Synopsis:

In this finger-licking good rom-com, two is the perfect number of cooks in the kitchen.

Nikki DiMarco knew life wouldn’t be all sunshine and coconuts when she quit her dream job to help her mom serve up mouthwatering Filipino dishes to hungry beach goers, but she didn’t expect the Maui food truck scene to be so eat-or-be-eaten—or the competition to be so smoking hot.

But Tiva’s Filipina Kusina has faced bigger road bumps than the arrival of Callum James. Nikki doesn’t care how delectable the British food truck owner is—he rudely set up shop next to her coveted beach parking spot. He’s stealing her customers and fanning the flames of a public feud that makes her see sparks.

The solution? Let the upcoming Maui Food Festival decide their fate. Winner keeps the spot. Loser pounds sand. But the longer their rivalry simmers, the more Nikki starts to see a different side of Callum…a sweet, protective side. Is she brave enough to call a truce? Or will trusting Callum with her heart mean jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

First, I would like to say a big thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have been in a rom-com mood lately, so when I saw this title on Netgalley I was all for getting lost in a love story. I will fully admit that I was not a big fan of the last book by this author, Faker, but I was definitely willing to give her next book a try. I am so glad that I made that decision, because this book did not let me down!

This book provided me with one of my favorite rom-com tropes, enemies to lovers! Something about a good hate to love story just makes me so happy inside and I think this one was really well done.

Nikki, the female lead, came off as an authentic, genuinely relatable character. She puts family at the forefront of her life and is willing to do anything for her mother. Callum, the male love interest, came off a little brash at the beginning but by the end of this book I was ready to steal him for myself!!

Something I really enjoyed and appreciated about this book is that it is more than just a romance. It also weaves in a story of grief and learning how to cope with losing a parent. I felt this topic was done extremely well, while also showing how each person in a family deals with grief in different ways.

The only part of this book that really wasn’t for me was the fact that it is only told from just Nikki’s POV. If you have been following our blog, you know that Thi and I both crave a book with dual POVs. I generally think this brings so much more to a story, especially a romance!

Overall, this is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick and fun, steamy romance!

Synopsis:

Another laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story.

Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it’s been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she’ll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined “The One,” it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she’s not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey’s shock, it isn’t Dex—she’s been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

First and foremost, thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! When I got the email that I was approved for this book I legit did a happy dance! Well Met was one of my favorite books of last year and when I heard that it was going to have a follow up, I was willing to do just about anything to get my hands on it, and it did not disappoint! However, while I really enjoyed this book and was swooning over the romance, I will say I did not quite love this one as much as I did Well Met.

One of my favorite parts about this series is the small town charm of Willow Creek. The writing makes you feel like you are living in this small town and are a part of their Renaissance Faire!

Stacey is a relatable main character and I could understand her want to achieve more. She gave up and sacrificed a lot when her mother fell ill and she now feels that she is in a rut and spends all year waiting for the next Ren Faire season to begin.

Now on to the male love interest!!! My oh my, did I just adore him! *Insert swooning gif here* While there are times I feel like he might have gotten off the hook a little too easily, he meant well and truly had such a sweet soul. He is most definitely towards the top of my romance book boyfriend list!

If you read and loved Well Met, or if you are looking for a quick, sweet, and steamy rom com, then I would whole-heartedly recommend this book. Now that this one is complete, I will sit over here not so patiently and wait for the next book in the series!