Reviewed by Tammy
TITLE: Simmered 
SERIES: A Kent Street Tale #2
AUTHOR: Kelex writing as Alex Bowman
PUBLISHER: Twisted E-Publishing
LENGTH: 85 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2016
BLURB:
Kent Street is the new up and coming open community. After years of decline, LGBT-friendly businesses are starting to open their doors along the retail ghost town, welcoming open minded and proud patrons to shop the newly renovated shops and eateries. What they didn’t expect was by bringing a bunch of hot men closer together, it would prove to be fiery, to say the least
After years of crossing each other’s paths in the culinary world, Henri Delacourt and Tate Campbell find themselves working side by side at Michellette’s, a new restaurant on Kent Street. Their arguments heat up the kitchen, but when the fighting turns into one passionate encounter, it rattles them both.
Henri has always seen himself as straight. He struggles to face the feelings he has for Tate, and keeps pushing the man away at every turn. Tate won’t be pushed far. He wants Henri to admit to what he feels and won’t take Henri’s backpedalling.
When everything simmers over, they’re left facing very different futures and need to decide if they can forge ahead as one or be forced to walk away from the emotions they feel.
REVIEW:
Tate Campbell has had a crush on Henri Delacourt for years, now he has the chance to work with him at Michellette’s, the new restaurant on Kent Street. Henri has always felt something for Tate he’s not sure exactly what that “something” is though as Henri is straight as far as he’s concerned!
Henri is very confused, he’s never felt anything for any man until he met Tate and he was with his girlfriend when they met the first time. When Henri is offered the position of pastry chef for the new restaurant Michellette’s he jumps at the opportunity it affords him. When the owner Michael Michellette asks him if he knows of anyone who would be a good fit as executive chef he has no idea why he puts forth Tate Campbell’s name. As soon as he says his name Henri realises his mistake but it’s too late to take it back now!
When Tate starts his position as executive chef he finds working with Henri more difficult than he thought it would be. They fight and argue all the time, Henri seems to go out of his way to nit-pick at any and everything but always there simmering underneath, was their attraction to each other. They argue their way through the build-up to the restaurants opening. Henri is so confused, he seems to daydream about a naked Tate, kissing Tate, making love with Tate then he remembers he’s straight, right up until he ends up in bed with Tate.
The push/pull nature of their relationship is not easy on either Tate or Henri neither is Henri’s realization that he is in fact gay, then he has to come to terms with that and whilst all of this is happening the pair have their jobs to do. I really can’t recommend Simmered enough. Kelex has a definite winner with A Kent Street Tale series.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
I’ve seen the name Kelex before and for some reason immediately thought “low-budget porn”, and therefore haven’t read any of the books, not even the blurbs. Awful, right? I have no idea how I developed that negative association with the name. Judging from your review, I’ve suffered from a bad case of “don’t-judge-an-author-by-the-pen-name” (as in never judge a book by it’s cover, although these days we’re all guilty of that to some degree). I feel bad about that and now have 2 questions for you:
What is the title of the book that precedes Simmered in the Kent Street Tales series?
Which book by Kelex would you recommend for someone who has not read the author previously? (Any of the LoveBytes staff can answer if you personally haven’t read that many.)
Thanks for your review Tammy, and for making me see the error of my name-misjudging ways. You know what they say about “assume”… lol. Lesson learned.
Nicki I’m guilty of that too. I haven’t read any Kelex books for the same reason!
Glad to know that I’m not the only one! 😊