Ali Thomas, daughter of one of Hollywood’s biggest 60’s stars, owns a chocolate shop in St. Magdelana, CA. There, she takes in the strays of the town, helping those around her through either her desserts or her kind heart. When her local handyman hires a reserved and mysterious worker Matt Baker, it unadmittedly becomes love at first bite of truffle. Together, they realize they need to work through their past demons before their romance can finally be.
My first Susan Mallery book was Sisters by Choice, which left me wildly disappointed. Thankfully, many other Goodreads reviews mentioned that the ball was significantly dropped on that one, and it was uncharacteristic of Mallery’s work. So, I gave another one a go, and I am genuinely surprised that the two share the same author. The character development, the gradual yet consistent buildup, and descriptions were so much better and shows her skill in romance writing. There were no dull or useless chapters, and the even though the male protagonists of the two I read share many similarities, Matt’s character wasn’t rushed and his presence in the story was real-world plausible, unlike Sisters by Choice‘s Dugan. I enjoyed reading this, and the end was a sweet yet unexpected surprise.
Happy reading,
-Beppa