If You Can't Stand the Heat... - Mona Shroff (HSE #3096 - June 2025)

Series: Once Upon a Wedding (Book 6)
 
When a cooking competition turns personal
A pair of chefs will feel the burn…
 
What's the recipe for success? For single mom Karina Mistry, it's the head-chef position she's chased for years. But her boss has one more hoop for her to jump through. The new head chef will be chosen…via a reality cooking-show competition! Four weeks, eight meals, two competitors and everything on the line. Losing this job would be crushing. But losing to Chef Aneel Rawal, the man from her past she's never forgiven? That's not an option. It's time for Karina to sharpen her knives, turn up the heat…and watch the tension simmer!
 
Terrific not-quite-enemies-to-lovers story. The competition angle intrigued me. Karina is the sous-chef at a restaurant, in line to move up to the executive chef position. Then she discovers that her boss decided to turn the interview into a reality show competition. Her rival is Aneel, a fellow chef she faced in another competition years earlier with disastrous results.
 
I liked Karina and Aneel. Karina is a single mom who wants the promotion to make a better life for herself and her son, Veer. She is intense, talented, and determined. She's not happy about competing with Aneel as she blames him for her loss in the earlier competition. I loved her close relationships with her family and their influence on her life. Aneel wants to advance to the executive chef position from his current role. He's more laid back when it comes to his work, but the intensity is still there.
 
The tension is tight between Karina and Aneel when the competition begins. Karina still holds a grudge against him, while he resents her accusations. But when they put the past aside, they work amazingly well together. There were sparks of attraction during their first competition that they ignored in the aftermath. Those sparks flare up again as they spend time together. Karina initially fights those sparks, not wanting to let go of the past. However, when Karina needs help, Aneel steps up to support her. I loved watching their teamwork.
 
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Their interactions during the competition are fun, a little snarky, yet supportive and realistic. I especially enjoyed watching them get closer as Aneel helped Karina with her catering efforts. Each has baggage from the past that they must deal with before they can move forward, including a surprise revelation that I never saw coming. I loved the ending and how the competition worked out.
 
I love the author's depictions of the characters' close family relationships. The love and support are always there, along with a willingness to provide a kick in the pants when needed. I enjoy the glimpses of Indian culture, and especially enjoyed Karina and Aneel's efforts to replicate her mother's chai recipe. The inclusion of couples from previous books added extra enjoyment to the stories. There are some heart-melting scenes with Aneel and Karina's son, Veer. 

 
 
 
 

A Gilded Age Christmas - Amanda McCabe, Lauri Robinson (HH #1757 - Nov 2023)

Celebrate a Gilded Age Christmas! Two stories!
 
In Amanda McCabe’s A Convenient Winter Wedding: marrying Connor O’Neill is about survival for penniless heiress May Van Der Berg. The distant self-made millionaire is far from the passionate husband she’d once dreamed of…except for that scorching kiss!
 
As one of New York's oldest families, May's parents have standing and influence but little money. Her parents have made it clear that she needs to make a good marriage to the right person, but May hopes to find a man she can love. Connor O'Neill has plenty of money but is not accepted by New York society. Marriage to someone with the right pedigree would help his mother and sister.
 
The story opens with May avoiding a ball given for her to find a husband. She sneaks off to the gazebo for a few minutes of peace. She's surprised to see an unfamiliar man there already. A few minutes of conversation while neither worries about the usual façade sparks a quick connection between them. His wealth overcomes May's mother's attitude toward "new money," and her parents allow Connor to court her. Connor worries about turning May off with his rough around the edges personality, so he works extra hard at imitating the "gentlemen" of her class. His sudden formality causes May to wonder if he is only interested in what her family can do for him and not herself.
 
I loved that May dared to speak to Connor about her worries and that he answered her honestly. Once they cleared up that confusion, the courtship was everything she could hope for. I especially enjoyed the ice skating scene. Their initial connection grows into the love they both hoped for and a heartwarming ending.
 
I loved Connor's mother and sister. His need to make the best life possible for them was sweet. Their close ties were terrific. I laughed out loud when Connor's sister advised him how to win May - she knew exactly what to tell him.
 
 
 
In Lauri Robinson’s The Railroad Baron's Mistletoe Bride: after years of estrangement, romance blooms when Kurt invites store clerk Harper and their shared niece to spend Christmas at his mansion. But are they just a family for the holidays?
 
Harper and her niece, Katie Jo, moved to another town after Harper's sister died giving birth to her. She worried that Katie Jo's father's family, wealthy railroad barons, would find them and take her away. She found a lovely little town without a railroad stop and made friends and a good life for herself and Katie Jo.
 
Seven years later, the day Harper feared arrived. Kurt Cavanaugh, Katie Jo's uncle, arrived, planning to take Katie Jo to Baltimore to meet his grandfather. Harper is not happy with the plan, as his grandfather was the one who forced Katie Jo's father to marry another woman.
 
Complicating matters, seven years ago, Harper was in love with Kurt, a customer at the restaurant where she worked. She had no idea that he had fallen for her, too. She fears falling further for him, even as he works to calm her fears, showing her he is on her side. But as her feelings for Kurt grow stronger, can she trust him not to break her heart again? I enjoyed seeing Katie Jo and Harper's effect on Kurt and the changes they brought to his life. There is a bit of trouble at the end, but it is easily resolved. The ending was great.
 
Katie Jo is a bright and cheerful child, and I enjoyed seeing her interact with the adults. It didn't take long for Kurt to fall under her spell. From the trip in the private railroad car to decorating for Christmas to sledding in the snow, Katie Jo easily fits into the Cavanaugh household. 

Their Accidental Honeymoon - Mona Shroff (HSE #3029 - Jan 2024)

Series: Once Upon a Wedding (Book 5)
 
There may be no strings attached
So why are his feelings in knots?
 
Spending his tropical honeymoon with his lifelong best friend, Rani Mistry, was the balm Param Sheth needed after being jilted on his wedding day. Until an unexpected kiss unleashes emotions long held in check! Param and Rani agree it was a mistake, never to be discussed again. But when Rani declares their (fake) elopement so Param's younger brother can be married, they can't ignore their very real -- and very buried -- feelings much longer. And as Rani's pretend husband, Param wonders whether it's finally time to make this fantasy come true…
 
Param and Rani have been best friends since they were ten years old. When Param was left at the altar on his wedding day (No Rings Attached), he took Rani on his honeymoon trip. She gave him the time he needed to process without bugging him about moving on. Everything was as usual with them except for the night they had a little too much to drink, leading to a much more than friendly kiss. Freaked out by the feelings stirred up and not wanting to risk their friendship, Param and Rani agreed to pretend it never happened.
 
Not long after they return home, Param's brother has a medical emergency that needs expensive treatment. There is a trust fund that will be released when all the brothers are married - and Param is the last single brother. Rani suggests they fake a relationship and marry long enough to get the funds. Surely, as best friends, they can pull off such a deception.
 
I enjoyed watching Param and Rani's relationship develop. Neither one has been able to forget "that kiss" and are confused by their sudden physical awareness of each other. Both fight the attraction that grows stronger every time they are together. Having to put on the "we're in love" act for their families just makes it more challenging. I laughed at their reactions when everyone around them said it was about time they realized their feelings for each other. Sometimes, I wanted to shake both of them for being so blind and especially Rani for being so stubborn. I loved the ending and seeing both let go of their fears and embrace the truth of their feelings.
 
I enjoyed spending time with the two families. The teasing and support and long history of their relationships kept me intrigued from start to finish. The glimpses of customs, foods, and traditions added to my enjoyment of the story.