I love food—who doesn’t?!—although I can’t cook for the life of me! Sure, I can make pasta, veggies, and maybe one or two other dishes, but generally I rely a lot on cereal, sandwiches, soup, and restaurants for my meals. But I DO love to read about food and chefs that can create things that I never will, so without further ado…
Katie‘s Mini-Review
I loved Deep Autumn Heat! In my opinion, the summary doesn’t do it justice. There are multiple suspenseful and thrilling subplots to go along with the romance of Seb and Lexie. You know me…I have to have my thrills and suspense! But before I get ahead of myself, let’s concentrate on Seb and Lexie!
Lexie had moved to the small town of Star Harbor from California and opened the Lexie Meyers Kitchen (LMK). She was on the verge of adding a catering business to go along with her successful restaurant. Her signature secret recipe was for her coconut cake. I can’t stress enough my want to try this cake! The only downfall to books is that you can’t grab whatever you want right out of them and eat it!
Sebastian Grayson grew up in Star Harbor but lives in New York City where he is an acclaimed and famous chef who owns a restaurant, Helena. He is looking to expand to another location and is about to start his own cooking show. Seb is one of four boys, and he and his brothers all meet every year in Star Harbor for Labor Day weekend.
Lexie and Seb have chemistry right off the bat, although she doesn’t make it easy. Lexie is busy at her restaurant and she just doesn’t seem to have any time or interest in a romantic relationship, but Sebastian is persistent! The Grayson boys are described as extremely good-looking, so combining that with fame and excellent cooking skills, Seb isn’t used to being turned down. Part of his flirtation game is a cook-off with Lexie right at the LMK—again, I wanted to grab these crab cakes off the page and devour them! Maybe I missed my calling as a food critic {sigh}. This book moves at a good pace, and although I wanted to slap Lexie across the face a few times, the chemistry and sexual tension resolves itself nicely.
The parts that kept me intrigued included an unreliable produce delivery company, a crazy lady (who owns a restaurant in the next town over) who is after the coconut cake recipe, an abusive ex-boyfriend, and some weird threatening notes that show up at the LMK. All of that combined with a smattering of fun, quirky, nosey, and gossipy small-town characters makes this book a winner! It takes the cake! (Okay…that was bad.)
I had only two miniscule issues, which honestly could have been oversights due to the speed in which I read this one:
- Lexie acquired the nickname “spice” from Seb at some point. I’m not sure when it happened and I don’t love it as far as nicknames go.
- Buster, Lexie’s right-hand man and grill cook at the LMK, is an older man! I read over half of the book picturing a young kid in his 20s only to find out that I was completely wrong! I was thrown off a little trying to picture him as being older. Regardless, he is a mostly silent but fun character!
I loved Deep Autumn Heat! If you like romance mixed with suspense and drama, this should be on your TBR list!
Rating: A
Wine/Beverage Pairing: Gewürztraminer – perfect for sensitizing the palate before a meal (which is bound to be great if made by either Seb or Lexie!) and a total coincidence that the author loves it too (read on for the interview)! 
Interview with Elisabeth Barrett
Katie from K&W: Thanks for being on Kindles & Wine, Elisabeth! I fell in love a little bit with Star Harbor as I was reading this one! It looks like you’ve mirrored some of Star Harbor and the elements of this book after your own life and journey. Are any of the places or characters in Deep Autumn Heat based on real places or people?
Elisabeth Barrett: First of all, thanks for having me here on Kindles & Wine. I’m very happy to be with you today! And I’m glad you fell in love with Star Harbor. To be honest, so did I!
Now to answer your question: I think it’s inevitable that authors put a bit of themselves into everything they write. However, the only thing in the Star Harbor series that was modeled after something real is the town. I grew up in New England, and as a young woman was fortunate to live and work on Cape Cod. The town of Star Harbor is based on Falmouth (you heard it here first, folks!), and while some of Falmouth’s topography can be found in Deep Autumn Heat and the subsequent books in the series, none of the stores or buildings mentioned in the books are based on actual locations. I will also say that none of my characters are modeled after real people. Not even a little bit! Which is why I usually have such trouble when people ask me, “Who would play Seb in a movie?”
Katie: I would totally go to that movie! I peeked at your website and I love how you’ve made so many of the elements real, like the LM Kitchen! Clearly you love baking just like Lexie. Do you have a signature dish of your own? Perhaps coconut cake?
Elisabeth: Yes, I just love cooking and baking—especially baking! If I’m going to whip up something sweet, I make something chocolatey—like dense, rich brownies (Robert Linxe’s recipe is amazing). But then I eat them all (boo!). Unfortunately, Mr. B does not have a sweet tooth, so I end up baking for his poker group or his office to (a) keep my skills up; and (b) let someone else consume the calories. As far as cooking, I do have a signature dish of my own—a delicious stew made with ground beef, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, onions, and loads of green and red peppers. It’s a variation of my mother’s recipe, and I usually serve it with gnocchi or pasta.
And yes, I make coconut cake. In order to get Lexie’s Coconut Cake recipe just right, I must have made that cake (or a close variation) about fifteen times. I felt really bad for Mr. B who had to sample each version and then take the leftovers into work. Here’s a picture with me and Lexie’s Coconut Cake at the debut release party for Deep Autumn Heat. The cake was completely devoured within minutes of slicing. The final recipe is printed at the back of Blaze of Winter. If you want the recipe for the gluten-free version, please email me!
Me and Lexie’s Coconut Cake
Katie: Yes, I will have to try to make that cake! This book REALLY makes me wish that I could cook. I’d love to try those crab cakes they both make in the cook-off! What is your favorite food?
Elisabeth: Chocolate, in almost every form. But never with coffee. I hate coffee. *ducks the rotten tomatoes being thrown at computer screens everywhere*
Katie: No tomatoes from me – I’m not a big coffee drinker either, although I do enjoy the sweeter calorie-filled versions…
You started off the book with a poem: The Legend of the Lorelei. Will we be seeing more of the pirate theme throughout the series?
Elisabeth: Absolutely. The pirate theme ties all four novels together. I am a sucker for a good legend, and the Massachusetts Gold Coast pirates fit into Star Harbor just perfectly. It was also important for me to better connect the heroines in the series, given that they’re not related by blood (like the Grayson brothers).
Katie: I love the Grayson brothers! I have already started reading Blaze of Winter—Theo’s story—and I see that you have the other brothers’ stories planned out for 2013! Whose story is next and can you share any details about it?
Elisabeth: Actually, I really enjoyed writing all of the brothers. If you’ve started in on Blaze of Winter, you’ve probably realized that it’s a more introspective story than Deep Autumn Heat. It’s wintertime, so Theo and Avery have a lot of time to think about themselves and about each other. And solve a mystery. And fall in love, of course.
Cole’s story, Long Simmering Spring, comes out May 13, 2013, and has the distinction of containing the hottest sex scene I’ve written (to date). Here’s the official blurb:
Julie Kensington grew up in the same small town as the Grayson brothers and remembers when the boys were nothing but trouble. As teenagers, Cole’s rugged sex appeal set Julie’s heart ablaze, but she did her best to ignore it. Now a grown woman with a medical degree, Julie still can’t resist her searing attraction to the roughest, toughest Grayson. He’s ex-military, tormented, and sexier than ever, but are his wounds too deep to be healed by her loving, gentle touch?
Even back in high school, straight-arrow Julie had a way of making Cole think twice about his bad-boy lifestyle. When Julie decides she’s finally ready to embrace her wild side, Cole knows he is just the man to show her the way, unleashing years of pent-up desire. Neither of them counted on falling in love, but when Cole’s demons threaten to derail their relationship, it’s up to Julie to show him that together, they can overcome the past . . . and build a future.
Val’s story, Slow Summer Burn, will follow on August 12, 2013. Readers have been waiting a long time for both Cole’s and Val’s stories, and I hope the books don’t disappoint!
Katie: I have definitely become a fan of the series and will be reading both Cole and Val’s stories! We recently had a post here at K&W about our top reads of the year. If you had to choose your favorite books of 2012, what would you choose?
Elisabeth: Thank goodness you said books, plural, because choosing just one would be obscenely difficult. There are plenty of books I really enjoyed this past year, but a few really stood out:
Bossypants by Tina Fey. I have a girl-crush on Tina Fey and I’m not ashamed to admit it. She’s smart, funny, and a working mom, all of which comes through loud and clear in her intelligent, hilarious prose. That pretty much nails it for me. This book was published in 2011, but I read it in 2012, so that counts, right?
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Loved this one. This book was also published in 2011 and I read it in 2012 (sensing a pattern here?). It’s a love letter to NYC, totally Gatsby-esque, with gorgeous prose and thoughtful characterizations that linger long after the book is done.
On to the romance, which will all be 2012, I promise: The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst, About Last Night by Ruthie Knox, Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr, and Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis. As you might surmise, I read a lot of contemporary romance.
Katie: I have to say, I like contemporary romance a lot more than I ever thought I would. Everyone interviewed on Kindles & Wine has to answer these last two questions: If you had to choose: Kindle/eBook or print? (Don’t worry, we don’t discriminate on the basis of preferred book format!)
Elisabeth: Okay, you are not going to like my answer because I use both for different reasons, and I definitely wouldn’t give one up for the other. For my work as a writing coach (I teach literature, too), I absolutely need to have paper copies because I’m annotating, flipping back and forth, and pointing out passages for discussion, all of which are much more difficult on a digital device. For pleasure, I read everything on my Nook. It’s so convenient. And light!
Katie: And finally, what’s your favorite kind of wine? Or, if you’re not a wine drinker, what’s your beverage of choice?
Elisabeth: Ah, finally, an easy question! (Though I am from Connecticut, I live in Northern California, land of Great Wine.) I do enjoy a complicated, bold Syrah, but lately, I’ve been gravitating towards Gewürztraminers and Muscats. I’m really not sure why other than that they taste good and are easy drinking!
Thank you so much for having me as a guest on Kindles & Wine. I’ve really enjoyed being here! I’m happy to say I have one rare paper copy of Deep Autumn Heat to give away to an awesome K&W commenter. I love hearing about what others are reading, so why don’t you let me know what is on your TBR list for 2013?
Deep Autumn Heat Giveaway
Like she said above, Elisabeth is generously offering a rare print copy of Deep Autumn Heat to ONE lucky Kindles & Wine reader.
To enter for your chance to win, you must:
- Be a follower of our blog (click the floating Follow button in the lower-right corner of your browser), AND
- Hit the comments and tell Elisabeth what is on your TBR list for 2013.
Please note: This contest will close on Tuesday, January 15 at 11:59 PM (CST) and the winner will be notified via email on Wednesday, January 16.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Raised in a sleepy little Connecticut town, Elisabeth draws on her upbringing to write small-town romances. Her summers spent living and working on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard were the inspiration for the Star Harbor series, which kicked off with Deep Autumn Heat and Blaze of Winter, and continues with Long Simmering Spring.
Currently, Elisabeth lives in Northern California with her husband and three children. Find her online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
This series will definitely be on my TBR list of 2013. Plus I’m in the middle of The Lucky Harbor Series by Jill Shalvis, so plan on finishing that this year, hmm then Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis, really I still have half a bookcase full of TBR books, not to mention the long list I have on my Kobo e-reader. LOL
Excellent Fran! I’m sure this series won’t disappoint! I’ve also started reading the Lucky Harbor series!
Jill Shalvis is one of my fave authors..she’s got me laughing out loud at times. But I’ve got to know so many great authors, now that I’m following your site and other recommendation sites. Really I have so many books to read..I should stop buying..but it’s like an addiction..I can’t stop. LOL
I don’t think there’s a computer big enough for my TBR list. I have so many. It’s a sickness I’m sure there’s medication for it. Lol.
I’m looking forward to reading the new books from… Jennifer Ashley, Maya Banks, Karin Tabke, Katie Lane, Jill Shalvis, cheyenne McCray, Leah Braemel, jess Michaels Mary Wine, Sarah MacLean oh so many.
I’d also like to read your series and Bella Andres Sullivan’s, Lori Fosters I could continue but I think now everyone can see what my small library room may look like. Lol.
Wow Lori! That is quite a list
I have a very large TBR stack. I am ashamed to admit most are from last years reading list. However I will be adding Elisabeth’s series to my stack along with Sherrilyn Kenyon’s newest book. I will also add others that I see and want over the next few months
Thanks,
Lori
Lori- I’m so glad you’ll be adding the Star Harbor series to your TBR stack! A lot of my list this year is from years past as well!
Thanks for a great interview! Elizabeth your series has been on my TBR for awhile now. I have the first book waiting on my kindle! My TBR is miles long but some authors I want to read are Jill Shalvis, Maya Banks’ last 2 in the KGI series, and Karen Marie Moning’s Iced. I’m also looking forward to KMM’s next Fever book featuring Mac and Jericho, and Ilona Andrews’ next Kate Daniels installment. Thanks for the contest!
KMM has been on my TBR list forever! Must read her!!
I read many genres, but almost all are by women authors…TBR list includes Karen White, Sarah MacLean, Jill Shavis, Kristan Higgins, etc…
Enjoyed the review, Katie! This year I am working my way through the Maisie Dobbs series. I first heard about Jacqueline Winspear’s books through your blog. I am on the fourth book now!
First of all, I LOVE to cook. Sunny can tell you that! I’m so grateful for the reviewers on this blog…because my TBR list is growing and with books and authors I am not familiar with. I can’t wait to add this to my TBR list. I just updated my Goodreads and added Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series. I’d also like to read Bared to You, Reflected in You and Entwined in You…but will have to wait until Entwined in You is released. I just know once I start I will want to read all three books back to back. Gina Maxwell’s Seducing Cinderella is on my list but…again, another series and not all books are ready for release. : ) I’ve made a goal for me to take time out of every day for ME to read and hope to accomplish that and add and cross books off my TBR list left and right!! Great review!!!
Hi, Katie! Your post inspired me because of the second-to-last sentence. I love the fact that you’re making YOU a priority! That is just awesome.
Yep, I can attest to Katie’s joy for baking! I got the benefit on my birthday as she made an excellent better than sex cake.
Like Elisabeth, I am so proud that you are taking time for you! Read, girl, read!
By the way, good to be read list for 2013, and I am excited that as your list grows you are adding them to GoodReads. Such a great tool for this.
Thanks Katie and Elisabeth for a great interview. My TBR for 2013 is long!!! Cole is my favorite brother, so can’t wait for his and Julie’s story…..Ruthie Knox has her Camelot series coming up, and Julieanne Reeves, Hayden Braeburn, and so many other great authors have books coming out in 2013! It’s a good thing I’m retired, I just LOVE reading! Thank you Katie and Kindles and Wine for your great reviews and interviews!
Hi, Pat! Happy New Year! I know you have been waiting for Cole for a long time, and I hope you love the book! I’m also eagerly waiting for Ruthie’s Camelot series!!
This sounds like a book that must go on my tbr list.. I already love this series.
What’s on my reading list for 2013. Well here are just a few.
The Best Man by Kristin Higgins
Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart
#1 on my 2013 TBR is The Friday Harbor Series.
Great review and interview!! I used to be more of a baker but have actually involved into more of a “cooker.” Baking is soooo precise, and most of the things *I* made weren’t very good for me (but oh so delish!)…so I worked on becoming a better cook. Now I stink as a baker!! The Coconut cake sounds fantastic!
As for what to read this year…I head on vacation Friday night and created a new Kindle collection called “vacation tbr.” It has 25 books in it. We’re only gone for a week and a half!! LOL I will not get them all read while we’re gone. I’ve been saving a bunch of sequels for this vacay…The Scourge of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler, Lies by Michael Grant, The Twelve by Justin Cronin (*squeal*), and The Death Cure by James Dashner. I have a number of new-to-me dystopia lined up too…Legend by Marie Lu, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Pure by Julianna Baggott.
And just *boatloads* more books I’m super excited about – some of which I picked up from our readers posting their favs of 2012!!
Maybe I won’t come back from vacay and I’ll just stay there and read. LOLOLOL
Great plan, Heather! Now that I have gone 95% digital, it will be more fun to go on vacations (no more heavy books of bags for me). Enjoy your trip!
Great review, Katie, and I loved this interview! The Star Harbor series has been on my TBR since the first book was released…I definitely need to bump it up.
My TBR was ridiculously long before I started this blog, so you can all imagine what it looks like now. Off the top of my head, I want to finish the Travises series by Lisa Kleypas and try one of her historicals, the Sullivans series by Bella Andre, the KGI series by Maya Banks, the In Death series by J.D. Robb…those are all new- or newish-to-me romance authors. I also have Divergent, Bossypants, Quiet, Blackberry Winter, and a few Harlan Coben titles high on my non-romance list.
My most anticipated 2013 releases include Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas, Love Irresistibly by Julie James, and It Had To Be You by Jill Shalvis. I will drop everything I am doing and read those books the day they come out and not stop reading until I am finished.
My TBR list is a mile long, and it’s always tempting to feel like I’m “falling behind” on my list, especially because, like you, I have whole series to catch up on. But reading is so pleasurable for me, even when i’m doing it for work, that it’s getting easier for me to just embrace the fun and the ebbs and flows of my list.
And thank you and Katie for hosting me today! I love being here!
And we love having you!
Well Miss KG, since you have given me such great suggestions before, it looks like I have more to add to my TBR list. Maybe I should make a new shelf in GoodReads called KG recommended (will be exceptional).
Aww, that’d be super cool to have a GRs bookshelf dedicated to my recs. You’re so freaking organized over there! And I just hopped over to GRs and saw you’ve already updated your TBR with these titles!!? The Procrastination Queen in me is quite impressed!
Lets see… where should I begin? The new Maya Banks’ series Rush, Fever, and Burn, Elizabeth Essex’s Breath of Scandal, JR Ward’s Lover At Last, Ruthie Knox’s new series, and anything by Kristen Higgins.
Well, it sounds like Elisabeth Barrett’s Deep Autumn Heat and others in the series will be on my must read list for 2013! Great review, Katie and wonderful interview to you both!
Besides the wonderful books I get to review for the blog in the upcoming months, the others that are high on my list are thanks to the best of 2012 here at K&W. I want to read the Tana French Dublin Murder Squad series, Gone Girl (although I am like 90th on the waiting list from the digital library), blackberry Winter, and the new releases from authors I have already had the privilege to review (Gina Maxwell, Christy Barth, Taryn Elliott, Keri Ford, etc.). I am like Kindle Gal and the world will need to stop when Julie James releases love Irresistably. I did also just start reading Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
I am trying to create a good mix of reading to read vs reading to review. That will be my priority in 2013.
Thanks again, Katie and Elisabeth!
Thanks for having me, Sunny! I love that you’re doing a good mix of books for reading/reviewing – that’s the way to do it. Some for pleasure, some for work! I read totally differently when I’m doing an analysis than when I’m just reading for fun. Both have their merits (and demerits!).
I’m slowly moving away from historical romance, and so I am looking for new (to me) contemporary romance authors. I’ve always read contemporary and romantic suspense, so I’ve got a list of auto-buy authors, but now I’m looking for more!
I’m relatively new to all these wonderful blogs from my favorite or soon-to-be favorite authors. I just joined kindles and wine. It’s exactly how I like to read–a glass of wine in one hand, the kindle in the other. I’m meeting so many new authors. And so many have written series. So I think I’m going to make a spreadsheet and list all the authors I enjoy who have done series. I’m into Susan Mallery’s books right now. Fool’s Gold Series and the Blackberry Island Series. But I have Christina Dodd back on my list for 2013. She has her Scarlet Deception Novels that I haven’t read. I don’t like to take a ‘series’ book out of order. I’ve done that with Stephanie Laurens books and I need to start reading her Bastion Club series from the beginning and the Cynster novels. Elisabeth Barrett is a new author to me and her story plot sounds like fun. So she’s going to have to get on my list, too. Once I get hooked on a series, I end up reading them over and over. Christine Feehan’s Dark Series, I’ve read probably 6 times.
Thanks for following us, Eileen! We’re so happy you have joined our madness!
Elisabeth I am lucky I have your book and I loved it so just wanted to tell you.
Thanks, Kelly! I’m so glad you loved it! Okay, I’m officially doing my happy dance now.
Dense Chocolate Brownies!!!
I’m reading Caro’s Poker Tells- not much romance but plenty of action!
Susan mallery , jill shalvis, christine ridgeway and this book sounds great
Great review and interview! I made the mistake of reading this book into the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, I spent the night in the kitchen snacking while reading. I really enjoyed this book and liked Theo’s story more.
Looking forward to Val and Cole’s stories which are of course on the TBR list along with the new books coming from Jessica Scott, Ruthie Knox, Pamela Clare, Julie Ann Walker, Jill Shalvis, Shannon Stacey, and Marie Force to name a few.
Hi, Colleen! Great to hear from you! I just read my first Shannon Stacey book last week and LOVED it, so I’m on board for more from her.
Oooh, this series for sure–I’ve been meaning to start it for a while, and this interview definitely bumps it up the list. I’ve got a lot of authors I love on my TBR list for either new books or books I need to catch up on–Kristan Higgins, Jill Shavis, Sarah MacLean, Julie James, Molly Harper, Jennifer Ashley, Eloisa James, Shannon Stacey, and…I’m sure I’m forgetting about a million more. Too much pressure! New-to-me authors I’m dying to try include Ruthie Knox, Molly O’Keefe, Julia London, Beth Kery, Elle Kennedy, Sarah Mayberry…again, I know I’m forgetting a ton. Oh, and I’m about 80% done with a Lisa Marie Rice book, which I’m loving, so I’m going to have to add more of hers to the list too. Darn it, why must I work and sleep?
I have on my TBR list, Elisabeth Barrett, some of the other LS books, Marie Force, Bernadette Marie, some more of the Lora Leigh and Lori Foster books and what ever else suit my fancy…….
Hi!
Right now the only book that comes to mind is, “Lover at Last” by J R Ward. My TBR list is never ending. Thank you for sharing your work! Looking forward to the read.
I have a long TBR list and it is constantly growing. In January I am most looking forward to Shannon Stacey’s All He Ever Dreamed. After that, it is hard to keep track! Thank goodness for Goodreads so I can keep track of them all. I haven’t read anything from Elizabeth Barrett yet, so I am looking forward to reading one of hers.
Can-t wait to read this!I have the new Kristin Higgins book on my TBR. It comes out in Feb.
I have a few on my list, but Sultry with a Twist by Macy Beckett is next up.
I have a whole bookshelf full of Kristin Hannah and Barbara Delinsky novels that I’ve picked up the past few years in the Used Books section of B&N. (These women are two of my favorite writers of contemporary women’s fiction.) However, it seems that every time I’m ready to start one of these books, a friend will hand me a book and say that I “just have to read it.” I am easily seduced by a personal recommendation of a book. BUT, this year I am determined to start working on that bookshelf, so I can pass the books on to someone else and make room for more books!
Personal recommendations are the best, though, especially if it’s someone you trust! I have one friend who likes to give me book recs and honestly, she’s never wrong about what I’ll like. It’s okay to give into the seduction, but I think it’s awesome that you’re determined to start working on your own bookshelf!
I’m late to posting here -but great review Katie! And great commeting question. I”m just going to swoop in now and “take” all the book recommendations
I’m planning to check out Iced by Karen Marie Moning and HP Mallory’s newest Dulcie O’neil book. I’m also looking into KG’s recommendations of Julie James.