Review: Semi-Sweet on You by Erin Nicholas

Title:	Semi-Sweet on You
Author:	Erin Nicholas
Series:	Hot Cakes (Book 4)
Pages:	350
Genre(s):	Contemporary Romantic Comedy
Trope(s):	Small Town Romance Second Chance Romance
Point of View:
Location:	Appleby, Iowa, USA
HEA:	✔️
Release Date:	15th September, 2020

Slow burn, second chance romance

I’ve read and enjoyed all the Hot Cake series so far – but it was the second chance romance of Cam and Whitney that I have been waiting for ever since we found out about their history in the first books. Cam was so angry and I was looking forward to seeing all that anger and tension morph into a more mature lust for Whitney.

However, by the time the book starts, what we get is a Cam that is much more mellow and in control of his feelings. In fact, he’s completely come to terms with his and Whitney’s relationship from the past, the fallout, and what he now wants from Whitney for the future. And I’m not going to lie – I was a wee bitty disappointed. I liked growly, grumpy, angry Cam.

Despite all of the above, you do not need to read the series in order, or have read any of the previous books at all, to read and enjoy this one. Having said that, this series revolves around a group of friends and family in a small town, so you may not have a handle on all the relationships if you start with this one. But that’s okay because the previous books in the series (Sugarcoated, Forking Around and Making Whoopie) are all fun and worth a read.

Back to this book. Cam states his position from the outset, so the main story of the book is really about Whitney. In fact, I sometimes felt that this was probably more like Whitney’s story than both Whitney and Cam’s. Not that it wasn’t satisfying to watch Whitney come into her own, learn her worth, and get her man – but I felt that Cam’s growth came before the book started, so we miss out on that a little bit.

“…there’s a little teasing and a little kissing on the way. And a little bit of dirty talk regarding, of course, baked goods. Yum. On every level.”

This is a slow-burn tale and as such, we get very little sex until the end, although there’s a little teasing and a little kissing on the way. And a little bit of dirty talk regarding, of course, baked goods. Yum. On every level.

There’s a couple of storylines in the book that could be a little upsetting to some people. They were both handled delicately, and I never felt overwrought by them. However, especially with the dementia, it was a bit of a downer when you really started to think about it and I can imagine it would be quite upsetting if you yourself had/have a loved one in similar circumstances. I know that illness happens in real life but I’m conflicted about whether I want to read about them in my romance books – even if it does create more realism.

Next up in the Hot Cakes series we have Oh, Fudge – a quickie crossover between this series and the Boys of the Bayou series. Then it’s Ollie and Piper’s story, Gimme S’more, that’s teased quite heavily in this book.

I had a hard time rating this book but, honestly, I think that was mostly due to my (probably ridiculously) high expectations of a book I’ve been chomping at the bit for since this series began. It may not have been what I was anticipating, but it’s still a great tale with a great bunch of characters in a town known for its baked goods and cat yoga. And I’m still all in with this series. 4 stars from me.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,” “enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines, and happily ever afters.

Erin lives in the Midwest, where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes in her books).

Hot Cakes Series: