Miranda temporarily loses her cool at a media party to celebrate the opening of Market Restaurant, chef Adam Temple’s baby. She drinks a few too many cocktails and finds herself in the midst of a bet to spend a month in Market’s kitchen, doing research.

  Adam is a passionately inspired chef with dreams of making Market the next big thing in town.  He’s employed a crew of old co-workers and friends, a colorful, fun group that make coming to work an awesome experience. Adam’s zealously devoted to food and cooking, and he can’t imagine a more perfect time in his life than right now; the restaurant’s about to open, and he has the best staff he can imagine to back him up.

Adam doesn’t realize that Miranda’s been offered a book deal with a sleazy publishing company to write a tabloid style tell-all about him and the staff at Market. Miranda never expects to crave Adam’s passion and enthusiasm for the restaurant to be turned in her direction but when Adam finds out that Miranda can’t cook, he decides to give her private lessons, and when they’re alone, it definitely gets too hot to handle.

Miranda soon finds her composure slipping. She wants to get closer to Adam, but how can she forget that making a living includes destroying his reputation, his restaurant, and his dream?

Can’t Stand the Heat is a rare, wonderful story that shuts the reader’s real life away for a few hours while living in the Market kitchen with Adam and Miranda. Miranda is the perfect blend of career woman, fragile girl with emotional baggage, overprotective big sister, and sensually aware woman all wrapped up in one dynamite package.  She’s entirely believable and there must be at least one part of Miranda that every woman can empathize with.  Her sharp tongue and strongly voiced opinions almost always land her in trouble, as she doesn’t try to soften her tone or mince words - ever.  Who doesn’t love a strong-minded heroine?

Adam is completely irresistible - a big bundle of handsome, passionate, inventive, loving strength that is as magnetic as it is compelling. Is he perfect? No, he does keep a pretty major secret from Miranda, and he’s got a bad temper. Thank goodness for those faults, otherwise every woman on the planet would be in love with Adam.  He’s a great hero, and I appreciate his emotional maturity and his open communication style.

There’s also a great secondary storyline about Miranda’s brother, Jess, that deserves an honorable mention. Jess’s struggle to be recognized as a grownup by Miranda while he tries to figure his way through perilous feelings of his first real attraction and relationship is written in a heartfelt, mature, beautiful way. 

Make sure that you have a good lazy day to spend with Can’t Stand The Heat, and don’t start reading this one in the evening, or I guarantee you will be up all night!   

--Amy Wroblewsky