Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: eARC from publisher
Reviewer: MinnChica
Sometimes there is enough sweet to make up for the bitter.
Years ago, a broken heart sent Annie Cookie running from home, and she’s never looked back—until now. Her grandpa’s broken wrist means the family bakery is at risk of losing two big orders.
Reluctantly, Annie returns to Turtle Pine to help out, only to discover it’s not just seven hundred cupcakes she has to bake, but also a wedding cake for the half-sister who stole her high-school sweetheart. Annie left town to get away from her sister. No way is she getting mixed up with her again. Once the cupcakes are done, she’s outta there.
Back in high school, Cade Revlin hid his crush on his brother’s girl, but when his brother dumped Annie for another Cookie sister, Annie slipped through his fingers and out of town. Now that she’s back, he’s determined to give her a reason to stay.
He’s got one week to change her mind. Or she’ll be gone in a cloud of powdered sugar.
Warning: Contains small-town meddling, family drama and all the necessary ingredients for a second chance at love—if they have the guts to turn up the heat.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
I’ve enjoyed Ford’s books in the past, and am always looking forward to new small town reads. While there was a lot I really enjoyed about this book, I struggled a bit with the insta-love from the heroine.
Annie is back in her hometown for one reason only, to help her grandfather with his bakery. She wants nothing to do with her half-sisters wedding, getting involved in town events, or anything else. But a week is way more time than she needs to bake some cupcakes. Running into her ex-boyfriend’s younger brother isn’t what Annie expected, but Cade is reminding her of all the things she loves most about her hometown.
Cade loved Annie from way back in high school. Getting the chance to woo her now is everything he wanted. He’s determined to make Annie fall head over heels for him, and is pulling out all the stops to romance her. But Annie’s past with her family and the town isn’t the greatest, and Cade will have to overcome a lot to get Annie to make back home.
I did really enjoy this book. The small town aspect was wonderful, and I absolutely loved the way the town and it’s people became such a driving force within the book. I always love when authors are able to make a setting become such an integral aspect of the book, and Ford did that in spades. The townsfolk were funny and eclectic and so fun to read. If she continues writing in this series, I’m definitely going to check out other books.
While I liked Annie as a heroine, I had a bit of a problem with her insta-love with Cade. The reasons she left home all those years ago were still a huge factor for her, and being at odds with her family put a huge strain on her. Although she made some baby steps in terms of mending fences, it was painfully obvious that Annie was going to continue to have problems in her small hometown. Yet, she was willing to let it all go because of Cade, someone she didn’t really know for more than five days. Yes, they had a whirlwind romance, but I just struggled with really believing in their romance enough to think that she was madly in love.
Cade was a wonderful romance hero. One I wish I could bottle up and keep around for awhile. He had been in love with Annie for as long as he could remember, so getting to know more about her and helping her realize how important her roots were was fun to read. I loved the way he accepted the new aspects of her life and personality, and still took the time to remind her how much she loved about her younger self too. He was adorable!
All in all this book had a lot of really great parts. Both Cade and Annie were excellent characters with crazy families and such interesting personalities. However, their romance fell a bit flat for me because of the short amount of time they really got to know each other. This book takes place over a week, and a LOT happens in that time.
I give Cupcakes and Crushes a C+