Thursday, 26 March 2015

BOOK REVIEW (30): Taste for Temptation

BOOK REVIEW:
Taste for Temptation


Okay, I know that saying goes ‘don’t judge a book…’ but I definitely drawn in by the cover of this book—the cover and the back cover blurb. I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, and I love stories featuring baker heroines and/or heroes.

With Phyllis Bourne’s Taste For Temptation hero Adam Ellison is the baker and heroine Brandi Collins is a lover of all things chocolate. But she’s also trying to lose weight for her upcoming sister’s wedding, and having Adam as a next-door neighbour is doubly distracting. The aspiring baker whips up irresistible chocolate all night keeping poor Brandi awake and craving for a taste…

Of course she gets more than she bargains for when she decides to welcome her new neighbour. And Adam gets more than he anticipates from a bigger, homelier woman like Brandi.

All right I don’t mean homely in a bad way—Brandi just gives him food for thought. She isn’t rolling over for him and she has her own career goal, also she isn’t exactly initially deluding herself by being with him. Also I loved that Adam didn’t just feed her the money she needed to start up her business. Sure he had the money, but he let Brandi continue to work hard towards her goal.

I also oddly enjoyed how the author wrote Brandi’s relationship with her mother. I still think that Brandi pissed me off by being too nice to her mom; I get that we should respect our parents, or at the very least respect the sacrifices they make for us (assuming said parents actually deserve to be called parents). And at first I didn’t understand what Brandi meant about having a

Without spoiling too much, I’ll say that Brandi does finally get an answer for us, and though I was satisfied with the answer it didn’t change my feelings for her mother. The older Mrs. Collins is still very nasty all the way through the end.

Thankfully the story isn’t about Brandi’s mom, although the status quo of that relationship is meant to symbolize how Brandi views the world and her potential in it: she’s very humble and a bit of a Debbie Downer in the beginning. I pitied her and that rubbed me the wrong way—I don’t want to pity my heroine. That turned around though as the story progressed and she got to know Adam more.

Now I only wish I could get to know Adam…

Who doesn’t want a guy who’s kind, humble about his wealth, supportive, a baker?!—the guy’s the whole package. But what I LOVED about Adam was his attraction for Brandi from the get-go. Yeah, yeah, it’s a romance novel, what did I expect right? Yet it was too hot when Adam totally confronts Brandi about wanting her forty or so pages in:

Brandi broke off the kiss and her arms fell from around his neck. “That was…” she began breathlessly.

Adam dipped his head until it touched her forehead. “What I’ve wanted to do ever since I saw you in the park.

“Really?”

She sounded surprised, so he confirmed it. “I haven’t been able to get you off my mind.”

*fans self*

Maybe I’m used to romances dragging on with the introspection about how sexy the other character is… I don’t know. Give me a romance that dives into it headfirst and you’ve got me hooked. :)

It was pretty awesome how much Adam and Brandi supported each other too. I know because my parents have a dream to start their own bakery, and the planning and financing can cause strains with a couple.

Overall Taste For Temptation was an endearing read that didn’t tie every plot point with a bowtie and pushed it towards a HEA. I mean we get the HEA in the end, but it was believable given the set-up of the story. So no surprises there.

If you’re looking for sexy times and maybe a recipe or two, please check out Brandi and Adam’s story in Taste For Temptation. Although I warn you to read on a full stomach so you won’t have urges to binge on chocolate snacks.

My verdict:

✮.5

(4.5 stars)

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