Bru Baker pulled off a coup with this fun read. Filled with innuendo and outrageous flirting, King of the Kitchen is a book for everyone. The story flowed well and the characters were developed nicely. The chemistry between Beck and Duncan was entertaining to read. ( )

I really enjoyed this book! It had a cool story with two almost enemies (but dads were total rivals) who end up becoming friends and then lovers. They were both chefs, but cooked in different styles and worked in different areas. Their styles really complemented them, and I loved reading about the different culinary meals and techniques. It was a fun read with a cool subject. In addition to that, I really loved the two main characters. ( )

Cooking shows and celebrity chefs are not normally something I follow. But I admit to being a bit of a foodie myself and I have watched the odd “Kitchen Nightmares” show here or there, so I am aware of the genre. Reading the blurb for “King of the Kitchen had me laughing – celebrity chef empires? culinary royalty? heirs to entire food domains? – and I was curious enough to pick up this title. With two diametrically opposed main characters, public arguments, and a cooking show challenge it was bound to be fun. I am happy to report I was right! ‘King of the Kitchen’ is hilarious, has mouthwateringly delicious food described in fascinating detail, and both Beck and Duncan turned out to be characters who are much deeper than they seemed based on my initial impression. Highly recommended reading if you’re looking for a mix of serious and fun – just don’t attempt reading this novel on an empty stomach!

Beck is a public figure in his own right, something he is not comfortable with, but it’s an unavoidable consequence of being on TV. He is only the cohost though, and his uncle, Christian, is the one who runs the show – in more ways than one. Beck favors traditional food and local sourcing, but most of his recipes get overruled. But Beck is a passionate chef, loves cooking and helping to run Christian’s chain of restaurants, and knows how to pick his battles. He is also very organized, so when he runs into Duncan and his love for improvisation, Beck is at a loss. His attraction to the infuriatingly relaxed chef makes things worse, and even though Beck is interested, he refuses to do casual – which is all Duncan will consider.

Duncan has not really got a plan for his life. He knows that he doesn’t want any part of his homophobic father’s restaurants or business, no matter how much the man bugs him into joining. Duncan started out as a food scientist, and he is using his insights into chemistry in his more inspired recipes. He loves traveling from kitchen to kitchen, filling in for temporary absences, but has no idea where he wants to settle down. His approach to relationships is nonexistent – he does not do commitment. But when he runs into Beck and a public argument ensues that needs to be “managed” for PR reasons, everything changes for Duncan. Beck is not the man he thought he is, and working with him on the cooking show – as part of the PR plan - changes Duncan’s life in more ways than one.

Beck and Duncan’s relationship is not an easy one. They start out as enemies because the public thinks they are, but once they start talking, they discover that their differences on a personal and professional level will make things more difficult than expected. Both men have difficult mentors in their lives: Beck’s uncle is an overbearing control freak and Duncan’s father is a bigot of the first degree who has treated Duncan’s sexuality with disdain, and worse, for years. But where Beck mostly goes along and “manages” his uncle, Duncan’s way is to confront his father head-on. It was fascinating to watch them work through their issues – drawn to each other by their shared love of food and passion for cooking.

If you like adversarial relationships between stubborn men who know what they want – until they discover that love may be more important than being right, if you think competing is a good way of getting to know a potential partner, and if you’re looking for a read that is full of humor, interesting recipes, and a few very hot physical encounters, then you will probably like this novel. I think it’s a very successful mix of entertainment and romance.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

A Hearts On Fire Review

3.75 Hearts--Where to begin with King of the Kitchen?

I've been keeping an eye on Bru Baker's work. When I read the premise of rivaling culinary families with a sort of Hatfield/McCoy-esque enemies to lovers feel mixed with gourmet cooking n a television cooking show, I couldn't wait to read it. Interesting premise is interesting. I'm not a foodie by no means - I can cook but it's not like I'm running to by the latest knives or food processor out there. (When I follow a recipe and it comes out the way the picture looks I feel super accomplished)

But I am fascinated by chef romances. To me, the art of cooking is a science. So my inner geek was ecstatic that one of the main characters was a molecular gastronomist. And this novel truly treated cooking with the passion and art it's all about. There were hiccups (which I'll get to) but the romance was light and bubbly underneath the cooking.

Told in alternating POV and set in Chicago, thirty-something(?) chefs Duncan Walters and Beck Douglas meet each other at a chance meeting & a little hidden identity on one of their parts. That sets the tone of some of their animosity...and attraction for nearly a decade when they finally meet again.

Each man is a celebrity chef in their own right, Beck is under his controlling uncle's thumb working more than there are hours in the day on a daily basis including hosting a national cooking show, never getting a chance to be his own man. And Duncan, a food whiz, is a chef nomad and has degrees in molecular gastronomy and hates his bigoted zealot of a father. Though he and his father can cook like a dream, his father has hurt him in more ways than one over the years and Duncan's sexuality is the main point of contention.

The author takes time to set the stage while making interesting dishes. Now I expected a romance. What I didn't expect was the lightness to the men's characters. They were snarky, sweet and had depth. These things I liked muchly. Beck was the uptight stick in the mud who really wants to have fun with the right person vs Duncan's rolling stone who needed someone to give him a reason to believe you can have someone to have to your back. You know good old opposites attract, a fave of mine.

And the book really knew what it was doing in the kitchen with well researched techniques. And it worked with the chef's interactions with each other. They're cooking, they're living life. It flowed in that aspect.

But...there were a lot of words.

I think too much words. And even if the romance was sweet and effervescent, I have to discuss the story's biggest flaw - repetition. I'd read thoughts that were made over and over. I'm not a reader who needs to be spoon fed all the information and then reminded in case I forgot. I got it. I'm ready to move on. Why must I rehash the same point made in the first chapter again? Sometimes it read like it was trying to stretch the word count. And I have to take away a heart from my rating for that despite the easiness to the romance.

And while I was going to go for 4 Hearts as my rating, going over my notes, I can't. The pace got a little clunky for me. (Example: we get an altercation between the feuding families and then it gets pushed to the wayside or a chance to read a first time relationship's experience.) The ending was a little abrupt. The family dynamics was left unfinished. It was reflected on briefly but I think this story would have done even better with an epilogue. Duncan and Beck totally deserved it.

But the good certainly outweighs the missteps.

And there were surprises...like fake to real relationship surprises. There was sex and a few fun places *coughs*desk*coughs* and this is spoilerish: non-penetrative sex to boot! A plus in my book.

Is this book for everyone? Probably not.

I think readers who are foodies, like light, funny stories, don't mind extra explanation could probably enjoy this best. " ( )