Callie Knows the Way to a Man's Heart is Through Her Cupcakes!
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I have something in common with Callie.  I, too, am a woman with a little more than meat on my bones.  And while I have not taken a pole dancing class, I did take a few belly dancing lessons.  The teacher was very nice and supportive, saying it actually helped to have a little bit of a belly!

So Callie was going to a pole dancing class at  a nearby gym.  She probably wouldn't have gone if her business partner, Anna, didn't drag her.  Because Callie was rather uncomfortable going there.  She did not see herself as beautiful, despite her business partner and her wanna-be boyfriend telling her she was.

Of course, it didn't  help that the pole dancing instructor was gorgeous and very fit, and walks into Callie's class and says, "Oh great.  Another group of heifers to teach.  I hope the poles don't break."  It was definitely hard to like Dolly (the instructor).  She also called her class attendees "sluts" just about any time she started a direction..  And Dolly was an equal opportunity abuser.  She ticked off just about everyone she met; but seemed to take particular pleasure in torturing Callie.  I think Dolly could even make me forget I'm trying to cut down on the saltiness of my diet - my language diet, that is.

On the one hand, Callie needn't have worried, because Dolly ticks someone off a little too much and winds up a corpse.  On the other hand, Callie really needs to worry because she is looking like the prime suspect!  And her policeman admirer can't help her because he cannot be on the case.  It's a good thing Callie has the cupcake business because her position at the local college is not looking all that stable after Dolly's murder, because the college doesn't want 'that kind of publicity'.  The dean gives her a weekend to do what she can to clear her name, unfortunately providing her with maybe more than the usual motivation to find the real killer.

I know how it is to not have confidence in oneself or one's looks, so Callie's troubles in that department resonated with me.  It was heartening to see her friends' support her - and even give her the occasional loving 'shove' for her own good.  That's part of what makes this book special to me.  Everyone needs friends like that.  It's also part of what will make me come back for more cupcakes in the future.

And about the cupcakes ... it's really too bad that they are not included.  But there are cupcake-related humor at the beginning of each chapter and they are gems!  Those alone are with the price of admission.  That you get a great story along with it is the icing on the cupcake!

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.)
405856
What a sweet romantic Christmas book.

Paige Rion kept me going back for more (and it wasn't just for the pumpkin pie) with Dashing Through the Snow!

Wynn and Gemma run the bakery in town across from Zane's work place, and ever since he first stopped in and saw Wynn, he kept coming back, each day just to see her. There's an undeniable attraction between the two, and it only escalates. But, there are things both are fighting that keep them from truly giving in to their feelings. Will they get together, or will Wynn run when it comes to commitment?

This novella has everything. Food, romance, crazy relatives and "will they just kiss already?" moments. You won't want to miss out on the fun of the Christmas season in this read!
4298834
Sexy lumberjack - check. High maintenance city girl - check. Lust and love in Vermont - check. Falling in love even more with Callie Harper's writing - check. Yep, Callie Harper did it again, gave me a swoon worthy, sexy alpha with a heart of gold and a sweet, sassy heroine worthy of a girl crush.

Violet is in a small town in Vermont to scout out locations for a new reality show when she meets a hot lumberjack named Heath in a local bar. She's intrigued. He's in lust. They're both in lust and things just spiral from there. But, can a city girl and a guy who makes furniture with his bare hands really find love in the middle of nowheresville Vermont? Damn right, they can!! That is, if they can get past his secret identity and she can navigate the cutthroat business she's found herself immersed in.

I absolutely adore both Heath(cliff) and Violet. They're both so sweet, and damn sexy! together that I just kept reading and falling in love with them more as each page was turned.

If you're looking for a sexy, sweet love story, look no further than Callie Harper, she knows how to write love and sex like no one else.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
2325648
I really want my own Cash, he's such a great guy who's secretly been in love with his best friend Beaus wife since they were dating in college. Cash never acted on his feelings for Callie, he fought his feelings and buried them deep but now that Beau and Callie are divorced and he and Callie have gotten close, maybe he will get his chance to show Callie just how special she is! Callie never expected Cash to be the person she leans on after her divorce from his best friend but she also can't deny just how attractive Cash has always been and how sweet he's being to her. He believes in Callie when no one else does and helps boost her confidence to start a career that her parents and ex think is beneath her. They're all about appearances and money while she just wants to be happy and do things that make her happy! Will Beau step aside when he finds out about Cash and Callie or will he come out swinging? Is Cash willing to lose his best friend and business partner for the only woman who's ever had his heart? A really good book, steamy and emotional at times!
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Emma Hart is a great writer! Noelle is so funny and smart! Love her and Drake together, glad it works for them. Crazy family and crazy times. Thanks so much for writing this series! Love the cupcake addiction, lol!
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Melody Grace has become one of my favorite writers over the last year. Her unique, but realistic stories have captured my heart and I have no doubt that they will continue to do so!

Alicia is a prime and proper girl. She HAS to do the right thing and she HAS to appear to be perfect. She breaks the image for a few minutes by hungrily kissing Dex Callahan back against a wall. She's hurting from a broken heart but with Dex it hurts less.

Dex is trying to figure out what to do with his career. He's insecure but one kiss with Alicia and he knows what he wants with her.

Two opposite people come together in this novella. Two people with troubled souls and hearts are able to find much needed peace with each other. This short novella reveals just enough so that you're hooked on it and want to continue reading more about them.

Alicia's pain is raw and Dex is unsure and lost. It's just so relatable that I felt I was experiencing those emotions with them!

I need to buy their next book NOW!
4685345
They say you can't have your cake and eat it too. But who would want a cake they couldn't eat? (from the back cover)

Emma Rae Travis is a diabetic, the type that must have insulin shot every day. But she is also a talented baker, making delectable treats that have earned her top recognition. She works at Backstreet Bakery and has put that establishment on the map.

Jackson Drake is trying to fulfill his late wife's dream of owning a wedding destination hotel. When he hears about Emma Rae, his hiring team is quick to offer her a position and a raise if she'll leave Backstreet Bakery. Emma agrees, because running her own kitchen has always been her dream.

When Emma and Jackson meet sparks fly. He thinks she is addicted to hazelnut and she thinks he is a bit rude and crabby. But his is a job offer she can't refuse...and she is a handful that is making him rethink life. But can the two of them co-exist in the same hotel?

ALWAYS THE BAKER NEVER THE BRIDE is another adorable romantic comedy from Sandra Bricker. I have read almost all of Sandra's books and I love her voice. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book and couldn't put it down.

Emma Rae is an adorable Southern heroine, raised by a true Southern lady. She knows just how to act in every situation--except for when her mother and father happen to be in the same town at the same time. Then it is bad. Very very bad.

Jackson is a hurting hero, still reeling from the death of his much loved bride. He is desperate to keep her alive by living her dream for her.  ALWAYS THE BAKER NEVER THE BRIDE is a fun read that is also filled with wedding tips, cake decorating tips, and some yummy (but rich) sounding recipes. Don't miss this book.
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I read this book in two sittings!  I could not put it down.  You will love Brock and Tess together... And cupcakes!  So nice to have a book about love for characters in their mid-forties for a change.  I love a strong man with a sweet side!
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Missy and Chas are back in the latest edition to the Frosted Love series and we all know what that means. Mystery! Intrigue! Murder! Missy's kind heart once again takes center stage after Spenser, the B&B's all around go-to guy, rescues a young woman from drowning in the ocean. This woman, of course, is at the center of the mystery and Missy calls upon friends, Echo and Kel, to investigate and gather information. I was happy to see Spenser take a major role in this story and I always love the interaction between Echo and Carla, Missy's friend and decorator. I'd love to see a compilation of all of the cupcake recipes created by Missy. That would make everything complete!
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I absolutely love this story! Like LOVE love! Willow is a small town baker, and Zane was her first crush. Zane has made it huge in Hollywood, but his playing around has come with a price. Now in order to play a romantic hero he needs to clean up his image, so he approaches Willow with a crazy offer... be his fake fiancee for two weeks and get national coverage for her bakery.

Zane and Willow had a connection as teens, and it's never really gone away. They still consider each other good friends and text regularly. But their fake relationship soon comes with real feelings, and they're sailing their way towards a Happily Ever After. But can they get past their lifestyle differences? When something major from their past comes into the picture, can their fledgling relationship survive?

I can't wait to hear from the rest of the characters in this book, I love the family series that Melissa writes!

I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.
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Piper Noble owns a successful bakery and is looking to expand to the vacant building next door that has been on the market. She finally has enough money put aside to put in an offer to buy the building. When Joe Montoya enters her bakery, he introduces himself as the man who just bought the building that she wanted. She tries every tactic to get him to sell it to her, but he won't budge. He's going to open a coffee shop and is determined to make it a success. They are both stubborn people who have gone through a lot of pain in their respective pasts. There's a town meeting to pick a person to head a fundraising project to help revitilize the town. Piper and Joe both want to head the committee so the town council takes a vote and it's a tie. They've been butting heads and are concerned how they're going to be able to work together to make the fundraiser a success. Once they start working together and listen to each other's ideas, they start to get along. They still butt heads, but they realize each other has some good ideas. During the course of their time together, they develop feelings for each other but since they've both been through heartache in the past, neither wants to admit their true feelings to each other. This book was another winning story by Jennifer Faye. I experienced every emotion and was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put this book down! I highly recommend this book and this series!
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Susan Shapiro's fiction debut is funny, fast-paced, and sweet as the cupcakes that grace its pages. I devoured it like a delicious dessert, but luckily it's calorie-free. A fabulous indulgence!
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Ever since I heard about the True Vows series (the first reality-based romance series) last Spring I have been so excited about the concept! Taking a real life love story and turning it into a book, how cool! I would love to find out more about how the books were written, did the authors interview the couples. read interviews with them, how much is straight from the couple and how much is the author's addition, I just love the concept!

And specifically with The Icing on the Cake which deals with Michelle's dreams of opening up a cupcake bakery, I mean what's not to love about CUPCAKES! Michelle and Todd meet via match.com. I sort of figured there would be a bit more in the book about online dating but they meet up face to face pretty quickly and the whole internet relationship thing is very short lived.

Like a lot of the romance novels I've read, I love that The Icing on the Cake switches between both Michelle and Todd's perspectives, I felt like I got to know them both equally that way. And the story is rather sweet, you can tell they are both genuinely caring people and since this is about real people, I love knowing these two are really out there living their life together! One of my favorite passages is about a tour of bakeries that Todd puts together in New York City for Michelle, I am happy to say I have been to two of their stops, delicious!

But, since this is based on a real life couple, the ups and downs and excitement you find in all stories is sort of softened, nothing really that shocking happens, they both have their own personal struggles and triumphs but I guess I could have used a little more zing in one way or another.

Overall a sweet book from what looks to be a very promising series of books!
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Secret Santa by Rhian Cahill is delicious like a Christmas cookie. Yummy and satisfying. I adored this story of friends to lovers.

Jenn is dreading her first holiday since the loss of her parents. She keeps busy with her job at Morgans restaurant and tries to ignore her attraction to him. Morgan has decided to act on the chemistry between them and rigs the employee Secret Santa gift exchange game so that he gets her and she gets him.

A few of my fav lines

 He was known for his decadent desserts, but Jenn thought he was far more appealing. The man was lickable from head to toe and shed love to sample just a teeny tiny piece of him.

 He wanted to take his time and savour the fall. Or savour her fall. Morgan was already at the bottom, but, from where he stood, it sure felt like the top of the world.

I loved that this novella is sweet but not sappy, not sugary, not too spicy its perfectly balanced. I adored seeing how the Secret Santa game played out.  Morgan works hard to make Jenn give them a chance. I was rooting for them both to get exactly what was on their wish list this Christmas. Unwrap Secret Santa and settle in for a delicious treat :D

The Queen of Tarts

 eARC provided for review for my honest opinion.
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Having recently finished Don't Call Me Cupcake by Tara Sheets, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you Net Galley!

This was a sweet and magical story with predictable will they won't they tension, and a bit of bad guy drama, but sometimes that is exactly the recipe... I mean storyline... that a mind needs.
Mix in an enchanted house, one magical recipe book and an adorable Labradoodle puppy and the sweetness in this story is nearly complete. Emma's cupcakes are definitely part of the fun throughout... if only eating a cupcake could create a little magic in all our worlds!

***I look forward to reading the next in this series... Juliette's story in "Don't Touch My Petunia".
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I have not read the first book in this series, Alls Fair in Love and Cupcakes, yet I had no problem following the story in Love Arrives in Pieces. It stands alone very well.

I thought that this story, featuring two very broken people, was well done. Although I did get frustrated with the main character, Stella, and her tendency to overreact to some things, I understood that this reactionary behavior was a direct result of the things that had fallen apart in her life.

I really liked the other main character, Chase. He returned to Bayou Bend a very changed man from the person who broke both Stellas heart and her sisters heart years earlier.

This book is full of interesting characters that I liked, and one I definitely did not like! It has a sweet love story and plenty of angst to satisfy a die-hard romantic.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.
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The Cupcake Queen is a wonderful book. I loved it and the characters. When I bought this book, I didn't realize it was a Heather Hepler book. I've become used to seeing her name beside Brad Barkley's. When I picked up the book at the bookstore it was because of my intended reason for going to the store. I had three goals I wanted to accomplish there.

First, I wanted to buy the first book in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. I did that. Second, I wanted to get a book I hadn't heard of by a author I only kinda sorta knew. So I got The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard. And third, I wanted a contemporary romance that seemed sweet to give me a break from all of the paranormal I'd been reading. The Cupcake Queen was just the sweet book I needed as I promptly read the book in less than 8 hours, guesstimating. Then, I wanted to read another of her books, so I opened up Jars of Glass by Heather and Brad Barkley (which has been sitting on my bookshelf forever and I am reading that now. But The Cupcake Queen has replaced Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, and I am sure Jars of Glass won't surpass it as my favorite Heather Hepler book, though so far it is very good. What I really want now is to devour another Heather Helper book that she wrote by herself. In her duos with Brad Barkley, while the story is very engaging, it's hard to distinguish which author wrote which character. I think I have a better sense of that now that I've read Hepler's The Cupcake Queen. I would be estatic for another book of this caliber to be published by her. The Cupcake Queen, is a sweet, light and smile inducing treat, much like the cupcakes Penny makes.
It's safe to say that I am excitedly awaiting my chance to read Heather's newest novel, Love? Maybe. which came out just days ago on January 5th.

I think it's also safe to say I look forward to reading any further books she may publish. Hepler has made a fan of me.