Forbidden Love (Shen)

This old flame just might set them on fire. Conceited, unattainable, and downright delicious, renowned Michelin-starred chef Ambrose Casablancas has one passion in life: food. Women are a distraction, and he doesn't do those. Especially Cal Litvin, his baby sister's best friend. Her entire existence is a complication; she's awkward, eccentric, infuriating... And, much to his chagrin, hotter than his kitchen. Ambrose has a lot on his plate: a new restaurant to open, a multi-million-dollar property deal to execute, and a violent stalker to tame. Then Cal shows up at his doorstep, looking for both a job and salvation after their messy goodbye. His resolve, like his patience, is ebbing each day she works at his restaurant. Because Cal is no longer a doe-eyed girl. Now? She's the woman he'll do anything to conquer. *** Quirky, compassionate ball of sunshine Calla Litvin can't catch a break, and not just because she swore off running. Back in her hometown to nurse her mother's broken heart after losing her father, she finds herself jobless, hopeless, and penniless. She hopes to rekindle her friendship with her former BFF, but Dylan is attached at the hip to her cruel brother, the one Cal's been secretly crushing on since middle school. Falling for the bad boy the second time around would be a mistake of gargantuan proportions. Too bad she's always been clumsy. “Truly, Madly, Deeply” is a grumpy x sunshine, enemies-to-lovers romance. It is the first in the “Forbidden Love” series but can be read as a standalone.