Workaholic Blaine Stephens dreams of ditching his Maui wellness-resort penthouse for a bacon cheeseburger and internet access. Until personal chef Serena Thompson shows him the sexiest way to unwind! To slow his all-work-and-no-play pace, Blaine Stephens’s family thought two weeks at a wellness resort in Maui would be the perfect Christmas present. But chowing down on tofu and navel-gazing is … navel-gazing is the workaholic software engineer’s version of hell. Until gorgeous brunette Selena Thompson greets him in her figure-hugging chef’s coat…
Most people would kill for two weeks of sun, sand, and relaxation. But most people don’t have a pilot project that’s going down the tubes along with a media leak showing his driverless car mowing down a dog and an old lady–even if it was just a simulation. Maybe a naked soak in his penthouse hot tub would do Blaine some good…especially if the delicious chef joins him.
Despite the resort’s no-fraternization policy, Serena’s looking at him like she wants him to be her next meal. And soon they’re exploring every decadent pleasure the resort has to offer. In two weeks, Selena will move to France, and he’ll be back at work trying to salvage his project. But Blaine can’t help wishing this holiday hookup didn’t have to end.
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A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start. This was a story about stress over work and having to spend two weeks away from work so Blaine could get back on track after relaxing. Selena a chef was hired to cook healthy meals for Blaine during his two week stay. It was a fun page turner read.
Forced “vacation” in Hawaii
Holiday Hookup is the story of Blaine Stephens and Selena Thompson.
Blaine is a super talented software engineer who is a workaholic. So when things get way to stressful for him and he not only loses his temper but punches his business partner, his very concerned brothers book him two weeks at a resort in Hawaii, whether he wants it or not. Let’s just assume that he does not want to go and it is even worse when he finds out there are no phones, no internet and no work. For two weeks it is just relaxation, healthy eating, destressing and ….. a hookup?
Selena is a personal chef at a private resort on the island of Maui in Hawaii. She enjoys her job as she is assigned to to work with different guests for the duration of their stay.
When Blaine arrives at the resort he meets his personal chef assigned to him for the two weeks of his stay, Selena. They hit it off and there is an instant attraction between them. But there are rules at the resort and the biggest is no fraternization with guests. But as they spend more time around each other it keeps getting harder and harder, pun intended, to not jump each other. Well you can guess at the rest or you can read the story.
This was a fun and very sexy story. Both Blaine and Selena are well developed and the story-line was charming and entertaining.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Sexy, fun and action packed adventure filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists, emotional turns and thrilling passion. Was a great read from beginning to end. Great reading.
Anger Management to Maui! This is about Selena and Blaine. Blaine had an episode where he lost his temper at work and punch his business partner and it was posted on You Tube, so his brother decided to send him away for a couple of weeks to cool down. The vacation of a lifetime in Maui with NO internet connection so that he could decompose himself. Selena is a chef who works for this private resort and her new assignment is to be Blaine’s personal chef during his stay. The connection is there and they both act on it one helping the other out until they are discovered, and everything goes up in smoke. I love the description of the locations that was traveled. It was a great read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book will not let you down. Loved the settings, and all the talk of food, since Serena is a chef. Loved watching their relationship grow into friendship, then into love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and flowed nicely. The turn of events were done beautifully and the ending was terrific!
What a sweet romance between two workaholics. Blaine was forced to go to the wellness resort by his parents and brother and leave work behind. Serena is his personal chef while he is at the resort to fix healthy meals for Blaine. Upon first meeting there is an instant attraction that can’t be denied. Serena tries to get Blaine to live a little and enjoy all the wonderful activities the resort offers and learn to eat healthier. Can Blaine survive without his cellphone, no junk/fast food, and no internet? Will Serena get to go to France and live her dream and open a healthy fast food restaurant?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed reading this story and it was a very steamy and sexy romance. I liked how Blaine and Selena transition from friends to lovers.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love when a holiday fling can turn into so much more. I love how Blaine’s family had to force him to take a vacation because he really needed it. Him meeting Selena seems like fate and their chemistry is amazing. I couldn’t put this down.
An unavoidable and combustible romance!
Blaine may have been forced to go to the wellness resort by his family and leave behind work after the disastrous car test and health issue, but Serena who is hired as his personal chef may be just the break he needs to experience the benefits of the resort and then some. The insta-attration between the two won’t be denied while Serena coaxes Blaine to live life a little. But with Serena’s end goal to go to France, and Blaine’s addiction to work, how can the two have a future? You have to read to find out and will love their steamy experiences!
I thought it would be another tropical hookup, well it was a hookup just a very interesting one. Lots of turning points, conflicts that you’d never think of but fit right in. A romance that was hot but might stand the test.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An entertaining and sweet romance of two very career driven people. This enjoyable storyline has a little drama on a journey while becoming encouraging friends first with an undeniable emotional connection . A wonderful story of two characters that are well developed, interesting, driven, supportive, and have sexy chemistry. I voluntarily read and reviewed this ARC.
A Holiday Fling Romance that is well written and kept me turning pages. I enjoyed reading Blaine Stephens and chef Selena Thompson’s story, these two just belonged together. There is a really nasty man who thinks everything he does is correct. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fun holiday read
Auto and software developer Blaine has anger issues and it’s all over the internet. With five-million views something has to be done or his company could be ruined. So he’s been sent to Maui Wellness Center. He has no phone, no internet and he may just lose his mind. Do they really expect him to take ukulele lessons?
Personal chef Selena has a plan. Go to Le Cordon Bleu, Paris then start her own restaurant. All to show one of her mentor that she does have the talent to succeed. But first she’s working as a traveling personal chef and her current assignment is at Maui Wellness Center cooking for Blaine. Can her healthy way of cooking help Blaine or will it be her and her beauty that calms the beast?
The story was quick paced and an enjoyable read. The chemistry between Selena and Blaine was instant and strong. There was also an emotional connection that made me want this couple to work out any problems. I related to both characters and found the book an entertaining read. I received an advance copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Blaine Stephens is a talented workaholic software engineer. When things got a bit intense and violent at work, even possibly a threat to Blaine’s health, his family decided a forced vacation intervention to Maui would help him chill out and relax. He meets his personal chef at the Wellness Center, Selena Thompson, and the two feel a powerful attraction to each other, even though she’s going to force him to eat healthy foods (i.e. vegetables)!
Selena makes a side deal with him for a small bit of internet access, because he has been cut-off cold turkey, in return for his participation in some fun activities. It also lets them be together more as they begin to appreciate each other’s qualities. A great friendship starts and leads the way to more, if they dare to take it. Is what they have now something that either is willing to walk away from? Or does it need further exploration?
This was a good story that I enjoyed reading. Maui alone would have been plenty to readjust my thinking, so you know how bad off poor Blaine was at the start! Thank goodness his family put him in good hands to re-balance his equilibrium here! Grab your copy and enjoy Blaine and Selena’s story!
3.5 Stars
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review. As I’ve said before, I always give honest reviews whether people appreciate them or not.
This story begins with chef Serena preparing her special, vegetarian lasagna for her newest client. She’s been hired to be the personal chef to Blaine Stephens. His family convinced, see strong armed, him to go to a fancy and expensive wellness-resort in Maui. She basically needs to make certain that he eats healthy foods and relaxes. Her good friend Mikelina, is Blaine’s concierge for his stay. Mikelina is actually the person responsible for his relaxing and taking part in all the activities offered there. Now as for Blaine, he’s an intense workaholic software engineer. He owns a company in Detroit, Michigan with his brother Mitchell and Mitchell’s best friend, Paul. Things were heating up at work and he kind of lost it, ended up punching Paul. Eventually he was so stressed out that he collapsed. His brother and parents paid for his trip to Maui for two weeks in hopes he would relax and get better, mentally and emotionally.
Two weeks at an all inclusive resort in Maui, in December, when you’re used to Detroit Decembers sounds like a helluva vacation to me, but not to Blaine. Titus, the general manager of the resort, basically put a block on his cell phone, there’s no internet and no television. Then he finds out he is supposed to be eating vegetables!!! The best part for him, initially at least, is the beautiful, chef Serena. He’s willing to try to cooperate so he can spend some time with her. Eventually the two of them come to an agreement, completely against the rules of the resort, that he gets one hour of internet using her phone as a hot spot and he has to relax and take part of all the enjoyable activities there. This also leads to the both of them having serious smexy time. Keep in mind that Titus, is a very hands-on manager of the resort. He expects the rules to be followed and woe betide any that break them. My head played a lot of the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme music while I read this.
All right, this book does have a HEA, and it does make me want to have a vacation in Maui. I had a hard time at first with the story because one of my favorite books by a completely different author and in a completely different genre has a main female character named Blayne. It was hard not to think of her when I saw Blain’s name. Once I got into the story though, it was good. It might be a perfect ad for a Maui vacation, I guess you’ve figured out I now want to go there. Honestly, sometimes I really liked Serena and Blain and sometimes they just annoyed me. Usually books published by Harlequin are generally pretty well written and worth the read. In this case, I have never read anything in the Harlequin Dare line, I prefer Harlequin Presents, and I have never read anything from Ms. Schmidt. So I don’t know for certain why it didn’t quite work for me.
Blaine Stephens is a workaholic and his forced vacation to Maui leads him to Selena. She’s his personal chef at the Wellness Center. Their attraction is immediate and as they spend a great deal of time together they can’t get enough of each other – even if it breaks all the rules. This romance keeps you in suspense as Blaine and Selena’s passion for each other becomes more than either of them expected. I really enjoyed their story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Taking Risks For Love –
Blaine and Selena will own your heart from the beginning, all the way through to the end. Their path to a happily ever after is filled with drama, subterfuge, descriptions of amazing healthy meals and steamy sexual encounters, that will keep you hooked. Reading one of Jamie K. Schmidt’s books, will never leave you disappointed.
I received an ARC of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Blaine has gone to a health resort in Maui against his better judgement and that is where he meets chef Selena who shows him how to unwind but will it work and what happens when Blain’s two weeks are up will it leave him craving for more. Wow this is a great story with great character’s and so well written by Jamie I Schmidt who is a brilliant author and writer and I look forward to reading more of her books and I recommend you read this book and others by her and you will not be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.