A boss-employee romance…kind of.Only three things stand between Ava Carmichael and her twelve billion dollar inheritance:1. A year of living in Bliss, Kansas.2. A relationship that lasts six consecutive months.3. A pie.Ava has run a multi-billion-dollar company, negotiated with shark investors, and hobnobbed with business royalty, but she’s about to be defeated by her … royalty, but she’s about to be defeated by her inability to turn sugar, flour, and apple pie filling into something edible.
Conveniently, the owner of the diner next door, Parker Blake, is magic in the kitchen. And he technically works for her. So she can make him teach her to bake. And, hey, if everyone assumes they’re heating up more than the oven during their time in the kitchen…well, that’s called multitasking.
Parker Blake likes his women the way he likes his coffee: not in his diner. But gorgeous, strong-willed, type-A Ava clearly isn’t going to stop messing up his kitchen—or his simple, stress-free small town life—until the conditions of her daddy’s will are met. So, sure, he’ll teach his “boss” to bake.
But once the kitchen door closes, it’s pretty clear who’s really in charge.
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This book has both cursing (including f-bombs) and sex – if those things will cause you leave a bad review, you should probably skip this one. This book can stand alone, but I highly suggest reading the first book so that the circumstances of the Carmichael girls being in Bliss and their various relationships really make sense. It is also just a great book so read it for that reason, if no other. ***SPOILER TO END OF THIS PARAGRAPH*** This book also has some food-sex-play. If that’s not your thing then you might want to skip the first sex scene.
Sometimes the first book of a series is so good that the second book can come off a little flat or a little less amazing, but this book didn’t suffer from that “hangover” at all. I really loved the relationship that developed between Ava and Parker, which I confess surprised me. I wasn’t sure how Erin Nicholas was going to make two grouchy, contrary people come together and make it believable, but I should have known not to doubt her because these two worked perfectly together. Their relationship developed so organically and so smoothly that neither of them really seemed to notice it, which made for fun reading.
Although I loved them as a couple, watching Ava grow and change as a person was really great because the fact that she wasn’t able to just relax and enjoy life made my heart ache for her. Seeing Ava learn to enjoy not only the simple things in life but just life in general, and to actually enjoy being herself was my favorite part of this book. And then there was Parker. Oh, Parker. He wasn’t my kind of hero to start with, to be totally honest. His growly dictatorship at the diner made me want to cuss at my Kindle I must admit (I’d never eat at his diner because in real life having someone tell me what I can and can’t do is as off-putting as it gets), but learning about his past, and watching him change a little to become someone who wasn’t as harsh was really fabulous. When he talked about Bliss being home, I swooned, I can’t lie. Also, his “grand gesture” to Ava? It was so sweet and so perfect for them that I actually said “aww” out loud when I read it. While I still don’t enjoy the growling, dominant alpha schtick, I did wind up loving Parker and that really surprised me.
This might seem weird, but I need to talk about Hank for a minute. Hank and his cronies were fantastic in the first book but oh my goodness, I loved him in this one so much. (SLIGHT SPOILERS TO END OF PARAGRAPH) When he went off on Parker about who Ava was, I wanted to high five him so hard. That entire speech made my heart flutter, I loved it that much. Their dad might not still be around, but they’ve got one heckuva champion in Hank.
I ADORED the little looks at Noah and Brynn and cannot wait for that book. Specifically giggling on game night, oh my gosh. I loved that so much.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a billionaire story with a twist (the twist being that the billionaire part isn’t that big of a deal) and a true love story between two highly unlikely characters.
Another amazing small-town romance!!! I’m loving my visits to Bliss just as much as I have loved every visit to Sapphire Falls.
Triplets Ava, Brynn, and Cori have received the terms of their father’s will and for Ava, that includes learning to bake pie, spending a year in Bliss, and dating someone for six months. Being in the kitchen is not Ava’s forte and neither is dating for dating’s sake. Everything for Ava is a business deal in the making. But in order to secure her place as the CEO of her father’s company, she needs to follow his terms to the letter. Parker likes the way his life is. He runs his diner every day, he doesn’t let people change the way he makes his food, and he definitely doesn’t let people in his kitchen. He has no desire to be the CEO of Carmichael so he’s just as determined to help Ava meet the terms of her father’s will. Their chemistry is off the charts. The tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. These two make so many changes in the other’s life that they both find the balance that they both have needed for so long.
Cori and Evan were my favorites until I read Ava and Parker. I don’t know how it’s possible that I love this book more than the last but I do. It’s pretty clear that Rudy had pairings in mind for his girls and the boys that he came to grow so close to but fate is fate and these couples are absolutely perfect for each other. I am counting down the days to Brynn and Noah’s story!!!!
The book title gives an indication that in some ways, the grumpy, small town diner owner, Parker, and the Manhattan CEO, Ava, are polar opposites, but they both like order, routine and control in their lives. When Ava and her sisters move to Bliss, Kansas to fulfill the terms of their father’s will, to live in Bliss for a year and make his pie shop a success, Ava gets put in charge of making the pies. There’s not much need for pie baking in her corporate world, so she’s a little out of her element. Since Parker knows plenty about cooking and baking, she hopes she can convince him to teach her to make pies, and the time they spend together can fulfill the other term of the will – that she date the same man for six months.
I read the first book in this series and fell nose over toes for all these characters, so I had to grab an early copy of this one when I had the chance (and yes, I loved it so much I also purchased a copy.) There are so many elements in this series that make it a terrific, satisfying and unique read. Triplet sisters who couldn’t be more different from each other in personality. Quaint, quirky, loveable peripheral characters. Vivid, inviting, realistic small-town setting that is vastly different from the sisters’ background and upbringing. Great twist on the billionaire trope with the heroines as the billionaires. Larger-than-life heroes with unique personalities and huge hearts. It all adds up to a fantastic, delightful, entertaining story that I couldn’t put down. There were some insightful moments, as Parker and Ava learned new things about themselves. There were laugh-out-loud scenes like Ava being the boss of a rooster. There were heartfelt, poignant grand gestures (and grand gestures gone awry). And of course, with food and baking so prevalent, there were lots and lots of creative uses for food outside the kitchen.
Nicholas does an amazing job of creating a warn, endearing fictional world and making the reader a part of that world, and it was great fun to revisit Bliss, the Carmichael triplets and their guys. Plan a trip to Bliss, KS in your immediate future and fall in love with Ava and Parker. Then you’ll want to catch up on Cori and Evan’s story in Diamonds and Dirt Roads so you’ll be ready for Brynn and Noah’s story when Cashmere and Camo comes out next month.
*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
Highheels and Haystacks
This is the second installment in the Billionaires in Blue Jeans Series featuring triplet Ava.
To recap triplet billionaires Cori, Ava and Brynn have temporarily relocated to Bliss, Kansas because of their fathers passing. He wrote very specific rules for each of his girls to follow if they want their inheritance.
Highheels and Haystacks features triplet Ava who is tasked with living a full year in Bliss, having a relationship that lasts 6 months, and bake pies.
So it turns out that business minded Ava is a truly terrible baker. So she enlists the assistance of none other than Parker Blake, the grumpy chef and owner of the diner next to her father’s pie shop. Do sparks fly in the kitchen?
Give me grumpy men from now on!! Parker is a little bit (a lot) of a control freak and just likes things a certain way. The relationship between he and Ava starts off rocky because neither one realizes they are quite alike. Watching their relationship grow and change is both sweet and steamy.
I cannot wait to see how Brynn handles her stipulations in the next book!
I absolutely love a grumpy hero who falls hard and that is exactly what I got in High Heels and Haystacks. Parker Blake is the perfect combination of grumpy and gruff exterior and sweet and sexy inside. He meets his match in Ava Carmichael, the sassy CEO who moves to Bliss to fulfill her father’s will and finds so much more.
These two have it all: hilarious banter, over the top chemistry, and they genuinely like each other. Oh, and the steamy sex! Like seriously, melt-your-kindle steamy.
Erin Nicholas has created a fantastic series with these triplets and the men who fall in love with them. I can not wait for Noah and Brynn’s story!!!
The sexual tension between Ava and Parker was so freaking hot! I loved the back and forth between these two. I wouldn’t call this an enemies to lovers storyline because they never hated each other it was more that they were so much alike that they liked getting a rise out of each other. There were several close calls in the romance department between Ava and Parker but it just served in making them hotter for each other and when they finally got together it was awesome and definitely worth the wait. I liked how even though they were alike they were different enough to complement one another. I loved the interaction with Ava and her sisters and then the other guys in there group. This was a great second book in this trilogy and you definitely won’t be disappointed in it. Can’t wait for Brynn and Noah’s story next!
This is book 2 in the Billionaires in Blue Jeans. It continues the sisters ongoing struggle to meet the requirement of their father’s will. This book features Ava and Parker’s story. I love the chemistry between these two and the heat they generate is hot enough to bake a pie with. With drama, heat and lots of heart, this book is heartwarming, swoon worthy, and an absolute pleasure to read. I loved it and can’t wait for book 3.
I am seriously in love with Erin Nicholas’ new series and the town of Bliss. Can I just say this author has once again knocked another story out of the park?! I loved everything about High Heels and Haystacks. Parker and Ava seem like complete opposites but they are not that much different; they both like to be in control. I loved the bantering between these two, the smoldering sexual tension and the fun moments they experience together. Ava was a bit more serious in book 1 but in this one, she actually showed her sassy and sweeter side that I really enjoyed. Underneath Parker’s grumpy exterior is one swoon-worthy and dirty talking guy that can melt a woman’s heart and has a serious “thing” for Ava’s high heels. Another fantastic read and I cannot wait to read Brynn and Noah’s story next.
We got to see Ava and Parker’s relationship start in the first Billionaire’s In Blue Jeans book, and I knew it was going to be quite the ride with these two. They are both headstrong, stubborn, and leaders, but that’s about where the differences end. Ava is the sweeter of the two, while Parker is moody and broody (my favorite kind of Erin heroes ) I loved seeing their relationship build, and seeing a softer side of Ava come out.
Catching up with the secondary characters was a blast, and a certain meddling senior.
This book was the perfect addition to this series, and is definitely a must read!!!
Ava and Parker are both strong, hard-headed individuals who like things done their way. Put them together and the sparks certainly fly…both in the kitchen and the bedroom. They need to adhere to Rudy’s will stipulations and at the same time get what they want out of the deal. For Ava, that means making pies as little as possible and getting back to her CEO gig in NY. For Parker, he wants to own the diner outright and maybe get the chance to dabble in specialty pies at the pie shop. When they agree to help each other they never imagine the intensity they feel won’t allow them to just walk away from each other. What happens when their hearts are just as engaged as their heads makes for another awesome story by Erin Nicholas!
Pretty sure that High Heels and Haystacks ranks up there as one of my top favorite Erin Nicholas reads! A fantastic, sexy, swoon-worthy story that will give you all the feels. A love story between two people who are really so different but the same all in one. Parker, even though he likes things a certain way and wants a certain type of woman….can’t seem to get Ava out of head. Ava, who is all about results and will do anything to get them, knows that she HAS to date someone while she spends time in Bliss, thinks that Parker will be the perfect fit. They’ve already spent a couple of months together and he’s not so bad to look at. Sparks immediately fly when these two come together. They are perfect for each other. Balance each other out in a way that makes your heart happy. I highly recommend this one!!!
Happy reading!
This is going to cause craving of all kind! I am read the paperback version of High Heels and Haystacks. This is Ava and Parker’s story. Both Ava and Parker are control freak and have walls built around them. It was so fun to watch those walls come down and them to lose control. Trust me after reading this you will never look at food in ths same way again! Plus when you eat apple pie, this book and these characters are going to pop right in yout mind! It is sexy, steamy, hot, hot, hot! Funny, sweet and laugh out loud! Did I say hot? Let me say it again! It is HOT! Parker is officially my new book boyfriend! Sorry Evan!
Ava, Cori and Brynn may think they have the world figured out, but they still have a lot to learn when it comes to matters of the heart. Even from the great beyond, Rudy still has a few lessons to teach his girls. In Diamonds and Dirt Roads, Cori found the courage to go after what she wants. In High Heels and Haystacks it’s Ava’s turn. Ava is a confident businesswoman, but her personal life is lacking. So are her cooking skills. Enter Parker Blake, her nemesis/temptation. They may get on each other nerves, but the kitchen isn’t the only thing their heating up. Pie is the least of her worries. She may have just lost her heart. Small town fun equals big-time romance and life-changing lessons.
Book two of this series is truly one that highlights the talent of Ms Nicholas as a storyteller.
The premise of the series revolves around triplets, daughters of a billionaire, who after his death , must follow the stipulations of his will/trust. The main one is that they have to move to Bliss, KS for a year, the place that he found happiness and peace. Each sister is given tasks to accomplish within a year, and these tasks take the sisters outside their comfort zone.
In this story, Ava , the one running the billionaire’s empire, is told she must not only live in Bliss, but she has to have a steady relationship for six months and make a pie. To say that these tasks are a challenge for Ava , it’s putting it mildly. Now thrown in the mix is hunky diner owner,Parker, who likes his orderly life, doesn’t deviate from his menu and is attracted to high maintenance , Eva.
Yes, it was great to see these two interact, but the story is more than them. It’s a story about family, and relationships. A story about tearing down physical and emotional walls so that in the end you find something more than just yourself, you find love. Love not only for a special person but also love for a community.
Can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us in her next book.
I was gifted this copy. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
*great big happy sigh* Just when I think the last book I read by Erin Nicholas was the best one she’s ever written. She goes and writes another one that surpasses the last one. I absolutely loved this new story in the Billionaires in Blue Jeans series. Loved everything about Parker and Ava. Their sexual chemistry was off the charts steaming hot! Their interactions were so funny and cute and sweet too. Lots of awww moments. He likes things a certain way but Ava just storms into his life and turns his life upside down. And she looked hot doing it too. They were the perfect fit in every way. And let me tell you, I so wanted to take Ava’s place in this story because Parker sure knew how to take care of her. I will never look at food the same way again. I need my own Parker now. Even if he comes off as gruff and grumpy. I loved the way Ava brought a smile to his face and made him laugh. I’m sighing again just thinking about this story. A definite must read. Seriously, go out and get this series. You will love it!
I adored this book! It is a funny, sexy,
& heartwarming story! I enjoyed this
so much, I could not put it down.
Ava, is CEO of Carmichael Enterprise. Now, she is to be the baker, in her late
father’s pie shop. Ava needs to meet the terms of a will, he created. She is to live & work in Bliss, Kansas, for one year. Problem is, she doesn’t know how to make pies. Parker, owns the diner next door. He is a great cook, but very set in the way, he does everything. Ava needs Parker to create his magic in the kitchen, of Blissfully Baked, & give her baking lessons. But, what they don’t realize is, there creating magic of their own.
Ava & Parker, makes the pages sizzle!
I can’t wait to read
Cashmere and Camo!
A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!!