Tag: Eileen Griffin

In the Raw by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels

intherawTitle: In the Raw
Series: In the Kitchen, #1
Author: Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (209 pages)
Publisher: Carina Press (October 6th 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: James Lassiter has had a crush on fellow culinary student Ethan Martin for three years, but has never had the guts to make a move. Putting himself out there is hard, especially when under the thumb–and wallet–of his overbearing parents. Now that bad boy Chef Ethan–who is always vying with Jamie for best in class–is struggling with the pastry course, Jamie suddenly has a reason to reach out.

Ethan doesn’t mean to be an ass–okay, so mostly he does–but even though he’s secretly hot for Jamie, he sure as hell doesn’t want help with pastry. Ever since his dad walked out, Ethan has been the one to hold things together and he’s done fine on his own. Except that he can’t get his cake to rise.

Jamie could be the answer to what Ethan’s been missing his whole life–someone to depend on. But with the two competing for the same scholarship, things suddenly get too hot to handle. And if Jamie finds the strength to go for what he wants, he isn’t about to settle for what he needs.

ISBN: 978-1-42689-911-9

Product Link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/B7247C3A-0EFD-44BC-9856-A9004C56E9C8/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=8C44110F-0A10-44DE-AF86-8E151D8E55CE

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Oh. My. God. I have totally fallen in love with this book. There’s lots of cooking and some real macho men going head to head.

This is a romance following two culinary school students: Ethan, who is kind of like the guy from the wrong side of the tracks complete with piercings and his only family he has is his sister, and Jamie, the rich kid trying to get away from his suffocating parents.

Both characters are wonderful – super relatable. It’s all fun, too, if you’re into cooking and find the culinary school setting interesting.
In fact, I have to say that I love surly Ethan, though probably because I identify with his grumpy character. But Ethan is a guy who has had some real downs in his life and since he supported himself and his sister for so many years, he is severely lacking in social graces.

Which brings me Ethan’s sister, Claire, she was a brilliant character, and was used as a bridging type of character.

With things moving along at a nice pace, it surprised how quick I was able to read this one. The writing style is great because thinking on it, this book could have so easily have been boring and slow – something that this is not. However, the entire plot hinges on the fact that these two guys suck at communication, even though I was cheering for this guys to get some sort of HEA.

Now, time for me to read book 2, cannot wait! ☺

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

In the Fire by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels

{A3657930-5395-4100-9D03-38A37BAAFCC4}Img100Title: In the Fire
Series: In the Kitchen #2
Author: Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (296 pages)
Publisher: Carina Press (3 Nov 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Because the way to a man’s heart…

Eight years ago, the world was their oyster. Until, that is, competing chefs Ethan Martin and James Lassiter’s hot and heavy relationship fizzled after Jamie left for an internship in Paris. Even though Jamie’s career has taken off since his return to the States, with his own television show and a lot of fame, his feelings for Ethan have never quite gone away.

Ethan’s culinary career has developed more slowly, but he’s almost saved enough to buy the restaurant where he works and re-open it as his dream spot, Bistro 30. If only he could get the sexy chef who loved him and left him out of his mind.

But when someone starts sabotaging the restaurant and a fire threatens to take away everything Ethan holds dear, his only option is to rely on Jamie for help. Back in close quarters, the two men will have to find a way to work through their past if they hope to save the restaurant and their future.

See how Ethan and Jamie’s romance began in In the Raw

ISBN: 9781426899225

Product Link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/B7247C3A-0EFD-44BC-9856-A9004C56E9C8/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=A3657930-5395-4100-9D03-38A37BAAFCC4

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is book 2 in Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels’ In the Kitchen series. You really should read book 1 first, though I reckon you’ll be able to get away with skipping it if you really must. However, In the Fire is a fantastic addition to the series and like book 1, had been engrossed from the get go.

Once again we are following young chefs Ethan and Jamie and are set eight years after we left them at the airport in Seattle when Jamie was off to study in France. Of course, you will read to find out the events that have led to the guys being separated after a rather harsh break up, though really to me it was all a bit odd, but hey, I’ll suspend my disbelief for this.

So the guys are almost thirty years old. Jamie is a famous TV chef and often travels with his best friend he met in France and manager, Trevor. Ethan is head chef at a restaurant where he started some sort of apprenticeship at the end of the previous book. At this point he has gone as far as to being the manager and set to take over when the owner retires.

Once again we are revisiting the fact that both these guys suck at communicating with each other. Ethan is still a hot head and Jamie is still fiercely independent though both guys have been miserable without each other in the intervening years. I still absolutely adore Ethan, even though he is a grumpy, surly guy, he has a heart of gold. I just want to hug him!! 😉

We get a quick appearance from a few minor characters we met before. Ethan’s sister Claire isn’t as prominent as she was before, but she is still brilliant and I absolutely adore her. I would go as far to say that I would read an MF romance if only to see her get her HEA. There are also a couple a chefs from the first book, which appear more human now that Ethan and Jamie have graduated culinary school and these teachers are now their colleagues.

Two new characters we are introduced to are Trevor, Jamie’s BFF and Tyler, a young guy who had been kicked out of home and taken in by Ethan. Tyler is adorable, he’s been framed as Ethan’s unofficial little brother and has an amazing heart. I find Trevor’s character rather interesting because of how he was written. The authors could have made Trevor an outright villain in the story, but instead he is just another guy pining away for the unattainable and guilty of his own foolish mistakes.

I loved this just as much as I loved the first book, although I will go on record to say that this made me a bit emotional when I realised what had happened to the guys between the end of book 1 and the start of book 2. Just like book 1 there is a lot of fighting and miscommunication, but it is totally worth read every word!
Right… now for book 3… Trevor and Tyler’s story!

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Stripped Bare by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

strippedbare1l__58140.1415918071.300.450Title: Stripped Bare
Series: Cooper Mountain, #1
Author: Nikka Michaels & Eileen Griffin
Genre: Erotic Romance/ BDSM
Length: Novella (66 Pages)
Publisher: Evernight Publishing (November 14, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: When Donovan Ramsey comes home from yet another business trip, he realizes he and his long-term boyfriend, Nate Pearson, have drifted apart. Donovan is used to engineering solutions in his career, but he’s stumped on how to fix his dwindling sexual relationship with Nate.

After a late night internet search, Donovan finds a place that might be exactly what they need to rekindle the romance in their relationship. There’s just one catch: the idyllic Cooper Mountain Bed and Breakfast specializes in BDSM for couples.

Over the course of the weekend, the two men experience a taste of what the BDSM lifestyle has to offer. Will that taste lead to a stronger connection between Nate and Donovan, or will it ultimately be their undoing?

ISBN: 978-1-77233-110-3
Product Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/stripped-bare-by-nikka-michaels-and-eileen-griffin/
Reviewer: Lisa
Review: This is the first book in the Cooper Mountain series and from the first book, I can tell that it is going to be hot.

Donovan and Nate have been together for some time. However, work was getting in the way. They were losing a part of their relationship that they needed. So Donovan decided to take things in hand. He contacted a Bed and Breakfast that seemed to specialize in BDSM. Neither one of them have tried anything more than holding the other down, but he knew they needed a bit of help to get that part of them back.

This story caught my attention from the moment I started reading and kept it all the way to the end. I was fascinated with it and look forward to reading more. It gave me everything I could want in a story. In fact, I was surprised when it just seemed to flow together in such a short story. You can tell that these two love each other so much by not just their words but also their actions.

I had a blast reading it and look forward to reading more by these amazing authors. I can’t wait for book two. It gives you gorgeous men in a serious relationship, excitement, and suspense in what is going to happen next, lots of action and some very hot sex.

I would recommend reading it, you won’t regret it.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Chasing Matt by Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

18361179Title:  Chasing Matt

Authors: Nikka Michaels and Eileen Griffin

Genre:   Contemporary Romance

Length:  Novella (55 pages)

Publisher:  Evernight Publishing (August 19th, 2013)

Heat Level:  Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb:   Chase Williams is a gorgeous but painfully shy web designer whose long-term boyfriend dumped him for being such a “nice” guy. Instead of meeting his buddies at the local bar for a drink, he helps his elderly neighbor with a DIY project. When a wobbly stepladder leads to a banged up wrist and a trip to the ER, Chase is convinced it’s the worst night ever. Then he meets his handsome nurse.

Matt Owens is the boy next door who loves working in the busy ER. He’s more than ready to clock out from his double shift until he meets his patient in Bed 4.

But will Matt’s attraction to Chase be enough to make him break his rule about never dating patients?

Product Link:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/chasing-matt-by-nikka-michaels-and-eileen-griffin/  (if you follow this link you can read an excerpt before purchasing!)

Reviewer:   Tams

Review:  Short… Sexy… and Steamy! My three favorite colors!! Sometimes a wobbly stepladder and a sprain wrist can be a blessing in disguise.

Chase Williams is shy, single, and lonely. He appreciates his independence, but sometimes longs for companionship. When he’s injured helping a neighbor his stint in the ER brings an unexpected surprise, in the form of a sexy PA. Will Chase get over his shyness and ask the guy out?

Matt Owens has a strict no dating patients or co-workers rule. A brief but disastrous relationship with a former patient left him a little raw. So when the adorably cute patient in bed #4 asks him out, he initially declines. But soon attraction outweighs the rules and Matt ends up back at Chase’s door.

The banter back and forth between these two first in the ER, then on the ride to Chase’s house, and ultimately in the bedroom is hysterical. I laughed more than once. The chemistry was undeniable from the start, and when they take it to the next level, it does not disappoint. I will definitely be looking for other books from these two authors.