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mxnuelx's review
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
coolwhit's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
zoethewriter_sa's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
The writing was good, the premise was better, the story was serviceable and the book was nice enough. (But I wanted so much more)
hellenisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. I thought sweethand was amazing but this one just takes the cake (pun intended). I love love love the grumpy x sunshine dynamic between them. 10/10 recommend.
wanderingbookish's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
firefox's review against another edition
5.0
Love love love love!!!!
There is a lot of 18+ content but that was to be expected. It was written well
There is a lot of 18+ content but that was to be expected. It was written well
bookofcinz's review
3.0
Un-put-down-able, spicy, sweet and will leave you wanting to read the next one in the series of island bites
This is the second book in the Island Bites series and Don’t Go Baking My Heart may just be my favourite of the two. The book opens with Devon King getting called out at work for not being a team player and never taking part in any of the company’s activities. The company is hosting a baking competition, and while this is not at the top of Devon’s must do list, he still needs to take part in company activities if he ever wants to make partner. Taking the bake off a little too seriously, he sets out to hire his brother’s girlfriend but she is not available so Reba, is who he’s got to go with. Reba met Devon at his brother’s wedding and since then she’s been crushing on him, sending him memes, messages that he never replies to… that is until he needs help with this baking competition.
Reba’s main goal is to make Devon fall for her, or at least throw him out off his game. Devon’s main goal is to win the baking competition and not have Reba ruffle his feathers. Who will win or will both lose?
I breezed through this book while laughing out loud, fanning myself at the spicy scene and truly enjoying these characters getting to know each other. This is the perfect beach read, or for anyone who has a sweet tooth (lol). Seriously though, this is such a well done novel that I think everyone should get into!
This is the second book in the Island Bites series and Don’t Go Baking My Heart may just be my favourite of the two. The book opens with Devon King getting called out at work for not being a team player and never taking part in any of the company’s activities. The company is hosting a baking competition, and while this is not at the top of Devon’s must do list, he still needs to take part in company activities if he ever wants to make partner. Taking the bake off a little too seriously, he sets out to hire his brother’s girlfriend but she is not available so Reba, is who he’s got to go with. Reba met Devon at his brother’s wedding and since then she’s been crushing on him, sending him memes, messages that he never replies to… that is until he needs help with this baking competition.
Reba’s main goal is to make Devon fall for her, or at least throw him out off his game. Devon’s main goal is to win the baking competition and not have Reba ruffle his feathers. Who will win or will both lose?
I breezed through this book while laughing out loud, fanning myself at the spicy scene and truly enjoying these characters getting to know each other. This is the perfect beach read, or for anyone who has a sweet tooth (lol). Seriously though, this is such a well done novel that I think everyone should get into!
readwkc's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sweethand wasn't that memorable in my opinion so I was a lil nervous to continue the series but I enjoyed this one soooo much. One thing that stood out to me was that Devon was grumpy the entire time. In most grumpy sunshine books I read, the character that's grumpy gets less grumpy throughout the book especially towards the sunshine character but Devon was still a lil grump in love with Reba lmao. My only negative is that Reba as a character was an extrovert in every way possible and sometimes she would straddle that line of almost doing too much but then she would reign it in
jen286's review
2.0
I really wanted to love this book. I loved the first one, but this....not so much. Which makes me very sad. I even stopped part way through and re-read the first one to see if I still loved it as much as I did, and I did.
So Devon and Reba are opposites. He is very private, he likes his order and his lists and doesn't like mess. He is not good with small talk or people or big parties. Reba on the other hand loves parties, loves people, is super extroverted and loves bright colors. She is a rainbow to his grey tones.
I loved Devon. He really seems like he could be on the spectrum, though this was never brought up in the book. He is so sweet even if he comes off a bit too serious at all times. He does have a sense of humor, but it is subtle. I loved him so much. He made me keep reading this story.
Reba was...okay even if my main issue would have not been in the book, she still wouldn't be my favorite character, but I wouldn't hate her. It would have been fine and I would have liked this book so much more. But...she was kind of mean to Devon. Always teasing him and knowing what she is doing, knowing that some of this stuff upsets him but still picking away at him. It felt mean-spirited at times to me and that is not good. I do not like that. But my real issue? For most of the book she is trying to change Devon. Keeps thinking about how he needs to change, be a different person than who he is. She even hears his mom say he needs to change and she is all YES!! He does! Why is this an issue? Well besides the whole you shouldn't want/need to change someone to be with them? Because she HATES that everyone she has ever dated/her family things SHE needs to change. That she needs to be different. That she is not good enough just as she is. She goes from being sad and upset people think she needs to change to literally trying to change Devon. Which...you know how much it sucks! So why are you doing that to him??? Like sure try and get him outside his box some, but like I said a lot of times it felt mean-spitited to me and I hated how she was doing the same thing people did to her and she never once realized it. I couldn't stand that. If being together changes him, and you, then great. But to be so....ugh I hated how for most of the book she kept being like he must be different! So yeah, this was not the book for me. 2 stars because I loved Devon.
So Devon and Reba are opposites. He is very private, he likes his order and his lists and doesn't like mess. He is not good with small talk or people or big parties. Reba on the other hand loves parties, loves people, is super extroverted and loves bright colors. She is a rainbow to his grey tones.
I loved Devon. He really seems like he could be on the spectrum, though this was never brought up in the book. He is so sweet even if he comes off a bit too serious at all times. He does have a sense of humor, but it is subtle. I loved him so much. He made me keep reading this story.
Reba was...okay even if my main issue would have not been in the book, she still wouldn't be my favorite character, but I wouldn't hate her. It would have been fine and I would have liked this book so much more. But...she was kind of mean to Devon. Always teasing him and knowing what she is doing, knowing that some of this stuff upsets him but still picking away at him. It felt mean-spirited at times to me and that is not good. I do not like that. But my real issue? For most of the book she is trying to change Devon. Keeps thinking about how he needs to change, be a different person than who he is. She even hears his mom say he needs to change and she is all YES!! He does! Why is this an issue? Well besides the whole you shouldn't want/need to change someone to be with them? Because she HATES that everyone she has ever dated/her family things SHE needs to change. That she needs to be different. That she is not good enough just as she is. She goes from being sad and upset people think she needs to change to literally trying to change Devon. Which...you know how much it sucks! So why are you doing that to him??? Like sure try and get him outside his box some, but like I said a lot of times it felt mean-spitited to me and I hated how she was doing the same thing people did to her and she never once realized it. I couldn't stand that. If being together changes him, and you, then great. But to be so....ugh I hated how for most of the book she kept being like he must be different! So yeah, this was not the book for me. 2 stars because I loved Devon.
laurasbookjourney's review
4.0
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. Thank you to N. G. Peltier and Little Brown books for giving me the opportunity to read Don’t Go Baking My Heart before its release.
I was immediately attracted to this book when I saw it on Netgalley due to the cover, knowing nothing about the Island Bites series before hand. I quickly downloaded the first book in this series and devoured it within hours, so my expectations for Don’t Go Baking My Heart were high.
I was NOT disappointed. I adored the character of Reba in Sweethand, so getting a book centred around her and her love life was just a treat. I found that Devon and Reba’s relationship was just the perfect combination, their individual personalities bringing out new sides in one another. Reba’s zest for life and refusal to blend in was inspiring and I enjoyed seeing her attempts at bringing the organised, sensible Devon out of his shell through the art of baking.
I’ll admit, the inclusion of baking within this series really hit a spot I didn’t know I needed within romance books; as an avid baker myself it was a pleasure to read about romances forming through a hobby that I love.
This book was not all sweetness however, as Devon and Reba’s relationship hit the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. The pair played to one another’s strengths, and I really felt for Reba’s insecurities around men not treating a relationship with her seriously due to her exuberant personality.
I enjoyed the inclusion of Cherisse and Kieran; they never overtook the plot, but we got a glimpse into how their relationship is progressing after the events of Sweethand. I can’t help but find myself hoping that Peltier will continue this series with the next book focusing on Maxi and Remi, but regardless, N. G. Peltier is an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future releases!
I was immediately attracted to this book when I saw it on Netgalley due to the cover, knowing nothing about the Island Bites series before hand. I quickly downloaded the first book in this series and devoured it within hours, so my expectations for Don’t Go Baking My Heart were high.
I was NOT disappointed. I adored the character of Reba in Sweethand, so getting a book centred around her and her love life was just a treat. I found that Devon and Reba’s relationship was just the perfect combination, their individual personalities bringing out new sides in one another. Reba’s zest for life and refusal to blend in was inspiring and I enjoyed seeing her attempts at bringing the organised, sensible Devon out of his shell through the art of baking.
I’ll admit, the inclusion of baking within this series really hit a spot I didn’t know I needed within romance books; as an avid baker myself it was a pleasure to read about romances forming through a hobby that I love.
This book was not all sweetness however, as Devon and Reba’s relationship hit the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. The pair played to one another’s strengths, and I really felt for Reba’s insecurities around men not treating a relationship with her seriously due to her exuberant personality.
I enjoyed the inclusion of Cherisse and Kieran; they never overtook the plot, but we got a glimpse into how their relationship is progressing after the events of Sweethand. I can’t help but find myself hoping that Peltier will continue this series with the next book focusing on Maxi and Remi, but regardless, N. G. Peltier is an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future releases!