If only life were as simple as a clever pickup line. Cade McNaughton is the last man standing. His brothers have all found love. Despite his recent oh-so-revealing Instagram nightmare and his family’s subsequent disappointment, Cade is ready to fall for a woman who cares more about the last book he read and less about his body. But amid the buzz and banter of tending Foghorn Brewery’s bar, Cade … Brewery’s bar, Cade is not exactly settle-down material. All that’s about to change, starting with buzzing off his fauxhawk and sporting a cardigan that has everyone talking.
Sistine Branch has more bills than money, yet she’s fine eating barbecue chips for dinner if it means keeping her knitting shop open. But when her lights go out and the electrician puts a ten-thousand-dollar price tag on renovations, Sistine’s back is against an old and crumbling wall. For the past two years, she’s relied solely on herself, which makes selling out to the one woman from her past who can ruin everything the worst decision ever.
Cade and Sistine are backgammon and end-of-the-bar friends. One rejection, a literal fall into Cade’s arms, and a dinner date with farm animals has them enmeshed in feelings neither thought possible. But, it only takes one lie, a literal fall from grace, and a date with the she-devil to unravel everything they’ve come to know.
If they want a real shot, they’ll need to start from the beginning and realize that love is often a tangled mess, sometimes a funny T-shirt, but never perfect.
- Premiere
- Candidate
- Taste
- Reserved
- Stirred
- Vacancy
- Playbook
- Exposure
- Brew
- Smooth
- Tap
more
Beauty can be a trap
Cade has a bad boy reputation, but he’s ready for more. For the real thing. He’s tired of always being judged on his good looks alone. Shallow is not what he wants anymore; he wants someone he can really talk with. And he finds that in Sistine, but… nothing is ever easy.
Sistine’s different and a bit quirky. Sweet and innocent but there’s more to her than meets the eye. I liked her. But she does something stupid; desperate times call for desperate measures, but she forgets she has friends. They’d have wanted to help out if only she’d asked. But she turned to an old enemy instead (can you say naïve?) and now she has this big secret.
It did take me a little while to get into the book, but I often have that. Once I was in, I was totally there. I liked it. I like the ‘friends to lovers’ trope. I like the slower kind of love as opposed to insta-love. Some parts of the book were a bit drawn-out (I like a slower pace but some parts were too slow). At least it didn’t go too fast; some romance books go to fast at the end and that wasn’t the case here 🙂 A bit steamy although that was just a small part of the book. All in all, it was a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Hidden Gems. I’m not required to leave a review; I voluntarily posted an honest review. My opinions are my own. I received no remuneration for it.
I had not read any of the other books in the series and was not lost. This book could easily be read as a standalone, but once you do read it, you will (like me) want to go back and read the others.
This is a romance/love story about a man that is struggling to mature and is in emotional turmoil with a woman that is so different from him in every way. The author has a way of writing characters that are multifaceted and complex. They show vulnerability, strength, dedication, support, forgiveness, and acceptance.
It is a beautiful love story that will make you smile.
This is a very light fun read with some laughs, tears , and love. It is a standalone series but I felt I was missing parts of the story at times but it did not affect this story at all and was way better then repeating stories over and over.
You’ll love the story of Sistine and Cade. We met them in some of the other books in the series. Cade is the last single McNaughton brother and is rethinking his bachelor life. Both characters are so likable and this is a fun, easy romance to read. I read a reader copy via Hidden Gems and voluntarily chose to review. A beautiful love story.
I cannot say enough good things about this book! I have read all the books in this series and while I loved them all, I think Tap is my favorite.
Tracy Ewens has given us a wonderful character in Sistine. She’s sweet, quirky and just such a good soul that I wanted to bring her home to be my friend. I think I have a girl crush on Sistine!
Cade, oh gosh, what is there to saw about the last single brother of this clan? What a great guy. The first date he planned! Be still my heart!!
I hope I’ve intrigued you and made you want to read Tap because it’s just. that. good. Seriously. Get it now.
I really liked the way this story flowed, although for some it might be slow paced, for me it was just perfect. We have two individuals who are both in their thirties, they have their own business and both are at a crossroads in their lives. For Cade, simply put he wants to be seen beyond his physical attributes and he’s reputation as a charmer, desired for his bedroom prowess and not so much for his intellect. Sistine, I adore, she has her own style and her own rhythm but she’s also a business owner drowning in debt. She wants to be seen as capable and she really wants to make a go of her knitting business. But she needs money fast and the only one to offer it to her is the one person she totally left behind after being betrayed. Most readers will probably take issue with how long Sistine held on to her secret while probably thinking Cade was overreacting. I totally understood both their reactions because Ms. Ewens took time to let their back stories evolve into the fabric of the romance. In the end, I loved how it all ended and the resolution really made sense. Don’t be fooled, this is still a sexy, often extremely sweet and wonderful romance partly because Sistine and Cade took time for the romance to build. Plus Sistine despite the almost goody two shoes image, is sexually proactive and knows what she wants and how to ask for it. A very sweet, poignant romance for the 21st century.
The A Love Story standalone series continues with Tap, giving readers the story of Cade and Sistine. Cade’s never had that desire to settle down, no woman has made him want to buy a house and raise babies, he’s happy with tending bar and running Foghorn Brewery with his brothers. That is, until some unexpected feelings for Sistine are stirred up. Sistine has a secret and she knows she’ll be judged for it, so she hides it away even from the man who makes her heart sing. They both recognize the feelings, but Sistine pushes for a friendship that Cade knows is meant for something more. Not used to the chase, Cade stumbles his way through wooing and trying to win the girl.
“It was kind of like when they were kids, but deeper in his chest. Cade wanted a life, a love, like his brothers.”
I’ve held a personal flame for Cade since we first met him, he’s the brother that seems so happy go lucky, easy to be around, and not necessarily serious about the future. Sure, the brewery and the bar are his brain child and are very important to him, but he’s definitely the ultimate bachelor of the brothers. There’s no better way to describe him, especially with how Tap starts out. Sistine is the quiet friend, she owns a knitting shop, is a member of the book club with all of Cade’s family and other friends, and has an interest in learning backgammon. She’s colorful and unexpected, the emotions she makes Cade feel even more so. I really liked Sistine, I liked that she was so much her own self, even if the secrets she kept hidden were not what I would’ve pictured her having. Their connection is obvious even if not to them; Tracy Ewens knows how to write chemistry that’s for sure.
“Who the heck was Sistine Branch? And why did the entire world suddenly seem so much more interesting?”
Though the brewery does play a large part in the story, in my opinion it took a backseat to the romance more so than the previous novels. Cade is so serious about the brewery, even if he’s often the one joking around, so seeing him put himself out there and do new things was fun. I laughed so hard when the chickens became more than just chickens, but this sign to Cade that maybe he was ready to settle. We see Cade be more than the bartender and Sistine is far more than the quiet knitter. We see these two in their element, both together and separate, but the moments they are together are my favorite. Each share so much of themselves, though it is apparent they both hold emotion back even if in different ways. I enjoyed them learning how to care for another, to accept being cared for, and figuring out that they can do so much more than is expected of them. The twist, though unexpected, didn’t surprise me once I made the connection. It was clever and made things interesting, especially towards the end.
“She knew there were still a few people scattered throughout the darkness, but the only things clear were his mouth and the weight in his voice she recognized as need. How had he come to need her?”
I breezed through Tap! I was so excited for Cade’s story and finding it a unique story that really stood out from the other sibling’s story was a nice surprise. Tap is the perfect casual romance read, taking place in a small California town with the bustling Foghorn Brewery as its centerpiece. It’s light without being fluffy, the romance realistic, the friendships meaningful, and the characters easy to connect with. I always recommend Tracy Ewens’ novels, but this one might be my personal favorite. All the novels can be read as standalones, though I recommend reading them in order just so you can meet all the fantastic characters Tracy Ewens has created. I can’t wait for the next, 2019 is full of promise already!
ARC provided.
When the family jokester, Cade, is blindsided by a post of his mostly naked body that an ex of his posts on Instagram, it sets off a change in him, a change for the better. Suddenly he’s noticing his friend, Sistine (stupid name I thought) in ways other than as a friend, and wanting to take her on a date. But, when she rejects his advances it makes him only more persistent.
Although I thought Tap was a cute story, I felt underwater for most of it, probably because I haven’t read the other books in this series. If I had known this was not a standalone, I certainly would not have signed up to read it. I wish authors or whoever it is that writes their blurbs, would note these things! I found myself liking Cade, but disliking Sistine and honestly not seeing their connection. I couldn’t find the connection between the two of them and I didn’t connect with them much as a reader, either. So three stars is about all I can rate this one.