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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I am so embracing my inner Viking with this story!
Set in the fantastic world of Penny Reid's Green Valley is the newest installment from Jiffy Kate.
This is Gunnar and Frankie's story and I fell hard for both of them!
Frankie is a product of her upbringing. She is guarded and structured in her world, everything has it's place and she feels like she is OK with it. Her past is a blur and she wants and needs to know more, but at what cost?
Gunnar Erickson is an upcoming MMA fighter. But he is a gentle soul, he is kind and oh so patient and goodness knows he loves a challenge. And when he meets Frankie, he knows she is his greatest challenge of all. The battle to win her heart and soul and he is amazing at it!
This story has heart and heat and some really poignant moments. I was so enamored of this story and these characters, it was hard to say goodbye at the end.
It was fun to see past characters from Jiffy Kate's previous Donner Bakery series. It was like a mini family reunion!
What a fabulous story and series!! Get your hands on it!
Set in the fantastic world of Penny Reid's Green Valley is the newest installment from Jiffy Kate.
This is Gunnar and Frankie's story and I fell hard for both of them!
Frankie is a product of her upbringing. She is guarded and structured in her world, everything has it's place and she feels like she is OK with it. Her past is a blur and she wants and needs to know more, but at what cost?
Gunnar Erickson is an upcoming MMA fighter. But he is a gentle soul, he is kind and oh so patient and goodness knows he loves a challenge. And when he meets Frankie, he knows she is his greatest challenge of all. The battle to win her heart and soul and he is amazing at it!
This story has heart and heat and some really poignant moments. I was so enamored of this story and these characters, it was hard to say goodbye at the end.
It was fun to see past characters from Jiffy Kate's previous Donner Bakery series. It was like a mini family reunion!
What a fabulous story and series!! Get your hands on it!
This was a really cute story. The one bigger issue I have with it is that its part of the Donner Bakery series. I always thought that these books would feature a baker from the shop. This one is bakery adjacent as characters Tempest and her partner Cage are in it. But I definitely wouldn't qualify it as a "bakery" book. That's my only complaint
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. How it dealt with a trauma in the past and the way the body reacts to said trauma even if the mind doesn’t remember it.
This is the second book that Jiffy Kate have written as part of the Donner Bakery series in the Smartypants Romance. Although none of the characters belong in that category, but Gunnar(the hero) is Cage’s brother who is with Tempest(the duchess of cupcakes). So I guess they belong to this group by association.
This story is about Gunnar and Frankie. He is a fighter who meets Frankie when he gets injured and goes to the ER for an examination and Frankie is the nurse who happens to take his case.
Gunnar’s life is all about finally getting his dream of being a profesional fighter and Frankie is all about helping others, either with his job or with his voluntering hours. So how can these two fit together when she is repulsed by violence and that is the way he makes a living? Well, you kind of need to read the book to figure it out.
Some things I really liked about the characters: how Gunnar isn’t afraid of going after who she wants without pushing her boundaries or backing up when he realizes that he has done so; how Frankie puts her all into helping everyone even when she believes she is detached from the process and the people involved in it; the way the two of them are together and how they make each other better.
I also really liked getting glimpses of Cage and Tempest.
So my questions now are:
Who is Vince, the guy who helps Gunnar work out? I mean if there wasn’t any other training facility before, how does he know the techniques? What is his life?
Is Vali going to move to Green Valley? He seemed real cozy when he first came.
Are we going to have a Frankie and Claire meet up? I feel like they both deserve it and Tempest and Jennifer could be the ones who make it happen.
In summary, I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend it. Specially if you’ve already read other books by these authors and you liked them.
I loved this book. How it dealt with a trauma in the past and the way the body reacts to said trauma even if the mind doesn’t remember it.
This is the second book that Jiffy Kate have written as part of the Donner Bakery series in the Smartypants Romance. Although none of the characters belong in that category, but Gunnar(the hero) is Cage’s brother who is with Tempest(the duchess of cupcakes). So I guess they belong to this group by association.
This story is about Gunnar and Frankie. He is a fighter who meets Frankie when he gets injured and goes to the ER for an examination and Frankie is the nurse who happens to take his case.
Gunnar’s life is all about finally getting his dream of being a profesional fighter and Frankie is all about helping others, either with his job or with his voluntering hours. So how can these two fit together when she is repulsed by violence and that is the way he makes a living? Well, you kind of need to read the book to figure it out.
Some things I really liked about the characters: how Gunnar isn’t afraid of going after who she wants without pushing her boundaries or backing up when he realizes that he has done so; how Frankie puts her all into helping everyone even when she believes she is detached from the process and the people involved in it; the way the two of them are together and how they make each other better.
I also really liked getting glimpses of Cage and Tempest.
So my questions now are:
Who is Vince, the guy who helps Gunnar work out? I mean if there wasn’t any other training facility before, how does he know the techniques? What is his life?
Is Vali going to move to Green Valley? He seemed real cozy when he first came.
Are we going to have a Frankie and Claire meet up? I feel like they both deserve it and Tempest and Jennifer could be the ones who make it happen.
In summary, I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend it. Specially if you’ve already read other books by these authors and you liked them.
I admit it, I am borderline obsessed with the Smartypants Romance books. All of them! Like a lot of books in the romance genre, they can be a little predictable and cheesy, but they're sweet and fun and they just make me feel good! I adored Jiffy Kate's first book in the series, so I was super excited that Beef Cake was the first release in the 2020 launch. Amidst all of the covid19 weirdness and job stress right now, this was JUST the book I needed. I literally read it start to finish in one sitting.
Gunnar Erickson is an MMA fighter that comes to Green Valley to train at his brother Cage's (from Stud Muffin gym. Gunnar may participate in a violent sport as his job, but Gunnar the person is a gentle, thoughtful, patient, educated man. I adored him from the start, but I'm kind of a sucker for a big strong teddy bear of a man!
Frankie is the kind of girl I really want to root for. She initially comes across cold, but you quickly realize that she has good reasons for being the way she is. Frankie literally devotes all of her waking hours to helping other people - she's a nurse, she helps make sure her reclusive mother has everything she needs then spends time selling her mom's stuff (jams, honey, etc) at the weekly farmers market, and she volunteers at a women's shelter with what time she has left. Despite all of that though, her life is largely devoid of any personal relationships except those with her mother and the lady who runs the women's shelter. Frankie had a traumatic childhood (so much so that she's blanked out the majority of it, though her body and nightmares seem to remember more than her brain does) and is consequently reluctant to really form any relationships, especially of a romantic nature.
I absolutely loved Gunnar and Frankie's story. There was more depth to the story than I expected, but it was done in a way that kept the light and happy feel overall that I expect from the Smartypants books. Frankie definitely had some heavy "stuff" to deal with in learning the truth of her past, coping with all of that trauma, and learning to trust and lean on someone else. Despite all of that, though, there was no unnecessary drama here (thank you), and the authors managed to inject enough humor and lightheartedness that the heavier stuff didn't weigh the story down.
Gunnar Erickson is an MMA fighter that comes to Green Valley to train at his brother Cage's (from Stud Muffin gym. Gunnar may participate in a violent sport as his job, but Gunnar the person is a gentle, thoughtful, patient, educated man. I adored him from the start, but I'm kind of a sucker for a big strong teddy bear of a man!
Frankie is the kind of girl I really want to root for. She initially comes across cold, but you quickly realize that she has good reasons for being the way she is. Frankie literally devotes all of her waking hours to helping other people - she's a nurse, she helps make sure her reclusive mother has everything she needs then spends time selling her mom's stuff (jams, honey, etc) at the weekly farmers market, and she volunteers at a women's shelter with what time she has left. Despite all of that though, her life is largely devoid of any personal relationships except those with her mother and the lady who runs the women's shelter. Frankie had a traumatic childhood (so much so that she's blanked out the majority of it, though her body and nightmares seem to remember more than her brain does) and is consequently reluctant to really form any relationships, especially of a romantic nature.
I absolutely loved Gunnar and Frankie's story. There was more depth to the story than I expected, but it was done in a way that kept the light and happy feel overall that I expect from the Smartypants books. Frankie definitely had some heavy "stuff" to deal with in learning the truth of her past, coping with all of that trauma, and learning to trust and lean on someone else. Despite all of that, though, there was no unnecessary drama here (thank you), and the authors managed to inject enough humor and lightheartedness that the heavier stuff didn't weigh the story down.
What can I say? Gunner "The Show" Erickson is the complete package and totally perfect for Frankie Reeves. I loved the angle the authors took with fitting this story in the Green Valley Universe. You don't have to have read the Winston Brothers series first, but it truly helps underscore the full impact of the big reveal late in the story. So many feels - and I hope this one comes out on audiobook at some point so I can relish it all over again in a new way. Highly recommend.
I’m a huge Green Valley fan and have loved being able to venture back to Tennessee with Smartypants Romance and it’s amazing authors. Jiffy Kate, the wonderfully talented writing duo, once again captured my heart with their second Donner Bakery book, Beef Cake.
Beef Cake is the story of Frankie and Gunnar Ericksen, and is a story of love, trust, letting go of the past and moving forward. It has both new characters and well-loved familiar faces and has a storyline that will make you laugh, smile and indeed bring a tear to your eye. I love that the authors could bring Frankie’s vulnerability and her day to day set routine to life and make her a character I was cheering for from the first page. Her history had me longing for her own personal HEA, with this story the perfect balance of ups and downs as we follow along Frankie and Gunnar’s journey to love. We are also faced with Frankie’s own personal journey of growth and facing her demons.
Gunnar is Cage Ericksen’s younger brother, who we met in Jiffy Kate’s first Donner Bakery Book - Stud Muffin. Also an MMA fighter, he is looking to his older brother for guidance and training, but could it be his career that actually turns Frankie away?
A story for new readers as well as those familiar with Green Valley, I recommend Beef Cake to fans of contemporary romance who enjoy some angst, sweetness and steam, and a story that will pull on your heartstrings but also make you smile, and at times laugh out loud. Jiffy Kate are authors who engage their readers with well-written stories, romance and steam and characters you know will take their own place in your heart. Beef Cake does just this, and it’s a 5 star read for me. I did receive an early copy of this book, thank you to the authors and Social Butterfly PR. This is an honest review and I do apologise for it being a few days late.
My review is also on my Facebook blog Tammy’s Timeout- Romance Book Reviews. You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/1807554419468158/posts/2604981396392119/
Beef Cake is the story of Frankie and Gunnar Ericksen, and is a story of love, trust, letting go of the past and moving forward. It has both new characters and well-loved familiar faces and has a storyline that will make you laugh, smile and indeed bring a tear to your eye. I love that the authors could bring Frankie’s vulnerability and her day to day set routine to life and make her a character I was cheering for from the first page. Her history had me longing for her own personal HEA, with this story the perfect balance of ups and downs as we follow along Frankie and Gunnar’s journey to love. We are also faced with Frankie’s own personal journey of growth and facing her demons.
Gunnar is Cage Ericksen’s younger brother, who we met in Jiffy Kate’s first Donner Bakery Book - Stud Muffin. Also an MMA fighter, he is looking to his older brother for guidance and training, but could it be his career that actually turns Frankie away?
A story for new readers as well as those familiar with Green Valley, I recommend Beef Cake to fans of contemporary romance who enjoy some angst, sweetness and steam, and a story that will pull on your heartstrings but also make you smile, and at times laugh out loud. Jiffy Kate are authors who engage their readers with well-written stories, romance and steam and characters you know will take their own place in your heart. Beef Cake does just this, and it’s a 5 star read for me. I did receive an early copy of this book, thank you to the authors and Social Butterfly PR. This is an honest review and I do apologise for it being a few days late.
My review is also on my Facebook blog Tammy’s Timeout- Romance Book Reviews. You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/1807554419468158/posts/2604981396392119/
I loved the first Jiffy Kate book in this series and was very excited about the Erickson brothers continuing on in the series but I will be honest and say the heroine was a bit tough to love. It took a few more chapters than usual to start rooting for her. She's the kind of character with almost insurmountable walls, who attacks to protect herself but when you find out why you understand her a bit better.
Gunnar though, he is a shining star of the book. He's lovable, sweet, understanding and genuine. There were a lot of elements in their book: the romance of course, a battered woman shelter and the kidnapping, Frankie's mysterious past, the Iron Wraiths, then the charity event and to be honest a few of them could have been pruned down to give Frankie and Gunnar more time. However, they were very cute together and it was a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the SmartyPants Romance universr. I am excited to read more
Gunnar though, he is a shining star of the book. He's lovable, sweet, understanding and genuine. There were a lot of elements in their book: the romance of course, a battered woman shelter and the kidnapping, Frankie's mysterious past, the Iron Wraiths, then the charity event and to be honest a few of them could have been pruned down to give Frankie and Gunnar more time. However, they were very cute together and it was a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the SmartyPants Romance universr. I am excited to read more