It’s no secret that Portland, Oregon, has some of best restaurants, shops, and cafés in the country. But it’s the hard-working men who serve it all up that keep us coming back for more… One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend … and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…
Praise for the Portland Heat series
“Tremendously charming and sexy.”—RT Book Reviews on Served Hot, TOP PICK
“A really enjoyable story.”—Joyfully Jay on Baked Fresh
“Sometimes an author just gets everything right…Absolutely perfect.”—Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews on Delivered Fast
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Knit Tight is the fourth installment in the Portland Heat Series by Annabeth Albert. In this fourth book, Brady finally gets his happily ever after. He’s at a point in his life where he’s stretched thin. He’s a 23-year-old who is raising his younger siblings after the death of his mother and step-father. It’s during this time one of his favorite customers- Mira is fighting cancer and her nephew Evren comes from New York to Portland to help her.
Right off the bat, I’ll tell you if you’re going into this book expecting one of Annabeth Albert’s fluffy feel good vibe stories- you’ll not get one here. This story carries a sad undertone. We have a young man struggling to keep his family together, and another trying to help his dying aunt who took him after being shunned by his Turkish parents for being gay. There’re many obstacles for these two, and then you have to add Evren’s bi-phobia. Evren is ok with being friends but is reluctant to take their budding friendship beyond that.
My highlights:
*Brady. I loved his personality. He was loving and loyal and brave. Despite knowing first hand what a bitch life can be he was still willing to put himself out there and fight for his happiness.
*Evren. Although he could come across as cold- I got him, and it was nice to see him open up as the story progressed.
*Relationship development. I just loved the way the author advanced their friendship into more.
*The stolen moments. They’ll get me every time. They always give me butterflies.
*The melancholy feel of the story. Sometimes this works for me sometimes it doesn’t. It suited my mood here, and it was also nice to see Annabeth Albert branching into something a little different from her norm.
*Evren’s blog posts. You see the book is told strictly from Brady’s point of view, and the blog posts gave us an insight into Evren’s changing feelings.
*The end was a solid HEA.
Steam. People always want to know- including me. This one is not too steamy folks. Stolen moments here and there but that’s about it.
As far as this being the fourth book in the series- can you read it without reading the rest? Absolutely.
In the end, I found this a touching story about family and perseverance and of opening your heart to others despite being afraid. All in all, I’ll give this book 4 Healing Stars.
This fourth book in the Portland Heat series is fantastic! It is full of real emotion and struggle, but joy, kindness and mostly love. Brady has so much on his plate, too much to carry on his own. Evren impresses me with is caring. He effortlessly gives. He has a hard time accepting Brady’s support. He too is overwhelmed with too much to deal with while caring for his ailing aunt. I like watching Ev go from being so closed off to embracing a family. The ending is divine.
Highly recommended author and series
I am so glad Brady gets his story told. He is the very talented barista from Delivered Fast. We find out why he needs the hours so bad. Then there is Evren. He came back to take care of his beloved aunt Mira and help her with her knitting club and shop. Evren doesn’t date casually nor does he date bisexuals. Brady doesn’t have time to date plus he comes with too many responsibilities. Yet these two strike up a friendship that grows into something more. Reading about these two dealing with grief both past and present at times brought me to tears and sometimes the occasional laugh. The community Annabeth has created has made these books truly great. I look forward to reading many more.