Chef Sugarlips

Tawna Fenske

May 2018 · Tawna Fenske

About this ebook

I’ve loved Amber since I wore Batman Underoos, but she doesn’t know I exist. Not until she knocks me unconscious with a dead turkey.

Now I can’t stay away, and it’s only a matter of time ‘til she learns my big secret. Not my recipe for beef bourguignon, but the secret one no one knows. Not even my siblings who’ve spent endless hours with me dreaming up our new luxury resort and oh yeah, getting to know each other since we grew up with different moms.

But the more I’m with Amber, the surer I am she’s my dream girl. Brains, beauty, and the business smarts to turn a reindeer ranch into a quirky wedding venue. Did I mention she’s perfect?

Then my mom shows up stewing like a pot set to boil over, and suddenly I’m not sure I can keep a lid on things. Can the guy in the white chef’s hat be the hero who gets the girl and saves the day, or will it all fall flatter than a burnt soufflé?

Ratings and reviews

3.75 stars- CHEF SUGARLIPS is the second instalment in Tawna Fenske’s contemporary, adult PONDEROSA RESORT ROMANTIC COMEDIES romance series focusing on the Bracelyn siblings. This is twenty-seven year old chef Sean Bracelyn, and twenty-five year old, marketing specialist and co-owner of Jingle Bell Reindeer Ranch Amber King’s story line. CHEF SUGARLIPS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Told from dual first person perspectives (Amber and Sean) CHEF SUGARLIPS follows the building romance between twenty-seven year old chef Sean Bracelyn, and twenty-five year old, marketing specialist Amber King. Sean Bracelyn has lusted after Amber King for close to ten years but Amber had no idea about the who and how of Sean Bracelyn. Desperate for someone to cater a wedding at their family owned Jingle Bell Reindeer Ranch, Amber, along with a crossbow and stuffed turkey make Sean an offer he cannot refuse. What ensues is the building romance between Sean and Amber, and the potential fall-out as Sean struggles with family secrets, secrets that are about to be revealed. The relationship between Sean and Amber is one of immediate attraction but Amber’s history is men is questionable, and Sean battles between head and heart knowing not everything is as it appears to be. Embarrassed by the possibility of the truth being revealed, Sean is willing to push Amber out of his life, leaving a devastated and heart broken woman in its wake. The $ex scenes are passionate and seductive without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The secondary and supporting characters include Sean’s mother Melody, and his large assortment of half-siblings: sister Bree, brother and lawyer James, Mark and Jonathon, and cousin Brandon Brown (Studmuffin Santa #1), and Amber’s sister Jade; and an assortment of bridal clients, and friends. Bree Bracelyn’s story is next in Sergeant Sexy pants. CHEF SUGARLIPS is another story of family, secrets, friendship and love. There are moments of heart break, fun, humor, and laughs-wait for the meatball massacre. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is flirty and sexy; the characters are energetic and colorful. The conflict is limited to our hero’s inability to look beyond the past.

I’m loving this series. It has laughter and heart and so much emotion. I love how these books blend side-splitting funny situations with deeply touching moments. The underlying message of this story seems to be all about how we respond to other people’s opinions of us; living up (or down) to their expectations. Amber was always seen as ‘the perfect girl’, and perfect is a really hard standard to maintain. Sean might have a bit of a martyr complex. He’s bad at opening up to other people but very good at looking after them. He’s been half in love with Amber from the time he first saw her. But will those feelings survive him getting to know the real Amber instead of the fantasy girl who’s lived in his mind all this time?

I love a romance that makes me laugh out loud. And yes, I may have done some bra sniffing of my own!

About the author

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she'd read them all. Now she's a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna's offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, "There's something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand." Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.