A review by illstoptheworldandreadwithyou
Dirty Talking Rival by Pippa Grant

4.0

 

Well, folks, I can honestly say that I had never been jealous of a pastry before reading this book. 

 

With Dirty Talking Rival (Master Baker), Pippa Grant once again delivers humor, heart, and heat. I was delighted to find myself back in the town of Shipwreck, this time with Grady Rock coaxing his delicious creations to perfection. When he discovers that his former best friend, Annika, is opening a bakery in the rival town of sarcasm, his baking starts to falter. Those creations require love, after all, and Grady? Well, he’s not feeling very loving at the moment. 

 

At a glance: 

• Rival towns + rival businesses
• Former best friends, now estranged
• Second chance / the one that got away
• First time seeing each other after 10 years
• Military (her)
• Baker (him)
• Dating in secret

 
Read it for
 

• The way the towns rally around their bakers
• How rifts are repaired
• The food descriptions
• The foul-mouthed parrot
• A goat named “Sue” (Alexa, play songs by Johnny Cash.)
• Dirty talk while baking (See aforementioned jealousy directed at pastries.)
• How Grady supports Annika behind the scenes 

 
Narrated by Jason Clarke (yum!) and Virginia Rose, the audiobook kept me engaged in this friends-to-antagonists-to-lovers tale. Both Clarke and Rose do a great job capturing the emotion and humor of the story.
 

 
I received a copy of the audiobook from the author and Hambright PR. All review opinions are my own.