The Browning Effect

by Bree Hollis

The hottest kitchens forge the strongest bonds.

A chef romance about healing from loss, learning to trust again, and discovering that joy is the secret ingredient in every dish.

Tate Kelley thought working for New York’s most notorious celebrity chef would be career suicide. Pierce Browning has a reputation for reducing line cooks to tears and turning kitchens into war zones—all in pursuit of his three Michelin stars.

But Tate sees what others miss beneath Pierce’s rage: a brilliant chef drowning in grief, trapped by the memory of his grandmother’s restaurant that he failed to save. When their professional tension ignites into something deeper, Pierce must choose between the safety of his walls or the terrifying possibility that cooking—and loving—with joy might be worth the risk.

Because some wounds can only heal in the warmth of the right kitchen, with someone brave enough to love all the broken pieces.