Hot Under Pressure takes us once again to the drama-filled Rising Star Chef competition, this time to a satisfying and emotional conclusion. We finally get to see who wins, and more importantly we finally get inside the head of Henry Beck, the handsome, taciturn competitor from the earlier books in the series.

We learned in the previous book that Beck is secretly married to one of the competing chefs, Skye Gladwell. They married young and separated early, and have been completely estranged for ten years. In Hot Under Pressure Skye asks Beck for a divorce, to which he agrees with one condition. He’ll grant the divorce either way, but if Beck wins the competition Skye has to spend one last night with him.

The name of the book is certainly apt. Beck’s stipulation causes extra pressure in an already tension filled competition. The competitors need to win, obviously, to earn the name recognition for their restaurants, but to pull it off they need to keep their heads in an emotion-filled atmosphere. Huge things occurred with the members of Beck’s team in the previous two books and now they have to contend with a health scare and Beck’s romantic history.

Not having seen or talked to one another since their separation, Beck and Skye have never dealt with the events that caused their separation. They were so young and dependent upon each other then, but now they have maturity and loving families they found for themselves in their restaurant co-workers. With adult perspective Skye and Beck are able to come to terms with their sad past, which is revealed through internal dialogue and their discussions. They each reach a decision – Skye will never become emotionally involved with Beck again unless he learns to open up and share his feelings, and Beck never wants to let Skye go.

There is a lot to like about this book, but what makes it wonderful is Beck’s effort to learn how to articulate his feelings. Whether he’ll succeed is in question until almost the end of the book, when the last task is introduced. The two remaining chefs, Beck and Skye, are told to create dishes which tell their life story. True to form, Beck’s first impulse is to cook what he knows he does best and make up stories to go along with each dish. But what he eventually serves the judges is a meal that is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. I can guarantee a sniffle or two, if not tears.

As with previous books, a large part of the plot revolves around the food. I love Top Chef and shows like it, so the pages where the chefs shop, and plan, and cook their food were very entertaining. Also fun was the insight into the panic the competitors felt when cooking, and the satisfaction (or disappointment) they felt when their meals were judged.

Wonderful characters are abundant. There’s repressed Beck, so damaged by his childhood, and chubby hippy-girl Skye whose avant-garde parents despise her chosen profession and show her no respect. Beck and Skye work so hard to overcome their past you can’t help but love them. A particular favorite of mine is Winslow, Beck’s friend and teammate, an effervescent individual that offers comic relief and sage advice when its needed.

For these and many other reasons, I highly recommend this one.