Contemporary Small Town Cinderella Story – 5 Stars!
Forking Around is
the second book in the Hot Cakes series by Erin Nicholas, and let me
say...this is a WINNER. If you haven’t read Erin Nicholas before,
you’re missing out on SO many levels! The residents of the rural
town of Appleby, Iowa have stolen my heart with their hilarious,
stubborn, laugh-out-loud personalities. I love romance and comedy -
together and separately - but when they come together just
right...well, then it’s just the BEST. Along with that balance, I
really, really need my characters to be believable so I can love them
and relate to them and keep them in my mind forever!
So yes...I love
LOVED this book, and devoured (see what I did there?) it in one
sitting because I wasn’t able to find a point that I felt I could
stop and survive waiting to see what happens next! Jane is an Appleby
native, and far more invested in the lives of her friends and
coworkers than she’d ever like to admit. She wants to keep her life
compartmentalized and her job mindless and easy; there’s not a lot
of time for fun among her many responsibilities. Dax is a brilliant
entrepreneur and one of the new owners of the town’s main employer,
the Hot Cakes factory (and thus, one of Jane’s new bosses). Their
meet-cute over cake pops is as adorable as it is hilarious: that
first scene had me absolutely hooked (or maybe forked?)! Dax’s
usual party tricks don’t work on Jane - not that she’s not
tempted! - although she slowly begins to see that making time for fun
in her life may not be such a bad thing.
I’m a big fan of
Jane’s independence and drive to make her way through life despite
the curve balls that continue to come her way. Dax is truly her ideal
match, and the slow burn as she learned to accept and ultimately fall
in love with his generous and chivalrous nature was exceptionally
well planned. I enjoyed gleaning those story tidbits as we went
along, really getting to know Dax beyond that “fun guy” first
impression. He’s a larger than life personality – both impulsive
and genius, but with a true heart of gold and desire to make things
better for the people around him. It’s just that sometimes the
execution needs a little more finesse...
Those moments when
Jane realizes that with the right partner, independence doesn’t
mean holding yourself apart; that she can let her guard down enough
to rely on someone without the fear that she’ll be left
hanging...those are everything! You won’t e disappointed with all
the feels – from lust to friendship to a HEA, you get them ALL.
Lastly – if you’ve read book 1 (Sugarcoated), you’ll be
thrilled to see details of the continuation of those friendships and
relationships seamlessly woven into Forking Around.
I voluntarily
received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review, but
I would have happily bought this outstanding book. I’m thrilled
beyond words that we have more sticky sweet Hot Cakes goodness coming
our way, and I can’t wait to see the remaining bachelors meet their
matches!
My general rating
rationale:
3 – Perfectly fine
story, perhaps some minor editorial errors. Entertaining. Typically
with this rating I feel like there could have been MORE – be it
believably/relatability, character development, internal dialogue,
explanations or depth, richness to the overall storyline, etc. May
lose a bit of engagement here and there but always finish reading.
4 – A very good
book. Engaging, with well-developed characters, a great plot,
relatable scenarios; keeps you invested to the last page. Would
recommend to reader friends.
5 – Can’t say
enough amazing things, loved the characters, fabulously detailed
plot, a quick hook, intense investment in both story and characters
(including supporting characters) throughout the book. Will tell
anyone who will listen that they should read it (if they won’t
listen, I’ll be louder).
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