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Brooks Bend #2
An Autumn to Remember
Sometimes the secret ingredient is right under your nose…
Executive Chef Sloan Leary just received the invitation of a lifetime to create signature holiday dishes for a premier meal delivery service. If she wins the contract, she can finally expand her restaurant to Paris, fulfilling a promise to her late grandmother. But first she’ll need to complete her annual two-week culinary exchange. Sloan is shocked when she’s sent to a small-town diner in Brooks Bend, Connecticut. If that weren’t enough, she learns her audition is to create dog food for pampered pooches—she’s never even had a pet.
Ex-military handyman Alex Edwards knows plenty about dogs—his beloved labradoodle is also his emotional support companion. So he’s happy to help newcomer Sloan create a Thanksgiving meal fit for canine cravings. When Sloan encourages him to go all in with his carpentry business, Alex pulls back. He stopped taking risks a long time ago and is happy with his slower life…right?
As they work to find the right seasonings, can Alex and Sloan rewrite the meal plans for their futures…with each other?
Executive Chef Sloan Leary just received the invitation of a lifetime to create signature holiday dishes for a premier meal delivery service. If she wins the contract, she can finally expand her restaurant to Paris, fulfilling a promise to her late grandmother. But first she’ll need to complete her annual two-week culinary exchange. Sloan is shocked when she’s sent to a small-town diner in Brooks Bend, Connecticut. If that weren’t enough, she learns her audition is to create dog food for pampered pooches—she’s never even had a pet.
Ex-military handyman Alex Edwards knows plenty about dogs—his beloved labradoodle is also his emotional support companion. So he’s happy to help newcomer Sloan create a Thanksgiving meal fit for canine cravings. When Sloan encourages him to go all in with his carpentry business, Alex pulls back. He stopped taking risks a long time ago and is happy with his slower life…right?
As they work to find the right seasonings, can Alex and Sloan rewrite the meal plans for their futures…with each other?
Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2023
3 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Neeley
41 books503 followersRobyn Neeley is an East Coaster who loves to explore new places; watches way more reality TV than she cares to admit; can’t live without Dunkin Donuts coffee and has never met a cookie she didn’t like. If you have a must read romance suggestion or a fabulous cookie recipe, she wants to know. Visit her at www.robynneeley.com.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 6, 2023
Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review.
A sweet and very enjoyable read featuring a gentle, wounded hero and a determined, giving heroine, “An Autumn to Remember”, by Robyn Neeley (Tule Publishing), takes place in a small-town setting and has a lot of good cooking involved.
Alex and Sloan are both great characters; for all his laid-back personality and a bit of a nerd vibe, Alex, with his emotional support animal - Oliver - carries an undercurrent of pain that makes his character even more interesting.
He’s cute and has serious Beta tendencies, yet maintains a degree of depth and mystery adding to the allure.
I appreciated Sloan’s skills and passion for cooking and the way she uses her secret weapon. She’s talented and devoted but humble.
I loved having the hero’s POV and watching his interactions with the other Brooks Bend residents, friends and family.
A caring, thoughtful temperament and a good sense of humor are traits these characters display, particularly Alex (“He’s got a heart of gold, along with his purple one”, someone says).
I liked the candid, open way characters act and how the problems and insecurities are dealt with, with no excessive drama.
I also enjoyed the pup unique personality and antics and the dog’s food project.
A sweet and very enjoyable read featuring a gentle, wounded hero and a determined, giving heroine, “An Autumn to Remember”, by Robyn Neeley (Tule Publishing), takes place in a small-town setting and has a lot of good cooking involved.
Alex and Sloan are both great characters; for all his laid-back personality and a bit of a nerd vibe, Alex, with his emotional support animal - Oliver - carries an undercurrent of pain that makes his character even more interesting.
He’s cute and has serious Beta tendencies, yet maintains a degree of depth and mystery adding to the allure.
I appreciated Sloan’s skills and passion for cooking and the way she uses her secret weapon. She’s talented and devoted but humble.
I loved having the hero’s POV and watching his interactions with the other Brooks Bend residents, friends and family.
A caring, thoughtful temperament and a good sense of humor are traits these characters display, particularly Alex (“He’s got a heart of gold, along with his purple one”, someone says).
I liked the candid, open way characters act and how the problems and insecurities are dealt with, with no excessive drama.
I also enjoyed the pup unique personality and antics and the dog’s food project.
September 29, 2023
An Autumn to Remember is a wonderful book. It is the second book in Robyn Neeley’s series, Brooks Bend. I was fortunate to receive an arc from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I read the first book a while back but find this one could be read as a standalone just fine. We meet chef Sloan Leary who owns a very popular bistro in San Francisco. As the book opens, Sloan is getting ready to leave for the annual culinary exchange she participates in. She also learns she has been chosen to compete for a competition to create holiday dishes for an upscale meal delivery company. Sloan is surprised when her agent tells her she is going to Brooks Bend, Connecticut for her exchange. She is further shocked when she learns it is a diner and not an upscale restaurant like she owns.
Sloan arrives in Brooks Ben’s and is met by the taxi driver and told a little bit about the town and some of the people. She is booked at the beautiful inn and stops to get a pizza slice after being warned nothing else is open. A man and his dog pass by and the dog grabs her pizza. She meets Alex Edwards, the nephew of the woman who she exchanged places with. He is former military now working as a handyman/contractor. The dog is his support animal and he really likes Sloan. The diner opens early for breakfast so she has to change around her normal meals. Sloan is big on gourmet and lots of specialty spices. The first day doesn’t go well as all the customers left because they like plain breakfast foods with lots of ketchup. They don’t return for the lunch service or the next day. She is very discouraged and Alex steps in to help. He calls in favors from other business owners and his friends and gets things back on track. She agrees to put her spices away and cook more the types of things the locals prefer.
In the meantime, the packet arrives for the delivery service completion. She is horrified to learn that the meals are actually for dogs for Thanksgiving. She contemplates not participating as she d worries it will hurt her reputation and also that she knows nothing about dogs. Alex offers his dog as a taste tester and offers to help her with the project. She agrees to do it but then is further frustrated when she can’t seem to design anything his dog will eat.
As Alex and Sloan spend time together she starts noticing they have a chemistry but realize they live too far away from each other. Then, Alex’s old girlfriend returns to town and she hints about wanting to try again on their relationship. He doesn’t think Sloan is interested in anything with him so he decides to try with his ex.
This is a sweet romance with feelings between Sloan and Alex growing each day. The reader is pulling for them to try for a real relationship. I love the town and the people who live there. Everyone is friendly and genuine. Alex’s dog adds a very sweet touch to the story. I can see this as a Hallmark movie as well. Another 5 star read I highly recommend.
Sloan arrives in Brooks Ben’s and is met by the taxi driver and told a little bit about the town and some of the people. She is booked at the beautiful inn and stops to get a pizza slice after being warned nothing else is open. A man and his dog pass by and the dog grabs her pizza. She meets Alex Edwards, the nephew of the woman who she exchanged places with. He is former military now working as a handyman/contractor. The dog is his support animal and he really likes Sloan. The diner opens early for breakfast so she has to change around her normal meals. Sloan is big on gourmet and lots of specialty spices. The first day doesn’t go well as all the customers left because they like plain breakfast foods with lots of ketchup. They don’t return for the lunch service or the next day. She is very discouraged and Alex steps in to help. He calls in favors from other business owners and his friends and gets things back on track. She agrees to put her spices away and cook more the types of things the locals prefer.
In the meantime, the packet arrives for the delivery service completion. She is horrified to learn that the meals are actually for dogs for Thanksgiving. She contemplates not participating as she d worries it will hurt her reputation and also that she knows nothing about dogs. Alex offers his dog as a taste tester and offers to help her with the project. She agrees to do it but then is further frustrated when she can’t seem to design anything his dog will eat.
As Alex and Sloan spend time together she starts noticing they have a chemistry but realize they live too far away from each other. Then, Alex’s old girlfriend returns to town and she hints about wanting to try again on their relationship. He doesn’t think Sloan is interested in anything with him so he decides to try with his ex.
This is a sweet romance with feelings between Sloan and Alex growing each day. The reader is pulling for them to try for a real relationship. I love the town and the people who live there. Everyone is friendly and genuine. Alex’s dog adds a very sweet touch to the story. I can see this as a Hallmark movie as well. Another 5 star read I highly recommend.
September 25, 2023
I loved this one by Robyn, the second in her Brooks Bend series. Sloan is a hard working chef who’s dream of opening a restaurant in Paris is inching ever closer. Life takes an interesting turn when she discovers that she’s creating signature holiday dishes for a premier meal delivery service. For dogs! Yes a signature thanksgiving dinner for dogs is her audition. She’s then thrown further out of her depth when her exchange is in a small-town diner in Brooks Bend, Connecticut. Coming to her rescue is ex military turned handyman Alex and his beloved labradoodle who is also his emotional support companion. I thoroughly enjoyed these two and revisiting the small town of Brooks Bend. Sloan slowly warms up to the town and the locals who have a hard time accepting her and her suitcase of spices! I loved the traditions in the town and the food, the ex of Alex’s who threatens to derail the budding relationship between Alex and Sloan and just how warm and fuzzy it makes you feel. I hope we get to see more of the town, I can see at least a couple of characters who deserve their own stories. Thanks to Tule publishing for sharing this wonderful book with me early.
September 28, 2023
An Autumn to Remember is an engaging read by Robyn Neeley. The tough but kind executive Chef Sloan Leary is going places. She hopes to expand her restaurant from her grandmother’s original one. I liked her from the beginning when she used the moment to reach a waitress instead of yelling at her like is sometimes shown on TV cooking shows. However, the place she is to complete her annual two-week culinary exchange is quite a surprise since it is a small town, Brooks Bend, Connecticut. I certainly enjoyed that surprise even if Sloan did not. Still she does her best.
Enter ex-military handyman Alex Edwards who decides to help her learn all about dogs since that is for whom she is to prepare a food. No spoilers here, this is all in the description. What isn’t in the description of the book is the wonderful interaction and friendship which leads to more between Sloan and Alex. Opposite views of life’s goals but two great characters who balance out each other. A charming fall story that would be a pleasure to read any time of the year.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Enter ex-military handyman Alex Edwards who decides to help her learn all about dogs since that is for whom she is to prepare a food. No spoilers here, this is all in the description. What isn’t in the description of the book is the wonderful interaction and friendship which leads to more between Sloan and Alex. Opposite views of life’s goals but two great characters who balance out each other. A charming fall story that would be a pleasure to read any time of the year.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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September 28, 2023This is book two in The Brooks Bend series and it is Sloan and Alex’s story. Sloan is a chef and would love to get the opportunity to make her dreams come true so when she gets an invitation to create signature dishes she is so excited because if she wins she will be able to move forward with her plans and dreams but things are not always what they seem. Alex is ex military and loves his dog Oliver who is emotional support dog so when Sloan needs help to create a special meal Alex decides to help her. When Sloan and Alex meet there is a connection between them even though they are the total opposite of each other but they just seem to gel together and even though there are some ups and downs and difficult situations you find yourself hoping that they can make things work between them and get the happiness and future that they both deserve even though it will not be easy. I really loved this beautiful and poignant story that pulled you in and kept your attention throughout and I can’t wait to read more books in this series.
December 2, 2023
Sloan Leary, Michelin star chef, has the opportunity to do a chef exchange. She thinks that she is landing herself in Boston, but lo and behold, lands in a small dinner in Brooks Bend. Sloan's signature to any dish is her ability to "spice it up." Unfortunately, the simple people of Brooks Bend want nothing to do with her spices and abandon the diner. Sloan must work with Alex to get his aunt's diner back in business.
While there, Sloan receives the offer of a lifetime; auditioning to prepare "kit" meals. When she begins to prepare for the audition, she learns that the meals she is preparing will be for the canine friends. With this minor setback, Sloan isn't sure she wants to even work towards this task.
This was a wholesome romance. A very enjoyable read.
While there, Sloan receives the offer of a lifetime; auditioning to prepare "kit" meals. When she begins to prepare for the audition, she learns that the meals she is preparing will be for the canine friends. With this minor setback, Sloan isn't sure she wants to even work towards this task.
This was a wholesome romance. A very enjoyable read.
October 1, 2023
Sloan is a high caliber chef in a fancy restaurant. In a contest, she is sent to a small town cafe in exchange, and the locals do not like her spices. With help from Alex and his dog Oliver, she is back on the towns good side. Then she needs his help again when her task is to create a doggie Christmas dinner. The characters are well detailed, determined, have great chemistry and banter. The storyline flows well with drama, tension, laughter, entertaining situations and surprises. Totally enjoyed this book and hope to read more of the series soon.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 24, 2023
A chef finds that there is taste outside her precious spice bottles when she finds herself in a small New England diner on a chef’s exchange adventure. Sloan Leary is stunned that her food offerings are shunned by the locals. The restaurant owner’s nephew Alex slowly changes her into simple cooking with a touch of love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 29, 2023
The cover is what drew me to this book but the story is what kept me reading. This is the second book in this series and it was such an enjoyable read. This book is Sloan and Alex’s story. Their story was a real page turner. It was full of laughter, some drama and it had the cutest dog. I loved being back in this small town and I look forward to the next book in this series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 28, 2023
Very enjoyable read,love the people of Brooks Bend Connecticut.Sloan is getting closer to her goal of having a Seasons in Paris restaurant but has to go through a few hurdles like coming up with recipes for a holiday dinner fit for canines, only problem is she has no idea what dogs like to eat because she's never had a pet growing up.I love this book cover.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews