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Donner Bakery #2
Dough You Love Me?
First rule when returning to your hometown after storming out of sight: don't fall for the guy who broke your heart.
Julia Browne should know better than to kiss where she bakes. She's built a bread empire in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
She certainly won't spend any more time with Shane Meadows than she has to…and she will not let him draw her in with his soft blue eyes or level her with his handsome smirk of a grin.
The last this she wants is a temporary gig at Donner Bakery, baking sourdough side-by-side with Shane and clashing with his ego. And he thinks the sassy baker should take her fancy bread and go back where she came from.
But that's before they take a series of wrong turns on a road trip to look at wheat, leaving them stranded for the night. Out on the open road, neither of them can escape the sizzling attraction and old feelings that feel a lot more real this time around.
But life is complicated, and Julia's life in California might derail their second chance at love. Will they wake up and smell the sourdough?
They say you should leave the past in the past, but what if it's the winning recipe for love?
‘Dough You Love Me?’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Julia Browne should know better than to kiss where she bakes. She's built a bread empire in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
She certainly won't spend any more time with Shane Meadows than she has to…and she will not let him draw her in with his soft blue eyes or level her with his handsome smirk of a grin.
The last this she wants is a temporary gig at Donner Bakery, baking sourdough side-by-side with Shane and clashing with his ego. And he thinks the sassy baker should take her fancy bread and go back where she came from.
But that's before they take a series of wrong turns on a road trip to look at wheat, leaving them stranded for the night. Out on the open road, neither of them can escape the sizzling attraction and old feelings that feel a lot more real this time around.
But life is complicated, and Julia's life in California might derail their second chance at love. Will they wake up and smell the sourdough?
They say you should leave the past in the past, but what if it's the winning recipe for love?
‘Dough You Love Me?’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2023
164 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Travis
32 books691 followersStacy Travis writes charming, spicy romance about bookish, sassy women and the hot alphas who fall for them.
Writing makes her infinitely happy, but that might be the coffee talking. She drinks a LOT of it.
She's worked as a journalist, camp counselor, TV writer, SAT tutor, corporate finance researcher, education technology editor, and non-fiction author. When she's not on a deadline, she's in running shoes complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game.
She's never met a dog she didn't want to hug. And if you have no plans for Thanksgiving, she'll probably invite you to dinner.
Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks. And she's serious about the Thanksgiving thing.
VISIT MY AMAZON PAGE!
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VISIT MY FACEBOOK!
www.facebook.com/stacy.travis.9699
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM!
www.instagram.com/stacytravisauthor
Writing makes her infinitely happy, but that might be the coffee talking. She drinks a LOT of it.
She's worked as a journalist, camp counselor, TV writer, SAT tutor, corporate finance researcher, education technology editor, and non-fiction author. When she's not on a deadline, she's in running shoes complaining that all roads seem to go uphill. Or on the couch with a margarita. Or fangirling at a soccer game.
She's never met a dog she didn't want to hug. And if you have no plans for Thanksgiving, she'll probably invite you to dinner.
Stacy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and a poorly-trained rescue dog who hoards socks. And she's serious about the Thanksgiving thing.
VISIT MY AMAZON PAGE!
https://amzn.to/3bPwy8H
VISIT MY FACEBOOK!
www.facebook.com/stacy.travis.9699
FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM!
www.instagram.com/stacytravisauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
April 27, 2023
🎧🎧 AUDIO REVIEW 🎧🎧
The Donner Bakery has been one of my favorite places in the Green Valley ~ Penny Reid Universe since it’s first launch in 2019! I am super stoked I got to dive into this world again and via audiobook format which is fast becoming my favorite way to experience romance fiction!!
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 Stars
Dough You Love Me? is my first experience with author Stacy Travis and it was so great that I’m already ready to dive back into her backlist starting with The San Francisco Strikers of course because #fortheloveofthegame! #IYKYK
There’s not much about this story that I didn’t enjoy. I’m not sure if I’d categorize this story as a second chance to get it right because they’re not really together romantically, as a couple, in the past but there were unrequited feelings of sorts from one person … you’ll have to read the book to get the details on that little nugget lol
My favorite aspect is how the growth of them individually was weaved into the growth of them as a couple. They would never have worked had they not both dealt with circumstances of their own. I wouldn’t have rooted for them otherwise nor believed they would last through happily ever after and beyond. This story was perfectly put together and unfolded in a realistic and organic matter. Julia and Shane were both characters that entertained me and their story captivated me. The forced proximity angle to the story was a genius plot-device for this story because it gave them both no choice but to push thru and see what might be on the other side with a new found connection separate from their past.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 4 Stars
This was also my first experience with both narrators, Ryan Lee Dunlap & Stefanie Kay, and I feel they did a really good job bringing the story to life for me. The one aspect I didn’t enjoy is when they attempted to narrate each other’s voices. Their timbre is vastly different and unfortunately, especially on Stephanie’s part, that didn’t bode well for her when she attempted to narrate Shane’s lines when the story was in Julia’s POV. This by no means deterred me from having an overall good listening experience, just a point a fact. :)
The Donner Bakery has been one of my favorite places in the Green Valley ~ Penny Reid Universe since it’s first launch in 2019! I am super stoked I got to dive into this world again and via audiobook format which is fast becoming my favorite way to experience romance fiction!!
STORY REVIEW & RATING: 4 Stars
Dough You Love Me? is my first experience with author Stacy Travis and it was so great that I’m already ready to dive back into her backlist starting with The San Francisco Strikers of course because #fortheloveofthegame! #IYKYK
There’s not much about this story that I didn’t enjoy. I’m not sure if I’d categorize this story as a second chance to get it right because they’re not really together romantically, as a couple, in the past but there were unrequited feelings of sorts from one person … you’ll have to read the book to get the details on that little nugget lol
My favorite aspect is how the growth of them individually was weaved into the growth of them as a couple. They would never have worked had they not both dealt with circumstances of their own. I wouldn’t have rooted for them otherwise nor believed they would last through happily ever after and beyond. This story was perfectly put together and unfolded in a realistic and organic matter. Julia and Shane were both characters that entertained me and their story captivated me. The forced proximity angle to the story was a genius plot-device for this story because it gave them both no choice but to push thru and see what might be on the other side with a new found connection separate from their past.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW & RATING: 4 Stars
This was also my first experience with both narrators, Ryan Lee Dunlap & Stefanie Kay, and I feel they did a really good job bringing the story to life for me. The one aspect I didn’t enjoy is when they attempted to narrate each other’s voices. Their timbre is vastly different and unfortunately, especially on Stephanie’s part, that didn’t bode well for her when she attempted to narrate Shane’s lines when the story was in Julia’s POV. This by no means deterred me from having an overall good listening experience, just a point a fact. :)
Want to read
April 27, 2023
★★Live in KU★★
WooHOO! Today is the day, folks! 'Dough You Love Me?' kicks off the Spring Launch extravaganza! We're so excited about the amazing stories releasing over the next four weeks. Hold on to your TBR, because it's gonna be fun.
Be sure to check out this Green Valley second-chance romance from Stacy Travis Author if you enjoy any of the following...
+Former High School flames
+Friends to Lovers
+Cletus and Jenn cameos
+Forced proximity road trip
+Jam Session!
★★Grab your copy TODAY!★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3YP7sQU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3YXzIRu
Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3YSKJmR
Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3IsOGrE
Audiobook: http://bit.ly/3ngSkhk
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3KFvj0Z
★★ BLURB ★★
First rule when returning to your hometown after storming out of sight: don't fall for the guy who broke your heart.
Julia Browne should know better than to kiss where she bakes. She's built a bread empire in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
She certainly won't spend any more time with Shane Meadows than she has to…and she will not let him draw her in with his soft blue eyes or level her with his handsome smirk of a grin.
The last thing she wants is a temporary gig at Donner Bakery, baking sourdough side-by-side with Shane and clashing with his ego. And he thinks the sassy baker should take her fancy bread and go back where she came from.
But that's before they take a series of wrong turns on a road trip to look at wheat, leaving them stranded for the night. Out on the open road, neither of them can escape the sizzling attraction and old feelings that feel a lot more real this time around.
But life is complicated, and Julia's life in California might derail their second chance at love. Will they wake up and smell the sourdough?
They say you should leave the past in the past, but what if it's the winning recipe for love?
‘Dough You Love Me?’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
Want to read
April 27, 2023
Dough you know what today is? It's the Smartypants Romance Spring Launch KICKOFF! I am so thrilled with the authors and stories releasing over the next month. And first up is Stacy Travis with her all-new second-chance romance in the Donner Bakery series! Yes, Jenn and Cletus show up with some neat cameos as both the hero and heroine are employed at the bakery. SO FUN.
★★Grab your copy TODAY in KU★★
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3YP7sQU
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3YXzIRu
Amazon CA: https://bit.ly/3YSKJmR
Amazon AU: https://bit.ly/3IsOGrE
Audiobook: http://bit.ly/3ngSkhk
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3KFvj0Z
★ ★ BLURB ★ ★
First rule when returning to your hometown after storming out of sight: don't fall for the guy who broke your heart.
Julia Browne should know better than to kiss where she bakes. She's built a bread empire in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
She certainly won't spend any more time with Shane Meadows than she has to…and she will not let him draw her in with his soft blue eyes or level her with his handsome smirk of a grin.
The last thing she wants is a temporary gig at Donner Bakery, baking sourdough side-by-side with Shane and clashing with his ego. And he thinks the sassy baker should take her fancy bread and go back where she came from.
But that's before they take a series of wrong turns on a road trip to look at wheat, leaving them stranded for the night. Out on the open road, neither of them can escape the sizzling attraction and old feelings that feel a lot more real this time around.
But life is complicated, and Julia's life in California might derail their second chance at love. Will they wake up and smell the sourdough?
They say you should leave the past in the past, but what if it's the winning recipe for love?
‘Dough You Love Me?’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.
April 27, 2023
Julia has been away from Green Valley for years, making a name for herself with her bread empire in California. She's an absolute workaholic and all past intentions to return home to visit her grandmother and brother are forever pushed off to sometime in the future. Things don't ease up and her grandmother's passing forces Julia to stop and return home. Slowing down forces Julia to find her joy in baking again and rekindles her old flame for Shane, who she is stuck in a kitchen with.
It's kind of an unrequited love/second chance romance. They don't have an initial romance but the puppy love, yearning, and rejection from the past has a huge impact on the MCs' present. I loved the pining and how Shane found his sense of self through music and baking prior to the start of the novel. His self-assuredness made for an alluring MMC while Julia recalibrates her life to live and work for joy.
Thank you to Smartypants for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
It's kind of an unrequited love/second chance romance. They don't have an initial romance but the puppy love, yearning, and rejection from the past has a huge impact on the MCs' present. I loved the pining and how Shane found his sense of self through music and baking prior to the start of the novel. His self-assuredness made for an alluring MMC while Julia recalibrates her life to live and work for joy.
Thank you to Smartypants for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
May 10, 2023
YES! We're back at the Donner Bakery and we have BREAD going on. Which sounds weird, but bread. Made by two people who dig making bread. Yeah, sure, they also have history and stuff, but BREAD.
Okay. Just kidding-ish. I mean bread is important (and delicious), but the history between Julia and Shane is important too. They brushed up against a thing in high school, but they weren't quite at the point where they were right for one another. Things happened and Julia left Green Valley and didn't look back. Kind of literally since she ignored all her brother's attempts to get her to come visit.
While Julia's no-holds-barred fleeing was maybe a little extreme (she had some parental issues that shaped her fight or flight response and I can totally understand both the way she dipped out when things got tough and why she dug in her heels on things that maybe she should have let go of), Shane pointed out that they both had to sort of grow into themselves before they could be a them. Actually, he pointed out that HE needed to grow into himself, but I think it applies to both of them.
Anywho. Julia and Shane. She's stepping in to help make bread at DB, he's been making bread for a while there. They clash a little. They come to terms with their strengths. They spend a long night on a deserted road and hash more than a few things out. BUT...Julia still has obligations back in California and she needs to figure out where that particular road is going to take her. Which means these two not only have the road bump of their past to work around, but also some serious soul searching about the future.
Bread, baking, a woman who's become burnt out on what used to be her passion, a man who is finding his passion all over again, and a whole lot of steam and sparks between them. It's always good to spend time at Donner Bakery (and Green Valley)!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Okay. Just kidding-ish. I mean bread is important (and delicious), but the history between Julia and Shane is important too. They brushed up against a thing in high school, but they weren't quite at the point where they were right for one another. Things happened and Julia left Green Valley and didn't look back. Kind of literally since she ignored all her brother's attempts to get her to come visit.
While Julia's no-holds-barred fleeing was maybe a little extreme (she had some parental issues that shaped her fight or flight response and I can totally understand both the way she dipped out when things got tough and why she dug in her heels on things that maybe she should have let go of), Shane pointed out that they both had to sort of grow into themselves before they could be a them. Actually, he pointed out that HE needed to grow into himself, but I think it applies to both of them.
Anywho. Julia and Shane. She's stepping in to help make bread at DB, he's been making bread for a while there. They clash a little. They come to terms with their strengths. They spend a long night on a deserted road and hash more than a few things out. BUT...Julia still has obligations back in California and she needs to figure out where that particular road is going to take her. Which means these two not only have the road bump of their past to work around, but also some serious soul searching about the future.
Bread, baking, a woman who's become burnt out on what used to be her passion, a man who is finding his passion all over again, and a whole lot of steam and sparks between them. It's always good to spend time at Donner Bakery (and Green Valley)!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
January 22, 2026
I adored the first book in this series, so it pains me to say that this didn’t quite rise to the occasion.
Is it cute? Yes. Sweet? Definitely. It checks all the cozy boxes: second chance romance, small town return, and a “coming home to find myself” arc that feels tailor made for comfort reading. The setup is familiar in a reassuring way, but….nothing particularly interesting happens. The main plot essentially plays out within the first quarter of the book, and from there it becomes a long stretch of everyday minutiae and repeated admissions of childhood regret. After a while, it starts to feel less like emotional development and more like the same thought loop on repeat.
Unfortunately, the sentence structure and grammatical errors didn’t help. They popped up often enough to completely pull me out of the story, which was especially noticeable after how polished the first book felt.
This is a perfectly pleasant, cozy read, but nothing earth shattering. Sweet, soft, and comforting, yes. Memorable? Not so much. Compared to how much I loved the first book, this one just didn’t quite land with any impact.
2.5 stars 🌟
Is it cute? Yes. Sweet? Definitely. It checks all the cozy boxes: second chance romance, small town return, and a “coming home to find myself” arc that feels tailor made for comfort reading. The setup is familiar in a reassuring way, but….nothing particularly interesting happens. The main plot essentially plays out within the first quarter of the book, and from there it becomes a long stretch of everyday minutiae and repeated admissions of childhood regret. After a while, it starts to feel less like emotional development and more like the same thought loop on repeat.
Unfortunately, the sentence structure and grammatical errors didn’t help. They popped up often enough to completely pull me out of the story, which was especially noticeable after how polished the first book felt.
This is a perfectly pleasant, cozy read, but nothing earth shattering. Sweet, soft, and comforting, yes. Memorable? Not so much. Compared to how much I loved the first book, this one just didn’t quite land with any impact.
2.5 stars 🌟
April 26, 2023
3.5 stars
I was excited to return to the world of the Donner Bakery since some of the other original books in the series had migrated into new offshoot series in the SmartyPants Romance Green Valley world. This author was new to me, although I do have one of her books as a freebie ebook. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook to listen to this one. Both narrators had good voices. However the way the female narrator said Green Valley sounded like “Grain Valley” a lot of the time, which kind of messed with me as I was listening since Grain Valley is a suburb of Kansas City where I live. Also occasionally the male narrator would emphasize certain phrases or words that seemed a little off or over the top at times.
The story itself was pretty good. I liked the way Julia would just run away from situations she didn’t like, I mean literally run away, lol. And there was a really good representation of a person with a genetic issue that caused a lifelong disability, one that I hadn’t really heard about before, with Julia’s love interest Shane. Shane’s musical ability was a neat one, and I enjoyed how both of them had their interest in baking. I would love to try some of the bread they talked about!
I did have some issues with what seemed to be a lot of use of cliches, some awkward dialogue at times, as well as occasionally too much unnecessary descriptions of things. I also didn’t feel the first sex scene fit perfectly. While I’m normally all about getting to the steamy scenes as soon as possible, something about the way this happened, or the way they reacted to each other during that scene was a bit wrong for me.
In the end however, the story was good, and makes a fair addition to the Donner Bakery series.
I was excited to return to the world of the Donner Bakery since some of the other original books in the series had migrated into new offshoot series in the SmartyPants Romance Green Valley world. This author was new to me, although I do have one of her books as a freebie ebook. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook to listen to this one. Both narrators had good voices. However the way the female narrator said Green Valley sounded like “Grain Valley” a lot of the time, which kind of messed with me as I was listening since Grain Valley is a suburb of Kansas City where I live. Also occasionally the male narrator would emphasize certain phrases or words that seemed a little off or over the top at times.
The story itself was pretty good. I liked the way Julia would just run away from situations she didn’t like, I mean literally run away, lol. And there was a really good representation of a person with a genetic issue that caused a lifelong disability, one that I hadn’t really heard about before, with Julia’s love interest Shane. Shane’s musical ability was a neat one, and I enjoyed how both of them had their interest in baking. I would love to try some of the bread they talked about!
I did have some issues with what seemed to be a lot of use of cliches, some awkward dialogue at times, as well as occasionally too much unnecessary descriptions of things. I also didn’t feel the first sex scene fit perfectly. While I’m normally all about getting to the steamy scenes as soon as possible, something about the way this happened, or the way they reacted to each other during that scene was a bit wrong for me.
In the end however, the story was good, and makes a fair addition to the Donner Bakery series.
April 17, 2023
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is the second stand alone in the Donner Bakery series that takes place in Penny Reid's Green Valley book universe.
Julie left Green Valley after high school and rarely looked back. She made a name for herself in the baking world and should be living the dream. When her beloved grandmother passes away without her getting to say goodbye, she returns home. She plans to be quick but thanks to her high school crush and her brother she's learning that maybe she's been avoiding a lot of great things from her hometown, and maybe she's not as happy as she could be. Her stay is temporary, but that doesn't stop her and Shane from falling hard before she's figured out her what her future will be.
I felt a glimmer of happiness. Double-chocolate cupcake happiness.
I always love visiting Green Valley, seeing friendly faces like Cletus Winston and getting to know new ones. Julia is a bit of a hard one to get to know because she has all these walls up to protect herself and buries her feelings. Yet she's endearing in the way that she compares / explains her moods in the form of desserts. She also has made a lot of assumptions about those in Green Valley, but I appreciated her admitting her wrongs and apologizing. I loved seeing her mend her relationship with her brother. Shane is an absolute sweetheart, who broke Julia's heart in high school. He has symbrachydactyly which made him a self-conscious angry teen who thought he wasn't good enough for her. Now as an adult, he's confident in himself and his feelings for Julia.
I'd love her as much as I possibly could while she was here, and then I'd let her go. I wanted her to have everything, even if only for the time she was here.
The romance is a bit of a slow build with a bit of angst in the beginning since neither of them trust each other at first. But with forced proximity of them working together at Donner Bakery and a long day trip in the car, they finally get back to the friendship they had before with an added sexual tension. Once they give into it they can't keep their hands off each other, and we are graced with a handful of steamy open door scenes. I really enjoyed the two of them together in and out of the bedroom.
Our lips crushed against each other, searching, hungry, desperate . I didn't know what I was seeking, but I knew I'd find it in her.
Overall, Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a sweet small town romance. A second chance for high school sweethearts, baking, jam sessions, stolen glances, steam, shooting stars, hiking, and a sweet HEA.
Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is the second stand alone in the Donner Bakery series that takes place in Penny Reid's Green Valley book universe.
Julie left Green Valley after high school and rarely looked back. She made a name for herself in the baking world and should be living the dream. When her beloved grandmother passes away without her getting to say goodbye, she returns home. She plans to be quick but thanks to her high school crush and her brother she's learning that maybe she's been avoiding a lot of great things from her hometown, and maybe she's not as happy as she could be. Her stay is temporary, but that doesn't stop her and Shane from falling hard before she's figured out her what her future will be.
I felt a glimmer of happiness. Double-chocolate cupcake happiness.
I always love visiting Green Valley, seeing friendly faces like Cletus Winston and getting to know new ones. Julia is a bit of a hard one to get to know because she has all these walls up to protect herself and buries her feelings. Yet she's endearing in the way that she compares / explains her moods in the form of desserts. She also has made a lot of assumptions about those in Green Valley, but I appreciated her admitting her wrongs and apologizing. I loved seeing her mend her relationship with her brother. Shane is an absolute sweetheart, who broke Julia's heart in high school. He has symbrachydactyly which made him a self-conscious angry teen who thought he wasn't good enough for her. Now as an adult, he's confident in himself and his feelings for Julia.
I'd love her as much as I possibly could while she was here, and then I'd let her go. I wanted her to have everything, even if only for the time she was here.
The romance is a bit of a slow build with a bit of angst in the beginning since neither of them trust each other at first. But with forced proximity of them working together at Donner Bakery and a long day trip in the car, they finally get back to the friendship they had before with an added sexual tension. Once they give into it they can't keep their hands off each other, and we are graced with a handful of steamy open door scenes. I really enjoyed the two of them together in and out of the bedroom.
Our lips crushed against each other, searching, hungry, desperate . I didn't know what I was seeking, but I knew I'd find it in her.
Overall, Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a sweet small town romance. A second chance for high school sweethearts, baking, jam sessions, stolen glances, steam, shooting stars, hiking, and a sweet HEA.
April 25, 2023
I was provided both a print and audio arc of this book via the author and Smartypants Romance, all opinions are my own. I really enjoyed the narrators, they did a wonderful job brining both Julia and Shane to life and giving emotion and passion to their story. I switched back and forth between the audio and the print book and you can't really go wrong with either format. The author did a wonderful job with this book and it translates well in whatever format you prefer. I loved both equally!
First off, I need a recipe book with all of the yummy things Julia and Shane bake up in this book. I really enjoyed living vicariously through them as they baked. When I grow up I want to learn how to make homemade bread, it is the one thing I can't seem to master.
As you can tell this follows Julia and Shane as our main characters. They knew each other in high school, but a lack of self confidence kept Shane from taking his shot back in the day, which in turn cause Julia a great hit to her own self-esteem. With a broken heart and a desire to further her education love of baking, Julia attended culinary school and opened a very succesfful bread business and restaurant. Now she's returned home to attend to family business and she's run into Shane again and it has brought up feelings she doesn't want to deal with. Things aren't much different for Shane, he's not the same person Julia knew in high school and they both have to spend some time getting to know one another again.
I absolutely loved this small town, second chance romance. This had great banter and a wonderful story about finding purpose in life and doing what makes you happy. Sometimes that is a big fancy, fast paced job. that makes you lots of money, sometimes it is slower, smaller work surrounded by good people that fills your bucket. This was the "comfort food" book that I needed.
As with all of the Smartypants Romance offerings this book is a standalone and can be read without having read any of the previous books in the series. You should read them though, they are awesome!
First off, I need a recipe book with all of the yummy things Julia and Shane bake up in this book. I really enjoyed living vicariously through them as they baked. When I grow up I want to learn how to make homemade bread, it is the one thing I can't seem to master.
As you can tell this follows Julia and Shane as our main characters. They knew each other in high school, but a lack of self confidence kept Shane from taking his shot back in the day, which in turn cause Julia a great hit to her own self-esteem. With a broken heart and a desire to further her education love of baking, Julia attended culinary school and opened a very succesfful bread business and restaurant. Now she's returned home to attend to family business and she's run into Shane again and it has brought up feelings she doesn't want to deal with. Things aren't much different for Shane, he's not the same person Julia knew in high school and they both have to spend some time getting to know one another again.
I absolutely loved this small town, second chance romance. This had great banter and a wonderful story about finding purpose in life and doing what makes you happy. Sometimes that is a big fancy, fast paced job. that makes you lots of money, sometimes it is slower, smaller work surrounded by good people that fills your bucket. This was the "comfort food" book that I needed.
As with all of the Smartypants Romance offerings this book is a standalone and can be read without having read any of the previous books in the series. You should read them though, they are awesome!
April 18, 2023
(ARC review) 4 stars
What a sweet second chance romance! Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a standalone in the Donner Bakery series, about Julia and Shane.
Julia has returned home to Green Valley under unfortunate circumstances. Her beloved grandma has died and Julia needs to sell the family home and return quickly to her bread empire in California. She agrees to help out at the Donner Bakery while she’s in town to return to her love of bread making. The only problem is Shane, her former high school crush, is already the bread baker there. The two have to work side by side and it’s hard to ignore those old feelings.
Julia once put herself on the line to let Shane know how she felt about him, but Shane wasn’t in a place where he could accept that someone could love him like that. Now Shane has had time to grow into himself and is a much more confident man than he used to be, he’s more than willing to explore his feelings for her.
To be honest, there was definitely some internalized ableism going on with Shane so if that’s a trigger for you I’d steer clear but after reading the author’s note I felt better about it. We’ve all felt not good enough or like an outsider, only for Shane one of his differences was fully visible for the world to see and that affected how he approached life.
I really enjoyed the sweet relationship between them and how it all played out. It was a great story and I liked it a lot!
What a sweet second chance romance! Dough You Love Me? by Stacy Travis is a standalone in the Donner Bakery series, about Julia and Shane.
Julia has returned home to Green Valley under unfortunate circumstances. Her beloved grandma has died and Julia needs to sell the family home and return quickly to her bread empire in California. She agrees to help out at the Donner Bakery while she’s in town to return to her love of bread making. The only problem is Shane, her former high school crush, is already the bread baker there. The two have to work side by side and it’s hard to ignore those old feelings.
Julia once put herself on the line to let Shane know how she felt about him, but Shane wasn’t in a place where he could accept that someone could love him like that. Now Shane has had time to grow into himself and is a much more confident man than he used to be, he’s more than willing to explore his feelings for her.
To be honest, there was definitely some internalized ableism going on with Shane so if that’s a trigger for you I’d steer clear but after reading the author’s note I felt better about it. We’ve all felt not good enough or like an outsider, only for Shane one of his differences was fully visible for the world to see and that affected how he approached life.
I really enjoyed the sweet relationship between them and how it all played out. It was a great story and I liked it a lot!
May 14, 2023
Une romance sympathique mais pas exceptionnelle. J'ai trouvé l'intrigue facile et sans suspense, elle aurait nécessité d'être plus longue et plus élaborée.
Le début est trop rapide à mon goût. Ça aurait été peut-être bien de voir Julia dans sa vie a Los Angeles, avec ses problèmes de cheffe d'entreprise, sa passion qui est partie, ses difficultés à lâcher son job... Afin qu'on puisse bien voir la différence quand elle revient a Green Valley et qu'elle redécouvre le plaisir de faire du pain. De même pour les funérailles de sa grand-mère, on passe trop vite dessus.
Autre détail qui a commencé à me faire dire "je crois que j'ai compris maintenant" c'est que le héros est né avec une main malformée. Bon ok. L'auteur nous montre une héroïne qui n'en a rien à faire. Jusque là, ça va. Mais alors pourquoi mettre l'accent sur la main du gars a toutes les occasions ? Si l'auteur souhaitait nous faire oublier ce détail une fois dit, en parler tout le temps n'était pas la meilleure solution.
La romance est tout mignonne, mais on sait d'avance ce qu'il va se passer et j'ai trouvé que Shane manquait un peu de profondeur. Là encore, l'auteur a de bonnes idées mais j'ai l'impression qu'elles n'ont pas été assez creusées, qu'on est juste passé au-dessus.
Avec cette review on pourrait croire que je n'ai pas aimé ce livre, mais ce n'est pas le cas ^^ j'ai bien aimé que Shane soit un musicien professionnel, que Julia check la famille royale tous les matins comme sa grand-mère, le frère de Julia n'apparait pas souvent mais je l'ai trouvé très bien.
**********
A nice romance but not exceptional. I found the plot easy and without suspense, it needed to be longer and more elaborate.
The beginning is too fast for my taste. It might have been nice to see Julia in her life in Los Angeles, with her problems as a business manager, her passion gone, her difficulties in letting go of her job... So that we can see the difference when she returns to Green Valley and rediscovers the pleasure of baking bread. The same goes for his grandmother's funeral, we pass over it too quickly.
Another detail that started to make me say "okay I got it" is that the hero was born with a malformed hand. Okay. The author shows us a heroine who thinks nothing of it. So far so good. But then why focus on the guy's hand at all times ? If the author wanted us to forget this detail once said, talking about it all the time was not the best solution.
The romance is cute, but you know in advance what's going to happen and I found that Shane lacked a bit of depth. Here again, the author has good ideas but I have the impression that they were not dug enough, that we just went over them.
With this review you might think that I didn't like this book, but that's not the case ^^ I liked that Shane was a professional musician, that Julia checked the royal family every morning like her grandmother, Julia's brother doesn't appear often but I found him very nice.
-Read as an ARC-
Le début est trop rapide à mon goût. Ça aurait été peut-être bien de voir Julia dans sa vie a Los Angeles, avec ses problèmes de cheffe d'entreprise, sa passion qui est partie, ses difficultés à lâcher son job... Afin qu'on puisse bien voir la différence quand elle revient a Green Valley et qu'elle redécouvre le plaisir de faire du pain. De même pour les funérailles de sa grand-mère, on passe trop vite dessus.
Autre détail qui a commencé à me faire dire "je crois que j'ai compris maintenant" c'est que le héros est né avec une main malformée. Bon ok. L'auteur nous montre une héroïne qui n'en a rien à faire. Jusque là, ça va. Mais alors pourquoi mettre l'accent sur la main du gars a toutes les occasions ? Si l'auteur souhaitait nous faire oublier ce détail une fois dit, en parler tout le temps n'était pas la meilleure solution.
La romance est tout mignonne, mais on sait d'avance ce qu'il va se passer et j'ai trouvé que Shane manquait un peu de profondeur. Là encore, l'auteur a de bonnes idées mais j'ai l'impression qu'elles n'ont pas été assez creusées, qu'on est juste passé au-dessus.
Avec cette review on pourrait croire que je n'ai pas aimé ce livre, mais ce n'est pas le cas ^^ j'ai bien aimé que Shane soit un musicien professionnel, que Julia check la famille royale tous les matins comme sa grand-mère, le frère de Julia n'apparait pas souvent mais je l'ai trouvé très bien.
**********
A nice romance but not exceptional. I found the plot easy and without suspense, it needed to be longer and more elaborate.
The beginning is too fast for my taste. It might have been nice to see Julia in her life in Los Angeles, with her problems as a business manager, her passion gone, her difficulties in letting go of her job... So that we can see the difference when she returns to Green Valley and rediscovers the pleasure of baking bread. The same goes for his grandmother's funeral, we pass over it too quickly.
Another detail that started to make me say "okay I got it" is that the hero was born with a malformed hand. Okay. The author shows us a heroine who thinks nothing of it. So far so good. But then why focus on the guy's hand at all times ? If the author wanted us to forget this detail once said, talking about it all the time was not the best solution.
The romance is cute, but you know in advance what's going to happen and I found that Shane lacked a bit of depth. Here again, the author has good ideas but I have the impression that they were not dug enough, that we just went over them.
With this review you might think that I didn't like this book, but that's not the case ^^ I liked that Shane was a professional musician, that Julia checked the royal family every morning like her grandmother, Julia's brother doesn't appear often but I found him very nice.
-Read as an ARC-
April 12, 2023
I received an ARC from @smartypantsromance.
A beautiful story of love, acceptance, and going after what makes your happy. I loved it.
A beautiful story of love, acceptance, and going after what makes your happy. I loved it.
February 29, 2024
with deep regrets i have to admit this was a painful read. the premise hooked me in but the execution left me longing for more. i love a good bakery trope romance and a little bit of spicy banter that touches the line of enemies (to lovers) because i find all the best romances that way but with julia and shane, their story was just a redundant case of bad choices, miscommunication, and regrets. by 25% in, i was ready to wraaaap it up like we get it. he regrets letting her go and she regrets running away. seriously no one was even in the wrong (in my opinion) but holy lord like how many times can they convey “yes i regret this yes i regret that” ???
three stars because i’m feeling generous but this one was a miss for me and sadly a snoozefest.
three stars because i’m feeling generous but this one was a miss for me and sadly a snoozefest.
May 3, 2023
A baker that left home and found success is now returning to Tennessee to settle her Grandma's dying wishes and runs into the man that was the reason she left over a decade ago.
Julia has made a name for herself in LA in the bread making business. The past couple of years have been extremely busy for her business that she never made time to visit her family back home. Now Julia is returning to Green Valley for the funeral of her beloved grandmother. Julia is full of regret and guilt as she realizes she should have visited instead of getting lost in her career. Her grandmother's unusual upbeat funeral ended by attending the local Friday night Jam Session by local musicians. Memories flood Julia as she walks the area where she grew up but none hit her as strongly as the gorgeous man who plays a French Horn with perfection.
Shane is a well accomplished baker and gifted player of the French Horn according to the experts at Juilliard. He has had to overcome his insecurities living with symbrachydactyly, that deformed his right hand. Yet as he reached adulthood he gained a self-assurance he needed as a teen. Shane has regretted every day since the moment he turned Julia away. He knew he would handle things differently if given the chance. So when she walks into his life again he is unprepared for exactly what he needs to do to keep her.
Julia's personal answer to awkward, hard conversations is to run. She did it when she graduated High School and she did it after seeing the boy she loved as a teen after a decade of separation. But when she realizes she will be temporarily working alongside him in the Donner Bakery, she is determined to not let him see how rattled he makes her. At first their reunion is messy but once they start to share a little bit of their lives, the two fall back into the ease they used to have. When Julia can't resist asking questions, Shane is happy to answer. The two realize their mutual feelings never went away and begin a temporary relationship since Julia will be returning to LA. After one month of their happy reunion, Shane wants forever. For Julia, there is a lot happening at once but the general feeling of unease only gets stronger. She misses her hometown but more importantly she knows she will miss working in the Donner Bakery and most of all Shane. At some point she got lost fulfilling a dream that was never hers to begin with. Now she has to make a decision that will potentially change her life forever.
Dual POV, unrequited lovers, spicy.
I loved this story. I was easily pulled into the plot from the very beginning and didn't want to put the story down. Julia is a fun protagonist with a side that makes her interesting and fun. Her character arc is a great read. Shane is book boyfriend status. This story gave me vibes of "Love and Other Words" by Christina Lauren, which I loved. It's so unusual to read a MMC with a physical disability but my favorite personal detail about him is that he carries himself with confidence. The chemistry between the MCs is palpable. The author does a great job building the tension and supplying lots of emotionally intimate details. Shane says the sweetest things about Julia, mentally and verbally
A fun, light read that makes you want to bake bread, cuddle in a hammock, and reminisce about your first crush. Sweet HEA and epilogue.
*bonus: Cletus and Jenn Winston make an appearance.
Julia has made a name for herself in LA in the bread making business. The past couple of years have been extremely busy for her business that she never made time to visit her family back home. Now Julia is returning to Green Valley for the funeral of her beloved grandmother. Julia is full of regret and guilt as she realizes she should have visited instead of getting lost in her career. Her grandmother's unusual upbeat funeral ended by attending the local Friday night Jam Session by local musicians. Memories flood Julia as she walks the area where she grew up but none hit her as strongly as the gorgeous man who plays a French Horn with perfection.
Shane is a well accomplished baker and gifted player of the French Horn according to the experts at Juilliard. He has had to overcome his insecurities living with symbrachydactyly, that deformed his right hand. Yet as he reached adulthood he gained a self-assurance he needed as a teen. Shane has regretted every day since the moment he turned Julia away. He knew he would handle things differently if given the chance. So when she walks into his life again he is unprepared for exactly what he needs to do to keep her.
Julia's personal answer to awkward, hard conversations is to run. She did it when she graduated High School and she did it after seeing the boy she loved as a teen after a decade of separation. But when she realizes she will be temporarily working alongside him in the Donner Bakery, she is determined to not let him see how rattled he makes her. At first their reunion is messy but once they start to share a little bit of their lives, the two fall back into the ease they used to have. When Julia can't resist asking questions, Shane is happy to answer. The two realize their mutual feelings never went away and begin a temporary relationship since Julia will be returning to LA. After one month of their happy reunion, Shane wants forever. For Julia, there is a lot happening at once but the general feeling of unease only gets stronger. She misses her hometown but more importantly she knows she will miss working in the Donner Bakery and most of all Shane. At some point she got lost fulfilling a dream that was never hers to begin with. Now she has to make a decision that will potentially change her life forever.
Dual POV, unrequited lovers, spicy.
I loved this story. I was easily pulled into the plot from the very beginning and didn't want to put the story down. Julia is a fun protagonist with a side that makes her interesting and fun. Her character arc is a great read. Shane is book boyfriend status. This story gave me vibes of "Love and Other Words" by Christina Lauren, which I loved. It's so unusual to read a MMC with a physical disability but my favorite personal detail about him is that he carries himself with confidence. The chemistry between the MCs is palpable. The author does a great job building the tension and supplying lots of emotionally intimate details. Shane says the sweetest things about Julia, mentally and verbally
A fun, light read that makes you want to bake bread, cuddle in a hammock, and reminisce about your first crush. Sweet HEA and epilogue.
*bonus: Cletus and Jenn Winston make an appearance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
Overall Grade: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Tropes: second chance romance; small-town romance; Penny Reid-inspired romance; going home
Stacy Travis’s Dough You Love Me? has found an apt home in Penny Reid’s crafted Smartypants Romance world. Set in the Donner Bakery series, the story follows Julia, who has returned to Green Valley after her grandmother's death. Julia ran from Green Valley when she was younger because she was spurned by her crush, Shane. Never realizing that Shane felt like he wasn’t good for her, she left town and stayed away. She realizes she has stayed away too long in the shadow of her grandmother’s death. When she encounters Shane at the Friday jam session, long-buried feelings rise to the surface, and she runs again. Thankfully, she only runs as far as her grandmother’s home. As a friend of Cletus Winston, he connects her with his love, Jennifer Sylvester nee Winston who needs her help making bread. It becomes immediately clear that Julia will be working with Shane. As these two spend time together, those buried feelings find flight, and Shane and Julia fall in love in the specter of their past. Eventually, Julia decides to stay in Green Valley, finding her future with Shane.
Dough You Love Me? provides enough of that tension between falling in love and fighting the hurt feelings of one’s past. Julia and Shane engage in a tug-a-war of feelings until they simply can’t deny their attraction and love for each other. Through their story, Travis deftly points to how young people often struggle with differences. Shane’s story is wrapped up in his finding self-confidence in himself due to his disability. He rejects Julie out of a lack of confidence. When he finds music, specifically the French horn, he finds himself. When Julia returns to town years later, he is now able to love her despite his disability. Travis handles this storyline well.
I think Travis muted this message with the coincidence of Julia and Shane’s bread-making. On the one hand, she’s able to spend some time focusing on the importance of companies using local growers to source their ingredients. It’s an important message to consider, but I found it to undermine the larger message of Shane’s journey of self-acceptance. There were times when the story felt uneven as Travis had to balance what I felt were two storylines.
All in all, though, I loved Stacy Travis’s Dough You Love Me? as it returns us to the world of Cletus and Jennifer (even if they are sitting in the background), and it keeps us wrapped in the world of the Donner Baker’s delectable pastries and bread. I’m hoping we see more stories from Travis in this new world for her. I think Clay deserves a story in the Smartypants Romance world.
Tropes: second chance romance; small-town romance; Penny Reid-inspired romance; going home
Stacy Travis’s Dough You Love Me? has found an apt home in Penny Reid’s crafted Smartypants Romance world. Set in the Donner Bakery series, the story follows Julia, who has returned to Green Valley after her grandmother's death. Julia ran from Green Valley when she was younger because she was spurned by her crush, Shane. Never realizing that Shane felt like he wasn’t good for her, she left town and stayed away. She realizes she has stayed away too long in the shadow of her grandmother’s death. When she encounters Shane at the Friday jam session, long-buried feelings rise to the surface, and she runs again. Thankfully, she only runs as far as her grandmother’s home. As a friend of Cletus Winston, he connects her with his love, Jennifer Sylvester nee Winston who needs her help making bread. It becomes immediately clear that Julia will be working with Shane. As these two spend time together, those buried feelings find flight, and Shane and Julia fall in love in the specter of their past. Eventually, Julia decides to stay in Green Valley, finding her future with Shane.
Dough You Love Me? provides enough of that tension between falling in love and fighting the hurt feelings of one’s past. Julia and Shane engage in a tug-a-war of feelings until they simply can’t deny their attraction and love for each other. Through their story, Travis deftly points to how young people often struggle with differences. Shane’s story is wrapped up in his finding self-confidence in himself due to his disability. He rejects Julie out of a lack of confidence. When he finds music, specifically the French horn, he finds himself. When Julia returns to town years later, he is now able to love her despite his disability. Travis handles this storyline well.
I think Travis muted this message with the coincidence of Julia and Shane’s bread-making. On the one hand, she’s able to spend some time focusing on the importance of companies using local growers to source their ingredients. It’s an important message to consider, but I found it to undermine the larger message of Shane’s journey of self-acceptance. There were times when the story felt uneven as Travis had to balance what I felt were two storylines.
All in all, though, I loved Stacy Travis’s Dough You Love Me? as it returns us to the world of Cletus and Jennifer (even if they are sitting in the background), and it keeps us wrapped in the world of the Donner Baker’s delectable pastries and bread. I’m hoping we see more stories from Travis in this new world for her. I think Clay deserves a story in the Smartypants Romance world.
April 13, 2023
Dough You Love Me is book #2 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe. This is a sweet second-chance romance told from dual POV and can be read as a standalone.
33-year-old Julia Browne returns to Green Valley, Tennessee to attend her beloved grandmother’s funeral and handle her estate. She left Tennessee at 18 to attend culinary school in California. She built a bread empire, Breadwinner, in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
Julia is shocked to find that Shane Meadows, her high school best friend and the one who broke her heart, is a bread maker at Donner Bakery. Shane and Julia get off to a rocky start, but soon find a way to work together. When they visit local wheat farms and all four tires on Shane’s truck go flat, they are stranded together overnight in his truck. Shane explains why he turned down Julia’s invitation to be his date for her senior prom, and romance blossoms.
Shane was born with a deformed right hand but has tried to live as normal a life as possible. In his senior year of high school, he discovered the French horn, and became a prodigy. He attended Juilliard Music School and became the Principal French horn player for the New York Philharmonic before deciding to return to his hometown. While Julia and Shane fall in love, her life in California is calling to her.
This is a great second-chance romance featuring a hero with a physical imperfection that doesn’t limit him. There’s a lot of dialogue expressing his enthusiasm for the French horn. While Julia is at the peak of her professional career, she is miserable personally and basically abandoned her younger brother, Daniel, and her grandmother who raised them. Shane spends a lot of time coaxing Julia to enjoy baking bread, which she hasn’t had time to do while running her company. I especially enjoyed the multiple cameo appearances of Cletus and Jenn Winston.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap. The narration wasn’t as good as previous performances by this duo. Both Kay and Dunlap seemed to over-dramatize their lines, and Dunlap especially would alternate between speaking slowly and over-enunciating his lines and then speaking too fast. They did a noticeably better job narrating Tough Cookie, book #3 in the series.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from SmartyPants Romance for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
33-year-old Julia Browne returns to Green Valley, Tennessee to attend her beloved grandmother’s funeral and handle her estate. She left Tennessee at 18 to attend culinary school in California. She built a bread empire, Breadwinner, in California, and only plans to stay in Green Valley long enough to sell the family house.
Julia is shocked to find that Shane Meadows, her high school best friend and the one who broke her heart, is a bread maker at Donner Bakery. Shane and Julia get off to a rocky start, but soon find a way to work together. When they visit local wheat farms and all four tires on Shane’s truck go flat, they are stranded together overnight in his truck. Shane explains why he turned down Julia’s invitation to be his date for her senior prom, and romance blossoms.
Shane was born with a deformed right hand but has tried to live as normal a life as possible. In his senior year of high school, he discovered the French horn, and became a prodigy. He attended Juilliard Music School and became the Principal French horn player for the New York Philharmonic before deciding to return to his hometown. While Julia and Shane fall in love, her life in California is calling to her.
This is a great second-chance romance featuring a hero with a physical imperfection that doesn’t limit him. There’s a lot of dialogue expressing his enthusiasm for the French horn. While Julia is at the peak of her professional career, she is miserable personally and basically abandoned her younger brother, Daniel, and her grandmother who raised them. Shane spends a lot of time coaxing Julia to enjoy baking bread, which she hasn’t had time to do while running her company. I especially enjoyed the multiple cameo appearances of Cletus and Jenn Winston.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap. The narration wasn’t as good as previous performances by this duo. Both Kay and Dunlap seemed to over-dramatize their lines, and Dunlap especially would alternate between speaking slowly and over-enunciating his lines and then speaking too fast. They did a noticeably better job narrating Tough Cookie, book #3 in the series.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from SmartyPants Romance for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 28, 2023
Welcome to the Smartypants Romance Spring ‘24 launch! I’m the biggest fan, and I’m so excited that the day has arrived! Week one brings us two new contributions in the Donner Bakery series, which was previously dismantled - so it’s exciting to build it up again.
Dough You Love Me follows two former high school friends, Shane and Julia. They had a very close bond and she fled town after graduating… after he turned down her prom invitation. She thought he didn’t return her feelings, that it was unrequited, so she went off to school and didn’t return until her grandmother passed. Shane, in the meantime, has returned home after years in the big music world but preferred Green Valley and small town life.
I quite enjoyed the pair reuniting and getting to know each other again after so many years, and rekindling their friendship. Julia always saw beyond Shane’s disability (Symbrachydactyly, or the one hand with only stumps instead of fingers - perfect for his French horn playing), and treated him like everyone else… unlike everyone else did. While back home, the pair end up working together at Donner Bakery and reconnecting, while Julia tries to figure out her future and what to do with her bread making empire back in LA.
It was a fun, flirty listen/read and great to return to my beloved Green Valley, with cameos by so many favorites like Jenn and Cletus and the other bakers, the jam sessions and so much more. A definite recommendation, especially for anyone who loves Penny Reid and Smartypants! I’m going to pick up some other of Stacy Travis’s books now (how have I not, yet?), since she writes very well. Great book!
The narrators on the audio were great (although, when I saw it wasn’t Chris Brinkley doing the books I was a bit worried and sad, because he’s my number one and my voice of Green Valley! …) - I thought Ryan Lee Dunlap did a really good job for Shane, and Stephanie Kay is always so nice to hear. Very suited to Julia!
I received an advance audio copy from Smartypants Romance, and this is my honest opinion.
Dough You Love Me follows two former high school friends, Shane and Julia. They had a very close bond and she fled town after graduating… after he turned down her prom invitation. She thought he didn’t return her feelings, that it was unrequited, so she went off to school and didn’t return until her grandmother passed. Shane, in the meantime, has returned home after years in the big music world but preferred Green Valley and small town life.
I quite enjoyed the pair reuniting and getting to know each other again after so many years, and rekindling their friendship. Julia always saw beyond Shane’s disability (Symbrachydactyly, or the one hand with only stumps instead of fingers - perfect for his French horn playing), and treated him like everyone else… unlike everyone else did. While back home, the pair end up working together at Donner Bakery and reconnecting, while Julia tries to figure out her future and what to do with her bread making empire back in LA.
It was a fun, flirty listen/read and great to return to my beloved Green Valley, with cameos by so many favorites like Jenn and Cletus and the other bakers, the jam sessions and so much more. A definite recommendation, especially for anyone who loves Penny Reid and Smartypants! I’m going to pick up some other of Stacy Travis’s books now (how have I not, yet?), since she writes very well. Great book!
The narrators on the audio were great (although, when I saw it wasn’t Chris Brinkley doing the books I was a bit worried and sad, because he’s my number one and my voice of Green Valley! …) - I thought Ryan Lee Dunlap did a really good job for Shane, and Stephanie Kay is always so nice to hear. Very suited to Julia!
I received an advance audio copy from Smartypants Romance, and this is my honest opinion.
April 23, 2023
I enjoy coming back to Green Valley every chance I get! While Julia and Shane’s story was a bit predictable and didn’t necessarily feel new, I enjoyed spending time back in my favorite fictional place.
Julia Browne is a successful businesswoman in LA and hasn’t been back to Green Valley in years. But she’s back in town, neglecting her job and her businesses, after her grandmother’s death. I really couldn’t understand how Julia was so dense about her brother’s messages about her grandmother’s health declining and her lack of real authority with her business, leaving her original bread baking empire basically behind. Shane Meadows left Green Valley behind for his big dreams, learned he wasn’t happy in the big city and moved back to find his happiness in the simplicity and quiet of Green Valley. He’s a super sweet cinnamon roll hero who has embraced his symbrachydactyly, brought a French horn to the Green Valley jam sessions (my former French horn playing heart loved this!!) and embraced his love of making bread to find a new career at the Donner Bakery.
I was expecting Julia and Shane’s original reason for avoiding each other to be a much bigger deal than it actually was - it was built up so much and then I was underwhelmed by what it ended up being. Once they get over that and start talking again, their relationship was sweet but felt kind of one-sided with Shane wanting to know more about Julia and Julia never really asking about Shane until other people tell her things about him. They share a passion for baking bread, but Julia is unhappy with her life and where it’s gone and Shane is thriving after giving up the big city life.
This book felt a little too trope-y for me at points and it just didn’t feel new. But the Cletus moments were wonderful, I just wish we got more of Jenn too since the bakery played such a big role in Julia and Shane finally talking things out.
Julia Browne is a successful businesswoman in LA and hasn’t been back to Green Valley in years. But she’s back in town, neglecting her job and her businesses, after her grandmother’s death. I really couldn’t understand how Julia was so dense about her brother’s messages about her grandmother’s health declining and her lack of real authority with her business, leaving her original bread baking empire basically behind. Shane Meadows left Green Valley behind for his big dreams, learned he wasn’t happy in the big city and moved back to find his happiness in the simplicity and quiet of Green Valley. He’s a super sweet cinnamon roll hero who has embraced his symbrachydactyly, brought a French horn to the Green Valley jam sessions (my former French horn playing heart loved this!!) and embraced his love of making bread to find a new career at the Donner Bakery.
I was expecting Julia and Shane’s original reason for avoiding each other to be a much bigger deal than it actually was - it was built up so much and then I was underwhelmed by what it ended up being. Once they get over that and start talking again, their relationship was sweet but felt kind of one-sided with Shane wanting to know more about Julia and Julia never really asking about Shane until other people tell her things about him. They share a passion for baking bread, but Julia is unhappy with her life and where it’s gone and Shane is thriving after giving up the big city life.
This book felt a little too trope-y for me at points and it just didn’t feel new. But the Cletus moments were wonderful, I just wish we got more of Jenn too since the bakery played such a big role in Julia and Shane finally talking things out.
April 18, 2023
DOUGH YOU LOVE ME?(DONNER BAKERY BOOK TWO)
Release Date: 04/27/23
Kindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: Stacy Travis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶️🌶️/5
POV: Dual, first person
Main Characters: Julia & Shane
Genre: Contemporary romance
Tropes: small town; second chance; return to hometown
Review:
When Julia’s grandma passes away she returns to her hometown after being gone for a long time in which she was living in LA and building an empire.
However, in Green Valley she meets Shane again, the guy she loved when she was a teen and who refused her. Now they have a chance to finally be together, but her life is in the big city and she will have to decide what’s really important. Being successful or happy.
The main characters were both good people who deserved to be finally happy together. I cheered for them and wanted Julia to make up her mind already, but she was a very confused woman and it was frustrating sometimes.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and the narrators added even more feelings to the narrative and it was a enjoyable experience. Thank you, Stacy and Smartypants for both the e-book and audiobook copies.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***
Release Date: 04/27/23
Kindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NO
Stand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NO
Author: Stacy Travis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spiciness rating: 🌶️🌶️/5
POV: Dual, first person
Main Characters: Julia & Shane
Genre: Contemporary romance
Tropes: small town; second chance; return to hometown
Review:
When Julia’s grandma passes away she returns to her hometown after being gone for a long time in which she was living in LA and building an empire.
However, in Green Valley she meets Shane again, the guy she loved when she was a teen and who refused her. Now they have a chance to finally be together, but her life is in the big city and she will have to decide what’s really important. Being successful or happy.
The main characters were both good people who deserved to be finally happy together. I cheered for them and wanted Julia to make up her mind already, but she was a very confused woman and it was frustrating sometimes.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook and the narrators added even more feelings to the narrative and it was a enjoyable experience. Thank you, Stacy and Smartypants for both the e-book and audiobook copies.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ***
May 10, 2023
Check out an Excerpt HERE
***3.5 Stars***
This is one of those books that, in the end, I can say I enjoyed ~ and not only because it takes place in one of my favorite book worlds ~ because I liked the characters and found their lives and the journey they go on in the book interesting, but sometimes the the pacing of the book did me in a bit and had me skimming to get back into all that Julia and Shane were going through.
Overall, I liked Shane and Julia. Shane has found a way to look at his disability as a gift instead of a detriment and has found joy in living the life he wants. Julia has created a name for herself in the baking world, and on the outside looks like she has it all, but she still isn’t living life to its fullest. So when they collide after many years apart, sparks fly, but not all of them were the good kind. At the start, awkwardness reigns and quite a few incorrect assumptions are made by both, but as they are forced to be together, they finally come to an accord and start to become friends once more. I’m a little on the fence about the situation that had Julia fleeing to the West coast, but teenagers do crazy things, but in the end I liked them together and am happy that things worked out.
This is my first read by the author and, as I said, I enjoyed the book. There were times where the story dragged for me, and that did affect my enjoyment of the story as a whole, but that’s a total me thing and I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author. With that said, I’m hoping that both Daniel and Clay end up getting their pwn HEA’s and I loved seeing a different side to Joy and getting the various Cletus sightings throughout the book. So, all in all, this is a great addition to the Green Valley world.
~ Copy provided by SmartyPants Romance & voluntarily reviewed ~
***3.5 Stars***
This is one of those books that, in the end, I can say I enjoyed ~ and not only because it takes place in one of my favorite book worlds ~ because I liked the characters and found their lives and the journey they go on in the book interesting, but sometimes the the pacing of the book did me in a bit and had me skimming to get back into all that Julia and Shane were going through.
Overall, I liked Shane and Julia. Shane has found a way to look at his disability as a gift instead of a detriment and has found joy in living the life he wants. Julia has created a name for herself in the baking world, and on the outside looks like she has it all, but she still isn’t living life to its fullest. So when they collide after many years apart, sparks fly, but not all of them were the good kind. At the start, awkwardness reigns and quite a few incorrect assumptions are made by both, but as they are forced to be together, they finally come to an accord and start to become friends once more. I’m a little on the fence about the situation that had Julia fleeing to the West coast, but teenagers do crazy things, but in the end I liked them together and am happy that things worked out.
This is my first read by the author and, as I said, I enjoyed the book. There were times where the story dragged for me, and that did affect my enjoyment of the story as a whole, but that’s a total me thing and I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author. With that said, I’m hoping that both Daniel and Clay end up getting their pwn HEA’s and I loved seeing a different side to Joy and getting the various Cletus sightings throughout the book. So, all in all, this is a great addition to the Green Valley world.
~ Copy provided by SmartyPants Romance & voluntarily reviewed ~
April 21, 2023
I sure do love a girl boss. Like really really love a girl boss. Julia Browne is no different. She is originally from Green Valley and moved away after graduation. She has really made a name for herself. But is she happy? She is tired of working so much. She is tired of not having a break. And then her precious grandma passes away and now she must go home.
Making amends with her brother and friend Cletus is a must. But running into Shane Meadows is not. He is one of the reasons she fled so many years ago. But fate has other plans. They are forced to be around each other at work. And finally all the truth of the past comes out. Are there still feelings between them? Of course. But my favorite part of this book is the banter. Gosh I love some good banter.
This audio was good. So good. I enjoyed being back in Green Valley and really enjoyed all the scenes with Cletus Winston. I have really enjoyed every single book in the Donner Bakery Series.
Rating: 4/5
Narrators: Stefanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap
Release Audio Date: April 23, 2023
Release Kindle Date: April 27, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: 👍🏻
Audio Available: 👍🏻
May 2, 2023
Dough You Love Me has all the small-town vibes romance readers enjoy, a second-chance at love with a whole lot of goodness within the pages.
Julia, a renowned baker living in California, returns to Green Valley upon the death of her beloved Grandma after years spent away. Here she reunites with Shane, her old friend from high school, a friendship that definitely could have led to more, though miscommunication got in the way.
The chemistry is still there (some open-door scenes) between Julia and Shane and you can tell they had a fun friendship back in their teenage years and one that picks up easily again. However, there are challenges to face, notwithstanding Julia’s own personal life and feelings she holds tight within. Shane had his own personal demons to deal with previously, feeling like he wasn’t good enough for Julia years ago, which I believe the author has written sensitively.
I enjoyed being back in Tennessee at the Donner Bakery with the familiarity Green Valley brings, Dough You Love Me? is a wonderful addition to the series and is out now through Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Julia, a renowned baker living in California, returns to Green Valley upon the death of her beloved Grandma after years spent away. Here she reunites with Shane, her old friend from high school, a friendship that definitely could have led to more, though miscommunication got in the way.
The chemistry is still there (some open-door scenes) between Julia and Shane and you can tell they had a fun friendship back in their teenage years and one that picks up easily again. However, there are challenges to face, notwithstanding Julia’s own personal life and feelings she holds tight within. Shane had his own personal demons to deal with previously, feeling like he wasn’t good enough for Julia years ago, which I believe the author has written sensitively.
I enjoyed being back in Tennessee at the Donner Bakery with the familiarity Green Valley brings, Dough You Love Me? is a wonderful addition to the series and is out now through Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
May 25, 2023
This author was brand new to me, so I didn't have any expectations, and I was pleased with the story. There are books that I like better than this one (Smartypants books and other books), but I was interested in the two characters getting together in the end, and it was well written.
Honestly, there isn't anything super special about this book, aside from it depicting a man with a physical disability. It's a good story, and I enjoyed it, but it's pretty basic. I did like the way the hero's disability was presented and how confident Shane was in himself. The conflict in the story never came from him feeling less than or unworthy because of it. It actually came from the heroine feeling obligated to be somewhere else, even though she was extremely unhappy.
There are a couple sex scenes, but they're very mild. They are short and not very descriptive. I'd give it two out of five on the spicy scale. There isn't really any cursing in this book either.
I'd definitely read a book about either the hero or heroine's brother! I liked both guys a lot.
If you're an avid smartypants reader, I'd definitely recommend you read this book!
Honestly, there isn't anything super special about this book, aside from it depicting a man with a physical disability. It's a good story, and I enjoyed it, but it's pretty basic. I did like the way the hero's disability was presented and how confident Shane was in himself. The conflict in the story never came from him feeling less than or unworthy because of it. It actually came from the heroine feeling obligated to be somewhere else, even though she was extremely unhappy.
There are a couple sex scenes, but they're very mild. They are short and not very descriptive. I'd give it two out of five on the spicy scale. There isn't really any cursing in this book either.
I'd definitely read a book about either the hero or heroine's brother! I liked both guys a lot.
If you're an avid smartypants reader, I'd definitely recommend you read this book!
April 28, 2023
I absolutely adored this book!
Baker and business owner Julia has to return to her hometown of Green Valley after the death of her aunt. She thinks she's just going to get into town, sell the house, and get back to her busy life in California. Once she's back, she realizes her brother isn't the slacker he once was, her old friend Cletus is just as sly as ever, and the boy she had a crush on is now a full grown man and working at Jennifer's bakery.
While she's in town, the connections to old friends pick back up and she ends up helping out at Jen's bakery only to discover that Shane, her old crush also works there. As high school friends, they were both attracted to each other but he as insecure, and she was running away from her own drama. Now, thrown together on a day trip while scouting for baking supplies, the two realize that they're not kids anymore and their connection is stronger now than in the past.
The story highlights different abilities and was done in a refreshing and respectful way, as have others in the Smartypants line of novels. Appreciate the inclusion!
Baker and business owner Julia has to return to her hometown of Green Valley after the death of her aunt. She thinks she's just going to get into town, sell the house, and get back to her busy life in California. Once she's back, she realizes her brother isn't the slacker he once was, her old friend Cletus is just as sly as ever, and the boy she had a crush on is now a full grown man and working at Jennifer's bakery.
While she's in town, the connections to old friends pick back up and she ends up helping out at Jen's bakery only to discover that Shane, her old crush also works there. As high school friends, they were both attracted to each other but he as insecure, and she was running away from her own drama. Now, thrown together on a day trip while scouting for baking supplies, the two realize that they're not kids anymore and their connection is stronger now than in the past.
The story highlights different abilities and was done in a refreshing and respectful way, as have others in the Smartypants line of novels. Appreciate the inclusion!
May 11, 2023
A great addition to this series. I love a book where the characters love to bake. For me it's a healing thing too and it's a way to say I love you without words. This is a beautiful second chance romance. The reason Julia is back in Green valley in heartbreaking. She hasn't been back to her hometown in a long while and being back shows Julia how out of touch she has been. Sometimes life gives us moments to make us slow down to see the path we may be on isn't working for the joy in us anymore. Julia is taking a hard to look at her life especially being thrown together with her old crush Shane. Shane's character has a special meaning to the author and I thought that was beautiful. Shane and Julia have a little misunderstanding from the past, but being forced each other's orbit baking bread brings a lot of feelings to light. I always love my visits to the Donner Bakery and this time was no different. Julia and Shane had me gobbling up the pages.
https://nicolesbookmusings.blogspot.c...
https://nicolesbookmusings.blogspot.c...
April 27, 2023
I really, really enjoyed this trip back to the Donner Bakery! I am a huge fan of this Smartypants Romance multi-author series, and Dough You Love Me? really captures the spirit and essence of Green Valley and the world that Penny Reid originated. Stacy Travis is a great addition to the Smartypants Family.
Dough You Love Me? sees Julia, a former Green Valley citizen return for what is expected to be a short visit. When she runs into former friend, and former crush, Shane, the two reconnect in an unexpected, but not unwelcome, way. Shane helps Julia rediscover the simplicity of her love of baking, and the two of them quickly become more than they were looking for.
The audio, narrated by Stephanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap, was such an enjoyable listen. They brought so much sensitivity and personality to their performances that the characters seem like your friends by the time the listen is complete.
Highly recommend!
Dough You Love Me? sees Julia, a former Green Valley citizen return for what is expected to be a short visit. When she runs into former friend, and former crush, Shane, the two reconnect in an unexpected, but not unwelcome, way. Shane helps Julia rediscover the simplicity of her love of baking, and the two of them quickly become more than they were looking for.
The audio, narrated by Stephanie Kay and Ryan Lee Dunlap, was such an enjoyable listen. They brought so much sensitivity and personality to their performances that the characters seem like your friends by the time the listen is complete.
Highly recommend!
April 22, 2025
Shane and Julia’s awkward reunion on the solemn occasion of her grandmother’s funeral brings up a myriad of conflicting emotions between two mutually enamored people who have been separated by their own insecurities and extremely bad timing. It’s a coming of age story that reunites a highly gifted musician and baker with his high school crush who is a highly successful LA wunderkind in the field of baking. Shane’s come a long way from the awkward teenager who struggled with his confidence due to a genetic birth defect that affects his right hand. Julia’s phenomenal success hides a lonely overworked woman who slowly gains perspective but also fights herself every step of the way. I liked the deep dive into each character’s psyche, their growing emotional and physical intimacy, and the deepening of their individual familial relationships. It’s an appealing study of small town life with a very satisfying happily ever after that I thoroughly enjoyed.
April 15, 2023
This is a great second chance romance. Julia and Shane meet again when Julia returns to town under unfortunate circumstances. Throughout the book, a lot of misunderstandings are ironed out, and they rekindle their friendship/relationship.
It was a nice second chance romance with appearances from my favourite character, Cletus. I liked how Shane was born with a disability yet it doesn't limit him. Instead, he embraces it.
That being said, as much as I did enjoy this book, it was an easy to listen to audiobook, I felt no different from when I finished this book when I started it. It's a nice and easy vacation read that will pass away time and keep you reading, afterwards (in my opinion) you won't have a book hangover.
A massive thank you to @smartypantsromance for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
It was a nice second chance romance with appearances from my favourite character, Cletus. I liked how Shane was born with a disability yet it doesn't limit him. Instead, he embraces it.
That being said, as much as I did enjoy this book, it was an easy to listen to audiobook, I felt no different from when I finished this book when I started it. It's a nice and easy vacation read that will pass away time and keep you reading, afterwards (in my opinion) you won't have a book hangover.
A massive thank you to @smartypantsromance for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2023
This was a lovely, adorable read!
"The depth of his eyes was a little unnerving. He wasn't just looking at me; he was seeing me, knowing me better than I knew myself."
Julia Browne is back in Green Valley for the funeral of her beloved Grams. Only a day back home and she already starts feeling the guilt of not having come back sooner. When she attends the Friday jam session, the gorgeous French horn player catches her eye and her ear, only for her to realise that he's Shane Meadows. The guy who broke her heart in high school; the reason she fled Green Valley and stayed away. However, Shane is no longer the shy, insecure guy she knew back then. He has come into his own and is full of confidence. And, the connection and chemistry between them is very much still there.
"I felt crazed. Frenzied. Nothing in the world made sense other than her."
These two melted my heart! In spite of all her success, Julia is still that teenage girl that ran away. She strived to be completely different from her parents, only to realise that she was possibly a lot like them. The trip back to Green Valley was such a personal journey for Julia. She was so out of touch with her family and harboured misjudgements about them. I loved how being back made her question what she valued in her life and what she made her happy. My heart melted over how her brother, Daniel, understood her and gave her grace for her misconceptions about him. I hurt for the regrets she carried. Shane was simply divine! I completely adored him. He was talented, smart, sweet, and soooo sexy! He was a man who had fought hard for his place in the world. He knew exactly who he was now. Once he and Julia crossed the line and acknowledged how they felt about one another, I loved how infatuated they became and how he put himself on the line. Moreover, I loved that he understood that Julia had to come to her own decisions about her life, and that he held fast to his faith that she would come back to him. Such a wonderful, feel-good story!
Blog: https://readingwillingable.blogspot.c...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R34A9VK...
"The depth of his eyes was a little unnerving. He wasn't just looking at me; he was seeing me, knowing me better than I knew myself."
Julia Browne is back in Green Valley for the funeral of her beloved Grams. Only a day back home and she already starts feeling the guilt of not having come back sooner. When she attends the Friday jam session, the gorgeous French horn player catches her eye and her ear, only for her to realise that he's Shane Meadows. The guy who broke her heart in high school; the reason she fled Green Valley and stayed away. However, Shane is no longer the shy, insecure guy she knew back then. He has come into his own and is full of confidence. And, the connection and chemistry between them is very much still there.
"I felt crazed. Frenzied. Nothing in the world made sense other than her."
These two melted my heart! In spite of all her success, Julia is still that teenage girl that ran away. She strived to be completely different from her parents, only to realise that she was possibly a lot like them. The trip back to Green Valley was such a personal journey for Julia. She was so out of touch with her family and harboured misjudgements about them. I loved how being back made her question what she valued in her life and what she made her happy. My heart melted over how her brother, Daniel, understood her and gave her grace for her misconceptions about him. I hurt for the regrets she carried. Shane was simply divine! I completely adored him. He was talented, smart, sweet, and soooo sexy! He was a man who had fought hard for his place in the world. He knew exactly who he was now. Once he and Julia crossed the line and acknowledged how they felt about one another, I loved how infatuated they became and how he put himself on the line. Moreover, I loved that he understood that Julia had to come to her own decisions about her life, and that he held fast to his faith that she would come back to him. Such a wonderful, feel-good story!
Blog: https://readingwillingable.blogspot.c...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R34A9VK...
May 8, 2023
Others might enjoy this book more, but it was definitely not for me.
Shane and Julia are sweet, newly introduced side characters are cute, there are some expectedly fun Green Valley easter eggs and cameos. The plot however just never really got me going.
There's some backstory miscommunication set up that is almost instantly resolved and a family issue that might be trying to be a side conflict but is also resolved so quickly as to seem completely irrelevant. There's a sort of looming deadline/expiration that feels so obviously easily worked around as to be low stakes. All together these made the book just too 'light and fluffy' to hold my attention and keep me engaged.
I don't mind some fluffy romance, but I still need some stakes or a little unexpectedness to keep it interesting.
Shane and Julia are sweet, newly introduced side characters are cute, there are some expectedly fun Green Valley easter eggs and cameos. The plot however just never really got me going.
There's some backstory miscommunication set up that is almost instantly resolved and a family issue that might be trying to be a side conflict but is also resolved so quickly as to seem completely irrelevant. There's a sort of looming deadline/expiration that feels so obviously easily worked around as to be low stakes. All together these made the book just too 'light and fluffy' to hold my attention and keep me engaged.
I don't mind some fluffy romance, but I still need some stakes or a little unexpectedness to keep it interesting.
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