When Brad Marks is hired as a pastry chef at a trendy Brooklyn cat café, the job seems like a piece of cake, but when he discovers that his new boss's best friend is his ex, their proximity becomes a recipe for disaster. The ex in question, freelance food critic Lindsay Somers, has successfully avoided Brad for five years since he broke her heart and caused her to give up her own culinary aspirations. Though it doesn't take long for their flame to reignite, if Lindsay can't learn to trust again they might both get burned. This third installment in McMurray's "Whitman Street Cat Café" series (after What the Cat Dragged In) is a fast-paced, feel-good contemporary romance. Though the extreme degree of will-they-won't-they highs and lows is frustrating, the steamy love scenes are sure to satisfy. Narrator Suehyla El-Attar Young gives unique voices to the diverse cast of characters and even does a convincing cat when needed. Her emotive, upbeat performance yields an engaging listening experience. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking second-chance romance in the form of a playful and passionate rom-com. Recommended for fans of Amanda Elliot, Dylan Newton, and Amanda Aksel.--Lauren Hackert

Two chefs get a second chance at love in McMurray's sweet but slight third Whitman Street Cat Café romance (after What the Cat Dragged In). Pastry chef Brad Marks wants the opportunity to create his own menu and run his own kitchen. A job at the Brooklyn café that gives the series its name will allow him just that--but the café's manager is best friends with Lindsay Somers, the ex-girlfriend he can't get out of his mind. Lindsay caught Brad cheating five years before the start of the book--though Brad swears it was a misunderstanding--and the pair haven't spoken since. In the interim, Lindsay's lost her passion for cooking and has refocused on food writing. She's far from thrilled when her boss asks her to profile the "hunky new baker" at the Cat Café, but the assignment provides an opportunity for the pair to process their shared past--and maybe even plan for a future. McMurray has a talent for conveying the closeness between friends and lovers, but the plot itself is flimsy: the only conflict keeping the couple apart is Lindsay's dithering over whether she can trust Brad again, which drags on for far too long. Still, this uncomplicated romance has plenty of charm. Agent: Moe Ferrara, Bookends (Dec.)

Paige Danvers may have a good reason for hiring Brad Marks as the pastry chef at the Whitman Street Cat Café, but now Lindsay Somers risks running into her ex-boyfriend every time she craves a cup of coffee. Even worse is that as part of her new job as a food writer, Lindsay has to write an article about the "hot, new baker" whose yummy human and feline treats have everyone in Brooklyn buzzing (or purring, as the case may be). Once Lindsay actually sits down to interview Brad, will it provide the opportunity to put him into her past once and for all? Or can he convince her they still have a future together? McMurray's (What the Cat Dragged In, 2021) latest smartly conceived entry in her Whitman Street Cat Café series delivers plenty of heartwarming feline moments, mouthwatering culinary musings, and love scenes hot enough to bake more than one batch of cupcakes.