Welcome to Litsy!

2 ⭐️
While reading the book, there were so many times where I thought "If the roles were reversed, Nikki's abusive behavior would be extremely obvious and we'd be telling Callum to get some self-respect". Nikki is BEYOND insufferable- she is self-centered, abusive and obtuse. I get it- we all have trauma and we all have things that we fear deeply...but it's no excuse to belittle others, lash out or use people..

This book checked a lot of boxes for me that made me love the story. Maui setting, man who loves animals, cuddling while watching ‘The Office‘, yummy food truck food, and plenty of romance. Yes to all of it! My only issue was that the female lead couldn‘t admit to her feelings about the male lead. It got annoying and dragged the story down. But overall very enjoyable. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ stars.

Enemies to friends w benefits/secret dating to lovers!!

Quick . Easy . Spicy read . Typical romance trope enemies to lovers . Love that it was food truck scene and descriptions of food was amazing made me hungry. But I was bored by the usual romance . There wasn‘t even a queer character . Missed the mark in my opinion.

While I should be doing some more wedding planning I‘m ignoring that and focusing on Nikki and her food truck

Just what I needed...a light, easy read.

Exactly what I needed after such a let down in my previous read. This is a classic enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Humor, drama, and a whole lot of heart. Nikki and Callum are fun characters, and they compliment each other nicely, there‘s character growth (which is refreshing after the last book I read!), and a beautiful story. Highly recommend.

Romance about cooking!

Rating: ⭐️ (DNF)
Okay, the premise of this is stupid. They become rivals over a freaking parking spot. A parking spot! Callum took Nikki‘s spot and parked close to them, which is not food truck etiquette. That starts the rivalry. Like, seriously? Then, Nikki goes on a trip to London and guess who is her seat partner? Callum! Not even realistic. The only good thing about this was a pregnant cat named Lemon.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #litsy

A solid food-centered romance.

This one had a few moments of “oh, wow, we‘re at that point already?!,” but overall it was a decent enemies-to-lovers-to-conflict-to-HEA story. The Filipino and British food was sprinkled in, although I never got totally wrapped up in the food. The Hawaiian location, however, was perfectly evoked.

Not the best romance I‘ve read but it entertained me for the evening. 😄

Content Warning hidden below.

Set in Hawaii & featuring food trucks, competition, personal tragedy, & an arrogant male w/a swoon-worthy British accent this enemies-to-lovers book checked ALL THE BOXES for me. I loved how real Nikki is. She doesn't have a perfect life, is struggling financially & doesn't know how to deal w/her grief. I adored her & Callum's low key date night tradition of drinking champagne & watching The Office bc of the relatability. I adored this one!

This was SO BORING. I was excited about an enemies-to-lovers food truck battle between a Brit and Filipina set in Maui. But, except for referencing lumpia every other page, you‘d have no idea that Nikki is Filipina. And there is basically no character development for...Liam? I honestly can‘t remember and I spent the entire day reading the book. I love romance for it‘s inevitability, I want an HEA, but there‘s gotta be some sizzle. Ugh, so bland.

Nikki relocates to Maui after her father's death to help her mother run a food truck serving Filipino food, and has an encounter with the new food truck owner who parks in her space. #romantsy

I like ...

This was a cute read- nothing earth shattering, and I knew how it would end, but I still enjoyed it. It helped take my mind off of everything else happening in the world.

4.5 stars

Any time I see myself in the book I‘m reading, I give it high marks. Every time I cry while reading a book, I give it top ratings. Whenever a book promotes the Filipino culture, I only had positive things to say about it. Simmer Down, with its part-Filipina heroine, her tight-knit bond with her parents, its multicultural romance, and its proud celebration of Filipino food, gets my enthusiastic rave.