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Fire and Fury #5

Taste the Heat

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That crazy redhead.

Little did people know how much those words stung. Lovers would peg Keith as obnoxious, too moody, overactive, and move on.

Then he meets chef Jonathan Hunt, who makes his mouth water. Meaty, bulging biceps. A voice smooth as honey. Solid, brooding and strong. He’s a heartier fare than what Keith would normally choose, but he might be the missing ingredient in Keith's abysmal social life.

To Jonathan, Keith is a picture-perfect dish. Eyes as blue as the ocean, killer grin, high cheekbones, a sprinkle of freckles peppering his nose. Sure, he’s got a pinch of selfish, a tad bit of spoiled, and heaping spoonfuls of artistic bravado and humor. Even so, something about this goofy redhead makes Jonathan crave more.

But will Keith still think Jonathan is the hottest thing on the menu when he discovers he’s got a kid back at home?

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 28, 2020

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About the author

Avery Kingston

10 books321 followers
Avery Kingston writes sexy, emotional romance featuring wounded characters at a high heat level.

Avery is a wife to a man who’s demons play well with hers. Mom to a slew of crazy kids. Dog lover. Crazy cat lady. Artist. Free spirit. Lover of unusual beauty. Fitness junkie. Collector of boots and fonts. Angsty drama addict and avid wearer of yoga pants.

Avery is a military wife and a sucker for a good wounded hero story. She set out to write stories where the leading characters were smart, sexy, confident and strong. Avery began writing the type of romance novels she would want to read. Stories about real couples, wounded either physically or emotionally, with an open door into their steamy bedroom.

Avery loves to hear from her readers! Please contact her at [email protected]

Avery loves to be social. Follow Avery on Facebook
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5 stars
38 (62%)
4 stars
14 (22%)
3 stars
6 (9%)
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2 (3%)
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1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Candace Tidwell.
326 reviews39 followers
February 15, 2020
Avery you exceeded my expectations! Taste the Heat is stunning and had me completely enthralled.
Johnathan and Keith's story melted my heart and it was an absolute joy to read. Every love story has its hurdles and trials. This is no different but the way it evolves is truly spectacular. If you have read the previous books your interests are already piqued. Dont pass up a chance to read about everyone's favorite best friend, Keith.
I have read Avery's books from the beginning and she completely outdid herself in Tast the Heat. The caliber of her writing is remarkable.
Profile Image for Book Boyfriend Whoarder Mari.
686 reviews216 followers
February 9, 2020
It’s hard to put into words how a book has shaken you. Your emotions are all over the place, you’re left speechless yet want to give so much praise. And I hope I do this book the justice it deserves.

But it is simple really.

Johnathan and Keith are everything I wasn’t expecting and everything I needed.

Real emotions play out with each character. Insecurities being their own worst enemy and being showcased completely here. Some may find these characters not being able to emphasize and rush to conclusions, their flaws unappealing, but what Avery Kingston does here is uncover complete real fears we all have and can relate to. We connect to these character beyond their fictional dilemas.

The vulnerability we see with both Keith and Jonathan was too raw. It caught me off guard. Emotions I didn’t know I’d feel, came forward. Their pain, I felt. Their loss, I felt. Their fear, I felt. I felt so much for both these men. I saw myself in both these men. My connection with them will forever be linked. I will always feel them.

Mental illness sometimes takes a backroad when it comes to fictional characters in the romance world. It’s not talked about much because it’s not sexy, it’s not romantic. Guess what? It’s a real issue that real people struggle each and everyday. It’s not pretty, it’s not easy, but reading about a hero in a story who is struggling to keep up float and is working through his issues, finds love and allows himself to be loved? That is beautiful and worth reading.

Top read of 2020 for me, hands down, I cannot see how this story will ever be topped.

Jonathan and Keith forever.
Profile Image for Annabelle Costa.
Author 31 books330 followers
March 1, 2020
I absolutely love Keith in this story. I always thought of him as Tori’s slightly annoying friend, but he totally came into his own. I wanted him to be my BFF. And his struggle with anxiety was so realistic that I wanted to give him a hug. I loved how he and Jonathan fit together and I was rooting for the two of them all the way. I want more books with these two!
Profile Image for DMCechak.
1,639 reviews19 followers
February 10, 2020
I think you should know before reading Taste the Heat, by Avery Kingston, that you will never be the same. You will NEED to be part of her tribe and live through her characters.

This book is fantastic. Having read Avery Kingston’s series (Fire and Fury), there are connections I make that a reader, reading this as a standalone, would not (So you should definitely read each and every single one in the series.) But this story is so strong on its own, you will be proudly sharing the triumph of reading it with all your reading pals!

Avery is so creative. She is able to sprinkle bits of her other characters throughout this book, without it feeling like a repeat of her other books. That takes talent.

This book is based on ‘secondary’ characters, but they became my whole focus, even though I love Scott and Tori. Seeing through Keith and Jonathan’s eyes was so intense! She brought them to life in the forefront.

I was sad, and excited, and filled with lust and love. I watched Keith bloom, then self-combust...the funeral seen? I had to stop reading from sobbing.

I feel blessed to have found an author with such authenticity in her writing style.

Please! Please! Please! keep writing with such heart!
Because these damn characters have my heart!
7 reviews
February 19, 2020
I could not wait to get my hands on Keith's and Jonathan's story. It is a standalone m/m romance, but I recommend to read the other books of the Fire and Fury series first. So you will also have a background to the story of Keith best friend Vic and you will definitly already fall in love with the happy and funny Keith. After reading Taste the Heat, I'm even more smitten than ever, getting to know Keith on a deeper level. The story broke my heart more than once and made my cry a lot for both of them. It is refreshing to read a m/m romance which not focuses only on the problem of the sexuality. Sure there are some issues, but I love how comfortable both characters are in being homosexual, even if it hasnt been the case for both of them in the past. The story contains mental illness, depression, anxiety and fear of commitment and loss. I have never been in a situation like this, but through this story you get a feeling how hard it must be to suffer from this kind of illness, how hard it is to see yourself worth of a happy future. But to read how the characters develop themselves, getting help and finding each other, is worth all the heart break. I'm so happy for my beloved redhead, Jonathan and little Mari. Thanks Avery for another piece of the story. I hope you won't let us wait too long for the next book.
Profile Image for Stefanie.
662 reviews
February 24, 2020
Wow!! This is why Avery is my one click author! She weaves an intricate story that will keep you wanting more. I read it in one sitting, just couldn't put Keith's story down. I loved every second of his story.
I have wanted Keith's story from the first book, where he was the funny friend and Tori's BFF. Now Keith has become so much more complex, raw, grittier than the cookie-cutter friend.

Keith and Jonathan's story had me on emotional rollercoaster ride. It tore me up and broke my heart for these two men who love too much and feel too much. It was extremely raw and unfiltered. I loved that it didn't shy away from several.
Jonathan's side was intense and wrecked me as well. The scenes with is nana, I could feel everything he was going through. I could see where Johnathan was coming from, knowing his background. You just feel for them both.
I have to, say this is Avery's best book yet!! I LOVED, LOVED this book!!!
Profile Image for Shelby.
1,392 reviews38 followers
March 1, 2020
This book was a lot more emotional than I was expecting! Although, I should probably have expected it with the depth and emotions that the other books in this series contained! Jonathan and Keith were a great couple, I was rooting for them right from the start. There was SO much more to Keith than what we ever got a glimpse of in the previous books. At first I didn't think I'd like the fact that the timeline for this story matched up with the timing of Tori's accident and recovery...for a little bit at the beginning I was wishing it took place later...more around the time frame of book 4 in this series or later. However, it turned out that I loved getting Keith's side of things to know exactly what he was dealing with and going through during the days around Tori's accident. I also loved that the author tackled some tough topics such as mental illness in this story. Great book, great series!
Profile Image for Erin Figueiredo.
3,291 reviews70 followers
February 28, 2020
Phenomenal Story!

What an amazing and utterly phenomenal story this is. It had me laughing out loud and crying the ugly cry. I was completely enthralled and utterly captivated by these amazing characters.

Keith and Jonathan’s story will throw your emotions into a whirlwind of intense heartbreak and utter love. Their journey to be together is one filled with vulnerability, love, joy and heartache. Keith and Jonathan melted my heart and made me absolutely fall in love with them. And little Mari is one very special character that will have you gushing with intense love for her.

This amazing author delves into the heartbreaking world of mental illness with this story. She writes it beautifully and with such emotion that it oozes off the pages and fills our hearts with ache and love. This story was phenomenal from beginning to end and I loved every second of it. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Daniella Marchand.
399 reviews4 followers
March 10, 2020
Keith is the crazy read head with mood swings, sometimes is too happy then down low, too active then not...
Jonathan is a chef, that Keith meets when he had a date with a dork. They hit it right away, but both have secret.

The story is full of emotions, when one struggles with mental illness and t, trying to solve all his problems on his own without asking help from other but helping his friends in time of need. The other guy with being a father after his one night with his best (girl) friend. I fel all the things they went tru, it was a wow story and hope to read more. My 1st story of the author left me to wanting to read others of her :)

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Courtney Turner.
1,710 reviews4 followers
March 4, 2020
These men have a complicated love story. It’s fun and sweet but also sad and heartbreaking. Keith seems like he has it all but his a mess and so is his mind. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart it depicts mental illness. You just want to wrap both men in huge hugs and take all their pain away. You will love this couple and their crazy love story. I sure did

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
286 reviews1 follower
March 4, 2020
Seriously this was a great story. I loved the reality of Jonathon and Keith's relationship. This was a true love with real life mixed in. I really loved how the author wrote their story. I loved the issues and the resolution to them. Again, a real life romance and true love. I loved this book and look forward to reading more from this author. This was my first book by her and I look forward to more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jeanie.
148 reviews
March 5, 2020
Sassy

For a first M/M was a great treat. Loved both Keith and Jonathan. Have got such a kick out of your whole “family” of characters.
9,070 reviews120 followers
February 25, 2020
Book five in the Fire and Fury series brings Keith and Johnathan's story. The author does a great job building both the characters and story line and filling it with tons of emotions , bringing a realistic read. She does a beautiful job showing their struggles and fears dealing with their issues. She brings a bit of everything .. humor,romance and a steamy chemistry. It's well written,moves fluidly with detailed and descriptive scenes and had me glued to the pages reading. Well done!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Profile Image for Ida Jolley.
731 reviews15 followers
February 15, 2020
Avery has a way of drawing you into her books and keeping you hooked till the end. The love and passion she puts into her stories are felt through her series. Same as in this book. Taste the Heat. This story is an emotional one, dealing with sensitive issues, and feelings.
I also loved this story very much. I have dealt with this in my own family. It is also heartbreaking, sad and frustrating. At times you don’t know what to do. Just like Keith did. You are scared, afraid, always looking for answers. Wondering will he ever be happy and will he find someone to love him. He found Jonathan. It took some time, some explaining, but he did find him after he got himself straightened out.
The author did an amazing job with this subject. I always enjoy reading her works, and I look forward to reading her next book. I highly recommend her books to everyone. ❤️
Profile Image for DK Marie.
Author 7 books118 followers
February 25, 2020
I'm a fan of Avery's books, so I jumped at the chance to read her newest story, Taste the Heat. It was everything I love about Kingston's books. She tackles serious issues using her signature combination of heat, humor, and, of course, romance.

I've always liked Keith (he was a secondary character in the previous books of the series), but him taking center stage surpassed my expectations. In the other stories, I adored his quirkiness, humor, and his friendship with Tori. In this book, I saw all of him, and it made for such a compelling story. I saw the side he kept hidden, the parts that scared and ashamed him. Kingston got very real with Keith's internal battles (I won't say more because I feel its a spoiler, taking away from the flow and unfolding of the story).

Taste the Heat begins with a cute-meet I loved. Right from the get-go, Keith and Jonathan's personality shine bright. They are both flawed and imperfect, but such good people, you can't help but love them and cheer for their HEA.

Oh, and when Keith learns of Jonathan's daughter, Mari (I freaking love that little girl), Keith's shocked and blundering texts were priceless. This was one of many scenes that had me laughing. Don't get me wrong, this book has lots of very serious moments, but Kingston knows how to sprinkle laughter throughout, keeping everything from getting too heavy.

Also, it should be noted. While the first three books must be read in order, this one could be a stand-alone. So if you adore M/M romances or love everything you've heard about this book, but don't want to start from the beginning, go ahead and dive in. I highly recommend it (Although you're missing out on some great stories if you do skip reading the other four previous books).

I loved this story. It makes me want to go back and read the ones in the series, as I eagerly anticipate and wait for book #6!
Profile Image for Kari.
259 reviews
April 3, 2022
While this book is a standalone, there are characters and events from Avery Kingston’s Fire and Fury series that explains more in depth about. But this book is a standalone and can be read as one.

Keith meets Jonathan, the chef owner of a restaurant when Keith’s date attempts to get his dinner recooked. There’s chemistry between Jonathan and Keith. There’s heat. And then real life starts to creep in.

We all know that real life isn’t always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. Mental illness affects a lot of us. And Keith and Jonathan’s relationship comes into question if a few things don’t get addressed.

This book is a definite must read. And it’s a Top Read for 2020.
846 reviews3 followers
March 28, 2020
Keith and Jonathan meet at a bad date, at a nice restaurant. But a family emergency pulls Keith away. And Jonathan does not have a number. They felt a connection between just by chatting but does not go anywhere, because an employee from the restaurant does not pass msg from Keith to Jonathan, and Keith decides to redo with the guy from the bad date. Times pass by until they cross paths with each other. In the time away we start to see that Keith is not all right at times when he tries to be strong for everybody. Jonathan is learning to let go of the person he saw as a parent, and loss of friendship and be a good dad. When they reconnect they strive for a chance at happiness. But each has baggage that leads into struggles between them. Jonathan jumping into major assumptions with little evidence, and Keith trying to hide his anxiety and need for medications. These pushes challenges pushes them apart, even when they need each other. I'm glad Jonathan was able to believe his daughter when she stated that Keith was in danger. Keith was saved and reconnected to his family. Keith and Jonathan reconnect and make a choice to move forward together. I hope we get to see more of this lovely couple.
Profile Image for Paige IRB.
465 reviews
April 14, 2020
Ohhhh Keith

So I will start with saying I usually do not read M/M romance novels. But I have adored Keith since the beginning of the Fire and Fury series. Plus I love Avery as an author so I couldn’t pass it up. Let’s just say I adored Keith before and now I’m just overwhelming in love with him. He was so genuine and kind and had flaws that were so relatable. I will be honest. It took me 300 pages to like Jonathon. He made me angry at times but I think he was a good character for how most people view mental illness as “pill popping”. Which is very far from the truth. But he redeemed himself with the rain scene. So I’ll forgive him.

Great book. Wonderful emotions. Just read it!
Profile Image for Cynthia Brooks.
2,017 reviews10 followers
March 12, 2020
Keith and Jonathan meet and are attracted to each other. Keith wants something more with Jonathan but he has a secret that might keep them apart. I really enjoyed this book.
15 reviews
June 22, 2020
Too hot to handle

I’ve followed the characters in Avery’s world since the beginning and I couldn’t be happier that Keith found his happily ever after.

This is Avery’s first LGBTQ+ book and she hit it out of the park.

From the horrible date that brought Jonathan and Keith together to the Easter eggs of information from previous books, I was hooked from the first page.

I cried with kitty as he lost Jonathan because of his voices and insecurities. Not to mention his history of anxiety problems. I felt for both men as they tried to work their lives to find their way back to each other.

Not going to lie thought, Mari, Jonathan kid totally stole the show. She was adorable and I kept wanting more scenes with her and the men.

I would definitely recommend this book, over and over again. Avery rocked this genre and every book I’ve read so far. Can’t wait for what comes next for these characters.
Profile Image for Jill Lewis.
431 reviews14 followers
September 29, 2023
Keith hit me in the feels. Hard. I loved him as Tori's fun-loving, supportive best friend who always knows the perfect thing to say in the previous books. I wasn't expecting him to come for us with such depth and emotion as he fought himself, and when he decides to fight for Jonathan and his daughter. Keith and Jonathan are two beautiful, vulnerable souls that I absolutely could not get enough of.
Profile Image for Chantal Baxendale.
385 reviews4 followers
September 14, 2020
This story took me by surprise. It made me feel so much! I cried, I laughed, I giggled and had a knot in my throat more often than not. Fabulous story! I can't get enough of these characters and the back story about mental health was heartbreaking. I want to read more about Mari and her 'gift'. Loved every moment of this emotional read.
Profile Image for Olivia.
1,218 reviews65 followers
November 26, 2021
This book was so white as well as just being bad. Like it took till page 300 to get to a real plot and then we had a time jump and then everything was like magically fixed. There was entire plot points that just disappeared. A lot of stuff was just left unfinished too and also I never could get myself to gaf abt any of the characters. Also the epilogue was still like messy
Profile Image for Tammy Barrentine.
347 reviews12 followers
July 26, 2020
I enjoyed this book so much!! I cried for Keith who wanted to be there for everyone but didn't take care of himself. Jonathan was good for him and I was so happy when they got back together. Great book!!
Profile Image for Ashley Allen.
720 reviews1 follower
December 10, 2020
Keith’s turn

Ahh this book was an emotional one for me!! But I’m so glad that we get to see more of Keith and who he really is. The couple is sexy as ever and the storyline was beautiful.
778 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2022
Really good book

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was great. There were happy parts of the story but also sad parts but very well done. The characters were great as always.
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