This wasn’t bad, it just took me forever to get into. The plotting was choppier than the first, and some scenes felt very abrupt.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Fun book featuring a tightly-controlled career woman and her super hot work nemesis (and one-time one night stand) with secrets of his own. Glad I was able to read this one too after loving Palit’s debut, Sunshine and Spice. Would recommend to patrons and look forward to reading others by this author!

This book was named perfectly, lots of both honey and heat.

I absolutely adored both main characters and I love a good enemies to lovers when there was an early scene showing their mutual attraction before the enemies part happens. Grumpy x sunshine, too? I'm hooked. I even enjoyed the drama towards the end (third act breakup, anyone?) more than usual because the characters were so engaging and entertaining.

The side characters were fine, there were moments when I did not like some of them, but that was by design and intention.

I loved the overall story and the ending was so satisfying.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was really interesting! I enjoyed the plot and the characters, and I would absolutely recommend it to others!

4.5! After reading Sunshine and Spice, I was beyond excited to read Cynthia’s story in Honey & Heat. Cynthia is my favorite type of FMC to read about—someone who works incredibly hard for what she wants, while also being misunderstood by those around her. This shows up a lot in her workplace, where she works at her father’s company and hopes to become CEO one day. That dream is crushed when her dad brings Rohit on, who quickly becomes the golden boy of the office—and just so happens to be her past one-night stand.

I would describe this very lightly as an enemies-to-lovers because Cynthia’s distaste for Rohit is pretty one-sided. Rohit has golden retriever energy, but that comes from his deep-rooted need to please others. And for good reason—he’s in Canada to help support his family back home. It isn’t until Rohit and Cynthia are assigned to work together on a project that they’re forced to confront the tension between them. They’re both strong-willed and driven, but it’s their differences that bring them closer. Rohit wears his emotions on his sleeve and is incredibly thoughtful. Cynthia keeps things close to herself but is loyal and caring. They give each other a safe space to let their guard down and just be
.
The third-person POV worked so well for this story. I felt like I got to understand each character in their own way and see their personal growth unfold. We were shown their development, not just told. This book hit all the details I love to see in a romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻.”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
After spending an incredible night together, Cynthia and Rohit discover the next day that they are co-workers. Tasked with working together to create a better workplace environment, the two must figure out how to make it work.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
This book started off great for me, but Cynthia was TOUGH for me to like. She was just so mean to Rohit and he had done nothing wrong! He was absolutely clueless as to the dynamics that were happening between Cynthia & her dad & yet she took it all out on him.

I will say that Cynthia had really great growth throughout the book, but it drove me nuts how she treated Rohit for the first half!

Rohit is the definition of a simp. He was a man down bad the entire book regardless of how awful Cynthia was to him, which I didn’t really love for him, but I also liked that he was so kind regardless of what Cynthia threw at him.

While I didn’t love this one, I ended up really liking how it ended!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
One night stand to enemies to lovers
Workplace romance
He falls first
Reverse grumpy x sunshine

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

LOVED it! sizzling banter, workplace chaos, and lots of steamy sex scenes!
has a great balance of tension, humor, and heart. Rohit IS not your typical alpha. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and totally down fun. I was rooting for them the whole time.

That said, a few scenes felt rushed toward the end and I wanted more of certain moments like the resolution with her dad, but it didn’t take away from how much fun I had reading it. Also, props for including cultural elements without over-explaining. felt natural and grounded.

This workplace romance was phenomenal! It comes with a strong female main character, who I absolutely loved in this novel! The banter between the main characters was strong in this one! This is a medium paced read, filled with strongly developed characters. I enjoyed the supporting characters in this story as well. This is a mix of both plot and character driven. This book made me feel emotional, empowered, hopeful and tense. This is an enemies to lovers romance, that includes two very successful main characters. This came with a clear thesis, was well paced and easy to follow. Even though this book looks innocent, it comes with steamy spice! I was fully immersed while reading this book and I will be reading more books by this author! It is beautifully written and easy to read.

“Honey and Heat” is a novel about a business woman named Cynthia and a man named Rohit, who both end up working together in the same workplace. Cynthia never loses and wants to be the one that heir her father’s multimillion dollar company. However, her father ends up choosing Rohit and not her. Prior to this day, Cynthia and Rohit had slept together. It was just a one night stand, but it ends up turning into something more after all the banter and rivalry that happens between the two! The professional workplace turns into a personal one, which makes them wonder as to what really matters in life. Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

I think fans that love a great workplace romance, with spice and banter, would really enjoy reading this book! Content warnings include explicit sexual content and strong language.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Aurora Palit and Berkley Publishing Group for this digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on September 16, 2025!

For me, this book hit the mark where many contemporary romances typically miss—it’s a romance novel that actually tells a love story.

The narrative is sweet, cozy, and yes, spicy (when it rightfully calls for it), but it also features layered characters navigating real-life struggles and obligations—perfectly captured on the page. As a major plus, I loved that the novel portrays a strong, competent female lead (yes, more of this, please!) and includes meaningful cultural representation. And lastly, wow, the writing is absolutely stellar—richly descriptive and fluid. I didn’t want to put the book down once I picked it up.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a romance that’s both heartfelt and beautifully written.

I got the eARC from NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley and Aurora Palit for the copy. This was an absolute treat to read!

This book did the grumpy/sunshine trope so well, and in a workplace setting to boot! Our FMC has a one-night stand with a man (who uses lines from rom coms as pick up lines) only to find out that he is the man who her father has decided will be his successor (a job she wants).

The MMC was so sweet and charming and fell fast and hard for the FMC! Beyond the romance, the story thoughtfully explored how family responsibilities can shape (and sometimes limit) our happiness and choices in life. It was sweet, heartfelt, and left me smiling.

Cynthia Kumar ha trabajado incansablemente para ganarse un lugar dentro del imperio que su padre construyó, Kumar Construction. Con una mente brillante para los negocios, una ética de trabajo impecable y una determinación feroz, Cynthia ha demostrado una y otra vez que está más que calificada para liderar la empresa. Pero su mayor obstáculo no está en los competidores, sino en su propio padre, quien parece no reconocer su talento ni su compromiso.

Las cosas se complican cuando aparece Rohit Patel, un joven ambicioso con un pasado difícil y muchas responsabilidades familiares. Después de una noche inesperada de pasión entre ambos, Cynthia se lleva una desagradable sorpresa al descubrir que Rohit es el nuevo protegido de su padre, el candidato elegido en secreto para heredar la empresa. A medida que ambos compiten profesionalmente por el mismo lugar, la tensión crece dentro y fuera de la oficina, mezclando deseo, resentimiento y la necesidad de demostrar su valía.

En medio de una lucha por el poder, el reconocimiento y el amor, Cynthia deberá decidir hasta dónde está dispuesta a llegar para lograr lo que siempre ha querido: que su padre la vea como la heredera legítima de Kumar Construction.



--


Como me cayó mal el padre de Cynthia. Como la trataba el señor esperaba que ella se fuera, pusiera su empresa y todos sus clientes se fueran con ella y el señor se diera cuenta del gran error que cometió y se arrepintiera por siempre. Le agarré odio al padre porque con todos en la empresa era amable, pero a su propia hija, quien era inteligente, excelente en su trabajo, la mejor en toda la empresa, la trataba con la punta del pie (o sea, el señor ni sabia en qué departamento trabajaba su hija). Ella era mejor que Rohit, él incluso lo aceptó, él es bueno en su trabajo pero no como ella, Cynthia es otro nivel.

La justificación del señor fue una tontería, porque ¿cómo que no se dio cuenta que ella quería dirigir la empresa? ¿Eso justifica que dejara que los otros señores (jefes) se burlaran de ella y le faltaran al respeto? ¿Que él pudiera ignorarla y tratarla como basura? Y que al final utilizara las ideas de Cynthia. Me dio coraje que apoyara más a Rohit que a su propia hija.


¿Se han dado cuenta que cuando los dos protagonistas luchan por el mismo puesto, por lo general es la mujer quien renuncia porque de repente se dan cuenta que todos esos años que luchó por ser la jefa, en realidad quería otra cosa?



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest.

I really liked that this book started off with a bang. It was a sexy way to open Cynthia and Rohit's relationship.

Unfortunately, from there, the story kind of petered out. The pace was a bit too slow for my taste. The sex scenes were hot and I enjoyed them, but other than that, I found myself a bit underwhelmed.

I wanted to shake Cynthia for not letting her dad know what she wanted. She seemed to be this badass character, but she couldn't communicate her wants. It was a little frustrating to me.

Overall, I liked this book, but I didn't love it.

Thank you so much to Berkley for providing me and eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

Cynthia Kumar my beloved, you will always hold a special place in my heart. I really enjoyed her relationship with Rohit and I was actually surprised by how much I related to his struggles to provide for his family. I loooooved seeing my babies Naomi and Dev again, especially in the context they appeared. While it's not Sunshine and Spice (that will always be my all-time favorite), it's a wonderful addition to the world and I highly recommend it.

Aurora Palit’s Sunshine and Spice will forever be on my bookshelf and I’m so happy Honey and Heat can live right beside it. In her second novel, Palit dives into the importance of a healthy working environment, being the only woman in the boardroom in a corporate structure unwilling to change, the financial stressors of being an immigrant and supporting family, and finally the guards women place around their hearts and inner peace while trying to balance the journey of accomplishing personal goals and milestones (while the world constantly tells them no).

So when people say romance is redundant? I scoff and simply show books like Honey and Heat to them. I was an early reader of Sunshine and Spice and caught the potential chemistry between Cynthia and Rohit. The sparks were sizzling and they came to fruition in Book Two. It’s your classic “Black Cat x Golden Retriever”, workplace romance tropes but throw in the high stakes of Succession (Rich Kumar is no doubt Logan Roy).

Rohit calling Cynthia his ‘rani’ (Queen)? *heart eyes* his quotes in this book are caring and divine. While Cynthia is cold she takes her time warming up to him and it’s totally understandable. She’s not callous simply cautious. Plus we get some special appearances from our lovelies from Book One (YAY).

Yes, I have immense praise for this book but I also want to highlight some things. The format this time around is a bit choppy, and the ending felt abrupt. We were often given information but now shown (the best way I can describe it there were a lot of fade to black moments?) I felt rushed this time while reading and barely had time to sit with a moment before we were off dealing with something else in the book. I wish we had more time with Sipra Kumar instead of Rich Kumar. I wanted the journalism aspect of the story to be beefed up, there was room for growth. But that’s natural for authors trying to figure out their tone and story.

So I’m happy to give Honey and Heat 4.5 stars (round that star up to a 5 cause I adore Aurora) and I can’t wait to get a physical copy later this year.

Thank you so much Berkley Publishing for the digital arc!

I couldn’t get enough of this book. Cynthia and Rohit’s rivalry started out as this fiery tension, and watching them go from enemies to lovers was an absolute delight. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the way their relationship evolves amid all the career-driven drama makes for such a captivating story. I loved how both characters are so strong and driven but are forced to face their vulnerabilities as they navigate their feelings for each other. The mix of business rivalry and personal emotions was expertly done, with high stakes in both their careers and their hearts. It’s one of those books where the tension between the characters is so thick you can practically feel it, and when they finally give in, it’s explosive. A definite must-read for anyone who loves a high-energy, heartfelt romance.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy! The story is cute and definitely steamy but I found some of the conflicts too forced. Overall, a quick enjoyable read.