“The minute I got home, I stalked to the kitchen and pulled out my mixer, some bowls, and a cupcake pan. Then I dumped the bag of low-carb flour, cocoa, baking powder and the carton of eggs on the counter, before flicking the oven switch to preheat. I needed to regroup and figure out my next move, and I did it best while beating some eggs and butter together. Baking had always helped me to relax and unwind, a safe space where I could just be.”
Salty, Spiced, and A Little Bit Nice
It has been a minute since I’ve read a romance novel, and I’m glad this is the one I picked to dive into because this novel was absolutely fun and delightful! And it has all my favorite things, especially the fake dating trope which gets me every time!
Ellie is working in finance and pretty miserable over it. But it’s a job she felt she worked hard to get and is successful at. When her parent approved boyfriend of two months proposes to her and she rejects him, the video goes viral and her life becomes a mess. She is fired from her job and finds out her mother paid her boss to fire her in attempt to get Ellie to work for the family business. In a desperate attempt to escape her family but also a big leap toward her dreams, Ellie moves across the country to open a bakery. And not just any bakery, but one serving healthier sugarless or low carb options for people like herself, managing life with type one diabetes.
When Ellie arrives at the storefront she’s leased, she realizes it’s more of a mess than she anticipated. And the only person who can help her is Alec, her brother’s best friend from childhood and the boy who broke her heart. Ellie decides to grin and bear it for the sake of starting out on her own. When she finds out Alec is trying to hire someone to be his fake girlfriend to help land an acquisition deal that will help his property management company, Ellie offers to help.
The two try to shake off their past history and present themselves as a cute, adoring couple. But old feelings are bound to resurface, and Ellie finds her heart falling for more than she bargained for.
This book is SO SWEET (no pun intended). I loved Ellie and Alec’s dynamic. I loved the side characters (and I’m over here hoping we will see more books about the other characters in the book. Right? That can happen. Dear Cynthia Timoti, please consider me an instant fan who is shipping Rob and Kim).
I also loved the representation of a character with type one diabetes. This book is educational for those who don’t know much about it, and I hope, will prevent other incidents like the one with Mike Chang from ever happening again (I wanted to grab Ellie and dash out of there). I have a very good friend with type one diabetes and I know how scary it can be to live with at times. This was a really well-written book, and I absolutely am here for the next one!
This book is one of my favorite romcoms, and I want to thank Bramble for sending an ARC my way. Salty, Spiced and A Little Bit Nice releases in May!
Of Worlds Forgotten 
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