Sparks fly when opposites are forced to live together in this steamy, small town romance standalone!Lulu Cavanaugh’s career went up in smoke. The moment Lulu lost her job running the fanciest restaurant on Maui, the chef threw herself into recovery mode. She’s pitched a cooking show to be filmed in her Wyoming hometown, hoping the on-screen visibility will pave the path for a future chef de … the path for a future chef de cuisine job.
Alexander Wilder’s career flamed out.
An injury sidelined the quarterback’s promising career, but Xander is determined to find his way back to the gridiron. Rehabbing at a world famous clinic in Calamity, Wyoming, he’s approached by a producer to host a new cooking show. Having grown up in his mother’s restaurant, he grabs the opportunity to stay in the public’s eye.
Lulu nails her audition, but before she can pop open the champagne, the producers drop a bombshell: they’re giving her a co-host. Sparks fly when Lulu and Xander compete for the spotlight. And when a tight filming schedule forces them together around the clock, their sizzling chemistry starts a blaze that can’t be quenched. Will it lead to success for both, or will one of them get burned?
Heat so hot even the kitchen can’t stand it.
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Welcome back to Calamity Falls! I absolutely love this town and the families! Lulu is coming back home after seven years away from home. She is a chef and food is her passion. She meets Xander, backup quarterback, for the Mavericks in Maui and before she leaves they connect. Can she find her happiness in Xander and have her Michelin star? Or is love enough? This book was such a great read! It felt like coming home! 5 stars
Two people who have been on the losing end of things life has thrown at them. Lulu and Xander are very different but also so very much alike. He’s a great quarterback who has been plagued with injuries and she is a great chef who can cook at any five star restaurant but can’t handle the business end. Both have this need to rebuild their careers but …. and it’s a BIG but…. will those careers get in the way of their love for each other. Can a long distance relationship work? Choices must be made and sometimes those choices are swayed by harsh insecurities.
^ OBSERVATIONS & QUESTIONS:
What ever happened to or with Trace? He’s caught kissing Stella at his wedding rehearsal and then just falls off the map.
Stella….needs a real comeuppance. If her betrayal is ‘sisterly love’ then I’d hate to see what she does to enemies.
Story ends rather abruptly. How did the families react? Did Xander get his Super Bowl ring? Stella and Griffin need better development. Also, the Cavanaugh parents had to realize what pain would result when Lu found out Stella was working with Xander…. why didn’t they prepare Lulu and Xander ahead of time??????
Took away a star due to language used. Not a fan of cursing and it weakened the storyline.
Xander – so sexy, but injured physically and emotionally. LuLu – so afraid to let herself believe in love and a happy ending. Those two just WORK! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, I couldn’t wait to finish it, but when I did I wanted to start all over again. Wonderful read!
I really loved Xander in this book. He was just simply a wonderful man. Lulu needed a good smack here and there. She let her insecurities come between them too often. But she finally wised up.
4.75 stars
This is the eighth book in A Calamity Falls Small Town Romance series and it is everything you would expect and more. It can be read as a standalone. Lulu is a chef who has felt as if she was not good enough because she was not working at a five star restaurant. Xander is a football quarterback who, due to injury, faces an uncertain future. When Lulu met Xander, the two hit it off as they had a lot in common, little did they know how much. When an opportunity presents itself, will it drive a wedge between them or will it bring them together? This is one storyline that has all the feels. Lulu and Xander are two halves of the same whole. They bring out the best in each other. Ms. Kelly has done a wonderful job writing these two showing their strengths and vulnerabilities. Filled with drama and passion, this is one book to scoop up and read right now! I cannot wait for the next installment.
Whole Lotta Love was SO good! It gave me goosebumps, had me laughing my butt off, was so hilarious!
I loved LOVED Xander and Lulu’s story! So sweet, adorable and romantic! Also loved their connection and how alike they are!
If you have not read yet, I highly recommend reading this precious love story!!
I also LOVED the cooking show and really felt like I was watching the show while reading this book!
I love Erika’s books and this one did not disappoint!
What’s more fun than a heroine chef? A hero who’s a professional quarterback who’s also fabulous in the kitchen.
Loved this story. Well done.
Lulu and Xander are fire and it’s not just because they have to work in the kitchen. Their chemistry is sizzling and I loved their back and forth and competitiveness. They’re both fighting to come out on top but it looked like together might be the best way. The story flows well and had me sucked in from the very beginning.
There was an instant connection between main characters Lulu Cavanaugh and Alexander (Xander) Wilder, who shared a love of cooking, an intense drive and focus on their careers, and quite a bit of emotional baggage related to their mega-successful parents and siblings. Neither of them was looking for a serious relationship when the story began, but the more they got to know each other, the more difficult it became for them to resist the pull of the attraction between them. They quickly fell in love, but their careers were taking them in two different directions. Xander was willing to do whatever it took to be with Lulu, but convincing her that being with him didn’t mean giving up on her dreams proved to be quite a challenge.
I loved Xander and Lulu’s teasing banter, especially when they were competing against each other during filming for their cooking show. I also enjoyed the playful, mischievous side of Lulu that was revealed during their competitions as she played silly tricks on Xander. They were so cute and funny together, and if their show were real, I would absolutely tune in!
Overall, I very much enjoyed “Whole Lotta Love” and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance, particularly fans of small town and/or sports romance. I am very much looking forward to the next book of the series, which will feature Lulu’s sister Stella.
*Review copy provided by the author via L. Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is the 7th book in this phenomenal series and is Xander and Lulu’s story. Xander is broody and injured back-up quarterback, while Lulu was a chef in a world class restaurant, until she is fired. Lulu refuses to stay down for long and comes up with a TV show showcasing her passion for cooking, and when she finds out that Xander will be co-hosting with her she is not happy. The sparks fly between these two when they meet, and they are both vying to remain in the spotlight for their careers. This is a beautifully written story which is filled with drama, family, and love, which all leads to an entertaining and all-consuming read. I look forward to reading more from this gifted author whose work I highly recommend.
Another great book by Miss Kelly, I couldn’t put it down.
I absolutely love this series !
Xander and Lulu’s story was fantastic! I loved the storyline of cooking/ interview show. The banter between them was amazing. They got along so well. They were just what the other one needed. Their attraction and chemistry were off the charts. Whole Lotta Love is the perfect romance and I would recommend it to all romance lovers!
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Lulu and Xander are both passionate about their careers, yet facing setbacks. Discouraged and licking their wounds, their paths cross when both face an uncertain future. Lulu’s dreams of being an award winning chef are thwarted when she faces a set back, while Xander faces rebuilding his career after a devastating injury. Neither has time for a relationship. Both have huge walls to keep people away and protect their hearts.
Xander and Lulu’s chemistry is refreshing. It was fun to see them fight the flames as they battled their career goals versus their intense pull towards one another. I loved the supporting characters in the book. It was a great read with a perfect balance of chemistry, angst, drama and spice.
It is a part of a series, but I read it as a stand alone. I will definitely go back and read the others as I fell in love with some of the secondary characters.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When two introverts meet, they discover they are the perfect for each other. Erika Kelly’s newest book Whole Lotta Love was a joy to read. I loved the two main characters, Xander and Lulu and was invested in their story from the first page. It has good pacing, an interesting storyline and entertaining characters. I especially loved the dynamics between Xander and Lulu; when they are near each other the air combusts. They are both genuinely nice people and I wanted them to have their HEA.
As soon as Lulu and Xander meet, sparks fly. They are both quiet and shy and have never felt like they fit in, but that changes when they meet and start spending time together. They discover they are kindred souls; they don’t enjoy parties or being in large groups, they are singular by nature and are most happy by themselves. Lulu and Xander are also both at a crossroads in their lives. They each had big dreams for their lives, but somehow things didn’t work out the way they had planned them. They are disillusioned and not sure what their next step should be.
Lulu loves to cook and has always dreamed of becoming a chef in a five star restaurant. She comes from a loud and boisterous family of overachievers who love to get in each other’s business. I loved reading about all of Lulu’s interactions with her family. They are a caring and loving family, but when they all get together, they can be a bit overwhelming.
Xander is a backup quarterback disappointed he has never achieved more in his football career due to some shoulder injuries. He comes from a football family dynasty and feels like a loser compared to his father and two brothers.
Erika Kelly’s newest book Whole Lotta Love is the eighth book in the Calamity Falls Small Town Romance series and all the books are standalones, but the characters are interconnected. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in this book.
Originally posted on Long and Short Reviews.
I seriously LOVED this book. Even though it was the first book I read in this series, within the first few chapters I felt like I was at home among characters that were real people – family and friends! This book brings together two wonderful characters who have yet to achieve their potential and their dreams and they both have emotional bruises as a result.
The blurb gives the impression the two main characters meet after being cast together on a cooking show. I was interested because that sounded like a fun premise. I was pleasantly surprised to learn Lulu and Xander actually had meet briefly in Maui and had started to get to know each other, and then again in her hometown of Calamity. The attraction was already simmering between these two before the cooking show begins filming.
Xander is an amazing male character who is perfect for Lulu. I equally loved reading about their deep and layered conversations as they got to really know each other, as I did their antics and pranks in the kitchen together. Their steamy scenes are HOT too.
I loved the family relationships between Lulu and her sister. Both family’s are amazing and so supportive of each other. I really can’t wait to dive into the previous books in this series and get to know these characters better!
I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Such a wonderful second chance romance story. I just adored Lulu and her joy and passion for cooking. Xander is a NFL quarterback and I loved how sweet and caring he was. Xander and Lulu were perfect together. A great read filled with humor, banter, and romance. Highly recommend.
“I will always come home to you, because you are my home.”
Welcome back to Calamity!! I love this town and the Cavanaugh sisters. In a Whole Lotta Love, Lulu Cavanaugh is a chef without a restaurant and Alexander “Xander” Wilder is a quarterback without a team. When they meet, sparks fly and once they begin working on a reality cooking showing together, it’s hard for them to fight their attraction. But will their love be able to compete with their careers and insecurities?
“She figured out what you loved, and she gave it to you. She made you feel special through food.”
From the beginning, I could relate to Lulu. She always felt like she’s not good enough and that if she could just get that Michelin star, her life would fall into place. She presents a tough yet caring exterior to the outside world, but she’s extremely vulnerable inside and so afraid of being her hurt again.
“All she’d ever wanted was to find the one person in the world whose soul mirrored hers.”
Xander has lived in the shadow of his father and brothers his whole life. He’s an introvert but finds himself going to bars and parties just make people happy. With his pro football career on the line, he agrees to do a reality show to gain exposure, but what he finds is so much more.
“I knew from the moment I met you that you were my forever. Some way, somehow, I knew I’d make you mine. And for the rest of our lives and into eternity, my heart is yours, and yours alone.”
These two were absolutely perfect for each other. Their souls were a match and they just got each other. They were fun and passionate and brought out the best in each other. Being together allowed them both to grow and face their own struggles and insecurities so that they could build a better future.
A Whole Lotta Love will make your heart both weep with sadness and joy. It showcases a couple who are both prickly and that fight hard for both their love and their careers. The romance is swoonworthy and the laughs are plenty. And as mad as I am at Stella, I’m excited for her story!!
Kelly gives emotions quite a workout. With humor and heart, she speaks to the side that makes the heart most vulnerable. Whole Lotta Love is a tale of second chances, sweet romance and family ties. Xander and Lulu are at a crossroads in a world where their courses were once set in stone. Will they follow their hearts or let their heads get in the way? From new beginnings to happy endings, Calamity Falls is the ideal destination for heartwarming romance.
Erika Kelly sure knows how to make a woman question her priorities and boy is this tough for a woman like Lulu. Coming back to Calamity you never know what will happen and a reality cooking show just seems perfect for this town. Lulu has always been the perfect child to her mama and papa never lying about things but this is one lie she cannot let them know. To them she was all stars in their eyes and coming back to Calamity as a failure was never an option until now. Then we have Xander who is great at what he does but wants to be the first time have a superbowl ring like his family. In his eyes he feels like a failure and boy does he fit just right with Lulu in every way. Erika Kelly shows us two people who feel lost in their careers yet it is love that brings them to see what they have been searching in front of their faces. This was a great addition to the Calamity series and seeing everybody again was a great treat. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”