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Dirty Talking Rival
He's a master baker with a big...cannoli.
They call me the sugar whisperer.
Anything your tongue desires, I can bake it. Scones? Child’s play. Cupcakes? I’ll frost them so good you won’t know what hit you. Donuts? Please.
You’re talking to a master baker.
But there’s one egg I’ve never been able to crack.
My best friend.
Correction: My former best friend.
She’s the apple in my pie. The whip in my cream. The lemon in my meringue. The wish in my bone.
She’s the one who got away.
After ten years in the military, she’s back. She’s bruised and battered by life, but she’s back.
Except she’s not my second chance. She’s gone to the dark side.
Running a rival bakery in a town not big enough for two.
So now I have to decide—which do I want more?
My bakery?
Or the woman I never should’ve let go of in the first place?
Master Baker is a deliciously fun friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a smooth-talking baker, the one who got away, and a goat with more matchmaking tendencies than a nosy old grandpa. It stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers.
They call me the sugar whisperer.
Anything your tongue desires, I can bake it. Scones? Child’s play. Cupcakes? I’ll frost them so good you won’t know what hit you. Donuts? Please.
You’re talking to a master baker.
But there’s one egg I’ve never been able to crack.
My best friend.
Correction: My former best friend.
She’s the apple in my pie. The whip in my cream. The lemon in my meringue. The wish in my bone.
She’s the one who got away.
After ten years in the military, she’s back. She’s bruised and battered by life, but she’s back.
Except she’s not my second chance. She’s gone to the dark side.
Running a rival bakery in a town not big enough for two.
So now I have to decide—which do I want more?
My bakery?
Or the woman I never should’ve let go of in the first place?
Master Baker is a deliciously fun friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy featuring a smooth-talking baker, the one who got away, and a goat with more matchmaking tendencies than a nosy old grandpa. It stands alone with no cheating or cliffhangers.
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2019
4272 people are currently reading
2776 people want to read
About the author
Pippa Grant
66 books10.7k followersPippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.
Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.
When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.
Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.
When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.
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June 24, 2019Author's note, 3 days before release:
Don't mind me. I'm just sitting here gorging myself on donuts and tearing up over all the early reviews...
CANNOT WAIT for the whole world to get to meet Grady and Annika and Sue!!! It was sooo fun visiting Shipwreck again, and creating a small part of Sarcasm, and gah, I just can't wait for release day!!! <3 <3 <3
And did I mention I am soooo in love with this cover?! Happiness all over the place!!!
Author's note, 2 weeks before release:
AAAHHH!!! It's ALMOST HERE!! Goats and unicorns and donuts and bakery wars and cameos and hilarity and heartstrings!!
Three things I'm most excited about in this book:
1. Grady's special skills. (I'm leaving it at that.)
2. Annika's total lack of skills. (Huh. Now it really sounds bad.)
3. The goat.
4. Pop Rock. (Horny old pirate...)
5. Lists of three that have more than three things in them.
6. Cooper Rock. (I'm gonna write that man's story one day, and I'm going to love every minute. He might not, but I definitely will, and I'm sure you'll love it too. I hope.)
7. The softball game.
8. Ice cream (which isn't necessarily to say there's ice cream in the book, though there might be... but I'm SUPER excited about EATING ice cream to celebrate when MASTER BAKER arrives.)
9. The cover. (Seriously. I can't wait!!!)
Yeah. That's definitely three things. SQUEEE!!!! FOURTEEN DAYS!!! AAAHHHHH!!!
Author's note, 7 weeks before release:
I love Sarcasm. :-) And goats. And unicorns. And bakery wars. And The One That Got Away. And camping. And softball. And dirty grandparents.
That is all.
Author's Note, some weeks before release:
So, this is fun... I'm writing a book without a name.
But I'm VEEEEERRRRYYYY excited about it. So excited, I can't spell VERY correctly.
Also, research is fun.
And a lot is still subject to change.
But it might have the best matchmaker in the history of matchmakers in it. Heehee!
Don't mind me. I'm just sitting here gorging myself on donuts and tearing up over all the early reviews...
CANNOT WAIT for the whole world to get to meet Grady and Annika and Sue!!! It was sooo fun visiting Shipwreck again, and creating a small part of Sarcasm, and gah, I just can't wait for release day!!! <3 <3 <3
And did I mention I am soooo in love with this cover?! Happiness all over the place!!!
Author's note, 2 weeks before release:
AAAHHH!!! It's ALMOST HERE!! Goats and unicorns and donuts and bakery wars and cameos and hilarity and heartstrings!!
Three things I'm most excited about in this book:
1. Grady's special skills. (I'm leaving it at that.)
2. Annika's total lack of skills. (Huh. Now it really sounds bad.)
3. The goat.
4. Pop Rock. (Horny old pirate...)
5. Lists of three that have more than three things in them.
6. Cooper Rock. (I'm gonna write that man's story one day, and I'm going to love every minute. He might not, but I definitely will, and I'm sure you'll love it too. I hope.)
7. The softball game.
8. Ice cream (which isn't necessarily to say there's ice cream in the book, though there might be... but I'm SUPER excited about EATING ice cream to celebrate when MASTER BAKER arrives.)
9. The cover. (Seriously. I can't wait!!!)
Yeah. That's definitely three things. SQUEEE!!!! FOURTEEN DAYS!!! AAAHHHHH!!!
Author's note, 7 weeks before release:
I love Sarcasm. :-) And goats. And unicorns. And bakery wars. And The One That Got Away. And camping. And softball. And dirty grandparents.
That is all.
Author's Note, some weeks before release:
So, this is fun... I'm writing a book without a name.
But I'm VEEEEERRRRYYYY excited about it. So excited, I can't spell VERY correctly.
Also, research is fun.
And a lot is still subject to change.
But it might have the best matchmaker in the history of matchmakers in it. Heehee!
February 14, 2020
This is the spoiler free review for Master Baker. If you would like to read the spoiler full review full of ridiculous plot points and characters who are never explained please go to https://amanjareads.com/2020/02/14/ma...
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
For this V-Day I decided to have a little fun. I told my boyfriend to pick a sexy book for us to read together and he found Master Baker by Pippa Grant.
I can see why he picked it, he loves to bake, there's a sexy man in the apron on the cover, and it was free on audible.
So I agreed and we set out to get lost in some prose that would hopefully be both people porn and food porn. Well, it was mostly neither.
Going in to Master Baker I did not know that Grant has been writing a sort of connected universe for these books and that there would be characters that pop up from some of the other books but have no introduction or back story given in this one. That was confusing and annoying.
But not as annoying as the two main characters that I'm supposed to want to end up together. Grady and Annika behave like children and are only not together because they're childish.
Their main conflict is that the towns in which they were born don't like each other. This is supposed to be an attempt at Romeo and Juliet but it's so dumb! What towns hate each other that much nowadays?! They have no reason not to just hook up and enjoy each other's company and to drag out this nothing conflict for over 300 pages is extremely tiring.
Grady has absolutely no personality outside of the very uncomfortable quirk of talking dirty to his baked goods. He's nothing, an empty shell here to rescue Annika from her self imposed problems.
Annika has a competing bakery, even though she can't bake. At all. It's a running line that she once burned water. Grady is supposed to be the "master baker" but the book doesn't seem to understand that cookies are so entry level and a real baker should probably step their game up. I wanted baked goods porn and was handed impossibilities like macaron donuts. That doesn't even make sense!
Macarons are basically baked meringue and a donut is fried raised dough. Combining those two things would be inedible. You can't just shove dessert words together to make a super dessert! That's not how this works and yes I'm mad about it!
There are approximately 3 and a half sex scenes in the entire book and I'm pretty sure only one of them is actual sex. The rest is all hand stuff and it's pretty dull and almost always in the shower because that's where adults always get it on because sex is forbidden and shameful.
If I had not been reading this book with someone I would've stopped reading it pretty early on. Since I was reading it with my boyfriend though we did get some pretty heated conversations out of it. Both of us were yelling by the end about how certain scenes went nowhere or made no sense and our frustration definitely wasn't boring so that's something!
I read the kindle version and it felt very long. My boyfriend listened to the audiobook and said the guy doing Grady's voice sounded like he was trying to lower his voice unnaturally and spoke like he has never been interested in anything.
I know a lot of people really like these kinds of books but they are really not for me. Please, if you have recommendations for steamy books that are also well written please let me know!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
For this V-Day I decided to have a little fun. I told my boyfriend to pick a sexy book for us to read together and he found Master Baker by Pippa Grant.
I can see why he picked it, he loves to bake, there's a sexy man in the apron on the cover, and it was free on audible.
So I agreed and we set out to get lost in some prose that would hopefully be both people porn and food porn. Well, it was mostly neither.
Going in to Master Baker I did not know that Grant has been writing a sort of connected universe for these books and that there would be characters that pop up from some of the other books but have no introduction or back story given in this one. That was confusing and annoying.
But not as annoying as the two main characters that I'm supposed to want to end up together. Grady and Annika behave like children and are only not together because they're childish.
Their main conflict is that the towns in which they were born don't like each other. This is supposed to be an attempt at Romeo and Juliet but it's so dumb! What towns hate each other that much nowadays?! They have no reason not to just hook up and enjoy each other's company and to drag out this nothing conflict for over 300 pages is extremely tiring.
Grady has absolutely no personality outside of the very uncomfortable quirk of talking dirty to his baked goods. He's nothing, an empty shell here to rescue Annika from her self imposed problems.
Annika has a competing bakery, even though she can't bake. At all. It's a running line that she once burned water. Grady is supposed to be the "master baker" but the book doesn't seem to understand that cookies are so entry level and a real baker should probably step their game up. I wanted baked goods porn and was handed impossibilities like macaron donuts. That doesn't even make sense!
Macarons are basically baked meringue and a donut is fried raised dough. Combining those two things would be inedible. You can't just shove dessert words together to make a super dessert! That's not how this works and yes I'm mad about it!
There are approximately 3 and a half sex scenes in the entire book and I'm pretty sure only one of them is actual sex. The rest is all hand stuff and it's pretty dull and almost always in the shower because that's where adults always get it on because sex is forbidden and shameful.
If I had not been reading this book with someone I would've stopped reading it pretty early on. Since I was reading it with my boyfriend though we did get some pretty heated conversations out of it. Both of us were yelling by the end about how certain scenes went nowhere or made no sense and our frustration definitely wasn't boring so that's something!
I read the kindle version and it felt very long. My boyfriend listened to the audiobook and said the guy doing Grady's voice sounded like he was trying to lower his voice unnaturally and spoke like he has never been interested in anything.
I know a lot of people really like these kinds of books but they are really not for me. Please, if you have recommendations for steamy books that are also well written please let me know!
October 21, 2019
This book finally breaks my bad mood and shitty life choices I have to make. This book really saves my day. I mean with a hero who talks really dirty to his baked goods, it is very satisfying.
I love the relationship between Annika and Grady. They really cute together. But again, I am more focusing on Grady dirty obsession with his baked goods. Man those baked goods must be.... steamy. I want to be with Grady when he bakes. This book, like miss Grant's previous books, have her funny hilarious comedy. The banters also really good.
The story is developing good. Enough layers here and there but the resolution at the end feels rushed. The layers help the connection between the characters. And the steamy part is really hot. Did I mention the baked goods? I want my own Grady's muffin or pancakes or whatever he is baking.
Overall I do enjoy this book very much.
4 stars
I love the relationship between Annika and Grady. They really cute together. But again, I am more focusing on Grady dirty obsession with his baked goods. Man those baked goods must be.... steamy. I want to be with Grady when he bakes. This book, like miss Grant's previous books, have her funny hilarious comedy. The banters also really good.
The story is developing good. Enough layers here and there but the resolution at the end feels rushed. The layers help the connection between the characters. And the steamy part is really hot. Did I mention the baked goods? I want my own Grady's muffin or pancakes or whatever he is baking.
Overall I do enjoy this book very much.
4 stars
April 26, 2021
This is forth in the "Bro Code" series, but doesn't have a ton of overt tie-in to it. So you could read it on its own, though there's some minor crossover.
The first third of this was relatively hard going. Two people re-enter orbit around each other only with a bucket-load of pain wrapped up in it. They were high school best friends but something happened at the end with Grady doing . . . something and they haven't talked since. And while the reveal dragged out a bit, the truly hard part was watching Grady get in his own way over and over again and antagonizing the woman he wants to reconnect with. Misunderstandings abound and tit for tat is never pretty and I'm not a fan of seeing people in their own way all the time.
It evens off after that, though, and you get to the part where two people are learning to appreciate each other again after a long absence that occurred with fault on both sides (I was grateful when they actually articulated that both of them had the ability to reach out and neither did). Anyway, then it moves into second chance space, only with better characterization than you usually get with that trope. They have some difficulties to overcome, some internal, some external.
And since Grady is that protective, capable guy who wants nothing more than to take care of the people he loves (in his case with sugary baked goods), he's kind of exactly my type so I fell for him hard.
The last quarter or so shifted the plot drag to Annika as she starts getting in her own way. I didn't like it, but at least this time it made more sense and I could totally see where she was coming from. Plus, bonus, Grady pulled up his big-boy panties and they had the discussion they needed in order to dig out cause, effect, and resolution. So I didn't dislike it, either.
Anyway, this comes out a solid four stars with the tough start and stubborn people doing things they know are undermining the very things they want getting in their own way being what keeps it from going higher. I really liked the banter, and particularly the bakery talk as foreplay...
A note about Steamy: There are four or so explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance, but very nearly making it higher. Those scenes seemed kind of disconnected from their character arc, actually, so not fun. Like, we put in pinch hitters to, I'm abandoning this metaphor early on account of realizing there's nowhere good to go with it.
The first third of this was relatively hard going. Two people re-enter orbit around each other only with a bucket-load of pain wrapped up in it. They were high school best friends but something happened at the end with Grady doing . . . something and they haven't talked since. And while the reveal dragged out a bit, the truly hard part was watching Grady get in his own way over and over again and antagonizing the woman he wants to reconnect with. Misunderstandings abound and tit for tat is never pretty and I'm not a fan of seeing people in their own way all the time.
It evens off after that, though, and you get to the part where two people are learning to appreciate each other again after a long absence that occurred with fault on both sides (I was grateful when they actually articulated that both of them had the ability to reach out and neither did). Anyway, then it moves into second chance space, only with better characterization than you usually get with that trope. They have some difficulties to overcome, some internal, some external.
And since Grady is that protective, capable guy who wants nothing more than to take care of the people he loves (in his case with sugary baked goods), he's kind of exactly my type so I fell for him hard.
The last quarter or so shifted the plot drag to Annika as she starts getting in her own way. I didn't like it, but at least this time it made more sense and I could totally see where she was coming from. Plus, bonus, Grady pulled up his big-boy panties and they had the discussion they needed in order to dig out cause, effect, and resolution. So I didn't dislike it, either.
Anyway, this comes out a solid four stars with the tough start and stubborn people doing things they know are undermining the very things they want getting in their own way being what keeps it from going higher. I really liked the banter, and particularly the bakery talk as foreplay...
A note about Steamy: There are four or so explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance, but very nearly making it higher. Those scenes seemed kind of disconnected from their character arc, actually, so not fun. Like, we put in pinch hitters to, I'm abandoning this metaphor early on account of realizing there's nowhere good to go with it.
June 28, 2019
With Master Baker, Pippa Grant produces a funny and sexy enjoyable read from start to finish.
Grady Rock is the best at what he does, and what he does is dirty talk his baked goods into orgasmic treats for your mouth until his best friend and the girl who got away comes back into the feuding neighboring town and opens up bakery with her mother and younger sister and starts stealing his customers. Annika Williams automatically becomes the enemy. But honestly, his heart, cannoli and goat aren’t into it. They want her back. Feuding towns and bakery wars be d@mm3d. Can Grady find a way to make both bakeries thrive and get the love of his life forever?
Resolute in not making the same mistakes her mother did, Annika renounced all boys while in high school, except Grady’s friendship. And when they finished high school she wanted to be a strong, independent woman able to stand on her own two feet. She served her country in the army until a decade later a family emergency forced her to go back home and face the only man she ever loved. Can they find their way back?
What a fun book to read. This was my first Pippa Grant read and it had me smiling the entire time. I really enjoyed her characters. Who can resist a smooth talking master baker who sweet talks his cakes?
And what ensues after Grady and Annika realize that bakery wars are good for business is one hilarious scene after another as the town of Shipwreck and Sarcasm respectively support their bakery. Grady’s goat Sue, and his grandfather’s parrot steal the show more than once, Grady dirty talks Annika and heck breaks loose when an actual bakery contest between Grady and Annika is televised.
There was hilarity, heart and romance in this story. I very much enjoyed the back and forth between Grady and Annika. Anything that came out of Long Beak Silver was spirited and funny as was all of Grady’s family.
Master Baker is a standalone rom-com by Pippa Grant. It is a hilariously delicious stand alone told from both points of view, with a happy ending. No cliffhanger.
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Give Me Books Promotions. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
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Grady Rock is the best at what he does, and what he does is dirty talk his baked goods into orgasmic treats for your mouth until his best friend and the girl who got away comes back into the feuding neighboring town and opens up bakery with her mother and younger sister and starts stealing his customers. Annika Williams automatically becomes the enemy. But honestly, his heart, cannoli and goat aren’t into it. They want her back. Feuding towns and bakery wars be d@mm3d. Can Grady find a way to make both bakeries thrive and get the love of his life forever?
Resolute in not making the same mistakes her mother did, Annika renounced all boys while in high school, except Grady’s friendship. And when they finished high school she wanted to be a strong, independent woman able to stand on her own two feet. She served her country in the army until a decade later a family emergency forced her to go back home and face the only man she ever loved. Can they find their way back?
What a fun book to read. This was my first Pippa Grant read and it had me smiling the entire time. I really enjoyed her characters. Who can resist a smooth talking master baker who sweet talks his cakes?
“So perfect,” I whisper. “I could lick you from top to bottom and over again.”
And what ensues after Grady and Annika realize that bakery wars are good for business is one hilarious scene after another as the town of Shipwreck and Sarcasm respectively support their bakery. Grady’s goat Sue, and his grandfather’s parrot steal the show more than once, Grady dirty talks Annika and heck breaks loose when an actual bakery contest between Grady and Annika is televised.
There was hilarity, heart and romance in this story. I very much enjoyed the back and forth between Grady and Annika. Anything that came out of Long Beak Silver was spirited and funny as was all of Grady’s family.
Master Baker is a standalone rom-com by Pippa Grant. It is a hilariously delicious stand alone told from both points of view, with a happy ending. No cliffhanger.
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via Give Me Books Promotions. The excerpts are from that copy. I am voluntarily reviewing this title. *
Stalk me on FaceBook * Instagram * More reviews
December 18, 2024
Least favorite Pippa Grant book to date. Shameful, really, since I thoroughly enjoyed Grady but the portrayal of the FMC, Annika, really ruined it for me. I’m so burned out with these female characters needing a man to move mountains to “prove their love”. It’s not enough that he apologized? That he told you he missed you? That he showed you he was committed to helping you and proving he meant his apology? Not once, but time and time and time again. That he expressed his feelings? That he literally put your needs before his own? No. I guess those things weren’t enough because you’ve got “abandonment issues” and need to be coddled like a child. Explain to me how you survived boot camp. You can't, can you?
Now, these reactions, could be, possibly, explained away had Grady committed some egregious wrong. But they both acted stupidly which, honestly, is forgivable since they were teens at the time. Except, I guess, because Annika is special and should be afforded tremendous latitudes due to her daddy leaving when she was a child, she should be exempt from responsibility.
Authors, please, stop creating weak FMCs and then try to make them look strong by offering them one characteristic to counteract it. It's dumb. Annika is a weak character. Making her a soldier in the Army doesn't make her strong. Own it. If you want to her be a strong woman, write her that way. Otherwise it's just cheating.
Anyway, back to Grady. The title of this novel is actually perfect because one of the most endearing aspects of this novel is Grady's love of baking. He L-O-V-E-S baking. So much so he coos and sweet talks his batter and dough. It's sexy and weirdly cute and hysterical. Again, Grady is perfection and the ONLY reason this book got two stars. But, sadly, one character can't carry the book.
Now, these reactions, could be, possibly, explained away had Grady committed some egregious wrong. But they both acted stupidly which, honestly, is forgivable since they were teens at the time. Except, I guess, because Annika is special and should be afforded tremendous latitudes due to her daddy leaving when she was a child, she should be exempt from responsibility.
Authors, please, stop creating weak FMCs and then try to make them look strong by offering them one characteristic to counteract it. It's dumb. Annika is a weak character. Making her a soldier in the Army doesn't make her strong. Own it. If you want to her be a strong woman, write her that way. Otherwise it's just cheating.
Anyway, back to Grady. The title of this novel is actually perfect because one of the most endearing aspects of this novel is Grady's love of baking. He L-O-V-E-S baking. So much so he coos and sweet talks his batter and dough. It's sexy and weirdly cute and hysterical. Again, Grady is perfection and the ONLY reason this book got two stars. But, sadly, one character can't carry the book.
September 9, 2019
"And what's on your menu in the morning?" she asks, and I wish I could see her face more clearly. Know if her eyes are getting more calculated, or if she's just testing me.
"Banana pudding donuts. Town favorite. Sure sell-out. You?"
"Bailey wouldn't tell me, so I don't know."
"Bailey wouldn't-" I cut myself off with a bark of laughter. "Holy shit. You still can't bake."
"What? I can bake. I can bake your ass off."
"Christ, Annika. You're fucked."
"And thank you so much for helping by starting a bakery war."
Shit. Shit.
"Good for business," I venture.
"Hm."
Dammit.
She can't bake. She can't bake.
We're both fucked.
And it's my fault.
My ice cream is sitting in my stomach swirling itself into a lava whirlpool that's gonna leave me with indigestion for weeks.
"You have help?" My palms are sweating and I couldn't take another bite of ice cream if the fate of the world depended on me finishing this cone. My boner's still going strong, though, so maybe all's not lost.
Or maybe I shouldn't use it as a crystal ball, because it's a dick. "Other than Bailey."
"Everything's fine," she insists.
She's running a bakery with a thirteen-year-old and a woman who went unexpectedly blind.
She's not fine.
And I'm sitting on an email from a reporter who wants to cover the greatest bakery rivalry Virginia's ever seen.
I'd crush her.
Unless-
"Sales good?" I ask.
"I'd like to be friends, which means we can't talk about this."
Friends. Being friends can bite me.
I'm gonna be her fucking hero.
Decision made.
Several in fact.
Right here, right now.
I don't just bake. I create masterpieces. Foodgasms. That won't change in two weeks. In six months. In ten years. I will always be a master baker.
Maybe I'll keep my own bakery if I can manage to keep my profits on an upward trend.
But what I do in the next thirty seconds will determine if I can ever be anything else besides a master baker.
This was a lot of fun, it was funny and ridiculous, and even tugged on the 'ol heartstrings a few times. I loved Grady, and I liked Annika way more than I thought I was going to when I started. They make a really good couple. And in typical Pippa Grant fashion, Annika and Grady are surrounded by friends, family, and animals which results in zany hijinks and witty banter. Which is why I love her books so much.
My only complaint is a tiny one that probably won't bother anyone else. Towards the beginning, there's a scene that includes some of Cooper's friends and their stories on how those couples got together. It really has no bearing on this story, but if I had known ahead of time, I would have waited to read this one after I read the other books in The Bro Code series. Only because, chronologically, it looks like this book comes after those two. But, really, it doesn't matter. I didn't enjoy this any less because of that, and I enjoyed it a whole hell of a lot.
Insert *standard warning of spoilers in the way too many excerpts because I couldn't narrow down my favorites below* here.
Still, the goat strains the leash and bleats indignantly at me like it's hungry and I'm denying it fresh cupcakes.
Or possibly like it, too, is accusing me of sending spies and thieves to Shipwreck.
"That's right," Grady drawls softly. "Your family thinks they can steal my customers."
"You're fighting a teenager and a disabled woman."
"That teenager is more devious than my grandfather and his parrot put together."
"You're a grown man. And you're fighting with a teenager."
There are no signs of his dimples as he glowers at me in the late July heat. The half-dozen people crowding around his truck slowly back up.
"Didn't realize he was a Shipwreck shithead, Annika," one of them mutters. He eyes the donut sample, takes half a bite, moans in pleasure, then winces and throws the rest to the ground and crushes it with his boot, the pain in his face telling me just how highly he regards me if he's willing to sacrifice an orgasmic tres leches donut.
"That's what I think of your baked goods," he barks half-heartedly to Grady, still eyeing the donut like it's the second coming of fresh chocolate chip cookies, which we all know are the best pastry in the universe, except when I bake them.
The goat bleats and pulls so hard on its leash that its front hooves leave the pavement
A few more of the gathered crowd apologizes to me and either stuffs the last of the donut samples in their mouths, or cringe when they, too, throw the rest of the sample to the ground and back away toward their cars or their shops or wherever they came from.
Grady's brows are so low, they've disappeared beneath the top rim of his sunglasses, and his mouth is flatter than my first drill sergeant's high-and-tight haircut.
I always thought his dimples were sexy, but I can't deny what broody, seething, wound-up Grady is doing to my nether regions. I haven't been this hot and bothered since my favorite planner line announced Wonder Woman-themed stickers and pages.
He jerks his head toward the back of my bakery.
Like he wants to talk privately. Away from my Sarcasm supporters and his goat.
I'm all for a private conversation right now, because I'm about done with this stupid fight, but I also know Grady, and I know how hard he worked to carve out something that he could be the best in.
He grew up in the shadow of his little brother, who had the bigger personality, the bigger brain, and the bigger talent. And while I know he'd do anything for Cooper, that doesn't mean he's immune to having feelings about being the less successful Rock brother.
Not that anyone likes to swallow their pride. Grady's just always had to fight for his place, and I get it.
I'm moving in to where he excels.
I'm pulling a Cooper on him.
Plus, heat always makes him cranky.
It's why his mom always kept popsicles in her freezer during the summer.
~
The words are thank you.
But I can't find them.
Because Grady Rock makes my brain short-circuit.
I spent four years of high school re-wiring myself over and over so I could resist his dimples and his confidence and his easy acceptance of me for who I was, not where I came from or where I wanted to go or the schedule I'd made to get there.
But I can't do it anymore.
I can't resist him.
And I don't want to.
He's not perfect. God knows, neither am I. But when he walked into the shower and casually pulled that curtain back, like he knew I was here, and it was okay, and he was happy to see me, no matter what happened in the rest of the world today, I fell.
I quit trying to overanalyze, and I just fell, and it scared the shit out of me.
Because what if we don't work?
What if all this is just a leftover high school crush?
That bulge against my belly doesn't feel left over.
The press of his body anchoring me to the chilly tile wall doesn't feel left over.
The hot swipe of his tongue against mine doesn't feel left over either.
~
And because Annika's never late for anything, I catch the flash of the sun reflecting off a windshield right at six o'clock.
I hit the front door and pull it open as she's climbing out of her car.
Her dark hair is tied back, and a baseball cap shields her eyes. She's in tight low-rise jeans with her phone sticking out of one pocket and a tank top that keeps lifting to show a sliver of her belly over the white long-sleeve blouse she has tied at her waist.
And she's in hiking boots.
The first time I saw her, she was in boots.
They make me happy, she'd said.
Her happiness made me happy.
And now that I've finally figured out the magic of making her happy, I never wanted to stop.
"Get all dressed up for baking lessons?" I ask with a grin.
"If you're looking for makeup and a slinky dress, you asked the wrong girl to stick her hands in dough with you."
I clench my eyes shut and try to think of my Nana naked, but all I'm coming up with is Annika in my shower, her cheeks flushed, my fingers in her hot, tight pussy, and I shouldn't have borrowed my brother's house.
Screw the brownies.
And the steak.
"Grady?"
"Hold on."
Pop.
Yep. Think about Pop. Crusty nuts and saggy vaginas.
Okay.
This is good.
I toss a mime into the mix, and yep.
That does it.
Situation temporarily contained.
I open my eyes again, and Annika's giving me the lifted brows of what the fuck have you been smoking?
"Making sure I didn't forget anything before we pop the wine," I lie.
She smirks. "You were thinking about me naked."
And there goes my dick.
"Trying not to think about you naked," I correct. "I'm teaching you to bake."
~
I'm on the couch, Sue passed out with his snout in my lap, watching the Fireballs play their first home game in a week and a half and nodding off over an empty bowl of Lucky Charms topped with chocolate milk when I hear the sound of tires crunching over the gravel behind my house.
I don't think anything of it, because the athlete's foot spray commercial between innings is blending into the dream I'm drifting into about Sue trying out to be the new Fireballs mascot, which entails him shooting flaming boogers out his nose.
I snort-laugh in my sleep and wake myself, but something's not right.
There's a weird tapping coming from the back door.
Sue grunts.
I figure it's just the flowers, realize they don't actually have fingers and mouths, and can't tap dance across the sidewalk, much less tap on the back door, and I bolt upright just as the back door clicks open.
"'Lo?" I call.
"You found me a baker," Annika whispers behind me, and I'm suddenly fully awake.
I leap up.
Sue falls off the couch and gives us both an earful until he sees Annika slipping in from the kitchen, and then he charges.
She laughs and scratches him all over his head while he tries to leap on her. "Aww, who's a good boy? You're a good boy, aren't you?"
"You're here," I say, stating the obvious like a dumbass.
"You sent me a baker," she repeats.
"I know one or two. Sometimes they're looking for changes."
The bags are heavy under her eyes, but everything else about her is sparkling. She straightens, and her loose hair falls to land at nipple level. Her shoulders are relaxed, her spine straight, her joy shining.
Instead of her normal leggings, she's in short jean shorts topped with a peach tank top that hugs her breasts and shows off her slender but strong arms.
And she's in sandals.
With pink-tipped toes.
Pink.
Annika.
But it's the giant smile curving her lush lips that sends me over the edge.
I did that.
I made her happy.
~
"I miss you."
My grip around her tightens. "Right here, Annika."
She doesn't answer.
She doesn't have to.
I know what she means.
She has to leave. I have to stay. And neither of us knows when she'll get her next break so we can sneak off together.
"Maaa?" Sue asks.
Annika laughs into my neck as the goat hops up onto the couch and tries to squeeze between us.
"Back, you crazy animal," I tell him.
He licks my ear and sticks a hoof way too close to the goods.
"Sit," Annika orders.
And the fucking goat sits.
"Are you kidding me?" I ask him.
He licks his nose, then snorts on me.
Annika laughs, right there in my arms, and yeah, I'd let my goat snort on me every day if that's what it took to hear that music.
I'd find her a new baker every day too.
Anything to make her happy.
Anything.
She's everything that's been missing from my life in the last ten years.
All of her. Her drive. Her dedication.
Her family.
Her chaos.
She's my happiness.
And I'm going to do my damnedest to be her happiness too.
"Banana pudding donuts. Town favorite. Sure sell-out. You?"
"Bailey wouldn't tell me, so I don't know."
"Bailey wouldn't-" I cut myself off with a bark of laughter. "Holy shit. You still can't bake."
"What? I can bake. I can bake your ass off."
"Christ, Annika. You're fucked."
"And thank you so much for helping by starting a bakery war."
Shit. Shit.
"Good for business," I venture.
"Hm."
Dammit.
She can't bake. She can't bake.
We're both fucked.
And it's my fault.
My ice cream is sitting in my stomach swirling itself into a lava whirlpool that's gonna leave me with indigestion for weeks.
"You have help?" My palms are sweating and I couldn't take another bite of ice cream if the fate of the world depended on me finishing this cone. My boner's still going strong, though, so maybe all's not lost.
Or maybe I shouldn't use it as a crystal ball, because it's a dick. "Other than Bailey."
"Everything's fine," she insists.
She's running a bakery with a thirteen-year-old and a woman who went unexpectedly blind.
She's not fine.
And I'm sitting on an email from a reporter who wants to cover the greatest bakery rivalry Virginia's ever seen.
I'd crush her.
Unless-
"Sales good?" I ask.
"I'd like to be friends, which means we can't talk about this."
Friends. Being friends can bite me.
I'm gonna be her fucking hero.
Decision made.
Several in fact.
Right here, right now.
I don't just bake. I create masterpieces. Foodgasms. That won't change in two weeks. In six months. In ten years. I will always be a master baker.
Maybe I'll keep my own bakery if I can manage to keep my profits on an upward trend.
But what I do in the next thirty seconds will determine if I can ever be anything else besides a master baker.
This was a lot of fun, it was funny and ridiculous, and even tugged on the 'ol heartstrings a few times. I loved Grady, and I liked Annika way more than I thought I was going to when I started. They make a really good couple. And in typical Pippa Grant fashion, Annika and Grady are surrounded by friends, family, and animals which results in zany hijinks and witty banter. Which is why I love her books so much.
My only complaint is a tiny one that probably won't bother anyone else. Towards the beginning, there's a scene that includes some of Cooper's friends and their stories on how those couples got together. It really has no bearing on this story, but if I had known ahead of time, I would have waited to read this one after I read the other books in The Bro Code series. Only because, chronologically, it looks like this book comes after those two. But, really, it doesn't matter. I didn't enjoy this any less because of that, and I enjoyed it a whole hell of a lot.
Insert *standard warning of spoilers in the way too many excerpts because I couldn't narrow down my favorites below* here.
Still, the goat strains the leash and bleats indignantly at me like it's hungry and I'm denying it fresh cupcakes.
Or possibly like it, too, is accusing me of sending spies and thieves to Shipwreck.
"That's right," Grady drawls softly. "Your family thinks they can steal my customers."
"You're fighting a teenager and a disabled woman."
"That teenager is more devious than my grandfather and his parrot put together."
"You're a grown man. And you're fighting with a teenager."
There are no signs of his dimples as he glowers at me in the late July heat. The half-dozen people crowding around his truck slowly back up.
"Didn't realize he was a Shipwreck shithead, Annika," one of them mutters. He eyes the donut sample, takes half a bite, moans in pleasure, then winces and throws the rest to the ground and crushes it with his boot, the pain in his face telling me just how highly he regards me if he's willing to sacrifice an orgasmic tres leches donut.
"That's what I think of your baked goods," he barks half-heartedly to Grady, still eyeing the donut like it's the second coming of fresh chocolate chip cookies, which we all know are the best pastry in the universe, except when I bake them.
The goat bleats and pulls so hard on its leash that its front hooves leave the pavement
A few more of the gathered crowd apologizes to me and either stuffs the last of the donut samples in their mouths, or cringe when they, too, throw the rest of the sample to the ground and back away toward their cars or their shops or wherever they came from.
Grady's brows are so low, they've disappeared beneath the top rim of his sunglasses, and his mouth is flatter than my first drill sergeant's high-and-tight haircut.
I always thought his dimples were sexy, but I can't deny what broody, seething, wound-up Grady is doing to my nether regions. I haven't been this hot and bothered since my favorite planner line announced Wonder Woman-themed stickers and pages.
He jerks his head toward the back of my bakery.
Like he wants to talk privately. Away from my Sarcasm supporters and his goat.
I'm all for a private conversation right now, because I'm about done with this stupid fight, but I also know Grady, and I know how hard he worked to carve out something that he could be the best in.
He grew up in the shadow of his little brother, who had the bigger personality, the bigger brain, and the bigger talent. And while I know he'd do anything for Cooper, that doesn't mean he's immune to having feelings about being the less successful Rock brother.
Not that anyone likes to swallow their pride. Grady's just always had to fight for his place, and I get it.
I'm moving in to where he excels.
I'm pulling a Cooper on him.
Plus, heat always makes him cranky.
It's why his mom always kept popsicles in her freezer during the summer.
~
The words are thank you.
But I can't find them.
Because Grady Rock makes my brain short-circuit.
I spent four years of high school re-wiring myself over and over so I could resist his dimples and his confidence and his easy acceptance of me for who I was, not where I came from or where I wanted to go or the schedule I'd made to get there.
But I can't do it anymore.
I can't resist him.
And I don't want to.
He's not perfect. God knows, neither am I. But when he walked into the shower and casually pulled that curtain back, like he knew I was here, and it was okay, and he was happy to see me, no matter what happened in the rest of the world today, I fell.
I quit trying to overanalyze, and I just fell, and it scared the shit out of me.
Because what if we don't work?
What if all this is just a leftover high school crush?
That bulge against my belly doesn't feel left over.
The press of his body anchoring me to the chilly tile wall doesn't feel left over.
The hot swipe of his tongue against mine doesn't feel left over either.
~
And because Annika's never late for anything, I catch the flash of the sun reflecting off a windshield right at six o'clock.
I hit the front door and pull it open as she's climbing out of her car.
Her dark hair is tied back, and a baseball cap shields her eyes. She's in tight low-rise jeans with her phone sticking out of one pocket and a tank top that keeps lifting to show a sliver of her belly over the white long-sleeve blouse she has tied at her waist.
And she's in hiking boots.
The first time I saw her, she was in boots.
They make me happy, she'd said.
Her happiness made me happy.
And now that I've finally figured out the magic of making her happy, I never wanted to stop.
"Get all dressed up for baking lessons?" I ask with a grin.
"If you're looking for makeup and a slinky dress, you asked the wrong girl to stick her hands in dough with you."
I clench my eyes shut and try to think of my Nana naked, but all I'm coming up with is Annika in my shower, her cheeks flushed, my fingers in her hot, tight pussy, and I shouldn't have borrowed my brother's house.
Screw the brownies.
And the steak.
"Grady?"
"Hold on."
Pop.
Yep. Think about Pop. Crusty nuts and saggy vaginas.
Okay.
This is good.
I toss a mime into the mix, and yep.
That does it.
Situation temporarily contained.
I open my eyes again, and Annika's giving me the lifted brows of what the fuck have you been smoking?
"Making sure I didn't forget anything before we pop the wine," I lie.
She smirks. "You were thinking about me naked."
And there goes my dick.
"Trying not to think about you naked," I correct. "I'm teaching you to bake."
~
I'm on the couch, Sue passed out with his snout in my lap, watching the Fireballs play their first home game in a week and a half and nodding off over an empty bowl of Lucky Charms topped with chocolate milk when I hear the sound of tires crunching over the gravel behind my house.
I don't think anything of it, because the athlete's foot spray commercial between innings is blending into the dream I'm drifting into about Sue trying out to be the new Fireballs mascot, which entails him shooting flaming boogers out his nose.
I snort-laugh in my sleep and wake myself, but something's not right.
There's a weird tapping coming from the back door.
Sue grunts.
I figure it's just the flowers, realize they don't actually have fingers and mouths, and can't tap dance across the sidewalk, much less tap on the back door, and I bolt upright just as the back door clicks open.
"'Lo?" I call.
"You found me a baker," Annika whispers behind me, and I'm suddenly fully awake.
I leap up.
Sue falls off the couch and gives us both an earful until he sees Annika slipping in from the kitchen, and then he charges.
She laughs and scratches him all over his head while he tries to leap on her. "Aww, who's a good boy? You're a good boy, aren't you?"
"You're here," I say, stating the obvious like a dumbass.
"You sent me a baker," she repeats.
"I know one or two. Sometimes they're looking for changes."
The bags are heavy under her eyes, but everything else about her is sparkling. She straightens, and her loose hair falls to land at nipple level. Her shoulders are relaxed, her spine straight, her joy shining.
Instead of her normal leggings, she's in short jean shorts topped with a peach tank top that hugs her breasts and shows off her slender but strong arms.
And she's in sandals.
With pink-tipped toes.
Pink.
Annika.
But it's the giant smile curving her lush lips that sends me over the edge.
I did that.
I made her happy.
~
"I miss you."
My grip around her tightens. "Right here, Annika."
She doesn't answer.
She doesn't have to.
I know what she means.
She has to leave. I have to stay. And neither of us knows when she'll get her next break so we can sneak off together.
"Maaa?" Sue asks.
Annika laughs into my neck as the goat hops up onto the couch and tries to squeeze between us.
"Back, you crazy animal," I tell him.
He licks my ear and sticks a hoof way too close to the goods.
"Sit," Annika orders.
And the fucking goat sits.
"Are you kidding me?" I ask him.
He licks his nose, then snorts on me.
Annika laughs, right there in my arms, and yeah, I'd let my goat snort on me every day if that's what it took to hear that music.
I'd find her a new baker every day too.
Anything to make her happy.
Anything.
She's everything that's been missing from my life in the last ten years.
All of her. Her drive. Her dedication.
Her family.
Her chaos.
She's my happiness.
And I'm going to do my damnedest to be her happiness too.
March 10, 2022
This was deliciously entertaining. I got such a kick out of Grady and Annika - plus when you throw in a c*ck blocking goat named Sue, Granddad's dirty talking parrot and family that just don't know when to mind their business you get something baked to perfection.
Grady and Annika were the best of friends through high school. He shared with her a little about wanting to possibly explore their relationship past friendship. She was heading into the military and had her life planned out. Why did he wait so long, until the very last second.
Years go by and their friendship evaporated. Quite possibly semi enemies by now. Especially with them being from the two rival towns - Shipwreck and Sarcasm.
The rivalry between the two towns has been happening for over 100 years. Then throw in a bake off between the two and you have a recipe for some good ol' fashion fun! Grady has Birds Nest and Annika returned home to help her Mama run Du-Nuts.
This book was packed with hilarious banter, sexual tension that could start a kitchen fire and the rekindling of a beautiful friendship that could very well turn into a first prize winner.
I don't think I'll be able to bake again without hearing Grady sweet talking with his pastries. Woah, that guy talked dirty to them - to help them turn out just right. Holy Hotness! The audio was SO good! It totally made the book come alive!
Grady and Annika were the best of friends through high school. He shared with her a little about wanting to possibly explore their relationship past friendship. She was heading into the military and had her life planned out. Why did he wait so long, until the very last second.
Years go by and their friendship evaporated. Quite possibly semi enemies by now. Especially with them being from the two rival towns - Shipwreck and Sarcasm.
The rivalry between the two towns has been happening for over 100 years. Then throw in a bake off between the two and you have a recipe for some good ol' fashion fun! Grady has Birds Nest and Annika returned home to help her Mama run Du-Nuts.
This book was packed with hilarious banter, sexual tension that could start a kitchen fire and the rekindling of a beautiful friendship that could very well turn into a first prize winner.
I don't think I'll be able to bake again without hearing Grady sweet talking with his pastries. Woah, that guy talked dirty to them - to help them turn out just right. Holy Hotness! The audio was SO good! It totally made the book come alive!
November 23, 2022
A pretty good read.
Even though this isn’t the usual type of book I read I still thought it was pretty good. I picked it up because I heard it had a good grovel. I didn’t think the grovel was epic but it was okay. I really liked the moment where everything came crashing down on Annika and she couldn’t take it anymore. It had me tear up, it was really well done. I could feel her pain and didn’t think she was blowing things out of proportion.
I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers and second chance romances and this was both but it was done pretty well so it wasn’t the trope throwing me off. I also felt like it really dragged in the beginning and didn’t pick up until like 35% in for me personally.
Besides that I thought it was pretty funny for the most part and I loved the goat named Sue. Oh, and how Grady was immediately protective of her little sister even though Bailey hated him was great.
Even though this isn’t the usual type of book I read I still thought it was pretty good. I picked it up because I heard it had a good grovel. I didn’t think the grovel was epic but it was okay. I really liked the moment where everything came crashing down on Annika and she couldn’t take it anymore. It had me tear up, it was really well done. I could feel her pain and didn’t think she was blowing things out of proportion.
I’m not a big fan of friends to lovers and second chance romances and this was both but it was done pretty well so it wasn’t the trope throwing me off. I also felt like it really dragged in the beginning and didn’t pick up until like 35% in for me personally.
Besides that I thought it was pretty funny for the most part and I loved the goat named Sue. Oh, and how Grady was immediately protective of her little sister even though Bailey hated him was great.
July 25, 2019
There are certain authors who can just hit that sweet spot every (or almost) every time you read them, and Ms. Grant is quickly becoming one of those authors for me.
I also like that there are certain tropes she can nail, and second chance romances are definitely one of them. Grady and Annika started as best friends in high school, even if they were from rival small towns. Annika always knew that she wasn't going to stay in Sarcasm because while she loved her single mother, she didnt' want to become her. Her plans to join the military to help her pay for her future will take her far away from Sarcasm even if she'll miss Grady. However, right before they were leaving Grady took his shot and asked Annika to stay and wait for him...and Annika shot him down.
Now ten years later, Annika's back in Sarcasm, helping her mother adjust to her sudden blindness, help raise her younger sister Bailey, and try to get their fledgling baker off the ground. A bakery whose direct competition is? You guessed it - Grady's bakery in Shipwreck. Along the way, these former best friends turned competitors learn that you can't go back again, but looking forward is worth exploring because yes, romance happens.
Ms. Grant can capture that idealized vibe of a small town while showing all those quirky flaws that make them interesting to read about. The rivalry between Sarcasm and Shipwreck (yes, that's the town names) takes on a life of its own in this tale and I enjoyed the ridiculousness of it all lightening the mood of a pretty serious homecoming for Annika. She's a heroine who loves structure, charts, and schedules - pretty much the exact opposite of what she comes home to but she's trying. Grady is a bit of an ass when she returns, but I understood both their sides and rooted for them to get it right. Grady's never wavering love of Annika is certain a key feature for me and I loved his joy in just making her happy and easing her burden. Also, his dirty talk? I have no words, but if you like a hero who can dirty talk his ....muffins, Grady's the man for you.
Now, on occasion I felt there could have been some judicious editing to tighten up the narrative - there's a bit of repetitiveness in his inner thoughts, and the ending would have satisfied me more had their big declarations happened a bit earlier. Ms. Grant's humor can be slapsticky and the jokes don't always land, but plenty do and I appreciate that when I'm looking for some humor in my romances. There are times that the rivalry goes overboard and doesn't quite work. However, I loved the little cameos from some characters from Ms. Grant's earlier books to give long time readers a bit of an extra oomph to their enjoyment when all is said and done.
If you like second chance romances with humor, heat and heart, a whole lot of baking and some small town mischief, you may enjoy this.
**borrowed through Kindle Unlimited**
For more reviews, visit
June 19, 2019
Wow. Just wow. I love Pippa Grant's books as it is, but this one immediately jumped to my top three. It's hilariously funny and deliciously dirty, with a good dose of "warped" involved. (I mean that in a good way.)
Grady Rock, the Master Baker of the title, runs the only bakery in Shipwreck. Of course, it helps that he really is an amazing baker. His secret? He practically makes his baked goods blush when he's making them...
His family founded the town and he's always prided himself on being the best. No time for relationships despite his grandfather constantly trying to fix him up. But then again, it could be because he fell in love with his best friend 10 years ago, and when she left, she took his heart with her.
Annika Williams has returned to the neighboring town of Sarcasm after 10 years. Her mother had pursued her dream and bought a bakery, but had come down with a rare disorder that left her blind. Annika can't bake to save her life, but she's determined to make it work and keep her mother's dream alive. However, that puts her in direct competition with her former BFF Grady's shop. When they meet again sparks immediately begin to fly - and not all are the good kind. Longtime rivalries between Shipwreck and Sarcasm lead to a war of words that impacts the future of both bakeries.
I think the description of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers is absolutely perfect for this book. Grady and Annika have been in love with each other since high school, but the timing was never quite right. Not to mention that these two are SO stubborn; neither will bend and say what they're really feeling - or what they really want.
Grady is hilariously filthy-mouthed, but he loves Annika so much it honestly made me cry near the end of the book. He realizes early on that he was a HUGE jerk, but getting over himself takes a bit. Annika on the other hand is determined to take everything on herself and refuses to accept help, even while her options are dwindling. The cast of characters is rounded out nicely by the colorful personalities living in both towns, the reappearance of the foul-mouth parrot and one of the goats from Flirting with the Frenemy, and of course the Berger twins make an appearance.
I can't recommend this enough. It helps if you're familiar with the rest of Pippa's books to get the little in-jokes and cameos, but it can be read by itself as well.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Grady Rock, the Master Baker of the title, runs the only bakery in Shipwreck. Of course, it helps that he really is an amazing baker. His secret? He practically makes his baked goods blush when he's making them...
His family founded the town and he's always prided himself on being the best. No time for relationships despite his grandfather constantly trying to fix him up. But then again, it could be because he fell in love with his best friend 10 years ago, and when she left, she took his heart with her.
Annika Williams has returned to the neighboring town of Sarcasm after 10 years. Her mother had pursued her dream and bought a bakery, but had come down with a rare disorder that left her blind. Annika can't bake to save her life, but she's determined to make it work and keep her mother's dream alive. However, that puts her in direct competition with her former BFF Grady's shop. When they meet again sparks immediately begin to fly - and not all are the good kind. Longtime rivalries between Shipwreck and Sarcasm lead to a war of words that impacts the future of both bakeries.
I think the description of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers is absolutely perfect for this book. Grady and Annika have been in love with each other since high school, but the timing was never quite right. Not to mention that these two are SO stubborn; neither will bend and say what they're really feeling - or what they really want.
Grady is hilariously filthy-mouthed, but he loves Annika so much it honestly made me cry near the end of the book. He realizes early on that he was a HUGE jerk, but getting over himself takes a bit. Annika on the other hand is determined to take everything on herself and refuses to accept help, even while her options are dwindling. The cast of characters is rounded out nicely by the colorful personalities living in both towns, the reappearance of the foul-mouth parrot and one of the goats from Flirting with the Frenemy, and of course the Berger twins make an appearance.
I can't recommend this enough. It helps if you're familiar with the rest of Pippa's books to get the little in-jokes and cameos, but it can be read by itself as well.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 27, 2023
It’s one of the author’s earlier works, and it feels like it. She hadn’t honed her skills yet. But the main ingredients of the winning recipe were there: unique characters, good banter, and sexy times.
I wasn’t a fan of the second chance. Grady and Annika were friends in high school, yet they didn’t communicate well when they were young. Now years have passed, they’re rivals–making pastries in rival towns–and they don’t communicate much better, but they still want to be together. I don’t get it. The beginning of their relationship is clearly lust-infused and surfing on their memories together. I couldn’t see why they wanted to be together in their current situation.
It ended up working, mostly thanks to the way Grady was written. Determined to help Annika even against her will, he created the circumstances that could lead to a serious relationship. While Annika was working against them, keeping her fears to herself.
It didn’t make me like Annika, but it was still an interesting character. Her devotion to her family–mother and sister–was admirable. But her mostly irrational fears were annoying, in my opinion. She based a good part of her life on those fears.
I felt Grady was less developped. We get what makes him tick now, and the reasons behind some of his choices are explained, but it felt like it was truly in the past, everything was fine now. When actually, it’s through his phony rivalry with Annika that he finally finds his place in his family. His thoughts revolve around Annika, nothing else matters.
While the romance takes shape, it’s the side characters that really animate the story. On one hand, there’s Shipwreck royalty, with Grady’s famous brother, his talented sister, his loving parents, his horny grandparents, and even his goat. On the other hand, we find Annika’s sister–who deserved a good spanking, in my opinion–and her spunk. There wasn’t a quiet scene in this book.
As if it wasn’t enough, the author added some cameos from other books. I felt the fan service was a bit too much, and didn’t make much sense in that context. That’s where the story lost me a bit. Suspension of disbelief has its limits.
It wasn’t bad per say but I’ve read way better from the author. But okay, you can read it for Grady talking sexy to his food, I guess.
Quickie
- Series: standalone (but connected to other series by the author)
- Hashtags: #romcom #small town romance #second chance romance #enemies to lovers
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Annika Williams & Grady Rock
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + I loved the way Grady talked to the food
- – Annika really IS high maintenance
I wasn’t a fan of the second chance. Grady and Annika were friends in high school, yet they didn’t communicate well when they were young. Now years have passed, they’re rivals–making pastries in rival towns–and they don’t communicate much better, but they still want to be together. I don’t get it. The beginning of their relationship is clearly lust-infused and surfing on their memories together. I couldn’t see why they wanted to be together in their current situation.
It ended up working, mostly thanks to the way Grady was written. Determined to help Annika even against her will, he created the circumstances that could lead to a serious relationship. While Annika was working against them, keeping her fears to herself.
It didn’t make me like Annika, but it was still an interesting character. Her devotion to her family–mother and sister–was admirable. But her mostly irrational fears were annoying, in my opinion. She based a good part of her life on those fears.
I felt Grady was less developped. We get what makes him tick now, and the reasons behind some of his choices are explained, but it felt like it was truly in the past, everything was fine now. When actually, it’s through his phony rivalry with Annika that he finally finds his place in his family. His thoughts revolve around Annika, nothing else matters.
While the romance takes shape, it’s the side characters that really animate the story. On one hand, there’s Shipwreck royalty, with Grady’s famous brother, his talented sister, his loving parents, his horny grandparents, and even his goat. On the other hand, we find Annika’s sister–who deserved a good spanking, in my opinion–and her spunk. There wasn’t a quiet scene in this book.
As if it wasn’t enough, the author added some cameos from other books. I felt the fan service was a bit too much, and didn’t make much sense in that context. That’s where the story lost me a bit. Suspension of disbelief has its limits.
It wasn’t bad per say but I’ve read way better from the author. But okay, you can read it for Grady talking sexy to his food, I guess.
Quickie
- Series: standalone (but connected to other series by the author)
- Hashtags: #romcom #small town romance #second chance romance #enemies to lovers
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Annika Williams & Grady Rock
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + I loved the way Grady talked to the food
- – Annika really IS high maintenance
June 19, 2019
I love Pippa's books. They always put a smile on my face and are laugh out loud hilarious. Grady and Annika's story is great. Pippa builds amazing images of her characters and environments that pull you in and make you want to stay and relax and get to know the characters. And can we be super excited that Honey makes an appearance? I can't wait to see what Pippa comes up with next.
June 27, 2019
This book fell a little flat for me. Yes, it’s a rom-com but I felt more emphasis was put on this book being funny, rather than getting a little bit of depth in it, which I don’t feel would’ve detracted from the humour.
The rivalry between the two towns was petty. I felt it would’ve been better if the focus was on how Annika and Grady had left things years earlier. It leaves a shallow feeling.
I didn’t really care for Grady, he came off a bit sleazy for me, and Annika was infuriating. She refused to admit she had any hand in what happened in her and Grady’s relationship, especially at the end of the book.
There were moments of humour, Sue was a particularly light moment, as was Long Beak Silver, but ultimately this book fell flat and was a bit shallow for me, sorry.
The rivalry between the two towns was petty. I felt it would’ve been better if the focus was on how Annika and Grady had left things years earlier. It leaves a shallow feeling.
I didn’t really care for Grady, he came off a bit sleazy for me, and Annika was infuriating. She refused to admit she had any hand in what happened in her and Grady’s relationship, especially at the end of the book.
There were moments of humour, Sue was a particularly light moment, as was Long Beak Silver, but ultimately this book fell flat and was a bit shallow for me, sorry.
June 27, 2019
Fair warning, your facial and stomach muscles are going to get a workout while reading Master Baker! And so will your bladder! LOL
Take a pinch of unrequited love, mix it with a healthy dash of dirty talk, and bake it with a heavy dose of competition and you end up with a fun, smart, sexy, swoony, brilliant friends-to-enemies-to-lovers rom com.
I seriously couldn't swipe the pages on my Kindle fast enough to see just what would happen next between Grady and Annika and the crazies who call Shipwreck or Sarcasm home. I loved Grady and Annika together, they've become my new favorite Pippa Grant couple! Add in their friends, family, neighbors and pets, and I can't help but wish Shipwreck or Sarcasm existed in real life. ~ Missy, 5 stars
Take a pinch of unrequited love, mix it with a healthy dash of dirty talk, and bake it with a heavy dose of competition and you end up with a fun, smart, sexy, swoony, brilliant friends-to-enemies-to-lovers rom com.
I seriously couldn't swipe the pages on my Kindle fast enough to see just what would happen next between Grady and Annika and the crazies who call Shipwreck or Sarcasm home. I loved Grady and Annika together, they've become my new favorite Pippa Grant couple! Add in their friends, family, neighbors and pets, and I can't help but wish Shipwreck or Sarcasm existed in real life. ~ Missy, 5 stars
October 9, 2022
Oh the puns!!
This was such a fun and light-hearted read, it instantly made me smile and feel good. The love the main characters had for each other and their family was genuine and strong. The dialogue was also top notch! The characters talked and acted their age, which was a breath of fresh air.
Read it in a day and now I want to go read everything else Pippa Grant wrote.
This was such a fun and light-hearted read, it instantly made me smile and feel good. The love the main characters had for each other and their family was genuine and strong. The dialogue was also top notch! The characters talked and acted their age, which was a breath of fresh air.
Read it in a day and now I want to go read everything else Pippa Grant wrote.
Read
August 14, 2019DNF. Not feeling this one. Got about half way in and started skimming. May go back to it later. Maybe not. Good thing it was a kindle unlimited.
January 22, 2021
Another hit for Pippa Grant! After seeing this book all over I finally got a chance to read it and loved it! With this cover alone how could you not?!
I enjoy this authors writing style and love how she includes animals in each story. Sue was amazing and her owner even better! Grady and Annika were once best friends and these friends turned enemies turned lovers have quite the road ahead when each of them try to excel with their own bakeries. If you're looking for a good hearted romcom this book is for you!
I enjoy this authors writing style and love how she includes animals in each story. Sue was amazing and her owner even better! Grady and Annika were once best friends and these friends turned enemies turned lovers have quite the road ahead when each of them try to excel with their own bakeries. If you're looking for a good hearted romcom this book is for you!
September 10, 2021
Pippa Grant’s books always put me in a good mood and they’re literally the easiest thing to read ever. This was very fun. Books about baking are always fun.
November 28, 2024
The dirty talk to baked goods was a little weird, but the rest of the book was Pippa's usual delightfulness!
Rivals to loves, baking competition, a goat and a double small town setting.
Much love to Hambright PR for my audio!
Rivals to loves, baking competition, a goat and a double small town setting.
Much love to Hambright PR for my audio!
March 18, 2020
Funny, light book.
June 28, 2019
Grady is the proud owner of the Crows Nest Bakery in Shipwreck, who has a way of talking to the sugary confections he is creating that is sure to make you melt. He was quite happy to be the only bakery in the area but now there is a new shop in town and to add insult to injury it is being run by the best friend he hasn’t seen for 10 years!
Annika left town 10 years ago to join the military and now she is back not because she wants to but because of her family. Her mom had purchased the bakery Duh-Nuts in the neighboring town Sarcasm but Annika now needs to takeover.
Grady and Annika were best friends in high school but having her back in his life as his rival was not how he wanted to see her again. From the moment they see each other again the chemistry between them ignites but there is not enough clientele to service both bakeries so if to comes to a choice between their business and each other what will they choose?
Fun and flirty this enemies to lovers story will have you laughing out loud. Once the smoke cleared Grady showed his true character and his love for Annika is enough to make you swoon.
Annika left town 10 years ago to join the military and now she is back not because she wants to but because of her family. Her mom had purchased the bakery Duh-Nuts in the neighboring town Sarcasm but Annika now needs to takeover.
Grady and Annika were best friends in high school but having her back in his life as his rival was not how he wanted to see her again. From the moment they see each other again the chemistry between them ignites but there is not enough clientele to service both bakeries so if to comes to a choice between their business and each other what will they choose?
Fun and flirty this enemies to lovers story will have you laughing out loud. Once the smoke cleared Grady showed his true character and his love for Annika is enough to make you swoon.
did-not-finish
April 11, 2020I really thought that of the three books I impulse bought thinking they were by a different author, this would be the one I liked most because bakers are one of my favorite romance things. But I made it to 53% and I'm just not feeling it the way that the other two books worked for me, so I'm going to call it quits.
January 23, 2022
Yes! Pippa Grant did it again! I laughed so hard, and I also swooned pretty badly. Grady and Annika were so much fun! I mean, a second chance romance, where the protagonists were best friends in high school, but are business competitors in the present... Yeah, hot, funny, and so, so god!
June 12, 2024
3⭐️
I want a man who talks about me the way he talks about her!🥹
They are really cute, and I only gave 3 stars because the beginning was not good in my opinion and the book was a bit slow.
I want a man who talks about me the way he talks about her!🥹
They are really cute, and I only gave 3 stars because the beginning was not good in my opinion and the book was a bit slow.
June 29, 2019
Funny and moving
What a beginning, I was laughing out loud. Some parts are more moving. I loved to find back the characters from other stories, during the baking contest,I also loved the character of Brady, but I wasn’t a fan of Annika. She had sometimes some good reason for her behavior, but sometimes she was just annoying.
What I like in Pippa’s stories, is that there always funny, with an animal who becomes a character. In this story, it’s Sue, a goat who acts like a dog.
Brady is sue’s owner, is a baker with a shop, but is destabilized when he discovers that in the city next to his, his ex girlfriend who abandonned him 10 years ago to go in army, is back, and she’s opening her own bakery even if she can’t bake.
What could have been a simple story, is rocked by hatred between the two cities , but between the two families too. Sometimes these scenes are hot, funny and or moving.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
What a beginning, I was laughing out loud. Some parts are more moving. I loved to find back the characters from other stories, during the baking contest,I also loved the character of Brady, but I wasn’t a fan of Annika. She had sometimes some good reason for her behavior, but sometimes she was just annoying.
What I like in Pippa’s stories, is that there always funny, with an animal who becomes a character. In this story, it’s Sue, a goat who acts like a dog.
Brady is sue’s owner, is a baker with a shop, but is destabilized when he discovers that in the city next to his, his ex girlfriend who abandonned him 10 years ago to go in army, is back, and she’s opening her own bakery even if she can’t bake.
What could have been a simple story, is rocked by hatred between the two cities , but between the two families too. Sometimes these scenes are hot, funny and or moving.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
June 18, 2019
Oh em gee this book had me laughing so hard! First the way Grady talks to his baked goods will have you fanning your face with your reading device. As always the sidekick animals steal the show in most scenes, and Sue the goat is no exception. Sue the male goat who acts part dog, had me singing Johnny Cash's a boy named sue everytime he was stealing the scene. It was nice to see the male be a lot more vulnerable and open with his feelings rather than being a giant prick just to be one. Everytime he made a mistake he owned up to it, and that's a great quality in anyone. Annika is a tough but strong female force who gives to everyone around her and forgets to take care of herself. I loved all the baking and food parts, it made me feel like I was in their shops listening to their conversations in real life. This book makes me want to live in either Shipwreck or Sarcasm, both places have such a strong devotion to their own people that you can't help but want to be a part of it. The heat between Annika and Grady is palpable through the pages! This book will have you laughing, and rooting for them from the first chapter!
I was gifted an ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.
I was gifted an ARC copy of this book in return for my honest review.
June 19, 2019
I read an advanced copy for an honest review.
Grady is considered the "master baker". He has this great little bakery in Shipwreak and for some reason, he speaks foodporn to what he is preparing to get it to bake wonderfully and give the public "foodgasims".
Annikia is the dutiful daughter, in the town next door, called Sarcasm. Even though she burns boiling water, she opens a bakery for her mother, who has suddenly gone blind, to help her fulfill her dream.
Grady and Annika used to be best friends. Annika broke Grady's heart and now it seems she is back to break Grady's business. At first Grady does not react well, until he realises what Annika is doing for her mom and family. Then he does what he can to secretly help them.
The sparks fly between Grady and Annika. They are from two towns that have had a rivalry that matches that of the Boston Red Sox and the NY Yankees. Can they have a relationship, when the two towns have such hatred?
This book was filled with insane characters, zany animals, that made your head spin and a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions as Annika and Grady find their way.
You will laugh until you cry and be satisfied with the HEA.
Grady is considered the "master baker". He has this great little bakery in Shipwreak and for some reason, he speaks foodporn to what he is preparing to get it to bake wonderfully and give the public "foodgasims".
Annikia is the dutiful daughter, in the town next door, called Sarcasm. Even though she burns boiling water, she opens a bakery for her mother, who has suddenly gone blind, to help her fulfill her dream.
Grady and Annika used to be best friends. Annika broke Grady's heart and now it seems she is back to break Grady's business. At first Grady does not react well, until he realises what Annika is doing for her mom and family. Then he does what he can to secretly help them.
The sparks fly between Grady and Annika. They are from two towns that have had a rivalry that matches that of the Boston Red Sox and the NY Yankees. Can they have a relationship, when the two towns have such hatred?
This book was filled with insane characters, zany animals, that made your head spin and a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions as Annika and Grady find their way.
You will laugh until you cry and be satisfied with the HEA.
August 16, 2021
I ended up skimming through most of it. I didn’t love it. It was the result of the usual quirkiness and chaotic-ness being too much and going too far. It was the result of everyone, with the exception of Sloane from the frenemy book, being terrible characters. Especially the leads. I really disliked them. For one thing, we really just knew too little about Sarcasm and her residents to side with any of them in the “bakery wars” going on. And in my opinion, Grady was a jerk at times, but wasn’t nearly as insufferable and annoying … no, infuriating as Annika. So she spends the whole book talking about how she HAD to make the bakery a success and when Grady does everything in his power to help her - including waking up extra early to bake for HER bakery before going to his own and sending her a baker even better than himself - she dumps him because she feels she’s his dirty little secret and that he’s perpetuating the rivalry for his own benefit. I’m telling you, she drove me crazy.
It was bad enough seeing these two together, but even worse when Annika dumps Grady for some stupidity. And everyone, even Grady’s own family and friends, turns on Grady. I was actually kinda of flabbergasted at that buffoonery. And completely turned off. I think the real absolute worst of this book was Annika’s little sister. That girl was a menace. She was in grown people’s business and didn’t need to be. She was causing pointless problems and then it would all be flipped on Grady with accusations of him “picking on a poor little 13 year old who’s mama just went blind.” That drove me crazy.
And now, I don’t even want to read about the Berger twins or Cooper because they were annoying characters in this book. I already read Daisy’s book, so I already know how much she annoys me. But she wasn’t too bad here.
So to sum up, did not enjoy this book, did not enjoy the characters, did not enjoy the storyline.
It was bad enough seeing these two together, but even worse when Annika dumps Grady for some stupidity. And everyone, even Grady’s own family and friends, turns on Grady. I was actually kinda of flabbergasted at that buffoonery. And completely turned off. I think the real absolute worst of this book was Annika’s little sister. That girl was a menace. She was in grown people’s business and didn’t need to be. She was causing pointless problems and then it would all be flipped on Grady with accusations of him “picking on a poor little 13 year old who’s mama just went blind.” That drove me crazy.
And now, I don’t even want to read about the Berger twins or Cooper because they were annoying characters in this book. I already read Daisy’s book, so I already know how much she annoys me. But she wasn’t too bad here.
So to sum up, did not enjoy this book, did not enjoy the characters, did not enjoy the storyline.
November 3, 2024
5 Star reviews of Dirty Talking Rival by Pippa Grant
Where do I start? I have not read a straight Pippa Grant book before and I have absolutely no idea why that is. From the first to the last chapter I was totally captivated with Master Baker. There was nothing that I did not love about this book. It is a second chance at love story that has fabulous characters, both main and supporting and I was disappointed when the story ended. There was just something about these characters that I could easily relate to and I found myself totally immersed in the story of Annika and Grady, their family and some unusual animals.
I spent a great deal of my time, laughing out loud at the antics throughout this book. Can one ever really forget their first love? Grady was and truthfully still is in love with Annika, even though she left 10 years ago to pursue a career in the military. She is the one who got away for him. For Annika, she had no idea how Grady really felt until the day she was leaving and now, thanks to her mother’s sudden blindness she is back to run her mother’s bakery, only issue is she cannot bake to save her life; thankfully she has a 13 year old sister who can.
Grady is shocked and angered when he finds out that Annika has come back and this is compounded when he finds out that she is running a bakery in direct competition to his. They both live in 2 small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where rivalry abounds.
Can Grady and Annika move on from the past that shaped them and despite themselves re ignite not only their friendship? Will Grady’s willingness to help Annika forge a deep and lasting love? Or will their families and the rivalry between the towns ruin their chance at happiness?
Master Baker was a fun read that had me snort laughing at times, it was also swoon worthy and romantic and is a fabulous example of a well written romantic comedy.
Where do I start? I have not read a straight Pippa Grant book before and I have absolutely no idea why that is. From the first to the last chapter I was totally captivated with Master Baker. There was nothing that I did not love about this book. It is a second chance at love story that has fabulous characters, both main and supporting and I was disappointed when the story ended. There was just something about these characters that I could easily relate to and I found myself totally immersed in the story of Annika and Grady, their family and some unusual animals.
I spent a great deal of my time, laughing out loud at the antics throughout this book. Can one ever really forget their first love? Grady was and truthfully still is in love with Annika, even though she left 10 years ago to pursue a career in the military. She is the one who got away for him. For Annika, she had no idea how Grady really felt until the day she was leaving and now, thanks to her mother’s sudden blindness she is back to run her mother’s bakery, only issue is she cannot bake to save her life; thankfully she has a 13 year old sister who can.
Grady is shocked and angered when he finds out that Annika has come back and this is compounded when he finds out that she is running a bakery in direct competition to his. They both live in 2 small towns in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where rivalry abounds.
Can Grady and Annika move on from the past that shaped them and despite themselves re ignite not only their friendship? Will Grady’s willingness to help Annika forge a deep and lasting love? Or will their families and the rivalry between the towns ruin their chance at happiness?
Master Baker was a fun read that had me snort laughing at times, it was also swoon worthy and romantic and is a fabulous example of a well written romantic comedy.
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