Say That You'll Kiss Me

Maple Creek Sweet Romance #2

by Cindy Ray Hale

He has enough charm for Hollywood, but she’s not impressed. Can he win this baker’s heart?

Bakery owner Alexis Remington has had a crush on Owen Hadley since before he was a world-famous actor. When she finds out he’s going to be the best man in the wedding where she’s the maid of honor, she feels incredibly nervous. But her anxiety quickly turns to anger when she realizes her old crush is cutting into her bakery’s much-needed revenue with the competition he’s created by opening a restaurant with a pastry chef.

When movie star Owen Hadley returns to Maple Creek to be in his best friend’s high-profile celebrity wedding, he decides it time to fulfill his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. And where better than in his hometown? What he wasn’t counting on was the beautiful maid of honor blaming him for her bakery’s demise. When he realizes he can’t charm himself out of this situation, he learns that the only way to thaw her heart is to take the mask off. But is it too late?

If you enjoy sweet romance set in a small town with swoony moments, then you’ll love this book!

Genres: Ebooks, Romance, Contemporary

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 30, 2020

About the author

Cindy Ray Hale loves to write romcoms set in small towns and has been writing and publishing books since 2012, all the while, laughing at her own funny stories. She is married to the sweetest guy and has a blended family with him, consisting of seven kids.

She loves nerding out on video games, creating book covers, and drinking too much caffeine. When she can find a moment, she loves to sing and play the piano and often includes acting and singing somewhere in her stories.

She was born and raised in the hills of Tennessee in a large crazy family and as an adult, has moved all over the United States. She's finally settled down in a small town in the mountains of western Virginia where she loves to go hiking, boating, and dig in her garden.

Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrity meets small town girl

I love Maple Creek and I'm enjoying getting to know the different characters better through their individual stories. Alexis and Owen have known each other forever, but since he's become a big shot actor, there hasn't been much interaction. I love how the starstruck wonder wore off quickly as Alexis realized that deep down, Owen is still Owen. I also enjoyed the common goal these two shared with their dreams of running food-related businesses. And honestly, I was quite hungry after reading about a lot of their creations and offerings.

I always wanted a protective older brother and loved the way Chase was so over-the-top with his baby sister and best friend. Owen is the sweetest man alive and Alexis drove me batty with her waffling between allowing herself to feel and her determination to doom the relationship. There wasn't a lot of compromise and the tug-of-war between "I love you" and "I hate you" was strong, but the attraction was undeniable and ultimately, this sweet story won a well-deserved spot in my heart.

Content: mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an adorably sweet story! I missed out on the first book of the series, but I'm glad I picked this one up. Maple Creek sounds like such a charming town, it sounds like a place I would really enjoy visiting! This story is about Alexis and Owen. Alexis has always had a crush on Owen, bit neither of them ever acted on it. Until now. These two have an undeniable attraction which is so clearly presented through the author's writing. She does a great job of bringing the story and characters to life. Owen is ready to take his mask off, but is Alexis ready to give him a chance? If you are a fan of small hometown romances, this one sure fits the bill. I look forward to reading more about the residents of Maple Creek!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another SYKD find. Pretty quick and cute read

[Mads · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book that I got for free, it’s not bad. But there are certainly improvements that could be made, the main one being the dialog. I mean it doesn’t follow any train of thought, it just suddenly stops and begins talking about a different topic, on top of that the talking points are very dull. For example, the fact that Owen’s mom worked a lot and came home tired but still had to take care of her son is mentioned like 17 times, I mean I get it’s the whole backstory but it gets annoying having to read it every other page. Also, the plot is a very interesting one, however, the way it’s developed isn’t exciting, and it doesn’t make me anxious to go back and pick up from where I left off.
Still, there are some good things in this book, like how it abords body image and insecurities.
Another weak point in the story is when they fight, I mean Alexis spent the whole book talking about how the opening of his restaurant damaged her bakery, but only in one specific chapter it causes a fight, all the other times it just slips through. I don’t know, I just find it hard to believe that only the 10th time she blames his restaurant for her problems it declines to a fight, all the other times it meant nothing. Maybe this conflict could’ve been worked on. Later on in the fight, they get all lovey-dovey but suddenly Alexis freaks out on Owen, I just found the whole context really weak. Overall I felt like the story was really rushed, I mean it’s only 160 pages long.
I know this is a really long review, I just wrote it while I read, and truly I hope this is some constructive criticism (I am in NO way a qualified critic lmao, just giving my opinion)

[Jordan Rockwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The plot seemed cute. But the writing style was very juvenile & I couldn't get into it.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is book 3 of a series but you do not need to read the others to understand this one

– this is told from both Alexis and Owen’s points of view

Review:

This was a cute movie star/childhood crush/brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister/hometown story. I really liked Alexis and Owen (and that we got to see Lauren and Chase’s wedding through them!). I liked how Alexis created new dessert flavors and how Owen followed his dreams and honored his mom who worked hard to care for him in the process. 🥰

Alexis Remington owns her own bakery in the town of Maple Creek and likes to create new recipes for her shop. With her brother’s wedding coming she has a lot to work on, and a bit to worry about. The cake is going to be, well a piece of cake, but the fact that famous movie star Owen Hadley is to be the best man to her maid of honor has her very nervous. Alexis has harbored a crush on Owen since he and her brother first became best friends, but she is nervous that she’ll fully fall for him. Which could be bad since he will be back across the country after the wedding.

Owen Hadley is in town for a month for his best friend’s wedding and the opening of his new restaurant. As his business begins profiting, he is surprised to find Alexis’s bakery is losing business. He hadn’t been aware that his business could affect hers, but he is quick to try and fix it because he cares for Alexis (possibly more than her brother would like). But his efforts are thwarted and he can’t think of a way that will work no matter what. So he asks for advice on how to help Alexis, and the person he asks comes up with a sneaky way to help her that won’t look like charity…

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

HER MOVIE STAR'S SECRET PLAN is a light romance about a small-town baker whose bakery is being threatened by an unexpected tax bill and a movie star's new restaurant. They each have had crushes on each other for a long time since he has been her brother's best friend since childhood. Sweet romance readers may enjoy this one.

I listened to this one in audiobook and the narrator did a fabulous job! Her tone inflections and different voices felt spot on to me. If you already love this book and series, then you'll definitely enjoy the audio version.

I hadn't previously read this book or the first book in this series. I have read some of the author's other books and enjoyed them. This story just didn't work for me. I think it would have if maybe Alexis hadn't blamed Owen for her bakery's failure. It seemed really juvenile for someone who is an adult and has been running her own business for years. She was really mad and didn't once really make much of an effort to change things or to handle her business better in the first place. That really bothered me, especially as that's what creates tension between the couple. Then it ended up being just over-the-top sickly sweet and everything wrapped up too perfectly for my tastes. Other romance readers I'm sure will enjoy this one, but I like my stories a bit more realistic with more mature and complex characters. That's not to say I wouldn't give other books in this series or by the author a chance as I have enjoyed other books by this author.

Content: Clean
Source: Received a complimentary audio version for review through the author, which did not affect my review in any way. All opinions are my own.

[Elda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very swooney!
Alexis will be the Maid of Honor for Lauren and Owen will be the Best Man for Chase in their upcoming nuptials. They both secretly harbored a crush for each other but have to go through some hard ups and downs before they can solidify their relationship. Mainly Alexis is losing business to a very devious pastry chef in Owen’s new restaurant just across the street from her bakery. Her bakery was doing well until the town’s people were switching their business to Owen’s restaurant. To make matters worse, Alexis has received a new tax bill which she will not be able to pay. Owen is doing his best to make things right once he learns about what his pastry chef is doing short of firing him. However, Alexis is being a bit hard core with Owen understandably since she is losing her ability to make a living. Furthermore, Owen is traveling high and low to secretly promote Alexis’s business. I felt Alexis’s pain and Owen’s frustration with his attempts at putting things to rights with not much success. Almost too much angst between the two threatens to put a rift in their relationship and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how they were ever going to make it work. This author successfully managed to bring them around to their HEA and I am left with a big smile on my face and swoon in my heart.

[McKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok I’ve got a lot to say about this one. The only character I really liked was the MMC. I enjoyed how supportive he was and how willing he was to help Alexis. It is important that I mention that I haven’t read any of the other instillations, so that may have had an impact on my experience with the characters. I felt that the other characters, including Alexis, were very one dimensional. Alexis’s financial struggles and family issues were consistently mentioned but I never felt any sort of emotion from her. It was more of a character trait than a character struggle.
Also, for a book that was mainly dialogue, the dialogue felt very stunted.
It was clear that the author was pushing a star crossed lovers narrative, but truthfully I think that if there was more true communication between the main characters there truly would not have been a problem. Yes, it made sense that Owen couldn’t fire his pastry chef for being talented, but how about collaborating with Alexis’s bakery and her having a share of the profits? I think that there was a lot of complaining and not a lot of effort out into problem solving. But I also get that without this conflict that would take away from the premise of the book.

[Mariette L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I thought it was adorably cute. I loved the characters and their chemistry together. It was also really sweet how Owen goes out of his way to try and right things for Alexis. They both genuinely seemed to want good things for the other and were willing to figure out how to make that work. There were some editing errors, and a few times the name Chase was used instead of Owen which was a little off since Chase is Alexis's brother. Overall, a very sweet, clean book. The negative about this book for me was the epilogue. While they did have a satisfying HEA, and we'll probably hear a little more from them in coming books, an epilogue is supposed to give closure to a book. This epilogue gives a brief snippet about the main characters but basically sets up a lead in for the next book. While this is becoming quite the trend, I prefer good closure to a book in the epilogue. Nothing wrong with adding a sneak peek for a new book at the end, just don't set it up in the epilogue. I didn't deduct any stars for that because the story was still great and I did get a nice HEA.

[Lindsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quick and cute read from Cindy Ray Hale.
I’m really enjoying these Maple Creek romances and I’m excited to read more of them. This town sounds great and makes me want to visit!
You met Alexis in the first one because she’s Chase’s sister. This story revolves around Alexis and Chase’s wedding to Lauren. Alexis has always had a crush on Owen but he never did anything about it until now. It was interesting that Owen decided to open a restaurant right across the street with a pastry chef but didn’t think about how it would affect Alexis’s bakery. Owen was a great guy and really cared for Alexis but seemed a little oblivious to what was going on with his restaurant/pastry chef.
Her bakery sounded cute though and the desserts made me want to try them so bad.
I’m glad that Alexis opened up more and told Owen what the problem was. It was really cute what Owen was doing to help the bakery but it just wasn’t enough.
I really liked the ending and the epilogue. I’m curious to see who Tessa ends up with and if Carrington gets her own story.

[Vinessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geez Alexis needed to take a breather.
Owen felt it was time to fulfill another dream, he has already conquered the big screen now a restaurant is next, someway to give back to the people who molded him into the man he became.
Alexis has had a crush on Owen since forever, before he became a celebrity and when she realized he was in the same wedding as her she is a bundle of joy sort of.
Owen is happy to see everyone including Alexis.
But all that happiness is short lived when Alexis sees Owen as the root of all her problems.
What is so wrong with a little competition? It makes our products better and refreshes our creative juices but not Alexis. See she has been the only decent bakery in town far to long and Owen's restaurant has a dessert list. Ooh, that big meany.
Read this sweet and drama filled stars in your eyes romance

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lori R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, sweet, romantic story of Owen and Alexis, who found out they had each had a crush on the other one back in high school. Owen is now a movie star and Alexis owns the bakery in their small town of Maple Creek. Their paths cross again when Owen is the best man for Alexis' brother, Chase and Alexis is maid of honor for her best friend, Lauren who is marrying Chase.

I enjoyed the story, the conflicts, and the romantic gestures in this sweet story. I even enjoyed Chase telling Owen to leave his sister alone because he would just break her heart. It was a fun story to read with wonderful characters and I always like to return to Maple Creek. I am now craving a pink lemonade cupcake. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet romance featuring Alexis, Chase's sister and Owen, his best friend whom we met in the first book. There, Alexis set up a blind date between her brother and her best friend, Lauren. Now , it's their wedding day. Alexis and Owen are thrown together as they are respectfully maid of honour and best man. Alexis has had a huge crush since they were in school. Now, Owen 's back in town for the wedding but also to open a restaurant, right near Alexis's bakery. Mutual attraction but life always has to pitch a few curveballs. Business and different lifesyles will come between
Owen will become your new book boyfriend as he's a dream come true. Some really sweet gestures on his part! Alexis would be one lucky woman!
Snuggle up with some hot cocoa and enjoy!
I voluntarily agreed to receive an Arc of this book for an honest review.

[Ellen Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexis owns a bakery, Owen opened a restaurant
across the street. Alexis prides herself on her creative
cupcakes and muffins. Owen didn’t know how much
his restaurant was cutting into Alexis’ business. They
knew each other growing up and sparks fly when they
see each other again.

Delightful story with a quirky cast of characters. Kind of
a second chance romance since Alexis and Owen knew
each other growing up. The story grabs you from the first
word and takes you on a wonderful journey of romance,
along with its ups and downs. Cindy Ray Hale delivers a
sweet clean romance as only she can. Anxiously awaiting
the next book.

I was given this book as an ARC for an honest review

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part of a series and I had not read the first one, yet it worked as a stand-alone. In high school, Alexis was a chunky girl who had a super crush on her brother's best friend, Owen. Fast forward and Owen is a successful actor and still as good-looking as ever. Alexis is now a beautiful, strong, and successful woman who owns her own business. When Alexis and Owen are maid-of-honor and best man at her brother's wedding, she finds that the crush is still there and even more than ever. Owen admits he had a crush on Alexis in high school but never did anything about it since her brother threatened to beat the crap out of him. Well, they are adults now. What a fun and clean romance! Loved it from beginning to end. Cannot wait to read Tessa's story!

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As sweet as a pink lemonade cupcake...

This is the first book in the series I've read, and although the stories are connected, it still works as a standalone. I enjoyed getting to know Alexis and Owen, what made them tick, their hangups and their strengths, and I loved seeing them work through some of that baggage each of them brought to the table.
And I had a lot of fun with the banter of the guys in the wedding party (Benson is a hoot!). Looking forward to reading more about these guys and their respective gals.

The writing felt a bit rushed, though, at least compared to other books I've read by this author.

3.5/5 stars

[Shelley Wahls · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Alexis and Owen's story!! Alexis has liked Owen from afar since high school, we find out that the feelings were mutual!! I find it so cute how over protective Alexis's brother is, he happens to be Owen's best friend. They meet up again after Owen is famous and Alexis is trying to get her bakery off the ground. Owen just opened a new restaurant across the street. I find Alexis to be rather immature about how she handled talking to Owen about his restaurant taking over some of her business from her bakery, but Owen was wonderful about it!! I felt like this was a quick, clean, fun read. Very cute story, I enjoyed it.

[Jill Badker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful romantic addition to the Maple Creek Brides Romances. Alexis was super excited about her brothers and her best friends wedding, but she was nervous Chase's best friend from their childhood was going to be in the wedding too. She has had a crush on him for so many years she gave up on anything ever happening. But when Owen came back to town and they saw each other they both still felt the strong pull. But living on opposite sides of the country makes things difficult. Now they have to figure out if their feelings are strong enough to be able to make things work.

[Faith Cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Book 😊!!!

Alexis is actually Chase Remington sister , he was in the last book the one who was a rockstar . I think that's pretty cool because you get to hear more about those characters in this book . Owen Hadley is a movie star who isn't into himself which is a relief and you can understand and enjoy his character more in this book. This is a sweet clean romance that you will want to read again and again . Also there are more books in the series that are out , so you don't have
too long . Enjoy !!

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been highly anticipated and it’s as good as expected! I love this small town series with these high profile characters. I enjoy seeing past and future characters in these books. I don’t know what I’ll do when this series ends! Strong and real characters. Sweet and swooney romances. Fame mingling with down to earth. The whole package.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owen and Alexis were at school together, then he made it as a movie star in LA. Alexis had a crush on him, he was her big brother's best friend. They meet again as Lauren and Chase are getting married. (See Her Rockstar's Dark Secret).
Owen is opening a restaurant, unfortunately it's opposite Alexis' bakery, and the pastry chef copies some of her recipes.
Can Alexis forgive Owen, who through no fault of his own has started to demolish her business?

A great read from Cindy.

[Esme Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexis has always had a crush on Owen and was happy to find out they would be paired up in a wedding. At least until he decides to open a restaurant in his home town where she owns a bakery. Owen also had a crush on Alexis in high school and is hoping for a chance with her. Will the impact of his restaurant on her bakery push her away? Loved this story and can’t wait to read more by Cindy Ray Hale.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love cute contemporary romances and this one is no different. Dual POV is one of the best additions in novels because we get to see her fangirling over him and in the next chapter him fangirling over her. He was so understanding and supportive about her situation even though it was not technically his fault. I am very happy they got their happy ending while she was still able to pursue her dreams.

[Jeana Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very sweet and romantic. Owen is a movie star and Alexis is very independent woman. The two grew up together connected by Alexis’ brother. The chemistry is great between the two and intrigues you to want to read more. I would very much recommend reading the book if you like mild romances. This is definitely the book for you!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are taken back to Maple Creek for another story. We met Alexis in book 1 of this series. Alexis owns a bakery -- something she loves. Owen, a movie star, comes back to Maple Creek and opens a restaurant. In this story, the characters are well developed and has a good story line. Maple Creek seems like a great little town and I'm looking forward to more stories set here.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexis and Owens story is simple, yet made a great love story. They both had a crush on each other in high school but neither of them were aware. They meet again after Owen comes back to open a restaurant. They have their love of food in common as well as their friendship in the past. Cute love story.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet romance that is complicated by a young woman who seemed determined to undermine her own chances at love. I liked his character, tolerated her character and adored her brother. The story had a good flow. The romance was believable. Overall an enjoyable story.

I requested a copy of this book so I could provide an honest review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the baker and the movie star that have known each other since they were young. They both are attending a wedding and when they connect again sparks fly and not just romantic but as enemies. The characters are engaging and the storyline flowed easily.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Maple Creek and it’s small town sweet romances. This is Alexis and Owens story, our baker and big movie star. There’s rivalry and disagreements, there’s fun, drama and a little romance and I have to admit I happily got lost in this story for a short while. Do they get their hea? Read on and find out you will not be disappointed!