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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I really need to read more from Jiffy Kate! It's so great to have more Smartypants Romance books coming our way! Frankie Reeves is an ER nurse in Green Valley. Gunnar Erickson is an MMA fighter who is in town temporarily to train with his brother Cage, who we met in Stud Muffin. (This can be read as a standalone, but it is nice to revisit some familiar characters.) Their mutual attraction is strong from the start even though it defies logic. Frankie has a very steady schedule of work and volunteering in her community and she has never been interested in a relationship. She also has a very strong aversion to violence, which makes their attraction a bit problematic. Despite the odds, they begin to spend some time together and Frankie realizes Gunnar is more than just a fighter. He is attentive, kind, thoughtful, patient, and very attractive. Gunnar is the first to push at Frankie's emotional walls and move at the pace she needs in order to build trust. They hit some stumbles - small ones and bigger ones - but at their core, they realize that their relationship is too important to give up on without...a fight. :)
I enjoyed seeing their innocent courtship - meeting at the grocery store and the donut shop - and the way that others in their lives recognized the importance of this budding relationship. Their interactions were very sweet. The way Frankie interacts with the Iron Wraiths motorcycle gang and her history with her mom are both quite serious topics that give darkness and weight to what would be an otherwise fluffy book but they really give the story depth. I didn't feel as invested in Frankie and Gunnar's relationship throughout the book, but I did find that the later part of the book, where they put the hard work in, really worked for me. The way this fits into the larger Winston Brothers/Green Valley plotline is also really exciting.
After further reflection, this was the first of a few books I've read during this coronavirus craziness with a main character who works in healthcare, and it is really helping me!
Download your copy TODAY!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/38ipiAU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/364MzVJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/30tZjUD
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2FX2D15
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2v1XUZN
Nook: http://bit.ly/362QLFs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2R6dITC
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2NRZDYj
Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2SLqHev
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NClJxQ
I enjoyed seeing their innocent courtship - meeting at the grocery store and the donut shop - and the way that others in their lives recognized the importance of this budding relationship. Their interactions were very sweet. The way Frankie interacts with the Iron Wraiths motorcycle gang and her history with her mom are both quite serious topics that give darkness and weight to what would be an otherwise fluffy book but they really give the story depth. I didn't feel as invested in Frankie and Gunnar's relationship throughout the book, but I did find that the later part of the book, where they put the hard work in, really worked for me. The way this fits into the larger Winston Brothers/Green Valley plotline is also really exciting.
After further reflection, this was the first of a few books I've read during this coronavirus craziness with a main character who works in healthcare, and it is really helping me!
Download your copy TODAY!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/38ipiAU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/364MzVJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/30tZjUD
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2FX2D15
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2v1XUZN
Nook: http://bit.ly/362QLFs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2R6dITC
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2NRZDYj
Amazon Print: https://amzn.to/2SLqHev
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NClJxQ
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First off let me just thank Jiffy Kate, Smartypants Romance and the whole team for allowing me to get a copy of this for an honest review.
The blessings.
This is the 19th book in what's been labelled the Green Valley Chronicles and the first book in the second wave of Smartypants Romance books set in the Pennyverse.
I've read all 19 books. Yes, I'm that obsessed with Penny Reid, Green Valley and all the people who reside therein.
Now when Jiffy Kate wrote Stud Muffin (about Cage and Tempest who we see quite a lot of in this one) I really enjoyed both their writing style and the story of The Erikson brothers.
Their story continues in Beefcake because the hero of this story is Cage's brother Gunner.
He's graduated and wants to go into the family business. But after an accident he lands in the capable hands of ER nurse Frankie Reeves.
Frankie. What a gal. She's locked up tighter than Fort Knox.
She's got quite a story. And a connection to Green Valley.
This book was really darn cute. Even though it had quite a bit of angst and drama. And I saw the twist coming. Which like..never happens.
I'd like to get an update on that. Because..yeah.
RELEASE DATE: March 17th, 2020
** PRE-ORDER LINKS **
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/38ipiAU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/364MzVJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/30tZjUD
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2FX2D15
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2v1XUZN
Nook: http://bit.ly/362QLFs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2R6dITC
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2NRZDYj
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NClJxQ
The blessings.
This is the 19th book in what's been labelled the Green Valley Chronicles and the first book in the second wave of Smartypants Romance books set in the Pennyverse.
I've read all 19 books. Yes, I'm that obsessed with Penny Reid, Green Valley and all the people who reside therein.
Now when Jiffy Kate wrote Stud Muffin (about Cage and Tempest who we see quite a lot of in this one) I really enjoyed both their writing style and the story of The Erikson brothers.
Their story continues in Beefcake because the hero of this story is Cage's brother Gunner.
He's graduated and wants to go into the family business. But after an accident he lands in the capable hands of ER nurse Frankie Reeves.
Frankie. What a gal. She's locked up tighter than Fort Knox.
She's got quite a story. And a connection to Green Valley.
This book was really darn cute. Even though it had quite a bit of angst and drama. And I saw the twist coming. Which like..never happens.
I'd like to get an update on that. Because..yeah.
RELEASE DATE: March 17th, 2020
** PRE-ORDER LINKS **
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/38ipiAU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/364MzVJ
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/30tZjUD
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2FX2D15
AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2v1XUZN
Nook: http://bit.ly/362QLFs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2R6dITC
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2NRZDYj
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2NClJxQ
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping
I really enjoyed this read! It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Loved the characters in the book. Frankie learns how to let down her walls and find trust within herself and Gunnar. She faces trauma and comes out a stronger person. I loved that there was no unnecessary drama.
Was given an arc for an honest opinion
Was given an arc for an honest opinion
I enjoyed this story of the gentle giant (when he’s not in the boxing ring) and a sweet, quiet nurse who lives a quiet small town life unaware of the secrets in her past. It was a great story about social justice, overcoming past trauma and creating a healthy life moving forward both mentally and physically.
I enjoyed this continuation of the Donner Bakery series in the Smartypants Romance Universe. Gunnar Erikson relocated to Green Valley, Tennessee to train under his brother Cage. He meets overworked nurse Frankie during a trip to the hospital after suffering an injury while installing some gym equipment at his brother's business. He's drawn to her instantly. She, while physically drawn to him, is tentative to engage in a relationship. While I'm not usually a fan of the persistent hero in novels because they come of overly forceful, however, in this particular story, Gunnar gently pursues initially resistant Frankie and slowly works his way into her trust. He does this by always being their for her Frankie has a harsh backstory and trust for her is not easily given. In fact, one thing I loved was that Frankie had to take some time to work on herself before she could commit to Gunnar. Gunnar waited patiently for her. Overall, I really enjoyed their love origin story.
Beef Cake is an absolute knockout! This book has a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, romance and action. Jiffy Kate knocked this new addition to the Donner Bakery series out of the park. This story was a lot deeper than I expected it to be, but what a wonderful journey Jiffy Kate takes you on. I wasn't able to put this one down and was still thinking about it days later. Definitely add this one to your must-read collection!
Blog review - https://yeahorneighreviews.blogspot.com/2020/04/beef-cake-by-jiffy-kate.html
Blog review - https://yeahorneighreviews.blogspot.com/2020/04/beef-cake-by-jiffy-kate.html
This was an average read, there was no chemistry between the characters and they were two dimensional, couldn't really connect with them.