I’m continuing the gingerbread theme from yesterday, but where I wanted to eat everything I read about in Kris T. Bethke’s Gingerbread and Good Tidings, today’s story is about art. Just like K.L. Noone’s writing.
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One Gingerbread Extravaganza competition. One cynical judge. One holiday-loving baker. Four challenges, and a pinch of spice …
Nate Miller has never entered a televised baking competition before. But he’s good at gingerbread, he loves flavor, he adores the holiday season, and he’d definitely like $25,000 and the publicity for Nate’s Bakes. He’s here to win — but also to have fun and enjoy himself. Too bad one of the judges has a reputation for ice-cold critiques and precise perfection … along with a gorgeous smile, killer cheekbones, and a delicious air of command.
Marcus LeGrand knows his reputation: sharp, chilly, and demanding perfection. He’s great for ratings, and baking-show audiences love his sarcasm and his expertise. But he’s getting tired of being the bad guy, intimidating everybody, never getting close. He’s here to judge this competition, and he’ll do his job…but Nate’s persistent friendliness, terrible holiday sweaters, and decadent gingerbread just might make Marcus want a taste.
The kitchen chemistry’s instant, but Nate and Marcus will have to resist temptation in order to make it through the competition …and achieve their Gingerbread Dreams
This is a fabulous story full of sweetness both of the edible kind, but also the romance-y kind. It made me smile and swoon, and I love Nate and Marcus so freaking much. Yes, it’s instalove (which I personally don’t mind, but I know some people do) and yes, I realize the ending is on the fairy-tale side of things. But isn’t that exactly what we need after a year like 2020? Don’t we need two men with an instant connection who want to be together? Don’t we need ridiculous Christmas sweaters and fancy matching suits? Don’t we deserve happiness and fantabulous gingerbread creations? I know I do. You can be the Grinch if you want to, but I refuse 🙂
After reading this book, I want to watch the gingerbread cooking competition and see the creations made by the contestants in Gingerbread Dreams. Maybe bake a fancy gingerbread house myself. But most of all: I wanted to go right back to the beginning and re-read this the moment I finished it.
I adore K.L. Noone’s books 😍 Do yourself a favor and buy all of them for a Christmas gift for yourself if you haven’t already read them.
Ten stars. I’m not even kidding.
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A vision of fresh-faced merriment beamed at him in shades of cinnamon and pine, skinny jeans and stylish just-woken-up spice-hued hair. The hair had no doubt taken ages to achieve. The clinging sweater above the jeans had strings of Christmas lights patterning the green, and shoved-up sleeves revealed innumerable constellations of freckles across strong forearms.
Quote from Gingerbread Dreams by K.L. Noone
“innumerable constellations of freckles”
*happy sigh*
Nell Iris 