Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Rising kitchen talents Beck Douglas and Duncan Walters have been on the foodie paparazzi radar for years, since their status as heirs to two of the biggest celebrity chef empires around makes them culinary royalty. Beck is known for his charm and traditional food as cohost of his uncle's popular TV cooking show, while Duncan earned himself a reputation as a culinary bad boy, both for his refusal to work in his father's restaurants and his avant-garde approach to cooking.

They're also heirs to a food rivalry that could put the Hatfields and McCoys to shame, and when they're photographed in the middle of a heated argument, the press goes wild with speculation. Damage control ensues, with a fake friendship engineered by PR cronies that leaves both of them secretly pining for more.

Beck chafes under his uncle's micromanagement, and Duncan's relationship with his homophobic father becomes even more tenuous when Beck and Duncan start getting closer. It's hard to hide their chemistry on national television when Duncan joins Beck's cooking show, but they won't be able to take their relationship—or their careers—to the next level without breaking a few eggs.

Book Review

Cooking shows and celebrity chefs are not normally something I follow. But I admit to being a bit of a foodie myself and I have watched the odd “Kitchen Nightmares” show here or there, so I am aware of the genre. Reading the blurb for “King of the Kitchen had me laughing – celebrity chef empires? culinary royalty? heirs to entire food domains? – and I was curious enough to pick up this title. With two diametrically opposed main characters, public arguments, and a cooking show challenge it was bound to be fun. I am happy to report I was right! ‘King of the Kitchen’ is hilarious, has mouthwateringly delicious food described in fascinating detail, and both Beck and Duncan turned out to be characters who are much deeper than they seemed based on my initial impression. Highly recommended reading if you’re looking for a mix of serious and fun – just don’t attempt reading this novel on an empty stomach!

Beck is a public figure in his own right, something he is not comfortable with, but it’s an unavoidable consequence of being on TV. He is only the cohost though, and his uncle, Christian, is the one who runs the show – in more ways than one. Beck favors traditional food and local sourcing, but most of his recipes get overruled. But Beck is a passionate chef, loves cooking and helping to run Christian’s chain of restaurants, and knows how to pick his battles. He is also very organized, so when he runs into Duncan and his love for improvisation, Beck is at a loss. His attraction to the infuriatingly relaxed chef makes things worse, and even though Beck is interested, he refuses to do casual – which is all Duncan will consider.

Duncan has not really got a plan for his life. He knows that he doesn’t want any part of his homophobic father’s restaurants or business, no matter how much the man bugs him into joining. Duncan started out as a food scientist, and he is using his insights into chemistry in his more inspired recipes. He loves traveling from kitchen to kitchen, filling in for temporary absences, but has no idea where he wants to settle down. His approach to relationships is nonexistent – he does not do commitment. But when he runs into Beck and a public argument ensues that needs to be “managed” for PR reasons, everything changes for Duncan. Beck is not the man he thought he is, and working with him on the cooking show – as part of the PR plan - changes Duncan’s life in more ways than one.

Beck and Duncan’s relationship is not an easy one. They start out as enemies because the public thinks they are, but once they start talking, they discover that their differences on a personal and professional level will make things more difficult than expected. Both men have difficult mentors in their lives: Beck’s uncle is an overbearing control freak and Duncan’s father is a bigot of the first degree who has treated Duncan’s sexuality with disdain, and worse, for years. But where Beck mostly goes along and “manages” his uncle, Duncan’s way is to confront his father head-on.  It was fascinating to watch them work through their issues – drawn to each other by their shared love of food and passion for cooking.

If you like adversarial relationships between stubborn men who know what they want – until they discover that love may be more important than being right, if you think competing is a good way of getting to know a potential partner, and if you’re looking for a read that is full of humor, interesting recipes, and a few very hot physical encounters, then you will probably like this novel. I think it’s a very successful mix of entertainment and romance.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 200 pages/65628 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	06-November-2015
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/king-of-the-kitchen-by-bru-baker-3087-b