by: Christi Barth
Series: Aisle Bound
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 1, 2020
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Love never tasted so sweet…
Mira Parrish came to Chicago to launch a romance store—and her quest for independence. She's got one shot to get this right and can't afford any distractions—no matter how deliciously handsome they are.
Sexy wedding cake baker Sam Lyons put his dream of making gourmet chocolates on hold to single-handedly keep his family’s bakery afloat. Add in a fragile, widowed mother, a beautiful new neighbor and the opportunity of a lifetime and he’s got a recipe for disaster.
Hate-at-first-sight quickly turns to something that feels like it could be love? Until the press reveals Mira’s calamitous past. Suddenly the buzz surrounding her grand opening is all wrong. Was it a mistake to walk away from her previous life of wealth? Even though that safety net comes with a catch—marry an ‘appropriate’ man and give up her career.
Will Mira and Sam give up on their dreams—and each other—or fight their way to a fine romance?
Mira Parrish is one of Ivy Rhodes’ best friends. Ivy is the heroine in Planning for Love and the owner of Aisle Bound, a wedding consulting company. Ivy is a hopeless romantic. She came up with the idea of a romance store (a place where you can get picnic baskets, little romantic meals, etc.) Since the wedding business is so hectic, Ivy doesn’t have the time to devote to A Fine Romance as she wants. Ivy convinces Mira to move to Chicago to put the store together for her and also to be its manager.
Mira is from a wealthy family that made its money in concrete. She grew up in a life of privilege, where she was only expected to marry well and carry on the family name. She’s an only child who seems to have been pretty much only brought around for show. For Mira, that wasn’t a life she wanted to lead so she turned her back on the money. For the last few years, Mira has been living on her own. Which pretty much means living paycheck to paycheck. Of course, she wants more, but she also wants to be able to say that she got her money by working for it. She has a huge chip on her shoulder and is very quick-tempered.
Sam Lyons is the co-owner of Lyons Bakery. The bakery is well known for its pastries and fabulous wedding cakes. Lyons Bakery was first ran by Sam’s mother and father and then primarily by Sam, after his father’s death. Since his father passed away, Sam hasn’t lived his own life. His life has been all about working in the bakery, trying to make sure the bills got paid and taking care of his mother. His wants and needs have been put on the back burner, hoping his sister will decide to join the family business.
A Fine Romance has tons of laughable moments. It also has a serious romance between a couple who is real and sometimes irritating. Mira and Sam both have family issues they need to deal with but refuse to face. They each have hopes, dreams, and fears that they only feel comfortable sharing with one another. The secondary characters are all people you would want to know and love, well maybe not Mira’s parents.
If you’re looking for a romance book where the action between the couple heats up to a boiling point immediately, this isn’t the book for you. A Fine Romance builds on the relationship that Sam and Mira are trying to establish before they get to the good stuff. And oh, the wait is worth it. I mean a special blend of chocolate with extra vanilla and a kick of cinnamon worth it.
While I didn’t love this book as much as I did the first, looking at it independently it’s good. A Fine Romance is about friendship and knowing that your friends are going to be there for you, no matter what happens. It’s a story of people learning that if they just speak up for themselves and what they want, they just might get it.
While I’m not sure who the next book is going to feature, I am looking forward to it.
**Received a copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed.**
Rating: 4
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Sounds like my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteI loved this series. It originally came out years ago, but was re-released. Sam was a good character. My heart definitely went out to him.
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