Review: LOVE this series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 18, 2014
4.5 StarsSometimes you start a series and it just resonates with you and from the first book in Meg atruegemawardBenjamin’s Konigsburg, Texas series I felt at home. I loved the small town atmosphere, the crazy town citizens, and the down home Texas feel. While Hungry Heart may be book number eight in this series it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone story. I’ll warn you though this book is going to make you hungry for Texas barbeque complete with fixins’, some good lovin’, and a rockin’ good time.You have to love a story when one of the heroines lives in Texas and doesn’t understand why barbeque is a big deal especially when she’s a chef. And yes, I said one of the heroines because in this book we get not one but two complete love stories. While the other three main characters are born and raised Texans, Darcy is from Nebraska and she really just doesn’t understand why barbeque is so important nor does she understand why the sides (or fixins’) don’t have to be fancy they just have to taste good. The one thing I will give her is as a lifelong Texan I don’t understand the whole bread thing either, but that’s another discussion for another day. I love the way this author handled these conversations and made it clear that there are just some things you don’t mess with and barbeque and fixins’ are some of those things. However, Ms. Benjamin from someone who lives with a man who takes his barbeque very seriously, you left out a very important Texas wood that a lot of cooks prefer and that is mesquite. That’s actually the only wood my husband will use especially for brisket. However, this book is a great story about how serious we Texans are about our state food and the quest for getting it just right.Couple one is Darcy Cunningham the sous chef at The Rose and upscale resort on the outskirts of town. Darcy is one of those strong women who isn’t afraid of hard work and doesn’t really take any crap off of anyone. Darcy however, doesn’t get why barbeque is such a big deal and why they have to hire a caterer for this at The Rose. When she meets The Barbeque King (aka Harris Temple) she sees it as an opportunity to learn a new skill however, she’s hard pressed not to notice how devilishly handsome he is. At first glance these two seem like such an unlikely pair but in reality they have a lot in common with their shared love of good food and hard work. It was interesting to find out Harris’ connection to the area and about his life prior to becoming “the King.” I also enjoyed learning a little more about Darcy. I love that these two challenged one another yet had a healthy respect for the work the both excelled at. One thing that was certain was the chemistry between these two; it sizzled every time they were together.Couple two is Chico Burnside and Andy Wells both of whom we met in previous books. I’ve always been very curious about Chico and we learned quite a bit about this very interesting man. It was very interesting to see a softer side of him and I loved how off balance he felt around Andy at first. Andy is also a returning character although some might not remember her. Working for the Texas Department of Environmental Quality she had a small part in an earlier book in this series. This was almost a beauty and the beast type of love story. Not that Chico is ugly but he’s a big man, ex-Army Ranger and ex-pro Wrestler so he’s a huge guy and is quite intimidating. Andy is one of those women who prefers to blend into the background and has a hard time dealing with the attention the two of them draw when they are together. However, it’s evident early on these two have some real feelings for one another. I really loved how Andy defends Chico around her brother and her ex-husband. Without much family of her own, it was fun to watch Andy around Chico’s large and loud family.When Harris and Chico team up for a barbeque cook-off these two couples wind up spending a lot of time together getting ready for the competition. In doing so, they host quite a few cook outs which brings out many of the couples from the previous books. It’s always interesting catching up with old friends. As the competition gets close the team suffers a major set-back but friends and family rally around them to help. An incident at the competition threatens the team’s entry adding more excitement to this story.I very much enjoyed this book; the two couples were mature and although their relationships progressed fairly rapidly they didn’t play games. Yes, there was a little uncertainty at times but that’s pretty much common in most new relationships. They all worked together very well forming a unique bond that will no doubt continue into future books. Hungry Heart is one of those books that was simply enjoyable from beginning to end; it was easy to like these characters, the plot was interesting, the dialog smart, and most of all we get two sexy love stories in one book. Oh, and barbeque…we get lots and lots of Texas barbeque and that makes it one delicious book!!Review copy provided for an honest review.