The more things change; the more they stay the same…After all these years, Jack Perry is still the same: tall, gorgeous, rugged, and protective. I can’t resist his boyish grin and sexy, little wink. Jack still only sees me as his cute, quirky friend who creates temptations in the kitchen.But now that he’s back in town to help save his family’s business, I’m determined to show him a lot has … lot has changed since high school. I plan to tempt him with more than just my sugary delights. He may only be here for a short while, yet it’s time he saw how grown up I really am. It won’t be long until Jack Perry finally sees the truth: he wants nothing more than to BE WITH ME.
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Samantha loves baking and makes it her profession. Working at the only bakery in the small town she lives in, she had the dream job, but with the retirement of her boss and her son taking over the business, she now has to face daily Justin, the boy who made her life a living hell at school time.
Jack has returned to town to help his father in business, and reconnected with his old friends, he can not hide that the feelings he feeds for his best friend are heading into a dangerously romantic zone. The problem is to make Samantha see him as a man and not a friend.
In a city where everyone knows about each other’s lives, the big gossip of the season is the modernization of the city’s marina, a project that will be linked to the characters and who will be responsible for the mystery and moments of tension of the plot.
While trying to find a way into her life, Samantha will have to figure out how to deal with Jack, with their feelings and with the threats that come her way.
Unfortunately for me, the book did not work. The protagonist is weak, shallow, I was not interested. Jack held the plot by himself. Justin had his good times but his end was abrupt, lacked explanation and a conclusion.
Samantha was supposed to be a sweet, kind, shy girl, but she was a weak person. She never managed to impose himself, she never fought for what she wanted, she settled down and watched life go by. Sorry, I did not like the character. I find it irritating and prone to victimization.
Friends who meet and fall in love give a good plot. It did not work here. Samantha’s friends were interesting, the mystery of the marina too, the accidents brought a tension to the narrative. But they were not enough to obfuscate and erase the protagonist. A pity.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
3.5 Stars
I love a book where one of the characters is a baker. That’s what drew me to this book. The story itself was good. I had a little bit of a hard time feeling the connection between Samantha and Jack. I admire Samantha for having a backbone and the strength to go after what she wants. Though that’s part of the journey in this book for Samantha. I love her vision for the bakery. That was one of my favorites things about the book. The scenes where she is baking with her friends makes me want to join in. I was intrigued about the person/persons causing trouble in this little town.
Fun, light, small town romance!
Having lived in small towns most of my life, I’m a big fan of small town romances, so when I saw this one available on BookSprout from an author I hadn’t heard of yet, I jumped on it. Cute romance, little bit chick lit, little bit mystery, and lots of baking! Right up my small-town alley!! Totally made me wish I was part of their group of friends!
Two reasons for four stars as opposed to five… There are a few steamy scenes, which aren’t terrible, they just threw me off because the rest of the book is fairly sweet and tame as far as language. Could have easily been fade-to-black and still would have had the same effect. Also, I know I had an ARC but my editor brain never truly shuts itself off and I noticed several things that I’m hoping were corrected for the final copy.
These things definitely won’t keep me from reading more from Ms. Coll in the future though. Have already grabbed book one on KindleUnlimited! So glad to find a new author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The heroine, Sam, loves to bake. It is one of the few ways she can find peace. But when her old boss gave the business to her son, Justin, Sam’s world tilted; she had hoped Bev would give her the business; plus, Justin is an overbearing boss. Wishing she could break out on her own, Samantha find solace and support from her girlfriends and her newly returned friend from high school, Jack.
Jack’s come back to help his father, Tom, with his business at the marina. Things are at a tricky juncture because the lease is up, and the mayor is demanding that Tom renovate if he wants a new lease. Stange acts of vandalism are happening at the marina as well.
Will Jack and Sam take their relationship to a new level? Will Justin fire Sam or force her out of the business she has nurtured for years? What will happen with the marina? Who is behind the vandalism?
This book had a lot of going on. There was the main romantic plot as well as subplots about Sam starting a side business, Sam’s past, the marina, and blackmail threats. I thought the heroine was too weak. She had a hard time standing up for herself, and just let others walk all over her, even to the possible detriment of those she cared about. Jack is a sweet hero.
If you like romantic suspense with a lot going on, you might enjoy this book.