From bestselling author, Kathryn Andrews, comes a new, standalone, friends to lovers contemporary romance, that will leave readers who love food, football, and love craving for more.
Meg Dukette
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
I believe in living my best life, and if surviving cancer taught me anything, it’s exactly that. I wake every day in the most beautiful city in the South, … the most beautiful city in the South, I’m a chef at my own restaurant, and everything is just the way I want it: easy, calm, and in perfect harmony—that is, until my best friend shows up with his wounded heart, smoldering gaze, and adorable dimples. Now, things are changing—we are changing—but with the promises I’ve made to myself, I don’t want them to. After everything I’ve been through, breaking them now seems unthinkable, but the alternative might be a lesson my heart’s not prepared to learn.
Jack Willett
Just when you think life is the best it’s ever been, fate has a way of intercepting.
I’ve spent ten years playing in the NFL, and with one wrong hit, my world comes crashing down. Now, I’m at the crossroads of what might become my past and a very different future. What I need is time and my best friend. Her gorgeous smiles, sexy legs, and optimistic outlook on life make the world brighter, better, and I’ve quickly found myself craving her more and more. She says we’re just friends, says that’s all we’ll ever be, but actions speak louder than words. It’s time to change the game, and I’m ready to pass the ball. I just hope she’ll be on the other end to catch it.
He’s her best friend.
She’s quickly turned into something more.
Will making a play for her heart be more bitter than sweet? Or will it add just the right amount of zest to make the most delicious ending of all . . .
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My favorite book of the series….
Count memories, not calories.
Kathryn Andrews and Starving for Southern series have accomplished in leaving me hungry and not just any food. No sire. It’s left me hungry for every single dish that has been made or mentioned and linked to at the end of each chapter in the span of the three books. (I’m low-key ready to pack my bags and move into Kathryn’s house so that I can have the chance to eat those pretty dishes)
Before I jump in, I just want to mention how much fun I had reading about Jack and Meg and the slow progression of their relationship from best friends to lovers. I loved how encouraging and supportive they were of each other and how their “hidden” parts unfolded with every chapter as they opened up to each other.
We are introduced to Jack & Meg in the Prologue, in a situation that is set out in the future. Chapter 1 opens up with Jack meeting Meg for the first time at their friends’ vineyard and dubbing her as his best friend within five minutes of meeting her.
Jack, a wide receiver, injured his knee during the Super Bowl. Unsure of where his future lies and if he could ever play again, Jack loses his spark and becomes a broken piece of his former self. The only time he is his happy and charming self is when Meg is around him.
Meg, a southern food restaurant owner, is a cancer survivor and has been in remission. I loved her ‘to grab life by its horn’ and the ‘glass-half-full attitude’. To have survived cancer and to have such an optimistic attitude is a huge feat and a quality that I adored.
However, this attitude had its fair share of drawbacks. Having lived the last 7 years of her life by a set of rules she made for herself and avoiding conflicts at every turn, Meg missed out on quite a few experiences, one of them was being in love without holding back.
Every time I touch her and she touches me, I feel like all is right in the world, feel we belong to each other.
I adored their relationship from the moment Jack claimed Meg to be his best friend and the way their relationship evolved and grew was such a treat to read. But like any human, these two had their faults.
Jack’s drawback was his inability to see the full picture. He loved seeing the people around him be happy and focused on everything good. It’s a good trait and helps you look at the bright side of things but not always. In a lot of ways, he was a lot like Meg. But somehow, I wasn’t completely mad about this because Jack came across as someone that if you made him sit down and talked, he would listen and understand what they were trying.
Meg, on the other hand, was a tad bit pig-headed. I understood and respected Meg’s rules and the reason behind them but she was never forthcoming with Jack in the first place. More than anything, I was sad that Meg’s fear was so big that even though she was hurt, she was not only ready to let him go but she didn’t even fight for him.
I wished it was Meg who had gone to Jack and not the other way around or maybe have them both meet in the middle. However, I loved how it all ended and how they resolved their issues and made a promise to be more open about what was troubling them.
All in all, I loved the story, Jack and Meg, their story, the secondary characters, the setting, the food and the recipes. I enjoyed every aspect of this book and this series.
Note: I want to add that you will see the lead characters from the first two books of this series, The Sweetness of Life, The Last Slice of Pie and one of her standalone sports romance Chasing Clouds. I didn’t feel there was anything spoiler worthy if you planned to pick this book.
4 Stars!
This is book #3, in the Starving For Southern series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader enjoyment and to fully understand the series, I recommend reading this great series in order.
Jack has been in the NFL the last 10 years. He has had an incredible team and made good friends. When the worst happens, he turns to whom he needs the most. His best friend, Meg.
Meg has never wanted forever. She makes it clear to all who know her that its just easier to be the person living her best life. She has great talent, good friends, and is doing what she can to just be healthy and live everyday.
This was such a great and heartwarming story. Right from the first page I felt totally sucked into the story and could not put it down! I loved these characters already from the series, and this was an installment that felt like icing on the cake. (Or pie.) Being able to read about their journey was totally a gift.
***This early copy was given in exchange for an honest review only.
Make sure to read the first two books! Meg is thriving in her restaurant business after overcoming her health issues, and Jack is realizing that there might be more to life than the NFL. When the pair meet at their mutual friends wedding, they are instantly attracted, but start out as friends. As they continue to meet up and interact with their blended group of friends, their friendship and chemistry grows. Underneath, they both know that it’s more than friendship but neither want to admit it, and things change when Jack has a career-ending injury and Meg shows up. I hated that throughout this storyline they both (but Meg in particular) continued to fight their chemistry and the possibility of a relationship. I really felt for her especially after disclosing her own health scare, but it was clear that they were more than friends early on. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the HEA that Meg and Jack ended up having.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
4.5 Stars for Lessons in Lemonade
This is the first book I have read by this author and even though Lessons in Lemonade is book 3 in the Starving for Southern Series I had no problem following the story and I will certainly be picking up the previous books as soon as time permits.
Meg’s life has not been easy but surviving cancer has made her the strong determined woman she is today, she is happy with her life and is not looking for a relationship well that is until Jack comes into her life. Jack has suffered a potential career ending injury and he needs a friend so he turns to one person he knows he can depend on. Meg and Jack’s friendship is special they always look out for each other but it’s the underlying love that makes this a very special romance. The chemistry is sizzling and the characters adorable but it’s the beautifully written love story that made this book so very special. This author wrote Meg’s life compassionately and added in just the right amount of humour to make it real , I loved both Jack and Meg and I can’t wait to play catch up with the other books in this series. Great read that I highly recommend.
5 Star Review Lessons In Lemonade (Starving for Southern #3) by Kathryn Andrews
Kathryn Andrews is a new author to me and I am surprised I have not come across her before. I enjoyed friends to lovers, Lessons In Lemonade which is Meg Dukette and Jack Willett’s story.
Meg has been through a lot, surviving cancer, she is strong and determined to make the most of life. Happy with how her life is going, all that is about to change when Jack barrels into her life. After suffering a potential career ending injury, Jack seeks out the one person he knows he can count on, Meg.
The friendship and love that lies between Meg and Jack is truly heartwarming. It is obvious that they have a deep connection but could it be more? Jack believes it could, but convincing Meg may not be so easy.
I loved Meg and Jack, both separately and especially together. The attraction and chemistry that sizzles between them is smoking hot and Meg will do whatever she can to help him recover from his injuries. Jack is totally swoon worthy, in fact he ticks the boxes for me.
This is a little gem and when time permits I will be looking at other books from Kathryn Andrews.
Lessons in Lemonade is the third book in the Starving for Southern series. It is still a standalone, although I do recommend reading the other books, because they were all great. All the books focus on relationships between chefs and football players, in different tropes. This one was a friends to lovers trope.
Meg owns her own restaurant and has always had a positive attitude. She is a cancer survivor, and has a different approach to life now. Jack is a fun, flirty football player but after a career-ending injury, he is having a hard time. He decides to move in with his best friend, Meg, while he recovers. We get both POV in this, as well as all of their interactions from when they met til now. But, the majority of it is after he moves in. The two of them have a great dynamic together. Also, I enjoyed all the recipes that were included. It’s a sweet, heartwarming friends to lovers, delivering a great message. I would recommend this entire series.
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I just love this series, so much. Kathryn brings the fun, light, hungry (), love and in some cases, serious topics. This book brought me so much joy and I can’t wait to do some of the recipes, with the end of every chapter there is a new delicious recipe!
Jack and Meg totally stole my heart! I was so entertained reading their relationship, growing from best friends to lovers, how they made each other laugh, but also support, care, worry and it was beautiful to see their admiration increase with each chapter.
Both of them went through life changing situation, and both hit too close to home for me which at times brought me to tears.
Jack is a football player and during Super Bowl he had a serious knee injury, one that could take him out of the game, forever. While I don’t have a sports career, I had both knees wrecked during a ski trip and my life changed from that moment on, I got in depression and all. I can only imagine what is like for a person like Jack.
And Meg is a cancer survivor, with a complete remission now. For seven years now she has been dealing with the fallout of this and afraid of that can comeback. But even though is not easy, I was so proud of her, how strong, independent and caring she was for the ones she loved. I loved how she always tried to see the life with optimism and created a life for her with the restaurant.
I was in love with Jack, and wanted him for me! I loved how he saw in Meg someone amazing at the spot and even though she didn’t want anything else but friendship, he never gave up! He claimed them best friends and from there their relation only grow. I loved how he saw the Meg’s worth, but also how his worth as well.
While I understand Meg and why she was inflexible in her promises, I was so upset with her. For one person who also claimed Jack was her best friend, she should have told him what was going on, what were her thoughts on the matter. I was even more sad, when he was the one who needed to go after her. I wish it was the opposite, she was the one who needed to go to him and show her fears and love for a change.
But all in all, the ending was so beautiful and powerful. I loved a lot, specially when we get to see a glimpse of what happened with not only Meg and Jack, but also Zack and Shelby, and Bryan and Lexi. I’m sad that it’s over. I could still read about the three couples for a long time.
This is the third and final book in the Starving for Southern Series, but you don’t have to read the first two to thoroughly enjoy this story. The series is a set of interconnected standalones with a cast of wonderful characters, and stories that don’t disappoint.
This is Meg and Jack’s story. Having met at Wolfe Winery, they head back home and settle into their own lives. They stay connected by stalking each other’s social media pages and flirt and snark their way into each other’s lives. Only when a career ending injury changes Jack’s view on life does he change things up.
This story is so well crafted, that even when the words make you shed tears, and it did for me, you can’t wait to see what happens next. This story has every southern staple you could think of. Football, southern cooking, a dog, and a pickup truck, it’s all included, including some drool-worthy recipes. There’s also the sophistication that only downtown Charleston can bring in, including a horse drawn carriage ride past the iconic Rainbow Row.
Meg and Jack’s story is a friends to lovers trope full of southern food and sass. It’s a wonderful read and great conclusion to a series I didn’t know I needed. Now to gather all the recipes and try them on my family.
**I received an ARC of this story and this is my honest and voluntary review.