Turn Up the Heat
2 Stars

After being jilted by her self-absorbed boyfriend, the last thing that Bellamy Blake wants during her winter weekend getaway is to get involved with another man. Fate, however, has other plans when Bellamy's car breaks down and the only mechanic for miles is sexy yet surly Shane Griffin who isn't interested in a relationship with a polished city girl. Can these two lost souls get past their preconceived notions and find happiness together?

Being in the mood for a light and fluffy romance, this book seemed right up my alley. Despite the charming setting and the potential inherent in the opposites attract storyline, the characters are simply not that interesting and the hero is particularly unlikable.

Bellamy is immature and, together with her two buddies, comes across as a ditzy teenager gallivanting about on spring break rather than an intelligent and sophisticated business woman. Shane is similarly childish with his juvenile vow to avoid the city like the plague (the reason for which is idiotic), and his unfounded prejudices against Bellamy do not present him in a good light.

In addition, there is nothing original about the plot. The hero's "secret" is self-evident, and the eventual resolution to his financial woes is obvious from the start.

In sum, although well-written, there is nothing truly special about the story and the characters are really not all that appealing. It is unlikely that I will continue with the series.
( )

Fantastic

An amazing beginning to what is sure to be a terrific new series of books! With great humor, warmth and sexiness Kimberly Kincaid takes us on a wonderful journey to Pine Mountain. An amazing bunch of secondary characters leaves endless possibilities for more great stories. Don't miss this one I highly recommend it!
( )

Fantastic

An amazing beginning to what is sure to be a terrific new series of books! With great humor, warmth and sexiness Kimberly Kincaid takes us on a wonderful journey to Pine Mountain. An amazing bunch of secondary characters leaves endless possibilities for more great stories. Don't miss this one I highly recommend it! ( )

Turn Up the Heat.......Kimberly Kincaid

Another delightful page turner, with laughter, scrumptious food, and a very hunky car mechanic. Oh and lots of snow! Imagine that!

Bellamy Blake was blindsided when her best friends Holly and Jenna call to inform her that her anchor man boyfriend, Derrick, had just announced on TV he was moving to San Diego for a new job, without a word to her! When confronted he said those three fateful words that turn every woman into a screaming banshee....."It's not you." Bellamy reminded herself that you should never date a man prettier than you.
After spending some time therapy shopping (lingerie and shoes of course) and answering numerous phone calls she was on her way home to spend the rest of her day doing her other favorite thing....cooking and baking. She contacted Holly and Jenna after seeing a billboard advertisement, and told them to pack their bags.....they were heading to Pine Mountain Resort for a girls get away.

Shane Griffin was underneath a car, worrying about how he was going to pay off a loan with out selling his vintage mustang, when the garage door blew open and a curvy little blonde blew in looking frozen, wet and seriously furious. Her car had broken down and she had walked in snow and freezing rain for two miles. He knew immediately she was a "city girl" and found guilty pleasure in calling her Princess. He agreed to check out her car, and gave her the very bad news. A new transmission, and it was going to take a week to fix. Bellamy's immediate thought? "Didn't Guiness have records for weeks this bad?" Shane was immediately turned on when he realized Bellamy could give as well as she could take. Calling him "sweetheart" and challenging him to get her on the road in one week. Not exactly a love at first sight meeting!

This is the first novel in Ms. Kincaid's Pine Mountain series, and it's a wonderful start. Interesting characters, including a celebrity chef and best friends who always stand by their girl. The story has a twist that totally caught me by surprise, and I'm afraid another "It isn't you." No cliffhanger, and a sweet HEA. Can't wait till the next Pine Mountain story.

I received this novel from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
Pat Fordyce ( )