Stef Lombardozzi is a chef that was unfortunately humiliated on a reality cooking show. A meme of her has been circulating around and it is affecting her career. In order to try and regain some form dignity, she decided to post a YouTube video. That is when she met Mallory Radowski who is a wedding videographer. Mallory agreed to help her make the YouTube video. But there is a great divide between them. Stef loves food and Mallory does not.

This book was rather too slow for my liking. And more importantly I didn’t feel the attraction between the two. I found both main characters too different and both had their own requirements that did not seem to fit in with one another. It feels like there is a lot of restrictions, pushing of boundaries and limitations that was forced.

What I did enjoyed reading about was the cooking parts of the show. As well as the project Mallory was working on.

I liked Nan Campbell’s previous books but this one just didn’t do it for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was another book by one of my favorite authors that I was recently a little disappointed with. The way that the character Mallory is portrayed was a little difficult to understand or sympathize with. Ice queens are one of my favorite tropes and while I wouldn’t necessarily categorize her as that, there was a lot of potential for a heartwarming thaw but it just seemed like a missed opportunity. I appreciated that she was neurodivergent and one of the things she does to control her environment is severely limit what foods she eats, but it seems like she just flipped a switch at the end of the book and that was a bit of a letdown.

Overall this is still a good book with an interesting plot and somewhat unique characters and I look forward to Ms. Campbell’s next book. 3.5 stars

I have been a fan of Nan Campbell since her award winning debut novel, The Rules of Forever (September 2022). She always brings a little extra to her stories and this is no exception. Chef Stef loves food and cooking. She has been working in an Italian chain restaurant after a disastrous appearance on a cooking competition show. A friend suggests she try making cooking videos on YouTube. It may get her noticed and help her return to work in a NYC fine dining restaurant. The same friend knows someone who can do the camera work.

Mallory Radowski is currently working as a wedding videographer. She is one of the most heartbreakingly complex characters I’ve seen as a MC in a romance. Mal is a filmmaker, slowly working on a stop animation movie. She also has many, many anxieties. She refers to them as the “bees” in her head. Stef talks to Mal while filming the cooking videos which has others speculating on their connection.

The communication between Stef and Mal is refreshingly honest and with genuine humor. I saw some things as deal breakers, but Stef and Mal work to accept or overcome. These are characters that I will remember long after I finish the book. I like that the story takes place over a few months. So when feelings are mentioned, you believe they are real.

The story is set in Hoboken and it is very fitting for this pair. NYC is all glitz and glamour. But Hoboken, which is a Path train or ferry ride away from NYC, is grittier. I felt both Stef and Mal have had hard knocks in life. And their original dreams may not be attainable. But they can choose to create new dreams and ambitions. And it is really a HEA if they can do it together.

The author is firmly in my auto read and purchase category. As an added bonus in this book I learned a few new words, which I had to look up. A couple were cooking terms so I wasn’t shocked I didn’t know them. LOL (4.5 Stars)

I've really enjoyed previous titles by Nan Campbell, and Hot Honey Love is no exception. The two main characters are sweet and the description of anxiety is pretty spot on. Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this title!

*Hot Honey Love* by Nan Campbell is a deliciously layered romance that blends the high-stakes world of fine dining with the creative chaos of video production. Chef Stef is grappling with the fallout from a disastrous cooking competition that left her a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons. Branded as the "Kitchen Bawler," Stef is determined to reclaim her reputation by pivoting to YouTube cooking videos. However, her culinary expertise doesn't extend to filmmaking, leading her to enlist the help of Mallory Radowski, a talented but reluctant wedding videographer.

Mallory brings her own complexities to the table, struggling with anxiety and an aversion to food that makes her an unlikely partner for Stef. Campbell crafts a compelling dynamic between these two opposites, exploring how their shared vulnerabilities gradually turn into strengths. Stef’s fiery passion for cooking and Mallory’s cool, methodical approach to storytelling create a captivating push-and-pull, with plenty of emotional depth simmering beneath the surface.

As their collaboration heats up, so does their unexpected romance, adding a rich layer of tension to the narrative. Campbell’s deft handling of their personal challenges—both in the kitchen and in life—makes *Hot Honey Love* a satisfying read. It’s a story about resilience, creative reinvention, and finding love in the most unexpected places, perfect for anyone who enjoys a romance with equal parts spice and sweetness.

I absolutely fell head over heels in love with Hot Honey Love. I’m not surprised. Nan Campbell is brilliant. But what did surprise me was the depth with which I fell.

The blurb will tell you that an aspiring chef fucked up her chance on a reality TV show and is looking for an opportunity to make her way back up the ranks. Along comes an aspiring filmmaker and together they make their dreams come true.
Underneath all of this, however, is where the real magic happens. Yes, Mallory and Steph meet, and it seems they may be each other’s way out of a rut. But then there is the connection and absolute adorableness of their budding relationship. Yes, there is attraction and time spent, but on top off all of this, there is understanding.

Mal has a chronic case of anxiety, and it affects most aspects of her life. Steph see’s this and adjusts. To the extent she knows how, and then some. She is compassionate and open about her feelings, and in response, so is Mallory.

Communication is spot on in Hot Honey Love and that is what takes it above the everyday romance and rockets it into a love story. It is impossible not to think about the characters as you, the reader gets swept away in the emotions.

Cambells ability to connect with her characters is key in taking Hot Honey Love from a good book into a fantastic book. Don’t miss it.

Sometimes I see couples in real life and wonder how they ever got together as I would not have put them together in a crowded room, and this book felt like it was about one of those couples. The premise of the story was good, but the characters did not seem to have much chemistry.

This is a really interesting, engaging and enjoyable story. Grumpy Mallory - wanna be filmmaker and sunshine Stef wanna celeb chef both have issues.
Mallory has ‘issues’ and the book delves into mental health, anxiety and how it impacts your life but also shows the journey a person can be on where it is controlled rather than being the controller.
Stef is an emotional cook who ends up in a less than salubrious chain restaurant.
Together they embark on a journey that impacts their careers and life.
A fabulous, well written book that also wants to make you head for the kitchen to either eat or cook something OR both!!
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

I wanted to like this more than I did and really struggled through the latter half of the story, but I just really did not feel all that much chemistry between the leads. The back and forth they go through would have been hard to witness for just about any couple, but especially one that felt as fragile as these two. Hopefully others will find more enjoyment out of this and I'm sure it works for a lot of people, but just not for me.

I really liked both of these characters, just not together. It seemed like 1 step forward, 3 steps back. I had a hard time seeing the chemistry between Mallory and Stef. I loved the food aspect and the anxiety of this book but it just did come together for me.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

This story's been pretty interesting, with two characters who were total opposites at first, but they ended up working through their differences.

Stef's a chef who got caught up in a totally awkward TV show situation. It went viral, but in a bad way, and now it's really hurting her career. She's such a positive, active person who always lends a hand, especially in the kitchen. It's her love language. Her friends want her to succeed in her career, but for that to happen, people need to forget about her TV blunder and that hilarious meme of her that pops up whenever you Google her name. So, a friend connects her with Mallory, a video artist with a really complex inner world, but she'll be able to create a YouTube channel where Stef can show off her cooking skills.

They're like night and day, those two. Stef can't seem to get Mallory to react to her attempts to connect. But Stef's persistent, and little by little, she's making headway. It's a struggle, but it's pretty cool to watch.

As someone who has bouts of anxiety, I found that the character of Mallory was very well-written. She has an extreme form of anxiety, and the author describes all of her anxious thoughts as bees - which I thought was clever and fascinating. The dynamic between her and the other main character of Stef was believable, and the progression of their romantic relationship was understandably slow.

I liked how Mal and Stef's story revolved around making home cooking videos for YouTube. The story had bursts of humor and a little bit of spice. Overall enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC!

This story!! Nan Campbell somehow put a lot of things I love personally into her characters. I mean…give me a book about a chef cooking yummy food and I’m interested. Combine that with an artsy filmmaker struggling with anxiety, a truly sweet connection and a dash of severe spicyness and I don’t know how fast to turn those pages!

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Stef’s career as a high end chef is tanked ever since she became a meme. A meme! Yes, an image of her as a blubbering mess on national tv has been haunting her for two years now. Stef was competing in the cooking show Kitchen Ballers until she got chewed out by a celebrity chef and has been forever since known as the Kitchen Bawler. How embarrassing. No top restaurant would hire her after that and that’s why she is slacking away at a horrible chain restaurant making mediocre food. It’s time to change. Making her own YouTube cooking series a success should result in her name getting cleansed of that terrible moniker. Stef recruits talented filmmaker Mallory to create the content with. Mallory is a mystery. She seems shy and refuses to eat Stef’s food, but somehow she is also the sweetest and most intriguing woman Stef has met in a long, long time.

Mallory is wasting her talent by working weddings as a videographer. Her own creative filmproject has been years in the making and is nowhere near finished. Mal has been struggling with major anxiety since she was a kid. Her brain has to compete with an intrusive and debilitating maelstrom of thoughts that can overpower her at any moment and make it impossible to function normally. Mal has a few things that give her a semblance of control: not touching strangers and being very selective in her food choices. Why oh why then did she accept a job filming cooking videos with a woman that lives for food and for whom touch is a second language. Stef is Mallory’s opposite in every way. Maybe people were on to something though, because it’s absolutely true. Opposites do attract.

Mallory’s anxiety and how it limits her everyday life is a big part of the story. The analogy of the bees that Campbell uses is amazing. I don’t have anxiety myself, but many of my friends do. I feel like I understand them so much better now. The bees swarming in at any given moment to take over your mind and torment you with your own thoughts? A haunting and breathtaking image.

Ok, let’s talk food! Stef’s absolute love for all things delicious is addictive. She gave me Nigella Lawson vibes with her sassy way of presenting and seducing the camera with her food and sensual looks. I would have seriously elbowed Mallory out of the way for a chance to taste Stef’s mouthwatering dishes.

Mallory’s job as a videographer has a lot of similarities to my own line of work. For instance, it was fun to read about all the little tricks Mallory uses to make sure someone is as natural as possible in front of a camera. I’ve literally done exactly that in real life!

The physical connection between Stef and Mallory is so different from the usual romance books. Touch is a difficult sensation for Mal but as the story progresses the trust that is building between her and Stef simultaneously grows her need for touch. Stef is an absolute heroin with her everlasting patience. She is amazing in dealing with Mal’s insecurities but is also strong in her sense of self to speak up when needed.

It is so important to have stories that include topics like anxiety and other mental health problems. They help remove the stigma. They are truly a normal part of every day life and of being human. Most of us really need to hear that. What better way than to get that message wrapped up in a beautiful, entertaining story!

With Hot Honey Love Campbell has, again, written an exceptional story. A story that deals with some very serious issues, but is somehow still a light, joyous read. That shows you what a seriously skilled author Nan Campbell is!

Nan Campbell dishes up a real treat with her latest novel, Hot Honey Love. She takes huge helpings of passion, ambition, and personal struggle, creatively whisks them together, then tenderly simmers the mixture over a low flame for 312 pages. The result is a tantalizing romance that’s sure to capture the taste buds of even the most finicky reader.

Chef Stef Lombardozzi’s journey begins with an epically humiliating setback. After a disastrous appearance on a cooking competition show, she becomes known as “The Kitchen Bawler” and turns into an internet meme. When people Google her name, neverending clips of her crying come popping up on the screen. This traumatizing moment of humiliation not only continues to affect her career and her self-esteem, but it looks as if it’s never going away. Ultimately, with encouragement from a friend, it serves as a catalyst for change and pushes her to reclaim her dignity and respect as a chef.

As the plot unfolds, the introduction of Mallory Radowski adds another layer of complexity to the narrative. Mallory grapples with trust, anxiety, and a complicated relationship with food. These issues weigh heavily on her, even holding her back from completing a passion film project. Instead, she contents herself with videotaping weddings for a living. After a run-in with an old friend, she reluctantly agrees to film Stef’s YouTube cooking videos. However, when asked on camera to taste Stef’s food, Mallory’s pickiness makes it difficult for her to appreciate the culinary creations. Campbell capitalizes on this unique situation, scripting scenes that showcase moments filled with frustration, humor, and tenderness.

Stef and Mallory’s relationship is well-developed and portrayed with sensitivity and depth. As Mallory learns to trust Stef, feelings begin to develop within both women. Their dynamic becomes increasingly engaging as they navigate their creative partnership, moving from professional to personal. Readers witness the affection and concern grow between them. Campbell effectively captures the nuances of this evolving relationship, scripting scenes that allow for genuine moments of connection and vulnerability. Most importantly, she is patient with her development; she doesn’t rush these two characters. She gives them time to grow—as individuals and as a couple. The result is a romance that feels genuine and relatable.

Final remarks…

Hot Honey Love reminds readers that sometimes love can be wonderfully transformative, changing life in powerful ways. Campbell delivers a resonating narrative, one filled with humor and insight. She keeps things contemporary and fresh, cleverly introducing social media and YouTube into the mix. Her leading ladies are captivating, relatable women, and their journey is scripted with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. By exploring themes of vulnerability, trust, personal growth, and love, she manages to tell a story that is touching and heartfelt. This novel deserves two thumbs up.

Strengths….

Told with compassion and sensitivity
Likable, compelling characters
Fantastic story world
Well-developed romance
Layered and dynamic storytelling

Hot Honey Love is a very gripping story. Stef has a problem, she is stuck in a job she hates and her dream of being an award winning chef is slipping further away after a disastrous appearance on a cooking show. She needs a change of image and her work mate suggests Mallory, wedding film maker and budding cinematographer might be able to get her socials heading in the right direction and rid her of her bad meme image.. Mallory suffers from anxiety and has a very limited diet, where as Stef feels her love language is food. These women are the very opposite when it comes to food, so it’s a struggle at first.

Campbell has written a beautiful slow burn love story, filled with deep emotions as we watch Stef break down Mallory’s emotional walls. I really enjoyed watching them fall in love and seeing their lives blossom. I highly recommend this.

This was a fun, angsty but light contemporary sapphic romance featuring Stef, an energetic, extroverted chef who goes viral for all the wrong reasons for bawling on the kitchen competition show Kitchen Ballers. She's stuck working at the bland restaurant chain Pasta Palooza and she wants the celebrity restaurant chef life she'd dreamed of. Seeking to repair her image, she hatches a brilliant plan to produce a YouTube channel about cooking. Her friend hooks her up with Mallory, a filmmaker stuck doing wedding videography, to film the channel.

The pair has an instant connection despite being opposites in every way. Mallory is introverted and reserved, artistic, the grumpy to Stef's sunshine who is drawn in by her light. She also suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, which she depicts as a swarm of bees buzzing in her head. She also has an aversion to most food and to touch, and her parents were distant and always busy.

In contrast, exuberant Stef, who cries easily when overwhelmed with emotion, comes from a loud, loving and accepting big Italian family (the accepting big family was refreshing) and she loves to touch.

The two are immediately attracted to each other's competence in their fields even though they know nothing about them. I love the competence trope.

The butch/femme representation in this is also wonderful. Love seeing more rep of masc-presenting lesbians.

Another reviewer described this as a slow burn but we must have very different ideas of what constitutes a slow burn. Their first kiss is at the 40% mark and they are embroiled in a messy situationship that does get physical, except it's not nonstop smut. I would describe it as emotional spice with lots of tension, angst and misunderstandings. The misunderstandings got to be childish and I wish they had listened to each other more, but they're understandable given Mallory's severe anxiety.

At first Mallory thinks she's ace before she met Stef, but she has a lot of trauma around physical intimacy and I thought Stef was very patient with her, although at times the misunderstandings got to be annoying. (My least favorite trope.) Mallory's trepidation around sex was sensitively handled however. Sometimes it felt like Stef was desperate to be understood and Mallory was desperate to keep her in her life and that's not a particularly romantic dynamic to me.

But eventually they figured things out and it was charming how they complemented each other, respected each other and admired their career paths. I liked the idea that dreams can change. They became a lesbian power couple in the entertainment industry, a trope I also like if something of a stereotype.

Overall I found this to be a charming, sexy book and I loved Mallory and Stef as a couple. They were an exercise in bringing out the best in each other despite being from such different worlds.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Really good book! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the main characters their chemistry was off the charts and they worked so well together. This book really had a flow to it and was really easy to get into. I liked that each character had her own set of problems to overcome, but found away to help each other in the end. This was a really fun and enjoyable story. I would recommend this book and I look forward to what's coming next from this author.

Just finished "Hot Honey Love" by Nan Campbell, and wow, it’s a five-star feast for the senses! As chef Stef grapples with the fallout from her viral kitchen disaster, her journey to reclaim her passion through YouTube cooking videos with aspiring filmmaker turned wedding videographer is both hilarious and heartwarming. I loved how Campbell captures the tension between Stef’s culinary world and Mallory’s anxiety-driven reluctance. Campbell creates a rich tapestry of flavors and emotions & the chemistry between the two MCs is electric. Both Stef and Mallory's growth throughout the story is beautifully rendered.

If you adored Nan's previous works, or this is your first venture into her writing, you’re in for a treat—this one’s a delicious blend of humor, romance, and self-discovery that you won't want to miss! Thank you Nan for sharing this ARC and NetGalley for delivering it.

After crashing and burning on a TV cooking show, Stef needs to rehab her image. A friend suggests YouTube cooking segments, but to do it she needs a filmmaker.

Mallory Radowski is extremely reluctant to help out, even when a classmate asks her. And she's dealing with anxiety, which complicates matters. But she makes the video, it does well... and now Stef wants her to do it again!

Stef being really, REALLY pushy with Mallory over eating her food comes across pretty badly. Just saying. For all she knew Mallory could have a food allergy and sampling could have knocked her over dead.

Very very mid, honestly. Not bad but didn't really pull me in.

2.5 stars out of 5. Rounding up to three.

Nan Campbell strikes again with this amazing push and pull romance. I loved the interaction, slight slowburn, low angst love story.
One MC has a heart of gold and feels everything deeply that I want to wrap up and protect her.
The other MC is anxiety driven and closed off because of her extreme anxiety disorder. Watching her take charge over some instances of her anxiety was heartfelt moments. Campbell handles the at times debilitating anxiety well. She does not minimize the impact that anxiety can take over your life.
I enjoyed the secondary characters. They were well done.
I see this as a more pause and continue romance than an angsty romance as their was no major breakup or fight to reconnect with, which is a refreshing change.
I will look forward to more books in the future by Nan Campbell and will continue to follow her.