Throughout the restaurant industry, Chef Bastian Aquino is a notorious control freak. For two very long years, Kian Reynolds has worked for Bastian as his special assistant, doing whatever he and his restaurant needs. The toughest part isn’t even all the impossible tasks he expects Kian to complete flawlessly—it’s the hopeless, endless love he feels for his older boss.Falling for someone so far … someone so far above him might be agonizing, but at least his feelings aren’t unrequited. Bastian fell in love right alongside him, but at the very beginning, they made the choice to abstain for logical, smart, professional reasons.
But love isn’t logical, it isn’t smart, and it definitely isn’t professional. It defies containment, even by Bastian. While he watches Bastian struggle with their attraction, Kian finally comes to the conclusion that he’s done.
He’s done standing off the side, done not getting any of the credit, done letting Bastian define the boundaries of their relationship. Most of all, he’s done waiting.
Indulge Me is an 85,000 word contemporary romance, feauturing a boss/employee relationship, an age gap and very delicious risotto. It is the fourth and final book in the Kitchen Gods series, and to receive a fuller, more enjoyable reading experience, I would recommend reading at least one other book in the series first.
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4.5 stars
Heat Level: 4 (explosive level hot!)
Oh my God, the angst!!!!
A great tale of falling in love with your mentor but fighting the connection at every stage to avoid jeopardizing your working relationship and your dream to become a chef.
This story challenges what it means to fall in love and how deep that love can go. Head Chef and restaurant owner, Bastian “the Bastard” Aquino is enamored by Kian Reynolds upon first meeting him and must have him in his kitchen. Little does he know that this would spark a change in him he didn’t see coming and a challenge he may not be strong enough to face.
While they work together, they inevitably fall for each other as they make each other better and help each other grow through work, the kitchen and their lives. They both fight their connection until they finally realize (2.5 years later) that their feelings and love for each won’t fade or diminish with time and their connection final explodes with all the passion they’ve been fighting! Their coming together is build up so well by Beth that you can’t help but go over the precipice with them!!!
I really enjoyed this story even though too much angst frustrates me. I actually enjoyed this buildup as it seemed more logical than other angst-filled stories. I loved the additional characters and now need to go back and read the rest of the series. I love a good kitchen drama and this was the best I’ve read! Well done Beth, I’m now a fan!!
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Indulge Me is the fourth book in the Kitchen Gods series and my favorite out of the bunch. This book can be read as a standalone, but I think it’s much more enjoyable reading the previous three books first, especially Savor Me since some of the events in Indulge Me overlap with Savor Me.
Since the start of this series Chef Bastian Aquino has been the volatile and exacting chef-owner of the prestigious French-inspired restaurant Terroir. For most chefs, working at Terrior is both a dream come true and nightmare wrapped together. Bastian will accept nothing less than perfection from his employees and with a temper that is quick to flare, many people find themselves getting scorched. For Miles, Wyatt, and Xander, the previous main characters of the first three books and Kian’s friends, working at Terrior was just a phase in their lives, a place to hone their skills before they were ready to move on. But for Kian, Terrior is his life, and there’s no moving on from Bastian Aquino, not when the mercurial chef owns his heart.
Beth Bolden does an amazing job of developing the relationship between Kian and Bastian in the background of the previous three books. These men are champions at pining, so it is incredibly satisfying for them to FINALLY have their own book. Bastian and Kian are some of my favorite characters, I love their snark and energy – the way they push each other yet fit so seamlessly makes them the perfect for each other. There was drama, humor, tenderness, and romance throughout this book. One of my favorite moments was the scene where Kian finally breaks the unresolved sexual tension that’s been simmering between himself and Bastian—it was hilarious and hot.
Wyatt Baker is the narrated for the audiobook and does a fantastic job. He has such a smooth and easy voice to listen to, and he knows how to convey emotions and actions with his tones. I can feel the energy in his performance which made this audiobook a really enjoyable listen. I had no trouble following along and keeping the characters straight. The audiobook production was well done and there were no glitches or outside noise that would jar a listener out of the story.
Overall, this was a great book that I enjoyed immensely. I highly recommend it.
Indulge Me is book 4 in the Kitchen Gods series and probably the only one I wouldn’t suggest even trying without reading the others, which are awesome as well, so you don’t want to miss out. We’ve been getting these glimpses of Kian and Bastian from Bite Me (Book 1) and while some of those will be expanded on in Indulge Me, it’s not quite the same if you pass on those, plus this is the end of the series, you really need to read the previous ones. I promise you won’t regret it.
I will be perfectly honest here, I came into the story not sure Bastian could be redeemed, not because he did something bad per se, but because he really was a bastard to the guys whenever we saw him in the previous books and while it was obvious Kian was in love with him, I wasn’t too sure the feelings were reciprocated or that Kian wouldn’t allow Bastian to walk all over him. Well, I’m happy to report that Bastian was different than I expected and that Kian definitely didn’t let his love for Bastian or his youth be a problem. Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing and I might have been a tad angry at both of them (and annoyed and anxious and everything in between) at how certain things were handled, and I actually had to go read the last couple of chapters to make sure things would work out, and in the end, I was satisfied in the knowledge that while not my favorite part of the book, it had to happen to put them in a good place to move forward. (How’s that for vague? LOL) Nevermind that the chemistry between Kian and Bastian lived to my expectations and I was absolutely enthralled with how well they fit together despite the age gap and their respective positions in the Terroir kitchen. They were unbelievable together and definitely my favorite of all the couples.
I loved catching up with the rest of the guys, and seeing Xander being less prickly now that he’s with Damon and more into helping Kian, despite his own reservations regarding Bastian. And I really liked Bastian’s mother, she was a lovely addition to the story. I hated Mark with the fire of a thousand suns and wasn’t all that happy with Derek, I wish he would’ve gotten a bit of what Mark did.
Overall, while I adored Savor Me, Indulge Me is the book I’ve waited for since I picked up Bite Me and all the books in between, and Beth Bolden managed to exceed whatever I had imagined and gave me a story that I won’t forget anytime soon. Very recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Heat and tension in the kitchen; does it have to remain thus confined?
April 12, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
4.5stars
Great ending to this series about the lives and loves of some hot California chefs. Finally, the full story of Kian and Bastian’s tense relationship, from the day they first met. This pair have been individually important in the lives of all of the chefs in this series and they SO deserved their own book. I really adored Kian with his devotion to perfection in the restaurant kitchen and his unwavering affection for larger than life chef/owner boss Bastian. Bastian is still, for me, a work in progress in the likeability stakes, but thank goodness for his openness to a softening of his personal boundaries and mom Celeste’s wise words and support.
This work was well-written and, though there are definite steamy intervals, it’s more than that; it’s a story of respect and admiration in their professional lives evolving into stronger, romantic emotions irrespective of their plans. It also includes an epilogue that reunites the main characters from all four books in the series for a happy event.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
After experiencing ‘The Bastard’ and all of his impossibly high standards from the earlier installments in the series, you’d think it would make him hard to like as a main character. But Bastian’s story is much more complicated than that. As you push aside the curtain, you quickly see the flawed man inside and he becomes a character you want to succeed and find peace, above all else.
The biggest surprise I had though was Kian. Having read the other books and seeing Kian as a naive, puppy-dog like character, you realize how much more depth there was to him. He became one of my favorite characters Beth has written. Kian was driven, proud, talented, and strong in ways I didn’t expect. I loved the trust they formed during the looong two years they worked together. There had been so much going on behind the scenes that attributed to their growing friendship and relationship and I appreciated the professionalism they both strived to uphold. And it made them falling for each other that much more poignant when it finally happened.
I think was an excellent book to round out a wonderful series. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of Beth Bolden’s catalog and one-clinking any new books that she publishes.
I really loved the final story in the Kitchen Gods series. Indulge Me was a perfect ending. Getting to know Kian better and see his relationship with Bastion. I loved the story really being around the kitchen and how it affects two cooks. I thought their story was sexy, slow-burn and sweet. I absolutely want to eat at Terroir. I totally recommend this book.
This has been a great series. I’ve loved all the couples and enjoyed watching them take different paths to their happy endings. Throughout it all, we’ve seen temperamental chef Bastian the Bastard, and sweet naïve Kian, the boy who loved him. I’ve been anxiously awaiting Bastian and Kian’s story, and now that it’s here, I’m so happy!
This is a relationship that is complex from day one. Bastian and Kian feel an attraction when they first meet at the culinary school Kian attends. That attraction never ends, even as Bastian’s volatility causes Kian’s friends and coworkers to despise the man. Kian and Bastian, while fighting their attraction, still grow closer than anyone knows, and their feelings turn into so much more than lust. If they allow their personal wants to take over, will it ruin the professional relationship that is so important to both of them?
This book is wonderful. The author makes the reader love Bastian, who has been very much unlovable in prior books, especially in Xander’s story, Savor Me. And Kian is not the hopeless fool he seems to his friends. Watching the affection bloom between these two isn’t easy, but it is satisfying. I want to hug them both. The love story of Bastian and Kian is fabulous, and it’s the perfect ending to this wonderful series. These books are engaging, humorous, heartbreaking, romantic, and just about perfect. I love and recommend them all.
What can I possibly say about this book….I fell in love with Bastian in the past books. I knew he was not going to be as bad as everyone made him out to be. In the previous books I found Kian to be slightly immature but I have to say that Beth Bolden turned my opinion about him completely around. I loved the journey that these two men took. I love the way the Bastian showed his true colors. You can always tell the salt of a man based on how he treats his mother and this book made me love him just that much more. I am so very sorry to see this series end but I was so very happy with the final story that Beth provided us.
I have to admit that I haven’t read the previous books in this series. I was able to understand what was going on with the other MCS and the flow of the book was easy to read. Kian and Bastin story is so believable and it reflects on some of the relationships that are going on now. Bastian is a gentleman who has years of experience, always in control, don’t know how to express his feelings, and also scared of getting hurt. Kian is an inexperienced young man who idolized, been in love with and has a general respect for Bastian. He also wants to prove to Bastian that he handle the restaurants after all his other chefs have quit.
The story has angst, romance, sexy times, and I love the fact that Kian took matters in his own hands. The attraction that these two have for each is so intense and explosive. Bastian being the man that he is had to lose Kian to make him realize how much loves and need Kian in his life. Kian trying to prove a point Bastian so much that he loses sight of what is important to him. Overall it’s a great read and wonderful end to a series.
Everyone loves those cooking shows where the head chef goes completely nuts when things don’t go his way, right? Well, Bastian is that head chef. I guess I never thought about them having that one person that soothes their savageness. That person is Kian. I loved these guys from the beginning of this series. Kian took so much crap from everyone around him but he held strong to his love for Bastian. I cheered for these guys at every turn of a page!!
This is the perfect ending to a wonderful series. Finally, we get Kian and Bastian’s story, and it was everything I hoped for and more. When they meet for the first time, it’s insta-lust, and yet their story is a lovely slow-burn romance. It takes them two years before they finally act on their feelings.
I recommend reading the books of the series in order because then you can really appreciate how cleverly this author built up Kian and Bastian’s love affair. The first few chapters hint at how all it started, and there are quite a few skips in time to span the two years. Without having read the first books, this might be confusing and too fast-paced, but for me, it worked really well.
In this book, we really get to know Kian and Bastian. They are the same and, at the same time, so different from what I’ve thought them to be. Kian is not the naïve, starstruck, idolizing young man from the first books. Yes, he is young and very much in love with Bastian, but he grows in confidence. He knows what he wants, and he sees who Bastian really is. He sees that behind the arrogant mask and rudeness, Bastian hides a vulnerability that only a few people know about. But he loves him nonetheless. As his mother used to say “you don’t have to love everything. You don’t even have to like everything, but you need to accept who they are because you can’t change them.” And that’s exactly what Kian does, and that’s exactly what Bastian needs. Because although Bastian indeed doesn’t change—he still has a temper, is arrogant and rude—with Kian in his life, he knows there’s more than his kitchen and restaurant. He’s trusting in love again.
Their love is strong. It shows in everything they do. Especially when they don’t want to give in to their feelings. They dread what that could do to their professional relationship. They don’t want to hold the other back in their hopes and dreams. That their decisions are not always the wisest become evident throughout the story. Not surprising though as both Kian and Bastian are cut from the same cloth, both stubborn and hard-headed. But that makes them so perfect for each other because they recognize and acknowledge the true nature of the other.
I love reading series because you get glimpses of the lives of the other MCs after their story ended. This book has all that, and the epilogue is one of the best and most unique I’ve ever read.
Indulge Me by Beth Bolden is the fourth book in The Kitchen Gods series. It is an Amazing May/December romance between a Chef and his intern. I am in love with Bastian and Kian after reading this book. It was fun, sweet, sexy and just wonderful. Definitely a satisfying addition to the series.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
What happens when two ambitious people meet? What if you add love almost at first sight into the mix? And let simmer for years? Yup, explosion.
The book is full of amazing character building, strong and very real emotions, strong men and even stronger feelings. It was almost impossible to put it down when I started reading and there is no better recommendation in my view 🙂
I received the book as an ARC, but the review is all mine and 100% honest.