The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen

Not only was The Slow Burn a new release, but it was also immediately available on Kindle Unlimited. That was a nice touch.

Kit's a Michelin-star chef at the top of her game, but her restaurant burns to the ground, and her boyfriend dumps her on the same night. She goes from always being in the kitchen to having nothing to do.

Her best friend pushes her to go to Italy and fill in as her nonna's sous-chef for the summer. It isn't ideal to Kit, but it will do.

Kit never expects to be drawn into the quiet Italian life. She never expects to meet a man she can't get enough of, even if it's just for a few months, and then must end when she returns to NYC.

The term slow burn was fitting, as the story did seem to build to the fiery passion between Kit and Nico.

I loved the setting and felt like I was there. The descriptions of the different pasta dishes and the process to make olive oil appealed to the foodie in me.

The romance didn't take center stage, and I appreciate that it didn't focus more on the romance than on the community, friendships, and food. That made it a cozy read for cold winter nights. I enjoyed it,