YOU'RE THE ONE – Robin Kaye
Bad Boys of Red Hook , Book 2
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 978-0-451-41356-7
June 2013
Contemporary Romance

Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York – Present Day

Logan Blaise has a successful career at Billingsley Wines and is engaged to Payton Billingsley.  He and Payton have a comfortable relationship, and that's all Logan expects.  He isn't sure he even knows how to love anyone.  When his brother Storm and his new bride Bree go on their honeymoon, Logan agrees to come home to Red Hook for a brief stay to take care of his father, Pete Calihan (Pops), who is recuperating from by-pass surgery, and to meet his newest “sister,” ten-year old Nikki.  Nikki is the latest foster child that Pops has taken in, and she might be more than just Logan's foster sister.  Only a paternity test will tell.  Logan not only has to run the restaurant, The Crow's Nest, he has to watch his father like a hawk to make sure he follows doctor's orders and also somehow learn to be a father.  And, as if that isn't enough for a bachelor to deal with, their chef has a family emergency and has to leave immediately.  Now Logan has to find a replacement chef…fast.

Skye Maxwell is the youngest of five and the only girl.  She has spent the last thirty years in the shadow of her brothers.  She works in her oldest brother's restaurants, one of a chain of Maxwell restaurants, and has been relegated to handling the business side of the business, even though her first love is cooking.  Skye fully expects to be given her own restaurant for her birthday; after all, her four older brothers received theirs on their thirtieth birthdays.  To say Skye is disappointed when she doesn't get one would be an understatement.  She's dreamed of having her own restaurant, her own kitchen where she can create the delicious foods she is an expert at.  Fed up with her overbearing family, Skye quits her job working for her oldest brother, Patrick, and heads to the opposite coast.  Skye needs a job and is determined to prove to herself and to her family that she deserves a restaurant of her own.  Is it if fate or fortune that just when Skye is in need of a job a “help wanted” sign is posted for a cook? 

When Logan Blaise went home to Red Hook, he thought it was temporary, and he would soon be back to his high-society life and his cold emotionless fiancée.  When Skye took the job as a cook, she thought it was temporary, and she would soon be able to prove to her family she has what it takes to run her own restaurant.  What neither of them was looking for or expected was love.

YOU'RE THE ONE is an engaging contemporary romance about two people who were meant to be together.  But before they can have their happily ever after, there are a few hurdles they will need to overcome.  Logan doesn't believe he can love and so is satisfied with his relationship with Payton; that is, until Nikki steals his heart and he finds himself falling hard for Skye.  He's an honorable guy despite his desire for Skye; it isn't until he breaks if off with Payton that he lets his feelings for Skye show.  Skye is a child of privilege, as is Payton, but the difference between them is Skye is real, has a heart, and is compassionate.  While both were raised in similar surroundings they could not be more different.  Skye fights her feelings for Logan, but once his engagement is off she finds it harder and harder to resist the sexy temptation he offers.  However, despite her confidence in the kitchen, Skye is wary of giving her heart – especially when Logan could just be on the rebound.

Filled with humor and warmth, YOU'RE THE ONE will delight readers.  Filled will a cast of memorable characters, a fast pace, and delightful dialogue, the reader will have a hard time putting the book down.  I particularly enjoyed the fact that the characters actually communicate with each other; there is no guessing.  That is perhaps why the “misunderstanding” due to Skye's refusal to even talk to Logan toward the end annoyed me a bit.  They had done so well up to that point, and while I know the author was looking for a “big” conclusion, I really wish she had chosen another device to achieve it.  Despite that, I do recommend the book.  Several secondary characters are worth mentioning.  Pops is a charming former ex-cop with a heart of gold; Nikki is an engaging ten year old who has had to deal with being abandoned by her mother; and Rocki, a friend of the family, is just crying out for her own story.  Based on the brief glimpse we get of Slater, the third brother, I believe Rocki and Slater will be the stars of the next book in this entertaining series.  For a fast and enjoyable read, grab a copy of YOU'RE THE ONE, and be sure to pick up the first book in the series, BACK TO YOU.

Terrie Figueroa