He’s kind of a big dill.
A secret boss rom com from USA Today bestselling author JJ Knight
They call me Big Pickle. It’s not what you think.
(Although that’s true too.)
I happen to be the oldest Pickle in the family deli business.
And we have the best salami.
Take that one however you like.
But when my father announces the franchise will go to the most profitable of the three brothers, I learn … three brothers, I learn that even though I’m the eldest Pickle, I’m dead last.
I hightail it to Texas to see what’s happened to my restaurant, only to find a sassy little spitfire named Nova Strong in charge.
She’s amazing. She’s sexy. She runs our deli like she owns it.
But despite the way we nearly melt the permafrost in the industrial freezer, I have to control myself. Nova thinks I’m a new employee. She has no idea I’m only there to spy.
Or that I’m her boss.
As I get to the bottom of why my franchise is failing, I desperately need to know one thing:
Is Nova Strong everything wrong with my deli, or everything right for me?
Big Pickle is a full-length, 300-page standalone romantic comedy full of pickle jokes, giggle-worthy references to male anatomy, and more salty language than a jar of baby dills.
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This was a good book, it was an interesting storyline. I found it a little slow at times but I would definitely recommend this book
What do you do when your father puts you and your brothers in a competition and you have never visited your own business? Why you go undercover. Jace is put in this situation and the fun begins. I love this book and can’t wait for the next one.
Big Pickle by J.J. Knight is a contemporary, enemies to lovers, workplace romantic comedy told in first person, dual point of view.
Jace Pickle is one of three sons in the Pickle family deli empire. His father is retiring soon, and plans to leave the Pickle franchise to the son whose store is the most profitable. When Jace learns that his store is in last place, he decides to visit to find out what’s going on. Suspicious that somebody is stealing, he goes undercover as an employee to see what’s happening from the inside. He doesn’t expect to be so drawn to the spitfire who’s been running the store, especially when she might be running it into the ground.
Nova Strong is a regular employee at Austin Pickle, but she’s been acting as manager ever since the real manager went on medical leave and never returned. Somebody had to take charge and take care of the store. Things have been rough, and the owner has been unreachable. In fact, he’s never so much as visited his store the entire time Nova has worked there. So when this annoying, rich guy, Jason, shows up claiming to be friends with the Pickle family, and stating that Jace promised him a job, Nova is not pleased. She’s his boss now, and he won’t be getting any special treatment, no matter how attractive he may be.
What will happen as Jace and Nova work together? Will they be able to resist their chemistry? Will they give in to the attraction? Is Nova to blame for the store’s financial situation? Is someone stealing from Austin Pickle? What will happen when Nova finds out that Jason is really her boss? Can they make things work? And which brother will inherit the Pickle franchise? Read the book to find out.
I enjoyed Jace and Nova’s story. I liked them both as characters, flaws and all. Nova was strong, hard working, and dedicated to her family. Jace started out a bit spoiled and entitled, but as he got his hands dirty working at Austin Pickle that changed. The story was cute, fun, and punny with a dash of mystery mixed in. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it made me laugh, so it won’t be my last.
This story is about Nova and Jace/Jason. When Jace goes to Texas to check on his business Austin Pickle he meets Nova. They have an awesome meet cute but will secrets keep them from really coming together and can they uncover why store finances are in a pickle?
5 Cranky stars
What an entertaining read this was. Some romance, some thriller and some comedy. Excellent read.
Nova was an ordinary girl she has a drunk for a mother and a half sister she adores. She works at the Pickle deli and with the manager on long term sick leave is thrown in the deep end. The eldest son owns this deli and even though he wasn’t normally interested, his father throws a gauntlet down the best takings by the end of the year will take over the franchise so he can retire. Jace saw the loss his deli was making and decides to investigate. He pretends he is a friend of the family Jason and starts to learn the business from the bottom up.
There are a few surprises for him and a mystery to solve with Nova who he made manager, but she still has no clue who he is.
What a pickle they get themselves into.
A fantastic read.
3.5 stars.
This is my first JJ Knight book. I saw this book recommended by some of my favorite writers and thought I would give it a try.
If the TV show Undercover Boss was a romance, it would be this book. Jace Pickle doesn’t pay too much attention to the deli he owns in Austin, Texas. That is until he realizes profits are way down and he has suspicions about one of his employees skimming from the store. He goes back to Austin undercover and gets a job at his deli. He finds himself attracted to the new manger at the deli, Nova. But she’s his employee and he’s not completely convinced that she’s not stealing from him.
Perfect for the season !
An absolutely lovely and witty read. I loved seeing Jace go from a wandering playboy to someone with goals and ambitions. You can’t help but love Nova from the start! Wonderful characters, with great family camaraderie and responsibilities.
Jace (Jason) has a mission: head to his franchise deli, Austin Pickle, and find out why his deli is in last place in profits among all of the Pickle delis. When he arrives, he’s stunned to find it’s being run by a gorgeous, sassy spitfire, Nova, whom he immediately wants. But he can’t tell her who he is or she’ll never disclose the info he seeks. So going undercover as a regular sandwich maker seems the thing to do. But it’s not really because when the woman he’s falling for finds out just who she’s been tangling in the sheets with? Yeah…it won’t be pretty.
This was the most fun story I’ve read in quite a while. The banter between Nova and Jason is pure wit and snark and not hiding very well their immense amount of chemistry. I loved these two together and I’d read more by JJ Knight in a heartbeat!
So this story had me laughing out loud from the very beginning. I mean obviously with that title, you know it’s going to probably have a lot of play on different types of risque jokes you can make with pickles. And this had all of them, and then some that I’d never thought of! For instance, they had to name all the things in the deli something to do with pickles, I mean that was the “family” name. So the new bread type was called “Dill Dough”. LOL! Now when we talk about the family name, actually, the real one was worse. At first, I read it, Packwood, and was like, well, that’s not that bad. Until the jokes came, about packing wood.
The humor was great, and the characters were all really fun, even the side characters added so much to the story. Of course the one thing that always annoys me is not telling a secret, one that probably won’t make that big of a dill (okay, I couldn’t help but throw one of the jokes in myself) in the long run.
Of course it all worked out in the long run, because we have an HEA. I was kind of surprised that we did find out who won the competition between the brothers, because in my mind, I’d assumed maybe we were going to get a series with each of the three brothers having their own book. However I don’t believe knowing who wins will ruin anything. I’m hoping the author will still go back and give us Max and Anthony’s stories as well! I have to say I’ve also now found a new author that I will be checking out as many more books by her as possible in the future!
4.5 Stars for Big Pickle
This author is a new author and after reading Big Pickle I’m left wondering why I haven’t read any previous works from this very talented author and I do have to say I will certainly be checking out other works by her as soon as time permits.
Jason (Jace)Pickle is in Texas to find out why his franchise is failing, as he can trust no one he works out the only way to get to the bottom of things is to go undercover as a new worker and that’s when he comes across Nova Strong the new manger who stepped into the role when everyone else stepped away. Nova may be struggling but she is giving it her best shot and when Jace turns up she is instantly attracted to him whilst immediately disliking his personality…..
This book ticked all my boxes, I laughed, I giggled and I smiled a lot as I fell big time for Jace Pickle, I loved the characters because they all have depth and I loved the story and to be honest this book was just what I needed to escape the reality of the world in these very uncertain times. Looking forward to reading more from J.J Knight.
What a fantastic laugh out loud, sexy times filled, enemies to lover, forbidden romance read this book is. “Big Pickle” (the title alone should peak your curiosity) was my first read by author J.J. Knight and what a way to discover a new to me author. This book is a fantastic combination of giggle inducing, deep sigh causing, make me blush moments.
Jason/Jace Pickle is the absentee owner of a renowned delicatessen chain owned by his family. A forced reality check has him working undercover at his restaurant in order to uncover the truth about his business.
Nova is a down on her luck, nose to the grindstone, determined young woman. Her grit and beauty shining through the crap fest that his her life. Striving to be a better person and sheer determination make her all the more attractive.
Thrown together Jason and Nova’s chemistry is undeniable as is their attraction to one another. Facing all kinds of obstacles doesn’t stop them from getting their much deserved happily ever after. TBR this fantastic read and enjoy.
Jace is a rich playboy who has a deli restaurant that he never goes to. He and his brothers start a competition to see who runs their stores best in each of their cities, the winner gets the NYC location as well. Jace shows up to a mess at his location, but Nova, who’s a part time employee, shakes his world upside down. Money is disappearing from his businesses and he’s got an absent manager. The puns flow quite freely in this book and they make it quite enjoyable. Nova is definitely out of Jace’s league and she knows it, but somehow they come together over making bread … literally. It’s quite an enjoyable and light read, especially the attempted football catch.
This book is funny. So many double antandres and good puns. Nova is endearing, and Jason is trying. Jace has received his wake-up call, and the best Pickle will be king. Go ahead. You know you want to!
I loved JJ Knight’s “Big Pickle,” a funny, sweet, and charming story featuring endearing, well-developed characters and an engaging plot. This book provided plenty of laughs thanks to the witty banter between main characters Jace and Nova, numerous pickle jokes, and amusing situations, but it was also incredibly heartwarming. Jace and Nova came from completely different backgrounds and in theory a relationship between them never should have worked, but in practice they brought out the best in each other and made a wonderful couple. Reading their story was a tremendous amount of fun, and I highly recommend it.
Nova was a wonderful lead character: smart, hardworking, determined, caring, and a great leader. It was easy for me to see why Jace fell in love with her, and I had no doubt that she would be able to accomplish everything she set out to do and more, no matter what obstacles stood in her way. As for Jace, he had quite a lot to learn about responsibility, but he stepped up in a big way over the course of the story. There was a real sense of growth with his character arc, which I appreciated. I also loved the slow burn of Nova and Jace’s relationship development as they slowly went from enemies to lovers. I couldn’t wait for them to finally give into their feelings for one another!
The secondary characters in this story were quite likeable as well, especially Nova’s co-worker Lamonte, her little sister, Leah, and Jace’s brothers, Max and Anthony. I believe this book is currently being marketed as a standalone, but I’d love to read future books starring the other two Pickle brothers.
“Big Pickle” was the first book I’ve ever read by JJ Knight, but it’s safe to say that it will not be my last. I look forward to seeing what she writes next!
*ARC provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.
Best Pickle Ever!!! Oh my goodness, I don’t know where to start. So many laugh out loud moments. So many pickle jokes. The writing sucks you in and is so whity it keeps you engaged in the story. Told in both Jace and Nova’s POV.
I’ve been reading JJ Knight books for a while, and now The Big Pickle is hands down my favorite. Best romantic comedy of 2020!
Full review posted at Reader’s Edyn on 04/07/20
Nova is up to her eyeballs in responsibility. Between her party-animal mother, making sure her sister is taken care of and acting as manager for a deli of which she is NOT the manager, she’s taken on about all she can handle. She knows things are off with the deli and that the owner is nigh impossible to reach, so with little other choices she begins to snoop around where she can. Attempting to discover where the problems exist, while singlehandedly trying to keep the business afloat won’t be an easy task. Her goal is to go back to college and if she loses this job, she loses her dream right along with it. When the ridiculously hot Jason shows up looking for a job, claiming to have been sent by the family and knowing zilch about the deli business, she is suspicious. After a while, he seems to be putting in a good effort. They share some sexy, friendly banter, he shows some endearing sides of himself, and the reasons to keep her distance from the guy making her melt with desire don’t seem so prevalent anymore. Together they end up getting to the bottom of the deep deception within the business as well as growing their new relationship. But suddenly all of the truth comes out, putting their fledgling romance at risk and exposing Jason’s deception as well. Nova has some life-altering decisions to make and Jason might not make the cut.
Jace has been living a carefree, playboy lifestyle and not really given a second thought to the well-being of his deli business. When his father announces a competition between the brothers and their delis, Jace discovers that his deli is barely hanging on by a delicate thread. With no other choice, he heads to Texas to check things out and quickly devises a plan to act as an employee in order to ferret out the truth of what’s been occurring behind his back. What he isn’t prepared for is the animosity directed toward him since he’s been an absent owner for so long. He’s not entirely convinced that Nova doesn’t have something to do with his failing business, but his attraction to her is also something he isn’t able to ignore. As their emotions become more entangled and their working relationship strengthens, he is reluctant to tell Nova the whole truth. Fearing the truth will end their fragile connection, he puts it off as long as he can, knowing he’ll have to come clean soon. But waiting too long forces him into the truth and immediately pushes Nova away. Knowing she needs time, he keeps his distance all while setting things right for the deli and its staff. With one last chance to try and get Nova back, he acts, but it seems as if he might be too late to rekindle that flame.
I have to say that I had pretty high expectations for this book. Between the cover and the blurb, I knew it was something I wanted to read. Luckily, I was gifted an ARC and allowed to participate in the review tour. I say luckily because … dang … it exceeded my expectations! First, there are a ton of pickle jokes, references, innuendos – whatever you want to call them. Some had me groaning, others full out LMAO! It was almost too much, but also welcomed and enjoyable. I loved how even the deli itself made so many clever plays on its menu items. For example, they create a bread with pickles in it and call it dill dough! I mean that humor is right up my alley. This book is definitely current contemporary including references to things like the Witcher, which I believe also helps with the pickle innuendo. You couldn’t have had a setting with so much double entendre bordering on lascivious without being a modern time read.
Nova is fierce and isn’t afraid to take charge when necessary. Her mother has been basically absent, struggling with alcoholism, leaving her to care for her sister. It even stretches to the point of Nova being the one to provide the apartment they all reside in. It’s a pretty messed up situation, but Nova does what is necessary to take care of her sister and mother. The same rules apply to the deli. She knows things aren’t adding up, but she doesn’t have access to be able to dig in and go through documents to find out where the problems actually lay. Unable to contact the owner – ever – and having no ability to right the wrong, she does whatever she can within her means to keep things running because she needs the job so badly. She’s actually pretty amazing. Top that off with wanting to finish her college degree she had to abandon to take care of her family and you’ve got a very strong female lead. What I also enjoyed about Nova is that she also recognizes when it’s time to kick back and allow herself some fun; even if that does involve hooking up with an employee. But it also seems as if there is more to their relationship than just a fling, so in the back of her mind, though she’d never admit it out loud, she was also hoping for more with Jason. I might have also enjoyed Nova not giving Jason the slightest break in training just a bit more than I should have.
Jace is completely opposite Nova. He’s got money and he isn’t afraid to spend it. Completely oblivious to the danger his deli is in, he shoves everything off on to his assistant and pretty much leaves the deli to its own demise. What was wonderful to see unfold was the complete 180 that Jace performs; transforming from sexy, rich playboy to a responsible business owner who is irrevocably in love with his employee. He goes from not so much as lifting a finger, to jumping right into the fray of things in the deli and performing any and all tasks each day. It’s pretty fantastic! Typical to the normal romance novel, there must be a woman who motivates Jace to be a better man. Had Nova not been part of the equation, Jace likely never would have been inspired to make the necessary changes to morph his business from a failing mess into a thriving hotspot. Basically, he needs a swift kick to the butt and Nova gladly supplies the cowboy boot. An added benefit to this salty story is the toggling points of view. Each chapter switched back and forth between Jace and Nova, allowing the reader to see things through the eyes of each of the lead characters. I didn’t use to be a fan of this style of writing, but I seem to be enjoying it more than ever as I come across so many books that make use of this writing tool. Ultimately, the feelings of each character can be conveyed on a deeper level when allowing the POV to switch. That said, each change is clearly made and did not create any confusion as the chapters began and concluded.
This book is deliciously dirty as indicated by the blurb. Really, just read the blurb and if you are not okay with some of the suggestive material it exhibits, then don’t read the book. It’s a rather tame preview if I might say so myself. I’d hate for anyone to review BIG PICKLE badly because the content is too strong for their liking. There are swear words included and the sexual content is stupid hot. (I mean that in the best way possible.) Descriptive is putting it mildly and as far as locations … it definitely occurs in the workplace. While I enjoyed their undeniable attraction and scorching encounters, I also very much loved the family dynamic at work. For the Pickles, family is everything. The love between the family as a whole is adorable. Exactly the kind of family everyone wants to be a part of. From the immediate family members and extending out as far as cousins, they would all have one another’s back in any situation. In short, because of a nudge from his father, and then Nova herself, Jace discovers that the deli is everything he ever wanted. He ran from his legacy for so long, seeking his own life, when it was sitting under his nose the whole time just waiting for him to realize it. Definitely an HEA here! I absolutely adored my time spent with the Pickle legacy and all of their endearing friends and family members. Nova and Jace were a joy getting to know as their own transformations occurred. The steamy sexy content, friendly banter, and pickle entendres successfully kicked my enjoyment up several notches. I remained engaged from the first page through the last; the story in constant motion, never stalling. With so many Pickles appearing in this story, I have no doubt that more stories will soon be coming to life. I for one would love the opportunity to revisit the Pickle family again in the future. I’m sure that those who enjoy unexpected romance, hilarious humor, and burning desire will as well.
Kindle version provided by Xpresso Book Tours/Author in exchange for an honest review.
5 Star Review of Big Pickle J.J. Knight
J.J. Knight is a new author to me. I found this to be an delightful and entertaining read and one that kept me invested from the first to the last chapter.
I fell hard and fast for Jason (Jace) Pickle and the woman who eventually would come to mean so much to him, Nova Strong, she is feisty, sassy.
Jase heads to Texas to see why his franchise is failing, deciding to go in undercover as a new hire, he has no idea who he can trust. Nova, has stepped into the role of manager, since the regular one seems to have disappeared and is struggling. She initially dislikes Jace whilst being attracted to him at the same time.
Finally giving in to their mutual attraction will only complicate things but it finally becomes too much to fight. What will happen when Nora discovers that all is not as it seems? Will she forgive Jace or will it destroy their chance of happiness?
Big Pickle had plenty of steam and laugh out loud moments that at times had my family looking at me like I was crazy. There were some really funny “pickle” jokes that added to my overall enjoyment.
This book left me with a smile on my face and I cannot wait to a read more from this author.
4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book so much. It has such a great light fun feel to it. That’s exactly the kind of read I need right now. I loved Nova’s fiery spirit and she’s the perfect person for Jason. She’s so good for him and you see the change for the better. Make sure you pick a time when you have time to read because you’ll get lost in the book just to look up to see time flew by. I love the Pickle family. They’re a funny bunch. I would definitely recommend this one.
Single Dad on Top was hilarious from start to finish so I went into Big Pickle with some pretty high expectations. Jace Pickle and Nova Strong met every single one.
I don’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book. This story is light, funny, and really low on the angst. I loved the background whodunnit to figure out why Austin Pickle was tanking the competition between the Pickle locations. And the bread names!!! OMG, I died.
I seriously am going to need the other Pickle brothers in my life. If their stories are even half as funny as Jace’s, it’ll be amazing!!