Saturday, July 2, 2016

Heat by RJ Scott & Chris Quinton


Serving up passion, family, love and hate, with a side order of arson.

Lewis has lost nearly everything, and now it seems that Devon is here to take the last thing he has left - working in his beloved restaurant, Laurels. But when an arsonist threatens everything Lewis loves, he realizes sometimes everyone has their ghosts, and he discovers an unexpected ally who is prepared to risk everything for him.

* * * * *

Set in the small cathedral city of Salisbury, Master Chef Lewis Mandineau no longer owns the Laurels, the restaurant that had been in his family for generations. Betrayed and robbed by an ex-lover, he's had to sell to Carnegie Enterprises, an American corporation. That isn't all Lewis has to contend with. Rachel, his beloved younger sister has been left severely hurt by the car crash that killed their parents, and taking care of her has to be his priority.

Enter Devon Trelawney III, sent to assess the viability of the restaurant and its staff. Devon knows all about family tradition. But he also knows sentiment has no place in business matters, and the Laurels' potential is swamped by the debts it has accrued. Devon is a hardheaded businessman, first and foremost, but Lewis and Rachel test his resolve in different ways. Soon Devon is forced to admit that what seems like an impossible love can sometimes become something very real.

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Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
ARe  ~  B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo  ~  Smashwords



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica☆☆☆☆
I like that when Lewis and Devon meet, they don't like each other and clash several times. Devon's family has purchased Laurels restaurant. Lewis owned the restaurant and it was owned by his family as far back as the 17th Century. The decision of whether or not Lewis gets to keep running the restaurant lies in Devon's hands. So the sexual attraction between Lewis and Devon takes time to develop.

Another thing I liked about this book was seeing little bits of contrast between the culture of England and the United States. Who knew the Americans don't have Jelly Babies?

The romance between Lewis and Devon is lovely and not overdone. The erotic scenes are beautiful and sexy without being particularly explicit. Heat is a nice, cosy m/m romance and I really enjoyed reading it.


Angela☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely loved this book. I’ve read several of RJ Scott’s books before, but this is my first by Chris Quinton and I’m so glad I got the chance to read Heat. As much as I loved Lewis and Devon, my favorite character is actually Rachel. Not only is Rachel a delightful character who demonstrates that with the right accommodations, she’s perfectly capable of being a very productive member of society despite her injury and the doctors’ prognoses. But she also gives the reader a chance to see just who Lewis and Devon really are at heart through their interactions with her, rather than the personas they tend to show the public.

While not the most auspicious of beginnings for potential business partners, the opening of Heat provides quite an introduction to Rachel, Lewis, Devon, and several members of the Laurels staff. As the authors reveal why Lewis no longer owns Laurels, it’s heartbreaking. But it gets worse when we encounter the arrogant American attitude that Devon sweeps into Laurels with. As an American and a migraine sufferer, I still wanted to smack Devon upside the back of the head on several occasions for the way he spoke to Lewis. Fortunately, Lewis was more than capable of dishing the attitude right back up to him (no pun intended), so I was able to sit back and enjoy watching the sparks fly. And boy did they fly!!! It was nice to see that as Devon took the time to learn more about the restaurant, the staff, and Lewis and all that he had endured, battled, and overcame after his parents’ death, he developed a respect for Lewis and his accomplishments. At the same time, I enjoyed watching Lewis being forced to reassess Devon and his actions, while trying to keep his heart safe because he understandably couldn’t see a future for him and the American. The dance between the two was quite entertaining to watch, especially when those around them tried to help play matchmaker. Yet the authors weren’t satisfied by the angsty romance between Lewis and Devon and threw one heck of a twist in towards the end that had me nodding my head and thinking “Yep, I knew something was up.” While at the same time, I was shaking my head and thinking “I can’t believe I didn’t see THAT coming.”

Although I’m not surprised I enjoyed the book, I still cannot get over how much I enjoyed Heat. I loved seeing how the different relationships played out and the dynamics between the various characters. As I said before, it was Rachel’s character who truly humanized Lewis and Devon, both for me and for one another. Lewis’s dedication to his sister was inspiring and it allowed Devon to realize just how dedicated and loyal Lewis was to those people who meant something to him. And Lewis seeing how open Devon was to Rachel, especially when Devon was working as her assistant, forced Lewis to realize that a good deal of Devon’s attitude was just bravado. I was devastated for Lewis when the events at the end regarding the restaurant played out as they did, but I loved the ending that the authors wrote for Devon and Lewis. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Ice, soon to see what’s in store for Salisbury.


Also Available in the Salisbury Stories Series

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
ARe  ~  Smashwords




RJ Scott

My goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

I've has been writing since age six, when I was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies and the mixing bowl. You can't tell a six year old not to lick the bowl!

I was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader myself, I can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, my first real true love will always be the world of romance. I love my cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and love to write dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men. (Yum)

With over 90 titles to my name and counting, I am the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway, which was All Romance Ebooks best selling title of 2010.

I'm also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

I'm always so thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers.

Connect with RJ

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads



Chris Quinton

Chris started creating stories not long after she mastered joined-up writing, somewhat to the bemusement of her parents and her English teachers. But she received plenty of encouragement. Her dad gave her an already old Everest typewriter when she was ten, and it was probably the best gift she'd ever received – until the inventions of the home-computer and the worldwide web.

Chris's reading and writing interests range from historical, mystery, and paranormal, to science-fiction and fantasy, writing mostly in the male/male genre. She refuses to be pigeon-holed and intends to uphold the long and honourable tradition of the Eccentric Brit to the best of her ability. In her spare time [hah!] she reads, embroiders, quilts and knits. Over the years she has been a stable lad [briefly] in a local racing stable and stud, a part-time and unpaid amateur archaeologist, a civilian clerk at her local police station and a 15th century re-enactor.

She lives in a small and ancient city in the south-west of the United Kingdom, sharing her usually chaotic home with an extended family, three dogs, a frilled dragon [lizard] and sundry goldfish and tropicals.

Connect with Chris

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Google+  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Heat (Salisbury Stories #1) by R.J. Scott & Chris Quinton to read and review.

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