Cocktails and Books
Written on Mar 3, 2018
- ASIN B087G7WM7H
- Publish Date 2018
- Publish Status Unknown
- Format eBook (Kindle)
- Language English
Reviews
Lynn
Written on Jan 30, 2018
Who can't resist a romance at a wedding when a member of the British Royal Family is attending?
Prince Henry's reputation with the ladies has given the tabloid press far too many stories to print over the years. The playboy acknowledges his life and privileged background interests people around the world but sometimes he wishes his every exploit wasn't a headline in a newspaper. When his friend from university invites him to celebrate his wedding, Henry is keen to attend without alerting the paparazzi, so he hatches a plan, calls himself Hank and hopes he can attend without drawing attention away from the bride and groom.
Cassie Miller doesn't have time for men and romance because she has spent all her adult life chasing her dreams. After becoming an accountant, she decides to give it up and become a pastry chef and open her own bakery. She loves what she does, but working sixteen hours a day leaves no time for fun or an occasional fling, a situation she hopes to change after she finishes baking the cake for her brother's wedding.
The dialogue between the protagonists and the secondary characters is fun, and sexy, although sometimes it's a bit excessive, childish and repetitive. As a British Prince, I didn't find his persona convincing and found him immature when I expected him to act with a little more decorum and grace. Those character traits did eventually show, but we had to wait until near the end of the novel to get a hint of the man born to be king. As Hank, his role as average American didn't convince me either, so I was totally unimpressed by him. Apart from his need to bed women, there wasn't much about him that was endearing.
The banter between Cassie and her best friend Olivia is typical girl talk; amusing observations about men and sex. Like Henry, I didn't feel I got to know who Cassie really is throughout the storyline. The concept of the narrative is fun and enjoyable but it lacked character development to make the hero and heroine's relationship convincing.
I really enjoyed Black Tie Optional, the first book in the Wild wedding series and it was nice we can catch-up with Cole and Olivia, the protagonists in Icing On The Cake. What I found difficult in this novel was how different it read from the previous one. Even the dialogue between Cole and Olivia seemed childish and overly sexual. The same for Hank (Henry) Considering he's supposed to be royal, his thoughts and actions didn't fit his persona, even though he was incognito.
Overall, its a fun read even though I prefer the first book in the series because the feel of this one is so different. However, if Ms Walker writes more in this series, I'm likely to pick up and read them when they're released.
***arc generously received courtesy of Swerve via NetGalley***
Lindsey Gray
Written on Jan 26, 2018
Cassie is getting ready to open her own cupcake shop in the heart of Chicago. But first, she has to make it through her brother’s wedding weekend in Georgia. She’s rented out the local bakery kitchen to make a zillion cupcakes, the groom’s cake, and the wedding cake as a present for her brother and future sis-in-law. She is focused on the task at hand and has no designs on breaking her dry streak in the sheets. Cassie’s plan doesn’t go exactly they way she wanted, but adding a devilishly handsome European male to the mix was more than welcomed.
Prince Henry decided he would like to lay low for the weekend and has convinced his security team to stay to the shadows while he plays the part of Hank Green, college roommate of the groom. After more than a few grumbles, his team agrees and they check in to a B&B that just happens to be located above the bakery Cassie is working out of. While asking for directions, sparks fly between Cassie and Hank. Things get more than a little crazy as the couple connects physically and emotionally.
Hank was a hard sell for me. On the surface, he seemed like a womanizing playboy. Walker quickly turned him around into the handsome man with a heart of gold walled in by a devastating past. Hank lets Cassie break down that wall while she finds her wild side instead of working herself to the bone. Cassie was easier for me to love. She and I shared a devotion to cupcakes of any combination. Walker should’ve included some recipes with this novel so I can whip up some of Cassie’s delicacies. Alas, I will just have to find some of my own, but reading about them saved me more than a few calories.
If you are looking for a witty romance with a panty-melting prince and a vivacious cupcake darling, Icing on the Cake is the novel for you!
This was my first time reading Walker’s work. While this was the second book in the Wild Weddings series, I never felt lost so can be read as a stand alone. If after reading you want to know more about Cassie’s BFF, Olivia, and billionaire Cole, run to read their story in Black Tie Optional.
I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.