Review: Delicious by Adrianne Lee

Title: Delicious by Adrianne Lee
Big Sky Pie Series Book Two
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Imprint: Forever Yours
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 240 pages/ Word Count: 55,000
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Workaholic Nick Taziano is the proud owner of a successful marketing company in Montana. But his career takes a backseat when he learns his dad plans to remarry his ex. Nick fears she’ll break his heart . . . again. And he doesn’t like being reunited with her obnoxious daughter-until the all-grown-up beauty kisses him at the engagement party. The kiss might be a mistake, but once he tastes Jane’s lips, nothing-not even her famous blueberry pie-compares.

A promising chef at Big Sky Pie, Jane Wilson never, ever wanted to see Nick Taziano again, but he’s just been hired to do the pie shop’s marketing. How’s a girl supposed to bake the best pastries in town when he’s a constant reminder of their steamy chemistry? His chocolate eyes and sexy dimples heat up the kitchen-and every part of her body. Jane has no room for a man in her life, yet sometimes the most delicious dishes don’t follow the recipe . . .

(55,000 words)

The Review:

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.

Read my reviews of the other novels in the Big Sky Pie series HERE.

1 Comment

Filed under Adrianne Lee, Big Sky Pie Series, Contemporary, Delicious, Forever Yours, Grand Central Publishing, Rated B, Review, Romance

One Response to Review: Delicious by Adrianne Lee

  1. Timitra

    I’ve got this on my tbr pile…looking forward to reading it.