I'm so ready to take you back to Archer Cove to meet Jessie and Nate! I think you'll love them as much as I did!
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Synopsis
Life tastes better with chocolate...
All baker Jessica Mallory wants is a modest thigh gap. And her own chocolate shop. And to marry Quinn Rogerson, the man of her dreams. Too bad Quinn just dumped her, leaving her on her front steps in a hideous chartreuse dress. Now, Jessie clings to one hope: she can win Quinn back, if only she can become the woman he's looking for.
Enter Nate Lancaster, Quinn's hot best friend and a personal trainer. If anyone can whip Jessie's soft form into jaw-dropping shape, it's him. Good thing Jessie and Nate are in that safe "just friends" category. Otherwise, things could get complicated – fast. For Nate, it was love at first sight. But Jessie's got her gaze fixed squarely on Quinn. Still, Nate can't pass up the chance to help Jessie with her self-improvement plan, even if she's got another man in mind. After all, minds can be changed, and Nate's never shied from a challenge…
Review
★★★★ 1/2 stars
Let me start off by saying how much I love the cover of this book. It's not just that the cover features one of my favorite things in the world, chocolate, but also how it's arrayed. I love the pink polka dots too. It makes for a really memorable cover. I also love how it ties in with the story. The same goes for the title. It's one of those that fits the story and it's multiple aspects perfectly.
Jessica Mallory, better known as Jessie, is looking to change things. She's not really happy with both her professional and personal life. She's emotionally invested in her relationship with her boyfriend Quinn (whom I didn't like very much) even though it doesn't seem like he is. She's ready to do something with her her talent and passion for making chocolate. I loved being in her head. Jessie is vulnerable and has many of the same insecurities as I do. It was really easy to understand and relate to her. I felt horrible for her when her sort of relationship fell apart and she was left feeling even worse than she was before. I loved that she had friends and a support system both personally and professionally, but hated how her immediate family wasn't there for her.
I loved being in Nate Lancaster's head too. He's one of Jessie's really close friends and he's also the best friend of her"boyfriend." To make things even more interesting, he's been in love with Jessie for a long time. With Quinn out of the picture, he has his chance to show Jessie what she's been missing all along. I think Nate was perfect for Jessie. Not only was he this hot body builder, but he was thoughtful and caring too. I loved how he put her first and supported her in whatever she wanted to do. I hated how his love was unrequited for so long, but Jessie was a smart girl and didn't remain blind forever.
Watching the dynamic change between Jessie and Nate was a lot of fun. Of course it wasn't so much for Nate, but that man was patient. The two of them had amazing chemistry and watching them with each other made me feel light and happy. Of course not everything was smooth sailing, and it took a couple of emotional bumps for them to work some things out. It wasn't all emotions and feelings though. There were some good bits of laughter as well. I must say the baby shower scene is my favorite. I literally could not contain my laughter. It was wonderful.
Of course this book flew by quickly. I would've loved to have seen Quinn get his comeuppance, but my anger towards him quickly faded to pity. I would've also loved more interaction between Jessie and her parents or at least a reason as to why they disregarded her completely. My heart hurt for her on that. I loved seeing Jax and Wren again and seeing how wonderfully they're doing. I had a strong hankering for some pasta with marinara after the scene on the farm. Natalie Charles has done a wonderful job at making her characters feel real and people you'd want to be friends with. She also does an amazing job at using language so descriptive you can almost see, taste, and touch the things she's taking about. I loved this trip to Archer's Cove and seeing it's inhabitants. I can't wait to go back and meet new people!
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
Purchase Links
Amazon
About Natalie Charles
The happy sufferer of a lifelong addiction to mystery novels, Natalie has, sadly, yet to out-sleuth a detective. She has worked as an attorney, a playground supervisor, and a makeup sales clerk, but not in that order. She lives in Connecticut with a husband who makes her believe in Happily Ever After and two children who make her believe in miracles.
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