Melt My Heart by Marie Tuhart

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Melt My Heart by Marie Tuhart
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (92 pgs)
Other: BDSM, M/F, Spanking
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Veterinarian Lexi Mallory wants to submit to the sexy new Dom from the club, but trauma from her past keeps getting in the way. It’s a good thing Gabriel Huntington has a special way with difficult subs and sees the gorgeous Lexi as a delicious challenge. Unfortunately, Lexi fears her inability to relinquish control will finally test Garbriel’s patience and he’ll end their contract. Can Lexi lower her barriers and allow Gabriel’s touch to melt her heart?

Lexi has some very deep, personal issues. She desperately craves a Dom, a man who can help make her lose control. She’s asked Gabriel to be that man, but after a disastrous night at the BDSM club where she just can’t obey him and let go, she thinks it’s all over between them. Gabriel, however, isn’t going to let her go that easily. He’s determined to try and work things out between them. Can Lexi work with him and give them what they both want?

This was a really interesting story. I was very pleasantly surprised it took a different track to many BDSM stories. Lexi seems like she yearns for the spice and adventure of a BDSM lifestyle and this hunger has led her to overlook some of the most basic steps. I loved how Gabriel was willing to be so patient with her, to force her to go back and really examine why she craves being a sub, and what sort of things are holding her back from letting go of her control. I could really sympathize with Lexi wanting to move forward – not seemingly backward – but this actually hooked me even more, empathizing with her and wanting to see it all work out.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the trust grow between Lexi and Gabriel. This was a chance to see a couple who already knew some things about each other go back and start their commitment all over again. It was also really good to watch Lexi yield some of her control – she knew Gabriel was a good man and that she could trust him – but also the perfect opportunity for Gabriel to show he understood and had compassion for Lexi too.

This all made the story seem much deeper emotionally – more traditionally romantic – rather than just a hot, erotic “take me” style of story. While some elements of BDSM are shown – spanking, tying up etc – I found that there was a gentleness to it all. It’s clear in every word Gabriel cares deeply for Lex, and while the scenes were written explicitly, I didn’t find it all all shocking or over the top. This is a good story I’d recommend to readers interesting in starting to read BDSM stories that aren’t too hard-core.

For You by Emma Kaye

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For You by Emma Kaye
A Candy Hearts Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Genre: Historical, Holiday, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (72 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Myrtle

It’s Valentine’s Day, and candy heart sayings mock Drew Engledown’s lonely state. He wants more in his life than work, but hasn’t met anyone he can imagine spending his life with. When he puts his own life at risk to save a friend, he’s sent back in time to Regency London and mistaken for a murdered earl. Has he been given a chance at love with the earl’s beautiful widow, or will he suffer the same fate as the previous lord?

When her husband’s heir lays claim to all she once owned, Lady Engledown is left nearly destitute. So she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or angry when the earl returns but claims he’s not her husband. Could he be telling the truth, or is he toying with her? She doesn’t know what to think of this man who is so different from the husband she never loved. Can they find happiness together, or will this man she comes to love leave her worse off than before?

Can royalty transcend the realm of time and cheat death?

Valentine’s Day for bachelor Drew Engledown means more than just candy hearts and secret admirers, it’s the day he starts questioning his own solitary existence. Why can’t he find his soulmate? His friend Chuck, who is blissfully wed to Brenda, agrees that Drew has not found “the one” otherwise he’d be married or nursing a broken heart.

As the two friends start across the street together, Chuck steps out in front of a double-decker London bus, but Drew’s quick action saves Chuck by pushing him out of the way, only to have the bus hit him instead. Somewhere between death and the hospital, Drew finds himself alive and well … in 1818 London!

Countess Julia, the beautiful woman who finds Drew strewn across her dead husband’s bed, believes him to be her spouse impossibly resurrected … for a moment. Then Julia realizes Drew is an almost identical twin to her late husband, Payne. Even Payne’s mother sees the amazing resemblance. Soon, Drew finds out that the late Payne Engledown was a womanizing scoundrel who failed to provide for his wife and mother in case of his death. Now Cousin Engledown is set to inherit everything, and he plans to toss out Julia and her mother-in-law. Can Drew help them?

This time travel story is unique and fun, although not all the dots connected for me. Drew’s acceptance of time travel, his ease of settling into instant royalty in a setting two-hundred years in the past, and his quick willingness to join a farce with people whom he barely knows, made the story feel rushed and incomplete. Even Brenda, who seemed to have all the answers that Drew and the readers needed, played such a small and insignificant role, her credibility was nil and her psychic-like abilities too convenient.

However, the story is creative, entertaining, and written in an easy-to-read style. It’s a quick read, too, making it perfect for long flights or an afternoon at the beach. If you’re looking for an unusual love story with the power to transport you to an out-of-the-ordinary place then this might be the perfect book for you!

Say Yes by Katie O’Sullivan

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Say Yes by Katie O’Sullivan
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday (Valentine’s Day)
Length: Short Story (83 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Darby Malone has trouble saying no. Hosting a children’s Valentine party at her recently renovated gallery is the last straw, and the last time she intends to say yes to anything. That is, until she meets Ben, a well-known Cape Cod artist with eyes as deep and blue as the ocean. He stirs feelings in her that have been dormant for too long. Can she afford to say yes to him?

Ben Phillips needs this gallery show. His life has been empty since his wife died four years ago, his paintings the only thing giving him solace. But his style has changed, his art completely different than the breezy shore paintings he staked his reputation on. Can he convince Darby to give him a chance – and to consider him for more than just a place on her gallery walls? Will she give him a place in her heart as well?

Darby has a problem with saying no. Cleaning up smeared blue gummy bears out of the wooden floors of her gallery, Darby is surprised when Ben comes by. While Darby is proud of her gallery and work, she’s small time – and Ben is a semi-famous painter. Ben, however, since the loss of his wife has been creating pieces the complete polar opposite of his old, soft and gentle beach-scapes. Dark, edgy and bleak, he knows his new work likely won’t appeal to his old clientele. So he wants someone fresh to say yes and give his work a chance. Is Darby the one to help him?

I found this to be a fun romance and great quick read. While Ben has experienced a great loss, enough time has passed that the worst of his grief has passed. Fun with the candy Valentine’s day hearts helped lend a sweet, happy atmosphere to the story to my mind. While Ben’s work – and the anger and grief he’d worked through – was in contrast to the happy tone of the story, I felt this actually made the plot stronger and better. There’s plenty of moments where I giggled – the fun contagious. I feel readers who enjoy a bit of lightheartedness with their romance won’t be disappointed. Having said that, there’s definitely strong emotions – not all of them happy – in Ben’s work. This contrast was shown throughout the story and really intrigued me and kept me eagerly turning the pages.

A great story, I really enjoyed this. The slow progression from strangers, to friends, to more was wonderfully paced to my mind. Ben and Darby came together in what felt like a natural progression and while there’s only one short sex scene the story ends on a clear high note – loving enough to satisfy most romance readers I would think.

A lovely tale about love, loss, grief and hope, with plenty of romance and a delicious slow burn to the main romance this is a wonderful story I know I’ll enjoy many times in the future.

Me + You by Brenda Gayle

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Me + You by Brenda Gayle
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (88 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Teacher Lori Tait has always wanted a family, but now she’s 40, she’s pretty much decided all the good men are taken. Instead, she devotes herself to her students, particularly one little girl whose struggle with math seems inconsistent with an otherwise brilliant and artistic mind.

Mark Wilder hadn’t planned to become a father, but when a fling resulted in his daughter, Grace, he whole-heartedly embraced the role. Raised in a family of boys, what does he know about women and girls? Once he learns of Grace’s inability to comprehend basic math, he welcomes the role of tutor as a way to connect with his daughter; the opportunity to spend time with her sexy teacher is an added bonus.

When Lori cracks the mystery of Grace’s problem Mark’s world is thrown into turmoil; he’s the last person who can help his daughter. He pushes everyone away, confirming Lori’s theory about men. Grace, however, has other plans. Using her new-found understanding of math, she sets out to prove to her father and teacher that, together, they add up to the perfect match.

Lori enjoys teaching her students in the second grade, but Grace is having serious difficulties in math. Calling a meeting with Grace’s divorced parents, Lori is dismayed when Grace’s mother is adamant that math isn’t necessary for an artists’ life. Grace’s dad, Mark, however, fully appreciates how important basic addition and subtraction can be. Then Grace herself suggests to Mark that they get Lori to come over and help tutor her. Can Mark and Lori find each other while helping Grace together?

This is an interesting book. Grace is clearly a special character and an interesting child who views the world very differently. Talented in most areas but dismally behind in her math I found this a realistic and very strong plot for the whole story. I liked both Mark and Lori together. They clearly have sparks, but it’s a slow burn kind of romance, one that took its time and flourished throughout the book. I was also quite pleased that Mark’s ex-wife and Grace’s mother, Jade, wasn’t made out to be some evil witch – as is far too easy to do for such a character. Jade was definitely a “free spirit” and had some strongly non-traditional opinions, but at no point did I feel the character was hard done by. I can strongly commend the author for portraying Jade as an ex-wife, but still part of the family unit without being oppressive or negative. I found this refreshing and enjoyed it.

I also really enjoyed how the plot was quite thoughtful and deep. Without going into spoilers, I found the link between Grace’s math problems and some of Mark’s personal concerns really well thought out and clearly not just some throw-away plot device to bring Mark and Lori together. With vibrant characters, a very, very strong plot and some steamy, raunchy sex thrown in for good measure this ticks a lot of boxes and I feel should have a lot of readers really enthralled. I was delighted by each progression and eagerly turning the pages myself. With a romantic, satisfying ending I really enjoyed this book and will happily re-read it a number of times to come. Recommended.

Only Yours by Nancy Fraser

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Only Yours by Nancy Fraser
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (72 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, 1966 and everyone expects Rebecca Winston to marry her high school/college sweetheart, Garrett Langley. According to Rebecca’s mother, it’s what a proper young lady should do.

The problem is, the flame’s gone out on their romance. They’re still best of friends, but only friends. When Garrett’s father has a heart attack, his older brother Wyatt (an L.A. attorney) returns home for the first time in years. The attraction between Rebecca and Wyatt is immediate.

Can Rebecca expect her family and, especially, Garrett to understand that her desires have changed and turned toward Wyatt?

Can Wyatt get past the feeling that he’s poaching his younger brother’s girl?

Rebecca Winston is a good and proper lady. As a good and proper lady she is expected, by everybody, to marry her sweetheart doctor boyfriend, Garrett. Rebecca is feeling like she and Garrett are acting more like good friends than a couple that should be married. She is well aware that they are growing apart, but what she can do now, when everyone expects her to be with Garret? Garrett’s father’s heart attack changes everything, because suddenly Garrett’s older brother, Wyatt, shows up. It was an attraction at a first sight between Rebecca and Wyatt and now they have to find a way to break this news to the family.

Only Yours is a short but interesting story. From the very beginning of the story it was obvious that something was off between Rebecca and Garrett and they are so wrong together. On the other hand the situation in which Wyatt and Rebecca ended up was not a pleasant one. They feel attraction, they want to explore it, but they are not sure how people around them will react. The solutions put in the story works well, they are neither forced nor naïve.

Due to its length I read this story pretty quickly, and I enjoyed it very much. Fast paced, sweet and interesting. I recommend it.

One Kiss by Misty Simon

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One Kiss by Misty Simon
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday (Valentine’s Day)
Length: Short Story (63 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The last place Lorena Weber wants to be on Valentine’s Day is a singles party thrown by her newlywed best friend. But how can she say no? She’ll give it an hour—two, tops—and then she’s heading back to her normal life. But she didn’t plan on seeing the one man who had turned her world on its side New Year’s Eve with one kiss that opened doors she had firmly locked.

Caleb Manning got coerced into attending this ridiculous party by a co-worker. He’ll stay for an hour at most and then he’ll head home. That was the plan until he recognized Lorena across the room and had to see if that kiss was only New Year’s Eve magic or something more.

Lorena loves her newly married best friend dearly, but not even that friendship can convince her to stay at a singles-only Valentine’s day party for more than an hour. Two at most. While looking for the fastest and least offensive means to exit the party, Lorena bumps into Caleb, the handsome stranger with whom she shared a New Years Eve kiss. Could Lorena and Caleb really get a second chance at something great?

I found this to be a fun, lighthearted romance. While I shuddered at the idea of a singles-only hook up Valentine’s day party, it was just clichéd enough to be fun – Pin the cloud on the Cupid! – and an excellent setup for the story. I enjoyed how the chapters alternated between Lorena and Caleb’s point of view – so I could get a good handle on both characters and see things from their eyes. I also enjoyed how there was no rushing – no jumping into anything the moment their eyes met and they recognized each other. The slow fall was delicious and made the happy ending even more sweet for me.

Readers who prefer the bedroom door closed might need to skip just a few pages. While the (one and only) sex scene is consummated with the door open, it is not particularly descriptive and certainly not to my mind explicit or in a manner to make a girl blush. Readers who enjoy steamy kisses and passionate clinches shouldn’t mind the fact that Lorena and Caleb do move a step further without purple prose or strange euphemisms. I really enjoyed how tasteful I found the scene and was deeply satisfied to have consummation without anything too explicit pointed out for me. It was also a natural next step for both Lorena and Caleb, so I felt it suited the situation perfectly.

A fun, modern story with a good deal of laugh-out-loud funny moments. I found this a sweet and endearing story and one I greatly enjoyed. Recommended.

Sweetie Pie by Willa Blair

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Sweetie Pie by Willa Blair
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (75 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Makenna Stewart flees Scotland for the Big Island of Hawaii intent on making real a cherished dream—-a bakery of her own. Hard work and long hours leave Makenna craving some fun in her life. Her best customer, Greek-god sexy surfer Tom may be just what she needs, but she suspects there’’s more to him than board shorts and a devastating smile.

Retired professional surfer and real-estate multi-millionaire Tom Bensford is there when she opens every morning, but he’’s not craving her magical Morning Glory muffins. Fascinated by the dark-haired, blue-eyed wahine with the creamy Celtic skin and devastating Scottish accent, he’’s never met a woman like her. Too bad he’’s about to destroy her dreams.

To him, it’’s just business. To her, it’’s the kind of betrayal she fled Scotland to escape. Can the island magic in Makenna’s heritage save her dream and their romance, or will his secret tear them apart?

Makenna loves her new bakery – Sweetie Pie. Having left Scotland – and her idea-stealing ex boyfriend – behind, Makenna was determined to make her gluten free bakery a success in Hawaii where her mother’s family lived. A few weeks in and Makenna is loving it, and thoroughly enjoying her first local repeat customer, Tom. Tom is deeply intrigued by Makenna, and loves that she has no clue about his past and zero knowledge – or interest – in his money. Wanting to get to know her better he offers to teach her to surf. It’s just the opening they both need to get to know each other far, far better.

I loved the pacing in this story, slow but not dragging, moving forward while still taking its time. Makenna and Tom both have their past issues, but together they blossom and finally can heal and learn to trust again. I loved the spicy sex scenes – descriptive and hot while still tender and loving. While explicit, I didn’t find anything in it to be envelope pushing or outrageous. I also found the placement of the scene – when Makenna and Tom truly began to trust each other and open themselves up – to be perfect. It helped the sex not just be for sex’s sake, but to acknowledge both the characters were truly becoming serious about each other.

I found myself having mixed feelings about the conflict in the plot. While I thoroughly enjoyed the slightly different twist – it didn’t feel too clichéd to me – I was disappointed that Makenna had such double standards. I thoroughly understood her upset and anger toward Tom, but felt the fact she’d kept him in the dark about her past made her anger somewhat unjustified. Tom didn’t know about her past, didn’t know about her hurt and pain, and so without that knowledge how could he know or understand how strongly her reaction to a similar “betrayal” could be? The fact the conflict made me really sit back and think about the situation, mull it over and tease it all out in my mind showed how excellently it was written – and how invested in the characters I had become. In that sense, the writing and story was fantastic. It didn’t quell the spurt of disappointment I had in Makenna as a character though, and while I happily moved on when she did, it did leave a slightly unhappy flavor in my mouth.

Overall though I really enjoyed the story. I loved seeing Makenna and Tom get together, I loved the fact the plot really made me think and got me so hooked and invested. I loved the writing style and will happily search out more of this authors work.

A fun short story that packed quite a punch. Recommended.

I’m Sure by Beverly Breton

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I’m Sure by Beverly Breton
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (48 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

During the day, Megan surrounds herself with water lilies and goldfish in the ponds she creates. At night, memories of her lying ex-boyfriend make her wonder if she can ever again trust a man.
Jason embraces his career as paramedic firefighter, even though past experience declares his profession a greedy mistress. During quiet nights at the station, he wonders if this bachelor existence is all he’ll ever know.
Then Jason meets Megan in an unexpectedly amusing encounter, and sparks fly, chased by flashes of anger when Jason, battling a raging apartment fire, stands up Megan on their first date. Is St. Valentine powerful enough to bring these two strong-willed people together?

Megan Donovan’s ex-boyfriend lied, cheated on her and broke her heart in the process, so she is very reluctant to have another relationship. That is…until she meets Jason D’Annucci. Jason D’Annucci happens to be a firefighter. He comes to her at a plant nursery looking for a hose. Jason finds Megan attractive as well as different from girls he has dated, and she thinks he is sweet. The connection between them is instant and they decide to go on a date and see where this will take them. Unfortunately, their first time is a bit unlucky, but will Megan give Jason another chance?

I’m Sure is a short story told from alternating first-person POV. It is sweet and it actually ends before it begins. The story revolves around Megan’s insecurity about starting a new relationship after her previous one ended up bad. So readers will not get Jason and Megan’s HEA, but just a Happy for Now.

I enjoyed this charming and sweet short novella. It made me laugh and it made me feel good. This is a great story for all of you who are looking for a quick and easy read.

Be Mine by April Hollingworth

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Be Mine by April Hollingworth
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Comedy
Length: Short Story (57 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Beth has always loved Mark. He was the boy of her dreams even though she was nothing more than his little sister’s best friend. Now he’s back from the military and looking at her differently. Though that could be the plate of lasagna she dropped in his lap.

A series of mishaps gives Mark opportunity to spend time with her. He is sure that he is the man for her but experience has taught Beth not all men can be trusted. Can he convince her that he wants her to be his for Valentine’s Day and ever after?

Beth hadn’t seen Mark in years, but when she does he’s definitely all grown up and quite a stunning man. Caught off guard, she accidently drops a plate of lasagna in his lap, and things only spiral out of control from there. Mark doesn’t instantly recognize Beth – she’s all grown up herself – but having hot food dropped on his pants, and then Beth trying to wipe it all up most certainly caught his attention. Mark is instantly smitten, but wooing Beth is not an easy road to take. Can he convince her to be his?

I found this to be a fun, lighthearted romance novel, almost a comedy. Klutzy mishaps and plenty of laughter are filled in this great short story, but I really appreciated how there was still a decent sized plot and interesting characters. Beth has her secrets, and not an easy past she’s working on overcoming and Mark also has plenty of surprises. I loved how the characters were interesting and vibrant. Readers who enjoy laughing as much as sighing happily at their romance should find this as good a read as I did.

There are plenty of heated glances and a couple of steamy kisses. This is definitely a sweet romance though, with everything occurring behind firmly closed doors. Coupled with the plot and strongly humorous story-telling I feel this should appeal to a very wide range of readers of all ages and interests.

A fun, happy story that I greatly enjoyed. I will definitely be looking for more of Ms. Hollingworth’s work.

Tweet Me by Desiree Holt

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Tweet Me by Desiree Holt
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday (Valentine’s Day)
Length: Short Story (63 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Don’t call. Don’t text. Tweet me…

Married to her work, event planner Avery Kurtz runs her life and her business on a private message feed. She has no time to waste on emails or a love life, and Valentine’s Day means just more parties to plan. But when Tanner Voss, best man in Avery’s best friend’s wedding, is assigned to help finalize plans, her world is turned heart-side up. The hotshot attorney might be a player. He’d hit on her before and she avoided that mistake but he’s also surprisingly cooperative, focused on making the perfect choices for their friends, and even on board with her messaging preference. Between the erotic dreams about the sexy litigator and her body urging her to forget caution, Avery is wondering if she was wrong about Tanner and wants him to do more than “tweet me.””

Avery is a hugely successful wedding planner – one addicted to her twitter account to handle all the details for her. When her best friend decides to move up her wedding – to Valentine’s day in a few weeks time, Avery decides she’s up for the challenge. That is, until she discovers her friend is going away for work for a week and a half and Tanner Voss has been delegated as the interim replacement to help Avery make all the necessary decisions. Avery is blindsided, but determined to forge ahead, even if Tanner does make her hormones riot and want crazy things.

I really loved how Avery and Tanner’s friends just kinda threw them together and helped set them up. I found it fun and unique – don’t think I’ve ever read before of a wedding planner being lumbered with one of the groom’s friend to set up a huge wedding in three weeks before. It was a great plot and lots of fun to read. I enjoyed how Avery came across to me as a modern, busy woman. One who was sensual but too professional and busy to indulge. I was a little disappointed in how fiercely she resisted Tanner’s careful advances.

Tanner might have had the reputation as a ladies man, but was not arrogant or conceited about it. He simply was modern, and enjoyed his sexuality. Owned it. That really appealed to me and made him seem strong and sexy without being a jerk about it. I also was impressed he recognized his feelings for Avery weren’t his usual fleeting impulses and how he was prepared to open himself up for something deeper and stronger relationship wise. I found throughout the story he was funny, sexy and flirtatious while very studiously toeing the line between not pushing and letting Avery know of his interest. The manner in which she shut him down after he’d gone to pains to show he was seriously interested – and not in a fleeting, wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of way – really had me thinking less of her as a character and getting annoyed with her. It also made me feel rather as if Avery’s so-called confidence wasn’t real or as genuine as I would have expected. It put a bit of a dampener on my enjoyment.

There is plenty of chemistry in this book, which was a pleasure to read, and one steamy love scene. While graphic I found it tastefully written and very well led up to – no “their eyes met and they jumped into bed” here. Readers who don’t like any descriptive sex might want to skip those few pages, but I strongly recommend trying the rest of the book. The sex scene is only one tiny part of it and I feel it would be a shame to miss such a fun story for the sake of a few pages. Personally, I enjoyed the well-deserved culmination scene between Avery and Tanner and found it delicious and very much the happy ending this story needed.

A fun, quick read that I enjoyed.