Review: Hot Under Pressure – Louisa Edwards

Posted April 2, 2012 by Shannon in Reviews / 1 Comment

Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards
Series: Rising Star Chef #3
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Provided by publisher
Buy the book at: Amazon

Prepare to turn up the heat with the final book in the sizzling “Rising Star Chef” trilogy from romance author Louisa Edwards.Henry Beck thought he’d already faced the toughest kitchen challenge of his life. After all, what could top sweating it out as a Navy cook on a submarine? But when he learns his competition for the title of Rising Star Chef is the sweet hippie girl he married…and left…ten years ago, the heat is on.
Now Beck and Skye Gladwell are going head to head in the finals…and sparking up old flames every time they touch. But Skye wants more than a win over the man who abandoned her when she needed him most—she wants a divorce! Then her sexy almost-ex makes a deliciously dangerous proposition. He’ll give in to her demands, but if his team wins the RSC, he has a demand of his own…one last taste of the only woman he ever loved.

If you’ve read any of Louisa Edwards’ Rising Star Chef series, you know that Henry Beck (Beck as he’s known to his fellow chefs) is a man of few words. He was the quiet, broody guy that stood in the back that generally added one word responses to a conversation.

As the series moved along and more characters were introduced, we found that Beck had a weakness and that weakness happened to be a chef on the West Coast team. She caused more emotions from him than any of his co-workers from Lunden’s had ever seen. It was that emotion from the big silent man that had me sure that his book in the series was going to be the one that I loved.

Beck was raised in Oakland through the foster care system after his parents died. He was a kid with anger issues but sought peace and belonging from the one person that made an 18 year old boy feel special…Skye Gladwell.

Skye was raised by hippie parents who were so wrapped up in themselves and each other they never really had time for her. When she met Henry, she too found the one person that made her comfortable with herself and felt loved and wanted. But when two young and inexperienced kids, who lack a lot of confidence in what they’re doing, suddenly need to deal with very real issues things don’t always turn out the way we envision or plan.

Beck and Skye may have thought they dealt with their outstanding issues ten years ago by separating, but the minute the book starts we can see they are in for a very bumpy ride. While they deny it, their feelings for each other are just as strong as they were when they first came together and that confuses Skye and makes Beck determined to have one last night with his “wife”. Their emotions are raw and their hurt is tangible as they try to deal with what was to get to a point where they can move forward.

Beck and Skye’s romance is the only relationship to find some closure. Kane Slater and Claire Durand, finally, lay it all out in the open. I love it when the older, refined woman admits that she likes it down and dirty with the sexy rock star. He’s just enough to loosen that stiffness right out of her.

A fantastic ending to a wonderful series. Louisa Edwards had just the right mix of steam and emotion with this one. My favorite of the series.

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Shannon

Owner at Cocktails and Books

I am a lover of alpha males with dirty mouths, strong heroines putting alpha males in their place, and the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm a proud hockey mom who can often be found at the hockey rink cheering on my favorite forward, with my kindle close by.