One Taste

The Sullivan Family #0.5

by Lena Hendrix

When reporter Casselyn Hill stepped into my small town bakery with her nose held high and a lost look in her eyes, the world fell away. I even knocked over sweet Mrs. Halpert to get to her.

As one of the few residents who hasn’t picked a side in the town’s decades-old feud, I’ve been tasked with accompanying Cass to our annual Fireside Flannel Festival so she can get her story. As the day wears on, the tension grows thick, and it’s more than the war brewing between the town’s two rival families.

She’s distracting. Charming. And here only for the story that will prove she deserves a full-time position at her dream job. As day turns to night, I can’t stop thinking about what’s underneath all those layers. I should have been concentrating on showing her around my coastal town, not thinking about the way her lips formed around my perfectly sweet Italian meringue.

Cass doesn’t have time for distractions like me, but the more time we spend together, the more I know I won’t be satisfied with just one taste.

Genres: Novella, Romance, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Smut

73 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 2024

About the author

Lena Hendrix is a USA Today and Amazon Top 5 bestselling contemporary romance author living in the Midwest. Her love for romance started with sneaking racy Harlequin paperbacks as a teenager and now she writes her own hot-as-sin small town romance novels. Lena has a soft spot for strong alphas with marshmallow insides, heroines who clap back, and sizzling tension. Her novels pack in small town heart with a whole lotta heat.

When she's not writing or devouring new novels, you can find her hiking, camping, fishing, and sipping a spicy margarita!

Want to hang out? Find Lena on FB, Tiktok or IG!

Reviews

[abby :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’ve low key been in a slump for the past couple of days and i have seen this novella on ku a lot plus i’ve seen a lot of this author so i figured i’d check it out. this was really quick and easy but it did get me interested in the series to come in this small town so i guess it did its job. a very short introductory romance that was cute, could’ve been like ten pages longer but i understand the shortness.

[Viri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy instalove pero pasable jajajaj

[Fahmida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally a good novella. But I wish the mmc's name wasn't Huck.😄

[Jen ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay; it's a novella, so it was good to pass some time. Cass and Huck met because she's supposed to write an article about their town, and Huck is her tour guide. Instant connection follows, and within three days they realize something has changed and decide to see where it goes. It has a HFN ending, so I'm not happy about that. 😬 But it was still an okay short read. 

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huck and Cass story was short, sweet and spicy. After reading Duke's book this was the perfect novella to come back to see our favorite baker finding his love match.

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast paced, fun novella. As with most novellas, it feels a bit of insta-love, but I went into it expecting that.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series but this was too short, insta lovey and one night stand for me.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable Novella!

A quick and dirty small town romance with our favorite burly baker. It's an insta love and lust 😘. I think the unique thing with this novella is when our MMC has a slight concern with his body. Like he was actually apologizing for not having a six pack. Like hold up! It's cuffing season...we need that big boi. Oooo and that bit of honey play 🥵. I adored this novella and just wanted more.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The CUTEST prequel novella to the Sullivan Family series! This follows Huck, the owner of the sugar bowl bakery in Outtatowner and Cass, a reporter that comes to write an article about the town and the yearly fall festival. I have no idea how Lena was able to put so much emotion and SWOON into a 50ish page short story, but this was just adorable. The chemistry was there, the spice was there and it sets up the series perfectly 🫶🏻

Tropes:
Strangers to lovers
Small town
Baker x reporter
One night stand

[Emma (thecaffeinatedbookaholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read and absolutely hit the spot when I was having Outtatowner withdrawals. This had all the spice and all the small town feels that I’ve come to know and love about Lena’s books. As much as I would’ve loved more Huck & Cass, I love that we got to see the start of their relationship and have a little bit more of the small town charm without having to pick a side of The Grudge!

[Alisha Otoole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute novella! It was about time we got Huck’s story! This is how Huck (baker) and Cass (reporter) came together and they had a love at first sight moment and it was so precious. Huck is an Angel. Quick, spicy novella I enjoyed it!

[Megan Coggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short little backstory of the baker and his girl

[Amanda | manda_reads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute and steamy small-town novella. I loved both Huck and Cass. This is also a prequel novella to The Sullivan Family series, and I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

[vania ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a quick read and I liked the atmosphere but it wasn't for me.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3’5✨

[Callie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

This was ok, a super fast novella with instalove.

I thought the characters were cute but the ending felt very abrupt to me! I think they show up in the main series but I still felt a bit unsatisfied.

[Nour 🇵🇸🍉 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty meh
It’s a novella so it felt rushed and I couldn’t feel the connection between the characters. It was also insta-love

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed this town so much, and even with this being a novella, it was much needed. For anyone who read this series, you know that Huck has all been in our hearts this entire ride. I was dying to see him and Cass together! Huck is a baker, but don’t let that fool you to how spicy his mouth is. Love the balance of sweet and spice in this quick 50 page read. Def recommend for a quick look into Outtatowner. I also really missed Lena’s storytelling, so I need to jump back into my Lena era.

Plot: 4
Spice: 3

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lmao. I am ANNIHILATED.

Picked this up thinking it would be a cute lil novella:
- there’s literally no plot, which is fine i guess if the spice is spicin’ but that wasn’t it either
- huck spends all day at work and then presumably all night at a festival and comes home to perfectly proofed donut dough? maybe just like…make up something else to make?
- cass while watching huck fry donuts ‘have you always loved baking?’
- honestly. the man wears jeans without underwear. that’s the final straw for me

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a cute novella

It’s hard to imagine that 50 something pages would stir some feelings in my chest but Lena managed to do so. Huck has been such an elusive figure in the outtatowner stories and although we get a closer glimpse to who he is in the last book of the series, he was still sort of an ephemeral side character. Cass, I love you but Huck outshined ya🤪
Super cute story, wish it was longer but loved every second of it.

[Emmy Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cass + Huck

Finally a look into Cass and Huck’s story after seeing them pop up in the rest of the Sullivan Family books and I was not disappointed. It was soulmates at first sight. Loved them!

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Lena Hendrix and it was so good!!! The small town, grumpy, protective baker falls for the reporter coming to do an article on their festival. I thought it was super cute and I’m going to be diving deeper into the rest of the series. Perfect little novella introduction 🥰

[Katie Word · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this little novella about how Huck and Cass found one another. They were such a big part of The Sullivan Family series, it was good to know how their story started. There isn’t much I love more than a HEA.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

UGH THE CUTEST! I loved that she wrote a short little story for Huck omg 🥹 it was so freaking cute I loved it

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute novella

Ex welder turned baker, is a broody but a cinnamon roll and touch her and you die vibes say less.

This takes place before the series and I’ll be excited to start it now 💕

[Sabrie C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

good novella

Quick taste of writing style.
Not sure I’m interested in the town.
Nice to have realistic men spoken of.
B

[tortured reader ࣪ ִֶָ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

amo cuando los chicos son tiernos pero con carácter 🙏🏼

[Elyvia (eliv_bookstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun spicy novella, love it!

[Florencia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Para ser una intro a un pueblo... como diria un profesor: muy pobre.
No me dijo nada la historia, pero no siento que se merezca más de 1estrella😬

[Amanda]

DNF 17%
The editing bothers me and I’m not vibing with the characters.
I’m being super picky lately and not forcing anything I’m not immediately clicking with 🤷🏻‍♀️