Donor Bakery book 2, part of the Penny Reid book universe, Green Valley world and another new to me author—well, authors. As to be expected for the bakery setting, Jenn has a small role here, as do Sherriff James and Hank Weller but you really don’t need to have read any of Winston Brothers/Green Valley books to enjoy this. That said, there are a couple of minor references that have more context if you’ve read Cletus and Jenn’s book, Beard Science.
A strangers to friends to lovers story, Cage and Tempest are both dealing with life changing events and struggling to find their new normal. Tempest, ahh, I really feel for her. As someone who is typically calm, but can have an explosive temper once I reach the breaking point (and someone who’s been known to hold a grudge or two), I winced in familiarity as she gave into the urge to throw whatever was handy at her cheating husband, and couldn’t blame her when she couldn’t resist the opportunity to seek a little revenge. Cage says it best: “I love that she’s strong and fierce and sexy as hell.”
As for Cage himself, even before he knew her (and while he was still a little lost himself), he was so sweet with Tempest as he took care of her, I was practically in tears. It didn’t take long for their chemistry to kick in, though neither acted on it right away. “Not only is Tempest Cassidy going to be a temptation, so are her muffins.” I just loved how the two them were together. The only downside was I wanted muffins the entire time I was reading—you know, actual muffins ‘cuz I don’t swing that way, lol.
If my heart hurt for Tempest as she has to deal with the aftermath of her husband’s cheating and her own reactions to it, and for Cage as he tries to find a new path for himself, this story isn’t all sadness and angst, far from it. Tempest was a riot at the grocery store (“And when did the produce section get so erotic?”), and the baby shower and following scene practically had me in hysterics. Seriously, y’all (no, I’m not southern but I can’t help it), I had to stuff a pillow in my mouth to keep from waking up the house with screams of laughter.
In addition to the appearances by familiar faces I’ve already mentioned, there are quite a few new secondary characters added to the mix, including Cage’s four brothers. With his youngest brother coming to Green Valley, I’m hopeful we may get a story for him sooner rather than later. I also loved Tempest’s cousin Cole, and wife Anna (of the baby shower), plus a few love to hate characters, like the ex-husband and the woman he cheated on Tempest with.
Sweet and so, so funny, with a little angst to balance things out, this is a wonderful, life affirming story about not only surviving the storms life throws at us, but learning to grab the new opportunities that come along with both hands. Another addition to my “read more from, stat!” authors list, and another favorite new read that I wouldn’t be surprised to see on my best of 2019 list. 5+ stars
B2B Kelly
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Reviews with images
witty, fun, and sexy romance
Stud Muffin is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Smarty Pants Romance: witty, fun, and sexy.Tempest and Cage’s story starts after Tempest finds her husband in bed with her high school nemesis. She (understandably) loses complete control and ends up landing herself in jail several times in a period of just a few months as she tries to cope with her anger and heartbreak at her husband’s betrayal.Cage used to be the top of his game in the UFC, but a career ending injury has him stepping back to find purpose outside of the fighting cage.Tempest and Cage have fantastic chemistry and compliment each other so well. I was immediately rooting for them both and loved how their story unfolded. One of the things I love most about these Smarty Pants Romances are the well-written women characters. Tempest is strong in so many ways, but struggles with controlling her anger. She occasionally breaks down into either a fit of rage but also lets her grief take her to the floor of Piggy Wiggly (a southern grocery store) sobbing on her knees surrounded by cans of pork and beans. She is so beautifully flawed and relate-able for those of us who have a hard time controlling our emotions.While dealing with a heavy topic like anger management, which I feel is an underrepresented topic when it pertains to women, it also had me laughing out loud. At one point Tempest burns all of her (soon to be) ex-husband’s belongings in her driveway and while in jail ruminates “Is this still the f___ing south? Can’t people burn s__t if they want to, d__n it?” Listen, when I first moved to the south 11 years ago I remember seeing all the constant ditch fires and wondering to my husband, why are people always burning things down here? So that particular line hit my funny bone, but the book is rife with witty one-liners from Tempest and I loved it.If you like smart, funny, and sexy romances I highly recommend this book. I look forward to the next installment in the Donner Bakery series!
Top reviews from other countries
Charlotte Witney
Thoroughly enjoyed it
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 1, 2023