Under the Knife

Under the Knife by Laurin Kelly

Twelve chefs assemble for the new season of TV’s hottest cooking competition, Under the Knife. Among them are Zachary Kasun, an arrogant, classically trained executive chef from one of New York’s finest French restaurants; and Nate Pasternak, a mellow vocational school graduate who gradually worked his way up to sous chef at Chicago’s premier steak house. Under the critical eye of four expert judges, the two hundred and fifty thousand dollar grand prize is each of theirs to lose. But will they both lose their hearts along the way as well?Banner Credit: Melissa

Melissa Thinks: Why should you read "Under The Knife"? Orgasmic food descriptions, reality show drama, and intense m/m romance are just a select few traits that make this story one of the best.

Laurin Kelly tells a refreshingly creative tale of two chefs who fall in love in the most unexpected of places: a reality cooking show in which both men are competing. With $250,000 on the line, Zachary and Nate must keep their attraction hidden from the always present cameras in order to stay in the competition.

The characters in this story are unarguably the best part. Zachary starts out coming across as a pretentious, uptight, arrogant pile of garbage, but turns out to be a strong-willed, passionate, intelligent cutie-pie. And Nate? Right from the prologue you can tell he's just big cuddly teddy bear. Immediately I was unsure as to whether or not I would like these two together, but their chemistry builds until it creates an unbearably thick sultry vibe.

The atmosphere of the competition creates a lot of drama and as a reality TV show addict, I was incredibly excited to immerse myself in a story that explored that experience. And while the dialogue seemed a little dated at times, overall I was really impressed by Laurin Kelly's characterization, plot, and voice.

Recommended for fans of: Close Protection, Leviathan!, Quinntessential,