Authors: M.J. O’Shea and Anna Martin
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 206 Pages
At a Glance: If you’re after a light and fun romance, this is the book for you.
Reviewed By: Pia
Blurb: “Welcome to a new season of Burned, where we find fresh new cooking talent… and a few culinary disasters! Every season we do something a little different, and this time it’s all about the sweet things in life. Get ready in week one as twenty pastry chef hopefuls and dessert connoisseurs compete for the thirteen coveted workspaces in our Burned kitchen. With stakes this big, we ask the one question on everyone’s mind: Do these chefs have what it takes to rise to the top? Or will they get Burned?”
Burned contestants Chase and Kai are attracted from the start and can’t wait to spend more time getting to know each other… until they see the first episode treatment and realize the producers intend to portray them as bitter enemies. At first it’s fun to pretend to bicker—enemies on film, lovers when the cameras stop rolling—but soon it’s hard not to take the faux rivalry seriously. It’s only when their choice is to band together and bake their way to the final or get burned that they find where their real loyalties lie.
Review: In Soufflés at Sunrise, we meet Chase, the blonde farm boy who is the owner of an ice cream shop. We also meet Hawaiian pastry chief Kai, both of whom are auditioning for this series of Burned–think master chef/top chef and you’ll get the idea. I enjoyed reading about the challenges, cooking, and the behind the scenes of the show. Some of the desserts sound just lush, and I hope M.J O’Shea and Anna Martin got to try some of them. All in the mane of research, of course!
While I usually like a lot more heat in my books, I loved the slow build of the relationship. I’m so glad this wasn’t an overly glib, insta-love story. It’s fun to read, and it left me feeling happy and optimistic that good things are going to happen for our MCs.
If you’re after a light and fun romance, this is the book for you.
You can buy Soufflés at Sunrise here: