REVIEW: Hungry Heart by Meg Benjamin

Hungry Heart (Konigsburg, Texas, Book 8) by Meg Benjamin: Hungry Hearts is totally my kind of book (I love the foodie books!). Although the book started a little slow, at times I thought I was reading two separate books, could not figure out how the 2 main couples would fit together and make the story work, I was pleasantly surprised and after the first few chapters, had a hard time putting the book down. Let me share a little of the story with you and what I thought of these characters.

There are two main couples in the book, they are ~ Andy Wells and Chico Burnside ~ and ~ Darcy Cunningham and Harris “The King” Temple.

Darcy is a Sous Chef at the Rose, upscale restaurant in small town Konigsburg, Texas. She dreams of becoming a Chef de Cuisine one day. In order to do so she knows that she needs to get as much experience as she can in different types of cuisine as she can, and living in Texas, she needs to learn ‘que from the “King” of ‘que himself. Harris “The King” Temple learned his love of ‘que from his Grandmother, and he has made himself quite a little business despite his family frowning on his choice of career. Imagine his surprise when hot and sexy Darcy wants to follow him around and learn the tricks of the trade from him. Only problem is he is not sure that he will be able to keep his hands off her in the process.

Andy Wells is a environmental chemist. She considers herself a “Plain Jane”, someone that blends into the woodwork, someone that nobody would give a second thought about or take a second glance at. That all changed the night she was stranded on the side of the road and rescued by a very tall, very large, very sexy gentle giant in the form of Chico Burnside. Chico has been the center of attention all his life. As a very tall man, he is use to people staring at him. He keeps his life private, and lets people think what they want about him. For the first time, he wants in the worst way, to find a way to make things work with the beautiful Andy Wells. He knows that people will look at the two of them as the most mismatched couple on the planet, but for the first time, he doesn’t care. He just wants to be near her, see her smile, hear her laugh.

When Konigsburg decides to have the First Annual BBQ Competition on July 4th, this merry foursome decides to team up to try and knock the socks off the judges and win top honors. But a flash flood, a jealous ex husband and a formidable family might derail this team before they really start cooking.

What I loved the most about these couples is that they are so well matched with each other. Andy and Chico are embarrassed by the attention that they are getting from everyone that sees them together, but neither wants to give up and walk away, because each knows that there is something there, something more underneath what the outside world sees. There is a vulnerability about Andy and Chico that made me fall in love with them. Darcy and Harris are both sarcastic, humors, driven, and have family issues. Harris with the ultimatums that his family tries to put on him, Darcy with the way she and her mother disagree and argue about food prep and construction of simple dishes. But what makes Harris and Darcy such a great pair is their drive, and compassion. Both couples had a wicked chemistry, but both manifested itself in different ways. Harris and Darcy were like a inferno, while Andy and Chico were like a quiet summer night.

I truly enjoyed this story, and though it stated slow, it was quick to the finish and left me smiling. I have added the other books in this series to my TBR list and look forward to reading more by this author. I gave this wonderful story 4 fiery stars.

Book Info:

Published March 24th 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd. | Konigsburg, Texas, Book 8

Peace, love, and barbecue—with a big order of sexy on the side.

Sous chef Darcy Cunningham is less than entranced with small-town Konigsburg’s obsession with barbecue. But her future career as a chef de cuisine requires expanding her culinary horizons, so she talks the Barbecue King, a.k.a. Harris Temple, into taking her on as his apprentice.

However, learning Harris’s professional secrets wasn’t supposed to include falling for his spicy blend of smoky sexiness and laid-back charm.

Chico Burnside specializes in flying under Konigsburg’s small-town radar, but lately life has been going a little too smoothly, even for him. Hoping to shake things up a bit, he talks Harris into teaming up for Konigsburg’s first barbecue cook-off. But once shy scientist Andy Wells catches his eye, Chico’s got more on his mind than brisket. Like enticing her out of her shell to show her just how tenderly a big guy can love.

As the competition ignites, so does the romance. Until a natural disaster threatens to derail Konigsburg’s dream team before the grills even get good and warmed up.

Warning: Contains hot sauce, hot sex, and a whole lot of smokin’ action.