Too Hot To Touch – Louisa Edwards

When it comes to competitive cooking, Max Lunden is no stranger to winning…though he’s never been great at working with a team. A master chef—and major hunk—he’s traveled the world, picking up new cooking techniques as well as beautiful women. But when the prodigal chef returns home to his family’s Greenwich Village restaurant, he discovers one too many cooks in the kitchen—and she’s every bit as passionate as he is…

Juliet Cavanaugh used to have a crush on Max when she was just a teenager, hanging out at Lunden & Sons Tavern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner’s oldest, and hottest, son. Now a chef herself—competing in the biggest culinary contest in the country—Juliet will be cooking side by side with the one man she’s always admired…and desired. But despite their simmering attraction, Juliet is determined to keep her cool—no matter how hot it gets…


The Lunden’s Tavern has been the only home that Juliet Cavanaugh has ever really known.  She’s been going there since she was a young girl, since the youngest Lunden, Danny, was her best friend.  It was her safe haven when her teenage world fell apart, so now when it’s in trouble she’ll do anything to help.  Even if that help includes cooking side by side with the person she’s forever had a crush on, Max Lunden…the eldest son.

Max has spent the past six years traveling the globe learning different cooking techniques from the bests, winning cooking competitions and staying as far away from home as possible.  He’s preparing to leave Tokyo for the countryside of Italy when he gets a call from his mother demanding that he come home.  The family restaurant is in trouble and he needs to come help.

Max and Juliet were like two peas in a pod.  Both of them refusing to deal with the issues that have led them to where they are.  Juliet doesn’t want to deal with her mother and the past events that led to her living with the Lunden’s and having trouble trusting men.  Max on the other hand, has been running try to prove to himself (and ultimately his father) that he is a good chef and has good ideas when it comes to the food prepared in the restaurant kitchen.

When it comes to dealing with each other, they do a slightly better job…but not by much.  Sure they can smoke things up with sex, but they are always second guessing or assuming what the other is thinking instead of just asking.  Juliet’s heartbreak towards the end of the story would have never happened if she didn’t immediately take issue with something, that while mean spirited, was definitely said during the fall out from a traumatic event and shouldn’t have been taken quite so personally.

Loved the cooking element to the story and secretly wished someone was whipping up those dishes (with the exception of those brussel sprouts) for me to eat.

Enjoyable story, with deliciously flawed characters that make your mouth water for the next installment, Some Like It Hot (Danny’s story)

4 Cocktails