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Southern Charm #1
Rules of the Chef
When hotelier Samuel Ashford arrives to change things, Southern Charm chef Dakota Mitchell fights against it and nothing will be the same.
Learning about the sale of his beloved home – The Southern Charm, chef and co-owner Dakota Mitchell is having a hard time with the potential changes. He wants nothing else to alter.
Chosen by his family's company Ashford Hotels to re-create the Charm into the latest chain of boutique hotels, Samuel Ashford enters the Deep South. Inside the overgrown, run down appearance, he learns the Charm is run by people who care and love the building, the delicious food, and their guests.
Can these two put aside differences and arguments to save the Charm? Even if it means they find a little love along the way.
Word Count: 51139
Learning about the sale of his beloved home – The Southern Charm, chef and co-owner Dakota Mitchell is having a hard time with the potential changes. He wants nothing else to alter.
Chosen by his family's company Ashford Hotels to re-create the Charm into the latest chain of boutique hotels, Samuel Ashford enters the Deep South. Inside the overgrown, run down appearance, he learns the Charm is run by people who care and love the building, the delicious food, and their guests.
Can these two put aside differences and arguments to save the Charm? Even if it means they find a little love along the way.
Word Count: 51139
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2014
8 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Dennis
86 books121 followersDreamy…Sensual…Forever Love
A quiet one, Nicole Dennis is the penname of an asexual author of different genres of fiction – both LGBT+ and hetero. Lots of characters, worlds, and stories build up in her head until she must get them down on the screen – anything from romance to fantasy to paranormal.
During the day, she works in a quiet office in Central Florida, where she makes her home, and enjoys the down time to slip into her imagination. She is owned by a feline companion – a fluffy house panther, known as Midnight the Void. A very special furbaby who is FIV+ and polydactyl on her front paws (fluffy danger mittens!).
A quiet one, Nicole Dennis is the penname of an asexual author of different genres of fiction – both LGBT+ and hetero. Lots of characters, worlds, and stories build up in her head until she must get them down on the screen – anything from romance to fantasy to paranormal.
During the day, she works in a quiet office in Central Florida, where she makes her home, and enjoys the down time to slip into her imagination. She is owned by a feline companion – a fluffy house panther, known as Midnight the Void. A very special furbaby who is FIV+ and polydactyl on her front paws (fluffy danger mittens!).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 6, 2014
I had high hopes for this book, after hearing it was looking like a promising, hot, enemies-to-lovers romance at the 20% point when the MCs shared a hot, angry, passionate kiss during an argument. Fuck, who can resist that kind of drama?! I jumped right on that bandwagon like the cheap poser I am.
Well, it certainly could have been a delicious tale of two adversaries sharing a wicked sexual attraction that finally bubbles over into a night of aggressive, wild, angry sex. *clears throat* Unfortunately, that didn't happen here. Instead we got two MCs who were clearly off their mood stabilizing meds. One minute kissing the hell out of each other, the next minute screaming at each other. I couldn't keep up. Their first mutual sexual experience It was kinda creepy, IMO.
Eventually, these two develop an interesting relationship that just might work. But as soon as that happens, the SEQUEL PARADE happens. You know the one. The one the author presents to the reader to get the reader interested in the next books in the series. In this tiny, tucked away oasis in Florida, the Doctor, Sheriff, landscaper, construction worker, prep cook, sous chef and accountant are all male, all single and, you guessed it, all gay.
After the parade, getting back to our story and our MCs... Done! That's it! The book just. Ended. All loose ends were left open. Our who-done-it, unsolved. The mystery surrounding the lack of revenue at the restaurant, never solved. No declaration of love, just a casual chat of, "Hey, I think I'd like to stay here longer than the six weeks I'd originally planned."
*Sigh* It felt like half of a book. I was very unfulfilled. While this did have a few romantic moments, they were scattered and quite short lived before one of our MCs had a mood swing again.
Can't recommend this one.
April 17, 2014
I really loved the premise of this story. I was expecting enemies to lovers, southern charm, quirky secondary characters and a small town I wanted to visit on vacation. The story started out well, Dakota is slightly cantankerous, but given the news his business partner is selling his half of the business to a big hotel chain I could sympathize with him. When Samuel shows up the metaphorical fur flies and of course there is attraction. The tension was delicious and when Dakota stopped an argument with a heated angry kiss I was like “woohoo, here we go!”
What followed was a push and pull of emotional whiplash. Honestly, Dakota became a little exhausting. I get that he is passionate about his restaurant and I can forgive artists for a little crazy behavior and I do see a chef as an artist. But to me he read as just plain unstable and I kind of felt bad for Samuel. Dakota had a reaction at one point that was just over the top and it took me out of the moment. There was begging on knees involved. Samuel just kept commenting about what a good kisser Dakota was though, so lucky for Dakota or Samuel may have lost his patience and hightailed it back to New York.
There were a few practical things that threw me off. I can usually be pretty forgiving with one or two licenses with reality when it comes to moving a story along, but these just didn’t make sense to me, especially given the fact that the whole crux of the story is the business of the hotel. Samuel Ashford is part of the Ashford family who owns the powerful Ashford hotel chain. So, I was a little surprised that Samuel spent so much time on his own sorting paperwork. Seriously, that was most of what he did, sorting and filing. At least that is how it was described. It sounds nitpicky, but it seemed like a waste of resources when someone, anyone could have helped him. I know he was waiting on Chandler to come down from Corporate (more on Chandler in a minute), but come on somebody could help the guy and move the process along.
Then, when Dakota was telling Samuel about one of his employees who had a sick mother and Samuel makes a comment about employees getting health insurance (good, obviously) and then “I’ll see what we can do to waive the time (to wait to join the health care plan) for Dorian and his mom and figure out a way around her pre-existing condition.” Hmmm. I don’t think that is how insurance works. I even did a little research (yeah, I geeked out a little, plus I’ve done HR work) and apparently it is VERY difficult and VERY rare to add a parent to health insurance much less one with a very serious pre-existing medical condition, you don’t just “find a way around it”. So, yeah, sorry, I geeked out a lot. But when stuff is thrown out so casually and it’s so not accurate, the whole “business” aspect of the story loses credibility. I need the basics to be a little believable and at least ballpark accurate.
There was repeated reference to a character that I kept waiting to meet. Chandler sounded intriguing and when he still hadn’t been introduced by the 70% mark I was getting a little concerned he may never show. Apparently he is a whiz with numbers and Samuel’s best friend, but he has some anxiety issues that make travel difficult. He could really be a great character, unfortunately he was never introduced in this story so that was a bit of a letdown.
There were some great secondary characters though, Mal, one of Dakota’s assistants, Cecile, the hostess and Elise, the front desk manager. I liked all of them a lot and conversations with them were much more organic than conversations between Samuel and Dakota. The conversations between Samuel and Dakota were honest in that they told exactly what they felt, but that was part of the problem, I was told, not shown how they felt for each other. As their relationship progressed it became even more so. Quotes like, “I want to hold you like I did our first morning together. It was the first time being true to ourselves and our desires.” That doesn’t sound like a natural part of a conversation and if I’ve been shown that, I don’t need to be told, it makes the declaration sound awkward and soap opera-ish. A little editing would have helped the conversations.
During the last quarter of the book a lot of new characters were introduced and serious drama happened. I wasn’t sure how it was all going to get wrapped up in the small portion of the story left. We met a contractor, sheriff, doctor, and we are led to believe we will meet a landscaper and accountant. And guess what, they are all gay and all hot. Although I’m assuming the gay and hot on the landscaper and assuming the hot on the accountant, because we know he is gay from Samuel’s description. The contractor, sheriff and Dakota are all quite tall apparently and it was pointed out repeatedly in comparison to Samuel’s more diminutive stature. They were referred to as “the taller males” and at one point Samuel “flushed under the wonderful masculine attention”. During the whole story Samuel was the one with the voice of reason and strength and in a sentence or two and with the introduction of a couple of characters it seemed he was emasculated before my very eyes. I get he was flattered, but he’s a man and not a blushing virgin. That kind of bummed me out.
The story ends with a HFN, sort of as Samuel has only committed to extending his stay, the mystery of the shoddy bookkeeping was not solved, the other late breaking drama was not solved and a lot of doors to sequels were opened, but this one gave no closure. I’m totally fine with sequels and series, I love them, but this just ended so I felt a little gipped at the end. I’m curious to see who the sequel will be about and will look into it when it’s released because I still love the premise of this series. I’m hoping the next story will get a little bit more traction because I know that sometimes it takes a book or two for a series to find its groove. I hope the Southern Charm series finds its own groove in the next book.
*a copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
What followed was a push and pull of emotional whiplash. Honestly, Dakota became a little exhausting. I get that he is passionate about his restaurant and I can forgive artists for a little crazy behavior and I do see a chef as an artist. But to me he read as just plain unstable and I kind of felt bad for Samuel. Dakota had a reaction at one point that was just over the top and it took me out of the moment. There was begging on knees involved. Samuel just kept commenting about what a good kisser Dakota was though, so lucky for Dakota or Samuel may have lost his patience and hightailed it back to New York.
There were a few practical things that threw me off. I can usually be pretty forgiving with one or two licenses with reality when it comes to moving a story along, but these just didn’t make sense to me, especially given the fact that the whole crux of the story is the business of the hotel. Samuel Ashford is part of the Ashford family who owns the powerful Ashford hotel chain. So, I was a little surprised that Samuel spent so much time on his own sorting paperwork. Seriously, that was most of what he did, sorting and filing. At least that is how it was described. It sounds nitpicky, but it seemed like a waste of resources when someone, anyone could have helped him. I know he was waiting on Chandler to come down from Corporate (more on Chandler in a minute), but come on somebody could help the guy and move the process along.
Then, when Dakota was telling Samuel about one of his employees who had a sick mother and Samuel makes a comment about employees getting health insurance (good, obviously) and then “I’ll see what we can do to waive the time (to wait to join the health care plan) for Dorian and his mom and figure out a way around her pre-existing condition.” Hmmm. I don’t think that is how insurance works. I even did a little research (yeah, I geeked out a little, plus I’ve done HR work) and apparently it is VERY difficult and VERY rare to add a parent to health insurance much less one with a very serious pre-existing medical condition, you don’t just “find a way around it”. So, yeah, sorry, I geeked out a lot. But when stuff is thrown out so casually and it’s so not accurate, the whole “business” aspect of the story loses credibility. I need the basics to be a little believable and at least ballpark accurate.
There was repeated reference to a character that I kept waiting to meet. Chandler sounded intriguing and when he still hadn’t been introduced by the 70% mark I was getting a little concerned he may never show. Apparently he is a whiz with numbers and Samuel’s best friend, but he has some anxiety issues that make travel difficult. He could really be a great character, unfortunately he was never introduced in this story so that was a bit of a letdown.
There were some great secondary characters though, Mal, one of Dakota’s assistants, Cecile, the hostess and Elise, the front desk manager. I liked all of them a lot and conversations with them were much more organic than conversations between Samuel and Dakota. The conversations between Samuel and Dakota were honest in that they told exactly what they felt, but that was part of the problem, I was told, not shown how they felt for each other. As their relationship progressed it became even more so. Quotes like, “I want to hold you like I did our first morning together. It was the first time being true to ourselves and our desires.” That doesn’t sound like a natural part of a conversation and if I’ve been shown that, I don’t need to be told, it makes the declaration sound awkward and soap opera-ish. A little editing would have helped the conversations.
During the last quarter of the book a lot of new characters were introduced and serious drama happened. I wasn’t sure how it was all going to get wrapped up in the small portion of the story left. We met a contractor, sheriff, doctor, and we are led to believe we will meet a landscaper and accountant. And guess what, they are all gay and all hot. Although I’m assuming the gay and hot on the landscaper and assuming the hot on the accountant, because we know he is gay from Samuel’s description. The contractor, sheriff and Dakota are all quite tall apparently and it was pointed out repeatedly in comparison to Samuel’s more diminutive stature. They were referred to as “the taller males” and at one point Samuel “flushed under the wonderful masculine attention”. During the whole story Samuel was the one with the voice of reason and strength and in a sentence or two and with the introduction of a couple of characters it seemed he was emasculated before my very eyes. I get he was flattered, but he’s a man and not a blushing virgin. That kind of bummed me out.
The story ends with a HFN, sort of as Samuel has only committed to extending his stay, the mystery of the shoddy bookkeeping was not solved, the other late breaking drama was not solved and a lot of doors to sequels were opened, but this one gave no closure. I’m totally fine with sequels and series, I love them, but this just ended so I felt a little gipped at the end. I’m curious to see who the sequel will be about and will look into it when it’s released because I still love the premise of this series. I’m hoping the next story will get a little bit more traction because I know that sometimes it takes a book or two for a series to find its groove. I hope the Southern Charm series finds its own groove in the next book.
*a copy of this book was provided for an honest review*
May 1, 2014
I rarely give books 1 star but if my Twitter stream last night was any indication, I had no choice.
I knew what I was getting with buying a book from this publisher, but sometimes that what we want. Nothing wrong with a little cotton candy read once in a while. The premise is good. Dakota owns the restaurant half of a B&B which is hemoraging money. His long-time partner and friend sells without discussing it (kind of a dick move) and needless to say he's worried the chain that's coming in will want to take away all the uniqueness or close him down. Fair point. We'd all be worried.
This is Samuel's first big job for the family and he's met with a mix of southern charm and outright hostility. Dakota doesn't know if he hates the guy or wants to fuck him. Okay, maybe both. Within minutes of the guy arriving, Dakota is in his bedroom, with paper thin walls purposely jacking off and being loud so the guy will hear him. Real professional dude. Considering you are prepared to hate him, what is your point?
They start the bickering and Samuel starts trying to figure out what is going on financially but of course there is no record keeping, etc. They fight, they kiss, Samuel gets a blowjob on the beach, and before long, Dakota's more mushy than hostile and as someone noted, the gays in this small town Florida gulf coast village are coming out of the woodwork. Doctor, sheriff, two cooks, accountant, landscaper, carpenter, all being set up for those own little Gulf Coast romances. Anyway, I had a feeling that was coming so I just shrugged it off. Cattle Valley anyone? Gayest place on earth? It happens.
So there are a couple of mysteries. One, the restaurant is raking in the money but broke, and then nut allergic Samuel is apparently poisoned by someone who spiked the ice-tea (which he better lay off or he's going to be packing on the pounds). So I kept reading primarily because I wanted the answer to both questions, however, I never got that and I suppose you'll have to read the other books to find out. I won't.
My biggest issues were first of all, physiological. During the beach BJ scene,
Um. He has no piercing. Now except for an obscure Urban Diction reference that uses guiche to refer to perineum, a man does not have a guiche unless it is made of metal (and fucking hot to boot - but that's another story). And "fiddled"? No.
He also has mad skillz in the talking while deep throating department.
I get what the author meant but "said as he Xed as he Yed" implies it all happened simultaneously. That's just poor sentence structure and I assume should have been "said as he Xed, then he Yed" Should have been caught.
Finally, after some time, like a day or two, they end up in bed and ... Well, now
First is the use of tummy and belly. Not words I associate with sex. Then,
Um, if you are going straight up the taint, you aren't hitting the cheeks, you'll hit the hole. Okay anyway, carry on.
Um, if you've never been inside yet, how can you have an "outstroke". That's not even a word to be honest.
Then there is post nap shower sex.
A) a spat is a small argument, perhaps the author meant spate? and B) I suppose blowing water out your nose which I think hurts like hell is a guy thing because I'd probably be grossed out.
Okay, apparent lack of basic human anatomy stuff, the time line then got screwy. A day or so later they go out in early in the morning when Dakota does his food run. After they get back, they have sex (see above outstroking). Dakota notes they will be having ribs on Friday that he bought today. Great. (ribs are great) I think it's Thursday now because they are going to smoke the ribs all night. (Too much info about the menu, what they're serving, etc. but fine.) Then two days have passed (and apparently acrobatic sexy nights) and the ribs are STILL cooking? And are going to go another day? Now I've watched BBQ Pitmasters on TV. You can't cook ribs for 4 days straight.
And then Samuel turns into this whiny clinging thing in the hospital (okay, so he almost died, I get it) but Dakota's about to go off and buy his food for the day, coming back later and Samuel gets all "I want to be first, I don't like you going out early" and claims he figured out that Dakota doesn't have to go out, he can buy food less often and they have enough food for the weekend anyway. Um. That's his job. Stop bitching. If he's buying food on a day-to-day basis, why do you have so much in the fridge? Sigh. And the hospital lets Dakota sleep in bed with a patient? Sigh
Anyway, I was so frustrated with the errors, either words, body parts or time-lines that I only kept going so that I could find out where all the restaurant money was and who tried to poison Samuel. But... Nothing.
I don't usually write so much for a negative review, but I had just reached my wits end. Some of it is basic stuff, poor grammar and spelling and not necessarily due to the fact that the plot is rather superficial with characters acting one way and switching completely the next. I will definitely not be continuing on the series. Although I may read some other reviews so I can found out "who done it", although it's pretty clear who did.
I knew what I was getting with buying a book from this publisher, but sometimes that what we want. Nothing wrong with a little cotton candy read once in a while. The premise is good. Dakota owns the restaurant half of a B&B which is hemoraging money. His long-time partner and friend sells without discussing it (kind of a dick move) and needless to say he's worried the chain that's coming in will want to take away all the uniqueness or close him down. Fair point. We'd all be worried.
This is Samuel's first big job for the family and he's met with a mix of southern charm and outright hostility. Dakota doesn't know if he hates the guy or wants to fuck him. Okay, maybe both. Within minutes of the guy arriving, Dakota is in his bedroom, with paper thin walls purposely jacking off and being loud so the guy will hear him. Real professional dude. Considering you are prepared to hate him, what is your point?
They start the bickering and Samuel starts trying to figure out what is going on financially but of course there is no record keeping, etc. They fight, they kiss, Samuel gets a blowjob on the beach, and before long, Dakota's more mushy than hostile and as someone noted, the gays in this small town Florida gulf coast village are coming out of the woodwork. Doctor, sheriff, two cooks, accountant, landscaper, carpenter, all being set up for those own little Gulf Coast romances. Anyway, I had a feeling that was coming so I just shrugged it off. Cattle Valley anyone? Gayest place on earth? It happens.
So there are a couple of mysteries. One, the restaurant is raking in the money but broke, and then nut allergic Samuel is apparently poisoned by someone who spiked the ice-tea (which he better lay off or he's going to be packing on the pounds). So I kept reading primarily because I wanted the answer to both questions, however, I never got that and I suppose you'll have to read the other books to find out. I won't.
My biggest issues were first of all, physiological. During the beach BJ scene,
slipped his fingers under the soft sack of balls, fiddled with the guiche and the perineum.
Um. He has no piercing. Now except for an obscure Urban Diction reference that uses guiche to refer to perineum, a man does not have a guiche unless it is made of metal (and fucking hot to boot - but that's another story). And "fiddled"? No.
He also has mad skillz in the talking while deep throating department.
“Let go…” Dakota said as he squeezed and jacked as he swallowed him again.
I get what the author meant but "said as he Xed as he Yed" implies it all happened simultaneously. That's just poor sentence structure and I assume should have been "said as he Xed, then he Yed" Should have been caught.
Finally, after some time, like a day or two, they end up in bed and ... Well, now
First is the use of tummy and belly. Not words I associate with sex. Then,
"stroked the perineum from the scrotum to Samuel’s ass cheeks"
Um, if you are going straight up the taint, you aren't hitting the cheeks, you'll hit the hole. Okay anyway, carry on.
Dakota pressed a finger around the rim of Samuel’s ass—circled his sphincter a couple of times until he relaxed. After another outstroke, Dakota stuck a lubed finger inside Samuel’s ass.
Um, if you've never been inside yet, how can you have an "outstroke". That's not even a word to be honest.
Then there is post nap shower sex.
Laughing together, they finished cleaning one another in the shower in between spats of kissing, groping and spurting water out of their noses and mouths.
A) a spat is a small argument, perhaps the author meant spate? and B) I suppose blowing water out your nose which I think hurts like hell is a guy thing because I'd probably be grossed out.
Okay, apparent lack of basic human anatomy stuff, the time line then got screwy. A day or so later they go out in early in the morning when Dakota does his food run. After they get back, they have sex (see above outstroking). Dakota notes they will be having ribs on Friday that he bought today. Great. (ribs are great) I think it's Thursday now because they are going to smoke the ribs all night. (Too much info about the menu, what they're serving, etc. but fine.) Then two days have passed (and apparently acrobatic sexy nights) and the ribs are STILL cooking? And are going to go another day? Now I've watched BBQ Pitmasters on TV. You can't cook ribs for 4 days straight.
And then Samuel turns into this whiny clinging thing in the hospital (okay, so he almost died, I get it) but Dakota's about to go off and buy his food for the day, coming back later and Samuel gets all "I want to be first, I don't like you going out early" and claims he figured out that Dakota doesn't have to go out, he can buy food less often and they have enough food for the weekend anyway. Um. That's his job. Stop bitching. If he's buying food on a day-to-day basis, why do you have so much in the fridge? Sigh. And the hospital lets Dakota sleep in bed with a patient? Sigh
Anyway, I was so frustrated with the errors, either words, body parts or time-lines that I only kept going so that I could find out where all the restaurant money was and who tried to poison Samuel. But... Nothing.
I don't usually write so much for a negative review, but I had just reached my wits end. Some of it is basic stuff, poor grammar and spelling and not necessarily due to the fact that the plot is rather superficial with characters acting one way and switching completely the next. I will definitely not be continuing on the series. Although I may read some other reviews so I can found out "who done it", although it's pretty clear who did.
May 10, 2014
More of a 2.5 star read. Ugh, I'm so conflicted about this one. I loved the idea of this story and the characters were an interesting bunch. I will read the rest of the series just to see what happens to them but the writing was....um, not what I was expecting? Not smooth but choppy and a little disjointed. And their relationship was so hot and cold and sometimes a little on the creepy side. I'm sure there are other reviewers willing to be much more harsh than I so go looking for them. This one was a bit on the disappointing side for me.
October 19, 2017
Dakota Mitchell hat sich von weit unten hochgekämpft und zu etwas gebracht. Doch dann verkündet ihm sein Geschäftspartner, dass er den Anteil an einem gemeinsamen Projekt verkauft hat und sich zurückziehen wird. Dakota ist völlig vor den Kopf gestoßen und muss nun damit leben, dass sein ‚Baby‘ – The Southern Charm – vielleicht schon sehr bald für immer seine Pforten schließt und Dakota womöglich sein Heim verlieren wird.
Das Bed and Breakfast samt Restaurant, in dem Dakota der Küchenchef ist, gehört nun zur Hälfte der Familie Ashford. Deren jüngster Sohn, Samuel, soll die neue Investition genau unter die Lupe nehmen und prüfen, ob sich weitere Investitionen lohnen und was sich ändern muss. Schon bald kommt er einigen Ungereimtheiten auf die Spur, die er jedoch wie ein Spürhund verfolgt.
Dakota reagiert erst sehr kratzbürstig und macht sofort klar, was er von Samuel und der Familie hält. Doch Samuel mag zwar jünger als Dakota und noch nicht so erfahren sein, lässt sich jedoch nicht so einfach vertreiben. Und er vermag Dakota auch zu überraschen und für sich einzunehmen.
Obwohl Dakota Samuel erst nicht leiden kann oder sich eben von ihm und seiner Familie bedroht fühlt, kann er die Anziehung zwischen ihnen nicht leugnen. Allerdings macht er es dem jüngeren Mann nicht eben einfach, da Dakota sehr gemischte Signale aussendet. Das nimmt dem Buch dann am Ende auch ein wenig seinen Charme, da Dakota ziemlich anstrengend sein kann. Da hat Samuel wirklich einen langen Atem, auch wenn er selbst immer wieder mit sich hadert und die Zukunft des Southern Charm, aber auch seine eigene mit Dakota, sehr rational abwägt.
Es lohnt sich jedoch dran zu bleiben und in diese kleine Welt einzutauchen. Es werden schon einige Helden der kommenden Bücher vorgestellt und es gibt auch einen kleinen Krimiplot, der für Samuel fast tödlich endet. Dieser wird in diesem Teil nicht wirklich aufgeklärt, aber das bedeutet keinen Cliffhanger und dieser Erzählstrang wird in den weiteren Teilen noch weitergeführt.
Das Bed and Breakfast samt Restaurant, in dem Dakota der Küchenchef ist, gehört nun zur Hälfte der Familie Ashford. Deren jüngster Sohn, Samuel, soll die neue Investition genau unter die Lupe nehmen und prüfen, ob sich weitere Investitionen lohnen und was sich ändern muss. Schon bald kommt er einigen Ungereimtheiten auf die Spur, die er jedoch wie ein Spürhund verfolgt.
Dakota reagiert erst sehr kratzbürstig und macht sofort klar, was er von Samuel und der Familie hält. Doch Samuel mag zwar jünger als Dakota und noch nicht so erfahren sein, lässt sich jedoch nicht so einfach vertreiben. Und er vermag Dakota auch zu überraschen und für sich einzunehmen.
Obwohl Dakota Samuel erst nicht leiden kann oder sich eben von ihm und seiner Familie bedroht fühlt, kann er die Anziehung zwischen ihnen nicht leugnen. Allerdings macht er es dem jüngeren Mann nicht eben einfach, da Dakota sehr gemischte Signale aussendet. Das nimmt dem Buch dann am Ende auch ein wenig seinen Charme, da Dakota ziemlich anstrengend sein kann. Da hat Samuel wirklich einen langen Atem, auch wenn er selbst immer wieder mit sich hadert und die Zukunft des Southern Charm, aber auch seine eigene mit Dakota, sehr rational abwägt.
Es lohnt sich jedoch dran zu bleiben und in diese kleine Welt einzutauchen. Es werden schon einige Helden der kommenden Bücher vorgestellt und es gibt auch einen kleinen Krimiplot, der für Samuel fast tödlich endet. Dieser wird in diesem Teil nicht wirklich aufgeklärt, aber das bedeutet keinen Cliffhanger und dieser Erzählstrang wird in den weiteren Teilen noch weitergeführt.
January 22, 2015
My 4 star review:
Rules of the Chef is a relatively low key love story in the category of enemies to lovers. Except the MCs weren’t both thinking they were enemies. Dakota is the chef at the highly acclaimed restaurant attached to the Southern Charm B&B on the Gulf Coast of Florida. His partner in the B&B venture has decided he and his wife have had enough of hurricanes and oil spills and sells his half of the partnership to a hotel chain. This upsets Dakota tremendously as he was given no notice this was about to happen nor was he given the opportunity to buy out his partner (which he couldn’t afford anyway).
The son of the owners of the hotel chair, Samuel, comes to the small town to evaluate the little B&B which has been losing money. His job is to see if it is a salvageable business and his first impressions are not good. However, as he gets to know the little town and the impact the B&B has on its economy he starts to reconsider. Then there is the hunky chef in the kitchen. Things heat up quickly between Dakota and Samuel, although Dakota takes a long time to learn to trust Samuel’s intentions.
We are introduced to a number of secondary characters who will feature prominently in this series as it goes on, and watch as Dakota and Samuel take their tentative lust to the next level of a relationship. When something tragic happens to Samuel, Dakota realizes how important Samuel is to him.
The two MCs get their HFN by the end of the book but there are a couple of mysteries that are still outstanding in the story line, “to be continued” in a future series installment. This is a good beginning to a lovely series, full of southern charm and charming characters. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
PizzyGirl's 3 star review:
http://www.mrsconditreadsbooks.com/?p...
REVIEW:
Rule of the Chef is a promising start to a new series. The story centers around two vastly different men who are thrown together and forced to make things work. They clash from the get go but at the same time are fiercely attracted to one another. Ms. Dennis does an excellent job at portraying the sexual tension between the men. I could feel it leap off the pages. The author also did a great job connecting with the reader. I fell in love with the Southern Charm hotel and wanted to know her ultimate fate. I was a little unsatisfied with the abrupt ending but it made for a good to be continued for the series.
Ms. Dennis also did a great job of introducing all the local players for the continuing series. She described the local culture and introduced everyone perfectly. I was impressed not only with the care she took to develop the characters needed for this particular story, but with the remarkable job she did at setting up the landscape for future installments.
However, my rating is on the low end because this work needs better editing and proofreading. There were multiple times I had to re-read sentences because they were missing key words needed to complete the meaning and make the sentences flow. I had to reword them in my head so that they made sense. Often, the wording was awkward and repetitive. There were cases of misuse of you, your, you’re and many instances of extra words left in a sentence after the author obviously rewrote things. Sometimes the plot flow was abrupt and disjointed. This could have been corrected with better word choice and sentence structure. In my opinion, the poor editing was distracting enough that I almost DNF even with my desire to know the outcome of the hotel. With better editing, Rules of the Chef could have easily been a 4-5 sweet pea review. Rules of the Chef has great characters and is a promising start to this new series. I honestly want to know what happens next and who will star in the next love story. I will give the next one a shot, but if the editing is similar to this one, it will be my last from this Author.
Rules of the Chef is a relatively low key love story in the category of enemies to lovers. Except the MCs weren’t both thinking they were enemies. Dakota is the chef at the highly acclaimed restaurant attached to the Southern Charm B&B on the Gulf Coast of Florida. His partner in the B&B venture has decided he and his wife have had enough of hurricanes and oil spills and sells his half of the partnership to a hotel chain. This upsets Dakota tremendously as he was given no notice this was about to happen nor was he given the opportunity to buy out his partner (which he couldn’t afford anyway).
The son of the owners of the hotel chair, Samuel, comes to the small town to evaluate the little B&B which has been losing money. His job is to see if it is a salvageable business and his first impressions are not good. However, as he gets to know the little town and the impact the B&B has on its economy he starts to reconsider. Then there is the hunky chef in the kitchen. Things heat up quickly between Dakota and Samuel, although Dakota takes a long time to learn to trust Samuel’s intentions.
We are introduced to a number of secondary characters who will feature prominently in this series as it goes on, and watch as Dakota and Samuel take their tentative lust to the next level of a relationship. When something tragic happens to Samuel, Dakota realizes how important Samuel is to him.
The two MCs get their HFN by the end of the book but there are a couple of mysteries that are still outstanding in the story line, “to be continued” in a future series installment. This is a good beginning to a lovely series, full of southern charm and charming characters. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series.
PizzyGirl's 3 star review:
http://www.mrsconditreadsbooks.com/?p...
REVIEW:
Rule of the Chef is a promising start to a new series. The story centers around two vastly different men who are thrown together and forced to make things work. They clash from the get go but at the same time are fiercely attracted to one another. Ms. Dennis does an excellent job at portraying the sexual tension between the men. I could feel it leap off the pages. The author also did a great job connecting with the reader. I fell in love with the Southern Charm hotel and wanted to know her ultimate fate. I was a little unsatisfied with the abrupt ending but it made for a good to be continued for the series.
Ms. Dennis also did a great job of introducing all the local players for the continuing series. She described the local culture and introduced everyone perfectly. I was impressed not only with the care she took to develop the characters needed for this particular story, but with the remarkable job she did at setting up the landscape for future installments.
However, my rating is on the low end because this work needs better editing and proofreading. There were multiple times I had to re-read sentences because they were missing key words needed to complete the meaning and make the sentences flow. I had to reword them in my head so that they made sense. Often, the wording was awkward and repetitive. There were cases of misuse of you, your, you’re and many instances of extra words left in a sentence after the author obviously rewrote things. Sometimes the plot flow was abrupt and disjointed. This could have been corrected with better word choice and sentence structure. In my opinion, the poor editing was distracting enough that I almost DNF even with my desire to know the outcome of the hotel. With better editing, Rules of the Chef could have easily been a 4-5 sweet pea review. Rules of the Chef has great characters and is a promising start to this new series. I honestly want to know what happens next and who will star in the next love story. I will give the next one a shot, but if the editing is similar to this one, it will be my last from this Author.
November 18, 2019
Meine Meinung
In „Ein Gefühl von Schicksal (Southern Charm 1)“ geht es um Dakota dessen langjähriger Geschäftspartner, die Hälfte ihres gemeinsamen Hotels verkauft, an eine Hotelkette. Doch Dakota will nicht aufgeben und diesem Samuel das Hotel überlassen.
Er will Samuel hassen und doch scheint dieser ganz anders, als vermutet...
Haben die aufkeimende Gefühle eine Chance, wenn Samuel wieder zurück muss, als Erbe der Ashford-Hotelkette ???
Dakota ist Chefkoch in dem gemeinsamen Hotel und führt mit seinem Geschäftspartner zusammen, das Hotel. Als sein Partner dem die andere Hälfte gehört verkauft muss Dakota alles geben ....
Samuel ist der Erbe, der Ashford-Hotelkette und soll nun soll sich um, das Southern Charm kümmern, das seine Kette gekauft hat. Kann man ihm vertrauen ??? Er hat es ebenfalls nicht leicht, denn er muss seinem Vater beweisen, das er es wert ist die Hotelkette zu leiten.
Der Schreibstil ist angenehm flüssig und wird im Wechsel aus der Perspektive von Samuel und Dakota erzählt. Der Leser kann sie so beide näher kennen lernen und ihre Gedanken und Gefühle erfahren während der Handlung. Die Nebenfiguren sind ebenso authentisch und gestalten, die Geschichte mit. Die Kulisse rund um, das Hotel finde ich sehr schön beschrieben und man bekommt direkt Lust selbst einmal dorthin zu reisen.
Die Spannung und Handlung haben mich mit jeder Seite mehr in, die Geschichte von Dakota und Samuel gezogen. Dakota hat, das Hotel mit Einem guten Freund aufgebaut und nun hat dieser seinen Anteil an eine Hotelkette verkauft. Dakota hat Angst, das diese, das Hotel zerstören und nur auf Profit aus sind. Als Samuel der Sohn der Kette aufkreuzt scheinen direkt, die Funken zu sprühen und es nicht einfach zu werden. Samuel soll zeigen, das er diese Projekt alleine auf die Beine stellen kann. Was hat, das aufkeimende knistern zwischen beiden zu bedeuten? Kann da überhaupt mehr sein, wenn Samuel wieder abreißt und Dakota hier seinen Platz hat ??? Das Ende war mehr als nur aufregend und ich konnte mich kaum davon lösen.
Das Cover sieht toll aus und man kann sich direkt Dakota vorstellen. Die Kulisse das Hotel, das dringend renoviert werden muss..
Fazit
Mit „Ein Gefühl von Schicksal (Southern Charm 1)“ schafft, die Autorin einen besonderen Auftakt ihrer Gay Romance Geschichte. Ich freue mich schon auf den 2 Band
February 17, 2017
~sigh~ I'm stymied at even where to start with the many problems I have with this story.
I guess that I'll just say that I've been exposed to many people with mental illness over the years including family members who are bi-polar yet sadly these guys make them look 100% rational. This was just too disjointed to the point that none of these scenes were believable. And apparently this small little Florida town is filled with almost nothing but good looking gay men.
It is obvious to me that the author had plotted out the emotions that she wanted these characters to feel.... sadness, fear, distrust etc.etc. and that she wanted passion and a pull to each other to get them past the negative emotions. However she not only failed to build the bridges that would take them from the negative emotions to the positive but also too quickly jumped them right back to the negative. Not to mention all of the hints at other things such as fraud and embezzlement, to name but two that were not taken anywhere.
The only reason for all the things left hanging and all the many characters that were introduced that I can think of is that this is intended to be the first of a series. All I can say to that is I would hope that the author would first find a good, honest editor and go back and rework this book to make the characters three dimensional,believable, likable guys.
I guess that I'll just say that I've been exposed to many people with mental illness over the years including family members who are bi-polar yet sadly these guys make them look 100% rational. This was just too disjointed to the point that none of these scenes were believable. And apparently this small little Florida town is filled with almost nothing but good looking gay men.
It is obvious to me that the author had plotted out the emotions that she wanted these characters to feel.... sadness, fear, distrust etc.etc. and that she wanted passion and a pull to each other to get them past the negative emotions. However she not only failed to build the bridges that would take them from the negative emotions to the positive but also too quickly jumped them right back to the negative. Not to mention all of the hints at other things such as fraud and embezzlement, to name but two that were not taken anywhere.
The only reason for all the things left hanging and all the many characters that were introduced that I can think of is that this is intended to be the first of a series. All I can say to that is I would hope that the author would first find a good, honest editor and go back and rework this book to make the characters three dimensional,believable, likable guys.
January 10, 2016
Rules of the Chef is a relatively low-angst, quick read that sets you up for an enjoyable series. Book one of Nicole Dennis’ Southern Charm series pairs a hard working and loyal chef, Dakota, with the son and heir apparent to the hotel chain that just bought out half of his business, Samuel. Their initial meeting is a comedy of errors and, they are more enemies than grudging business partners. Predictably, that changes as they work together (this is a romance after all).
There was little mystery with this pairing and this story. You knew who the pairing was from the start; you could guess most of how the pairing would go down. The one mystery that was presented was left open for solving later in the series. We were introduced to an interesting cast of characters, whom I look forward to getting to know better as the series progresses.
Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
There was little mystery with this pairing and this story. You knew who the pairing was from the start; you could guess most of how the pairing would go down. The one mystery that was presented was left open for solving later in the series. We were introduced to an interesting cast of characters, whom I look forward to getting to know better as the series progresses.
Find the Full review at Prism Book Alliance http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?pos...
September 25, 2014
This is a city in the South where the main chef was gay, the part owner of the hotel was gay, the prep cook was gay, the waiter #1 was gay, the sous chef was gay, the landscaper was gay, the sheriff was gay, the doctor in the hospital was gay, and the waiter #2 was gay (and a possible killer). Did I miss anybody? Oh yeah, the contractor was gay, the accountant was gay...
A book that was written as a set up for a long series where nothing really important happened; Okay, apart from the chef and the part owner's fast relationship. Even that was quite unsatisfactory. There's not much sexual tension to build on since the very first night they were already kissing. And then the chef was on his knee, not doing what you're thinking, but to beg and cry.
Only an introduction to a litany of characters that will be main characters in subsequent books.
A book that was written as a set up for a long series where nothing really important happened; Okay, apart from the chef and the part owner's fast relationship. Even that was quite unsatisfactory. There's not much sexual tension to build on since the very first night they were already kissing. And then the chef was on his knee, not doing what you're thinking, but to beg and cry.
Only an introduction to a litany of characters that will be main characters in subsequent books.
June 18, 2018
I remember that I really liked this story the first time I read it.
The blurb of a failing seaside B&B that is bought by a big chain that wants to expand in the boutique hotel market immediately appealed to me.
I definitely still like the idea, but honestly I can not imagine, how I rated this 5 stars.
The book has so many flaws and the story is so weird at times that I can only downgrade it to 3 stars after reading it for the second time.
Usually I stick with my first impression, but in this case I would not be comfortable if someone picked this up because of my recommendation.
The main characters were hot and cold towards each other and their actions rarely made sense.
The book still had some nice ideas and twists but overall it was definitely an average read and only if you run a hotel (like me) it might appeal more to you ;-)
The blurb of a failing seaside B&B that is bought by a big chain that wants to expand in the boutique hotel market immediately appealed to me.
I definitely still like the idea, but honestly I can not imagine, how I rated this 5 stars.
The book has so many flaws and the story is so weird at times that I can only downgrade it to 3 stars after reading it for the second time.
Usually I stick with my first impression, but in this case I would not be comfortable if someone picked this up because of my recommendation.
The main characters were hot and cold towards each other and their actions rarely made sense.
The book still had some nice ideas and twists but overall it was definitely an average read and only if you run a hotel (like me) it might appeal more to you ;-)
November 3, 2016
I didn't like this, but I wanted to know what happened so what did I do? I bought the entire rest of the series in the bundle pack? Why? Because I clearly have issues.
Samuel and Dakota are so hot and cold. One minute Dakota was being a dick and then the next he was all over Samuel. I actually hated the way Dakota treated Samuel, but then Samuel just went along with everything and never put a stop to it.
I didn't mind that everyone and their brother was gay; it's like living in an alternate universe and I read to escape and it IS fiction. So while others had issues with that part, I didn't.
My hatred was for Dakota and then the damn thing just ended! It felt like half of a book. I was so pissed.
1.5 Stars
Samuel and Dakota are so hot and cold. One minute Dakota was being a dick and then the next he was all over Samuel. I actually hated the way Dakota treated Samuel, but then Samuel just went along with everything and never put a stop to it.
I didn't mind that everyone and their brother was gay; it's like living in an alternate universe and I read to escape and it IS fiction. So while others had issues with that part, I didn't.
My hatred was for Dakota and then the damn thing just ended! It felt like half of a book. I was so pissed.
1.5 Stars
April 7, 2016
2.5 stars. Liked the idea of the story, but the writing just didn't work for me. It didn't flow well and the ending was so abrupt. Also the two MC's about drove me crazy with their bi-polar reactions to each other. It made sense at first but the swinging back and forth from I hate you and wish you would leave to I'm kissing you and want you in bed went on way too long.
I'm going to continue with the series just because I'm curious enough about the much-mentioned but never shown Chandler to see where it goes. I also hate an unsolved mystery so I'm hoping that we find out who messed with Samuel (even though I think I know).
I'm going to continue with the series just because I'm curious enough about the much-mentioned but never shown Chandler to see where it goes. I also hate an unsolved mystery so I'm hoping that we find out who messed with Samuel (even though I think I know).
November 17, 2014
My first review...what can i say? i love chefs, beachs,small towns ,a bunch of hot guys and hotels....mix all this in a book with a bit of sweetness , mystery, love ,sex and great side stories and i´m trapped.Hope Ms.Dennis write fast ...i´m looking forward for the next ones in this serie.
March 25, 2014
Great new series. Looking forward to the rest :)
June 3, 2019
So much potential lost in a head-scratching relationship and cliffhanger ending. Samuel Ashford's family has bought 50% of a boutique hotel on the Gulf Coast and immediately buts heads with the other co-owner. The relationship is pretty contentious initially but then they seem to get along, and then it's back to yelling. And then they get into bed together. It's like a yo-yo of a plot. And then the book abruptly ends without any resolution - what has happened to all the money that the restaurant makes, and who is behind the ? I'm honestly not sure I'm interested enough to keep reading.
August 16, 2014
Southern Charms is a quaint little bed and breakfast sitting on the gulf coast. Business has taken a major hit from the hurricanes and the oil spill. Though the spill is clean tourists still haven’t begun the trek back to the out of the way and quaint resort. The only thing keeping it alive is the restaurant that is part of the hotel.
Dakota is the chef and co-owner of Southern Charms. Charms is his life and home and he is very unhappy with the sale of the hotel half by his best friend Edward. When the new co-owner and business partner comes in, Dakota is not very accepting or helpful at all.
Samuel Ashford is sent to see if the business is worth saving and able to be the first of his Mother’s new adventures in adding smaller boutique hotels to their chain. This is his first real solo venture and he really wants to impress his father, who really thinks it’s best to let it go and shut it down.
This is the first book in the series and wow what a setup. We are introduced to numerous, fabulous potential bearing characters, a beautiful, charming setting, and plots galore. There is lots of action in this first story, a little mystery and some steaming hot man-sex. I was so into the book, the sudden ending surprised me. Good thing I already have the next! You won’t want to put it down once you start.
I will say I would have labelled this as a serial instead of series since there was a point not quite resolved. Having said this I figure it will be resolved eventually and it does help make you want to go forward. I personally would have liked this one point settled in this particular story though. Having said that, it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book.
I love the chemistry between Samuel and Dakota. It’s not a love at first sight story. I can’t wait to see all the other characters find love.
If you like intriguing series, sexy characters, chefs, businessmen, romance, conflict, a bit of mystery, and some really steamy man-sex this is definitely for you!
Dakota is the chef and co-owner of Southern Charms. Charms is his life and home and he is very unhappy with the sale of the hotel half by his best friend Edward. When the new co-owner and business partner comes in, Dakota is not very accepting or helpful at all.
Samuel Ashford is sent to see if the business is worth saving and able to be the first of his Mother’s new adventures in adding smaller boutique hotels to their chain. This is his first real solo venture and he really wants to impress his father, who really thinks it’s best to let it go and shut it down.
This is the first book in the series and wow what a setup. We are introduced to numerous, fabulous potential bearing characters, a beautiful, charming setting, and plots galore. There is lots of action in this first story, a little mystery and some steaming hot man-sex. I was so into the book, the sudden ending surprised me. Good thing I already have the next! You won’t want to put it down once you start.
I will say I would have labelled this as a serial instead of series since there was a point not quite resolved. Having said this I figure it will be resolved eventually and it does help make you want to go forward. I personally would have liked this one point settled in this particular story though. Having said that, it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book.
I love the chemistry between Samuel and Dakota. It’s not a love at first sight story. I can’t wait to see all the other characters find love.
If you like intriguing series, sexy characters, chefs, businessmen, romance, conflict, a bit of mystery, and some really steamy man-sex this is definitely for you!
September 10, 2016
The story was rather slow and I didn't feel any chemistry between the MCs, Dakota and Samuel (not Sam not Sammy - Samuel). Dakota hated and resented Samuel but thought he was hot anyways. Samuel couldn't figure out how Dakota was going to treat him from one day to the next (it really was confusing, even for the reader!). But then at 74% Samuel is hospitalized (not giving it away even with a spoiler b/c it was the only exciting thing in the whole book!) and Dakota has his major epiphany and then they love each forever and ever...wait that's not how this book ends! Samuel comes home from the hospital and is laying in bed with Dakota talking about future long term plans for the hotel. This is how the convo goes... They say a few more things and then...The End.
That's it for the ending? It's very very very close to a cliffhanger but hey at least we know this couple is good. We have to buy the other books to figure out the mystery of who put Samuel in the hospital because you know I would love to stay in a place where someone tried to kill me too. And not even mention it as a flipping concern for staying as well...
That's it for the ending? It's very very very close to a cliffhanger but hey at least we know this couple is good. We have to buy the other books to figure out the mystery of who put Samuel in the hospital because you know I would love to stay in a place where someone tried to kill me too. And not even mention it as a flipping concern for staying as well...
May 11, 2014
1.5 - 2 stars
Dakota is the co-owner of a B&B/restaurant and is told by his business partner that he sold his 50% share to a well-known hotel owning Ashford family. Samuel Ashford is sent down to the South to check out the hotel and see what needs to be done. He and Dakota butt heads right from the beginning but still there's a lot of sexual tension. Dakota got a bit annoying with his attitude after a while but then finally decides he does like Samuel. I got rather bored with the book when I was two-thirds done, but then it finally gained momentum and I started to like it again. Serious drama happens, there are a lot of unsolved things going and then... nothing. The book ended... I hate it when that happens!
Apparently it's the first one in a series but I think even in that case a book should at least work on its own. People are mentioned who never appear, I guess we'll see them in the next books, the several mysteries and issues are never solved, seems like that will happen in the next books too (hopefully) and the small town in which the story takes place almost everybody is gay (doctor, sheriff, gardener, carpenter, sous-chef...) I guess to set up enough happy couples to ensure at least five other books... All in all the books was disappointing!
Dakota is the co-owner of a B&B/restaurant and is told by his business partner that he sold his 50% share to a well-known hotel owning Ashford family. Samuel Ashford is sent down to the South to check out the hotel and see what needs to be done. He and Dakota butt heads right from the beginning but still there's a lot of sexual tension. Dakota got a bit annoying with his attitude after a while but then finally decides he does like Samuel. I got rather bored with the book when I was two-thirds done, but then it finally gained momentum and I started to like it again. Serious drama happens, there are a lot of unsolved things going and then... nothing. The book ended... I hate it when that happens!
Apparently it's the first one in a series but I think even in that case a book should at least work on its own. People are mentioned who never appear, I guess we'll see them in the next books, the several mysteries and issues are never solved, seems like that will happen in the next books too (hopefully) and the small town in which the story takes place almost everybody is gay (doctor, sheriff, gardener, carpenter, sous-chef...) I guess to set up enough happy couples to ensure at least five other books... All in all the books was disappointing!
May 11, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
1 star
This book was a mess all across the board. There was little (i.e. nothing) I enjoyed about it, but probably the least appealing part was the writing style. I do not like to make assumptions about authors or their intent, so I’m not saying that this is actually the case, but the narrative reads like it was written by someone who is not a native English speaker. (That is not to say that all non-native speakers would write this way; I know several who wield the language beautifully, but that was just the impression that I got.) Grammar was poor, clarity was a thing that just didn’t happen, and common idioms and turns of phrase were used so incorrectly it was almost absurd. For example,”We can only blow so much air to chill people off.” The narrative jumped around, I constantly felt like I had no idea what was going on, and when I did have a clue I was rolling my eyes at how ridiculous it was.
Read Angi's review in its entirety here.
1 star
This book was a mess all across the board. There was little (i.e. nothing) I enjoyed about it, but probably the least appealing part was the writing style. I do not like to make assumptions about authors or their intent, so I’m not saying that this is actually the case, but the narrative reads like it was written by someone who is not a native English speaker. (That is not to say that all non-native speakers would write this way; I know several who wield the language beautifully, but that was just the impression that I got.) Grammar was poor, clarity was a thing that just didn’t happen, and common idioms and turns of phrase were used so incorrectly it was almost absurd. For example,”We can only blow so much air to chill people off.” The narrative jumped around, I constantly felt like I had no idea what was going on, and when I did have a clue I was rolling my eyes at how ridiculous it was.
Read Angi's review in its entirety here.
September 9, 2015
I had found this book because it was on sale for 99 cents, and I thought what the heck? And I bought it. It has been sitting on my kindle until now because I hadn’t been in the mood to read it yet. But once I started it, I couldn’t put the series down!
I loved the way that Dennis has created a little town just for the characters and the B&B. I do have to say the B&B was a great “twist” to the story. I haven’t read any books that are based around one in the past, yet I think that Dennis did a great job with this one. Not only were the details there showing that research was done, but the story just flowed so well I couldn’t put it down.
The characters were so great and likeable. Even with everything that was going on, I couldn’t help but cheer for Samuel and root him on. Even the secondary characters were very easy to connect with. That was another thing that I liked that Dennis did, you could tell who was going to have the next story in the series, yet it didn’t overpower THIS story.
This was the first book by Dennis that I have read, but I can guarantee you it won’t be the last.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy BOUGHT for review*
I loved the way that Dennis has created a little town just for the characters and the B&B. I do have to say the B&B was a great “twist” to the story. I haven’t read any books that are based around one in the past, yet I think that Dennis did a great job with this one. Not only were the details there showing that research was done, but the story just flowed so well I couldn’t put it down.
The characters were so great and likeable. Even with everything that was going on, I couldn’t help but cheer for Samuel and root him on. Even the secondary characters were very easy to connect with. That was another thing that I liked that Dennis did, you could tell who was going to have the next story in the series, yet it didn’t overpower THIS story.
This was the first book by Dennis that I have read, but I can guarantee you it won’t be the last.
Reviewed by Crystal Marie for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy BOUGHT for review*
May 4, 2014
This book started out pretty well. it had a great story going with a "enemies to lovers" kind of thing between a chef and a hotel developer.
Now that romance was the definition of hot and cold! It became very slow after about 25% in and stayed that way tool the last 25%. But even so there were really 2 conflicts in this story that we as readers needed answers to and we received NONE. Not to mention that there was no real ending! To be honest even though the book was slow going I really liked the characters and the basis of the plot and I had planned to give it at least 3 stars bc it was fairly enjoyable. However when I got to the end and realized that it had no ending at all...it basically ruined it for me. The last little hope I had for the book was shattered.
I can honestly say that there was absolutely no resolution or conclusion to this book. It is one thing to extend one book into more books. But each book must still be complete on its own.
Major bummer since the characters and the setting were really awesome. :(
Now that romance was the definition of hot and cold! It became very slow after about 25% in and stayed that way tool the last 25%. But even so there were really 2 conflicts in this story that we as readers needed answers to and we received NONE. Not to mention that there was no real ending! To be honest even though the book was slow going I really liked the characters and the basis of the plot and I had planned to give it at least 3 stars bc it was fairly enjoyable. However when I got to the end and realized that it had no ending at all...it basically ruined it for me. The last little hope I had for the book was shattered.
I can honestly say that there was absolutely no resolution or conclusion to this book. It is one thing to extend one book into more books. But each book must still be complete on its own.
Major bummer since the characters and the setting were really awesome. :(
February 27, 2015
My favourite aspect of this book was the fact that Dakota was a chef. I love books with chefs and I totally agree with Samuel that Dakota in chef mode was hot. The amount of food talk was not over the top but there was still enough to create interest in Dakota as a chef.
The ending came a little abruptly and left a few questions unanswered. There was no cliffhanger ending, but I’m assuming that some problems are going to follow through more of the series. Problems such as, why is Dakota’s crazy successful restaurant losing money and, who tried to harm/kill Samuel?
My full reviews of the first four books in the Southern Charm series can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/02/2...
The ending came a little abruptly and left a few questions unanswered. There was no cliffhanger ending, but I’m assuming that some problems are going to follow through more of the series. Problems such as, why is Dakota’s crazy successful restaurant losing money and, who tried to harm/kill Samuel?
My full reviews of the first four books in the Southern Charm series can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2015/02/2...
January 29, 2015
FourStars
I really enjoyed this first installment of the series. It was a little choppy to begin with – I didn’t know if Samuel was going to be a good guy or bad guy. He came down in his suits – sticking out like a sore thumb – I could just picture that in my head.
Then you have Dakota. I like his attitude toward what he has built. He has so much pride and honor in his business. He truly loves what he does and puts his heart and soul in to it.
The relationship between Dakota and Samuel is one, I think, of love and hate. They bicker like a couple that’s been together forever. But, they also have these tender moments too.
Overall this was a cute book. I wish there was more build up to the relationship. It seemed a little rushed. However, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how they get together, as long as they do. I can’t wait to see what happens with the couple!
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
AvidReader
I really enjoyed this first installment of the series. It was a little choppy to begin with – I didn’t know if Samuel was going to be a good guy or bad guy. He came down in his suits – sticking out like a sore thumb – I could just picture that in my head.
Then you have Dakota. I like his attitude toward what he has built. He has so much pride and honor in his business. He truly loves what he does and puts his heart and soul in to it.
The relationship between Dakota and Samuel is one, I think, of love and hate. They bicker like a couple that’s been together forever. But, they also have these tender moments too.
Overall this was a cute book. I wish there was more build up to the relationship. It seemed a little rushed. However, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how they get together, as long as they do. I can’t wait to see what happens with the couple!
I was given this in return for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads.
AvidReader
January 18, 2015
So this has a HEA, but I still consider it cliffhanger because we never get any resolution for the failing hotel, the many gay characters or the death threat mystery.
Contemporary M/M romance set in a East coast (Southern) small resort that is feeling the economic downturn. The rich (very young) Mr. Samuel Ashford's family buys out half and is sent to make it more attractive, the other half owner is the sexy Southern Charm chef Dakota Mitchell who works too hard to have any romance.
They literally run into each other the first time and then the usual abrasive start turns into more as they have to work together to get the resort back into the black.
Cute 'Office romance' story. With a death threat (that is never resolved) and some really delicious cooking.
Cute M/M story that is clearly part of series which I will go check into in the future.
144 pages
3 stars
Contemporary M/M romance set in a East coast (Southern) small resort that is feeling the economic downturn. The rich (very young) Mr. Samuel Ashford's family buys out half and is sent to make it more attractive, the other half owner is the sexy Southern Charm chef Dakota Mitchell who works too hard to have any romance.
They literally run into each other the first time and then the usual abrasive start turns into more as they have to work together to get the resort back into the black.
Cute 'Office romance' story. With a death threat (that is never resolved) and some really delicious cooking.
Cute M/M story that is clearly part of series which I will go check into in the future.
144 pages
3 stars
May 5, 2014
May 1st to May 2nd 2014
This is a terrifically written enchanting smooth southern love story. As wonderful as key lime pie, this story has it all. A lot of excellent characters, a beautiful old hotel that needs saving, a little bit of a mystery that needs solved. Plus two gorgeous main characters, Dakota the chef and Samuel the new co-owner who works for Ashford Hotels. Yes, these two got together in record time. But they are falling more slowly with their emotions. This was a great story that ended with a gentle cliffhanger. I really enjoyed this story very much. Looking forward to the next book. If you love southern charm you will love this story also. I highly recommend!
This is a terrifically written enchanting smooth southern love story. As wonderful as key lime pie, this story has it all. A lot of excellent characters, a beautiful old hotel that needs saving, a little bit of a mystery that needs solved. Plus two gorgeous main characters, Dakota the chef and Samuel the new co-owner who works for Ashford Hotels. Yes, these two got together in record time. But they are falling more slowly with their emotions. This was a great story that ended with a gentle cliffhanger. I really enjoyed this story very much. Looking forward to the next book. If you love southern charm you will love this story also. I highly recommend!
April 12, 2014
Nicole Dennis does not disappoint in this wonderful story. Each of the main characters is multidimensional men. They have interactions and personality well outside of just meeting each other. As the book unfolds Dakota and Samuel- not Sam or Sammie grow closer by each interaction. It was refreshing to read a story where the characters took center stage not just sex. I enjoyed their relationship as it grew. It was more like watching friends fall for each other than made for a book characters. This was a very enjoyable story. I will watch for the rest of the series.
September 10, 2014
What I liked about this story - it was set in the beautiful gulf coast region.
What I disliked about this story - everything else!
This book was so full of editing errors, it made me want to scream. Did anyone actually proof read this book before it was published???
The characters point of view changed so often I couldn't keep up with who was speaking. The characters moods changed so often I thought they were all bipolar. The writing was so childlike I felt it was written for elementary school kids.
Needless to say, I will NOT be continuing on with this series.
What I disliked about this story - everything else!
This book was so full of editing errors, it made me want to scream. Did anyone actually proof read this book before it was published???
The characters point of view changed so often I couldn't keep up with who was speaking. The characters moods changed so often I thought they were all bipolar. The writing was so childlike I felt it was written for elementary school kids.
Needless to say, I will NOT be continuing on with this series.
October 6, 2014
This is what I would call a palate cleanser. It is a quick easy read, very low on angst and drama.
This is the first book in a series and did not feel I really got to know the characters very well. Also have a mystery with someone intentionally causing allergic reaction in Samuel to solve in next books. Hopefully will continue to learn about them as the series progresses. Both main and secondary characters are very likable and have good relationships. Can not wait to see how all the men are paired off.
This is the first book in a series and did not feel I really got to know the characters very well. Also have a mystery with someone intentionally causing allergic reaction in Samuel to solve in next books. Hopefully will continue to learn about them as the series progresses. Both main and secondary characters are very likable and have good relationships. Can not wait to see how all the men are paired off.
April 28, 2014
What a story full of a push-pull relationship. Kota seems almost schizoid in his change of personality from one interaction to the next with Samuel.
And what's with all the loose ends? Yeah, I get it... It's the start of series. But don't we at least rate the answer to the who-dunnit? I felt sorely gipped in the end.
And what's with all the loose ends? Yeah, I get it... It's the start of series. But don't we at least rate the answer to the who-dunnit? I felt sorely gipped in the end.
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