Sweet heat : a blue-collar lover novel

First Title Value for Searching:

Personal Author:

Day, Zuri

Edition:

First Kensington mass market edition.

Physical Description:

405 pages ; 18 cm.

Genre:

Romance fiction.

Love stories.

Summary:

"No one turns out luscious pies and to-die-for cakes like Marvin Carter. Few outside of the family know about his baking skills, but working as a restaurant line cook is getting old fast. Now he'll do whatever it takes to win start-up money from a major cooking contest and launch his own business. But his prime competition is making things hot for him in and out of the kitchen. Naomi Carson is as savory as her soul food and has twice the spice. This confident, large-and-in-charge beauty also has high aspirations, and will work all her skills against the tasty Mr. Marvin to take first place and stop living with Grandma. As their attraction burns hot, the other contestants can't take their heat nor their talent, and threaten to burn their dreams to ash. Will the desire be doused or can Marvin and Naomi find common ground and fire up the chance of a lifetime?".

Subject Term:

Cooks -- Fiction.

African Americans -- Fiction.

Cooking -- Competitions -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction

Publication Info:

New York, NY : Dafina Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., 2019.

Subject:

Cooks -- Fiction.

African Americans -- Fiction.

Cooking -- Competitions -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction

Romance fiction.

Love stories.

Chefs

African Americans -- United States

Afro-Americans

Black Americans

Colored people (United States)

Negroes

Cookery

Cuisine

Food preparation

SAILS ISBN:

9781617734298

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	FIC DAY (PBK)	FICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

They don't wear suits, but the five Carter brothers work hard to earn a day's pay - and keep the right woman satisfied... No one turns out luscious pies and to-die-for cakes like Marvin Carter. Few outside of the family know about his baking skills, but working as a restaurant line cook is getting old fast. Now he'll do whatever it takes to win start-up money from a major cooking contest and launch his own dessert franchise. But his prime competition is making things hot for him in - and out - of the kitchen... Naomi Wells is as savoury as her soul food and has twice the spice. This confident, large-and-in-charge beauty also has high aspirations, and will work all her skills against the tasty Mr. Marvin to take first place - and start her caterer-to-the-stars business. As their attraction burns hot, the other contestants can't take their heat nor their talent, and threaten to burn their dreams to ash. Will the desire be doused - or can Marvin and Naomi find common ground and fire up t

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

Two competitors duke it out at a televised cooking contest in LA, but their hearts are soon on the line as well.A trained chef who's tired of working as an assistant cook and living with his parents, Marvin Carter is determined to win first place in the Food Truck Bucks challenge. Naomi Carson learned her way around the kitchen from her grandmother, but she has every intention of turning professional by topping the competition and claiming the grand prize of a food truck and $50,000. When Marvin bumps into Naomi on Day 1 of the contest, they know they are rivals but are drawn to each other's quick comebacks and smack talk. Marvin is also attracted to the full-figured, self-confident Naomi, and they start what feels like a casual fling. Matters turn more serious when she sees how kind he is to her grandmother and his family starts to like her. Apart from the professional battle that is already an obstacle to their happy ending, Day (Sin City Vows, 2019, etc.) piles on several external conflicts, like scheming, catty women interested in Marvin, Naomi's ex, a false accusation during the competition, and a medical scare. Despite those elements of unnecessary tension, she ably executes the central narrative of a romance unfolding amid the pressure of a high-stakes tournament and livens it up with humorous, occasionally bawdy, banter between the couple. While the story could have been told more tightly, and a moment where Naomi apologizes for having a stalker strikes a sour note, the rich portraits of the central characters and the detailed depictions of their families and larger African-American community in LA makes for enjoyable reading.A fun, flirty third entry in the Blue-Collar Lover series. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Marvin and Naomi start joking about each other's cooking when they first meet in line at the Food Truck Bucks competition. As the two climb through the ranks to reach each higher level, readers will be hungry for the delicious foods Day describes. Marvin and Naomi grow closer outside of the competition as they learn more about each other's goals for their prospective food trucks and in their lives. Their romance is both sexy and sweet, while family and work obligations keep the story real and emotionally affecting. Readers may be impatient with extra characters in the competition and with Naomi's ex-boyfriend, growing eager to savor the main dish. The novel shines best when it centers on Naomi, Marvin, and their food. Foodie fiction has its fans, and it is refreshing to find one with appealing and confident characters of different ages. Fans of Mary Kay Andrews and K. M. Jackson will savor the well-balanced recipe that popular author Day delivers another title in her Blue-Collar Lover series, following Packing Heat (2016).--Amy Alessio Copyright 2010 Booklist