I could just leave that here with a five star rating and it would adequately explain how I felt when I finished this – but I’ll find some more words to try and do this book justice.
I loved it. I wasn’t sure Brayden could beat Joey and Becca and their story, but when I started to see reviews mentioning that this was even better, I had high hopes and Brayden definitely lived up to them.
Gabriella is the chef at Tangle Valley Vineyard, working away in Jolene her food truck, whilst the new restaurant Joey has planned is being built. She’s getting a reputation for her food throughout the town – and one of the best parts of this book is Brayden’s descriptions of Gabriella’s cooking. She’s happy with her food and her new life in Oregon and isn’t really out there looking for someone – she’s just enjoying life with her friends.
Ryan is the contractor hired by Joey to undertake converting one of the barns to the new restaurant. She has a reputation in the town for no strings attached casual relationships and has no problem finding herself company.
The relationship between the two just grabbed me from the beginning. Their passion for their respective fields plays really nicely when they have to work together. I also really enjoyed their battles on the softball field, but at the same time I also appreciated their softer quieter moments together. They have their bumps where both of their pasts drive wedges between them – but it’s clear they’re meant for each other. The inevitable break up is painful and I was really glad when it was resolved and I felt the HEA was perfect for these two.
As always, the additional characters in Brayden’s books are done really well. It was great to hear more about Joey and Becca and I thought Loretta and Bobby were really sweet. It won’t come as a surprise, but I really enjoyed how Jacks dog was written into the storyline too. Madison plays a little bit more of a part in a different way in this one and I enjoyed the sneak peek as to where her book in the series might be going.
This is going to be really hard to beat with part 3 – but I can’t wait.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
LGBTQ+ Reader 