Wednesday, July 17, 2013

ARC REVIEW: Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1) by Rachel Harris

Title/Series: Taste the Heat | Love and Games #1
Author: Rachel Harris
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
Published: July 8th 2013
Format: eBook | Pages: 220
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: ARC received in exchange for an honest review
★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Rachel Harris | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. 

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?




I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I fell in love with Taste the Heat. I've been wanting to read one of Rachel's books for a while now, have my eye on her Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, just haven't had the time. So when the opportunity to take part in the Taste the Heat blog tour presented itself, I read the blurb and just new this would be a book I was going to love so I jumped at the chance and I'm so glad I did. It's a perfect combination of ingredients that make for a book that captured my heart and will stay with me for a while. What's not to love? Great characters, sweet romance, a little bit of food and the perfect setting. Recipe for perfection? Yeah, I think so!

I love it when a book is told in dual POVs. Especially when a love story is involved. You really get more insight into their feelings, struggles, thoughts and makes it easier to relate and become emotionally invested in both sides of the story. Both Jason and Colby had equally warranted reasons for wanting to close themselves off from love and future possible heartbreaks. Both burned by love in completely different ways. One through tragedy and one through the loss of respect of her hero, her dad.

I enjoyed Colby's character. Coming home after 12 years was hard for her. Facing disappointments from her past, she endured and blocked at first the painful memories so that she could come support and help her family get their restaurant back on track. She's smart and talented and independent. And also very real. Though all the characters were.  After reconnecting with Jason, her brother's best friend and the guy she's been crushing on since childhood, he helps her to tackle those trust issues that others broke within her years ago.


Can we talk about Jason for a moment? First I'd appreciate it if we didn't let this get back to my other book boyfriends, you know how sensitive they can be. But Jason stole my heart. Completely. He's perfection in both a fictional sense and a very real one. Forget the fact that he's a incredibly hot firefighter (hello fantasy!) who can cook...you want to know what got me right from the start? He's a widowed single father. Hello heart you may start beating again at any time. He's not just a regular single dad though, that young lady has him wrapped around her little finger and he'd do anything to make her happy. Yeah he's set the bar pretty much out of reach for any other guy real or fictitious for the future.



The supporting characters were all equally as great and made the book all the better. It always seems to be the little ones that steal the show when I'm reading and in this case 11 year old Emma was fantastic at that. She was adorable and quite the evil genius! Between Emma and Colby's sister Sherry, both having match making stars in their eyes, Jason and Colby didn't stand a chance. Cane and Sherry were both characters I wanted to see more of and I'm guessing, and hoping, that the rest of the series will be their stories. *Fingers crossed*



I adored Taste the Heat and I adore Rachel Harris. This book easily earned her a place on my very short auto-buy authors list. The story was sweet and delicious and I couldn't put it down. I cannot recommend this book enough, it's definitely a must read! I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!




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8 comments:

  1. Great review! I bought this this week and really looking forward to it now!

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  2. RachelHarrisWritesJuly 17, 2013 at 5:23 AM

    Thanks so much for such a fabulous review, Sheri! This had me smiling and doing a little dance as I read it ;) I love you to pieces and am so grateful for your help in spreading the word about my debut. Thank you!!


    xoxoxo
    Rachel

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  3. Great review! I loved this book too. I really like a dual POV in a romance, especially when it's done right and Rachel did it right. I loved all the characters too and the plot was so fun and sexy.

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  4. I am looking forward to your tweets of love because you will be loving it :D

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  5. You are very welcome!! It was a pleasure to read and help spread the word any way I can xoxox I love you to pieces as well :) Not only can you write like nobody's business but you are such a sweet genuine person. I'm not just saying that :)

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  6. She really did do it right. And her characters were so lovable. I want to read it again! :| lol

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  7. I'm so glad you told me I had to buy it!! Because I LOVED it. All the characters were amazing and Jason melted my heart completely. *sigh* and him with Emma? ohmygosh.

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  8. I'm right there with you girl. Jason stole my heart away completely. And so did Emma. And now I cannot wait for Cane's story! EEEP! Great review chica!

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