Reviewed by Carissa

TITLE:  In the Raw

SERIES:  In the Kitchen #1

AUTHOR:  Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

PUBLISHER:  Carina Press

LENGTH:  209 pages

BLURB:  

If you can’t take the heat…

James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years, but has never had the guts to make a move. Putting himself out there is hard, especially when under the thumb–and wallet–of his overbearing parents. Now that bad boy chef Ethan–who is always vying with Jamie for best in class–is struggling with the pastry course, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.

Ethan doesn’t mean to be an ass–okay, so mostly he does–but even though he’s secretly hot for Jamie, he sure as hell doesn’t want help with pastry. Ever since his dad walked out, Ethan has been the one to hold things together and he’s done fine on his own. Except that he can’t get his cake to rise.

Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan’s been missing his whole life–someone to depend on. But with the two competing for the same scholarship, things suddenly get too hot to handle. And if Jamie finds the strength to go for what he wants, he isn’t about to settle for what he needs.

REVIEW:  

Ethan Martin’s crush on James Lassiter is just downright annoying. Not only is Jamie a Golden Boy–with all the money and family connections to make that oh so special shine sparkle–but he is also kicking Ethan’s butt in the pastry section at school. So you can see why the fact that Ethan gets all heart-flusterey around Jamie is rather annoying. Because Ethan is no one’s golden boy. He and his sister are having to work their asses off to put themselves thru culinary school. And where Jamie is all golden skinned goodness with a bright and shiny smile, Ethan is a tattooed antisocial grump. A tattooed antisocial grump that kills in the kitchen, but still, nowhere near as perfect as Jamie.

What Ethan doesn’t know is that the shine on his golden boy isn’t so perfect–or that his annoying crush is completely mutual. But to get involved with Jamie means he would have to trust him…and yeah, that isn’t going to be so easy. Even if having Jamie in his life makes all the other shit a little bit easier.

Do not read this book when you are hungry. Just don’t do it. You will end up staring morosely into your fridge, bemoaning the complete lack of wonderfully yummy food. Just find yourself a bowl of chocolate covered pretzels or something before you crack open this book. You will thank me later.

I quite enjoyed this. I love a good cooking story, and while I should probably stay away from books that make me crave cheesecake more than already do (I cried during that scene–just, it was so sad. No cheesecake should have to die like that), I loved the various foods that popped up in this book.

And Ethan’s sister was great. I don’t know how she has lived with him for this long and not hit him over the head with heavy kitchen implements, but she must have a very forgiving nature. Because Ethan is an asshole. A lovable asshole, but a grade-A ass nonetheless. I get where he is coming from, but man, the dude is cooking for you, there is no need to get your bitch on just because you think he fancies your sister. Which he soooo doesn’t–and Ethan would know that if he stopped trying to kill (and/or fuck) Jamie with just the power of his eyes.

Also liked the competition aspect of this book, and how it ended up. I wasn’t quite sure who I wanted to end up with the scholarship, in the end, but I think it got it right. And even if this books ends with a HFN, with them having to be split up for six months, it also gave a good enough resolution that I didn’t feel cheated (it might also help that I already have book two on my kindle ready for me to read!).

My one major issue with this book has to do with the dueling 1st person povs. I lost count of the number of times I forgot whose pov was currently up. The voices were just too similar, and I was constantly having to go back and remind myself who was talking this time. And it didn’t help that I kept forgetting who was who (case and point: my first draft of this review had Ethan and Jamie switched around. dammit!). Ethan was Jamie, or Jamie was Ethan…it was distracting at the very least. I know each change in pov was signaled at the top of the chapter, but my brain is like a sieve sometimes, and it would have been nice to have a bit more variation in the povs, so that it is obvious who is speaking at all times.

And while this did tend to flirt with melodrama quite a few times, they also didn’t let their idiocy carry on for very long, so I can forgive them that one. Though if they ever have any hopes of making it thru the next six months they are going to have to learn some freaking communication skills.

I did enjoy this though, and I am really glad that I have book two already. Going to really enjoy seeing where Jamie and Ethan go from here. And god, I really hope Reed gets his comeuppance. Him and Jamie’s no-good parents. Assholes with money are sometimes the worst assholes of all.

RATING:  

BUY LINKS:

Carina 

Amazon

Amazon.uk