* * * A USA TODAY best-seller * * *Brewmaster and town sweetheart Dani Dobson is officially declaring war against her hot, maddening new menace of a neighbor–and his shop. How the man manages to provoke her so much is beyond her. But he does, and really, she’s just picking up the gauntlet he tosses her way.The terms of their little throwdown? Her business versus his in the arena of romance.And … arena of romance.
And the stakes? Very likely, her heart.
Chocolatier and town newcomer Luke Bradford loves his shop’s new home. Partly because he couldn’t ask for a better fresh start for both his professional and personal life, and partly (okay, mostly) because he gets to lock horns with the feisty beer-brewing beauty next door, and effectively push all her buttons on a fairly regular basis.
To be fair, in his defense–
Just kidding. He has no defense.
As far as the meddling matchmakers in this quirky little town are concerned, this is going to be their most unlikely (and interesting) pairing yet…
“Violet Duke always writes such compelling, delightful characters who manage to pull you in and make you feel a part of their lives.” — #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy
♥ AUTHOR NOTE ♥
Be forewarned, this book is definitely sweeter (and longer since it’s a slow-burn romcom) than my other books (but there is still some on-page steam, as well as a few curse words–no f-bombs though, per usual). A book about a brewmaster and chocolatier battling over Valentine’s Day supremacy? Yep, it was a given I was going to go all-out on the feel-good romance for this one. 🙂 So if you’re in the mood for a light and fun love story (with some of my token laugh-and-cry Violet Duke-ness, of course) between two stubbornly romantic characters who work hard for their happily ever after, this is the book for you! xoxo ♥ V
THE CACTUS CREEK SERIES
Love, Chocolate, and Beer [Luke & Dani]
Love, Diamonds, and Spades [Rylan & Quinn]
Love, Tussles, and Takedowns [Hudson & Lia]
Love, Exes, and Ohs [Isaac & Xoey]
All the Cactus Creek books are standalone novels with feel-good HEAs. 🙂 Enjoy!
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A new must-read series from Violet Duke. Not only will you fall in love with the characters, you’ll fall in love with romance.
I was surprised at how much I loved this book. Great characters and story line. I love the build-up of the romance and the back-and-forth between the main couple. This one is pretty steamy!
A good read however in many chapters I felt I was just reading filler. The plot was interesting, the characters were likable however they weren’t fully developed or explained until the last few chapters of the book and Luke was a little too good to be true to be realistic.
Definitely 5*. Well worth the read.
This story had me laughing and crying and wanting to kick a** every now and again.
Both main characters were delightful … Each had their own problems to sort out and the way they did this just enhanced the story.
I loved this author’s style and look forward to reading more from her.
12/03/2020 “Love, Chocolate, and Beer” (nook) was a heartwrenching and heartwarming story. Dani and Luke were instantly attracted to each other – hubba hubba. Both of them had baggage and encountered their share of proplems but they were caring people. Forgiveness led to a HEA.
Chocolate and Beer who could ask for anything more Luke that is he wants to connect with Dani in a big way but she’s feisty. These characters are engaging and well developed and the chemistry is awesome.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love, chocolate, and beer what a combination! Fun and entertaining characters! Like the banter and sparks between the characters! Would recommend!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Luke is a chocolatier and has opened a new shop in Cactus Creek. Dani is a brew master and her place is near where Luke opened his. Sparks fly between them when they meet but Dani fights her attraction for him. They ends up making a bet about romance which just fuels their attraction even more. Can Luke show her that romance exist and claim his …
This is the 1st book I’ve read written by Violet Duke; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via …
From the start, these two just sizzle. Especially in the supply closet before they ever know their names. To love someone as much as Luke & Sami…when secrets are kept and you don’t know if you can forgive them but when the chips are down, you still show up because that’s what love does. You can’t help but enjoy the banter and …
LOVE, CHOCOLATE, AND BEER is the first book in the Cactus Creek series. Each is a stand-alone contemporary romance.
If you’ve read the author’s note, she delivered. This is a light and fun, no-holds-barred, feel-good, Valentine romance. There is even a touch of The Gift of the Magi thrown in there for the ultimate in feels.
I loved the …
This was an achingly sweet romance between a female brew master, Dani, and a chocolatier, Luke. I am all about females in unconventional roles and Dani was as smart as she was strong. Luke was the romantic in this story and was sugary sweet. This story was Hallmark channel worthy. This steam was implied and not overt. I will say that the story …
The title alone grabbed my attention and made me want to read this book. So glad I did! This is a must read for anyone who loves a good romance. You’ll love the characters and the romance story line. An entertaining romantic read you don’t want to miss.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book one in the Cactus Creek series and it features Luke and Dani. It started out as a Valentine’s Day competition but turned into so much more. These two weren’t throwing off sparks. They were throwing off FLAMES! Luke wears his heart on his sleeve. Dani, not so much. She’s got MAJOR issues! After reading the whole book, I understand more …
Luke and Dani are a perfect match however each of them have their own issues to overcome from loving too much to trusting too little. I loved the banter back and forth and the events throughout the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a good read full of back and forth banter guaranteed to have you laughing. It has angst built in between the secrets being kept between the h/h.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Enjoyable story about two unlikely people finding love but just wish it had been little more realistic and the hero had been more understanding at times. I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.
So, I’ve had this book sitting, gathering dust, in my library for a very long time now. I’m not sure exactly how I chose this very timely moment to read this story about the Valentines Day competition between these two local business owners. Fair warning; there’s a lot of story here, and it’s not all a straight line to the finish. There were times …
The book is a good sweet small town romantic comedy read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is an enjoyable funny romance read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Overall a fun read. I felt like there were some holes in the secondary character development – namely the absence of any talk or sight of Cooper despite the h/H having fond feelings for him.
This is a stand alone, no cliffhanger, but is part of the stories of a group of friends. Looking forward to the next couple.