A Cinderella story with a hot boss so charming even a fairy godmother couldn’t do better.Everyone thinks Dax Marshall is a prince of a guy. And he’s definitely charming.But Jane has enough going on without adding a torrid fling with the boss to her life. Between her father’s illness, her wicked-ish stepmother, her little sister’s teenage drama, and the co-workers who depend on her—she can’t … on her—she can’t handle another mess.
No matter how tempting and gorgeous the mess may be. Or how messy he wants to get with her.
Dax has spent his life being very serious about only one thing: proving you can be successful while still having a helluva good time. But he’s just met the one woman who might break his I-can-charm-anyone streak. She’s actually taking him seriously…and she seriously thinks they have nothing in common and can’t be together.
Maybe he’s the one who needs a new view of happily ever after. It’s time to stop forking around.
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This is the second book in the Hot Cakes series. Author Erin Nicolas has once again given us a hot, smexy and funny as all strawberry pie book to read and laugh with. Dax is the second millionaire by accident to fall head over whip cream into love with a down to earth woman in this small town. I love how our author has given us such a wonderful town that could actually be any small mid American town like even the one I live in today. I think that is part of the wonder and charm of this book. Then there is Jane who has a family, not unlike so many of our own with issues both with attitudes and health and they are addressed and ways that are actually possible and carry out in real life. This book is one that was great to escape in to laugh, love and yes it is a fantastic read. But for me it also had me thinking about my sister (even my life in the future) who is like Jane’s dad and wondering if she could be helped by some of the ideas in the book itself. HUM…
A delightful addition to this adoreable series! The author’s writing is just so delightful and entertainment, the dialogue so witty and sharp. I found myself highlighting so many phrases that I liked that there were hardly any sections left unmarked. LOL!
This volume was a little harder for me to get into than the first one. That story began with some intense (almost) action prior to the opening scene even. This time around, we’re in for more of a long, somewhat drawn-out, slow-burn romance. Dax and Joan don’t even kiss until quite a ways in. Okay, maybe it’s only a week and a half or so from the beginning of the book; but, still, it’s forty percent of the way through the story!
Nothing much about this story proceeded as I thought it would though. Which made it an awful lot like how Joan felt about Dax in general. But, as she slowly came to realize, that could definitely be a good thing.
I adored Dax’s grand gesture to Joan! And was, quite honestly, a little perturbed at her for having an issue with it. But I was very happy when she came around, and how she chose to make up for her lack of initial support and enthusiasm.
It was fun to catch-up, at least a little, with many of the players from the first tome, and see how things were going for them a little later down the road. We’re also meet a bunch of new people, mostly workers at the factory and members of Joan’s family. Mostly just expanding the sphere of influence that the Fluke crew have around them.
I loved the glimpses that we got of Grant and Josie. I absolutely cannot wait to read their story in the next installment of Hot Cakes!
Each book in this series is better than the last and that’s saying a lot because I absolutely love everything written by this author!!! I don’t even have to read the back cover to one-click one of her books.
Dax & Jane’s story is so good. He’s the over-the-top goofball that does things on a whim to make others around him happy. She’s the stressed factory worker that tries to fix everything and keep the piece for her loved ones. So when he does one of the most over-the-top things he’s ever done, it’s easy to see why Jane is skeptical.
But when you are doing these things because you have fallen so head-over-heels in love with the person you are doing them for, it’s bound to work.
Can’t wait for more in the Hot Cakes series.
Jane is a reluctant Cinderella. She has been taking care of her own forever, an ailing father, a semi rebelious teenage sister, a stepmother Cinderella worthy and lets add in a stepsister. She doesn’t have room for anything else in her life, until Dax. Dax is one of the new owners of the company Jane works for. She knows she shouldnt get involved since he’s her boss. He knows how to make people happy and hes determined to make Jane happy. Not matter what it takes.
So i must say i have been anticipating this book so much. Dax was described as being the fun making member of the group with wild fun ideas. Get the picture? Hes fun in a gummy bear filled swimming pool. He intrigued me since i knew a love interest would have to have a balancing element (not sure what that would be). Erin Nicholas made this couple so perfect. Dax is the whipped cream on top of Jane’s strawberry pie. He makes her life fun and so much better for it. Not in the sense that everything he does is fun. He makes her life easier and less stressful although she doesnt always see it that way. Jane improves Dax too. Dax has a lot of ideas, quickly. He comes up with things to improve his businesses without much thought to consequence. He tears down walls over night, for Pete’s sake. Jane makes him stop and think. That to me is a perfect counterbalance. What i got from this book is not only a romance story but a life lesson, at least for me. Take time to have the fun. Erin Nicholas has a way of making me laugh, making me swoon, and speaking to my heart.
This book has the perfect blend of fairytale sweet and fan your face sexy. Jane and Dax’s love story has all the feels. They appear to be opposites on the surface. Dax is the fun-loving, impulsive, never serious guy and Jane has so much serious responsibility in her life that she cannot juggle one more thing. There are Cinderella elements to this story too – a wicked stepmother and step sister with Jane and her sister doing all the chores while her sick father is relegated to a nursing home plus there’s the charming fun rich boss who wants to make everyone happy with extravagant presents and makeovers. On their way to their HEA, Jane and Dax find they have more in common than they thought. They want the same things for the people in their lives they just go about it in different ways. Like the first book in this series, Forking Around includes a number of secondary characters, some we’ve met before and others are new. Rather than being overwhelming or detracting from the main love story, these characters are central to the main love story and to the heart of what makes small town Appleby, Iowa so wonderful. I am excited to hear what happens next for Hot Cakes and rest of the town. With Forking Around, Erin Nicholas once again proves she’s a fantastic storyteller. And now all things strawberry will forever make me feel like blushing.
OMG I love Jane and Dex. Dex is an over the top millionaire woohoo does what ever he won’t when he wonts. Every thing has always came easily to him. So when Jane just does not fall for him and he has to work for her he find out that it makes it all that much better.
Jane is just a simple girl in a small town. She does not have money and spend her life working and taking care of what ever comes her way with her sick dad and teen sister who dose not like the stepsister or stepmom. Jane does not have room to take on any more in her life especially her new boss. The very good looking and rich Dex. Dex and his best friends and business partners bought out Hot Cakes the company Jane works for.
When Jane keeps telling Dex no he sales he part of Hot Cakes so Jane will go out with him. So Jane shows him just what her life is like before it is to late and he can get his shares back. Will he? Or will Dex know he is in love with Jane and he would do anything to keep her happy. This is a must read. It is a fantastic book and I enjoyed every minute of it. I loved how it ended. I can not wait for the next one in June.
4 1/2 STARS!
Erin Nicholas may have just handed us her best hero yet! With book two of her much-loved Hot Cakes series she more than delights with Dax who had me smiling throughout the entire book. He’s sexy, he’s funny, and he’s just cocky enough to make it adorable. FORKING AROUND was a super fun read with laughter, steam and lots of heartfelt moments.
Jane Kemper is very easy to like. She is everybody’s go-to when something is going on in their life, and she takes pride in helping in any way she can … but she’s gotta admit, her plate is pretty much overflowing these days.
Dax Marshall is perfectly happy living an upbeat lifestyle with fun and no worries, but the moment he sets eyes on Jane, he’s floored. He immediately knows she’s going to be his … and it’s going to be a fun ride convincing her!
I highly recommend this story as well as the previous one in the series. This group of friends and business partners are hilarious and watching them fall for “the one” when she crosses their path is the bomb. Looking forward to more in the series!
ARC for honest review with no compensation
Forking Around is book 2 in the Hot Cakes series by Erin Nicholas about 5 billionaires who return home (for a few) and buy a bakery company.
Dax Marshall, the fun loving, charming, good time guy who thinks life doesn’t always have to be serious, falls head over heels for Jane a worker at the factory. Jane on the other hand knows falling for her boss is a no-no, she has enough going on in her life…father in a rehab home, wicked step mother, spoiled step sister and she doesn’t need a Prince Charming to ride in on his white horse…except maybe that just what she needs…
Can Dax show Jane that he can help lighten her heavy load, show her sugar isn’t the only thing she needs or will she throw the sweetest person who completes her…away??
Forking Around is one of those books that make you smile like a total dork from start to finish…making you feel like Dax Marshall…one of the new owners of Hot Cakes, the company where Jane is currently employed. I laughed out loud, snickered, and giggled so many times at the humor and innuendos in this book! Erin Nicholas certainly knows how to write a fun, banter filled rom-com!
“People should never apologize for loving what they loved. Especially if they were gorgeous redheads who loved putting balls in their mouths. He grinned. He was totally going to use that line. It was just the right amount of immature and dirty and playful that he appreciated.”
I forking love Erin Nicholas’ writing! I love the fantastically characters she adds to her wonderful storylines! The “sweet” characters in the Hot Cakes series carry over from one book to the next, and although Forking Around can be read as a standalone, you will feel more like a member of the community of Appleby, Iowa, if you read these from start to finish! 5 frosting covered stars!
Desserts are still sweet in the second book of the HotCakes series. Honestly, reading a book from this author is like sitting down with your favorite comfort food. You know you’re going to get witty banter, fun characters, surprisingly deep insight, and some hot chemistry. As always, the secondary characters add dimension (I’m looking at you, Piper). I was especially touched by the situation with Jane’s father; it was familiar. I loved this book, love the series, and will happily go back for seconds (and thirds and fourths)! For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital ARC of the book, and all thoughts are my own.
When Dax, one of the new owners of Hot Cakes, the snack cake factory Jane works at, sees his gorgeous employee devouring the red velvet cake pops and not sharing with him, he doesn’t realize who the feisty redhead is, nor does she seem inclined to give him her name. No matter, what Dax wants, he can certainly find given his millions and charming attitude. So it really shouldn’t have surprised Jane when a bouquet of cake pops shows up for her. Now the question is, what exactly does the charmer want?
Jane has a pretty tough life, taking care of her father and trying to protect her younger sister from their stepmother’s bitchy ways, so when Dax comes along and wants to make her happy, make her smile, she wonders if it’s all just casual. She hopes so because she isn’t inclined to a serious relationship or a commitment, especially with Dax, someone who seems to be just about fun. Can these two get on the same page or will their opposite worlds be too much of an obstacle?
Giant gummy bears, cake pops and alpacas make for a fun rom-com that’s thoroughly charming, sweet, and holy moly hot. Dax is one swoony guy and it’s his contrast with Jane’s serious side that makes this story for me. And now I’m dying to find out if Grant and Josie’s meet-cute lives up to the smolder it produced when Making Whoopie is released.
I have a new book boyfriend and he is seriously dreamy! Forking Around is the second book in Erin Nicholas’ new series, HotCakes. I can always count on Erin Nicholas for a great read, filled with interesting characters and really steamy love scenes—and with Forking Around, Nicholas does not disappoint!! This is the story of Jane and Dax. Jane is a hardworking woman with a very complicated and stressful life. While she likes a little flirtation and maybe friends with benefits, she does not have time for a relationship, or even dating. Dax, my aforementioned new book boyfriend, is a brilliant and eccentric millionaire (billionaire?), and is enough of a playboy to be a possibility for Jane in the benefits department. What I really love about this book is that these feel like real people having real conversations. Jane has a lot of tough stuff happening, and this sweet and sexy romance doesn’t sweep it under the table or magically fix it. And we learn that even billionaire playboys have their issues! This is a great new addition to the series, and if you are in need of some comfort food right now (and aren’t we all, really?) I highly recommend Forking Around.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Yay! We’re back in the sweetest small town Appleby, Iowa and Forking Around was another sweet treat! In times like this Forking Around was just the type of contemporary romance escapism that I needed. Dax is one of the 5 business partners in Hot Cakes and Jane is one of the staff there. Dax has been head over heels for her since the moment he saw her devouring some cake pops. Jane knew that Dax was sweet and fun but her plate is overloaded with real life and the last thing she has time for is her fun loving boss. Well guess what, all work and no play makes Jane a frustrated girl so Dax is going to pursue her with everything he has! This book is a really sweet treat that will make you smile on even the worst day. It was told from dual POV and it has sweet heat and will definitely make you laugh! Enjoy!
You already know that Erin Nicholas is one of my go-to authors and you know that I am a “foody” but did you know that I love a man with a sweet tooth? Why? Because I have one and I can’t be with someone who wouldn’t indulge with me. DUH! It killed me to have to wait for this book. I loved book 1, Sugarcoated, so much and thought I would die waiting for Forking Around to release. Grab your coffee and your morning muffin and let’s chat about Forking Around by Erin Nicholas.
Dax is a man who loves people who are enthusiastically open about things they enjoy and the curvy redhead that he had been watching seemed to love the cake pops that she had been unapologetically eating. He had a sudden desire to cover her in the icing that was left on the side of her cheek. There is only one problem. She walked away without giving him her name or sharing the last of the cake pops but that was no problem because Dax was one of the new owners of the snack cake company and he’s pretty sure that she was one of his employees.
Jane did not need a Prince Charming. Her life was too busy for a serious relationship. An occasional hook-up, yes. A relationship, no. She really had no desire to start anything with her sinfully, wicked, and handsome new boss. If Dax is anything, he’s determined. Determined to have a good time and determined to be in Jane’s life.
I love these two characters separately and as a couple. Jane is a strong woman who keeps getting back up after getting knocked down. She has no idea how much her co-workers love and appreciate her always going the extra mile for them. Dax is such a kind-hearted man. He listens to his employees and gets to know them in order to make the work environment a more positive experience. Jane has been hurt too many times in order for her to trust easily so Dax has his work cut out for him.
Erin Nicholas did not disappoint with Forking Around! My rating is a very strong 5 out of 5 propellers! I can’t wait for the next book – Making Whoopie which is due in June.
This series is amazing and I just love Dax. He will definitely make you swoon from the very beginning and Jane with her serious self will make you root for all the more. These two are totally opposite in a lot of ways, but they both love to have fun, when Jane lets her guard down. The story is funny, romantic and everything else that falls into this series.
You can NEVER go wrong with an Erin Nicholas book. Forking Around is the perfect read–witty, fun, romantic. Erin hits all the right notes. Plus…PIE!
A rompaliscious delight filled with red velvety goodness, sweet strawberry pie and plenty of spice.
I really loved Dax and Jane. The way they meet is so cute. Dax is Jane’s boss at Hot Cakes. She doesn’t want to date her boss so Dax does something to remedy that which is so unexpected and over the top. Jane is so overwhelmed with her responsibilities that she doesn’t have time for fun or love. Dax is perceived as the happy go-lucky guy who doesn’t take anything seriously. It’s so nice to see their relationship evolve. Dax is taking this new love very serious and just has to convince Jane that this is long-term love. We learn more about the other partners. I can’t wait for the next book. I received an ARC to read early but have my own copy purchased.
This books just grabbed my heartstrings right from the first page and kept going until I turned the last page.
Dax meets Jane in a very flirty kind of way, I laughed throughout their whole first impression meeting. But what a way to meet your boss right? Dax and Jane flirt and flirt until they finally give in. But she thinks he’s only there short-term so she’s make the best of it, but he has other things in his mind, like long-term things.
Jane has a very tough background and it still continues to present day, a wicked stepmother and stepsister. I love the take on the Cinderalla story. Her father is in a nursing home and she does her best to take care of him. When Dax infiltrates her world, she calls him out. Oh so much drama, but I love a happy ending and this one takes the cake, yes pun intended.
I always know that when I am reading something by Erin Nicholas it is going to leave my heart so full. So of course when the opportunity to read an early copy of this story presented itself I quickly jumped on it. I love this series and this book was no exception. Dax and Jane will have you hooked from the beginning. This is the perfect story to read during these crazy times. This is ABSOLUTELY a must read!! LOVED IT!