HOW TO KNIT A WILD BIKINI

Author: Christie Ridgway ISBN: 9780425221938 6/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: BERKLEY

The beachslde shop Malibu & Ewe has become the knitting hot spot, the perfect place for L.A.'s hip, young crowd to enjoy some colorful yarn and intimate conversation. Just ask chef Nikki Carmlchael. It could be the softest place for her to land if her new job falls through... With a bum knee, Nikki's days of restaurant work are numbered, so she's set her sights on becoming a private chef. But her trial run with magazine editor Jay Buchanan comes with some strange conditions—like pretending to be his girlfriend. If that's not bad enough, trying to please Jay's picky palate has Nikki running to Malibu & Ewe for a little stress relief—and to put some space between her and his perfectly toned body. As for Jay, he's given up women for the year—but finds himself drawn to the kitchen, where he's intrigued by his sexy cook's ability to withstand the heat between them. He thinks it's time to turn up the flames...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Fast-paced, fun and wonderfully romantic, HOW TO KNIT A WILD BIKINI is the perfect summer read! I loved it! Honestly, my only problem was that I was sad when it ended... I wanted the story to go on because I was having such a good time reading it.
 
When a restaurant chef is forced to make a drastic career change because her bad knee requires surgery she can't (in her mind, anyway) have, her life takes an interesting twist. Nikki advertises her services as a personal chef and, before she knows it, she gets a message telling her to show up for an interview in Malibu. And, just to make it interesting, she's to bring along a sample of the very best cookies she makes. When she goes for the interview, though, she meets a magazine writer who has just made the unfortunate decision to swear off women for the next twelve months. The laughs begin in earnest when one of Jay's neighbors comes in through the back door and Jay pulls Nikki into a passionate, showy embrace.
 
What begins as a charade for Jay and just a job for Nikki becomes a romance that is highly entertaining. Christie Ridgway's characters are so full of life and sexy beyond words, they kept me smiling the whole way through. I devoured this book and I believe anyone who's looking for a spicy love story will, too. And while this is, on the surface at least, a tale of fun in the sun beside the ocean, there is a deeper thread running through it. Nikki's knee is only the symptom of a trust issue and Jay's lady-hopping ways smack of commitment fear, but when love blooms in the kitchen, they find a way to happiness despite their private shadows.
 
HOW TO KNIT A WILD BIKINI is delightful!

Kay James