Tomboy is a short, sweet, steamy story. It is the first in the Juniper Creek series but can be read as a standalone. It features a strong, curvy heroine and the man who wins her heart.
Chely
When my grandmother and I started the Tacontento Grill, it was just a small, hole-in-the-wall taco joint with delicious food.
But after the restaurant is featured on a popular food show, business starts to … starts to boom and it’s almost more than I can handle.
That’s when Noah Bradford rides in on his white horse. He’s a restaurant investor with good taste and even better buns. But while he may look like Prince Charming, I’m no swooning Cinderella.
Can I stop being one of the boys long enough to let him treat me like the princess he says I am?
Noah
I always dreamed of running my own restaurant, which was why I double-majored in business and culinary arts. Instead, now I’m working for a big investment company buying other people’s restaurants and flipping them for a profit.
When I hear about the Tacontento Grill, I know it has to be my next conquest.
What I don’t expect is Araceli Torres. She’s curvy, smart, and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty.
But I need to remember where I come from and what’s really important if I’m going to conquer her heart.
more
Chely owns and operates her own restaurant that has now been featured on TV. Noah wants to invest and expand her business. This is a story of family, love, following your dream, and keeping your priorities straight. A feel-good read.
Short story with a lot of heart. Chely and her Abuelita run a taco shop full of home made love and endurance. Noah comes with a great offer….but does he understand the heart of the operation.
Lovely characters.
Chely owns and operates an Authentic Mexican Restaurant who is hoping to get a food truck in her future but right now her little place in Juniper Creek is doing pretty good but she has to work so hard to make ends meet, but it is worth it. She has her Abuelita and her friend Veda, and a dishwasher as her staff. Noah comes to town an executive for an investment firm he has been working for since he got out of college but his love is cooking, When he encounters a miscommunication between him and Veda and then Chely. Noah is really there he believes to help her improve her place, that is not exactly how Chely sees it. Great storyline and the characters are very interesting. I purchased this book. I am providing an honest review.
Poor Charlotte old enough to go to College but not old enough to say home without her parent in attendance. She goes to Juniper Creek to stay for a few days while her dorm gets ready. She’s suppose to stay with Lonnie but he ends up dropping her off at Tanks place and tells them he’ll be right back. Well, Lonnie goes MIA, plus he has Charlotte’s luggage. Charlotte falls big time for Tank and well as Tank falling for her. The chemistry between these two is fantastic. It’s a short story but the storyline flows. Highly recommend. I received this ARC for an honest review.
This is an enjoyable, engaging, relatable, funny, and well written, interesting, and fast pace book one in the Juniper Creek series! The characters are likeable and real; their chemistry is amazing. Definitely recommended!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG every single book C.L. Cruz has put out I have enjoyed each one tremendously. This is another book that hits the best of the best books I have read. I k ow their short reads and I can’t imagine what her books would be like if they were longer but I’ll take anything this author puts out! Cheryl and her grandma run a restaurant in Jupiter Creek and Noah is an investor looking to expand their restaurant. Little does Cheryl know who he really is at the beginning of the book but once she finds out she has to fight with what she believes in. The chemistry between Noah and Cheryl is undeniable and swoon worthy. You’ll have to get this book to see how they finally deal with everything together!!
I voluntarily read this book and I am leaving my honest review!
Chely It’s not necessarily a tomboy. She spends most of her time in the kitchen with her Abuela. Chely spends hours prepping for the next day for tacos, tamales and tostadas to serve to the customers. People travel far and wide for this. But now Noah shows up from an investment company. The investment company thinks that they can franchise the restaurant. Ever since it hit like Twitter a couple times in a couple other social media brands have come and the popularity of the restaurant is booming. when he shows up he’s mistaken as the new hire that is needed to work the grill in the kitchen. He tried to explain but because of his love for cooking he participates. And it brings bad to surface why he got in a culinary field. he needs to convince the woman that he seems to of falling in love with to invest in a franchise. She just wants a food truck. I wonder who’s gonna win this fight? No cliffhanger
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wonderfully fantastic… The book was amazing… It had a lot of details and juicy scenes to it… The characters and their personalities match them perfectly… The plot and the storyline was very descriptive and amazing…
“I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.”
I really liked this short story. It was entertaining although I wanted to smack Noah on more than one occasion. The characters were likable.
Chely, her friends, and her Abuelita run a restaurant called the Tacontento Grill. The restaurant gets really busy after they are on a food show. This is good for business but brings outside interest to the restaurant in the form of an investor. Chely likes Noah (the investor’s lead guy) but not the plans that they have for her restaurant.
Noah wanted to have his own restaurant at one point, but after college, he ended up working at an investment company. His job is now to investigate possible restaurant investments so that they can be purchased and turned into franchises. Noah’s plan when he meets Chely changes slightly to include her. He wants to get to know her better, but he also wants her to agree to a deal with his company. When Chely reminds him of what’s really important, he hopes that it’s not too late for him to win her heart.
I really loved how Noah and Chely met. It cracked me up that he went along and helped Chely when he knew he wasn’t who she thought he was. The chemistry between them was awesome. The way everyone was like a big family made me happy. I loved the dancing! Their happy ever after made me smile. I recommend reading this book.
I had a great time this book was highly entertaining with each turn of the page. The characters are well developed and engaging and the storyline flowed smoothly from beginning to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
OMG – LOVE Chely – a woman that knows what she wants. This was a cute short story and I really love that they are all geared toward curvy girls. This is about Chely and Noah. Noah is there as an investor or better yet to try to convince her to franchise her business, but she doesn’t want to. Love Abuelita (grandma) and all of the Mexican food that was mentioned in the book. Love how the Pozole is made as I’m pretty good at making that myself and like Chely states – it depends on the mood which determines the spiciness of it. This is the first book of the series, I hope there is more to come, but I know Veda is absolutely getting her own.
A great start to her new Juniper Creek series
Chely, a restaurant owner, believes Noah, an investor, is the new cook she hired and puts him to work when he walks into the kitchen. As the story progresses the first pitch is spoiled from the start, things heat up in the kitchen, and what was ordered may not be what either of them wants. C. L. Cruz’s Tomboy is a great start to her new Juniper Creek series. I fell in love with everyone from the start and cannot wait to read more Chely, Veda, Abuelita.
I read this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription and I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
Love the story, it is at Sweet and well writting short story. Perfect when you need a short break. I can not wait for the NeXT book in this series.
Tomboy by CL Cruz is a delightful quick reading contemporary romance novel with a touch of spice, and a sweet HEA. I enjoyed it so much that I reread certain portions, and I finished it with a smile.
Tomboy is about a Mexican Grill restaurant owner and an investor, Noah/MMC, who claims he can move her into the Major Leagues of restaurants, where she belongs. As Noah puts on the pressure and offers opportunities, Chely/FMC must decide – what are her priorities and what does she (truly) want?
I recommend Tomboy to readers who enjoy: romance novels with cooking themes; contemporary romances with HEAs; quick reading stories that can be read in under 3hrs; novels where the main characters work together to accomplish a common goal; and sweet stories with a dash of “spice.”
Reader Cautions – This is not a Clean novel.
Profanity – occasional, less than 15 times, perhaps 10.
Violence – none.
Sexual situations – several on-scene intimate moments between the 2 main characters (perhaps a 3.0 or so, on a 0-5, Sweet to Very Steamy scale). I felt Tomboy was a Sweet story with just a touch of Steam. I do not recommend it for young readers or those who would be offended by the aforementioned.
I received a free copy and am voluntarily leaving a review which is my opinion alone.
Can a case of mistaken identity lead to a happy ever after? Chely is a chef in her restaurant for taco and enchiladas. She works alongside her grandmother. She hired a cook. In walks Noah and everyone thinks that Noah is the cook that she hired. The characters are good and have chemistry. Noah screwed up when it comes to Chely. Now he has to get her back and find himself in the process. I voluntarily received an ARC of this book and this is my opinion.
This is the 1st book in this standalone series. It is a short sweet romance. The characters are great but can they make a future?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this story. It’s Chely and Noah’s story and the first book in the Juniper Creek series. I was happy to see the author was writing more Juniper Creek stories. It’s a quick read and told in alternating POVs. Chely is Nico and Emmy’s friend. They had their story in “Spare Tire” which was part of a different series. You don’t need to read it, but I recommend it. It was a quick, enjoyable read. If you’re down for quick, insta love like stories then this is the book for you.
Juniper Creek is a tiny town, you know the kind, don’t blink our you’ll miss it. Chely own’s the Tacontento Grill with her grandma. They are crazy busy after their restaurant was featured on a popular food show. Noah walks in and is mistaken for the new cook who was late for his first day on the job. Instead of saying who he was he went with the flow and helped out in the kitchen. Chely and Noah work well together and Chely finds herself enjoying working with Noah and he is too. It was a fun departure from the job he seems to be stuck in. Chely isn’t happy when she finds out Noah is working at the investment company that wants to franchise her restaurant. They’re attracted to each other, but they want different things. Can they see eye to eye? Compromise? Etc to find their happy ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Chely and her grandmother started and owns the Tacontento Grill. Absolutely loved this story. Fast-paced, sweet, steamy, and romantic. This story shows the reader, what’s really important. Loved the characters, their personalities, and chemistry.
I received an ARC copy from the author, and am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
I was so excited to see that this new series is set in Juniper Creek. We get some glimpses of Emmy and Nico from Spare Tire – fun, fun, fun! Chely is a true tomboy – more at home in jean and a t shirt than in anything close to fancy dress. Noah is a man who’s forgotten his dreams. A business opportunity brings them together, but Chely knows who she is and what she wants – and it isn’t what Noah’s company is offering. But Chely reminds Noah of what’s important in life – love, family, and following your heart’s desire. A quick read, great for a break in your day!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this story. It was quick, sweet and sexy. Noah showed up just when Chely needed him. The chemistry between the two is intense but Chely has trouble trusting and asking for help. Noah was a good guy who’s priorities were a little off, being in the corporate world so long had made him lose perspective. Being around Chely and her family made him realize what was off with his life. I loved how these two made each other better people.
Safety and Spoilers
Completely safe. No ow/om drama. Both of their pasts weren’t really mentioned and neither one was a virgin. No abuse.