A classic fairy tale gets a sexy, edgy twist.Jackson “The Beast” Boudreaux is rich, gorgeous, and unbelievably rude to the staff at Chef Bianca Hardwick’s New Orleans restaurant. Bianca would sooner douse herself in hot sauce than cook for Jackson again, but when he asks her to cater his fund-raiser, Bianca can’t refuse, knowing the cash will help pay her mother’s medical bills. Then Jackson … Then Jackson makes another outrageous request: Marry me. The unconventional offer includes an enormous sum—money Bianca desperately needs, even if it does come with a contract—and a stunning ring.
The heir to a family bourbon dynasty, Jackson knows the rumors swirling around him. The truth is even darker. Still, he needs a wife to secure his inheritance, and free-spirited, sassy Bianca would play the part beautifully. Soon, though, their simple business deal evolves into an emotional intimacy he’s built walls to avoid.
As the passion heats up between them, Bianca and Jackson struggle to define which feelings are real and which are for show. Is falling for your fake fiancé the best happy ending…or a recipe for disaster?
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Burn for You is just about the perfect love story. It’s sexy in a slow burn kind of way. It’s sweet. It’s emotionally layered. And the wit and banter between Bianca and Jax is hilarious!!
Bianca Hardwick is a sassy, sweet, hardworking chef in New Orleans who owns and runs her own restaurant. Jackson “The Beast” Boudreaux is a bearded, growly grump of a billionaire.
“The man gave the term resting bitch face a whole new meaning. He looked like his face had caught on fire and someone had tried to put it out with a fork.”
When he comes into her restaurant and starts barking orders and being generally unpleasant and rude, she’s having none of that and dishes out her own brand of boss. Make no mistake of that, Bianca is most definitely the boss in their soon to be fake marriage. Yep, marriage. Originally Jackson came into her restaurant to see why she had a whole menu based on his family’s bourbon, but when he saw her, he was immediately taken by the feisty beauty with the mouth that let him know exactly what she thought of his high handed commands.
“Miss Hardwick,” he said, the edge in his voice rougher, his eyes burning blue fire, “You. Are being. Unreasonable.” Boy, did he like to punctuate his words with a hammer! A laugh escaped me. “And you, Mr. Boudreaux, are the reason the gene pool needs a lifeguard. Have yourself a nice evening.”
When Jackson’s father reminds him that his very large trust is dependent upon marrying or working for the family company by his 35th birthday, he can’t think of another woman he’d want to spend the next 5 years of his life with. But, will Bianca go for it? Jackson doesn’t think so, but she just might go for the cool $1 million in cash he’ll give her in exchange for a 5 year marriage that doesn’t require sex. Not that he thinks she’s a gold digger or a prostitute, no, he knows she needs money for her mother’s cancer treatments. Yes, it’s a tried and true trope, one that could easily be over told here, but JT Geissinger doesn’t go that route. No, she gives both Jackson and Bianca, especially Jackson, truly unique, emotionally devastating backstories and lets the two of them play out their story in their own delicious way.
I admit that Jackson didn’t come across as very likable in the beginning, but his beast was gentled soon after once he started falling for Bianca. If only Bianca had been able to read his mind earlier in their relationship, and had been able to see that he absolutely adored her, had seen that his grumpiness and scowls weren’t really directed at her. But once he drunkenly let out his pain to her…oh God, my heart broke for him, and so did Bianca’s.
I love that for once we get a hero who’s not a player or a womanizer. He may be rich, but he’s no bad boy. He may be a Beast, but he’s truly a softie inside.
“Mama was right about him. The man was crème brûlée. Tough on the outside, but on the inside all soft and gooey sweet.”
Jackson has just let his pain make him mostly a recluse and allowed it to close him off from the world. Thank God for feisty, bright as the sun Bianca, who came along at just the right time to bring him out of the darkness.
“Sweet, sassy, fascinating Bianca, who spoke her mind and worried about her sick mother and knew how to make a man feel like a king with her kiss.”
When Jax and Bianca finally come together, yes, it’s further on in their story than is the usual for romances, but this IS a slow burn story, and it’s good, sooo good, so hot and I fell in love with the two of them together. I knew they could have it all if only they’d let each other know how they were really feeling toward each other, their fake marriage and contract be damned. But, of course, things happen, they hurt and they pine, for more than one reason. Thank God for Rayford, that sweet, meddling man, though, because he brought these two idiots back together. I love that guy, I’d read his story in a heartbeat!
About the only thing that brings Burn for You down a star is that it lacks an epilogue. I need to know how Bianca and Jax are doing in their future. I need to know that he’s finally let go of all the pain he’s been suffering through for so long. I need to know if Bianca’s finally rid of her disgusting ex, and if her restaurant is thriving. But, most of all, I need to know if Bianca and Jax are still in love and going strong. Some gorgeous babies to grow up with Cody, would be nice, too!
OMG THIS BOOK. I read it in audio and the narrators are fantastic. Diana simply NAILS Bianca’s sass. I loved it so much and have been plowing through the rest of the series.
I just finished Burn for You by J.T. Geissinger and all I can think is Wow! Every once in awhile I am lucky enough to read something special and Burn for You is very special. I enjoyed this contemporary romance twist on Beauty and The Beast so much that I think that I am going to read it again! Bianca Hardwick is a chef and owner of her New Orleans restaurant. She has a mother, friends and staff that she adores. She has just created a menu revolving around a popular brand of bourbon, Boudreaux bourbon. Jackson Boudreaux walks into her restaurant and demands a table and service. He is none too pleased to hear that someone is serving his families liquor on their menu and he’s even less pleased that he likes the food! Jackson is everything opposite from Bianca, he’s rough, she’s smooth, he’s classless and she’s classy, he’s angry and she’s usually happy but not with him. There’s a plot line called “Slap, Slap, Kiss” that is referred to in this book and it describes this story perfectly. These two argue, complain and eventually kiss and what a kiss it will be! There are multiple layers to Burn for You besides a love story, there’s a story of a daughter’s love for her mother and a son’s heartbreak at the circumstances that his life has handed him to shape him into the adult he is. I am not going to give away any spoilers because that will ruin the story for the readers. If you are fan of contemporary romance with a little bit of spice mixed in, I highly recommend this book. I have read J.T. Geissinger’s books before and I think that this is my new favorite. I was given a copy of Burn for You via Netgalley and this is my freely given honest review.
J.T. You amaze me. This is not my first book that I have read from you. While most authors tend to stick to the same issues and same problems, you on the other hand take us through different characters, with different situations, and they don’t even resemble other books you have written. This just goes to show you are not afraid of stepping out of the box. And for that I adore you.
Burn For you reminds me of The Beauty And The Beast. There is a lot of emotions that you will feel for both the hero and heroine. You feel the pain, from both Jackson and Bianca, and you feel every emotion as if it is pouring out of your soul. This book is exactly like the title, a slow burn. It is not rushed, it is just not thrown together, it is carefully put together. The only thing I wanted more of was a epilogue. That would have made it a 5 star for me.
Jackson is known as the beast through Louisiana. He is the heir to the world’s number one best selling bourbon empire. All the while he is considered one of the most biggest a**holes in the world. He is rude, he is arrogant, and has no absolutely no filter, he says how he feels, without regard to others feelings. He has known love, and he has also known loss. He knows that people just use him for his money, so he only has a certain number of people he trusts, and that does not include woman.
Bianca is a woman who is not only a chef, but a restaurant owner as well. Her restaurant was a dream come true, only opening six months ago scraping and scrounging to get it open. She grew up around her mother cooking in her own restaurant and learned how to cook with the help of her mother, and learned how to cook well. Being an only child, her and her mother are very close. Being so wrapped up in the restaurant world, she has no time for men, especially when she was burned two years ago.
On a night when her restaurant is packed, Jackson shows his arrogant face, and demands a table with out having made reservations, much to her astonishment, Bianca gives in to Jackson’s demands because she uses his bourbon for most of the dishes she makes. Hoping to never see his face again, she is surprised when a couple days later, he shows up because he needs a caterer for a benefit dinner and auction in two weeks, needing the money desperately for her mother’s medical bills she agrees. When Jackson is given an ultimatum to either return to Kentucky or marry a woman in less than a month, he has no choice but to ask Bianca. Soon, Bianca is tearing down the walls that has guarded his wounded heart. As things heat up, they both are left to figure out if falling for each other is the right thing to do, especially when things change.
I recommend this book, to people who believe every one deserves a second chances.
I had a good feeling about this one after reading the Amazon excerpt, and I’m beyond pleased I wasn’t wrong. I loved the plot, even if bits of it were a bit too trope-y (I’m making up words now). The characters were terrific, and the dialogue was witty, yet real. JTG definitely knows her way around a turn of phrase. Completely enjoyable, and definitely an author I’m pursuing.
Well now…I’ve just had my first ever girl crush on a fictional character, lol!! Bianca is a spitfire just buzzing with life! She’s practical and super down to earth, and I loved her willingness to embrace life and not back down from a challenge. I know the character description said she looked like Halle Berry, but I was totally channeling Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and The Frog in my mind. Ianca just had this..presence about her that drew me like a moth to a flame. I never knew what she’d spit out next, but it was guanteeed to either crack me up or shock me. Sometimes both.
Now Jackson was sexy, but he was a sad, broken hero. But boy, was he grouchier than snot! And oh my lands did he make my insides melt! I can’t really make up my mind what to say about him. He comes across like a tough, loner kind of guy, but he’s really the big teddy bear you just want to squish and love on! Here’s this guy that could buy pretty much whatever, except love and happiness. He wore his heart on his sleeve, without even realizing it, so imagine his reaction to an unexpected surprise, packaged in the form of a feisty, whip smart chic. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride, because it was a doozy of sparks, sass, and oodles of attraction!
Jax and Bianca’s “slap, slap, kiss” (best description ever btw, thank you Shakespeare) relationship was extremely well balanced! Their snarky barbs and sarcastic needling thinly disguised supernova chemistry and panty melting fireworks! The trope obviously worked since I was flipping pages like a madwoman too.
As much as I loved the fiery inferno Jax and Bianca were creating, I also loved the extras. Bianca’s mama Davinia had me laughing as much as I was tearing up, but Lordy, she raised her baby girl right! And Bianca’s employees were a hoot, especially Eeny and Hoyt’s ornery selves, and Pepper..well, she’s just something else. Jax’s adopted son Cody made my heart melt with his happy innocence, and Rayford…that devilish man was a sneaky Cupid!
My only complaint…no epilogue! I need one like I need water! I’m sitting on pins and needles, at midnight no less, thinking “this is it???? NOOOOOOOO!” Closure! I need closure!!
“Slap, slap, kiss.”
I loved this book so much I want to hire a skywriter to tell the world how amazing it is. I’ve been a fan of this author so I would probably click on anything she wrote, just knowing it would be good. But this surpassed good immediately, moved on to amazing, and finished at movie-worthy. I sighed and swooned. I giggle-snorted and laughed out loud many times. I sniffled and worried. I raged and vented. I blushed and basked. I felt everything.
Bianca is perfection. I want to just hang out in her kitchen with her crazy crew and just absorb their love and affection for each other that they dish out with sass along with their cuisine. I want to take notes about everything her ‘mama says’. I want to record her voice with her blend of Cajun & Alabama twang saying all the funny things that kept me in stitches throughout this entire story. And that doesn’t even touch the internal dialogue that she only shared with me. I have a serious girl crush on her. Truth.
Jackson might be called ‘the beast’ because of his arrogant attitude and his quick temper, but his worst display directed at Bianca didn’t have its usual effect. She turned the tables on him and left him staring at her heart shaped ass as she walked away after setting him straight. I was hiding in the kitchen with her crew cheering her on, giving her a mental fist bump. If it hadn’t been for her mama’s medical bills she would never have given him another thought, at least that’s what she tells herself. Not that either of us believed her since she was thinking to herself, “Hell’s bells, the man should work as a phone-sex operator! That voice!”
The witty dialogue between many of the colorful characters in this story was non-stop entertainment of the best kind. I am beyond thrilled that this is part of the Slow Burn series and I will have more to look forward to. I’m addicted and have tagged this masterpiece as a favorite that I wish I could give more than five stars. I don’t know what direction this series is going, or who will be featured in the next installment, but I’m so excited to find out. The line forms here…
This is a book I didn’t know I needed, however kindle deals did. I’ve read several books by this author so I guess they knew I’d 1-click a great deal. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a nod to the best love story, Beauty and the beast. Bianca (FMC) is a southern firecracker that owns her own restaurant in Louisiana. I love the sass of Bianca, and she is truly a southern queen that can hold court with the strongest egos and her food sounds so good I got hungry just listening. Jackson (MMC) has the ego of most silver spoon billionaires, but he has a broken past and is very much the “lion with a thorn in his paw” attitude. He takes one look at Bianca and gives her his alpha ego power trip and she gives him all sass back. The book is best described by the cab driver in the book…it’s a “Slap, Slap, Kiss” kind of love story. I really recommend this book and the narration really brought it to life. Slow burn spice with great tension. 4/Story 4.5/Performance & 4.5/overall audio version.
This is everything I ever want a book to be. It has a sassy southern heroine and a strong on the surface, soft underneath hero who appreciates the girl he falls for.
I knew from page one I would like this book. It begins with a strong, independent southern girl who loves what she does and doesn’t “need” a man. Bianca is a very talented chef who owns her own restaurant and has a family in her employees. In barges Jackson Boudreaux, a strong, intimidating, entitled rich boy who most would trip over their own feet to accommodate. Not Bianca! He immediately rubs her the wrong way and she lets him know it in no uncertain terms.
“The look was a Southern female specialty, handed down over generations. Every family of women had their own particular version. Some said The Look could even go through walls and be heard over the phone. It was an art form among genteel womenfolk, and its effect was always the same.”
After being put in a particularly difficult situation, Bianca agrees to cater an event for the prickly Mr. Boudreaux. She expects the money she gets. She expects the dinner to be a challenge. She expects people to love her food. She doesn’t expect to see a softer, more likable side of Jackson.
When Jackson is put in a particularly difficult situation he turns to Bianca again for an even bigger favor. He needs a wife. Can Bianca tolerate him enough to make a deal with the devil himself? There is one big reason and $1 million why she says yes. Quickly Jackson’s hardened shell cracks enough for her to see inside. She gets a peek at the creme brûlée her mama told her about, and she softens toward him. They become friends, with a burning desire to be just a bit more.
“She went into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind her, leaving me standing alone, wishing there was something I could do to save myself from falling in love with another woman who would never love me back, but knowing it was already too late.”
The feeling was mutual. They agreed to amend their arrangement and gave in to their desire. It was an instant connection. An instant flame that burned bright. They could do this. They could have an unconventional marriage. Their mutual respect and desire could make it be ok. She was fiercely protective over the man who didn’t think he was worthy of love, and he would do anything for the woman he did love.
“She was my religion. My north and south, my heaven and earth, the axis of rightness around which everything had suddenly aligned.”
But we all know the flames that burn the brightest sometimes burn out the fastest.
I loved everything about this book, EVERYTHING! RUN to buy this, you will not be sorry! This is now an automatic one-click author for me.
Burn for You is book 1 in Geissinger’s Slow Burn series and it fabulous. Bianca Hardwick is a brilliant chef in New Orleans; and when Jackson Boudreaux is cantankerous to her staff Bianca loses her top. The two are oil and water; the friction—enemies to lovers gold. I enjoyed the story as it unfolded, there were some elements I didn’t see coming. Really hitting home you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. I especially loved how Jackson seemed so gruff in the beginning, but was really a big softy in the end. Amazing love story. I only wish the ending was longer. I highly recommend.
More than I expected!
I loved this book! I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of emotion I found in Jackson Boudreau. Not that there’s anything wrong with the typical grumpy guy, but the level of pain Jackson endured made him one of the most enthralling characters I’ve read in a long time. Ballsy chef Bianca is the perfect match for him! Great story, great narration!
The book got off to a slow start. I’m not all that interested in food, restaurants, or Bourbon. I like to eat but I don’t want to read about the business. And believe it or not, I don’t really care about egotistical self-important billionaires. Give me a down to earth millionaire and I am good to go. I hate the name Jackson because nearly every author has used it. I gave this book a shot because the last book I read by this author I really liked. I didn’t like Jackson from the beginning. He was just mean to be mean. I liked Bianca. She stood her ground. But even she couldn’t save the book. It was well written for the most part. The problem was that overall I was just bored. I can’t speak for everyone though so if you think you might want to read this book, go for it. It’s certainly not a bad and you might have a completely different opinion on it. I’m going to give it three stars.
Note for the Author: I did want to say that the cover should have matched the book. Bianca is multiracial and the female on the cover is obviously not. I do, in fact, choose some books based on the cover. For what it’s worth, I feel that if the author has taken the effort to present her story with a nice cover design and a well thought out title then maybe they have taken the same care with their story. In this case the cover and title were great but didn’t completely match the inside.
So funny and so tragic but what a great story. I was hooked from the moment i started reading it
Burn for you, a unique take on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, is an emotional, slow burn romance that’s brilliantly written with an engaging storyline, I truly felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster as I read this book. Bianca and Jax’s chemistry was breathtaking! Their journey to forever was thorny but satisfying. Loved the recipes. Bravo.
Burn for you is a very sweet, fun, hot, and emotional love story that worked really well for an overused plot but surprisingly this was very enjoyable and truly original nonetheless. It’s a super cute take on the Beauty and the Beast story. The female character, Bianca, oh my God, she’s amazing, I fell in love with her right off the bat. She’s smart, quirky, determined, and a realist. She was a strong sassy woman who didn’t take crap from the hero.
This is my first J.T. Geissinger book and I can definitely say it won’t be my last. I found this author’s writing style VERY entertaining. It is great fun to be in the minds of both characters, this book was written in dual first-person POVs, my favorite. Despite the sad and bitter moments -the hero has a long-troubled past-, the overall mood of the book is sunny, sweet, and amazingly tender. It is actually pretty hilarious. But also deeply emotional and scorching hot and I just loved their snarky banter, which had me snorting more than once! Such a great mix of ingredients for a story! By the way, there are a handful of recipes sprinkled throughout the chapters, including “Slap Slap Kiss Cocktail”(you gotta read to understand!)
The only thing missing was an epilogue, and that was frustrating, I really needed to know what became of them. It also felt a little rushed in the last few pages of the book, things moved really quickly at the end. I also have to say that featuring a white woman on the cover of a story with a bi-racial female character feels disappointing. I hate when covers don’t really capture something that was clearly specified in the book. That’s why my final rating is 4/4.5 stars and not 5.
This is one of my favorite scenes:
—————–
“All right, Bianca, since you asked—no, you don’t look wifely.”
I stared at him, strangely hurt.
His voice softer, he said, “I’ve never seen anyone’s wife who looks as good as you do. You’re a fucking wet dream.”
——————
Trust me, if you want something fresh and flavorful, pick this one up. When you get to turn the last page, you’ll have a big smile on your lips.
good read
Loved this book! Great characters and well written.
So so so so so so so so so so good. Period. Full stop. So good. Might have punched me in the gut several times. Totally startled a real laugh out of me that my surgical mask did not cover causing everyone in the room to look at me funny. I really want blackberry cobbler now! Bianca and Jax are absolutely Much Ado About Nothing slap-slap-kiss worthy start to finish. Get on Prime Reading and check this out! Happy Reading!
Q
This was my second read by this author and it was even better than the first! I absolutely loved the love story between Bianca and Jax. Jax is a beautifully written, complex character with a heart of gold. Bianca is witty with a sharp tongue that doesn’t take crap from anyone. I loved it from the first page until the last.