French Roast by Ava Miles Series: Dare Valley #2
Published by CreateSpace on January 28,2014
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 254
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Small-town biz wiz Jill Hale has been in love with her childhood best friend Brian McConnell for as long as she can remember. A falling out led to years of estrangement, but when Brian returns to Dare Valley after trying to make it big as a chef in New York City, Jill's determined to make amends. She's convinced that starting a restaurant together will be the perfect win-win situation, allowing her and Brian to work together and play together.
After a series of missteps sliced and diced Brian's career in the Big Apple, he came home to regroup and find himself. He's convinced that reestablishing his connection with Jill, the girl who got away, will put his life back on track. And when she approaches him with her plan for going into business together, he's certain it's the one way he can have it all-his dream job and his dream girl.
Jill and Brian are falling for each other all over again when Brian's ex sashays into town, intent on sabotaging their reunion. Add in a mysterious investor who's determined to get Jill on board with his project, and the bond between the couple is tested to the limit. Will their second chance at love implode, or will they find their own recipe for a happy ending?
Read It, Track It is a way to track books for my reading challenges and they will be super short.
Kindle freebie on August 12, 2015 (currently $4.99 as of writing this post)
Overall rating 3.91 with 2,066 ratings and 181 reviews
This would be a Thrifty Thursday review except Thursday was busy. I’m trying to get most of my reviews published related to the COYER challenge (Clean Out Your Electronic Reads) so here we go.
I was SO excited when I got this as a Kindle freebie. I had read the first one and liked it. I remembered that Jonetta likes this series and she reviewed French Roast, just before I got it. She gave it 5 stars. I have been having trouble with my freebies I am reading for COYER; I’d start one then move onto another before finishing. It’s even slowed me down from grabbing more freebies!!!!! So I felt safe choosing to read this one.
Um. UGH. Jill and Brian were extremely good friends growing up. She always had a crush on him. She had a loving, supportive family and a good life. He had a broken family who mistreated him. Brian went away to school to pursue his passion and Jill was heartbroken and years later, still doesn’t want to forgive him. Yes, Brian has made some mistakes. He admitted to them and has made better choices and tried to share everything with Jill. He has come home to have a relationship with her and rebuild his life.
As soon as Brian shares any option or opinion or information Jill doesn’t like in her worldview, she shuts him out of her life. She doesn’t listen to his information; she just acts like her way is the only option and dumps him. Every time! Jill is a talented and creative business woman and sometimes a good friend. She is an incredibly insecure, selfish and even hypocritical lover.
Brian has nobody, no real support. He tries to doe everything Jill asks with his limited resources and is honest with her even when he knows she will blow up. He considers various options for his career and he is blasted when he doesn’t share all the ideas because they are ones she won’t like. Jill goes right on planning and choosing her career options, without sharing with him, and he doesn’t berate her for not being honest or cut her off . She is so immature with Brian and her family, shutting them out when she thinks she won’t like what they have to say. Jill takes the sexual pleasures but it’s her way or the highway on everything else. Yes, she is trying to protect herself from any heartbreak. So? She could do so while being honest and adult, and with kindness. I don’t like her. AT ALL.
Since the Dare Valley series is available at the library, and I do like the small towns, small businesses and cooking references, I may read on in the series.
About Ava Miles
Ava Miles burst onto the contemporary romance scene after receiving Nora Roberts’ blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts’ name in her debut novel, NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off The Dare Valley Series and brought praise from reviewers and readers alike. Much to Ava’s delight, BlogCritics says “It [NORA ROBERTS LAND] captures the best of…a Nora Roberts novel,” while USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog praises the series noting its “wonderful, idyllic setting… [and] great characters.” Ava continued The Dare Valley Series in FRENCH ROAST, which Tome Tender says “raised the entertainment bar again” and then THE GRAND OPENING, which reviewer Mary J. Gramlich says “is a continuation of love, family, and relationships.” Now, Ava releases the fourth book in the series, THE HOLIDAY SERENADE, with her recognized wit and charm, creating happy endings with humor and heart.
Born in a small town herself, Ava has created the small, Colorado town of Dare Valley and the residents who make it memorable, including the Hale family who, like Ava, are descended from a long line of journalists. Ava’s great-great grandfather won his first newspaper in a poker game in 1892 and her family has had something to do with telling stories, whether to share news or, in her case, fiction, ever since. In fact her clan is still reporting on local events more than one hundred years later at their family newspaper.
Ava is a member of the Romance Writers of America and Washington Romance Writers. She is also part of an unofficial group that regularly convenes a writing retreat at Nora Roberts’ restored Inn Boonsboro in western Maryland. Having left behind the “day job,” which took her, literally, all over the world, she now writes full-time in the peace and quiet of her northern Virginia porch-swinging-friendly community.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Anne: COYER Winter Storm
