Kay'Or Matthews runs Soul & Spice with the same fire she puts in her food-bold, warm, unforgettable. She's the plus-sized queen of her own kitchen, a woman with natural curls, a sharp tongue, and a heart she keeps guarded tighter than her secret étouffée recipe. Everyone in the city comes for her cooking... but nobody gets close enough to taste her feelings.Until Malik Carter walks back into her life.Six-foot-three of grown-man temptation, Malik is her little brother's best friend-the one man she swore was off-limits. But when he steps into Soul & Spice looking like trouble in a fitted smile and lined beard, Kay'Or's whole world starts sizzling. Malik isn't here to play games. He's here to make his move... and he wants her.As the heat between them builds, so does the risk. Sneaking kisses after closing, stolen moments in the kitchen, late-night confessions-Kay'Or is falling for the one man guaranteed to stir up the family drama she's been trying to avoid. And when her overprotective brother finds out, the explosion rocks more than just the fryer.Caught between protecting her heart, defending her independence, and embracing a love she never expected, Kay'Or must decide: Will she keep running... or finally let herself be loved out loud?Set in a bustling Southern restaurant with flavors as rich as the romance, Soul & Spice is a story of forbidden love, family loyalty, and a woman learning she deserves every bit of sweetness life offers-no apologies, no hiding, no fear.Because some recipes aren't meant to be secret forever.