Review: "In the Fire" by Eileen Griffin & Nikka Michaels

Note: This ARC was provided by Carina Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the Fire is the second book in the In the Kitchen series by Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels, and for anyone who read my review for the first book, In the Raw, you'll remember that I quite liked it and was anticipating the release of the sequel. Well, the minute I noticed that the ARC was available for review on NetGalley, I simply couldn't help myself... I clicked faster than a shopaholic could grab a pair of shoes that were half off. ^.^ 

This sequel is set eight years after the events in book one, whose ending may have given a somewhat hopeful kind of feeling for lovers Ethan Martin and Jamie Lassiter, but since In the Fire is more of a second chance romance, you can probably tell that things went somewhat awry while Jamie and Ethan were apart. Aside from being a second chance romance, there's also a dose of suspense thrown in there so that was a definite bonus since it gave book two a different twist, helping it stand apart from its predecessor while still keeping the two connected.

Eight years after the end of their short but intense relationship, Ethan is the head chef of Sharpe's on Fifth. He's hoping to buy the restaurant from Chef Cal Sharpe, the owner and the very same chef that offered him a job when he decided to pull himself out of the running for the scholarship that ended up going to Jamie eight years prior. He's working side by side with his sister Claire and a young man he's taken under his wing, Tyler Mitchell. Ethan may have moved on with his life but he's never forgotten Jamie nor has he ever really gotten over how their relationship ended.

After his internship in Paris, France, Jamie jumped at an opportunity in New York that meant being away from Ethan and virtually ending their relationship. He's now a famous chef with a television show and cookbooks that have become bestsellers. He works with his close friend and manager, Trevor Pratt, and while he's achieved a lot, he's also at an impasse of sorts, feeling more tired than fulfilled. Amid all his success, Jamie still wonders about the one failure that hurt him the most--the end of his relationship with Ethan.

When fate steps in and finds ways to throw Ethan and Jamie together several times, Jamie needs to find a way to get Ethan to let go of his animosity so that they can finally sit down and discuss what happened eight years ago. However, amid the need to find out all the secrets and truths from back then, Ethan has to deal with someone trying to sabotage the restaurant he works in. With everything going on around them, Ethan and Jamie both need to make the effort to deal with their past as well as wonder if there's another chance for a future together.

While I liked In the Raw, I simply LOVED In the Fire. Ethan and Jamie have the burden of their eight years apart but even their short time together is able to supersede all that pain and animosity. Comparing their relationship in book one and here in book two, we can see how they fell in love for the first time in their lives then and how that love never truly went away even after their time apart, but now they have to deal with their issues and fall in love all over again. ^.^ I'm so glad I was able to read and review this ARC and happily give it five stars. This is definitely one of my favorite reads this year. ♥

Release Date: 03 November 2014

Date read: 28 October 2014

Learn more about authors Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels here and here, respectively.

Grab a copy of In the Fire and Ms. Griffin's and Ms. Michaels' books on Amazon (EG) | Amazon (NM) | Barnes & Noble (EG) | Barnes & Noble (NM).