Cakewalk by Claire Hastings

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Title: Cakewalk
Author: Claire Hastings
Series: Busy Bean #3
Published by: Heart Eyes Press
Release Date: May 24, 2021
Format: eARC
Pages: 289
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »physical/emotional/mental abuse; domestic violence « Hide Spoiler
Source: Heart Eyes Press
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 COYER Spring
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:

Blurb:

Love isn’t always a cakewalk . . .

Gigi Hawthorne is starting from scratch. She just didn’t realize until her crappy car broke down that she was going to be doing it in a small town in Vermont. With an eye for design and some serious decorating skills, she’s managed to land a job making delectable treats for the patrons of the Busy Bean. Now she’s up to her elbows in sugar and flour, but her thoughts are never far from her gorgeous, brooding landlord.

Holden St. James swears he isn’t a recluse. He goes to the local coffee shop three times a week, doesn’t he? Yeah, maybe he never actually talks to anyone, but with a backstory of loss, pain, and regret like his, he’s pretty sure he wouldn’t be very good company anyway. Yet something about his new tenant makes him wonder if maybe it’s time to let someone open the oven door and release a little heat into his closed-off world.

But both are hiding secrets as dark as an espresso mocha cupcake and they’re not sure if they can trust each other. Will the truth break their delicate relationship into sad, sweet crumbs--or will it turn out to be the key ingredient in the recipe for a new life?

I received a free copy through Heart Eyes Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4 stars — Wow, those secrets were, in some ways, darker than I had expected.  And yet many parts of this book were so fun and sweet!

Gigi was pretty adorable, and it’s amazing how bright she shined given her life up until that point.  It was actually kind of delightful to see.  I admire her gumption to keep trying at things, b/c I keep failing and giving up on things.  😛  I need to take the same lesson she did.  She was sweet, sassy when she felt safe, and surprisingly open with her feelings.  I was super bummed with her keeping the secret.  I knew that’s the way the story was going to go, but it was distracting waiting for the shoe to drop.

At times I loved Holden, and at other times I was bummed with him.  I’m not super into the whole grumpy guy thing, and I was torn between being sympathetic towards Holden after all he’d gone through, and disappointed with his reactions.  I sort of got it initially, but I kind of wanted him to figure it out on his own.  He was a great apologizer though — no caveats, no excuses.

And they were pretty sweet together.  I loved the way they teased and brought out the best in one another.  They had pretty solid chemistry as well.  Like I said above, waiting for Gigi’s secret shoe to drop had me distracted from some of their moments together.  But that’s a this reader thing, it won’t necessarily be the same for others.

We got some great glimpses of True North characters in this one, from Zara and Audrey to Roderick.  And I loved Holden’s family and godfather — they were a delight.  As was Hunnie.

All in all I really enjoyed this one, and it brought the emotions.