Book Details:
Book Title: Sweet as Pie
Author and Publisher: Beth Bolden
Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley Designs
Release Date: April 13, 2023
Genre: Contemporary MM romance
Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, small town
Themes: Family responsibilities, necessary change, unexpected love
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 80 000 words
It is a standalone story.
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Luca Moretti is grumpy—and he wouldn't have it any other way. Wrangling six—Italian—siblings and the family's restaurants would make anyone cranky. But when his mother requests that he save his aunt’s struggling Italian deli in charming, picturesque Indigo Bay, he has no idea that he's about to overdose on sweetness. Luca expected his aunt’s stubbornness—she’s a Moretti, isn’t she?—and his cousin’s resistance to actual work, but the last thing he expected is the absolute ball of sunshine known as Oliver Billings. Oliver loves Indigo Bay. Loves owning his small artisan bakery, Sweetie Pie’s. Helps nice old ladies cross the street. Even volunteers for the local Sweethearts Festival. Sweet isn't really Luca's style, or so he thinks. But when he discovers Oliver can be a little spicy too, his prickly exterior begins to crumble like a well-baked crust. If Luca isn't careful, he's going to develop a taste for sweets—and a particular baker’s pie. And one or two servings will never be enough.
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“Ah, they sent the fixer out.” Oliver sounded amused again. “I can see it. You’re definitely more of a fixer than a baker.”
Luca shrugged. “I run my family’s four restaurants. They do not typically need fixing.” Don’t be arrogant, don’t be arrogant. “But Nonna’s Deli here, it is . . .an investment of ours. Not directly under my control. So I’m not here to order changes but to . . .suggest them. Nicely.”
“Which is how they’ve managed to underperform all these years,” Oliver said with another of those smirks. They shouldn’t have been so frustratingly attractive. But Luca felt them deep down, stirring him up in a way he hadn’t expected.
Oliver was definitely a very attractive package, one he’d love to unwrap.
Would he be as sweet as promised? Or a little salty too? Maybe even a bit spicy?
“You could say that,” Luca said. “Part of the proposed changes are aligning the menu more directly with our other restaurants. And that includes fresh bread, daily. Nonna’s here doesn’t have the staff, the resources, or the equipment to do this, but you do.”
“I do,” Oliver conceded. “My schedule’s already pretty packed, but I suppose I could fit you in. French bread? Sourdough bread? Focaccia? Rolls? Loaves? How many dozen per day?”
Luca liked every part of Oliver he’d seen so far. He was charming and sweet and undeniably adorable. Then there was how goddamned sexy he was when he got down to business.
“I’m not sure yet,” Luca said. “In fact, they may not need any at all. Giana and Enzo have my proposed changes, but they are not required to accept all of them—or any of them, actually.”
“You must hate that, not being able to actually impose your control over them.” Oliver said it casually, like a true control-freak business owner, like he understood.
How did Oliver know how much he hated it? Was it that obvious? Was it written all over his face that he’d love nothing more than to march down the street and tell Giana and Enzo exactly what to do?
“Yes,” Luca admitted.
“Nonna’s isn’t just an Italian affectation, is it? Was there actually a Nonna?” Oliver asked.
“My grandmother.”
“Ah, well, there you go.” Oliver leaned back, grinning. Luca wanted to chase him, but he stayed on his side of the table, with what he thought was pretty admirable restraint.
“So why does Enzo dislike you so much?” Luca asked.
“That’s a long story. And I’ve got to tend to these rolls. If they overproof . . .” Oliver shrugged. “I’m a perfectionist, what can I say?”
“If he supposedly turns against you every chance he gets, what’s he going to say,” Luca said, deploying the most persuasive smile in his arsenal, “when he finds out I want to hire you to bake our bread? I need the insider info. Need to be able to convince him it’s a good idea.”
“It’s not going to help you, and you’re not going to like it,” Oliver said. “Though, you sorta look like there’s plenty of things you don’t like.”
But I like you. “You’re not wrong.” It was hard to admit it, but there it was. He was particular, okay? Particular and more than a little arrogant about his particularity.
Maybe it was good Oliver knew that now, even if all they ever had was a date and a night—though even that was still up in the air.
“We dated,” Oliver said. His watch beeped, and he stood, just as he’d left Luca speechless for another long moment. “Well,” he amended, with a cute little shrug. “It was one date. But still. He wanted to continue. I did not. And that’s the story.”
“That wasn’t a very long story,” Luca managed, and was he trailing after Oliver in his own bakery like a lost puppy looking for his owner? Yes, he was, a little.
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
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Luca heads to Indigo Bay to help rescue a branch of the family business run by his aunt and cousin. He expected to set them on their way and be gone. He did NOT expect to be run over by the owner of the bakery in town! Oliver knocks Luca's heart, and then Luca is fighting with himself when he could be happy. but his family NEED him, right?
I think I knew I was gonna love this book, right when Oliver nearly ran Luca over! Their meet-cute was just that! Then there was the second nearly knock down and it's game over for the both of them!
I loved this, I really did! Luca is grumpy, and bossy and takes it all out on making sure the family restaurant businesses are being run under a tight ship. They work well cos Luca makes them. Oliver is the polar opposite in personality but no less a man who knows hard work. They are suited for each other, and they know it very early on. but Luca lives across the country and is only in town for a few weeks. Oliver can enjoy Luca for a while without falling head over heels, right??
Turns out, not so much! But what I especially loved about this was that while Luca and Oliver knew this had a time limit, they still jumped in with both feet. They did not actually say those three little words, not until they were making proper plans, but they showed them to each other, in every way. They both knew.
It's not especially angsty, that's not needed here. It's steamy, oh yes, but it's more about letting go of your self-imposed shackles and trusting those around you.
Some characters from The Food Truck Warriors series play a part here, but I haven't read those.. . . .yet!
5 pound-gaining inducing stars
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She has published over forty novels and novellas.
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