Simmer Down
Author: Sarah Smith
Reviewer: Jennifer
Rating: B+
What I’m Talking About:
Simmer Down is Sarah Smith’s second stand-alone novel about two food truck “enemies” to lovers romance. Nikki and Callum both are helping family members with their dream of running food trucks. Nikki works with her mother to help make her late father’s dream come true. Cullum is having his younger brother Finn get his business off the ground.
When Nikki and Callum first meet he confuses her with a health inspector and is all nice and charming, but when she tells him she not and tries to give some friendly advice about the unwritten rules of food truck etiquette he turns into a wanker of the first class.
There’s an instant attraction between the two, even though Nikki is clueless to Callum’s attraction due to his surly behavior, but in true rom-com fashion, they are thrown together on a flight to London with seats next to each other. While they are visiting different family members across the pond they agree to a truce and sparks fly.
Simmer Down is funny, sexy, and surprisingly deep with emotions as Nikki is still grieving the passing of her father, and how it has affected her ability to hold on to relationships due to her fear of losing more people she cares about. I found myself feeling these characters’ emotions just as deeply as they did. I laughed when they did and felt like crying when Nikki was in tears over to the possibility of losing Callum.
After enjoying Smith’s debut novel, Faker, and now Simmer Down I can safely say I’m really looking forward to her next novel, On Location (2021).
My Rating: B+ Liked It A Lot
Jennifer
About the Book:
In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.
Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.
But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.
The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (320 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)
Books by Author:
Faker by Sarah Smith