It’s hard to get revenge without getting a rap sheet.After Tempest Cassidy walks in on her husband banging her high school nemesis, her whole world gets turned upside down. She goes from being known as the Duchess of Muffins to the town crazy. Her new MO: revenge.Eventually, Tempest grows weary being arrested. Yet what choice does she have? If she’s not angry, then she’s simply . . . sad.Just as … sad.
Just as she decides to get her life back on track, in walks Cage Erickson, the new bouncer at the local strip club. He’s scary-handsome and the polar opposite of her ex. She’s attracted to him, but she’s not looking for a rebound. He’s attracted to her, but he’s not looking for a serious relationship. So, they agree to be friends.
But when lines get blurred in the friend zone, will they both get burned? Or will it be a TKO?
‘Stud Muffin’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book#2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.
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Stud Muffin (Donner Bakery #2) by Jiffy Kate is a slow burn, contemporary romantic comedy told in first person, dual POV. Although it’s book two in Smartypants Romance’s Donner Bakery series, it can be read as a complete standalone.
When Tempest comes home and finds her husband in bed with another woman, she becomes unhinged. She goes a little crazy with rage, acting out in revenge, and repeatedly getting arrested. In order to start over and get her life back, she needs to get a handle on her anger.
When Cage suffers an injury that ends his UFC fighting career, he moves to Green Valley and temporarily takes a job as a bouncer while he tries to figure out what to do with his life. Despite his immediate attraction to Tempest, he knows what she needs most right now is a friend.
What will happen between Tempest and Cage as they spend time together? Read the book to find out.
I loved this story! I think it’s so much fun when characters behave badly and Tempest definitely behaves badly. I enjoyed all the crazy ways she got revenge on her ex because I felt it was justified – he totally deserved it. What I enjoyed even more was how she was able to grow, change, find healthier outlets for her anger, and become a stronger person. I also loved how Cage supported her and helped her get there. A baker and a UFC fighter are an unlikely pair, but Cage and Tempest were a perfect match. With sizzling chemistry and witty banter, Stud Muffin is sweet, sexy, so funny. I highly recommend it!
This book was fantastic! I’ve never read anything by this author duo before and I’d definitely read more!
This book had definite Penny vibes (unlike the previous Donner Bakery book, in my opinion).
Cage Erikson was the perfect romance hero! Handsome, strong, sensitive, loyal, committed, just the right amount of alpha but not overbearing. He was a tiny bit possessive, as I think most people who are in love are, but when his lady said to give her space or let her handle something, he stepped back.
I also really loved Tempest Cassidy! (Best character name ever btw) She is one of my new favorite heroines! I loved how much trouble she got in in the beginning and then that there was a rather reasonable explanation and consequence for her, that also ended up being extremely beneficial for her mental health in the long run.
Cage and Tempest were each others perfect match and equal. They made each other better. It was perfect.
There’s a few uses of the F word, but not too many. There’s two sex scenes. Neither are very long, and only slightly descriptive
I’m loving these smarty pants romance books! This book hit me hard. A cheating spouse, in the prime of your life, after being married for years and trying to have a baby? Ooooof. Bam. Starting all over when you think you are where you are supposed to be? I know it well, but as Tempest soon finds out, the best is yet to come.
Enter Cage Erickson. He isn’t your typical southern gentleman and he works at the Pink Pony, but when you are sent your soulmate, sometimes you can’t argue with fate. These two start off as friends, and Cage falls hard and fast, but he also realizes he needs to be her friend first and give her time. The chemistry was explosive between these two and I loved them. This was my first by this author and I will definitely try more!
This was a fun read, but it was more angsty than I expected. I liked the addition to new folks to the Green Valley that we know and love, while the occasional beloved character pops up here and there. I didn’t really like the view of the “religious” people in this book; they seemed VERY self-righteous in their piousness and they came off like real jerks. I liked Tempest’s outlook on God much better. She didn’t really like going to church but she recognized that God was there for her whether she went to church or not!
I’m not really a big fan of the MMR/fighter/boxer type books, but fortunately, Cage was more than that. He was a good friend to Tempest and was there for her when no one else was. I liked how their relationship developed.
This was my first Jiffy Kate book, and they are VERY good at the sexy times. I think some author pairs are excellent at writing together and you can’t tell where one author’s work begins and the other author’s work ends. That wasn’t the case here; occasionally, it was obvious that some sections were written by one author, they were so different in grammar and tone. It did not stop me from enjoying this story, nor will it prevent me from reading other books by Jiffy Kate.
I loved this story about Cage and Tempest. He is one heck of an amazing guy who had his work cut out for him when he pursued a relationship with Tempest, who had big trust issues after her divorce from her cheating husband. They were just what the other needed. They brought out the best in each other. This was a wonderful small town romance.
Favorite Quotes:
I don’t want to be a person with a rap sheet. Orange is not a good color on me.
Anna will kick my ass when she finds out, and don’t say she won’t find out because we both know that’s a lie. Nobody gossips like the barflies and the Baptists.
First of all, Cage is not scary looking… Just because the men around here walk hunched over, dragging their knuckles like their Neanderthal forefathers, doesn’t mean it’s wrong to be tall. He can’t help it.
“That cucumber,” he says, pointing to my hands. “You’ve been squeezing it for a few minutes now. If it’s not firm enough, I can maybe go to the back and see if we have any fresh off the truck.” It’s then I realize Johnny works here at the grocery store and I have a large cucumber in my hands… stroking it. When did I get to the produce section? And when did the produce section get so erotic? Is it hot in here? … What am I here for again?
She’s the incarnation of Satan. Asher and Mindy aren’t going to have a bouncing bundle of joy, they’re going to have a devil love child. I should alert the media. This has a horror movie written all over it.
I thought it was fictional, something women made up or only happened in pornos… I’m Jell-O. My bones have turned to mush and I’ll have to spend the rest of my days just oozing through life… Here lies Tempest Cassidy. It took twenty-eight years, but she finally found out what it was like to have multiple orgasms and cunnilingus. And then she died.
My Review:
I giggle-snorted, smirked, and laughed aloud while reading this wittily penned tale. I am new to the dynamic duo of Jiffy Kate, silly me, where I have been? Their writing style was seamless, cleverly amusing, comically descriptive, keenly observant, and sharply honed to conjure sharp visuals that had me bouncing in my chair with gleeful delight.
Tempest, the Donner Bakery’s Duchess of Muffins, has gone off the rails, she seemed to have lost control of her temper after catching her husband in bed with her high school nemesis; I would imagine that certainly would do it for me too. Her vindictive acts of retribution were landing her in jail, racking up $$ in fines, and landed her in anger management. Her ex seemed to have ended up with all the friends but luckily for her, Tempest was befriended by a gorgeously handsome and well-sculpted new resident. Cage was a retired UFC fighter turned strip club bouncer – and he soon had her back, much to Tempest’s pious Bible banging mother’s horror.
Having been raised in a small, inbred town in the South, as well as surviving a ridiculously and stridently religious mother myself, I totally identified with the narrow-minded and petty small community complications and issues Tempest was floundering with. While I empathized with her plight, I frequently wanted to give her a few good kicks to dislodge her cranium from her colon. I was besotted and enamored with the sexy Cage; he was not at all what I would have expected from an MMA fighter, as he was highly intelligent, insightful, tenderhearted, patient, and my new BBF. Of course, being that he was perfect, he was like a unicorn and the type of man that could only exist on my Kindle.
Stud Muffin is my first book by Jiffy Kate and I can definitely say that this book is in my top 5 favorites of 2019. I can’t tell you enough about how much I loved both of these characters, even though the beginning of the book set my blood on fire and made me cuss up a storm.
But our hero, Cage made up for those mishaps in spades. I loved him, I cannot tell you how much. All I will say is that you need to read this book! I saw some reviews saying they felt this was insta-love, in my opinion it was NOT. I mean sure they definitely had a connection from the moment they met but it was because of their personal experiences.
Tempest was a heroine that I liked but didn’t love. Despite her retaliation to her ex-husband, I felt she took too much bullshit from the people around her, which in turn made her a doormat. I hate doormats and hence my cussing at the start of the story. But as the story progresses she finally see’s what she’s worth and grows a backbone.
Cage is a strong individual, with his own struggles. On the mend from a debilitating shoulder injury that ended his pro MMA fighting career. Despite his own problems he was essentially there for Tempest from the beginning. He couldn’t help himself. He was drawn to her energy, this broken woman, a woman who shouldn’t even interest him. I found myself wondering about his family. I hope there is a series about his brothers. I would definitely be down to read about all of them!
I think the way each character is written will speak to each reader, because these are two individuals on a journey that will eventually connect them together, and their chemistry is off the charts. I am definitely going to be reading more from the author duo Jiffy Kate. Recommend this book twice over!
ARC generously provided by Socialbutterfly PR and the author.
Duchess of Muffins is a much better moniker for Tempest Cassidy than jailbird or felon, but due to her husband’s cheating ways, she wears both of them, which puts her in quite the precarious position in the small town of Green Valley. But I can’t say that I blame her for going off the rails, especially given the fact that they were trying to start a family together, but ends up more alone than she ever thought possible.
In some ways, Stud Muffin is Tempest’s processing of her failed marriage, her new normal, and her working to find herself again, not allowing her ex-husband to control anymore of her present and definitely not her future. She’s almost like a mouthpiece for all wives scorned by their husbands…she says the things everyone would want to say and takes action in order to ease her pain and release her anger, which every single woman would do if they knew they would just get a slap on the wrist or a talking to by their daddy.
Jiffy Kate is a new-to-me author, and I definitely enjoyed my first read by her. The way that she crafted Tempest’s character will speak to her readers and the fact that Cage Erickson is about as different as he could be from Tempest’s ex is perfect for what she needs in order to move forward and the fact that he loves her muffins and gives her multiple orgasms makes him perfect for her and so much more than her rebound.
4 Poison Apples
Thank you Social Butterfly for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Stud Muffin
By: Jiffy Kate
*REVIEW*
Stud Muffin really grabs you from the beginning. Tempest catches her husband in bed with another woman. Honestly, I probably would have killed him. I felt so angry about this, plus the town gossips, and sorrowful for her dreams of a family. Tempest has every right to make a few bad choices. At least, these acts lead her to Cage. The universe is slowly righting itself. Cage has hurts of his own due to a career ending injury. Now, he’s trying to figure out what’s next, and start over in a new town. Tempest and Cage save each other from utter despair. As their friendship turns to something more, they learn that life can be put back together after shattering if you give it a chance. This is such a good story with every emotion from furious to happy written in the pages. Tempest is a relatable authentic woman. I loved her! Cage is the hard on the outside but soft on the inside guy. He’s a kind loving person. Together, they are perfect. Stud Muffin is sharp, raw, hilarious, engaging and well done overall. I recommend this one!
Stud Muffin will satisfy your sweet tooth! This laugh out loud romantic comedy will have you looking at muffins in a different light. I’m loving the Donner Bakery series so far and they’re definitely on my holiday gift list! My favorite parts where the different muffin flavors created, based on how Tempest is feeling that day. SO clever and witty, you’ll love this story!
This is my first Jiffy Kate book, and it won’t be my last!
Tempest is a woman on the edge – her cheating husband just has her mad and sad, and she’s taken over the role of Town Crazy as a result. Tempest is FUNNY! That’s right – all shouty caps, people.
And Cage? Who knew a strip club bouncer/UFC fighter would be so darn swoony? Apparently Jiffy Kate, that’s who.
Definitely one of the best in the freshman crop of SmartyPants Romance novels. A must-read for fans of Penny Reid and her Green Valley/Winston Brothers/Donner Bakery universe.
Plus the audio, narrated by the always amazing Chris Brinkley, joined by Marnye Young, is sooooo good.
Well, let me tell you that the food in this one, all these muffin recipes with wild names sounded so good I found my mouth watering as I read. I just know that I want nothing more than to try so many of them! Dark chocolate with nuts, salted caramel, so many intriguing and original sounding muffins! I loved being in the Donner Bakery again, even if we didn’t have a ton of interaction with any of the main characters from the Winston Brothers series, other than Jennifer, Cletus’s wife. Can I tell you that I actually kind of wished maybe I could move to Green Valley, like Cage, and start over? Maybe I could find my own Winston brother?
I totally got Tempest’s anger. I felt like punching so may people in this story for her! I like that she was able to channel that anger not only with the anger management class she got assigned, but also the kickboxing with Cage. What a perfect way to have these two characters’ lives intersect. I really enjoyed the story a lot, twist after twist, and I was laughing at the last little twist that Tempest found in the box of papers she needed to go through from moving out of the house. It was awesome that Asher kind of got what he deserved. The only issue I had with this story was one that you’ve probably heard me complain about before, it had to do with her reasons to keep pushing Cage away at the end. I hate those reasons in stories, because I think they’re unrealistic, even if I get that they are there for the dramatic effect. I just have to make sure I don’t fall back on them in the story I’m writing right now!
KU. This was so much better than “Baking Me Crazy” and I’m glad I decided to give it a try. I laughed, I cried. I thought it was “true” to being part of Pennyverse more than book 1. It was longer ~ but still felt like there were aspects that could have been explored better.
Cage & Tempest were interesting characters apart and together. I liked them, but this was definitely insta-love, and I wish there had been more *showing* their relationship building. It’s one of the things I enjoy about Penny Reid’s couples ~ you are 100% sure they know and love each other. Here, not as much as I’d hoped.
I do have more faith in continuing the series though.
Fighting Spirit
Stud Muffin is an emotional, fun, and uplifting read. Tempest and Cage are relatable and refreshing characters. Their banter is easy and playful. The sexual tension sizzles in a slow burn, that simmers and then boils over. The fire between them is hot! Aside from the heat, the care in which Tempest and Cage get to know one another is enrapturing. They accept one another for who they are and in doing so, they both find purpose and the courage to move forward. They learn to quiet the noise and fight for what they want!
Stud Muffin is the second standalone book in the Donner Bakery Series , set in the Green Valley World from the Pennyverse aka Penny Reid Universe. For the new reader of this quirky and adorable world, you don’t need to read any of the books this story is set in (but you are definitely hiding under a rock if you haven’t even read at least one!) If you want to get a little back story of the setting then Beard Science is the specific petri dish the Donner Bakery sprung out from so start from there.
Stud Muffin starts of with a young woman who married young to her one and only high school sweetheart, works at a bakery and is on her way to being the undisputed Duchess of Muffins. Plus getting home as quickly as she can since she’s ovulating and yes perfect time to get pregnant! Sadly, her hubby seems to have been getting nooky from someone else, specifically her high school nemesis. After ten years, Tempest Cassidy has had it! It really is quite unfair to throw her into jail for such a minor infraction as setting her cheating ex-husband’s things on fire, causing a riot in front of his new home and basically throwing his truck in the river. I mean isn’t she allowed to blow of some steam! When her divorce becomes final she decides to celebrate by going out to the local strip bar. At this point she’s now the undisputed town crazy so its quite fitting she goes there to celebrate.
Cage Erickson is at a crossroads of his life, an injury like his really threw his whole life plan out the window. Now, he’s in Green Valley, TN working as a bouncer for the local strip bar his friend owns. His interest is piqued when a tiny redhead starts downing tequila like it was her last one but more importantly why are all the locals looking at her and trying to avoid her at the same time. Pretty soon the little redhead is standing on the bar and putting on her own show, which is against the rules! From then on, one Cage and one Tempest becomes the BFFs they never knew they needed. They become each other support for the new lives they have that was completely not planned. But when friendship has a potent sexual attraction mixed into it, can these two wounded souls finally trust that life is finally about to get better?
This book made me laugh, cry, commiserate and very, very hungry! Tempest Cassidy is all of us, whose disappointment in life just needed an outlet and that outlet just happened to be unmitigated rage. Her anger is something I understood and empathized with completely and I love how Cage gave her an outlet by introducing her to MMA, his own passion and dream. I loved how they were able to heal each other by becoming each others sounding board and solution at the same time. They also had explosive sexual tension going on so it was marvelous how it was addressed and not acted on right away that might give into more misunderstanding and heartache. If Cage and Tempest were baking ingredients they would have made a hell of a muffin!
Oh I loved Tempest and her antics to get revenge. Her stints in jail kept me laughing. Cage is the perfect friend to help her get her life back on track. He is kind and funny and does all the right things to boost her confidence. Looking forward to reading the next brother’s story.
Holy heck y’all. This book was won-der-ful!! It was fun and relatable and sexy and I was hooked from GO! I want to read all the books in this series and those connected to the series.
So the book opens with Tempest – a baker (you had me at muffin) – heading home to make some magic happen with her hubs. Turns out he’s napping after making magic happen with Tempest’s high school nemesis, who’s still in bed with him!!! Tempest turns into a full on cat 5 hurricane for a little while – WITH JUST CAUSE. I mean, hello!??
The writing is brilliant and funny and you just FEEL for Tempest. I want to burn things down for her. I want to punch people for her. She becomes infamous in the small town for her hurricane-like antics – but let’s be honest, if I were there, I’d be in the cell with her. I’m just sayin’
In the meantime, enter the bearded, reluctantly retired MMA fighter, Cage Erickson. Cage is looking for a break from his life as he comes to terms with some changes. His attraction for the muffin-baking weather system that is Tempest is instant- maybe it’s the muffins, maybe it’s her, maybe it’s all of the above. I’m halfway in love with her so I get it.
What ensues is a beautiful friendship – the kind where you can just *be*, ya know? Awkward, crazy, honest, full of feelings and it’s a beautiful thing to watch blossom. It’s also full of tension and heat because of their mutual attraction.
I’m excited for the other books in the series as well as all the other connected stories and really anything else Jiffy Kate, this fun author duo, has to offer.
When Tempest rushes home because she finds out the time is right to try to conceive, she never imagined that she’d discover her husband was already in bed. With the town tramp. This leads to a number of arrests, and finally court ordered anger management for Tempest.
Cage Erickson, former UFC fighter is new to town and is the bouncer at the Pink Pony. Heading to his stool one night, he sees it’s occupied by a stunning redhead. After pulling her down off the bar, he runs her home after her ride doesn’t answer.
The next day, Cage strolls into Donner Bakery and sees her again. Tempest finally realizes that he’s the guy to took her home the night before and gets embarrassed. But she’s got bigger problems. Namely how she’s going to be dealing with her ex, the skank he’s been sleeping with, and the skanks friends. This is a small town after all, and she’ll see them everywhere.
When Cage offers to train her, give her something to let her anger out on, she accepts. But can she keep her hands off him? She’s not looking for a rebound, and he’s not looking for a relationship, but the heat off these two rolls off the pages and makes you fan yourself.
The author of this story did such a great job! I loved the storyline, the characters, and the setting. I laughed so many times throughout the story my family just kept looking at me weirdly. I loved how she got revenge on her ex and the skank, and boy oh boy the sex scenes were HAWT! Tempest really does live up to her name.
*I read this story using my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Stud Muffin was a great read by Jiffy Kate. Tempest’s world drastically changes when she catches her husband cheating on her with her high school nemisis. She is now completely focused on getting revenge on them. She focuses on her anger because she doesn’t want to be sad. She starts to get her life back in order when she meets Cage, the new strip club bouncer. They fight their attraction because they are looking for different things. They decide to be just friends but as always those lines start to get blurred. This was a great read by Jiffy Kate and I can’t wait to read more by the author.
Loved it! His patience and devotion in light of her mixed signals was lovely.