He would’ve never guessed he was one perfect burrito away from falling in love…
Chef Baldwin Powell has everything he could ever want.
Until he doesn’t.
Fancy parties, celebrities, magazine write-ups, his own little empire of stainless steel and fire – he thought all of it was forever. It only takes one awful meeting for everything he’s worked for to be yanked out from underneath him. And one … worked for to be yanked out from underneath him. And one fateful meeting with the owner of food truck, of all things, to realize maybe what he thought he wanted isn’t what he needs after all.
They’re opposites in nearly every way – On paper it should be a disaster. But life and love in the wilds of Manhattan rarely work out the way anyone expects
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This was a great story and now I need to go on a diet. Just reading the descriptions of all that food made me absorb calories. I really liked Murph and Baldwin. They seemed like the kind of guys you’d really want to be friends with and just hang out. Baldwin has to shift his perspective of who he sees himself as. He begins to lose faith in himself but his trip home gives him a different attitude but things really start to change once he connects with Murph. Murph is just a bright, happy guy. He has a few struggles going on but really seems to have his head on straight for the most part. I liked that he was willing to put aside the pain from his past to embrace a new future with Baldwin.
I’ve been hungry all through this book!
Michelin star restaurants or street food, complicated or simple,it’s all yummy…particularly Baldwin and Murphy. They meet when Baldwin was at his lowest, having lost his job and his spark in the kitchen, and when Murpghy’s food truck business was just starting to make profit. They connect over food talk and appreciation for good eating, but the chef crushes they felt for each other soon turn into a hunger for more. They’re both sweet, gentle and caring, their love story has the right condiments to create an exquisite recipe, and of course I rooted for their happy ending.
Chef In The Wild is brilliant, easy flowing and I couldn’t put it down.
I highly recommend it.
Comfort Food, Comfort Read. Sometimes a voracious reader needs a change of pace. Sometimes you have a taste for something exotic. Other times you want something simpler. This one spoke to me on the “something simpler” level. Though it starts with one of the main characters losing his boyfriend and his job on the same day, he’s a very successful, very talented chef, he’s done well enough in his life to this point that it’s actually a pretty low angst, story. He’s already made it in Manhattan; and as they say in the song, “if you can make it there you can make it anywhere.”
Sure, he goes into a bit of a funk, but soon he’s met a younger guy who’s a born and bred Brooklynite, who runs a food truck, and who’s ready willing and able to help an ex-top-chef lick his wounds. The course of true love never does run smooth, and there are some hiccups along the way, but the ones in this tale are pretty minor and you just know that their difficulties will be worked out.
While Baldwin and Murph may make sweet moussaka together, what they make in the bedroom is mostly left to the imagination. While the tale involves two chefs, the on-page fare is mostly savory & sweet, it never gets too spicy. Sometimes that’s fine too. Both chefs have interesting friends and families and it’s just nice to spend time with them.
Since this is the first in a three book series, I guess I’ll be doing some of that.
***Note: I was given a free copy of this title in hopes of a fair and unbiased review. ***
MM contemporary romance, easy to read, page-turner with a guaranteed HEA. Executive Chef Baldwin Powell is shocked to find himself without a job and sinks into despondency, it’s only when he meets Murphy Hayes that things start to change. The two men share a love of cooking.
Bet Betty Crocker didn’t have to put up with this stuff! Baldwin was an award winning chef, at the top of his game. But, he was fired for ‘losing his spark’. Since the action was unexpected, he dove into depression and negative reflection quickly and easily. He meets Murph who owns a food truck and has big ideas. They make a good match being what each other needs at that moment in time. Baldwin is a survivor and slowly climbing back. Murph requires a little more maintenance and patience. He is emotionally immature, not just from his age. Does Baldwin have the patience to deal with him? Can Murph find the root of his anger issues? Does Baldwin climb back to the top? Nice story. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book made me hungry!! I’ve always enjoyed MJ O’Shea’s stories but this one not as much as others. I really loved all the food, the food trucks, and Baldwin. Murphy felt a little off to me. This was a light fun read and I really liked it. I’m voluntarily leaving a review form an advanced copy that I received.
I would add the word Yummy to the list if I could….
I enjoyed a lot this story. First of all the author made a very agile narration that didn’t give me pause and Murph and Baldwin together was the only logical outcome. Of course, the heartwarming moments, hot scenes and sweet romance were the cherry on top. I just have one suggestion…you need to add a recipe’s section at the end as a bonus, because all the food mentioned sounded so delicious than I finished it looking up wraps like the ones created by Murph. A wonderful reading!
I enjoyed the combination of an award winning chef and a food truck operator for their different take on cooking for others. What I most enjoyed, however, was the character challenges and development. The author did a superb job of showing Baldwin’s shock, depression and slow climb back to being able to move on. The depiction of Murph was also one of change. He spent a good portion of the book needing to grow up and learn to talk rather than storm off when he was frustrated. Baldwin’s patience helped him learn that and redeemed him for me in the end.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There were lots of aspects to this book that I really enjoyed. the first chapter really set the scene with Baldwin Powell, chef extraordinaire, suddenly being ousted from his head chef position at a prestigious restaurant and being left floundering, aimless. Switch perspective and we meet Murphy who has this amazing group of friends around him, encouraging his dreams of his food truck business. When the two meet, it is definitely a slow build but with immediate attraction. I loved the whole ‘getting to know you’ phase they went through and I thought the book had lots of interesting secondary characters. It was definitely more of a romance than lots of steamy scenes but that was perfectly fine with me.
My few little niggles that stopped it rating higher were as follows: I think that even more depth could have been given to the secondary characters. Murphy’s family moving was given such huge importance and yet I didn’t really feel we got to know them, so why should we be as invested in the problem? My other niggle stems from this too – Murphy’s reaction to any ‘bad news’ or thing that made him unhappy was to ignore Baldwin and basically run away. I thought Baldwin was too forgiving and Murphy just ended up looking childish.
Overall, I do think this is a good book. It’s well written, easy to read and sets the scene nicely for a new MM romance series. Definitely worth giving this book a go!
I love when books have alot of food in theme. And this one hade it all. 2 great chefs, a food truck, love for food and ofcourse a building relationship.
Great book! And I hope book 2 is as good as this one!
I loved this book…and if you love to cook…or eat…you will too! I never thought of food as so sensually stimulating. But putting two chefs together in the same kitchen, or food truck, proves that things can get hot and spicy in a very short time!
Plus you’ll find yourself googling recipes and ingredients. Just be sure you leave lots of time to talk and read too! After all, communication is the best way to form bonds and prevent misunderstandings.
The friends and families you’ll meet add a lot to the story, as do the locations. If nothing else, you’ll gain a new appreciation, or a few reminders, to thank our food service workers as well as those who feed and serve us.
I felt so bad for Baldwin in the beginning with how he lost his job and boyfriend all in one swoop. It is a little slow getting started considering the main characters don’t even meet until a little over a quarter way into the book but it helps get you into the mood of the story. I love to cook and bake so I enjoyed the food aspect of Chef in the Wild and I will definitely say no story has ever made me more hungry or in the mood for different types of wraps! Murphy at times can be a bit of a brat but Baldwin could have been better at communicating. I wish Murphy actually resolved things with his family in some way but all in all I really enjoyed this story and it made me want to visit Vermont!