Adrianne Lee

Delightful is another fabulous romance in Adrianne Lee's heartwarming Big Sky Pie series. In this latest installment, manager Andrea Lovette is paired up with Hollywood bad boy Ice Erickksen and the single mom finds it virtually impossible to resist the deliciously sexy charmer.

Andrea's bad boy radar is pinging off the charts when Ice struts into Big Sky Pie but she has sworn off bad boys after her disastrous marriage to bull rider Donnie Lovette. About the only good thing that came out of her marriage are her two young sons and she is looking for a man who could be a good influence on her boys. Ice has trouble written all over him but their blistering hot attraction is impossible to ignore. Andrea knows that giving in to their desire is a mistake, but once they do, she is determined to keep her distance from Ice.

First impressions of Ice? Arrogant, womanizing, disrespectful jerk. Harsh, I know, but I absolutely hated how he thought about Andrea at first, and I thought she deserved soooo much better than Ice. But after their scrumptiously delicious one night stand? Ice begins to thaw into a wonderfully warm and caring man with an amazing array of strong emotions. But (isn't there always a "but"?) he has some serious issues from his childhood to work through before he can even think about a future with Andrea.

The reality show is mainly used to bring Ice and Andrea together, but it also beautifully showcases the supporting cast of characters. Pie shop owner Molly McCoy really shines in this outing and she is just such a lovely person I am glad we got to see more of her. I was absolutely delighted that Wade Reynolds had a more prominent role in the story and I am still holding out hope he might find love in future novel (Callee's friend Roxy springs to mind as his future love interest). We also get the opportunity catch up with the couples from the first two novels in the series and it is great to see they are still deliriously happy.

A charming addition to the Big Sky Pie series, Delightful is a fun and sexy romance. Adrianne Lee keeps the series fresh with unique storylines and unpredictable pairings. The characters are well-developed and appealing with realistic flaws and imperfections. My fingers are crossed that we will get another chance to visit the Big Sky Pie shop in the future.… (mehr)

Delicious by Adrianne Lee is a fast-paced and engaging romance. This second installment in the Big Sky Pie series finds former step-siblings Nick Taziano and Jane Wilson dismayed over the news of the upcoming remarriage of their respective parents. Equally troubling is their unexpected attraction to one another. As if their relationship isn't already complicated enough, they are also thrown together professionally when Nick is hired to publicize the pie shop where Jane is the pastry chef.

I really liked Jane in Delectable (the first book in the series) so I was surprised by how much she initially irritated me in Delicious. She comes across as incredibly judgmental of both her mom and Nick. Instead of facing her problems head on, she runs away and avoids both her mom and Nick. As if Jane does not have enough to deal with, she is also plagued by self-esteem issues and an ambitious co-worker.

By about the middle of the novel, my feelings for Jane slowly began to change. I always liked her relationship with her dad and once she becomes less defensive and actually talks with her mom, Jane is much more receptive to her remarriage to Nick's dad. While she lacks confidence in her personal life, professionally, Jane is very self-assured and the scenes in the pie shop are wonderful. Once Jane's animosity toward Nick diminishes, their relationship begins to evolve.

Nick is so charming and personable that I pretty much fell for him right away. He is easygoing, confident and comfortable in his skin and these qualities make him an easy character to like. Although he, too, has a few qualms about his dad's remarriage, he is more open minded about the upcoming nuptials. But it is Nick's attitude toward Jane that really endeared him to me. He fully embraces everything about her and he doesn't make any effort to hide how much he admires and desires Jane. Nick is always honest about what he is looking for in a relationship and I like how both he and Jane handle this part of the storyline.

Nick and Jane's romance simmers on the backburner for much of the story. Sexual tension underscores most of their interactions and Jane fiercely resists her attraction to Nick. Their sex scenes are tastefully written and mostly take place off screen. The conflict between them is realistic and beautifully plays out with a surprise ending that I absolutely loved.

Many of the characters from Delectable make guest appearances in Delicious and I enjoyed getting to knowing them a little better. Nick, Quint and Wade are a great support network for Nick and I confess I am very eager for Wade's story. Jane becomes closer to her boss Andrea and I'm thrilled that Andrea will find love in the next Big Sky Pie novel. Co-worker Bibi is one of those characters you love to hate, but I wound up falling just a little bit sorry for her in the end.

Delicious is a wonderful addition to Adrianne Lee's heartwarming Big Sky Pie series. It can be read as a standalone novel, but you don't want to miss a single installment of this lovely series.… (mehr)

4.5 stars.

Delectable by Adrianne Lee is a positively charming romance that is incredibly heartwarming. This first installment in the Big Sky Pie series is a fast-paced and engaging novel that is sure to delight anyone who enjoys homespun love stories.

While his four week fishing trip to Alaska helps Quint McCoy deal with his grief over his father's sudden death, he still has to face the mess the he left behind. Determined to resurrect his neglected real estate business, he is shocked to discover his mom Molly has turned his office into a pie shop, Big Sky Pie. But Quint's biggest regret is the damage his behavior inflicted on his two year marriage to Callee. Before he left town, a heated argument with Callee ended with him telling her to file for divorce. When Quint runs into Callee at Big Sky Pie, he is stunned to learn their divorce is not yet final. When circumstances throw them together, will Quint convince Callee to give their marriage a second chance?

Quint and Callee are wonderful characters and the chemistry between them is sizzling hot. Quint is definitely the more flawed of the two and at first, his actions paint him a pretty unflattering light. What redeems him for me is his regret over the damage his actions have caused and his ability to admit that he made mistakes. While Quint runs away just when his mom and Callee need him most, the time and distance provides him the opportunity to reflect on his life. He reaches a few startling conclusions about himself and his marriage and Quint is determined to make some long overdue changes to his life when he returns home.

Although Callee is still in love with Quint, she has no intention of reuniting with him. During their separation, she realized that neither she nor their marriage was a priority for Quint. But the most shocking and hurtful realization for Callee is how little she and Quint really know one another.

Callee and Quint's relationship is definitely uneasy as they set aside their personal problems when they are needed to help launch Big Sky Pie. Callie tries to maintain a physical and emotional distance from Quint, but their simmering passion is pretty hard to resist. Just as their romance heats up, Callie's doubts soon put their reconciliation in jeopardy.

Fully rounding out Callee and Quint's story is a warm and loving cast of secondary characters. Although Quint's father is deceased, his presence is keenly felt and I felt his loss just as deeply as Molly, Quint and Callee. Molly is off screen for much of the novel, but she manages to play a huge role in bringing Quint and Callee together. Supporting both Quint and Callee is their close friend and office manager Andrea Lovette. Will this single mom find love in a future novel? I certainly hope so!

If you are looking a light read that is sweet, sexy and angst free then I highly recommend Delectable. It is a fun first installment in the Big Sky Pie series and Adrianne Lee's brief but intriguing introductions of Quint's friend Nick Tanziano and pastry chef Jane Wilson will leave readers eagerly anticipating the release of their book, Delicious, later this year.… (mehr)