews. I totally understand and don’t blame you a bit. I’m completely aware that I’m most likely talking to an empty room right now.
I had to read In The Fire in bits and pieces. Not how I like to read a book, but, real life doesn’t allow me to read all day, so I read at bedtime. Some nights I read for a few minutes, some a few hours. I swear to you I’m being 100% honest when I say that five nights in a row, I teared up, not once, but twice, while reading this book. One night was drippy-tears-on-the-pillow type crying. This book is just full of “feels”. These aren’t Amy Lane-gut-you-then-roll-over-you-with-a-truck type feels. These are the kind that sneak up on you. You’ll be reading along with a grin on your face or laughing at some dialog when suddenly the next words on the page make you suck in a breath and your eyes start to sting – it just hurts you out of nowhere. There’s a lot of those moments. I’ll warn you. I started taking a tissue to bed with me.
You’ll be surprised to find that In The Fire does not pick up right where In The Raw left off. You’ll be mad about that for, oh, maybe 30 seconds. While that would’ve been the logical thing for Griffin & Michaels write, what they actually wrote is much more satisfying. We get older, much more complex versions of Ethan and Jamie than we knew in In The Raw and they don’t disappoint, although they even surprise each other:
“As I leaned against one of the walk-in fridge doors, I glanced at Ethan’s station. The ease and fluidity with which he moved was amazing to watch. Ethan had always been a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen, but watching him now, I had a chance to see just how much he had grown as a chef. Every move was efficient. He gave orders to his sous chef, who prepped alongside him, but his tone of voice had mellowed over the years. He dominated, letting everyone know who was boss in this work-space, but there was a gentleness about him I had rarely seen him show anyone, save me or Claire, as he worked alongside the much younger and greener students
He’d changed, and I hadn’t been there to see it happen.”
Gah. Give me a minute.
Like a parent who misses their child’s first steps and first words, there are lots of moments Ethan and Jamie have missed in their eight, long, years apart - things they regret and resent, but they’ve never stopped wanting each other, they just don’t know how to get back there.
While Ethan never regrets the choice he made regarding the scholarship, I felt he often resented the fame and opportunities that fell into Jamie’s lap because of it. To me, that doesn’t make him a jerk, it just makes him human. For example, in book one, when Ethan called Jamie ‘Golden Boy’, it made me grin. It was snarky and typical asshole-Ethan. But, in this book, every time Ethan uses the term, it made my heart hurt because I could feel his resentment.
“Well, I didn’t train in a fancy-ass five-star restaurant in New York, but I wouldn’t trade my time at Cal’s for anything”
“True. Not everyone did get to go to Paris and land a job at Cielo. And it seems to be the only conversation we know how to have anymore. The choices and opportunities that set us on this path.”
His jaw tightened as he spit out the next words. “We all make choices, Golden Boy. The trick is learning to live with them.”
I love that the thing that drove them apart isn’t one Big Thing. It’s just life. By their own admissions, little by little they allowed life to drive them further and further apart. They both regret not making more of an effort to stay together and now they are basically on opposite ends of the country with Jamie’s assistant Trevor between them. I don’t know why, but I like Trevor and I feel sorry for him. I’m fully aware I’m going to be in the minority on that one, but, again, he just seemed like a real person to me. He’s not evil, he’s not calculating. He just loves Jamie and his words and actions are understandable to me. But I digress…
I’m looking at the quotes I’ve highlighted and, while they won’t make you cry reading them here, out of context, every one hits me in the ‘feels’ knowing the part of the story it was taken from. I’ll share one line that, in its simplicity, is one of the sexiest, most bittersweet lines I’ve ever read. Jamie has woken up next to Ethan and, realizes there are tattoos on Ethan’s body that hadn’t been there eight years before (again, one the missed moments).
“Unable to resist, I bent down and kissed the tip of the phoenix’s tail.”
Although this story nipped and poked at my heart every single night with stinging dialog and angsty scenes full of words that should’ve been spoke, but weren’t, I never once doubted the love Ethan and Jamie had for each other and that it would win in the end.
“I just wanted him to know whatever he did, wherever he was, I wanted him. Not the world-famous chef James Lassiter, with his picture plastered all over TV or the web or smiling back at me from magazines. I wanted him, the Jamie who smiled at me goofily when I kissed him silly or the one who put up with my ridiculous failures at new recipes.”
This is getting long and I haven’t mentioned Tyler, who I absolutely adore. I’ll just say that I feel like he harbors a story that needs to be told. I wish all these characters were real because I’d love to visit their restaurant - but only if I actually got to watch them in the kitchen!
August 27, 2015
8 years later?! SO mad. UGH. So pissed.
Not sure if I'm going to be moving on or not.
Not sure if I'm going to be moving on or not.
October 28, 2015
More of the sweet storey that started in book one. It is 8 years later though and those years have not been good to our couple. Once Jamie and Ethan start running into each other though they fall back into the couple that was enjoyable in the first storey. There was a bit of angst, obviously they are both very wary of each other, but they realize it was both of their faults and move being ready to sacrifice what they must to be together.
December 6, 2014
I read it all night long,drop some tears and smile a lot .My compliments to the Chefs (ladies) who wrote this sweet and romantic story.
December 19, 2014
What a melodrama and in general so predictable one too, it wasn't even enjoyable! I was bored with the whole concept.
February 3, 2022
NOW, that's more like it! *sigh*
Psst, jumping straight into Tyler's story! *grin*
Psst, jumping straight into Tyler's story! *grin*
June 3, 2017
La Storia tra Ethan e Jemie continua a piacermi, quando una persona ti entra dentro, 8 anni di lontananza non bastano per farla uscire dalla tua testa e dal tuo cuore, soprattutto il motivo per cui non è continuata la loro relazione non dipende solo dalla cocciutagine e dall'orgoglio dei due protagonisti, vero Trevor? Mamma quanto ho odiato questo personaggio (che non sa farsi da parte neanche dopo un chiriassimo rifiuto e neanche quando Jamie gli dice apertamente che vuole stare solo, cioè più di una volta mentre leggevo, dicevo: lascialo in pace!), forse più di Reed e del padre di Jemie, anche se alla fine si riscatta e si vede che è una brava persona che avrebbe fatto di tutto per il suo migliore amico, nonché l'uomo di cui è innamorato. Fatto sta che non ho sopportato il suo sentirsi "superiore" ad Ethan, quando poi non è cosi....e lo si è visto e soprattutto Jemie se ne accorto fin da subito. Proprio su Jemie voglio dire una cosa, se nel primo libro avevo adorato entrambi ma Ethan mi aveva conquistata di più, in questo è Jemie che mi ha reso orgogliosa e ho amato alla follia. Jamie che capisce i suoi errori del passato e combatte per riavere il suo Ethan, che riconosce a sua volta suoi sbagli alla fine, ma tenta prima di scappare come al suo solito (inventando mille scuse, negando il fuoco che provoca anche solo un bacio di Jamie), e poi sa come fare lo stronzo per far male all'uomo che lo ha ferito 8 anni prima (per carità ha le sue ragioni ma esagera un pochettino). Jemie che mette apposto sia Trevor che suo padre dimostando ad entrambi (in modo diverso) quanto sono stati meschini con lui.
Claire si dimostra ancora una volta una sorella e un'amica merivigliosa e sono troppo contenta che abbia avuto anche lei un lieto fine, Cal è davvero una figua paterna davvero preziosa e Tyler è tenerissimo (spero che le autrici cambino radicalmente Trevor, nel terzo volume perchè non voglio che Ty soffra per colpa sua). Nel terzo volume saranno protagonisti appunto, Trevor e Tyler ma spero di ritrovare Ethan e Jamie come personaggi secondari.
Ho adorato il finale dove finalmente anche a Ethan vengono ricosciuti tutti i sacrifici di una vita realizzando il suo sogno più grande e inoltre si da pure un mossa sul versante amoroso, cosi come ho adorato l'epilogo, dove oltre alle soddisfazioni sul piano professionale vediamo in primis che ha trionfato l'amore tra i due protagonisti e va tutto a gonfie vele, hanno imparato a conoscersi di nuovo rendendosi conto di essere ancora quei ragazzi di 8 anni prima con tanti sogni ed innamorati, ora sono solo più matuti con i loro sogni realizzati e innamorati più che mai.
Un complimento va alle autrici, per i brividi e la passione che trasmettono descrivendo anche unsolo bacio.
Claire si dimostra ancora una volta una sorella e un'amica merivigliosa e sono troppo contenta che abbia avuto anche lei un lieto fine, Cal è davvero una figua paterna davvero preziosa e Tyler è tenerissimo (spero che le autrici cambino radicalmente Trevor, nel terzo volume perchè non voglio che Ty soffra per colpa sua). Nel terzo volume saranno protagonisti appunto, Trevor e Tyler ma spero di ritrovare Ethan e Jamie come personaggi secondari.
Ho adorato il finale dove finalmente anche a Ethan vengono ricosciuti tutti i sacrifici di una vita realizzando il suo sogno più grande e inoltre si da pure un mossa sul versante amoroso, cosi come ho adorato l'epilogo, dove oltre alle soddisfazioni sul piano professionale vediamo in primis che ha trionfato l'amore tra i due protagonisti e va tutto a gonfie vele, hanno imparato a conoscersi di nuovo rendendosi conto di essere ancora quei ragazzi di 8 anni prima con tanti sogni ed innamorati, ora sono solo più matuti con i loro sogni realizzati e innamorati più che mai.
Un complimento va alle autrici, per i brividi e la passione che trasmettono descrivendo anche unsolo bacio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
In the Fire is the second book In the Kitchen series by authors Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin. I did not read the first book, I will say that hurt me reading this story. I did not have the same attachment to the characters as someone who read how their story started.
It is a good read on its own. Full of fun, angst, suspense, and love. Just I think you really need to read book one first.
Ethan and Jamie have a history together. They used to be lovers till Jamie went to Paris to follow his dreams and he left Ethan behind.
Jamie is now a star on TV and pretty famous. He is a little over being famous and what that brings though.
Ethan his career has gone a slower track. He is working at a restaurant he hopes to buy and make his own. This would fulfill his dreams.
Jamie ends up back in Ethan’s life and helping him. I liked them working together they are a good match. Overall, I liked the story even if at parts I had to suspend belief. I recommend reading this series in order and you will love it.
Four Twinkling Stars
It is a good read on its own. Full of fun, angst, suspense, and love. Just I think you really need to read book one first.
Ethan and Jamie have a history together. They used to be lovers till Jamie went to Paris to follow his dreams and he left Ethan behind.
Jamie is now a star on TV and pretty famous. He is a little over being famous and what that brings though.
Ethan his career has gone a slower track. He is working at a restaurant he hopes to buy and make his own. This would fulfill his dreams.
Jamie ends up back in Ethan’s life and helping him. I liked them working together they are a good match. Overall, I liked the story even if at parts I had to suspend belief. I recommend reading this series in order and you will love it.
Four Twinkling Stars
August 4, 2025
I have to admit that I was about to read book 1 when I realized that it was more of a prequel to this that didn't end the way I prefer, so I decided to skip it all together and just get to their real story. As a second chance story, I really liked it. I was able to figure out why things happened the way they did pretty early on, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Although this was a "sequel", I was comfortably able to read this as a standalone. I didn't feel that I missed anything by not reading the first book.
July 15, 2022
OKay I loved it. A little to convient at times. Who's causing all the issues--Phht. I hated that over the last 8 years the MC's were seperated. But proably a good thing. They both got to follow their own paths and have no regrets about a path not taken.
October 29, 2014
Reviewed at The Blogger Girls.
It’s been eight long years since Jamie left for Paris. Eight years since Ethan last saw him and just about eight years since they went their separate ways. They’ve both made a life for themselves as chefs: Jamie as a very famous cookbook author and TV star and Ethan as an executive chef of a popular restaurant. When Ethan must fly to New York to receive an award, the last thing either of them expected was to see each other but when they do, the sparks fly in not just lust but anger. When they return to their lives again, Ethan goes back to a kitchen in chaos while Jamie’s at the end of his rope with not just Ethan but being famous too. Determined to change things, he takes matters into his own hands and flies to Seattle to either fix things with Ethan or put them to rest. Can these two sort through the past and finally find a future together? Or will they let old feelings rule them now, as it did then? And when someone starts sabotaging the restaurant, can they figure out who it is before someone gets hurt?
In this book, Jamie and Ethan are vastly different characters. They’ve grown and matured in the eight years that have passed since In the Raw ended. Now, Jamie is exhausted and unhappy. Constantly going home to an empty apartment and feeling very lonely. He might be famous but he’s not doing a job he loves anymore. Ethan is the total opposite in that he loves his job but he’s working towards buying the restaurant he’s worked at for almost a decade. Jamie is still the charming, sweet man while Ethan has mellowed out and is no longer surly or a hothead all the time. YES, he still has his moments but now he’s more understanding and can work with others. He’s compassionate when it’s necessary and really does have a big heart.
As a couple, I still love them together. Their feelings are so raw and intense that they’ll go from angry and bitter one moment to exchanging lustful glances the next. They’ve loved each other for years and their time apart hasn’t lessened that love so when they finally come to a head and accept each other and what they have, I just found it very beautiful and sweet. I love that Ethan is so different with Jamie than he is with most everyone else. Jamie always sees a side of Ethan that not many others do, even when Ethan is extremely mad at him.
This story has two major aspects to it. The first, and main aspect, is the history and possible future of Ethan and Jamie as a couple. Their willingness and determination to figure out what really happened all those years ago, why they broke up and how that’s affected them since then. Not to mention them trying to figure out if they can be together again and get over the past. The second aspect is smaller and deals with Ethan’s restaurant: failing inspections, having issues left and right that cause the restaurant to close and discovering WHY all that is happening. So, the story has a secondary conflict that fuels everything else that plays a role in how and where Ethan ends up with his career.
My only real issue with this one is that it was a tad too long to the point that it started to drag towards the end. Beyond that, I wanted to actually see the events that took place between the last chapter and the epilogue. Two very significant things happen (IMO) that I would have loved to actually experience or at least see the start of instead of being told about it happening during the year gap.
In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the feelings that were still very prominent between Jamie and Ethan, even eight years later. Mixed with the hurt, anger, yearning between them made for some intriguing situations throughout the book. As with the previous one, I liked the authors’ voice; as a duo, they write very well together, which makes Jamie and Ethan’s ‘voices’ very distinct. I’m looking forward to what they have coming out next, especially who the next book in the In the Kitchen series will be about ;)
It’s been eight long years since Jamie left for Paris. Eight years since Ethan last saw him and just about eight years since they went their separate ways. They’ve both made a life for themselves as chefs: Jamie as a very famous cookbook author and TV star and Ethan as an executive chef of a popular restaurant. When Ethan must fly to New York to receive an award, the last thing either of them expected was to see each other but when they do, the sparks fly in not just lust but anger. When they return to their lives again, Ethan goes back to a kitchen in chaos while Jamie’s at the end of his rope with not just Ethan but being famous too. Determined to change things, he takes matters into his own hands and flies to Seattle to either fix things with Ethan or put them to rest. Can these two sort through the past and finally find a future together? Or will they let old feelings rule them now, as it did then? And when someone starts sabotaging the restaurant, can they figure out who it is before someone gets hurt?
In this book, Jamie and Ethan are vastly different characters. They’ve grown and matured in the eight years that have passed since In the Raw ended. Now, Jamie is exhausted and unhappy. Constantly going home to an empty apartment and feeling very lonely. He might be famous but he’s not doing a job he loves anymore. Ethan is the total opposite in that he loves his job but he’s working towards buying the restaurant he’s worked at for almost a decade. Jamie is still the charming, sweet man while Ethan has mellowed out and is no longer surly or a hothead all the time. YES, he still has his moments but now he’s more understanding and can work with others. He’s compassionate when it’s necessary and really does have a big heart.
As a couple, I still love them together. Their feelings are so raw and intense that they’ll go from angry and bitter one moment to exchanging lustful glances the next. They’ve loved each other for years and their time apart hasn’t lessened that love so when they finally come to a head and accept each other and what they have, I just found it very beautiful and sweet. I love that Ethan is so different with Jamie than he is with most everyone else. Jamie always sees a side of Ethan that not many others do, even when Ethan is extremely mad at him.
This story has two major aspects to it. The first, and main aspect, is the history and possible future of Ethan and Jamie as a couple. Their willingness and determination to figure out what really happened all those years ago, why they broke up and how that’s affected them since then. Not to mention them trying to figure out if they can be together again and get over the past. The second aspect is smaller and deals with Ethan’s restaurant: failing inspections, having issues left and right that cause the restaurant to close and discovering WHY all that is happening. So, the story has a secondary conflict that fuels everything else that plays a role in how and where Ethan ends up with his career.
My only real issue with this one is that it was a tad too long to the point that it started to drag towards the end. Beyond that, I wanted to actually see the events that took place between the last chapter and the epilogue. Two very significant things happen (IMO) that I would have loved to actually experience or at least see the start of instead of being told about it happening during the year gap.
In the end, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the feelings that were still very prominent between Jamie and Ethan, even eight years later. Mixed with the hurt, anger, yearning between them made for some intriguing situations throughout the book. As with the previous one, I liked the authors’ voice; as a duo, they write very well together, which makes Jamie and Ethan’s ‘voices’ very distinct. I’m looking forward to what they have coming out next, especially who the next book in the In the Kitchen series will be about ;)
October 21, 2014
I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley and rated it 4.5 stars.
What a difference eight years make. When ‘In the Raw’ the first book in the ‘In the Kitchen’ trilogy ended we left our two boys deeply in love. Sure, Jamie was on his way to Paris to further his cooking career, but they would only be separated for six months. Surely the deep connection and love between them would survive the relatively short separation?
Apparently not. When ‘In the Fire’ starts Ethan and Jamie have been living separate lives for eight years. Over the course of Jamie’s six months in Paris they drifted apart for reasons neither is completely sure about. When Jamie returned to America he moved to New York rather than back to Seattle and the rest, as they say is history. Jamie has become a famous television chef over the years while Ethan is tantalizingly close to buying the restaurant he’s been dreaming about for so long. When circumstances force Ethan and Jamie to meet again it soon becomes clear that eight years were not enough to kill the feelings they have for each other. They may not trust each other completely and may be filled with doubts about the wisdom of their actions, the heat and love burning between them won’t be denied.
Still, it takes the thread of Ethan almost losing his dream for the two of them to turn back into the solid and immovable unit they once were.
I have fallen more than a little bit in love with Ethan and Jamie over the course of ‘In the Raw’ and ‘In the Fire’. They both have their own distinct voice in these books and are fully fleshed out characters, easy to recognise and even easier to fall for. When I first saw there was an eight year gap in the story-line between books one and two I had my doubts about how well that might work. I should have known better. I think giving Ethan and Jamie those years to grow from boys into grown men was nothing less than a stroke of genius. ‘In the Fire’ tells us enough about what happened during those eight years to make the reader understand how they turned into the men they are now, without us having to be present for every single minute. When we reconnect with our two heroes one of them is on the brink of realizing his dream while the other has discovered that what appeared to be a dream has turned into a chore; a wonderful time for both of them to re-evaluate their lives.
Griffin and Michaels have a wonderful writing style. They create characters with real personalities and make them shine. Their descriptions are vivid (don’t read these books while hungry) and their dialogue sparkle and occasionally leads to laugh out loud moments. The easy flow of the narrative combined with two characters who are extremely hot together, ensures a wonderful and captivating reading experience.
If I have an issue with this book it is that it took almost 70% of the story before Jamie and Ethan spend some real time together. What I love most about these books is the interaction between them and with them being apart I did miss those sparks. But, I understand why the separation was necessary in the story and I’m convinced my impatience with prolonged angst had a lot to do with my reaction. Since I’m well aware my issues with angst are a-typical for readers of this genre, I’m convinced others may love those parts I wished had been a bit shorter.
Where ‘In the Raw’ ended a bit ambiguously, ‘In the Fire’ has no such issues. In fact the ending in this book is such that I have absolutely no idea where Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels might be taking us with book three. If I didn’t know for a fact they were already writing it I might doubt it was to come at all. To say I’m curious and looking forward to that third book would be a serious understatement. These two authors have once again confirmed their status among my must read writers.
What a difference eight years make. When ‘In the Raw’ the first book in the ‘In the Kitchen’ trilogy ended we left our two boys deeply in love. Sure, Jamie was on his way to Paris to further his cooking career, but they would only be separated for six months. Surely the deep connection and love between them would survive the relatively short separation?
Apparently not. When ‘In the Fire’ starts Ethan and Jamie have been living separate lives for eight years. Over the course of Jamie’s six months in Paris they drifted apart for reasons neither is completely sure about. When Jamie returned to America he moved to New York rather than back to Seattle and the rest, as they say is history. Jamie has become a famous television chef over the years while Ethan is tantalizingly close to buying the restaurant he’s been dreaming about for so long. When circumstances force Ethan and Jamie to meet again it soon becomes clear that eight years were not enough to kill the feelings they have for each other. They may not trust each other completely and may be filled with doubts about the wisdom of their actions, the heat and love burning between them won’t be denied.
Still, it takes the thread of Ethan almost losing his dream for the two of them to turn back into the solid and immovable unit they once were.
I have fallen more than a little bit in love with Ethan and Jamie over the course of ‘In the Raw’ and ‘In the Fire’. They both have their own distinct voice in these books and are fully fleshed out characters, easy to recognise and even easier to fall for. When I first saw there was an eight year gap in the story-line between books one and two I had my doubts about how well that might work. I should have known better. I think giving Ethan and Jamie those years to grow from boys into grown men was nothing less than a stroke of genius. ‘In the Fire’ tells us enough about what happened during those eight years to make the reader understand how they turned into the men they are now, without us having to be present for every single minute. When we reconnect with our two heroes one of them is on the brink of realizing his dream while the other has discovered that what appeared to be a dream has turned into a chore; a wonderful time for both of them to re-evaluate their lives.
Griffin and Michaels have a wonderful writing style. They create characters with real personalities and make them shine. Their descriptions are vivid (don’t read these books while hungry) and their dialogue sparkle and occasionally leads to laugh out loud moments. The easy flow of the narrative combined with two characters who are extremely hot together, ensures a wonderful and captivating reading experience.
If I have an issue with this book it is that it took almost 70% of the story before Jamie and Ethan spend some real time together. What I love most about these books is the interaction between them and with them being apart I did miss those sparks. But, I understand why the separation was necessary in the story and I’m convinced my impatience with prolonged angst had a lot to do with my reaction. Since I’m well aware my issues with angst are a-typical for readers of this genre, I’m convinced others may love those parts I wished had been a bit shorter.
Where ‘In the Raw’ ended a bit ambiguously, ‘In the Fire’ has no such issues. In fact the ending in this book is such that I have absolutely no idea where Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels might be taking us with book three. If I didn’t know for a fact they were already writing it I might doubt it was to come at all. To say I’m curious and looking forward to that third book would be a serious understatement. These two authors have once again confirmed their status among my must read writers.
October 25, 2014
Not going to lie, when I first read the description of this book I was more than a little surprised and thrown off. When we last left Ethan and Jamie at the end of In The Raw, the two up-and-coming chefs were very much in love and facing their six month separation with so much hope for the future – to find out they had broken up not too long after and have been apart for eight (eight!) years was startling and upsetting. I almost didn’t want to even read this book, worried that it would break my heart as I really loved these two guys together, but I had to know what had happened. So I bit the bullet and read In The Fire – and I’m glad I did, because this sequel is even better than the first!
First, the big question: Why were these two men, who were so obviously in love, not together anymore? It pretty much boiled down to miscommunication and lingering feelings of self-doubt, helped along by distance and one meddlesome roommate/best friend.
Now, eight years later, Jamie and Ethan are no longer simply culinary students, but established chefs in the culinary world – and the gulf between them has never been wider. Jamie is a famous celebrity chef, authoring best-selling cookbooks and starring in his own tv cooking show. He’s fallen back into old habits of letting others dictate the direction he takes, he’s overworked and lonely and he wants nothing more than to take a break and find his way back to the simple joys of cooking – nothing more, that is, until he sees Ethan again. When the two men finally see each other again after their long separation, it’s clear that under a veneer of old resentments and anger, they still harbor some strong feelings for each other. Ethan is still the embodiment of everything Jamie wants – someone so raw and brash, who couldn’t care less what others wanted him to do or what they thought about him. Ethan’s experiencing some problems of his own, the restaurant that he’s made his whole life, which he’s so close to buying from the owner, is being hit with some majorly expensive setbacks and possible sabotage. And while he should be focusing on that, he can’t stop thinking about his ex-lover and his re-emergence in his life.
Loved. Loved. Loved.
The pacing is fantastic, the emotions are higher, and the relationship being rebuilt between Ethan and Jamie felt more real and lasting. It really was a great read and I can now honestly say that the authors knew what they were doing by going in this direction. The added angst only made the connection between Ethan and Jamie seem stronger and the separate ways their lives had gone only showed how much better off they would both be with each other in their lives.
Don’t be scared off by the time jump and the seemingly out of nowhere break-up, this book was an absolutely needed step in the journey of these two chefs to become the men they needed to be, both for themselves and for each other. If the idea of a break-up and long-term separation in the middle of a romantic series isn’t for you, even though the break-up and separation are off the page, no worries as In The Fire can be read as a standalone, or even before In The Raw, essentially treating the first book as a prequel.
And to set your mind at ease, while the first book ended with a Happy For Now ending (which obviously didn’t last), In The Fire ends in a much, much more solid Happily Ever After. There’s a third book planned for the In The Kitchen series and I will eagerly await its release with total confidence in whatever direction the authors take these characters.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
First, the big question: Why were these two men, who were so obviously in love, not together anymore? It pretty much boiled down to miscommunication and lingering feelings of self-doubt, helped along by distance and one meddlesome roommate/best friend.
Now, eight years later, Jamie and Ethan are no longer simply culinary students, but established chefs in the culinary world – and the gulf between them has never been wider. Jamie is a famous celebrity chef, authoring best-selling cookbooks and starring in his own tv cooking show. He’s fallen back into old habits of letting others dictate the direction he takes, he’s overworked and lonely and he wants nothing more than to take a break and find his way back to the simple joys of cooking – nothing more, that is, until he sees Ethan again. When the two men finally see each other again after their long separation, it’s clear that under a veneer of old resentments and anger, they still harbor some strong feelings for each other. Ethan is still the embodiment of everything Jamie wants – someone so raw and brash, who couldn’t care less what others wanted him to do or what they thought about him. Ethan’s experiencing some problems of his own, the restaurant that he’s made his whole life, which he’s so close to buying from the owner, is being hit with some majorly expensive setbacks and possible sabotage. And while he should be focusing on that, he can’t stop thinking about his ex-lover and his re-emergence in his life.
Loved. Loved. Loved.
The pacing is fantastic, the emotions are higher, and the relationship being rebuilt between Ethan and Jamie felt more real and lasting. It really was a great read and I can now honestly say that the authors knew what they were doing by going in this direction. The added angst only made the connection between Ethan and Jamie seem stronger and the separate ways their lives had gone only showed how much better off they would both be with each other in their lives.
Don’t be scared off by the time jump and the seemingly out of nowhere break-up, this book was an absolutely needed step in the journey of these two chefs to become the men they needed to be, both for themselves and for each other. If the idea of a break-up and long-term separation in the middle of a romantic series isn’t for you, even though the break-up and separation are off the page, no worries as In The Fire can be read as a standalone, or even before In The Raw, essentially treating the first book as a prequel.
And to set your mind at ease, while the first book ended with a Happy For Now ending (which obviously didn’t last), In The Fire ends in a much, much more solid Happily Ever After. There’s a third book planned for the In The Kitchen series and I will eagerly await its release with total confidence in whatever direction the authors take these characters.
*I received an ARC of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
October 17, 2014
4.5 stars for this delicious, gay, culinary romance.
Chef Ethan Martin is a kindhearted, albeit extremely gruff, master of his kitchen in a Seattle restaurant. For eight years he’s built up the menu and business at Sharpe’s On Fifth with the goal that he’d purchase the restaurant from its owner, Cal Sharpe. Cal wants to retire, but he’s under pressure to sell by developers who’ve purchased neighboring businesses—and sinking more and more money into equipment failures at Sharpe’s that can’t be explained. It’s got Ethan in fits. Not to mention that he’s unsatisfied in his (non-existent) personal life. Ethan hasn’t had a steady lover in eight years—not since Jamie Lassiter took his heart to Paris and never returned.
Jamie Lassiter is a celebrity chef. Eight years ago Jamie won a scholarship to study in Paris for a semester and moved directly to New York, aided by his friend and Paris-roommate, Trevor. Before that, he’d had a rocky time of it—living with his lover Ethan and Ethan’s sister Claire and working his way through culinary school after his parents had disowned him for coming out. Recently Jamie’s felt more and more disconnected to the life he lives. He’s single and aside from TV appearances and writing cookbooks he’s got little going. He longs for his chef days, the camaraderie of cooking with and for people, and he longs for the passionate love he once shared with Ethan, even after all the rancor of their falling out.
Ethan’s made quite the name for himself—Jamie’s scheduled to give Ethan an award at a big culinary conference in NYC, and he’s nervous about seeing Ethan after all this time.
So, awards night is rather rough. Ethan’s so unnerved about seeing Jamie again—especially as Trevor’s in attendance—that he gets totally wasted. They have a bit of a shouting match, but the end is Jamie taking Ethan back to his hotel room which becomes a bit tender and a bit sad. It’s clear that the unresolved history these men share has plenty of hurt and blame to spread around. It’s also clear that they still have real feelings for each other, feelings Jamie is unwilling to let go.
Ethan returns to Seattle, and Jamie follows—surreptitiously. He plans an extended visit that puts him in Ethan’s path more than once. Jamie’s ecstatic to reconnect to his old town, and Claire, while he figures out his feelings for Ethan and his plans for a future in cooking. Seeing Jamie again only angers Ethan, especially because Trevor is still in Jamie’s life, and he blames Trevor’s obstruction for breaking them up all those years ago.
There’s a lot of heart-to-hearting here. Between Ethan and Jamie, between Jamie and Trevor, and between Ethan and Claire. Like a fallen soufflé, the past can’t be salvaged, but a delicious future is possible if Ethan and Jamie can forgive each other’s youthful failings. Oh, and the sub-plot of restaurant sabotage and Jamie confronting his parents’ homophobia really rounds out the story.
When the smexytimes happen it’s too hot in the kitchen. Or, the dining room, or the bathroom… Yeah. They’s some love-hungry chefs. Still, the romance is equally balanced with professional concerns and real emotion. These are some proud men, too. Even after acknowledging their mutual attraction and affection, they moved slowly, carefully, to rebuild their relationship from the ground up. I was so glad they worked it out—and the HEA was as tasty as I’d hoped.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Chef Ethan Martin is a kindhearted, albeit extremely gruff, master of his kitchen in a Seattle restaurant. For eight years he’s built up the menu and business at Sharpe’s On Fifth with the goal that he’d purchase the restaurant from its owner, Cal Sharpe. Cal wants to retire, but he’s under pressure to sell by developers who’ve purchased neighboring businesses—and sinking more and more money into equipment failures at Sharpe’s that can’t be explained. It’s got Ethan in fits. Not to mention that he’s unsatisfied in his (non-existent) personal life. Ethan hasn’t had a steady lover in eight years—not since Jamie Lassiter took his heart to Paris and never returned.
Jamie Lassiter is a celebrity chef. Eight years ago Jamie won a scholarship to study in Paris for a semester and moved directly to New York, aided by his friend and Paris-roommate, Trevor. Before that, he’d had a rocky time of it—living with his lover Ethan and Ethan’s sister Claire and working his way through culinary school after his parents had disowned him for coming out. Recently Jamie’s felt more and more disconnected to the life he lives. He’s single and aside from TV appearances and writing cookbooks he’s got little going. He longs for his chef days, the camaraderie of cooking with and for people, and he longs for the passionate love he once shared with Ethan, even after all the rancor of their falling out.
Ethan’s made quite the name for himself—Jamie’s scheduled to give Ethan an award at a big culinary conference in NYC, and he’s nervous about seeing Ethan after all this time.
So, awards night is rather rough. Ethan’s so unnerved about seeing Jamie again—especially as Trevor’s in attendance—that he gets totally wasted. They have a bit of a shouting match, but the end is Jamie taking Ethan back to his hotel room which becomes a bit tender and a bit sad. It’s clear that the unresolved history these men share has plenty of hurt and blame to spread around. It’s also clear that they still have real feelings for each other, feelings Jamie is unwilling to let go.
Ethan returns to Seattle, and Jamie follows—surreptitiously. He plans an extended visit that puts him in Ethan’s path more than once. Jamie’s ecstatic to reconnect to his old town, and Claire, while he figures out his feelings for Ethan and his plans for a future in cooking. Seeing Jamie again only angers Ethan, especially because Trevor is still in Jamie’s life, and he blames Trevor’s obstruction for breaking them up all those years ago.
There’s a lot of heart-to-hearting here. Between Ethan and Jamie, between Jamie and Trevor, and between Ethan and Claire. Like a fallen soufflé, the past can’t be salvaged, but a delicious future is possible if Ethan and Jamie can forgive each other’s youthful failings. Oh, and the sub-plot of restaurant sabotage and Jamie confronting his parents’ homophobia really rounds out the story.
When the smexytimes happen it’s too hot in the kitchen. Or, the dining room, or the bathroom… Yeah. They’s some love-hungry chefs. Still, the romance is equally balanced with professional concerns and real emotion. These are some proud men, too. Even after acknowledging their mutual attraction and affection, they moved slowly, carefully, to rebuild their relationship from the ground up. I was so glad they worked it out—and the HEA was as tasty as I’d hoped.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 28, 2014
Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels, and for anyone who read my review for the first book, In the Raw, you'll remember that I quite liked it and was anticipating the release of the sequel. Well, the minute I noticed that the ARC was available for review on NetGalley, I simply couldn't help myself... I clicked faster than a shopaholic could grab a pair of shoes that were half off. ^.^
This sequel is set eight years after the events in book one, whose ending may have given a somewhat hopeful kind of feeling for lovers Ethan Martin and Jamie Lassiter, but since In the Fire is more of a second chance romance, you can probably tell that things went somewhat awry while Jamie and Ethan were apart. Aside from being a second chance romance, there's also a dose of suspense thrown in there so that was a definite bonus since it gave book two a different twist, helping it stand apart from its predecessor while still keeping the two connected.
Eight years after the end of their short but intense relationship, Ethan is the head chef of Sharpe's on Fifth. He's hoping to buy the restaurant from Chef Cal Sharpe, the owner and the very same chef that offered him a job when he decided to pull himself out of the running for the scholarship that ended up going to Jamie eight years prior. He's working side by side with his sister Claire and a young man he's taken under his wing, Tyler Mitchell. Ethan may have moved on with his life but he's never forgotten Jamie nor has he ever really gotten over how their relationship ended.
After his internship in Paris, France, Jamie jumped at an opportunity in New York that meant being away from Ethan and virtually ending their relationship. He's now a famous chef with a television show and cookbooks that have become bestsellers. He works with his close friend and manager, Trevor Pratt, and while he's achieved a lot, he's also at an impasse of sorts, feeling more tired than fulfilled. Amid all his success, Jamie still wonders about the one failure that hurt him the most--the end of his relationship with Ethan.
When fate steps in and finds ways to throw Ethan and Jamie together several times, Jamie needs to find a way to get Ethan to let go of his animosity so that they can finally sit down and discuss what happened eight years ago. However, amid the need to find out all the secrets and truths from back then, Ethan has to deal with someone trying to sabotage the restaurant he works in. With everything going on around them, Ethan and Jamie both need to make the effort to deal with their past as well as wonder if there's another chance for a future together.
While I liked In the Raw, I simply LOVED In the Fire. Ethan and Jamie have the burden of their eight years apart but even their short time together is able to supersede all that pain and animosity. Comparing their relationship in book one and here in book two, we can see how they fell in love for the first time in their lives then and how that love never truly went away even after their time apart, but now they have to deal with their issues and fall in love all over again. ^.^ I'm so glad I was able to read and review this ARC and happily give it five stars. This is definitely one of my favorite reads this year. ♥
In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels, and for anyone who read my review for the first book, In the Raw, you'll remember that I quite liked it and was anticipating the release of the sequel. Well, the minute I noticed that the ARC was available for review on NetGalley, I simply couldn't help myself... I clicked faster than a shopaholic could grab a pair of shoes that were half off. ^.^
This sequel is set eight years after the events in book one, whose ending may have given a somewhat hopeful kind of feeling for lovers Ethan Martin and Jamie Lassiter, but since In the Fire is more of a second chance romance, you can probably tell that things went somewhat awry while Jamie and Ethan were apart. Aside from being a second chance romance, there's also a dose of suspense thrown in there so that was a definite bonus since it gave book two a different twist, helping it stand apart from its predecessor while still keeping the two connected.
Eight years after the end of their short but intense relationship, Ethan is the head chef of Sharpe's on Fifth. He's hoping to buy the restaurant from Chef Cal Sharpe, the owner and the very same chef that offered him a job when he decided to pull himself out of the running for the scholarship that ended up going to Jamie eight years prior. He's working side by side with his sister Claire and a young man he's taken under his wing, Tyler Mitchell. Ethan may have moved on with his life but he's never forgotten Jamie nor has he ever really gotten over how their relationship ended.
After his internship in Paris, France, Jamie jumped at an opportunity in New York that meant being away from Ethan and virtually ending their relationship. He's now a famous chef with a television show and cookbooks that have become bestsellers. He works with his close friend and manager, Trevor Pratt, and while he's achieved a lot, he's also at an impasse of sorts, feeling more tired than fulfilled. Amid all his success, Jamie still wonders about the one failure that hurt him the most--the end of his relationship with Ethan.
When fate steps in and finds ways to throw Ethan and Jamie together several times, Jamie needs to find a way to get Ethan to let go of his animosity so that they can finally sit down and discuss what happened eight years ago. However, amid the need to find out all the secrets and truths from back then, Ethan has to deal with someone trying to sabotage the restaurant he works in. With everything going on around them, Ethan and Jamie both need to make the effort to deal with their past as well as wonder if there's another chance for a future together.
While I liked In the Raw, I simply LOVED In the Fire. Ethan and Jamie have the burden of their eight years apart but even their short time together is able to supersede all that pain and animosity. Comparing their relationship in book one and here in book two, we can see how they fell in love for the first time in their lives then and how that love never truly went away even after their time apart, but now they have to deal with their issues and fall in love all over again. ^.^ I'm so glad I was able to read and review this ARC and happily give it five stars. This is definitely one of my favorite reads this year. ♥
November 9, 2014
Within a few pages of starting In the Fire, I was absolutely heartbroken. I signed up to review it over a month ago and didn’t reread the blurb before starting it. So when I picked it up to read immediately after finishing In the Raw I was expecting a continuation of Ethan and Jamie’s relationship – either as they struggled with the long-distance relationship or picking up at Jamie’s return from Paris. Suffice it to say I was devastated to learn that Jamie didn’t return to Seattle when he finished his training in Paris, but went to New York for an internship there instead and that his and Ethan’s relationship had fallen apart over the distance and time. I wanted to freaking cry. As much as I hated the way in which the book began, I knew I had to stick with it because I could not bring myself to believe that Ms. Michaels and Ms. Griffin would not give these two the happily ever after they deserved.
In this installment, we find Ethan and Jamie living on separate coasts eight years later. I was shocked to learn that Jamie had become a celebrity chef. Not because he lacked the talent, but because it meant more time being a business and less time being a chef – which was one of the major reasons he avoided joining the family business. On the other hand, Ethan’s career progression did not surprise me in the least. And I was pleased to see that Claire was working with him in Cal’s restaurant and that she was still just as feisty with her brother as she’d always been. When an awards dinner forces them to face one another after eight years, well I’ll just remind you that Ethan was an arse and is still an arse, but this time around he is a wounded arse and that makes for one heck of a confrontation and one sexy bathroom scene when Jamie takes a REALLY drunk Ethan back to his hotel room to insure he’s safe for the night.
Although In the Fire is filled with a LOT of emotional angst as both men felt the other let him down eight years ago, it’s just the right amount of angst and the emotional struggles the two deal with give the story a feeling of realism. With both men still raw about the dissolution of their relationship, immediate or quick trust on either side would not be believable. I liked that there was no quick resolution and that both parties avoided talking about the situation as it was in line with the characters we knew. It’s also what made their individual moments of self-realization that they were still in love with one another that much sweeter – and the sex that much hotter. Additionally, the authors did a really nice job of keeping life moving forward as Ethan and Jamie were figuring out what they wanted. Jamie has a couple of intense confrontations with people who weren’t Ethan and it was quite enjoyable to see that change in his personality. In the same vein, Ethan had to deal with a seemingly endless number of incidents at Cal’s restaurant that were endangering its continued success. There was no magical stop to life as they attempted to reconcile and it just made the book that much more believable. I loved the ending of In the Fire and hope that the authors plan to add to the series as Claire deserves her story told. Either way, In the Raw and In the Fire are definitely on my reread list.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
In this installment, we find Ethan and Jamie living on separate coasts eight years later. I was shocked to learn that Jamie had become a celebrity chef. Not because he lacked the talent, but because it meant more time being a business and less time being a chef – which was one of the major reasons he avoided joining the family business. On the other hand, Ethan’s career progression did not surprise me in the least. And I was pleased to see that Claire was working with him in Cal’s restaurant and that she was still just as feisty with her brother as she’d always been. When an awards dinner forces them to face one another after eight years, well I’ll just remind you that Ethan was an arse and is still an arse, but this time around he is a wounded arse and that makes for one heck of a confrontation and one sexy bathroom scene when Jamie takes a REALLY drunk Ethan back to his hotel room to insure he’s safe for the night.
Although In the Fire is filled with a LOT of emotional angst as both men felt the other let him down eight years ago, it’s just the right amount of angst and the emotional struggles the two deal with give the story a feeling of realism. With both men still raw about the dissolution of their relationship, immediate or quick trust on either side would not be believable. I liked that there was no quick resolution and that both parties avoided talking about the situation as it was in line with the characters we knew. It’s also what made their individual moments of self-realization that they were still in love with one another that much sweeter – and the sex that much hotter. Additionally, the authors did a really nice job of keeping life moving forward as Ethan and Jamie were figuring out what they wanted. Jamie has a couple of intense confrontations with people who weren’t Ethan and it was quite enjoyable to see that change in his personality. In the same vein, Ethan had to deal with a seemingly endless number of incidents at Cal’s restaurant that were endangering its continued success. There was no magical stop to life as they attempted to reconcile and it just made the book that much more believable. I loved the ending of In the Fire and hope that the authors plan to add to the series as Claire deserves her story told. Either way, In the Raw and In the Fire are definitely on my reread list.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
December 16, 2014
3.75 STARS
I thought the story was really great especially if you read the two books consecutively. This story was about Ethan and Jamie, two aspiring chefs, who met in culinary school in In The Raw In The Kitchen. They knew each other for years. They pined each other too but nothing happened until Ethan started failing their baking class.
I thought the flow of the story was great. Ethan was an asshole but Jamie knew that there was more to Ethan. Their chemistry was really great and the sex was steamy although repetitive at times.
Book 1 showed how they struggled with feelings. For Ethan, it was to trust someone especially a rich person as he hated them. Jamie, on the other hand, was not out yet to his parents. He knew that whatever happened his parents would never accept him being gay. His parents infuriated me so much!
At times, I thought Jamie was the asshole rather than Ethan but you know what? They were both assholes. And I guess that's okay because they were trying to work through the struggles.
The important plot in book 1 was the competition for the scholarship to study in Paris. I thought the result of the competition was really touching. I was as conflicted as was. Obviously, one of them would win it but I just had a gut feeling that whatever the result was, there was going to be complications.
Onto book 2, I was shocked to learn 8 years had past. And it was just brought up like nothing. I really thought I missed something. Oh wait, they broke up. Anyway, the first half of the second book was about them reminiscing and still pining for each other but in a very distant way.
Now, can we talk about Trevor? Um, I don't get how Jamie can forgive this guy. He basically destroyed a relationship that could've lasted for 8-9 years. I didn't care if he was the "best friend" of Jamie while he was in Paris or how Trevor made his career and took care of him . No. And how easily he was forgiven? Maybe his sleuthing for the mystery part of the book was redeeming but not for everything he had done. 8 years was waster because of him.
I thought Jamie and Ethan matured but not that much. I loved how they tried to avoid each other but in the end, they end up together. The sex was really good.The mystery part added a little flavour to this book so I like it. Although it wasn't hard to predict who the rat was.
Anyway, I was annoyed at the HEA/Epilogue. It was not really fulfilling. I just thought it could've been better. A lot better.
Overall, a good read.
I thought the story was really great especially if you read the two books consecutively. This story was about Ethan and Jamie, two aspiring chefs, who met in culinary school in In The Raw In The Kitchen. They knew each other for years. They pined each other too but nothing happened until Ethan started failing their baking class.
I thought the flow of the story was great. Ethan was an asshole but Jamie knew that there was more to Ethan. Their chemistry was really great and the sex was steamy although repetitive at times.
Book 1 showed how they struggled with feelings. For Ethan, it was to trust someone especially a rich person as he hated them. Jamie, on the other hand, was not out yet to his parents. He knew that whatever happened his parents would never accept him being gay. His parents infuriated me so much!
At times, I thought Jamie was the asshole rather than Ethan but you know what? They were both assholes. And I guess that's okay because they were trying to work through the struggles.
The important plot in book 1 was the competition for the scholarship to study in Paris. I thought the result of the competition was really touching. I was as conflicted as was. Obviously, one of them would win it but I just had a gut feeling that whatever the result was, there was going to be complications.
Onto book 2, I was shocked to learn 8 years had past. And it was just brought up like nothing. I really thought I missed something. Oh wait, they broke up. Anyway, the first half of the second book was about them reminiscing and still pining for each other but in a very distant way.
Now, can we talk about Trevor? Um, I don't get how Jamie can forgive this guy. He basically destroyed a relationship that could've lasted for 8-9 years. I didn't care if he was the "best friend" of Jamie while he was in Paris or how Trevor made his career and took care of him . No. And how easily he was forgiven? Maybe his sleuthing for the mystery part of the book was redeeming but not for everything he had done. 8 years was waster because of him.
I thought Jamie and Ethan matured but not that much. I loved how they tried to avoid each other but in the end, they end up together. The sex was really good.The mystery part added a little flavour to this book so I like it. Although it wasn't hard to predict who the rat was.
Anyway, I was annoyed at the HEA/Epilogue. It was not really fulfilling. I just thought it could've been better. A lot better.
Overall, a good read.
October 8, 2014
OMG…I totally devoured this book! I mean… I could not put it down.
Ok.. I wasn’t really feeling the first book. It was just ok for me. I had a big problem with Ethan..and his attitude.
But with this book…I’m so glad I stuck it out with this second book. I’m was really loving it.
And I’m having The opposite effect in this book.
Jamie… I blame him for the whole break up! He picked his career over love! And left Ethan high & dry!
I’m pretty sure Trevor (Jamie’s best friend) played a part in the breakup…
I was sooo hopeful in book 1. That Jamie and Ethan would make it together…
I was so shocked to read in the synopsis that eight years had passed! I just had to know… What Happened…
Oh man…
Both men…played their part in the break up…but to me ultimately it was Jamie’s fault!
He let outside people (Trevor) influence him…. Instead of sticking it out… He just let it go…
That right there… No matter how much I love a person..would be hard for me to get past.
When Ethan and Jamie meet for the first time in 8 years…
Ughhh… Ethan was a hot mess!!! I felt so bad for him…lol
Even though I loved this book so much… It was kind of slow… I wanted them to really hash out all of the drama with what went wrong with them…
I still felt that Jamie never really grew up…
His parents told him what to do… Trevor in a way told him what to do.. He never really stood on his own two feet.
All the drama in Ethan’s restaurant was interesting… I new right away.. Who was behind it all… But, I like how it all played out.
The show down with Jamie and his dad was not all that… I don’t think he should have giving his dad any kind of heads up…
He was never going to love his son no matter what.
I did love how both Ethan and Jamie both put their pride aside and went to each other in different times in the book… A show of some sort of grand gesture.
There were 2 things I really didn’t care for in this book..
One of the things was Claire..I didn’t really care for her in the last book and I really didn’t care for her in this book either. Just her whole attitude and the way she talk just got on my nerves. And she always popped up at the wrong time.
& Trevor…
I felt Ethan should have given Jamie and ultimatum… If he wanted him back in his life… Then he should have to cut Trevor out of his life.
He should have made Jamie pick… Him or Trevor.
(I really don’t know what happens to Trevor at the end of this book…because he’s never brought back up and the end.)
Other than that…
The ending was perfect…
Over all… This books was a really good read…I would still recommend the series to anybody!
* ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley *
-Michelle
Ok.. I wasn’t really feeling the first book. It was just ok for me. I had a big problem with Ethan..and his attitude.
But with this book…I’m so glad I stuck it out with this second book. I’m was really loving it.
And I’m having The opposite effect in this book.
Jamie… I blame him for the whole break up! He picked his career over love! And left Ethan high & dry!
I’m pretty sure Trevor (Jamie’s best friend) played a part in the breakup…
I was sooo hopeful in book 1. That Jamie and Ethan would make it together…
I was so shocked to read in the synopsis that eight years had passed! I just had to know… What Happened…
Oh man…
Both men…played their part in the break up…but to me ultimately it was Jamie’s fault!
He let outside people (Trevor) influence him…. Instead of sticking it out… He just let it go…
That right there… No matter how much I love a person..would be hard for me to get past.
When Ethan and Jamie meet for the first time in 8 years…
Ughhh… Ethan was a hot mess!!! I felt so bad for him…lol
Even though I loved this book so much… It was kind of slow… I wanted them to really hash out all of the drama with what went wrong with them…
I still felt that Jamie never really grew up…
His parents told him what to do… Trevor in a way told him what to do.. He never really stood on his own two feet.
All the drama in Ethan’s restaurant was interesting… I new right away.. Who was behind it all… But, I like how it all played out.
The show down with Jamie and his dad was not all that… I don’t think he should have giving his dad any kind of heads up…
He was never going to love his son no matter what.
I did love how both Ethan and Jamie both put their pride aside and went to each other in different times in the book… A show of some sort of grand gesture.
There were 2 things I really didn’t care for in this book..
One of the things was Claire..I didn’t really care for her in the last book and I really didn’t care for her in this book either. Just her whole attitude and the way she talk just got on my nerves. And she always popped up at the wrong time.
& Trevor…
I felt Ethan should have given Jamie and ultimatum… If he wanted him back in his life… Then he should have to cut Trevor out of his life.
He should have made Jamie pick… Him or Trevor.
(I really don’t know what happens to Trevor at the end of this book…because he’s never brought back up and the end.)
Other than that…
The ending was perfect…
Over all… This books was a really good read…I would still recommend the series to anybody!
* ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley *
-Michelle
October 8, 2014
OMG…I totally devoured this book! I mean… I could not put it down.
Ok.. I wasn’t really feeling the first book. It was just ok for me. I had a big problem with Ethan..and his attitude.
But with this book…I’m so glad I stuck it out with this second book. I’m was really loving it.
And I’m having The opposite effect in this book.
Jamie… I blame him for the whole break up! He picked his career over love! And left Ethan high & dry!
I’m pretty sure Trevor (Jamie’s best friend) played a part in the breakup…
I was sooo hopeful in book 1. That Jamie and Ethan would make it together…
I was so shocked to read in the synopsis that eight years had passed! I just had to know… What Happened…
Oh man…
Both men…played their part in the break up…but to me ultimately it was Jamie’s fault!
He let outside people (Trevor) influence him…. Instead of sticking it out… He just let it go…
That right there… No matter how much I love a person..would be hard for me to get past.
When Ethan and Jamie meet for the first time in 8 years…
Ughhh… Ethan was a hot mess!!! I felt so bad for him…lol
Even though I loved this book so much… It was kind of slow… I wanted them to really hash out all of the drama with what went wrong with them…
I still felt that Jamie never really grew up…
His parents told him what to do… Trevor in a way told him what to do.. He never really stood on his own two feet.
All the drama in Ethan’s restaurant was interesting… I new right away.. Who was behind it all… But, I like how it all played out.
The show down with Jamie and his dad was not all that… I don’t think he should have giving his dad any kind of heads up…
He was never going to love his son no matter what.
I did love how both Ethan and Jamie both put their pride aside and went to each other in different times in the book… A show of some sort of grand gesture.
There were 2 things I really didn’t care for in this book..
One of the things was Claire..I didn’t really care for her in the last book and I really didn’t care for her in this book either. Just her whole attitude and the way she talk just got on my nerves. And she always popped up at the wrong time.
& Trevor…
I felt Ethan should have given Jamie and ultimatum… If he wanted him back in his life… Then he should have to cut Trevor out of his life.
He should have made Jamie pick… Him or Trevor.
(I really don’t know what happens to Trevor at the end of this book…because he’s never brought back up and the end.)
Other than that…
The ending was perfect…
Over all… This books was a really good read…I would still recommend the series to anybody!
* ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley *
Ok.. I wasn’t really feeling the first book. It was just ok for me. I had a big problem with Ethan..and his attitude.
But with this book…I’m so glad I stuck it out with this second book. I’m was really loving it.
And I’m having The opposite effect in this book.
Jamie… I blame him for the whole break up! He picked his career over love! And left Ethan high & dry!
I’m pretty sure Trevor (Jamie’s best friend) played a part in the breakup…
I was sooo hopeful in book 1. That Jamie and Ethan would make it together…
I was so shocked to read in the synopsis that eight years had passed! I just had to know… What Happened…
Oh man…
Both men…played their part in the break up…but to me ultimately it was Jamie’s fault!
He let outside people (Trevor) influence him…. Instead of sticking it out… He just let it go…
That right there… No matter how much I love a person..would be hard for me to get past.
When Ethan and Jamie meet for the first time in 8 years…
Ughhh… Ethan was a hot mess!!! I felt so bad for him…lol
Even though I loved this book so much… It was kind of slow… I wanted them to really hash out all of the drama with what went wrong with them…
I still felt that Jamie never really grew up…
His parents told him what to do… Trevor in a way told him what to do.. He never really stood on his own two feet.
All the drama in Ethan’s restaurant was interesting… I new right away.. Who was behind it all… But, I like how it all played out.
The show down with Jamie and his dad was not all that… I don’t think he should have giving his dad any kind of heads up…
He was never going to love his son no matter what.
I did love how both Ethan and Jamie both put their pride aside and went to each other in different times in the book… A show of some sort of grand gesture.
There were 2 things I really didn’t care for in this book..
One of the things was Claire..I didn’t really care for her in the last book and I really didn’t care for her in this book either. Just her whole attitude and the way she talk just got on my nerves. And she always popped up at the wrong time.
& Trevor…
I felt Ethan should have given Jamie and ultimatum… If he wanted him back in his life… Then he should have to cut Trevor out of his life.
He should have made Jamie pick… Him or Trevor.
(I really don’t know what happens to Trevor at the end of this book…because he’s never brought back up and the end.)
Other than that…
The ending was perfect…
Over all… This books was a really good read…I would still recommend the series to anybody!
* ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley *
September 16, 2014
When I read the blurb for this book, my first thought was Wait...eight YEARS??? followed quickly by No no no, you GUYS, gah!...but the separation was so true to the characters, it was hard to fault it. I ended up staying up way too late to read this book all in one sitting because I needed these boys to find their HEA before I could sleep!
At the end of In the Raw, Jamie heads off to Paris on a scholarship. The love between Ethan and Jamie is new, still sort of raw, and they're both so young. It was totally believable that unforeseen opportunities would arise that necessitated a longer separation — and that Ethan would take it very personally, given his childhood issues. It was nothing that couldn't have been alleviated by some communication, but Ethan and Jamie prove once again that neither of them are very good at talking stuff out.
Fast forward eight years and Ethan is up for an award that's going to be presented to him by Jamie. Both men have grown up; they felt grown up, too, which is sometimes hard to do when there's such a leap of time between books. Ethan is still prickly (and still my favourite, with his hidden vulnerabilities), but clearly confident in his skills in the kitchen; and Jamie is just...wow. Talk about growing into his own. Rather than the uncertain boy we met in the first book, Jamie's matured into a confident man whose sexuality no longer frightens him.
And, sort of surprisingly, it's Jamie who decides to pursue the spark that's rekindled at the awards ceremony. Go Jamie!
Though I hated that the HFN from the previous book had sputtered and died, the authors did a great job at illustrating both men were at fault for that development. There was forgiveness to be granted on both sides and it wasn't an instant thing. My heart literally ached at points when it was clear that both men wanted so badly to recapture what they'd had eight years before but had no idea how to bridge the distance between them. The journey to reconnecting was not instantaneous and it never felt assured — which, of course, made my heart ache all the more.
The In the Kitchen series has definitely put Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin on my auto-buy list. Can't wait for their next release!
At the end of In the Raw, Jamie heads off to Paris on a scholarship. The love between Ethan and Jamie is new, still sort of raw, and they're both so young. It was totally believable that unforeseen opportunities would arise that necessitated a longer separation — and that Ethan would take it very personally, given his childhood issues. It was nothing that couldn't have been alleviated by some communication, but Ethan and Jamie prove once again that neither of them are very good at talking stuff out.
Fast forward eight years and Ethan is up for an award that's going to be presented to him by Jamie. Both men have grown up; they felt grown up, too, which is sometimes hard to do when there's such a leap of time between books. Ethan is still prickly (and still my favourite, with his hidden vulnerabilities), but clearly confident in his skills in the kitchen; and Jamie is just...wow. Talk about growing into his own. Rather than the uncertain boy we met in the first book, Jamie's matured into a confident man whose sexuality no longer frightens him.
And, sort of surprisingly, it's Jamie who decides to pursue the spark that's rekindled at the awards ceremony. Go Jamie!
Though I hated that the HFN from the previous book had sputtered and died, the authors did a great job at illustrating both men were at fault for that development. There was forgiveness to be granted on both sides and it wasn't an instant thing. My heart literally ached at points when it was clear that both men wanted so badly to recapture what they'd had eight years before but had no idea how to bridge the distance between them. The journey to reconnecting was not instantaneous and it never felt assured — which, of course, made my heart ache all the more.
The In the Kitchen series has definitely put Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin on my auto-buy list. Can't wait for their next release!
November 7, 2014
Night Owl Review
****4 1/2 stars****
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Girffin. This book is best read as part of the series and not as a standalone novel to get the best understanding of the two main characters.
Ethan Martin is still a bad boy chef but his career is moving much slower. He is saving every penny he can to buy the restaurant he works in. With his sister by his side, he keeps his eye on the future and works hard every day to get his dream restaurant up and running. He tries to keep James in the past and look forward even though his heart is still with James.
James Lassiter is a celebrity chef whose career has taken off since his internship to Paris. He makes some great connections and ends up getting another internship in New York and his relationship to Ethan disappears. James seems tired of the trapping of being a celebrity and longs for the long tired days of cooking in a restaurant.
The connection between James and Ethan is powerful. This book does a great job of showing how hard relationships are even with the best of intentions and how others can throw monkey wrenches into things. Ethan and James are older in this book and not willing to let a chance at happiness get away from them. The sex scenes were scorching.
I found this book well written with an interesting plot. I loved the balance of suspense and romance. The ending is set in a way that answers all the questions about James and Ethan’s future. I hope that we get to see more about some of the secondary characters that appear in the book in future. The main characters and the secondary characters were memorizing. Overall, I loved this book.
****4 1/2 stars****
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Girffin. This book is best read as part of the series and not as a standalone novel to get the best understanding of the two main characters.
Ethan Martin is still a bad boy chef but his career is moving much slower. He is saving every penny he can to buy the restaurant he works in. With his sister by his side, he keeps his eye on the future and works hard every day to get his dream restaurant up and running. He tries to keep James in the past and look forward even though his heart is still with James.
James Lassiter is a celebrity chef whose career has taken off since his internship to Paris. He makes some great connections and ends up getting another internship in New York and his relationship to Ethan disappears. James seems tired of the trapping of being a celebrity and longs for the long tired days of cooking in a restaurant.
The connection between James and Ethan is powerful. This book does a great job of showing how hard relationships are even with the best of intentions and how others can throw monkey wrenches into things. Ethan and James are older in this book and not willing to let a chance at happiness get away from them. The sex scenes were scorching.
I found this book well written with an interesting plot. I loved the balance of suspense and romance. The ending is set in a way that answers all the questions about James and Ethan’s future. I hope that we get to see more about some of the secondary characters that appear in the book in future. The main characters and the secondary characters were memorizing. Overall, I loved this book.
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