Reviewed by: Crystal B
Book provided by: the publisher for review
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

I choose A Taste of Trouble by Gina Gordon because it features a bakery. I have read several books that have a setting of a bakery or diner in the past and they are usually pretty good reads. This one certainly did not let me down. Gina Gordon has created charming, delightful, and charismatic character that I bonded with right away.

Liv Crawford is a lady I would like to run into at her shop CUPCAKE!, sit down, and have a cupcake and a chat. I admired her ambition and strength to be able to save and struggle until she is able to see her dream come true. I truly what to cheer Liv on and support her decisions. She has a wonderful support system in the form of her two best friends and her best friend’s boy friend. Liv keeps running into road blocks when trying to open her bakery. Lots of mysterious things go wrong. Is her luck really just this bad or is someone up to no good? I’m not going to spoil it, I’ll you let find out for yourself which it is.

Liv certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship or at least she doesn’t think she has time. When she meets Jake Miller she unwilling agrees to date him. Oh my the chemistry between these two is just absolutely wonderfully written!

Jake Miller works in public relations and hasn’t really taken time for a relationship. He has been to busy with his career to find a serious relationship or to even care if he were to find someone special to spend his life with. That all changes when he meets Liv.

Liv has trust issues and has never wanted to get involved in a relationship due to things that happened in her past. Jake has a huge secret that he is not ready to reveal. It turns out his secret is bigger then even Jake knows. I so enjoyed watching this relationship grow and change as they each revealed more to each other.

I really liked Ms. Gordon’s writing style and her ability to put together a story that kept me interested. There is some sweet romance, some sizzle and sparks, a little mystery, and some humor. What more could I possible ask for in a book, she covered a lot of my favorite bases. ( )

Liv had a dream to become a bakery owner. Never did she dream of a happily ever after with a man; not after being hurt by the man in her life that she should have been able to count on, her father. That was when Jake came into the picture. The hottest man she had ever see came through the door at the bar she was working at. Jake turned out to be quite the distraction to Liv, the hopefully up and coming bakery owner. Liv had been through so much hurt and pain from loved ones, she could not handle having her heart-broken again. That was when she realized the people around her were not who she thought they were.

A great love story, this book was filled with sex and cupcakes, what a great combo. If I had to critique, the only thing I would have loved to see was a copy of the cupcake recipes that were talked about in the book. A recommended read.

Rating: 4.5

Heat Rating: Hot/Wild Ride

Reviewed By: Rae

Courtesy of My Book Addiction And More ( )

3.5 stars

A Taste of Trouble by Gina Gordon was a fun weekend popcorn read. It had everything I expect in a fun romantic read - a heart damaged heroine, a great group of pushy friends (on both sides), a reforming ladies man, and plenty of conflict romantically and otherwise. I enjoyed getting to know Liv and Jake and their respective friends. While definitely supporting characters, Liv’s friends especially stole my heart, but Jake’s friends did as well. The plot and pacing and the quality of writing was good.

The best part was once the characters gave in to the electricity sparking between them. Although, isn’t that true of most contemporary romance novels? The scenes were steamy, and sticky, without being pornographic. But Gordon took her time in getting them to bed which I appreciate.

If you enjoy steamy contemporary romances with the support of a great friends to knock some sense into the main characters ala Bridget Jones Diary and the like you will likely enjoy A Taste of Trouble by Gina Gordon.

I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )