Kitchen Affairs by Brooke Cumberland

Kitchen Affairs: A Novel by Brooke Cumberland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*Review with spoilers*

Kitchen Affairs was a fun, cute, steamy read. The book literally jumps right in from the first page.

We meet Molly, who is a single mom, on her last semester of cooking school. She is doing her internship at the Riverside Restaurant. She is being pursued by Drake Stagliano, the manager of the Riverside Restaurant.

(view spoiler)[“I had done my research before accepting the internship, and knew of the Stagliano family. I also knew Drake was a ladies man and extremely powerful. And mostly, he is incredibly intimidating. And hot.”

Molly is apprehensive to accept the advances that Drake has made. She had suffered the loss of her fiancé three years prior and was not sure if she was ready to move on just yet.

“After the pain and heartbreak I went through, I’ve protected myself from ever being hurt again and feeling the pain I once felt. And the only way to do that was to keep men out of my life until I was emotionally ready to take the risk again.”

After some coercing from Drake, Molly agrees to dinner. And finds that maybe she is able to connect with someone else in an emotionally and romantic way.

“He accidentally graced my hand as he was reaching for his glass. The slightest touch of him and I could feel butterflies and goose bumps. It was an innocent touch, but in that moment, I finally realized I could have feelings for someone else besides Liam.”

She realized that she felt a connection to this man that she couldn’t deny.

“He stared at me like he was seeing right through me. I was starting to see another side to this man; a man I think I could really like. Maybe love. He was being kind, sweet, responsive to my answers, and seemed to have a keen interest in me. It was overwhelming. I barely knew this man, yet I was ready to dig my teeth into him.”

And sink her teeth into him she did…

“As I slammed the refrigerator door shut, I heard a quiet knock at my door. Startled, I looked around to see if I had been hearing things. Who the hell is at my door at this hour? I placed the glass down on the counter and walked to the door. As I opened it, my eyes met his. Drake. He didn’t move. I was just about to ask what he was doing here, when he suddenly interrupted my thoughts. “Fuck the rules.” He slammed my body against the wall and kissed me passionately letting me know I was his in that very moment. I surrendered and wrapped my arms around him. His stubble brushed against my face as his lips covered mine. He grabbed my hips and lifted me up off the ground wrapping my legs around his waist. I felt him take one hand off me and slam the door shut. He started walking, realizing he had no idea where my bedroom was. “To the right,” I said between breaths as he stumbled through the hall.”

Wowza!! Yes Please!!!

They start dating and fall madly in love very quickly.

“Love anchors the soul…” I mumbled. “As long as you are mine, we will never sink,” he continued.

They were thrown into a media nightmare, when photos were leaked of them in very compromising positions. This chaotic event is very hard on Molly as her fellow interns make her life even harder. Through this ordeal Molly relies on her friend Travis, a single dad and classmate, who has feelings for Molly.

“I don’t just have feelings for you Molly. I’m in love with you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day we bumped into each other at the café. You are always on my mind. I’m sorry I crossed a line. If all we can be is friends, then I’ll take it. I’ll take you anyway I can get you.-Travis”

A roller coaster of events unleashes an avalanche effect on the lives of Molly and Drake. This leaves them having to sort through feelings of loss, regret, despair, confusion, understanding and trust. (hide spoiler)]

The book was a bit choppy in parts, and left me with many questions. Questions specifically geared towards Drake and his whereabouts during a 3 week period. Also, what was his reasoning for lack of communication with Molly towards the end of the book? But overall, I really enjoyed the book. It had some very nice steamy scenes that were a nice addition to the story. it and want to know what’s to come for Molly and Drake.

*I received an copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review*

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