“He thought I was his muse. Turned out, he was mine too.”
Maggie Stevens is done feeling objectified.
After spending her entire life in the spotlight and climbing the high fashion ranks as a model in LA, she’s willing to leave it all behind for a fresh start. Moving to Seattle seems like the perfect solution.
A clean slate.
New adventures.
Endless opportunities.
All is going according to plan. … adventures.
Endless opportunities.
All is going according to plan. Until she meets the drop-dead gorgeous cooking instructor who delights in adding to her misery.
Desmond Blake is determined to make a name for his culinary school–one that speaks to his hard work and undeniable passion.
The day his food photography hobby garners attention from an unexpected source, he knows his dreams are finally within reach. An obstacle he never sees coming? The sharp-tongued bombshell with a distaste for all he stands for.
When Desmond accidentally captures a photo of Maggie during a moment of weakness, he starts to see there’s more to the fashionista than meets the eye…
Sometimes what can be seen through the lens is a skewed version of reality. A bent perspective. Manufactured, therefore losing all sense of authenticity. And sometimes all it takes is a different angle to see what’s right in front of you.
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Emotionally charged, angsty and heart-rending book. It amazes me how a person can have such opposing relationships with different people, almost like having a split personality. Enjoyable storyline had me riveted, but in all honesty I had to take a break due to my own parental issues. I really connected with Maggie, because of this. Very relatable characters, although I would of liked a bit more depth about what happened between the mother and father.
Des, owns a cooking school in Seattle, he lives for creating new recipes and teaching. His father was a cook, he shared his love of cooking, with his son. When his partner asks him to give Maggie a job, he is sceptical, but agrees if she chooses to take the position. They are surrounded in sexual tension, even though they keep denying it.
Maggie has been modelling, but she’s had enough of living mummies dream. She moves to Seattle to be closer to her sister and find something that makes her happy. However moving to Seattle brings her close to her estranged father and finding a way to forgive him for abandoning her is not easy. Taking Des’s job offer up, comes with challenges.
I fell in love with the cover of this books before I even realized this was the third book in the BelleCurve series. Maggie Stevens (Monica’s sister) has spent her life living someone else’s dream and then everything kind of crashed down around her so she finally embraced finding her own happiness. She moves close to her sister in hopes that she can do just that.
This is a very emotional book there are times that my heart breaks for both Maggie and Desmond. Their chemistry is really off the charts and it this is defiantly a love hate relationship. I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say this is a enemies to lovers romance with some incredible sparks, it slow build but totally worth it and there is an amazing HEA.
***I did receive a free advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review***
Through the Lens just hits the spot for a romance junkie like me. And who could ask for more in this enemies to lovers style story. Desmond and Maggie had such great chemistry. Good times, not so good times! But being around for each other gave this story the feel it needed. Seeing they’re characters tease and carry on just meant even more. Great characters and a good amount of heat makes this a definite worth your time
4.5 Cranky Stars
Through the Lens got me out of a book funk. When the pandemic hit, and we were told to stay home I thought yay I can catch up on my books! Sadly, that wasn’t the case, but I tried and slowly read a few before I got to this book. I always know K.K. Allen will take me on a ride with her words and I was glad I sat on this one because I felt this was the right time to read it. I will admit I wasn’t sold on Maggie at first in fact I felt she was too whiney and witchy with a B until the middle of the book and maybe that was her growing and standing up for herself for once. Desmond is the ultimate book boyfriend I mean he can cook a meal like a boss among other things.
Maggie is a model with plans for acting stardom but sadly this doesn’t come to fruition. She finds herself in Seattle crashing at her younger sister Monica’s apartment and forced to take cooking classes to appease Monica. At first, she is attracted to the handsome chef who runs the cooking school but then realizes he has close ties to her past and immediately hates him and does all she can to push him away. Desmond was intrigued by Maggie when he first met her. She was so put together but he could see under her mask. She fought him at every turn and when he is given the chance to help her out, he takes it. This cooking school is everything to him and he has big plans for it. He just hopes they don’t kill each other before they have a chance to find solid ground.
I’m sad it took me long to read this book. Normally I breeze through this authors books because she pulls me in. I really didn’t connect with Maggie for the longest time she was just too combative to me. I understand her mother was a momager and put her dreams in Maggie’s head. I did like Desmond he was a genuine good guy. He helped his dad and was close to Coach. I can just picture his hair up standing over a hot stove and then using his camera to capture amazing photos. I do like that Maggie did grow up though so she redeemed herself there. All in all another winner from K.K. Allen
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Review Soooo Stupidly Amazing! I could have probably used a better word to describe this novel. But in all honesty.. It was so thoroughly entertaining and heartfelt that I almost cried a few times. The connection between Desmond and Maggie was effortlessly scorching. It sizzled in all the right places and left me shaking in my boots. I couldn’t get enough of the banter and humor between the two. Talk about a love/hate relationship and then to throw in more complications! Outstanding. Desmond and Maggie both took it in stride and K.K did a fabulous job at bringing in the audience and and pulling them exactly where they needed to be. Every word on every page was just a slow burn into a magical explosion that will leave you panting and asking for air. I know its just a book. However, some books have all the right amount of air and others… Well, they will leave complete and utterly, breathless to say the least.
@KK_Allen
10 STARS if possible
Through the Lens is the third book in the Bellecurve series, featuring fashion model Maggie Stevens and awarded culinary chef/teacher Desmond Blake.
Maggie is fed up with the fashion industry, tired of being seen as an object instead of a real person, she’s ready for a change. With plans in place she steps foot on the runway for the last time. When an embarrassing accident happens she flees to Seattle to hide out until she figures out what she wants to do with her life. Living on her sister’s sofa starts to cause issues for the sisters and it’s only a matter of time until Maggie has to come to terms with her life.
Meeting Desmond, best friend to her sister’s boyfriend, hasn’t been the easiest thing for Maggie. He’s a playboy at heart and loves to flirt. Although they have a connection neither has felt before, Maggie can’t come to terms with the fact that Desmond has had a relationship with her estranged father for years. The hurt and anger Maggie wears as a mask to others causes her to be untrusting and leery, but Desmond sees beneath that mask and works to get Maggie to open up to him.
The chemistry these two have is instant and burns hotter each time they’re together. Once they realize the so called hatred they feel for the other is really a cover for their true feelings their relationship takes off and proves to be exactly what the other needs. This is a stand-alone but reading the previous books is recommended to know all the players.
Through the lens is a stunning story. I started off much like Maggie hating Desmond, but OMG I love to hate him. K.K. has a way of making you fall for every character in her story. I was Desmond and Maggie’s biggest cheerleader! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and K.K. once again knocked it out of the park.
Oo baby!
I’ve been waiting for this book and it was so worth it!
We’re back in Belview and Seattle, Washington once more revisiting old friends and getting to know new ones in a, ahem, personal way.
This was a keep me up all night read. The only reason I had to stop at 1:30 in the morning is because I have little people in the house that would tear the place apart if I fell asleep on the couch in the morning.
We get a little Zach and Monica from Under the Bleachers, a moment of Chloe and Gavin from Up in the Treehouse, and now we get Desmond and Maggie!
I absolutely loved reading more about the cooking school, getting to know Desmond, and learning more about Maggie. This is an enemies to lovers, so expect fireworks! Opposites attract, for sure.
So brew yourself a pot of coffee and get comfortable, because I can guarantee you’re not gonna move from that spot once you open this one up!
Maggie Stevens is a model following in her mother’s footsteps and dreams when she realizes she isn’t happy with her life and wants to change directions. Yet everything changes in an instant and now she is running from a mistake that she feels will haunt her for the rest of her life. She decides to pack up and head for Seattle to be with her sister, Monica, until she figures out what she wants to do next.
Desmond Blake is a chef and owns a cooking school, Edible Desires, with the help of his secret partner, Zach, a NFL quarterback and Monica’s boyfriend. The moment he meets Maggie the two almost instantly hate each other and spar with each other at every interaction.
When Zach begs Desmond to hire Maggie as his assistant, he knows things will not end well but he also can’t deny their chemistry. Unfortunately, one of their main issues surrounds Maggie’s father whom left her and her sister with their mom and started a new family but also became a major mentor to both Zach and Desmond.
Can Maggie and Desmond come together when Desmond’s dreams are finally within reach and Maggie may be the only thing preventing him from reaching them?
This is another awesome book by the author who is definitely one of my favorites!
My heart broke for Maggie and everything she went through living out her mom’s dreams and how she never left like she had any control of her life and that really nobody “saw her”. When the incident happened I felt so broken for her as I knew how much she had wanted to leave on her own. I gave her credit for leaving but when you learn what else happened I felt so sad for her.
Desmond was such a jerk but it was obvious how passionate he was about his cooking school and his photography. You learn a little more about his past and I felt bad for him and I liked how Coach was able to help him turn his life around and was such a great influence on him. I was surprised about when Desmond met Faye and how she was advocating for him but I was curious what was going to happen with that as the book went on.
There was so much tension between Desmond and Maggie and it was obvious how much chemistry was between them in a physical sense but they truly seemed to hate each other which only grew when Desmond wouldn’t give Maggie her certificate. I liked the way they pushed each other’s buttons but at the same time were there for each other when it married.
Much of their conflicts surrounded Maggie’s dad and her refusal to forgive him. He was not there for Maggie and Monica as kids but he was there for both Zach and Desmond which Maggie really resented.
It was interesting how Maggie refused to be in front of the camera and hated her picture being taken. I soon understood why and I liked when things began to change for her when she realized Desmond really saw her.
The stuff with Faye was awesome for Desmond but I was scared on how everything was going to go, especially once Maggie became involved.
I loved how the characters evolved in this book and saw things differently than when they began. Both Desmond and Maggie grew so much and I loved reading every second of it!
The end was awesome and I loved how everything fell into place and how good they were together! The end was great for Monica and Zach and I really want more of these guys!!
By Rebecca
K.K. Allen delivers readers an angsty and emotionally lovable enemies-to-lovers romance that left me swooning the entire time I devoured all of the words. The author’s storytelling ability takes readers on an epic journey that will sweep them off their feet with this captivating tale that will send butterflies fluttering all throughout your body, just like it did for me.
Desmond and Maggie’s journey is not an easy one, that is for sure, but it is the one they were destined to follow on their way to their happily ever after. In order for that to happen, they must first find themselves. I absolutely loved their banter and that steamy chemistry that set my heart on fire. I couldn’t get enough of these two and that irresistibly slow burn connection that they shared. This is a story where two broken souls manage to find happiness together despite their flaws. I believe that there is one person out there for everyone, their soulmate if you will, that will always make things better AND I just knew that these two were meant to be.
Through the Lens is one of K.K. Allen’s best releases to date and it’s at the top of my favorite reads of 2020 for sure! The author’s beautiful words spoke to my soul and there is no way that I will forget about my feelings for Desmond and Maggie anytime soon. I strongly encourage you all to one-click this story RIGHT NOW and fall in love with these two the same way I did!
This is my very first book from this author, but it will not be my last! what a great story!
KK has penned A feel good story, delightful to the senses and hopeful for the dejected. Very straightforward story, the only twists are in Desmond Blake & Maggie Steven’s heads. They’re both victims of absentee parents and a warped childhood. Both are looking for their lost self worth, but a strange thread binds them together. They weirdly share a person and their viewpoints and experiences are quite the contrary.
This goes to show that nurture played a huge part in shaping their personalities.
“You two are a match made in heaven.”
“Try a match made in opposite of H-E-Double L.”
Maggie walks into the cooking class of Cocky Chef Desmond Blake and even though she hates it there, their paths just merge together.
I felt the sweetness that is inherently Desmond. He’s caring and protective. His soft hearted nature just won me over
Maggie was strong and independent and her struggles touched my heart. Her escape from the Lens proves futile, and Desmond teaches her to look at the right viewfinder!
“Through the lens, I was whoever they wanted me to be. Through the lens, I was a lie..Desmond captures moments, he doesn’t try to create them.”
This story has some characters from previous books and since this is my first book by KK, now I need to go read the back list.
Enjoy the cute, sweet romance
4.5 stars for The Boss of the Sauce
Through the Lens is a fantastic read. Desmond and Maggie are swoon worthy. KK Allen delivered again! I love her writing and her books never disappoint.
One last night to reach the stars, instead it all came crumbling down.
Now she’s hiding at her sister’s hoping it will all be forgotten.
He’s a success, booked up weeks in advance. Shame his assistant isnt on the same page and keeps letting him down.
She needs a new job, he needs a new assistant could it be more perfect..?
A sweet and sassy read from the amazing K.K Allen.
I loved the bickering, banter and lingering looks. The slow burn was perfect for them.
Maggie is sass on legs, who’s a little lost, a lot uncertain and just floundering about.
Desmond the hottie in the kitchen was perfect. Slightly broken, a mind of dark thoughts and a flirtatious mouth.
K.K Allen has taken a realistic approach to their story and it works. You can relate to the characters and situations and you find yourself both chuckling away and nodding knowingly.
It’s something a little different, and I do admire the author for writing from her heart rather than following the herd.
A lovely heart warming read through and through.
Maggie Stevens is a model and is ready for a change and a new start. Maggie decides to head to Seattle to stay with her sister. Desmond Blake is a charming, hard-working chef, who runs a culinary school, and he has a passion for food photography. Maggie and Desmond each have unresolved parental issues that have resulted in emotional scars and some demons that they have to deal with. The chemistry between Desmond and Maggie is great and the interactions that they have when they are together are amazing. There is a little bit of a push-pull between Maggie and Desmond whenever they are together. This was a great story that deals with issues that we all deal with in our life and how we handle them.
A book jam packed with angst, amazing chemistry, and all the feels. Des and Mags are at an internal war of resistance but when that band breaks….WOW!!! The banter between these two will have you laughing out loud. The passion is what romance books are made of. A definite MUST READ!
When I tell you that Through The Lens is an amazing book, I’m not lying. I’m in awe of Desmond and Maggie, from page 1. You will get hooked. It’s a slow burn-enemies to lovers romance. It will keep you locked in. You’re emotions will run HIGH while reading.
KK has a way to capture your feelings in her books. You will not be let down with this one.
“He thought I was his muse. Turned out he was mine too”
Can you gush over a book too much? I don’t think you can. Especially the ones that you read in one setting. Through the lens was exactly that for me. As @kkallen_author put it: a steam, enemies to friends romance. And if you know me, Enemies to Lovers is my absolute favorite trope.
The sexual tension build up was perfect. Probably why I ended up reading the book in one go, I just couldn’t put it down. Invested in the story of Maggie and Desmond from the very beginning, I wanted them to be together. A struggling ex-model and up coming chef, ohhh the trouble than can get into.
Amazing banter. All the sexual tension.
A a perfect reminder: there’s always more to any story.
Available in #kindleunlimited now; I highly recommend!
Through The Lens is a super slow-burn, witty, emotional, enemies to lovers story that is equal parts humor and heat.
Maggie Stevens is a model who has become completely disenchanted by the life she has lived. Desperate for a new start, any start, she heads to Seattle to stay with her sister.
Desmond Blake is a charming, hard-working chef, who runs a culinary school, and has a passion for food photography.
Maggie and Desmond each have deep-seated and unresolved parental issues that have resulted in emotional scars. Bound together by their past, and even more so by present circumstances, these two end up needing each other in more ways than one.
The chemistry between Desmond and Maggie is palpable. And their interactions, when not emotionally charged, are pretty darn funny. The push and pull between them amps up the heat…and the humor.
I only had two real issues while reading TTL. I would have loved to have seen just a little bit more interaction with Maggie’s parents, and I would have liked it if more of Faye’s facial expressions matched her words and actions. She gave me a headache.
I love so many things about this book. K.K. is extremely talented at using descriptive language. The dishes and photos are so beautifully described that I could picture it all so clearly. But what I loved the most about this book? Its message.
For Maggie, life in front of the camera has always been a lie. The images are crafted to tell a story. For Desmond, the lens captures a moment in time. There is nothing artificial about it. In TTL, these two learn that perception – of a moment, a person, or even the self – is impacted, and maybe even skewed, by the lens it is being viewed through. And sometimes, in order to change our focus, we just need someone to show us a different lens.
Overall, Through the Lens is a deliciously emotional love story with a valuable message, and I definitely recommend it!
I’ve been anxiously awaiting Through The Lens with some mixed feelings. I met and fell in love with Desmond in Under The Bleachers and wanted his story. I met and did not like Maggie at all in the same story….how could she be the girl for my beloved Desmond? u2063
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Desmond was exactly who I thought he was. This crazy talented Chef who had such passion for what he did. He was a bit of a broody bad boy but he was always there for those he cared about and loved. u2063
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Maggie was nothing like I thought. I thought she was a spoiled selfish princess who was mooching off her sister. Turns out, she was just lost. a bit scared and desperately trying to find her passion. For a girl who had the spotlight on her for years, she had never really been seen…until Desmond. u2063
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I admit that KK completely and utterly gives us one of the best enemies to lovers romances I have read in a while. The push & pull between Desmond and Maggie was funny, witty, sarcastic and snarky. SO GOOD! This story is complex and very emotional. My heart was aching reading this book. Desmond and Maggie take you on this rollercoaster of emotions as they both deal with finding their way professionally, struggling to forgive absentee parents who hurt them deeply and allowing themselves to fall in love. This is a story about two people who needed someone to truly see them and accept their faults, scars and imperfections completely. It is a story about finding that one person who will always stand by your side cheering you on unconditionally. u2063
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This book is very special. I’ll probably re-read it as soon as I get my paperback because I’m sure I’ll find new things in KK’s words that will just destroy my heart again. I would highly recommend you read Up In The Treehouse and Under The Bleachers first so you get the history of everyone because it will just enhance your reading of Through The Lens.u2063
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Overall I loved this book more than my words can really convey. For me, this is 100% a 5++ Star read! u2063
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I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion but I also have already purchased the paperback myself! u2063