Amuse-Bouche

by Blane Thomas

Corey may be young, but he knows what he he wants to set the world aflame.

Fresh out of culinary school, he's ready to test the waters as a chef in an up-and-coming, Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of Chicago’s bustling food scene. It’s in the kitchen where he meets Keith, a brooding, sexy-as-hell, perfectionist chef with talent like Corey has never seen and can only dream of achieving. Keith doesn’t need or want fame or praise, he is only in it for the art and the food. Corey can’t seem to figure out why, but as their attraction grows, he is close to figuring the man and his intentions out.

When an unexpected turn of events suddenly launches Corey into the limelight as the next big thing, he has to figure out if he is prepared for the cost of fast fame. Navigating the complicated world of his new found celebrity, he realizes everything given to him is not as it seems and all things come with a cost. Is Corey able to decide where his true passion lies, even if it means losing Keith in the process?

This debut novel by Blane Thomas is full of heat, spice and some secret special ingredients that you're sure to love!

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 3, 2018

About the author

Blane has been writing since he was six. It started off in his family's attic, slowly learning how to type on the then state-of-the-art Commodore 64. Taking his favorite comic book characters and putting them into his own stories, he passed many cold winters this way. Blane now passes the time writing sex-positive, life affirming romance titles.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Written in Corey's POV, we get a glimpse into the world of celebrity chefs. I was fascinated by the machinations and was sucked in along with Corey. I was not sure what to expect with this one. It is a darker read than I thought it would be. The writing is well done, even with too many exclamation points, and intense with overtones of D/s but nothing kinky.

The last five chapters of the book changed in tone and the pacing slowed down. It lost a little bit of magic for me when Corey does his soliloquy and uses the word forsake. Uhm, not something most people use in conversation and it changed my perception of Corey. That did throw me a little off, but not enough to stop reading since I was close to the end and had to know what happened. It is not a traditional HEA, but readers will be satisfied.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started out liking Corey with his naïve eagerness to be a good chef, especially with the cold way Keith treated him. But when Corey set out to achieve fame no matter who he hurt, cut down, used, or betrayed, I couldn’t feel sorry for him when it all came back on him. For a while, I didn’t really like any of the characters, but I actually ended up empathizing with Keith and hoped he would come out on top. I also really wanted to see Theo and his friends get their just desserts, too. The book could have used better editing. There were enough errors that I found it distracting, and I took off a star for that.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is quite unlike anything I have read before.
Truthfully I did not like it at all at the start but continued to read it because I rarely leave a book unfinished.
I cannot say I liked any of the characters at all but slowly Keith grew on me. Then, hooray, Corey finally grew some and he started to become likeable.
This book is not all sunshine and rainbows but life rarely is either.
I would read my from this author

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kirsty Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, about finding who you are. Corey is a apprentice chef, and that wants to absorb all the information he can from his fellow chefs at his new job. What he finds and learns is far greater and better then he ever dreamed for himself.
Kieth is a special soul, and that has learnt many lessons already in his young life. That have never changed him, he stays true to himself no matter what or who is involved.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theo is a jerk and rapist along with everyone he works with. Corey just graduated and is in training to become a chef. Keith is a chef who cooks for the joy of cooking and not for fame, credit or validation from others. Ryan is a restaurant owner and jerk as well (you’ll see) Corey and Keith end up running into each other again. I found the scenes with Theo and Corey a little hard to get through as noted above Theo is a class A Jerk among other things. Other than that I liked it enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patti Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cory is interning at Trainyard restaurant. He meets Keith there. Keith works to prefect the dishes. Cory is working toward the fame and money. Cory finds out that the fame is not what he really wants, he wants to make the dishes prefect. Cory is missing Keith. Cory s pushed to far and leaves the fame behind. Can Cory be happy again? Can Cory find Keith?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He has one plan and that was to be a famous chef and he has worked so hard to get close. Now he is at a great restaurant which another chef is does things he had never seen. There is an attraction between them which may just fail when he get the chance he had always wanted. Will he choose fame? Will be choose love? See what he chooses

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[kellyFoley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed the kitchen, cooking problems

Was a pleasure to read about the workings in a kitchen, people problems. And the chef's working not working together.

[Daniella Marchand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corey is looking for a job as cook, being lucky to land a Apprentice place in this Michelin Star Restaurant. A Resto for the rich and famous, where high contact is important to actieve recognition and getting higher position. Keith is one of the Three chef cook working in this environment but being a Longer and who doesn't together with his college and who does things like he wants to without taking advies from other. Has icy eyes and stoic.
When they both have to make a 5 course dinner for a review magazine, and Corey having put a garnish without Keith aprouval of without him knowlage and recieved compliment about that garnish, Keith his then having a fight with Corey, Keith decide to put all the credit for the hole meal into Corey, that's when things all changes,. Corey is catapulted forward and become the 4th chef. After Keith resign, Corey gets to special feest, tv shows ... But he didn't expect to be physically used, to get those favour. After a heart chat with Theo, that's when he knows everything, behind the fame and breakfasts the 'game', after Theo makes a move on Corey who Panic and flees the scene. Theo being the highest man in the city, he makes Corey's live a living hell. He loose is job and now has to work at he normal dinner, no fancy meal or so. What a surprise when one morning he heard that the dinner is sold to a Chef !!!
Very great read, fabulous, tense...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.