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In The Raw (2014)

by Nikka Michaels(Favorite Author)

3.79 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Carina Press

series

In the Kitchen

review 1: I probably need to start this review with a disclaimer. I love these girls: Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels. If they write it, I’m reading it. Period. They each are amazing writers in their own rights, but put them together, and the result is dynamite. I can’t describe it, but the chemistry between their characters just sizzles when they write together. In The Raw is no exception. I enjoyed the culinary background of this story. That whole world kind of fascinates me anyway and I drew my visuals from “Master Chef” quite often while reading. Jamie, the Golden Boy and Ethan, the bad boy, are both students and couldn’t be more different. The only thing they have in common is their love of cooking. They are oil and water in almost every way. I admit to... more getting a little impatient in the first part of the book while Jamie and Ethan fought… well… everything, actually. They fought working together at school, they fought verbally, they fought their attraction to each other, they fought Jamie’s parents… Don’t get me wrong – it was well written and entertaining as heck watching the banter – another thing these girls excel at writing – but I’m just an impatient sort. I like the MCs to come together a little quicker, BUT, I should’ve known to have faith in Eileen and Nikka. All that tension made for some pretty hot scenes when Jamie and Ethan finally did get together. Trust me. Eileen and Nikka rule when it comes to emo and love scenes. I can’t think of anyone who does it better.Normally, I find the secondary females characters in a M/M story annoying. Not Claire. Oh, my gosh, I adored Claire! And I loved how easy her relationship with Ethan is and that she was the biggest cheerleader when it came to Jamie and Ethan getting together. And, then, oh, how she struggled to keep them together:“Please for the love of all that is holy tell me you got down on your knees and begged forgiveness until the end of time,” she mumbled when she answered the phone.” “Well, I got down on my knees…” I trailed off, just to mess with her. Seconds later, fake barfing noises had me laughing.”I said it before, Griffin and Michaels are masters at building emotion. When reading their words, you genuinely believe these two characters cannot live without each other. Like, literally. They. Will. Cease. To. Breathe.“…right now, as we ran across the dimly lit garage to the main terminal, my mind fought to come up with any excuse to stay. To stay in the only place and with the only person who had ever felt like home.”Yeah, that scene put a huge, freaking lump in my throat. But, while Griffin and Michaels love to watch us squirm, they always show a little mercy and sprinkle some sweet chuckles in there to soften the blows.“I know you don’t have a Yoda phone set up yet, but try to find some way to let me know you got there safely, okay?” I chuckled softly. “It’s Vodafone.” He wrapped his arms tighter around me and sighed. “Whatever…”I wouldn’t say In The Raw ends on a cliffhanger, but I will say I’m glad to know the sequel, In The Fire comes out soon. You could read this as a standalone, however, you won’t want to. I guarantee you will want more, MUCH more of Jamie and Ethan.
review 2: Oh man… Hmmm…This book was ok…I’m not going to lie…I wasn’t really feeling Ethan… He was making it very hard to see past all his meanness!!I have a hard time with guys like him in books… That are mean to the MC for a good chunk of the book & then get together.I can stand for a little meanness… But, overly mean… No.Ok… So this book was ok for me. I like certain things about it and I didn’t care for others.Ethan is a very moody guy. He doesn’t mess around. Having to take care of he sister Clair at a very young age. He had to grow up to fast. They don’t have a lot… But they did have each other.Both of them are attending culinary school. They both have dreams of making it big in the cooking world.Jamie is the son of a very well know couple in the restaurant business. He’s very proper. Mostly does what his parents tell him to do. But he does keep a secret from them… And that secret is… He’s gay.Jamie has had the hots for Ethan since freshman year in culinary school.Ethan is bi… But prefers men… He too has had the hots for Jamie.But… Ethan gives Jamie a hard time… I mean really hard time…He thinks.. Just because Jamie had money… That he’s a certain way…But that can be furthest from the truth. Jamie hates that people know he’s the son of the owner of Lassiter corporations. Jamie wants no part in his fathers business.I started to really like this book once Jamie and Ethan got together. I loved how they were together….They got each other. I loved all their back & forth comments!I thought Clair was a little pushy I wasn’t really feeling her… But overall…okThe ending was so hopeful… I was hoping that after the 6 months they would find their HEA…I was shocked.. To find a book 2…& when I read the Synopsis to it! I couldn’t wrap my Head around it! WTH happened to them!I was so glad that I got approved on netgalley… For In The Fire… Because… I couldn’t wait to find out what went wrong with them…The author diffantly hooked me to reading the second book!!* ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley *-Michelle less

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