This was a fast, breezy read about two food truck rivals who end up falling in love. Although the plot is fairly predictable, this often used trope of the enemies to lovers is a light-hearted read.

I loved the banter and honestly thats the only thing that kept me from dnfing this.
I love the whole concept of this story it just feel a little short.

2 food trucks battling it out and the hate to love troup was wonderful but i felt like a lot of things where rushed and some parts that really dragged on and on.

But over all it was a sweet,funny and sometimes dramatic ride.

This was an okay read by Sarah Smith. I would have liked to have a heroine who is more likeable and a more mature storyline.

A food truck war also sparks romance. Nikki and her mother run a Filipino food truck after her father's death and soon find their spot encroached on by a British food truck run by two brothers. Nikki soons gets into a parking war with Callum, who might be hot, but is ruining their Maui business. As their rivalry escalates, they decide to let the Maui Food Festival be the deciding factor - the winner keeps the prime spot and the loser backs off. But as competition heats up, so do sparks and they may have a different fire flaming up the kitchen before its all over. This is a cute romance story of rivals turned lovers that readers will enjoy for the characters and food theme.

Nikki DiMarco never thought the food truck scene in Maui would be easy; considering this wasn't her first choice at a career but she is making it work with her mother and they are staying afloat. When a new food truck arrives Nikki decides to make sure they know the unspoken rules but instead she is treated rudely by a delicious, delectable British man named Callum James. Pretty soon Nikki and Callum are engaged in a petty words/signs/gestures war that only seems to escalate the sexual tension between them and the amount of customers that frequent their food trucks (hoping to see the duo in action).
When chance intervenes on a long flight to London, Nikki and Callum begin to learn more about each other and that morphs into something of a relationship. Determined not to mix business with pleasure (in order to win the grand prize of $10,000 and a commercial in the Maui Food Festival) Nikki and Callum resort to sneaking around....but pretty soon sneaking around loses its appeal and they both have to decide if this relationship is worth more (professionally and personally).
Sarah Smith weaves a fun, cute enemies to lovers romance that I couldn't put down...doesn't hurt that the setting is beautiful Maui (currently in Colorado and dreaming of the ocean :)

A Hawaiian-themed contemporary romance for fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope. While I found both characters generally unlikable, the setting and food truck drama was a pleasant escape.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available October 13 2020

You ever read those books that sound conceptually really fun and interesting? Then, as you read the book, you find yourself becoming more and more frustrated at the main character? You can see their self destructive behavior and in an eerie way it reminds you of your own.

All that to say Sarah Smith's Simmer Down is one of the most relatable romantic novels I've read in awhile. When Filipino American Nikki DiMarco moved to Maui to help her mother with a food truck business after the abrupt death of her father, she wasn't expecting to find love. Yet, just as Tiva's Filipina Kitchen is starting to provide real income, the truck faces opposition from the handsome yet distant Callum James. Will the heat in kitchen be too much for Nikki to handle?

Much of the book centers around Nikki's emotional state, though she seems very oblivious to it most of the time. While there isn't much comedy, I would say this is a good hearted, relaxing read that might help others identify their own behaviors in a relationship.

I stumbled upon Faker last year, and I knew that I would be obsessed with Sarah Smith forever. Lo and behold, Simmer Down. THE CUTEST book I've read this year. Food trucks, beautiful Hawaiian setting, enemies-to-lovers, fantastic dialogue and characters? Yes please! Nikki was so much fun and I was totally enamored with Callum. Ugh! I wish I didn't read it so fast. LOVED THIS BOOK!

Enemies to lovers is my favorite trope but this fell slightly short. Although it was the perfect little romantic comedy to get me through the dark days of quarantine, I did find parts of it very repetitive. The two characters were constantly misunderstanding each other and that was frustrating.

This book was 🔥 and I found a new book boyfriend. I was all for the food trucks, Hawaiian beaches, hot kitchens, English accents, and cute little cats. Nikki and Callum are competing food truck vendors and their loathe to love story had me turning the pages fast! I could not put it down!

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorites tropes so it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little unrealistic at some points when Nikki and Callum kept running into each other. However, the book was such a great rom-com and had some steamy scenes mixed in. I was super invested in their relationship and sometimes wanted to scream at the book and tell the characters that they need to communicate better! But that is what made the book so great!

Foodie and fun! An excellent first purchase for collections where contemporary foodie romances are popular.

If you like contemporary romance, you’ll enjoy this novel.

Nikki quits her dream job in Seattle to help her mother with a food truck in Maui. There are food truck etiquette rules, and when Cullum James parks his and his brother’s food truck right next to Nikki’s, she’s happy to inform him that he’s breaking them. This sets off a rivalry that leads to a steamy romance that they have to keep secret because they’re competing against each other in the Maui Food Festival.

This is well-written, and I liked all the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES OCTOBER 13, 2020.

📚 Book Review 📚

Food. A hero with an accent. Hawaiian and London locations. What more could one want in a romcom? Simmer Down is my first by Sarah Smith, and overall I enjoyed it!

What I Liked: I really love romances where food is also a central theme or character, and this story did not disappoint. The food and the food trucks themselves had a strong presence. I also loved how I was able to escape within this story. I actually felt like I was in Hawaii and London which was fun because I definitely miss traveling. I loved Callum (and not just for his accent). He actually knew what he wanted and was pretty open about those feelings. Which can be rare for heroes in romances sometimes. Nikki has a lot going on, but I loved her devotion to her family and how processing grief was central to the plot. Too often, I hate how selfish some heroines and heroes become in romances, but that wasn’t the case here. Lastly, THE STEAM. This book had the perfect amount of steam. I loved that Nikki and Callum’s chemistry jumped off the page.

What I Struggled With: I know Nikki was working through her grief, but not only was she horrible at communicating, but she also prevented Callum from communicating his feelings which was so frustrating. There were one too many instances of miscommunication or misunderstanding that drove me a bit nuts and slowed the story down.

Overall, this was a fun read and a perfect escape read for all of us stuck at home!

Will be posting review on pub day 10/13/20 to my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookswithemandfrankie/

This is a very good book and another sweet build up to a really great ending.My only frustration wth the book was when instead of going to talk to him after they broke up when she knew she loved him,she made up all the stuff in her mind about what was happening and it could have been cleared up with just a conversation.But that was the point I guess. I liked it from the beginning to the end.

Simmer Down follows a woman, Nikki, who runs a food truck alongside her mother in Maui. However, a newcomer starts up a food truck across from her and threatens business. Callum, one of the owners of the new food truck is handsome and attractive, from England, and downright rude to Nikki during their very first encounter. Their relationship consists mostly of them hating each other and arguing any chance they have, which eventually tracks more business for them both. However, the close proximity they are eventually forced to share, opens up a whirlwind of emotions and they end up in a friends-with-benefits situation and the likelihood of love seems far fetched, until it's not. A food competition threatens the arrangement they have made and they're forced to make difficult choices along the way.

The banter in this book between Nikki and Callum was so incredibly cute. I really enjoyed the fact that Nikki was so driven by her work and her family and the importance that had in the story. Her motivation to win the food truck competition was so delightful to see, because I rarely see romance novels where the woman's job comes first, but in this story it really was the center focus for her. Callum was absolutely my favorite character. He always expressed what he wanted when it mattered most and I loved how well he communicated his feelings throughout the book. The only thing that I was not super convinced about was their arguments in the beginning. For me, I wasn't super convinced that they really disliked each other that much. Which is fine if that was the point, but, I would've liked to actually have seen a real reason for their dislike for one another. For me I just didn't care for the "insta-hate". I'm a romance reader, and for me, the banter was cute, some of the experiences they had together were enjoyable, but I was not completely captivated by their love or romance so-to-speak. It definitely is a cute read if you want something quick and that will make you feel good.

This book was cute, but in a lot of ways very predictable. I liked Nikki and Callum and I liked how their relationship blossomed and how devoted he was to her. I liked that Nikki finally figured out that she could get close to people again and really became her own person through her cooking. I also like Nikki's relationship with her mom and how that grew and changed too.
A cute hate to love romance with yummy food and a beautiful island setting.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Alright, this is basically The Hating Game in a food truck format. First, Filipino food and English food are so different I don't know how this is a real competition for customers. Second, there's absolutely nothing cute about their get-together or their romance Third, aside from just finding him sexy, I don't think she actually like shim at all as a person. The hate in this was done well with all the four-letter cursing and name calling that when she finally does get with him, it seems really fake and forced. Like, they just had to get together because it's that point in the book. However - I am not a fan of the haters to lovers trope so maybe this is just how it always is - just sort of awkward and all of the sudden, we love each other, not hate each other.

5 stars
This book had everything! Enemies to Lovers! Humor! Family! Food Trucks! And I loved every second of this book!
Nikki and Callum are food ruck owners in Hawaii (loved the setting).

Nikki is helping her mom out in her dream of owning a food truck in Hawaii after her dad's death. This in NOT where Nikki thought her life was going to be. She was happy in her old life. Now, she just wants to make her mom happy and finically stable in her retirement.

Callum is helloing his brother run his food truck. This is not where he thought where he thought his life would be. He loves cooking, but his career was in finance.

The met under bad circumstances. Callum parks his food truck in Nikki's spot. When she nicely tells him to move, it goes downhill quickly. Then their feud starts.

The book was funny, Heartwarming. I loved the banter and wit between Nikki and Callum. To be honest, I loved every aspect of the book.

This was such a fun read. I enjoyed reading a romance centered around food, it was a fun story like none other i have read. I like the characters and found them fun and inviting. I thought the banter of the characters was great and kept me interested throughout the book. I LOVE Hawaii and Maui so the references were fun to read about.
I did not like certain aspects of the book like the characters being on the same plane, sitting next to each other by chance... not believable at all but I guess thats many romance novels! I also did not like how many hoops the characters had to jump through to be together in the end.