Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef, #3)

Apr 01, 2012 Laurielu Book Savvy Babes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, author-request, contemporary, cooking, review, reading-romance-challenge, romance-reading-challenge, romance, series

3.5 Stars: Good Reading

Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards is a surprising novel. This is the first novel in the Rising Chef series that I have read and I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the preceding stories. This particular book is a very pleasing romance with an original backdrop to have people connect on an intimate level.

Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell’s relationship is very tenuous. Before the Rising Chef Competition (RSC), they have not laid eyes on each other despite the fa...more 3.5 Stars: Good Reading

Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards is a surprising novel. This is the first novel in the Rising Chef series that I have read and I am intrigued enough to want to go back and read the preceding stories. This particular book is a very pleasing romance with an original backdrop to have people connect on an intimate level.

Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell’s relationship is very tenuous. Before the Rising Chef Competition (RSC), they have not laid eyes on each other despite the fact that they have been married ten years. To say they have been estranged is putting it mildly. So, the tension when they finally meet again runs from shock, hostility, to lust - in other words, emotional whiplash.

Throughout the Rising Chef Competition the two main characters experience emotional growth. Skye has the support of her friends from her place of business of which she is owner, Queenie Pie, and Beck has the support of a surrogate family, the Lundens who own a restaurant where he is employed through which he gains a caring family that has “adopted” him into the fold of their care and security. However, he is reticent to accept the connection due to his loner tendencies. Beck’s friend Winslow does a lot to help Beck come out of his emotional shell. Wilson also provides a little comic relief and practicality to the tumultuous feelings Beck must confront.

Beck is ex-military and the reader finds him falling back on his training to get through the competition. The use of this as Beck’s mechanism to discipline himself into a well-oiled cooking machine, to keep his focus on the RSC and to deal with Skye was a little awkward for the scope of this book.

Skye has her share of issues to deal with over and above the rivalry between the cooking teams throughout the cooking competition: her boyfriend, her feelings for her former lover, to a small extent her relationship with her parents, and the emotional trauma of feeling abandoned by Beck when she went through an emotional upheaval years ago. In an attempt to move past her feelings and move on with her life, she asks Beck for a divorce. Before he lets her go, he makes a request that she spend one more night with him. From there, their relationship flares back to life once the gauntlet has been laid by Beck.

The connection between Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell was touch and go for me. They were just missing that spark that really jumps off the pages and burrows into your heart. There was too much inconsistency in their emotions one moment they were angry and resentful towards each other and the next moment they are talking about sex; making it hard for me to completely buy into the relationship. However, I enjoyed the novel. The secondary characters helped to keep the story rolling nicely by binding the plot together very nicely.

Over all, Hot Under Pressure is a good romance novel. I enjoyed the book and I liked the originality of the use of culinary arts as a form of expressing conflict and creating an environment that can cultivate romance. I am looking forward to reading the preceding books in the Rising Star Chef series: Too Hot to Touch (Book 1) and Some Like It Hot (Book 2).

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

(ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.)(less)

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Jun 26, 2012 Julie James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Made me laugh, made me teary-eyed--an amazing ending to the series.

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Oct 06, 2012 Makii rated it 5 of 5 stars

-Pero aún así cada mañana la chica y el chico estaban completamente integrados el uno con el otro, hasta que parecía que habían nacido uno frente al otro...

Ame el final de esta serie. Cuando llegue a ella tenía una idea completamente diferente, pensaba que era mas sexual que otra cosa. Y sin embargo, esta tan cargada de sentimientos y emociones...
Beck y Skye son una de las mejores parejas de la serie. Ellos tienen su pasado, sus dramas y todo el dolor de haber compartido cosas juntos, pero cua...more -Pero aún así cada mañana la chica y el chico estaban completamente integrados el uno con el otro, hasta que parecía que habían nacido uno frente al otro...

Ame el final de esta serie. Cuando llegue a ella tenía una idea completamente diferente, pensaba que era mas sexual que otra cosa. Y sin embargo, esta tan cargada de sentimientos y emociones...
Beck y Skye son una de las mejores parejas de la serie. Ellos tienen su pasado, sus dramas y todo el dolor de haber compartido cosas juntos, pero cuando se rencuentran 10 años después de separarse, descubren que las cosas no están cerradas, y que están mas a flor de piel que nunca.
Ver su lucha, su entrega y resignación, la aceptación de que están destinados el uno al otro es increíble.... su historia llena de dolor se siente tan viva....

El ultimo reto, donde ellos tienen que plasmar su vida en 5 platos... fue lo mejor del libro. Realmente uno aprecia la historia completa, lo que la autora quiso lograr. Te hace entender ademas, cuan complejo es el arte de la gastronomía, y siento que hoy aprecio mucho mas este mundo, que no es solo comida, sino un sin fin de cosas y sentimientos que la acompañan.

-Este plato es acerca de como los polos se atraen -dijo Beck.-Una buena pareja, para mi, no es poner juntas las cosas obvias. Es entender dos sabores que saquen lo mejor del otro, tal vez resaltar elementos en cada uno que no existían cuando estaban solos
(...)
Con la voz tan áspera y ronca como si hubiera gritado cada palabra al vacío, Beck dijo obstinadamente- Ellos están hechos el uno para el otro. Ellos están enteros y completos cuando están juntos. Y así es como me siento sobre ti, Skye. Sobre nosotros.

Me encantó poder ver a las demás parejas, no solo las de las historias anteriores (Max y Jules; Danny y Eva) sino también ver mas de Claire y Kane, Win y Drew, Nina y Gus,y hasta de Devon y Lilah. Apreciar cuan unidos están todos, la familia que finalmente lograron formar,mas allá de los lazos de sangre o la profesión ,sexo y edad de ellos. Realmente, aprecié muchísimo esta serie.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Virginia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: buy

Synopsis - The main plot centers on Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell, the delegates of the East Coast and West Coast teams in the final stage of the Rising Star Chef Competition. Ten years after a miscarriage and a lot of other baggage came between them, the two chefs are frustrated to discover that the spark is not gone. Skye feels that Beck abandoned her in her hour of need and demands that he give her a divorce. She has a new man in her life who has been hinting at an important question he wants...more Synopsis - The main plot centers on Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell, the delegates of the East Coast and West Coast teams in the final stage of the Rising Star Chef Competition. Ten years after a miscarriage and a lot of other baggage came between them, the two chefs are frustrated to discover that the spark is not gone. Skye feels that Beck abandoned her in her hour of need and demands that he give her a divorce. She has a new man in her life who has been hinting at an important question he wants to ask her. Life has forced Beck to be stoic, but he has learned to find people he can rely on and to be a part of a team. He has spent the past decade trying to forget the only woman he has loved, but it’s obvious that the attraction and protective impulses she inspired have not left. Beck will give Skye the no-contest divorce she requested - if she agrees to give him one last night should the East Coast team with the RSC.

Back in the city where they met and fell in love, Skye and Beck keep running into each other outside of the competition. Each realizes that the remaining sexual attraction is still coupled with love, but they also still carry insecurities from their childhoods and misunderstandings over how they parted ways. The final challenge of the competition offers them the opportunity to lay it all on the line with each other: tell the story of your life over five courses. If they are brave enough to be vulnerable, then they may be strong enough to rebuild their marriage.

The other romance has stretched through the series and centers on two of the judges: foodie rock star Kane Sutter and the elegant editor-in chief of Délicieux magazine, Claire Durand. While the attraction is hot and mutual, Claire has resisted throughout for a number of reasons, from Kane’s age to her disastrous romantic past to his reaction when a former lover came back on the scene. Kane has fought against Claire’s walls every step of the way. She’s the woman of his dreams, and while he may lack the age and sophistication of men she has known before, he brings passion to everything he does. He thinks their shared interests and chemistry should be enough, but there are only a few remaining days of forced proximity in which to plead his case.

Review - Louisa Edwards quickly pulled me back into the larger story of the Rising Star Chef series. I have to admit right off the bat, the idea of sex as stakes of a bet is really unappealing to me (do people actually do that kind of thing?), but I love Beck and wanted to see how all the story lines of the series got tied up. The result was a beautiful portrayal of vulnerability, friendship, love, and food. The thoughts, behaviors and circumstances all felt perfectly authentic, and, with the possible exception of Theo Jansen and Skye’s parents, I liked all of the characters. And the food! I wanted to taste it all!

It was touching and delightful to watch the little moments where each character realized a truth about themselves or life or the people they loved. Tears are judiciously balanced with chuckles, and even while I agonized with the characters in their moments of uncertainty, I trusted Edwards for a satisfying resolution. The last challenge was well-paced and rich with meaning, without being maudlin. There were a few moments when I wanted to shake Skye, but ultimately she was strong and figured things out. Plus, it would be rather suspicious if someone with her background didn’t have her doubts. Likewise, Beck’s ongoing struggle to communicate his feelings was believable, and while he has to ultimately open his mouth, he needs Skye, Winslow and Nina to kick his ass into doing it from time to time.

The epilogue was lovely and tied up all the little story lines of the series. It reminded me a little bit of Louisa May Alcott’s words toward the end of An Old-Fashioned Girl (I think, although it might have been Little Woman) about an author’s temptation to dash about pairing everyone up at the end of a book, but that’s not a complaint. I’m glad everyone is happy and healthy a year later and would definitely re-read this entire series (and might actually have to purchase it).(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Marcia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Bookswagger Marcia: Three Crowns. Hot Under Pressure was a sweet story. Skye was not a complicated character, most of the issues belonged to Henry. He threw up emotional road blocks the size of boulders. This story was all about emotions and past mistakes. I can tell Hot Under Pressure was a wrap up of the series with the back stories of other characters being resolved. I did feel this story was more about Henry then Skye so I am glad Henry got his gal. If you follow the series then you were pro...more Bookswagger Marcia: Three Crowns. Hot Under Pressure was a sweet story. Skye was not a complicated character, most of the issues belonged to Henry. He threw up emotional road blocks the size of boulders. This story was all about emotions and past mistakes. I can tell Hot Under Pressure was a wrap up of the series with the back stories of other characters being resolved. I did feel this story was more about Henry then Skye so I am glad Henry got his gal. If you follow the series then you were probably happy to catch a glimpse into your character lives again.

Bookswagger Danielle: Two Crowns. If you haven’t read the other books in the series I would not recommend reading this book. Hot Under Pressure will seem all over the place if you do not know the characters. You could tell the author was finishing up her characters stories. Due to the fact I hadn’t read the others I found this extremely distracting. Normally when I read a series the author would have finished the other characters issues in their particular book and just mentioned them in the following books.

Another issue for me was the concept because for me it is make it or break it. I didn’t like the concept in fact I border line hated it, I feel like it’s played out. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read about a couple being married and separated for an extended number of years only to meet back up to ask for a divorce. Of course the person their dating has no idea they are married.

The author did do a good job of giving us a glimpse into the inner workings of Beck’s mind. It was easy to see why he was the way he was and I couldn’t help but root for him even though I wanted to as my grandmother would say smack the fire out of him.

I had to rate Hot Under Pressure two crowns, not only did I not like the concept, I also didn’t like how Skye ended the final round of competition. In fact it made me extremely angry but I don’t want to give away what happens. All of that combined with the fact the book was hard to follow if you hadn’t read the series made for a difficult read.
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Jun 17, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Whew. I didn't realize when I started it that this title was the culmination (I think) of a trilogy (which itself is the continuation of a previous trilogy-- and it looks like there's a related ebook trilogy, too). Still, it worked incredibly well as a stand-alone, which surprised me for a final title-- there were story threads and characters in there that were obviously carry-throughs from the other books, but there was enough background given, and focus on the main characters of THIS book, tha...more Whew. I didn't realize when I started it that this title was the culmination (I think) of a trilogy (which itself is the continuation of a previous trilogy-- and it looks like there's a related ebook trilogy, too). Still, it worked incredibly well as a stand-alone, which surprised me for a final title-- there were story threads and characters in there that were obviously carry-throughs from the other books, but there was enough background given, and focus on the main characters of THIS book, that I didn't feel like I had to go back and read the whole series to get what was going on (which doesn't stop me from *wanting* to, now). There is a LOT of supporting cast here-- I had to flip back a couple of times to remind myself who was who, which I might not have needed had I read the series from the beginning. The whole series is set against the backdrop of a nationwide restaurant cook-off, the Rising Star Chef competition. (The title is a real thing, according to Google, tho' it's not selected in the way the book describes.) Oh, and don't worry about all the mouth-watering food descriptions-- there are recipes in the back of the book. (As far as the mouth-watering guy descriptions, you're on your own.)

This title was... wow. Quite the emotional roller-coaster. Have a box of tissues handy towards the end-- you're going to need them in spades.

The Rising Star Chef competition is down to the wire, now, with just three teams remaining. Ex-Navy cook Henry Beck and his fellow chefs from Lunden's Tavern in Greenwich Village (his family of choice, really) make up the East Coast team, led by chef Jules Cavanaugh. The Midwest Team is led by cutthroat competitor Ryan Larousse, who has demonstrated he'll do anything to win (including using underhanded tactics against his competitors). The West Coast Team from the Queenie Pie Cafe in SF makes up the third team of the semifinals, led by hippie Skye Gladwell... the wife Beck left ten years ago. The wife who was forced to weather a deep tragedy without him. The wife who's rebuilt her life, and made a go of what she truly wants to do... without him. The wife who finally wants to make their long estrangement official with a divorce, before the new boyfriend she's finally found returns from abroad to propose to her. (Okay, she might have skipped telling Beck about that last part....)

I loved how the author wove together the two primary story lines-- the cooking competition, which was tense enough, and the romantic entanglements between our hero and heroine. The two plot lines feed into one another not only because of the bet Beck makes with Skye, but because of the very nature of the cooking challenges. (The bet, which Beck proposes when Sky asks for a divorce: her team wins, she gets her divorce; his team wins, she gets your divorce, but only after he gets to sleep with her one last time.) Because the competition wants to draw out "who they are" as chefs and have them bring a personal element to their dishes, Beck and Skye's problems are brought right to the plate, so to speak. (I admit to being a little confused about the format of the competition-- all the soul-baring drama seemed a little much after they'd decided the contest wouldn't be televised.)

I also like how the author goes back and forth between his and her viewpoint; I found myself relating to Beck even more than to Skye, which is a little unusual in a romance. (It helped that Beck had Winslow as his Mercutio-- Winslow was AWESOME. The scene in the Grape Ape was classic.) Taciturn, emotionally controlled Beck, in particular, has difficulty dishing himself up like that-- which has been part of the problem in their relationship all along, and one of the reasons Skye wants to be done with him. Orphaned when he was 8, in foster care until he was 18, Beck had a *lot* of experience in hiding his emotions, and not a lot of experience in trusting people to accept him as-is. He's been a fighter most of his life, always feeling he had something to prove, and he's an odd match for peace-loving flower child Skye.

Skye is much more emotionally open than Beck, but she's also far more conflicted when we meet her. She's been hurt a LOT by this guy and she really, really wants to hate him, but it's also hard for her to disengage from the first person to see her as something more than an extension of her famous hippie parents (who never approved of her teenaged wedding to Beck, or her career as a chef-- how horribly Establishment of her!). She wants to be recognized for her own talents, but she also wants a secure and sharing relationship, and it's taken her a long time to come to grips with the idea that she'll never have the second half of that with the inscrutable Beck. Jeremiah, the Peace Corps hero who's got a "very important" question to ask her when he comes home for the finals, could offer her the best of both worlds. I did feel that Skye and her quirky-granola staff were a little stereotyped, but towards the end she started to reveal a lot more layers. (Fiona, her sous-chef, stayed kinda cardboardy, though, which was a shame given Win's larger-than-life character.)

It's incredibly hard to know who to root for in the competition, and even harder to watch the characters wrestle with the weight of their own emotional armor. (Beck and Skye aren't the only struggling couple in this book-- judges Claire Durand and Kane Slater are also sort of warily circling one another after some fraught encounters of their own, and I wished that that plot thread had been given a little bit more weight, too, rather than a squeezed-in nod at the ending.) There IS an emotionally satisfying HEA (I'm reassuring you that there is one, because I had my doubts about halfway through), but there are more than a few rocky surprises and revelations and tears (HELL yes, tears) before everyone gets there.

This was a fantastic read about the pains and rewards of being open to love, and about the family you choose (and which chooses you), rather than the family you're born with. Read it over a home-cooked meal; it WILL make you hungry, and if you choose fast food, the dish descriptions will make you sob enviously into your french fries.(less)

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May 31, 2012 Marilyn Rondeau rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the final book of the “Rising Star Chef” trilogy, Henry Beck presumably thought he’d already faced the toughest kitchen challenge of his life. Who could top sweating it out as a Navy cook on a submarine? However, when he learns his competition is none other than the sweet hippie girl he’d married … and left …ten years ago, the heat is on! Beck and Skye are going head to head into the finals and though they both want to win….it’s much more personal to Skye to win over Beck, the man who abandon...more In the final book of the “Rising Star Chef” trilogy, Henry Beck presumably thought he’d already faced the toughest kitchen challenge of his life. Who could top sweating it out as a Navy cook on a submarine? However, when he learns his competition is none other than the sweet hippie girl he’d married … and left …ten years ago, the heat is on! Beck and Skye are going head to head into the finals and though they both want to win….it’s much more personal to Skye to win over Beck, the man who abandoned her when she’d needed him most. PLUS, now she wants a divorce!  

*** The Rising Star Chef trilogy from romance author Louisa Edwards has been a remarkable and fun series. The finale, or last book of a trilogy, where presumably an author reveals the character who has been a big mystery all through the series is then revealed answering a plethora of questions that anyone reading the first two books (TOO HOT TO TOUCH and SOME LIKE IT HOT) had wondered at. Needless to say, whether reading this series in order, or not, you can simply enjoy them one at a time in any order - they’re stand alone. However, I am something of a purist in my reading and if at all, I always like to read my series in order.  

With that said, I did like this last book featuring the quiet, mysterious Henry Beck aka, just Beck. In all the other books he was the laid back guy that was right there supporting the kitchen crew and adding his own spin to things to help beat the competition, in the Rising Star Chef competition. Now in HOT UNDER PRESSURE (Everytime I see this title I keep thinking of my ‘pressure cooker’ LOL) Beck has been like the go-to-guy whereby adding enormous strength to the overall team.   

His newest dilemma - does he win against the woman he has never forgot (incidentally his wife) and walked out on 10 years ago? Or, does he win for the kitchen crew and family he has also come to love? The fact that Skye, his still legal spouse, now wants a divorce and has accepted his challenge. If Beck wins he gets one chance and one night to make love to try to get Skye to change her mind about divorce is also weighing heavily on his conscience.

  HOT UNDER PRESSURE was a thoroughly delightful read. I loved the talk of food, recipes, and techniques and some I had never heard of. So in spite of being a great read - you can also pick up a few culinary tips! The sensualness was mild but meaningful and throughly satisfying. All in all, HOT UNDER PRESSURE is a downright luscious treat!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com (less)

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May 12, 2012 Mary Gramlich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Should you ever put love on the back burner?

The competition may be about who is the greatest chef, but with Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell it is also about healing deep wounds. Beck and Skye seemed to throw their love away but neither of them really ever walked away. Both of them have been running from childhood trauma and past imperfections but always believed they were at their best when they were together. It has been ten rocky years of building a life while living apart. All it takes is one ki...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards
Contemporary Romance –March 27th, 2012
4 stars

Hot Under Pressure continues the sexy cooking series by Louisa Edwards. In her latest book, the two main characters are a married couple who divorced ten years ago. Both are reunited when they compete for the Rising Star Chef title. As the competition heats up, so does their long, thought dead relationship. But is it real or just part of the competition?

Henry Beck has had a hard life. Living in foster homes and fen...more Hot Under Pressure by Louisa Edwards
Contemporary Romance –March 27th, 2012
4 stars

Hot Under Pressure continues the sexy cooking series by Louisa Edwards. In her latest book, the two main characters are a married couple who divorced ten years ago. Both are reunited when they compete for the Rising Star Chef title. As the competition heats up, so does their long, thought dead relationship. But is it real or just part of the competition?

Henry Beck has had a hard life. Living in foster homes and fending formed himself. His is intense, pessimistic and knows if he wants anything he has to do it himself. Skye Gladwell is the exact opposite. She is sunny optimistic and perky. She never dwells on the negative or gest herself embroiled in turbulent emotions, unless it comes to her estranged husband Beck. When they both find themselves competing for the title, there is more than food heating up. Skye is seeing another man, one who she thinks may propose and has decided to finally ask Beck for a divorce. But Beck feels oddly reluctant. He finally proposes a bet. If she wins, a quick divorce, but if he wins he gets one last night with her before a divorce. When both find themselves locked in a cooler and seeking warmth, things heat up even more and Beck finds himself even more determined to win. As they are forced to spend more time together they will each have to figure out what means more to them. Do they have a chance to bring back a long thought lost love?

Louisa Edwards’s easy writing style makes Hot Under Pressure a fun, charming beach read. Both characters are likeable and surprised at how much they still care for each other. Each had to mature and open themselves up to each other so that their ‘new’ relationship could succeed. They broke up because they always fought and never communicated their feelings to each other and it was heartwarming to read how their reconciled with each other over past misunderstandings. I liked how Beck finally opens up to Skye and lets her love him.

This is a sweet read about second chances that contemporary fans will enjoy.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Is there anything sexier than a man who can cook? The answer is yes, a man who cooks AND cleans up after himself, but we are talking about chefs here, so let’s stick to cooking. Hot Under Pressure is the last book in the Rising Star Chef series, if you haven’t read the previous books you’ll probably be able to enjoy this one but it won’t be the same so my suggestion is to read them in order.

Henry Beck is the newest member of the restaurant, but despi...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Is there anything sexier than a man who can cook? The answer is yes, a man who cooks AND cleans up after himself, but we are talking about chefs here, so let’s stick to cooking. Hot Under Pressure is the last book in the Rising Star Chef series, if you haven’t read the previous books you’ll probably be able to enjoy this one but it won’t be the same so my suggestion is to read them in order.

Henry Beck is the newest member of the restaurant, but despite his taciturn personality he’s an integral part of the team and everyone considers him a member of the Lunden family. His specialty is fish and his secret past has inspired some interesting theories about him, the most popular being that he used to be in jail. Obviously that’s not the case and everyone is about to find out about it when his past comes back to haunt him and compete against him in the form of Skye Gladwell, captain of the rival team and Beck’s estranged wife.

Skye hasn’t seen or heard of Beck in ten years so it came as a surprise when he turned out to be part of one of the teams competing for the title of Rising Star Chef. They met when they were very young and fell in love almost instantly. They got married but life and a tragedy got in the way of their happily ever after. Now they have the opportunity to settle the past, at first she is resentful and interested in the competition and finalizing their divorce so she can marry her boyfriend -who doesn’t know about her marital status- but the more they talk the more they realize that their relationship isn’t as over as they thought.

This is by far the most emotional book in the series. Beck and Skye’s love story was like a fairy tale gone wrong. They loved each other very much but they were struggling to make ends meet and life had other plans for them. So decisions were made and in the end their relationship suffered from everything but lack of love, no one was to blame but that didn’t make things easier. At first they were angry and resentful, but also filled with guilt and a deep sense of loss. The reasons behind their breakup are spoilerish so I won’t mention them here, but no one lied and no one cheated, there was none of that, so instead of two people blaming each other we had two people accepting responsibility and trying to come to terms with life getting in the way of love.

Skye was a great heroine. Her parents were famous artist, as talented as they were irresponsible, so Skye was trying to get some order in her life but also maintaining her free spirit and creativity, she achieved it by being a chef and restaurant owner, the perfect mix of responsibility and art. Another great thing about her was that we finally get a female chef who looked normal, I was pleasantly surprised when she turned out to have curves.

I was dying to read Beck’s book to find out his secrets and I wasn’t disappointed. Not what I expected at all but I’ll take it. Quiet and reserved but with a heart of gold, he was a great friend and a great hero. I love men who show vulnerability and he was one of them, he needed to belong and his happily ever after is all about finding his place and a family, and he gets it with the restaurant and with Skye.

If you have read the books you will know that there’s a secondary romance developing throughout the books and in this book we finally get a resolution. It involves two of the judges, Claire Durand and Kane Slater. Claire is more than 15 years older than Kane so their conflict comes from the age difference as well as her trust issues. This story started strong in the first book but it lost some steam in the middle and I wasn’t as invested in them as I was at first, however, I was glad to see them happy.

The book has some weak parts. First, Skye and Beck go from being angry to being in lust very fast, and Skye has a boyfriend, they had an open relationship but for a woman like her, cheating is cheating open relationship or not, and yet she sleeps with Beck. She feels guilty about it and the boyfriend doesn’t really mind, but I didn’t particularly like it. Second, the ending was a bit cheesy, I’m not a fan of the big gesture and the gesture in this book is huge, maybe you will love it but I always feel embarrassed when I read scenes like that. And finally, the competition ends in a predictable way. But overall this was a great book and I loved it just as much as the first book, maybe a little bit more. If you like contemporary romance, men who cook and emotional stories, I’m sure you will love Hot Under Pressure.

Source: we received an e-ARC of the book from the author through NetGalley for review purposes.(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013_read, chick-lit, easy-read, contemporary-times, kindle-book, own, romance, recipes, series, tear-jerker, some-steam

This is the final book in the Rising Star Chef series, and while it's not difficult to predict what will happen (or even the outcome), the journey that Ms. Edwards takes us on truly feels like a completion.

Beck has been the mysterious fish chef on the Lunden's Tavern team. Stoic, tall, and tough, Beck isn't the kind of guy who lets anyone in. He's grateful for the Lundens for hiring him and not asking a lot of personal questions; he feels part of their family - something he's never really had.

In...more This is the final book in the Rising Star Chef series, and while it's not difficult to predict what will happen (or even the outcome), the journey that Ms. Edwards takes us on truly feels like a completion.

Beck has been the mysterious fish chef on the Lunden's Tavern team. Stoic, tall, and tough, Beck isn't the kind of guy who lets anyone in. He's grateful for the Lundens for hiring him and not asking a lot of personal questions; he feels part of their family - something he's never really had.

In the second book, we learned that Beck and Skye Gladwell had been married ten years ago... or rather, still ARE married. We now know that Beck's given name is Henry, and that he joined the Navy - in opposition to the hippie, peace-loving Skye and her avant garde artist mother and playwright father.

In this book, we learn much more - like how they met, their first kiss, and the trials and tribulations of the short 2 years (or so) that they had together in San Francisco. The Lunden's East Coast team and Skye's West Coast team are, of course, in the finals of the Rising Star Chef competition. Here's where we *finally* understand the singular "chef" in the competition title: Only ONE chef (with a sous chef) from each team competes head-to-head for the title. Since we would rightfully assume that the East Coast team would choose either Max (experienced at competitions) or Jules (the exec chef and go-to girl) for their representative, of course something has to happen to prevent that. And it's not difficult to predict what happens, but it's interesting the way that it's all handled.

Once again, all but the two main characters and the pairing of Clare & Kane are virtually ignored. That's my primary beef with these books. It's possible to focus on 2 couples, yet bring the supporting characters in more - especially since we've come to know them so well from the other 2 books. I didn't miss it quite as much this time, because the focus on Beck & Skye revealed a LOT about each and this mysterious relationship.

While very romantic, Beck's final presentation... surprises. Yes, he's trying. Yes he knows he needs to open up, if he has any chance of reuniting with Skye. But Beck is *so* open - he lays his heart, mind, and soul out on those plates. It's almost too difficult to bear. And very out-of-character. I'd expect him to attempt to open up, and to do so somewhat... enough to let Skye in and then continue to practice. I surely didn't expect what happened. It makes a great story and a wonderful ending. I'm just not sure that Beck would be able to be that open...

As for the end-ending... well, it's not difficult to guess. It just sucks that regardless of who wins, you know that Beck & Skye will be together. That either means she has to give up her dream restaurant (The Queenie Pie Cafe) & move to New York, or Beck has to leave Lunden's Tavern (his only real family in years) to be with Skye in San Francisco.(less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This is the third book in the Rising Star Chef series by Louisa Edwards. If you've never read a book where cooking of any kind was the back drop then i encourage you to start with this one. It works well as a stand alone but if you like to read in series order that works too. The first two in this series are Too Hot to Touch and Some Like it Hot then followed by Hot Under Pressure. In book one you get a intro into all the characters. That's where we all get to meet Beck as he's known by most. He...more This is the third book in the Rising Star Chef series by Louisa Edwards. If you've never read a book where cooking of any kind was the back drop then i encourage you to start with this one. It works well as a stand alone but if you like to read in series order that works too. The first two in this series are Too Hot to Touch and Some Like it Hot then followed by Hot Under Pressure. In book one you get a intro into all the characters. That's where we all get to meet Beck as he's known by most. Henry Beck as he is know by the wife he hasn't seen in ten years. Skye Gladwell is the woman that won Beck's heart. Fear and a bad decision made him lose her 10 years ago. He meets his match in her at the last step in the Rising Star Chef competition. She wants a divorce and he wants another chance. He makes a bet with her. If her team wins she gets her divorce. If his team wins she still gets her divorce but he gets one more night with her. Beck is always a careful man. The Navy taught him all about discipline and how to hold himself in check. He had a rough childhood losing both of his loving parents at age 8 to a terrible tragedy and then being stuck in foster care til he was 18. Then came Skye. Skye Gladwell had dreams they just weren't the dreams her parents wanted her to have. She never felt good enough for them. Then she met Beck and he won her heart and soul. Then tragically it all fell apart and Beck abandoned Skye. Ten years later they meet again at the Rise Star Chef competition and the heat as they say was on. This book was a journey for Beck and Skye. Their path back to love and happiness. Beck had to learn how to open up and communicate his feelings. A tough gig for a hardened orphan and Navy man. If he wanted his second chance with Skye he had to find a way. The ending wraps up the competition with some unexpected but exiting twists and some moments that will make you say awe.... Have the kleenex ready. Great way to end the series. Be sure if you read this book to read Becks poem at the end and to check out the recipies at the back of the book. 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. Hot Under Pressure really got under my skin and drew me into the story.

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Apr 02, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, contemporary-romance, netgalley, publisher-provided

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 h...more 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.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, library-has-copy, read-2012, second-chances

There are a lot of readers who will enjoy this book more than I did. For some reason I didn't connect with the characters, even though there was a good bit of character development and a decent amount of angst in the story. I think anyone who is a fan of Louisa Edwards and has read the Rising Star Chef trilogy will want to read this final installment. It certainly has more emotional depth than the first book in the trilogy. (I realized I hadn't read the second one after I started this book. Afte...more

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May 07, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, kindle

Louisa Edwards' books seem to be hit and miss for me. Some of them are just AWESOME (Can't Stand the Heat, Just One Taste), and some fall a little short (On the Steamy Side, Too Hot to Touch). I definitely know, as a reader of romance novels, that maybe this is because something in the characterizations either resonates for me, or falls flat. Sometimes I think it's in the author's own connection to a character's emotions, which carries to the reader more often than not. Anyway, this book for me...more Louisa Edwards' books seem to be hit and miss for me. Some of them are just AWESOME (Can't Stand the Heat, Just One Taste), and some fall a little short (On the Steamy Side, Too Hot to Touch). I definitely know, as a reader of romance novels, that maybe this is because something in the characterizations either resonates for me, or falls flat. Sometimes I think it's in the author's own connection to a character's emotions, which carries to the reader more often than not. Anyway, this book for me fell into the AWESOME category!

Beck, the Navy chef with a stoic demeanor and a heart of gold, and Skye, the insecure hippie chick who wears her heart on her sleeve, have a past. They were married once, when they were young, but dire circumstances and 10 years separate who they are now, from that past. Now they are competing in the Rising Star Chef competition, and emotions, and the stakes, are running very high.

My feelings after reading the first book in the Rising Star Chef series, was that this angle of cooking competition and resultant drama, was too contrived for the authenticity that made Edwards first series, Recipe for Love, so outstanding. I just didn't care for that first book very much and thought maybe the whole series would be that way. But as with Recipe for Love, once the right couple entered into the picture, I found myself enjoying the high stakes of the cooking competition. The competition and some of the scenes it forces, were total heartstrings-pullers and tear-jerkers in this case.

Beck and Skye have a lot of issues to work through. As with her other books, Edwards does not let her characters off the hook. They have to deal with their own issues to get their romantic HEA. Without giving anything away, I'll say that I think this book was the first of all of Edwards' that made me shed a tear over the rawness and intensity of the characters' pain. But of course, pain and suffering make for some damn good happy endings, don't they?!

The only complaint is perhaps a slight spoiler: (view spoiler). All in all, I definitely recommend this and all of Edwards' work - if you haven't read her, start with Can't Stand the Heat.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Quynh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let's face it. I started this series mostly because of my interest in the culinary arts...

Okay okay, it was the cover of this book that cinched it. I wanted to jump start this one right away, but I like to read series in actual order. So when I finally got to this book, I savored every morsel of it. Needless to say, this was my favorite in the series!

In the second book, we learned that there was a connection between Beck and Skye... that they were married. Life has dealt them both some hard blo...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Nícky rated it 5 of 5 stars

El mejor libro de la saga.. de lejos!!!!! Buenísimo desde el principio!! La autora ya nos había mostrado esa química entre Beck y Skye en el libro anterior, sin embargo, al eliminar al resto de secundarios y dejarnos con ellos a solas el libro ha ganado tanto..... Adoré el cambio en Beck, sus platos, sus explicaciones al jurado y a Skye, ese final con sus miedos y el poder entender el por qué de su hermetismo. Adoré a Skye, con su dulzura y su forma de luchar por lo que quiere, aunque nadie más...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Melanie (Moviemavengal) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The closing chapters of the cooking competition pulled this up to at least 3 1/2 stars or 4.

I enjoy Louisa Edwards, and Beck was a great hero - strong and silent.

I just.... maybe it's just the stressed mood I'm in lately, but I found aggravating that every meeting between hero and heroine was fraught with clenched white hands, beet-red blushes, and near paralysis from feeling things so strongly. It's like the interactions had to be turned to 11 every. single. time. Part of that is how intense sh...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 02, 2012 Liza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved so much!!!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Hot Under Pressure from NetGalley thanks to Louisa. I’m a huge fan and was so excited to get my hands on this final book in the series early.

I absolutely loved this book. Beck and Skye are both such amazing characters and I enjoyed getting to know them both better in this book. The chemistry between Beck, or Henry as Skye calls him, is obvious anytime they are in the same room. I loved getting to know more about their history together a...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved loved loved Henry Beck's story! I adored the others, but this beat them by far. He was so...scarred, frightened and wonderful. I loved him. I cried for him. I suffered with him.

Skye was wonderful too. She was sweet, vulnerable, pained. I felt for her. My heart broke when she talked about the baby she lost.

I'm in love with the main characters. Claire and Kale's story I didn't give much for. If it wasn't for that story I could've given it five stars. I don't know why I had so much trouble w...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review:

I didn't think that any of Louisa's books could top the amazing books that she has already written. I love her writing. I love the style of her books. I love the foodie themes. I love her characters. The first 20% of this book, I was devastated. It was okay, but it just didn't have the "oomph" that I expect from Louisa's books. There was lots of effort put into the setting up of this book, which was unexpected especially since this is the final in the series and we already knew the cha...more My Review:

I didn't think that any of Louisa's books could top the amazing books that she has already written. I love her writing. I love the style of her books. I love the foodie themes. I love her characters. The first 20% of this book, I was devastated. It was okay, but it just didn't have the "oomph" that I expect from Louisa's books. There was lots of effort put into the setting up of this book, which was unexpected especially since this is the final in the series and we already knew the characters. But I promise you...wade through that first 20%. It's important. It's vital. It sets up this book so beautifully and so perfectly. The patience that you show through the first part will be rewarded later in the book...I promise you!

I think that I can honestly say that this is my favorite Louisa Edwards book ever. Skye & Beck? Who would have guessed at the depth of their history and their lives individually. The way that Louisa told their story...through the food competition...OMG, so brilliant and so creative and so emotionally moving. Yes, I was crying right along with everyone else during the finals scenes.

I have loved Beck's character ever since he was introduced. He's the huge, quiet guy in the corner and you just knew that quietness hid depths you just couldn't see. But even I was surprised at his story and how emotional he truly could become. OMG, the epilogue...GENIUS. It's making me teary-eyed even now thinking about it. This is a guy that, when he cares, he cares deeply. One of the best examples of this outside of the emotional scenes with Skye, is the way that he handles Win. Win and Beck's friendship...OMG, I loved that aspect of the book. Win is this exuberant, over the top personality, but he sees things and pushes Beck to go further. On the other side of this, Beck sees when Win needs encouragement or someone in his corner. Their friendship and camaraderie in this book was so much fun to read.

Another fabulous relationship in this book was Claire & Kane. This is a relationship that has developed slowly over the course of the three books. Again, this is another couple that is dealing with some fairly deep-seeded issues that just made my heart ache for them. Claire wants so much to trust her feelings for Kane and Kane just truly loves her. *ack* It's just so beautiful and heartbreaking. If there was a single thing that I could complain about in this book, it's that I wanted just a smidge more of Kane & Claire after they resolved their issues. I know, there really wasn't room in the book. I just wanted a tiny bit more just to assure myself that their HEA was going to last because these are two that are so in love that they truly deserve a Happily Ever After.

Bravo, Louisa! I expected great things from this book and you delivered BIG TIME! This book was gorgeous. Having the special guest for Beck at the finals was perfection. I loved the family aspect of these books and I love the Lundens. The epilogue was incredible in that we got to see how things settled out for everyone that we have come to love over the course of this series. You write characters that are so deep that I connect to them as a reader. Thank you for that. It makes reading your books so much fun and entertaining.

So when do we find out the details about your next writing venture???
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Feb 19, 2013 Cyndi Tefft rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance

I didn't realize this book was the latter part of a series. Usually that doesn't diminish my enjoyment of a book, but in this case, a good chunk of time was spent on Claire and Kane, whose story must have started in another book. Because we only got the resolution of their issues in this book, their arc seemed misplaced and disconnected to me.

Still, I enjoyed the author's creativity in setting this romance in a cooking competition. It was obvious that Edwards has a love for cooking and that adde...more

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May 08, 2012 Deborah Vespo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the third in the Rising Star Chef series. The author is Louisa Edwards who I recently discovered. She's a great storyteller and good writer. I look forward to reading more of her work. This story is about a young man and woman who married young. She gets pregnant. They have no money, no insurance and out of his concern for his family he joins the military so that he can provide these things for her and their forthcoming child. Due to their separation and the loss of their baby they...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Jo (My House of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Picking up immediately where Some Like it Hot left off, Hot Under Pressure completes the Rising Star Chef trilogy on a romantic high note.

Henry Beck, known simply as Beck to his fellow Lunden's Restaurant employees, is the newest member of the Lunden family. He keeps things close to the vest and has secrets in his past he's never shared with his co-workers, so they are all in for a shock when Beck's wife, Skye Gladwell, is a competitor in the Rising Star competition.

While I loved Beck...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Larissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was very surprised by this book. I read the first and second installment of the Rising Star Chef series and even though I enjoyed reading both of them, the third book really did it for me. It was an outstanding way to close the cicle. The story didnt only tell of cooking and competition, but also about overcoming barriers and redemption.
The torturous love story of Skye and Breck made me teary-eyed and fall in love with both carachters instantly. It kept me glued to my nook to the last page.
B...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Cris rated it 5 of 5 stars

My favourite Louisa Edwards book so far was Can't Stand the Heat... but this one might give it a run for its money (and it's, by far, my favourite in the Rising Star Chef trilogy) ! It made me laugh, it made me slightly misty-eyed, and it had me rooting for the hero & heroine's HEA like few contemporaries do. That last challenge? Be still my heart (for both characters)! I know some people are very anti-epilogue, but I felt that it worked beautifully in this book to give us a glimpse of the c...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: crotchbooks, culinary-fiction, food-in-fiction, mommy-daddy-issues, series, what-s-cookin-good-lookin

Two stars because Goodreads thinks people are idiots who won't understand half-star ratings.

This was my least favorite in the series, due to Skye Gladwell annoying me and the whole "Babies ever after" trope I hate.

As usual, I love the food descriptions, the recipe index in the back of the book, and the knowledge Edwards clearly has of a professional kitchen.

Down to the meat of the book, I'm glad to finally get to know the mystery of Henry Beck. As we found out in the previous book, he is still...more Two stars because Goodreads thinks people are idiots who won't understand half-star ratings.

This was my least favorite in the series, due to Skye Gladwell annoying me and the whole "Babies ever after" trope I hate.

As usual, I love the food descriptions, the recipe index in the back of the book, and the knowledge Edwards clearly has of a professional kitchen.

Down to the meat of the book, I'm glad to finally get to know the mystery of Henry Beck. As we found out in the previous book, he is still married to Skye Gladwell, though they haven't seen each other in ten years. The two married very young and, as is par for the course in this genre, Skye got knocked up almost immediately. Given that neither of them had any sort of income coming in that would even support just the two of them, let alone a baby (that, had it survived, would have had special needs to boot), Beck does the logical thing and join the Navy. Logical in the sense that the military provides not only a steady income, but pretty sweet spousal and dependent benefits. Like, you know, MEDICAL INSURANCE, for all pre-, post-, and antenatal needs. Somehow, Skye interprets this as abandonment instead as a necessary evil to properly provide for a baby. After Skye miscarries while Beck is deployed, she tells him that she never wants to see him again. Now ladies, when you say something like that, don't be surprised when the recipient of the sentiment actually takes it literally.

After that point, it was hard for me to finish reading the book. If I can't sympathize with half of the main pairing, then there's not much hope for the book. Of course, it's presented that the onus of repairing the relationship falls onto Beck. What was his major crime? Being close-lipped about himself. That's it. He just doesn't like talking about himself and reopening old wounds that he's spent years trying to heal. How many people are willing to tell everybody and their mother about how you lost your parents in a very traumatic way (bridge collapse during an earthquake) when your age was still a single digit and that you spent the next ten years in the foster care system without any sort of stability or love? And really, if you were willing to jump into a marriage with a guy you barely knew, it's a little unfair to fault him with not offering up much information afterward. Probably something that would have been worth discussing before saying, "Hey, let's go to City Hall!"

Of course, Skye is not without her parental issues. She deals with the perennial disappointment from her parents that she isn't who they want her to be, which I can sympathize to an extent. If you want to have kids, you don't get to be disappointed about them becoming human beings with their own opinions, goals, and personalities. Kids are not to be virtual clones of yourself.

The Jeremiah angle seemed superfluous to me. Obviously there had to be a reason for Skye to request an official divorce, but if it's going to be because she met another man that she's so sure is ready to pop *the* question, then he should have more of a presence, humanitarian or not. Not just some mentions here and there, oh he finally comes back to the USA and walks in on Beck and Skye post-coitus (Jeremiah and Skye had an open relationship agreement), and then his next and final scene being that he told Skye (offscreen or off=page, if you will) that he's met somebody else and that's okay because Skye has realized that she's still in love with her husband.

Beck's grand romantic gesture is taking the final challenge of the RSC (conveniently, "Tell your life story through five courses") is essentially stripping himself emotionally in front of not only Skye and Nina Lunden (who was the guest taster for Beck), but four virtual strangers. Skye does the same, but refuses to present a fifth course, essentially forfeiting the RSC title to Beck. That annoyed me quite a bit. Of course I wanted Beck to win. You don't spend three books with a set of characters to not want to see them win it all, but I wanted to see them win fairly, not from forfeiture.

Beck and Skye officially reunite and the book skips to a year later where Skye has managed to knocked up quickly again (given the time frame, a mere three months after they've reunited after a decade-long separation. You would think they'd wait and rebuild a solid marriage foundation before popping out kids, but people don't even do that in reality, let alone Romance Fantasyland). At that point, I mentally checked out and just rushed through the last few pages.

Once again, I found myself wishing for a book featuring Claire and Kane. I really liked their relationship and wanted far more. I generally hate B-plot romances in romance novels because there's no way to make it fulfilling without deviating quite a bit from the main pairing and book plot and other little arcs. To give a beta pairing enough time would cause a book to increase its length substantially. This series already had a lot going on in each book that Claire/Kane really needed their own book. We barely know their characters other than the superficial. And because of that, I leave this series a little unfulfilled.(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Dabney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dear Ms. Edwards,

I’ve read all three books in your Rising Star Chef series and, of all of the couples in the series, my favorite hands down is Claire Durand and Kane Slater. This, really, is a bummer because, in all three books, they are secondary characters though their love story, finally resolved in this book, Hot Under Pressure, is a fabulous one. For me, the romance between chefs Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell, the main protagonists in Hot Under Pressure, is less compelling. The two are each...more Dear Ms. Edwards,

I’ve read all three books in your Rising Star Chef series and, of all of the couples in the series, my favorite hands down is Claire Durand and Kane Slater. This, really, is a bummer because, in all three books, they are secondary characters though their love story, finally resolved in this book, Hot Under Pressure, is a fabulous one. For me, the romance between chefs Henry Beck and Skye Gladwell, the main protagonists in Hot Under Pressure, is less compelling. The two are each interesting individuals but, as a couple, they lacked consistent, transfixing chemistry.

I guess one could read this novel without reading the two that precede it but I don’t recommend it. One of the best things about the series is its host of characters. The couples from the first two books have roles here as do the cooking crews from Beck’s and Skye’s restaurants. All these chefs are competing in the Rising Star Chef contest—a culinary tournament designed to determine the best cooking team in the country. Three teams have made it to the finals, held in San Francisco: the East Coast team, Beck and the gang from the Manhattan’s steak house Lunden’s Tavern; the West Coast team, Skye and her crew from Queenie Pie Cafe, a homey hipster place in Berkeley; and the Midwest team whose lead chef is such a jerk he and his team are ousted a third of the way through the book. The contest has three judges as well, two of whom, forty-two year old Frenchwoman Claire Duran, editor of the world’s most prestigious cooking magazine, and twenty-something Kane Slater, “smoking hot foodie rock star,” have a complicated romantic relationship they began in the first bookin the series, Too Hot to Touch. There are all kinds of relational and culinary dynamics at play in this book that won’t make much sense to one unfamiliar with the series.

I liked this book despite not being wild about the preeminent relationship. For starters, I liked Beck and Skye. Beck has been the mystery man in the Lunden’s crew from day one. He’s a huge guy, taciturn, great with food, remote from people. In Hot Under Pressure, we learn Beck’s back-story and it’s pretty damn sad. He landed in the foster care system at age eight, bounced from house to house and, by eighteen, was utterly on his own. He met and married Skye, and then, due to a heartbreaking situation—to share it would be a spoiler of the highest order--, left her and joined the Navy. While in the Navy, he learned he loved to cook, and when he got out, he ended up at Lunden’s where, much to his astonishment, he found something very much like a family. The owners of Lunden’s, Gus and Nina Lunden, their sons, Danny and Max, Max’s girlfriend Julie (Lunden’s head chef) , and, my personal favorite, Winslow Jones, prep chef and uber-witty “Wise, Learned Sage,” have all tried to make Beck feel as though he belongs. Even after a year in their company, Beck still struggles to accept the care they constantly send his way.

Coming up through the foster care system, Beck had seen a lot of families interact with kids who didn’t truly belong to them, and until he’d met Jules and the Lunden clan, he would’ve sworn that kind of unconditional acceptance wasn’t possible. It definitely hadn’t been for him.

Unlike so many heroes in romance, Beck’s a working class guy with pretty low expectations for life. He wants to win the Rising Star Chef Competition because the resulting fame will help keep Lunden’s Tavern in business not because he wants fame or fortune for himself. Until he shows up on the first day of the competition finals and encounters, for the first time in ten years, Skye Gladwell, Beck hasn’t let himself dream about much of anything other than getting by. But when he sees Skye, and begins to remember how happy he was in the few years they had together, he starts to open himself up to life’s emotional possibilities.

Skye, unlike Beck, has grown up with a family, but her parents, Marin County radical bohemian artists, have never approved of Skye’s choices. They were horrified when she got married—so bourgeoisie--, think her cooking is little more than “puttering around a kitchen like some fifties housefrau,” and, in general, have “kept their daughter gently but firmly ground under their vegan shoes.” When Skye ran off with Beck, at age eighteen, her parents disowned her and, after Beck left her, she slowly rebuilt her life and found joy in cooking and, ultimately, in owning her own funky café. Skye is close to her best friend Fiona, the café’s pastry chef, and she has an itinerant boyfriend, Jeremiah, who travels the world for the Peace Corps and doesn’t believe in fidelity. Skye is successful—she owns a business she loves—but still feels she’s a constant disappointment to her parents and, though she cares for Jeremiah, she’s kept her own heart locked away since she and Beck horribly parted years ago.

This is a partial review. To read the rest, please go to DearAuthor.com: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...(less)

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May 03, 2012 Daphne Trumps rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review, romance, series, adult

Gone Pecan Reviews

The final book in the Rising Star Chef series by Louisa Edwards, Hot Under Pressure is about the enigmatic chef, Beck, and Skye, another chef in the competition who we were introduced to in the last book, Some Like it Hot, and who we learned is actually Beck’s estranged wife! They’ve been married for ten years, but they’ve not seen each other almost the entire time because Beck joined the Navy to take care of their little family. While he was underway, they experienced a traged...more Gone Pecan Reviews

The final book in the Rising Star Chef series by Louisa Edwards, Hot Under Pressure is about the enigmatic chef, Beck, and Skye, another chef in the competition who we were introduced to in the last book, Some Like it Hot, and who we learned is actually Beck’s estranged wife! They’ve been married for ten years, but they’ve not seen each other almost the entire time because Beck joined the Navy to take care of their little family. While he was underway, they experienced a tragedy that he couldn’t handle and they just kind of imploded.

Now, Beck and Skye are competing against each other in the Rising Star Chef competition, but they’re trying to avoid each other as much as possible, despite other people trying to use their (former) relationship as dramatic fuel in an attempt to get a major network to air the competition. But it all comes to a head when Skye, rather out of the blue, asks him for a divorce. And despite it all, they both still have rather lusty feelings for each other.

I really liked Beck’s character from the other two books in the series. I don’t know what it is about the stoic, silent types, but they really float my boat. We don’t know a lot about him and what we do know has been gleaned from people digging around in his past because he doesn’t volunteer any information. Because he was so stoic and reticent about his past, it was gratifying to learn his backstory and be privy to his thoughts and emotions.

As for Skye, she couldn’t be more different from Beck, but their attraction to each other is understandable. And it’s obvious that Beck still has feelings for Skye, but Skye is not the same girl that he left all those years ago. She has a lot of issues to deal with, starting with her hippy parents who don’t like her chosen profession, to her long distance boyfriend and the merry misfits that work with her. Skye was a very good heroine. She didn’t suffer fools gladly, despite the way that others perceived her. She was all over the place emotionally in regard to Beck because of her still simmering attraction to him and her lingering feelings of abandonment, but again, it was all very understandable given their history.

I really liked this book. It was satisfying as a story in itself, but it also wrapped up the series quite nicely. I think this one is my favorite of all Ms. Edwards books.

Pecans: 5/5

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Hot Under Pressure (Rising Star Chef #3)

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