A Cinderella story with a hot boss so charming even a fairy godmother couldn’t do better.
Everyone thinks Dax Marshall is a prince of a guy. And he’s definitely charming.
But Jane has enough going on without adding a torrid fling with the boss to her life. Between her father’s illness, her wicked-ish stepmother, her little sister’s teenage drama, and the co-workers who depend on her—she can’t handle another mess.
No matter how tempting and gorgeous the mess may be. Or how messy he wants to get with her.
Dax has spent his life being very serious about only one thing: proving you can be successful while still having a helluva good time. But he’s just met the one woman who might break his I-can-charm-anyone streak. She’s actually taking him seriously…and she seriously thinks they have nothing in common and can’t be together.
Maybe he’s the one who needs a new view of happily ever after. It’s time to stop forking around.
| Title: | Forking Around |
| Author: | Erin Nicholas |
| Series: | Hot Cakes (Book 2) |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary Romantic Comedy |
| Trope(s): | Small Town Romance Office Romance Cinderella Opposites Attract |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | Appleby, Iowa, USA |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 12th May, 2020 |
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Sexy, sassy, small town love
This is the second in Erin Nicholas’s new (and as delicious as it’s name would suggest!), Hot Cakes series. At the heart of the series are five billionaire friends and business partners, who buy a snack food factory in small-town Appleby, Iowa – and, of course, the women who tame their hearts. Each book is connected to the others but also stands alone – you don’t have to have read one to read another.
Okay – onto the review…
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and it was lovely to catch up with those we’d met previously, and get to know others, mainly Dax and Jane, a bit more. No but honestly, you really don’t need to read Sugarcoated first – or at all, if you don’t want to!
Erin Nicholas is the queen of the small town romance and she really invites you into that community and to meet with the characters of the town. As someone who hankers after small-town life, this kind of story is my absolute catnip. The fact that two of the main locations are a bakery and a baked goods factory, and I’m in a catnip and sugar heaven! *Swoons*
Our heroine is Jane. She’s no-nonsense and just works hard to have every box in her life ticked. Clean. Simple. Done. It takes our Jane a little while to open up to people, and as a result, I think that was why it took me a little while to warm up to her. She was a nice girl, but there was just something that stopped me from falling in love with her as a heroine. I’ve thought about this more and more since I finished reading the book and I actually think she might remind me too much of myself (although I’m plenty silly along with it!). Normally you’d see a heroine’s faults and like a bestie, think they’re cute – but with Jane it felt like I was seeing all the the bits of myself that aren’t my favourite. Like the complete cynicism that Dax magically managed to fix every one of Jane’s problems every. single. time!! Obviously, this problem I had with Jane (and is seeing yourself in a character really that much of a problem?) is hardly one I would see the majority of people having!
“[Erin Nicholas is] the queen of the small-town romance AND the queen of sexy, sexy sex in those small-towns.”
Dax, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Jane. The complete opposite. While Jane was work and rules, Dax was gummy bears and spinny chairs. He was a hoot. And a hot hoot to boot! I especially loved his scenes with his friends, as lad banter is, without a doubt, my favourite kind of banter. He’s got a heart of gold, and not forgetting his filthy mouth. The combo of a fun-loving guy paired with dirty talk made my stomach kick every time he said something naughty!
Which brings me to the sex. And hey – it’s Erin Nicholas – she’s the queen of the small-town romance AND the queen of sexy, sexy sex in those small-towns. First time in a front seat – nuff said. Having said that, I did have to wonder if the giant gummy bear was encased in some sort of a plastic cover – otherwise that’s just plain unhygienic! (And see, that’s the kind of thing I imagine Jane was thinking, too! LOL!)
This was a fun and enjoyable romance between two opposites who genuinely balance each other out. It’s sexy, sassy and has just enough depth to keep you interested and touch your emotions. I’m still chomping at the bit for Cam and Whitney’s story, but next up we have Grant and Josie in Making Whoopie, which was adorably teased in this book. This is shaping up to be the series of the quarantine. 4 stars.
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).
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Hot Cakes Series:
2 Comments
Review: Oh, Fudge by Erin Nicholas - Jo Reads Romance
31 December 2022 at 8:12 pm[…] As this is a crossover, we get small cameos from some characters from all the previous books. Most notably it’s Josh and Tori (My Best Friend’s Mardi Gras Wedding) and Chase (Must Love Alligators). Most of the Hot Cakes gang are also around since our story takes place in Appleby. Oh and in other Hot Cakes news – this book also contains a cute scene with Max (Jane’s friend from Forking Around). […]
Review: Making Whoopie by Erin Nicholas - Jo Reads Romance
31 December 2022 at 8:11 pm[…] with extra sprinkles. Previous couples from the first two books in the series (Sugarcoated and Forking Around) do appear – but only briefly. I was ever so slightly miffed that Zoe (from Sugarcoated) got […]