He just became accidental roommates with the most off-limits woman in Pine Mountain…
Jesse Oliver likes control.
It saved his life countless times as an Army combat medic.
Now that he’s back home working as a sous chef in small-town bar and grille,
the last thing he needs is chaos.
So when some ancient plumbing turns his apartment into water world,
he jumps at his best friend’s offer to stay … friend’s offer to stay at his nice, peaceful lake house
in exchange for fixing the place up.
But what Jesse doesn’t realize is that the house comes with
a very impulsive, very sexy, very forbidden roommate,
AKA, his best friend’s little sister.
Kat McMarrin likes her space.
After spending her entire life as an Army brat, she’s done moving all over the map.
So when crashing at her brother’s lake house comes with an unexpected plus-one,
she’s less than thrilled.
Even if his best friend Jesse is calm, cool, and gorgeous.
But fixing up the falling-down cabin quickly turns from sawdust to sizzle,
and pretty soon, Jesse and Kat find themselves wondering…
Can a fixer-upper really become forever?
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“Just One Taste: An opposites attract/Accidental roommates Romance” by Kimberly Kincaid is her Pine Mountain series Book 4.5. I loved this story. This is Jesse Oliver, former Army Vet and now Sous Chef, and Kat McMarrin, Physical Therapist, story. When a water main breaks in the apartment complex Jesse finds himself without a place to stay so his friend Gabe lets him stay at the duplex by the lake. Kat finds herself at the same duplex because Gabe is her older brother. Jesse can’t act on his feelings for Kat, can he? I mean this is his best friend’s little sister, but Kat is of age and knows she is intrigued.
Maybe 3.25 or 3.5 stars, but I’m not bumping it up to 4. This one is too short to bump up to 4. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a fun story or that it isn’t well written. It’s just too short to have very much character development. Jesse has been in previous books in this series, but I don’t think I’ve ever “met” Kat. Jesse is a Pine Mountain native although from the wrong side of town, or at least that’s how he’s felt all his life. Kat is the daughter of an Army colonel and Pine Mountain was her summer home many years ago. As an Army brat, she’s never had a place to call home and it’s the only thing she longs for. Circumstances force the two of them into that summer home, which is sort of a duplex, and things move quickly from there. It’s short, it’s sweet, it’s a good summer afternoon read.
I loved Just One Taste by Kimberly Kincaid, a novella in the Pine Mountain series. This is the only book that I have read in the Pine Mountain series, but it will not be the last. Once again Kimberly Kincaid has proven that she is an incredible storyteller. I loved the characters and the Pine Mountain setting. Just One Taste is the story of Jesse Oliver, former Army medic and now sous chef and Kat McMarrin, physical therapist and younger sister of Jesse’s friend. Just One Taste starts with a bursting water pipes in the apartment building that both Jesse and Kat live in. They will need to find a temporary place to live while they fix the burst pipes. Even though Jesse and Kat live in the same apartment building, they do not know each other. Jesse reaches out to his friend, Gabe McMarrin, Kat’s brother for a place to live. Gabe tells that he and his sister own a duplex on the lake and that Jesse can stay there. Gabe suggests that Jesse fix up the place while he is staying there instead of paying rent. To both Gabe and Jesse’s surprise, Gabe’s sister Kat shows up and plans to stay on the other side of the duplex. Jesse and Kat decide to work together to renovate the duplex. While working together Jesse and Kat become closer and share some of their darkest secrets. Jesse does not feel that he is worthy of Kat, because she is a colonel’s daughter and a Stanford educated physical therapist, not to mention the sister of the man who saved him from himself. Jesse and Kat start a relationship, but when their apartments have been renovated and are ready to move in, Jesse is willing to throw it all away with Kat, because he does not feel worthy of her. It was a beautifully written heartwarming story. I love how both Jesse and Kat feel like they are broken in their own way, Jesse because of his upbringing and Kat because she was an “Army brat” who never had a home, a place to call her own. Once again, Kimberly has filled Just One Taste with all her usual bittersweet and poignant moments that I have come to love and expect in her books. I loved the surprise twists in the book and how it all gets resolved, so that Jesse and Kat can have their happily ever after. Looking forward to reading the other books in the Pine Mountain series.
This was a very fun, quick read with lots of steam!
Best friend’s little sister plus accidental roommates? Yes please! Kat and Jesse are forced to spend time together after their apartment building floods. As they work to rehab the house their sharing, sparks fly and feels get intense.
I love the Pine Mountain series! If you love small town romances with hot heros and sassy heroines, this story is for you!