Slow Burn (JT Geissinger) Books in Order

Slow Burn is Geissinger’s ode to fairy tales, food, and the particular pleasure of a romance that takes its time. Each standalone contemporary novel borrows the bones of a classic story and drops them into modern settings with sharp banter, big feelings, and a lot of cooking.

Burn for You plays with a Beauty and the Beast dynamic in New Orleans, where chef Bianca Hardwick agrees to a marriage of convenience with grumpy bourbon heir Jackson Boudreaux to save her restaurant and her family. Their contract says the relationship is fake; their hearts never got the memo.

In Melt for You, socially awkward copy editor Joellen Bixby has spent years pining after her polished boss when Cameron McGregor, a loud, tattooed Scottish rugby captain, moves in next door. He offers to teach her how to attract the man she thinks she wants, only to find himself falling for the funny, prickly neighbor who never saw her own worth.

Ache for You sends jilted boutique owner Kimber DiSanto to Florence to salvage her late father’s dress shop. There she spars with Matteo Moretti, the arrogant Italian fashion mogul who wants to buy her out, in a Cinderella-tinted enemies-to-lovers story full of couture, family drama, and verbal fireworks.

Though the books share characters only loosely, they are united by a few constants: strong, funny heroines, heroes who are more vulnerable than they first appear, and a focus on everyday intimacy like cooking, sharing space, and learning to communicate. If you want a low-angst entry point into Geissinger’s work that still delivers serious chemistry, Slow Burn is an easy place to start.