Emma and the Grumpy Baker

by Nova Avery

Falling in love with my competition shouldn't be this easy

It's a big dream of mine to open a bakery, and that dream is finally coming true.
Until a cookie bakery opens right next to mine,
And just when I think things can't get any worse, I find out the cookie shop is run by my ex, Liam.

The same confident, smart, grump of an ex Liam.
Who once made my life full of butterflies and now makes my life a living hell!
He's running me out of business on top of it.
I hate his guts. He could not be more opposite of who I am but one dinner with him reignites the feelings all over again.
I'm not supposed to fall in love with my rival, but he's just too charming to resist.

I could just be setting myself up for failure, or I might be getting a second chance at true love.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2023

Reviews

[Kims.reading.nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Author Nova Avery for providing me with an ARC. All opinions shared are my own.

This was a fun second chance, enemies to lovers romance between sunny Emma and her ex Liam, the grump she once taught her cookie secrets to. After 8 years apart, fate has brought them together again as they each open a business next door to one another. The only issue? Emma is opening her dream pink bakery whilst Liam is opening a boutique cookie store based on her old recipes. Knowing that both businesses can't thrive in such close proximity, they start a war that can only end with one business failing...

I enjoyed this quick read and read it all in one sitting. The characters were funny and open with their feelings, but I will say the miscommunication that was shown from 8 years prior, then again in the third act, was a tad frustrating. To end a 5 year relationship for the reasons listed was a little too unrealistic. If you're looking for an easy, quick read then this is the perfect book.

[Shannon Godwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy heart warming book. Definitely good for a summer read. It’s a friends to lovers then they have a falling out and in the end it turns into an enemies to lovers book. I can’t wait to read more of the Amelia Island Sisters books!

[Elaine Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma and the Grumpy Baker ~ Amelia Island Sisters #1

Emma and the Grumpy Baker is a fantastic story from Nova. I have read a few of her books now and I can honestly say that this one is my favorite to date.
I loved the chemistry between Emma and Liam. Eight years ago they were a couple until their families made them break up. Both have now opened bakeries next door to each other. Can the old feelings still be there? Will they get back together? Will they find their HEA?
This is such a good story, I was engaged from the beginning till the end, Emma and the Grumpy Baker is written perfectly, and I can honestly recommend this to all.

[Pawtastic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I loved this book right from the start. This is a sweet and swoony story with a grumpy baker and a bubbly baker who have a very long history. This story is the right balance of humor and heart. It also includes handling heavier subjects such as the loss of a loved one and dysfunctional family dynamics. All of this is done with plenty of laughs and great banter between the characters. I really enjoyed how the bubbly baker brought out the grumpy bakers ooey gooey cinnamon roll center.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma's Competitor . . .,

Emma had always dreamed of owning her own bakery. Now she finally make that dream come true. But before she can enjoy her achievement, she finds a cookie bakery opening up right next to her! And the worst of it is, her competitor next door is her ex-boyfriend, Liam! Did he do this for spite? Or is his proximity to her an amazing opportunity for a second chance at the love they had to walk away from in the past?

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma and her ex-boyfriend Liam have each decided to open a bakery. Emma's store is a more general bakery, while Liam's store is a boutique cookie store with recipes that he learned from Emma during their relationship. Obviously they both know that both stores cannot be a success given their proximity. As they continue to interact with each other, can they find a way to establish a new relationship?

[MacKenzie Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a super sweet romance. It was a lovers reunited closed door romance.

Emma finally achieves her lifelong dream of opening her bakery. Little does she know who is opening a business right beside her. The one that got away. The one she always imagined her future with. Will fate bring them back together or will their families tear them apart?.

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

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow- this book has all the feelings! Emma sees her dream of opening a bakery come true- only to have a cookie shop open next door. The rest of the book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, all leading to the happy ever after.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay read. Emma is about to open up her bakery. However, next door Liam is opening up his cookie shop. the problem is that they used to date. This of course complicates things between them. For some reason I wasn't a fan of Emma. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I did enjoy the authors writing. So, I would definitely try her again.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful second chance romance. Torn apart by a fight between their fathers years ago, Emma and Liam open bakeries next door to each other. While Liam doesn’t want to lose money, he really doesn’t want to lose Emma a second time. This is a fun story while Liam is jumping through hoops to prove that he can put Emma first. We get romance, miscommunication, humor, and a few surprises.

[The Introverted Bookmark · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Emma has dreamed of owning a bakery for as long as she can remember. Finally, after years of hard work, her dream is coming true! But then the unthinkable happens - another bakery opens RIGHT next to hers, and as if that isn’t bad enough - the owner is her ex!

Liam considers Emma the one that got away. It was her love of baking that ignited his. He decides to open a cookie bakery in homage to Emma and the memories he has of baking together. If he had known another bakery was going in next door and that it belonged to Emma, he never would have opened his in the first place.

💭𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: How adorable is this cover?! I’ve read so many romance books lately that involve baking that I think it’s time I quit my job and open a bakery.😂

Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t really find Liam to be all that grumpy. He seemed like a nice, caring guy and felt genuine. Sometimes he was a little snarky with Emma, but that was usually in reaction to her words and behavior.

Emma was a fun character! She is so quirky and adorable. I wish I could bake with her; she makes it sound so fun and enjoyable.

Miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes, but it worked for this book. It was just a short part of the storyline and not the entire book.

This book is super lighthearted and fun. It’s a quick read with really amazing characters. It’s a clean romance (Oh my ganache!) and only has kissing.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.



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[Moni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Out of the 4 books that Nova has released so far, this one is my favorite so far. This is book 1 of the Amelia Island Sisters series but can be read as a standalone. The book's blurb lets you know what to expect. It's a great second chance dual pov romance.

After years of working hard, Emma has finally achieved her dream of opening up her own bakery. She isn't going to let anything bring her down. When she realizes that Liam, her ex, has opened up a cookie bakery next to hers, naturally she is upset but she also can't help but to miss how their relationship used to be. After their breakup, Liam had some regrets but focused his attention on expanding his business. At first, he is determined to treat Emma as his rival in business but his lingering feelings make him let go of that idea quick. As they spend time together, neither can deny the fact that they never got over the other & how a second chance is something they would be willing to take.

Because they have a past & never wanted to break up in the first place, it was easy for their feelings for each other to grow. While some things stayed the same, the time that they spent together after reuniting allowed them to become friends. Liam respected Emma's hard work and showed her that he would be there to help her. Emma was able to see how Liam stayed his determined self and how this time around he was going to be a part of her life for good. While fans may not be too happy with the miscommunication trope used, it doesn't last too long and is acknowledged by Emma and a great grand gesture results because of it. Everything that Liam did to ensure the success of her bakery is part of the reason why I liked this story as much as I did. Their romance is sweet & clean. A few curse words are used though. Aside from the romance, I liked the side characters and am looking forward to learning more about Emma's sisters. Overall, this was an easy book to read and enjoy.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a second chance and enemies to lovers story. Emma and Liam, formerly in love, unknowingly lease storefronts next door to each other, both establishing bakeries. This leads to initial antagonism, before they start establishing a friendly relationship again. Of course, eventually they have to acknowledge that they still love each other. Overall, I liked the story and the characters. It was interesting seeing everything that went into creating and running these businesses. I don’t know what favour Grady’s boss owed Landon, but there must be a dead body involved to justify the amount of free work and air travel that Grady did. (I was happy that he eventually started getting paid.) There are some issues with flip-flopping tenses. There’s a pretty typical miscommunication/assumption problem that crops up to strain the relationship. I thought it was humorous that the author called herself out on it. “I hated myself for how I’d turned into my least favourite book trope of miscommunication. Why didn’t I just ask him for an explanation?” The epilogue was cute. It seemed like there were some hints dropped that there might be future books focused on Emma’s sisters. So maybe a series? This book is closed door, but does have several instances of significantly harsh language. If I’m honest, it felt kind of out of place given the vibe of the story.

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

[Noreen Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great start to a new series by Nova Avery.
Really enjoyed Emma and Liam's second chance romance.
Emma's dream of opening her own bakery is about to become true.She has leased the space and has worked hard to open up her dream bakery.It all turns into nightmare when another bakery opens right next door and even worse it is owned by her ex Liam.
He broke her heart when he left town and now he wants to shatter her dreams.
Liam wants a second chance with Emma,but after everything that has happened will she trust him again with her heart.
An emotional read with all the feels,family,friendships,second chances and a happily ever after.I could not put this down.
I hope there are more books in this series about her sister's getting their HEA's.

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

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, sweet clean second chance romance laced with humor! Emma's dream of a bakery has come to fruition after working very hard to achieve her dream. But a cookie bakery opened up next to her! What kind of snake would open a bakery next to hers? Why her ex Liam of course. As much as Emma wants to hate him, she remembers what they once had. He also remembers their good times. But how can he open a bakery next to hers? Will this be the end of Emma's dream? Will Emma and Liam be able to get along? Will they remember how it used to be between them to bring them together again? This is a dual point of view book that keeps you turning pages until the end. I can't wait to see what will happen in the next book of the Amelia Island Sisters series! I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet and cute book! Emma’s bakery is everything that I would wish for in my new fav place to buy all my pastries (and yes it inspired me to buy macarons!!) and I loved the competitors oh my gosh no wait they are exes angle. Liam’s bakery would also be visited by me, but I am more excited about what happened at the end.

At first I was a bit confused about the backstory, both in terms of, Emma and Liam used to date and that their fathers had a decade-long feud, as while this was important for the story, I felt it was glossed over too much, not fully explained, and then resolved almost way too quickly.
OK this is a romantic book, not a family drama book but still!

Lovely romance, quick and easy read, with that cosy bake off vibe.

The going viral on tiktok / social media angle was a lot of fun, it made the book that much more current.

I am REALLY excited about the future books in this series as well, I want to learn more about the other sisters!

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

[Peggy Mangum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! Great Book. Don't let misunderstandings ruin Your Life Decisions. I Recommend this Book. Nova is becoming a Favorite Author of mine. 😊

[E'Who'Reads'a'Thousand'Mysteries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely

This delicious Little rom com is fun, but the constant flipping of present to past tense made it hard to follow.