This marriage of convenience is about to get sticky.
Getting hitched for the health insurance is not Jocelyn Asher’s idea of romance.
But the hospital quote has really frosted her cookies, and suddenly, “I’m rich. We should just get married,” sounds a whole lot more swoony.
Especially when the man proposing is this gorgeous. And takes her to parties featuring champagne and petit fours. She’s a sucker for anything with bubbles or icing. And just like that she finds herself married to a near stranger.
Grant Lorre is usually allergic to spontaneity.
So why did he ask the beautiful small-town baker he had a one-stand with to marry him? Somehow watching her lick batter off a whisk–not a euphemism–made a wedding and a little fraud seem like a sweet idea.
They’ll just play house and make some whoopie–pies, of course–for a few months and then move on with their separate lives. Until then, bring on the cream filling. And that is a euphemism.
But as things heat up even outside of the kitchen, they quickly realize there’s no recipe to follow when it comes to love.
| Title: | Making Whoopie |
| Author: | Erin Nicholas |
| Series: | Hot Cakes (Book 3) |
| Pages: | 324 |
| Genre(s): | Contemporary Romantic Comedy |
| Trope(s): | Small Town Romance Marriage of Convenience Fake Relationship |
| Point of View: | |
| Location: | Appleby, Iowa, USA |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 30th June, 2020 |
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The best Hot Cake so far
Making Whoopie is the third book in Nicholas’s Hot Cakes Series, all revolving round 5 millionaire friends who buy a cake factory in small town Appleby, Iowa. This book hits you hard, hot and heavy from almost the first page, which is great for getting stuck right into the story and getting to know our characters. I do wonder if you haven’t read the first two books, will you feel you have missed out on the introduction to our group of friends? But for all intents and purposes, this is a standalone book following one couple – Grant and Josie – with the required HEA.
I sometimes look at old films and realise that in a modern world, the whole film wouldn’t or couldn’t work. Sleepless in Seattle wouldn’t happen if there was social media, for example. And similarly, part of this book’s plot just wouldn’t work in the UK as we have our NHS. So British Josie would have just got herself to a hospital – problem solved. End of book. The absolute horror of the potential cost of treatment made my blood run cold. But that’s just an aside…
As to our characters – Josie is my girl. I loved her, saw myself in her and cheered for her every step of her way. She’s a small town girl without coming across as an unworldly cliché. She lived in her old, quirky home and loved her life, her town, her friends and what she did for a living. She was also a ride or die romantic. No apologies for who she was, what she wanted or how she felt. Love, love loved her. Hell, I wanted to be her.
“[Grant is] dirty-talking, bossy and ever so slightly obsessed with Josie. *Happy sighs*“
At first you think Grant is going to be a spreadsheet nerd (sans glasses, unfortunately!) who is straight-laced, organised and no-nonsense all the time. And sure, he had his moments of pure geekery, but he was so much more. It’s not unusual to find a hero who is happy with his life and just wants to be in town, get his job done and then leave. A hero that’s not particularly happy with the fact he’s intrigued by a woman from said town. The difference with Grant is that he acknowledges the fact that he didn’t expect it, that his attraction is not in his plans – but he’s going with it anyway. Oh, and don’t forget the fact that he’s dirty-talking, bossy and ever so slightly obsessed with Josie. *Happy sighs*
As a result of said dirty-talking bossiness, the sex scenes are on fire in this book. And as I said, this book kicks off fast. First kiss in the first chapter, steamy sex by 15% if not before. But this is no ‘blink and you miss it’ thing; there are plenty of other scrummy opportunities throughout the book. Of course with the addition of baked goods. This is the Hot Cakes series, after all!
The whole plot was fun, fast moving and I devoured this book from beginning to end in no time at all. It was as delicious as a chocolate frosted cupcake 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 a bit of a bad rap in this book. She was painted as, if not a bad friend, at least a negligent one. And while I understand Josie not wanting to burden her friends and family with her problems, I felt she should have told them what was going on. If I married a hot guy – even if it was fake – darn tootin’ I’d be telling everyone who’d listen! Oh, and Grant was so not wrong in the ‘big argument’, in my opinion! That made me laugh as I’m normally 100% on the side of the heroine. Not this time, honey. The spreadsheet stud wins the day!
While I enjoyed the first two books in this series, this was definitely the hottest – and hands down my favourite – of the Hot Cakes so far. I’m still reserving judgement on whether it will be the best of the whole series as Cam and Whitney’s second chance romance is all I have been living for since the beginning of the series. Grumpy bad boy and the sassy career girl who broke his heart.? Sign me all the way up. Semi-Sweet on You is coming next and while I’m super excited, it’ll have to be very good to match the enjoyment I got from this book. 5 stars for this one. Get your grubby mitts on it asap!
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:
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Review: Oh, Fudge by Erin Nicholas - Jo Reads Romance
20 September 2021 at 11:22 am[…] – Hot Cakes and Boys of the Bayou – fans will recognise Paige as the sister of Josie (Making Whoopie) and Mitch is a cousin of the Landry Clan. This also means that Paige is from Iowa and Mitch is […]