Simmer Down

Sarah Smith

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5) I requested this book purely because it’s based in Maui. Do I have Hawaii on the brain? Why yes, yes I do. I adore that place and have missed it greatly! There definitely weren’t enough descriptions to hold me over but I did love when I read them. I could even remember a few of the places.

The book started out interesting enough with a competitive streak between two food trucks. When I got to know Nikki and her mom Tiva, they were easy to love. They are Filipino and bring their recipes to the food truck with sass. Their competition are Callum and Finn, English brothers who cook English foods for their truck. 

It’s a fun enemies to lovers romance that was awfully predictable. While enemies, their “chance encounters” were too convenient and too often to have been cute and endearing.  However, the food sounded amazing so I will be looking for Filipino recipes.

The content mentions were high for language (10+ F words), and there were detailed sex scenes.

I recommend this for those who love a cute romance with hilarious banter!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the free copy in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out October 13, 2020.

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

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