Title: Bite Me
Series: Kitchen Gods: Book One
Author: Beth Bolden
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 356 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: I really enjoyed watching these two very different people figure out how they could work, and work together as well. Highly recommended, especially for fans of enemies-to-lovers stories.
Reviewed By: Sadonna
Blurb: Talented pastry chef Miles Costa is bored. Working at the celebrated Napa Valley restaurant Terroir is supposed to be the cherry on top to a promising career, but instead it’s a creative desert. So when he gets an offer to turn his online video series into a career, he leaves his three best friends in Napa and swaps Terroir for Los Angeles.
With the resources now at his fingertips, turning his pastry series into a hit should be easy. Then Miles meets his producer, Evan Patterson, and realizes he’s screwed. And not even in the good way.
It’s not a meet-cute . . .
Evan lives to work and loves every minute detail Miles loathes. Not only that, he seems hell bent on micromanaging every aspect of Miles’ show despite the fact he knows nothing about the culinary arts. Evan doesn’t even like sweets—until Miles seduces him with a rainbow of delectable confections he can’t resist.
. . . it’s a collision.
With every confrontation, the intensity between them flares even hotter until they’re not sure if it’s hatred they feel . . . or something else. Is it possible for two people with nothing in common to discover common ground and romance?
Review: Bite Me, book one in the Kitchen Gods series, is loosely tied to the Five Points series, related to a sport/food/content blog.
Miles Costa is a pastry chef at the only Michelin starred restaurant in Napa. But, he’s bored out of his mind with the desserts that he has to prepare every night. So in his spare time he has a YouTube channel called Pastry by Miles, where he lets his imagination and talent loose to create whatever he wants.
When his latest video goes viral, it seems that others are taking notice. When Reed Ryan, celebrity chef and partner in an online content company, comes calling to give Miles his own show, Miles jumps at the chance to let his creative energy flow and get out of the rut he’s found himself in. While he doesn’t really like to leave his roommates, the move to LA seems like it’ll be the right decision and his next step. That is, until he meets his producer.
Evan Patterson has had to scratch and claw his way his entire life. He’s never had anything handed to him, and he will do anything to succeed—including riding his new star to make the best show possible. That he’s been crushing on Miles since watching his first video is irrelevant. He and Miles will make a successful team. Or die trying.
Miles is not the least bit excited to meet his producer once he understands that Evan assumes that he will be the one in charge. Never has Miles let anyone be in charge of his baking and Pastry by Miles does not have the name Evan ANYWHERE in the title. As they wrestle for control, things go from bad to worse. Miles get so frustrated that he hightails it back to Napa, gets drunk and sends a very ill-advised email. When his producer shows up to drag him back to LA with a horrible hangover and his tail between his legs, Miles is determined to make things work.
When Miles learns the circumstances of Evan’s past, he’s mortified all over again at what he’s done. He decides that he’ll do whatever is needed to make this show a success and so he cedes control to Evan—with somewhat disastrous results. As things go from bad to worse, Reed gives them one last chance to try to make their partnership work—a long weekend away from work.
Miles has an idea how he can get through to Evan, that he does care about him and that he wants not only the show but their personal partnership to work. Evan is a tough nut to crack, but Miles pulls out all the stops to get things back on track and save both their jobs and any possibility of a relationship.
Miles and Evan both have a lot of growing up to do when it comes to communication and trust. Neither has had a successful relationship and it shows. It’s entertaining to watch the push and pull of their partnership over the course of the story. The secondary characters help provide a lot of insight into Miles and Evan as well. Gina, Miles’ sister, has his number and calls him on it. Miles’ roommates also get it and are mostly supportive, although maybe a bit begrudgingly at first. I really enjoyed watching these two very different people figure out how they could work, and work together as well. Highly recommended, especially for fans of enemies-to-lovers stories.
You can buy Bite Me here:
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