Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Being in the restaurant business can be hazardous to your health.

Chloe's witnessed murder before, but now it hits closer to home. Her new boyfriend, Josh, is preparing a menu for a new restaurant, which will open on New Year's Eve in Boston. Now that he has this great job lined up, Josh is no longer cooking for just two.

Trouble starts brewing at a fundraiser where Josh caters the party, previewing the new restaurant.

When a rival club owner turns up dead from a blow to the head with Josh's cooking tool, things start getting dicey. On the same night, Josh's ex-girlfriend appears. This, combined with the recent time apart, makes Chloe anxious. Can she solve the murder before the restaurant's opening night -- and save her personal life at the same time?

SIMMER DOWN, the follow-up to STEAMED, is for anyone who likes both food and mysteries. Indulge yourself with something scrumptious while reading this delicious mystery. ( )

Chloe is more than excited for her chef boyfriend Josh Driscoll and the opening of Simmer. Josh will be the executive chef for Simmer so he has a lot on his plate! Thankfully, Chloe is there to be his wonderful supportive girlfriend. Chloe is busy with her own job at the Boston Organization Against Sexual and Other Harassment at the Workplace, which she calls the Organization and dealing with her quirky boss Naomi Campbell (no not that one!)Chloe was lucky enough to book Simmer and the Organization at a posh charity fund raiser called Food for Thought. Everyone loves Josh’s food samples and the event and even the Organization is getting the word out. That is until a body is found. I mean a dead body, belonging to none other than a wealthy club owner that had wanted his own hands in the future site of Simmer, but had been cut off by Josh’s boss.Now Chloe not only has to deal with lost time with Josh due to his busy schedule at Simmer, but now she has a mystery to solve and a list of suspects a mile long!First off I think I need to declare that I am a lover of chick-lit! If you aren’t, I probably wouldn’t recommend reading this book. I on the other hand really enjoyed it. It was an entertaining and relaxing read. The writing is witty and quirky! I also enjoyed the smaller element of the story such as Chloe’s deranged family, Ken the hermit crab, and of course the appearance of the ex’s! My only complaint was that reading this book caused increased hunger pangs! I will definitely be trying out some of the recipes. I would really like to read the first book in the series Steamed and I am looking forward to reading the next book Turn up the Heat! ( )

A fun food-centered murder mystery set in Boston, where social work student, Chloe, and her chef boyfriend, Josh reside. Once again Chloe finds someone murdered at a public place she and Josh are at and finds herself trying to solve the case on her own. The writing in this second installment of the gourmet girl series was a bit smoother than Steamed. The plot was a bit less intense, however. There is a lot of inner dialog from Chloe that I really enjoy, because like most she is much wittier in her head than when speaking. Chloe reminds me a bit of Jane Kelley of the Nancy Bush series. If you have enjoyed those you'll probably enjoy the lighter gourmet girl books as well. ( )