Welcome back to the Smut Vault! The so elegantly named “Dirty” series marches on for the “Queen of Steam” Sarah Bailey, and we’ve got our hands on the third and latest installment! So far, we’ve met an all around Dom and a Police Officer who’ve captured the hearts of their lovers through some fairly intense d/s scenarios. Will the trend continue? Sharpen the knifes and get the lamb sauce ready, it’s time for a tasty culinary edition of the Smut Vault y’all!
Dirty Chef by Sarah Bailey is a romance erotica novella that continues the author’s Dirty series, featuring dominant men and their path to true love. It’s not a sequel, but go ahead and read Dirty Cop before taking on this one, as the overlap is well worth a full dive into the narrative of both stories. Riley Clark is a talented, yet unproven chef following her dreams of hitting the big time by working on staff at Haze, a trendy restaurant ran by none other than Lucien Dumont. Chef Lucien is well respected, but is also a bit of a task master in the kitchen…oh, and has been the only thing Riley can think about for any comprehensible amount of time. The man’s craft is unquestioned, he is a true genius and perfectionist of the culinary world. But Riley, still fighting off the memory of a bad breakup in her love life, can’t ignore that he’s hot as fuck, too. Riley’s not the only one with thoughts outside of risotto or lamb sauce, as after completing a long dinner service Lucien invites the young woman over to his place for a bite to eat and maybe a little off-the-clock cooking lesson. Sure, maybe Lucien started this evening’s offering with purely platonic intentions. But after a personal lesson gets a little extra personal, roasted squash salad won’t be the only thing served on the kitchen island tonight. It’s time to give the phrase “Yes, Chef” a whole new meaning…
My favorite part of this story is how few moving parts there are to the romance. Riley wants Lucien, and Lucien wants Riley, meaning that there are no love triangles or other people to really worry about this time. Conflict arises (as you might expect) from their status as boss and employee. From my personal experience, it’s not wholly unfounded for the kitchen staff at your local Applebee’s to be inter-fucking and causing drama all over the place, but perhaps the finer dining establishments in Europe have higher expectations? The last thing Lucien needs is for anyone to think he’s playing favorites, and Riley certainly doesn’t need the notion that she might fucking her way to the top. What’s refreshing here is how Riley’s decisions will actually have significant effects on her professional life. There have been a lot of stories across my desk recently where the female lead needs either to: get a quality dickin’ from a slightly troubled man that can provide her a near perfect lifestyle, OR….just don’t and face no consequences. Riley actually has a career to worry about, and actively makes considerations beyond her orgasms. Moreover, the boss here, while a Dom with a capital D in the bedroom, actually seems like a regular guy when he’s around other people. Business decisions are proven to be done with an even and level mind rather than just some Mr. Big-shot power boss, displaying sensitivity at a crucial moment. In fact, the only time he seems to be losing control is when his new lover is naked and begging for his…input. The contrasts here make the sexual moments that much hotter, as we can feel Riley’s energy turning a fairly well tempered persona into a love crazed sex manic. It’s absolute dynamite and gives you something to root for beyond just wishing for a happy ending.
Verdict: Dirty Chef by Sarah Bailey takes the forbidden love of a boss and employee and layers it into a true love story that balances career, lust, heartache, and simply doing the right thing. With minimal core characters the love can serve as a character itself, manifesting quickly but meandering in some interesting directions as the characters explore each other. The sexual content is as good as we have come to expect from this author, with some great new ideas brought to the table as well. With a far less brooding/scary male Dom for a change, his sexual appetites shine brighter as his muse clearly brings out the best in him when things matter the most. I’ve sat down, I’ve enjoyed my meal, and after learning firsthand how Riley and Lucien like to eat their favorite dessert…
My compliments to the Chef indeed. Bon appetit!
Special thanks to Sarah Bailey for providing an advance review copy of Dirty Chef to TehBen.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Author’s Twitter: @sbaileyauthor
Purchase Link: Amazon
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