The Engagement Embargo

 In this blog post, I reviewed Samantha Chase’s The Engagement Embargo, the first installment in the Meet Me at the Altar contemporary romance series. This daring romance will make your heart sigh and weep with joy. For Elliott Sullivan, he had four failed relationships that ended up in engagements. After his recent bride on his wedding day left him at the altar, Elliott was tired of the heartache and the dejected rejection, hoping and wishing for the one. That’s when his family had told him to go on an embargo for one year–no dating and no relationships to get him out of this funk. But when his sister’s Josie’s best friend Skylar Jennings came out to drop him food from the canceled reception she became a good listener and a great friend. For Skye, she had the hugest crush on Elliott for the longest time, and had been in love with him for oh so long. But when Josie asked her to help her out with Elliott, she did it as a friend, though they had treated her like family. At first, there was nothing wrong with a casual relationship between friends seeking advice. But after the first kiss led to their first romp, it became a game-changer and a secret romantic relationship. Skye had heard Elliott say he didn’t want the same things she did, when all they had was casual sex and nothing more.  Though Elliott had broken the embargo, he had also broken her heart in the same process. In a valiant move, he professed his love for her and claimed her as his own for their fairy tail ending that would sweep you off your feet. 

This  heartfelt contemporary romance was beautifully written, and oh so moving for a wonderful love story. I cared for both Skylar and Elliott, who had to follow their hearts to find each other and took more than a huge leap of faith. They were both meant to be together and forever. I adored the North Carolina settings and the picturesque scenic locations. The theme of this story is love might sneak up on you right before your eyes.

I rate this awesome contemporary romance,  five of five stars, for no reason. If you love endearing romances with a crush on a bestie’s brother’s trope, juicy romantic action, plenty of drama, and lots of suspenseful twists, The Engagement Embargo is the one for you. This is recommended for fans of Robyn Carr, Jill Shalvis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Carly Phillips.

Cheddar Late than Dead

 In this blog post, I reviewed Linda Reilly’s Cheddar Late than Dead, the 3rd installment in the Grilled Cheese Cozy Mystery series. This caper takes a big bite out of crime. It all started for Carly Hale, who owns a grilled cheese eatery in Balsam Dell, Vermont, when she was invited to host a wedding shower party for Klarissa Taddeo, one of her former high school friends, at the last minute. Though it would’ve been a perfect opportunity for her to conjure up more business for her grilled cheese sandwiches, when exactly she witnessed a shocking crime unexpectedly. When Klar’s fiance Tony was found dead, talk about total chaos at the scene. And Dawn Chapin, another former classmate of Carly’s and wedding planner, is the main suspect. Carly didn’t believe she had the gall to do it and did some sleuthing herself. Later, she discovered that the newest town manager, Gretel Engstom, had been missing for the past week. Were these two crimes connected in anyway? While she continued to run her business, she dug deeper to get close to the truth, until she became an unexpected victim and trapped with the culprit in the bitter end.

This delightful culinary cozy mystery was decadent as brie cheese and rich with twists and turns like chocolate. I cared for Carly, who was stuck into a twisted murder mystery, and had the hankering for solving the crimes.  I also felt bad for Dawn and Klarissa, who had difficult mothers who controlled their lives. I adored Havarti, Carly’s dog. I loved the windswept small town of Balsam Dell in Vermont for the location. It had rich picturesque scenic settings that painted it so well. The theme of the story is that overzealous obsession will lead you nowhere when you’re sick with greed.

I rate this book, four of five stars, for no reason. If you love heart-stopping culinary cozies with plenty of non-stoppable action, lots of intense suspense, and incredible drama, Cheddar Late than Never is right up your alley with delicious recipes to make at home! This book is recommended for fans of Diane Mott Davidson, Joann Carl, Joanne Pence, and Laura Childs.