One More Taste

This is the second book in the series and has as much fun and emotional turmoil as the first book (One Hot Summer). Emily is the brilliant chef at the Briscoe ranch. She has been there for ten years, working her way up from night shift line cook to head chef for events. She has plans for her own restaurant at the resort, plans that have already been approved by Ty. She’s stunned when a new investor in the resort makes it clear that his plans don’t include hers.

Knox Briscoe is Ty’s nephew, the son of Ty’s brother. A family feud cut Knox’s family out of any involvement in the ranch. Now Knox has the funds to rescue the ranch from ruin – and carry out the revenge he’s been planning for years. He will turn the ranch around and then sell it out from under the family that disowned his. He didn’t count on a chef that challenges everything he believes.

I really liked both Emily and Knox. Emily is strong, passionate, and intuitive. In the first book, she came across as prickly and a loner. In this book, we learn more about her background and what has made her the person she is. The strength of will and determination she had to overcome her past and make something for herself was incredible. Those same trials she experienced made her extremely intuitive when it came to reading people, and I loved the way that it enhanced her ability to match food with people. Past experience has also convinced her that love and relationships are something she doesn’t need or want. Knox is determined and angry, yet he loves his family. He has come to Briscoe ranch with one goal, and he doesn’t plan to let anything change his mind. He also has a soft side that makes its appearance at surprising times.

I loved the development of the relationship between Emily and Knox. It started with a confrontation, as Knox and Emily clashed over his plans for a five-star restaurant and her plans that had already been approved by Ty. Emily had gone all out in preparing a meal for Knox, and his attitude of “food is fuel and that’s all” made her mad and determined to show him otherwise. I loved his challenge to Emily that she become his personal chef for four weeks to convince him. It was especially satisfying because he hadn’t taken into account the sparks that flew between them. Emily cooking for him put her in a position to create all kinds of distractions. I loved Emily’s determination to convince him, and her belief that to do it properly she had to get to know him. I loved the effects that her meals had on him, and the way that Knox began to look forward to those meals. While their attraction continued to simmer and build, they also grew closer and began to share things they’d never shared with anyone else. I loved seeing how his time with Emily filled a need that Knox hadn’t realized he had. Emily also changes, becoming more willing to take risks in her personal life. The attraction between them became explosive and intense and made it more difficult to keep private and professional lives separate. I ached for Emily when she realized that there were issues that made it impossible for her to continue as they were. While her fears made her run, they also motivated her to confront her past. I hurt for Knox also and loved that he cared enough to give her the space she needed. I loved the scene at her apartment building, between Knox and Murphy, and what it showed about both Knox and Emily. Her return came at the same time as more family drama. I loved the way she was there to support Knox through it. Their big moment together was emotional and romantic.

Throughout the book, there was also the question of what caused the rift between Knox’s father and the rest of the family. Having been brought up by his dad, whose bitterness over it was a constant in Knox’s life, it was no surprise that Knox’s desire for revenge was so strong. The more time he spent at the ranch, the more he got the feeling that some things didn’t add up. I loved seeing him get closer to Granny June and his cousins. His belief in Haylie was important, even though it started with less than noble intentions. Knox began to question himself about his plans but was determined to stay the course. I understood more about his feelings as more information about the resort and its condition came to light. In the first book, Ty was shown to be a manipulative man. In this book, his actions are even worse, making him thoroughly unlikeable. There were some surprising twists and turns, both with Knox’s plans for the resort and with the truth about the rift. The emotional turmoil of it all was incredible and I ached so much for Knox as it all came out. Knox’s feelings about the resort itself also underwent some changes and created some unexpected drama. The issue had a somewhat surprising resolution, but one that was quite satisfying.

As in the first book, there were some laugh out loud moments in this one. I especially enjoyed the unusual element of Knox’s haunted truck. The headaches that truck caused him were pretty funny, as were the times of watching Knox’s conversations with his father via the truck. I also had to laugh at the contests between Knox and the giant carp that he named “Phantom.”