Title: LOVE, CHOCOLATE, AND BEER
Series: Cactus Creek #1
Author: Violet Duke
Publisher: Violet Duke
Publish Date: 01.31.2014
Category /Genre: Contemporary Romance
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Grammar/editing: received as an
unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Violet Duke (as an ARC gifted copy)
Goodreads link: Love, Chocolate, and Beer
Date completed: 03.01.2020
Description from the publisher:
Chocolatier and town newcomer Luke
Bradford loves his shop's new home. Mostly because it means he gets to do his
new favorite thing every day, which is to lock horns with the feisty
beer-brewing beauty next door, both business-wise and otherwise.
But to be fair, in his defense --
Just kidding. He has no defense.
Brewmaster and town sweetheart Dani Dobson is declaring war against her hot, maddening new menace of a neighbor. And his shop. He absolutely started it. She's just picking up the chocolate-covered gauntlet he unintentionally threw down.
The terms? Her business versus his in the arena of romance.
The stakes? Very likely, her heart.
"Violet Duke always writes such compelling, delightful characters who manage to pull you in and make you feel a part of their lives." -- #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy
♥ AUTHOR NOTE ♥
Be forewarned, this book is definitely sweeter (and longer) than my other books (but there is still some on-page steam, as well as a few curse words--no f-bombs though, per usual). A book about a brewmaster and chocolatier battling over Valentine's Day supremacy? Yep, it was a given I was going to go all-out on the feel-good romance for this one. :) So if you're in the mood for a light and fun love story (with some of my token laugh-and-cry Violet Duke-ness, of course) between two stubbornly romantic characters who work hard for their happily ever after, this is the book for you! xoxo ♥ V
All the Cactus Creek books are standalone novels with feel-good HEAs. :) Enjoy!
But to be fair, in his defense --
Just kidding. He has no defense.
Brewmaster and town sweetheart Dani Dobson is declaring war against her hot, maddening new menace of a neighbor. And his shop. He absolutely started it. She's just picking up the chocolate-covered gauntlet he unintentionally threw down.
The terms? Her business versus his in the arena of romance.
The stakes? Very likely, her heart.
"Violet Duke always writes such compelling, delightful characters who manage to pull you in and make you feel a part of their lives." -- #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy
♥ AUTHOR NOTE ♥
Be forewarned, this book is definitely sweeter (and longer) than my other books (but there is still some on-page steam, as well as a few curse words--no f-bombs though, per usual). A book about a brewmaster and chocolatier battling over Valentine's Day supremacy? Yep, it was a given I was going to go all-out on the feel-good romance for this one. :) So if you're in the mood for a light and fun love story (with some of my token laugh-and-cry Violet Duke-ness, of course) between two stubbornly romantic characters who work hard for their happily ever after, this is the book for you! xoxo ♥ V
All the Cactus Creek books are standalone novels with feel-good HEAs. :) Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOVE, CHOCOLATE, AND BEER is the first
book in the Cactus Creek
series. Each is a stand-alone
contemporary romance.
If you’ve read the author’s note,
she delivered. This is a light and fun, no-holds-barred, feel-good, Valentine romance.
There is even a touch of The Gift of the Magi thrown in there for the
ultimate in feels.
I loved the insta-lust in a bar,
then put on the brakes and let’s do this right to build a relationship, story. Dani and Luke definitely had instant sexy chemistry. They just had to work on trust – something that
always takes time to build if you want it to last. The trick is to be patient enough to find out
what happened in the other person’s past.
That seems to be the answer in most love stories; don’t you think?
Dani is a third-generation brew
master and is running the family brewpub.
After seeing her parent’s failed marriage and her own failed engagement,
she doesn’t believe in fairytales or relationships for herself. A bar is the place for hook-ups; get what you
need and move on, until she meets a certain Willy-Wonka-Wannabe. Luke is a chocolatier and a serial monogamist. He is a hopeful romantic, who has turned off
his romantic side until he steps into Dani’s bar. So which is more romantic beer or
chocolate? That’s the question in this story.
One thing I really liked about both
Dani and Luke is that they make common items, but they both made them in
uncommon ways – uncommon flavors. I’m
not a beer drinker, but I’d love to taste some of Luke’s chocolates!
The supporting characters are
amazing. Knowing that so many of them
will eventually have their own stories told has me filled with the ‘gimmees.’ Quinn is Luke’s business partner, a single
mother, and a #girlboss! Xoey has ninja skills
in the bar and is super cool. Rylan is
with the band, he’s sweet, and he’s supportive.
Dani’s brother already has his partner, but he’s another supportive
friend, confidante, and one smart cookie to lean on. I could go on and on, but instead I’ll tell
you to read and find out about them all.
They’re a great bunch of people.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC
via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Cactus Creek Series:
1.
Love, Chocolate, and Beer [Luke & Dani]
2.
Love, Diamonds, and Spades [Rylan
& Quinn]
3.
Love, Tussles, and Takedowns [Hudson
& Lia]
4.
Love, Exes, and Ohs [Isaac & Xoey]
5.
Love, Sidelines, and Endzones [Grady
& Sienna – coming soon]
Also from Violet Duke:
·
Just the Way You Are (Luxe Springs
#1)
Can’t
Resist Series:
1.
Resisting the Bad Boy
2.
Falling for the Good Guy
3.
Choosing the Right Man
4.
Finding the Right Girl
Fourth Down
Series:
1.
Jackson’s Trust
2.
Bennett’s Chance
3.
Donovan’s Heart
Juniper
Hills Series:
1.
All There Is
2.
Where You’ll Be
Unfinished
Love Series:
1.
Before that Night
2.
Every Night Without You
2.5
Before That Promise
3.
Every Promise Unspoken
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