Willkommen im Takoda Outreach Center.Mach dich bereit für offene Herzen, einen vollen Bauch und all die Liebe, die du nur bekommen kannst.
Im Winter in einem Wohnmobil zu schlafen, ist vielleicht nicht ideal, aber es schützt mich und meine kleine gewählte Familie vor der Winterkälte, also nehme ich es in Kauf. Zum Glück garantiert mir meine Mitarbeit als Freiwilliger in der Suppenküche immer einen warmen Tag und warmes Essen. Das reicht für mich völlig aus. Zumindest war das so, bis Caleb, der berühmte Chefkoch, es wagte, in meine Küche einzudringen.
Als es heftig anfängt zu schneien, bietet er mir Zuflucht vor dem Sturm. Alles, was er dafür will, ist … ein Platz in meinem Herzen …
Ich habe das Leben auf der Straße überlebt, aber bin ich mutig genug, all das anzunehmen, was er mir bietet?
In diesem zweiten Buch des Takoda Outreach Centers findest du einen ahnungslosen Chefkoch, eine obdachlose, selbst ernannte Großmutter, die weder Frechheiten noch anderen Blödsinn duldet, und den Rest der Crew, die sich einfach nicht um ihre eigenen Angelegenheiten kümmern können. In Sammis fast Angst freier, supersüßen Welt werden Umarmungen großzügig vergeben und ein Happy End ist garantiert.
Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning.
These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories.
A few cardinal sins: rushed, undeveloped, too many questions left unanswered, low steam, trite, uninspired. The connection between the MCs never felt tangible to me. Can't recommend this one.
These are short books, but I love them. I grew to really like Jasper, but at first he kind of got on my nerves. I canceled my kindle unlimited subscription so I’m trying to read as many KU books this month as I can. I hope to finish all of Sammi Cee’s books by then. I tend to avoid books with Daddies since the idea of calling my lover Daddy makes me cringe. I shouldn’t have any trouble reading the others.
I absolutely adored Jasper and Caleb’s story!! I’ve briefly met the characters before in other Takoda-set books, and I knew a little bit about Jasper’s background, but it was heartbreaking to read about, and the reasons that caused him to end up homeless at such a young age brought be close to tears! Caleb remained more of a mystery, other than that his richy rich parents seemed to care more about their image than about their son, but he was such a rock throughout this story. The hurt/comfort was great, I can’t wait to see them appear in other stories in the future, and this epilogue was absolutely perfect!! It made me laugh, it made me angry, and again just reinforced the amazing found family in this universe!!
The first book in a series, I hope will be as popular as EM Leyas Rags&Riches!
PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!
To my ratings: A 3,5* is clicked with a 4* but in review marked as 3,5*:
5* - very very good and rare (it would be a Blow-Away-book like ‘Jesse's Smile’ or ‘Joey’ from Angelique Jurd, ‘Save the the kids’ series from EM Leya, ‘Love’s Tethered Heart’ from C.L. Etta or ‘Liberty’ from Seth King), it's like an A+
4* - very good and will be often reread and is a WOW-book with interesting plot and surprises (like most of Andrew Grey books and Davidson Kings 'Haven Hart'-series) it's like an A
3,5* - a really good book, which will be reread a few times (most romances where you can enjoy for relaxing and during waiting times in hospitals). I can recommend them definitively! It's like an B+
3* - it could be more then a one-time-reader (2-3 times a year), it's like a B
2* - it was ok to read, but it's more a one-time-reader (I wouldn't recommend it heartily, but it was ok) It's like a C-, D
1* - sorry, but that isn't really a book for me (too many mistakes, not nice plot, illogical, so an absolute NO-GO). It's like failure in the whole line, dismissed, repeat the class
Amazing book and the work that the guys do at the Soup Kitchen is amazing but the relationships are all the more special. I am really enjoying this series.
This book got to me. My heart went out to Jasper and his found family. Caleb didn't understand Jasper at first, but he understood as the story progressed.
I loved this story and for so many reasons. The characters in this story will break your heart and cause you to see things that most people take for granted. And if it doesn’t make you see compassion for your fellow man, you need to have your heart checked. Jasper has been hiding where he’s been spending his nights for a while. Since being kicked out at a young age, after the death of his mom, he got used to being alone. Until the owner of the pizzera took him in and gave him a place to stay again. But after Saul died, Jasper really knew it was best not to get too attached again. But he couldn’t help it with Miss Emma and her two charges, who are also homeless. And they started sticking together. But it wasn’t until Caleb, a renowned chef looking for a fresh start, showed up, that Jasper was a bit panicky. Caleb made Jasper want things he couldn’t have and Caleb made him feel beneath him anyway. But one bad winter night, Jasper snuck out and Caleb knew he had to find him. He eventually did and it set a change in the course of things. Slowly but steady. Because if there was anything Caleb was learning at all, he knew now when he had to be patient and when not to. The chemistry between Jasper and Caleb was one of those steady burns. They obviously were interested in the other, but both blind to it. And both, in their way, feeling unworthy. One thing I loved about Caleb so much, is even in his blindness, he knew he had to go slow and be careful with Jasper. Jasper was easily spooked and slow to trust, and Caleb knew he needed a steady hand and patience to let Jasper come to him when he was ready. And even then, Caleb took his time, to make sure Jasper was truly ready. See, it’s not about the sex. Anyone can jump into bed together. It’s about the trust, the intimacy, and everything that entails. Jasper had the world ripped out from under him several times. It wasn’t going to be easy for anyone to get to the heart of the matter. But when they did, and it was Caleb, Caleb knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he won the biggest lottery of all. He had the trust of someone who didn’t trust. And the love of someone who was badly hurt. Jasper is one of the strongest people. Even when he feels so weak and helpless. Because he’s a survivor. And Caleb, is quickly becoming a different person himself. Because he’s finally taken the time to truly see what life is like for those who have no homes or money. For those who only get one meal a day or some place to sleep for only one night. And he knew to appreciate what he had and to help in any way he could. It takes a big man to admit when they’re wrong and an even bigger one to make the necessary changes. I loved this story and can’t wait to see who is next.
I've been dying to get Jasper's story ever since we met him in Heavenly Melody. Like Avi and all the other guys, Jasper was constantly breaking my heart every time he walked out the door at night and into the cold. Even though they were in an awful situation, I was happy he had loved ones who were family to him and his protectiveness of them was very touching. His refusal to take anyone's help was frustrating though because I just wanted him to be taken care of for once. Enter Caleb, the sexy, highly-renowned chef who, looking to escape his empty life, uproots his life to take a job at the Takoda Soup Kitchen as their new cook.
It's a bit of a stiff start between Caleb and Jasper. There is an immediate attraction between them but Caleb comes across as somewhat ignorant of just what the centre means to people. Caleb shows his true self pretty soon though and completely turns Jasper's world upside down... in the best way! He is so caring, sweet, and protective, and is completely smitten with Jasper. I absolutely adored how Caleb treated him! He was careful not to be too forward or pushy, and his patience was just what Jasper needed to finally open up and start trusting others for help. The tenderness and emotion between them was so heartfelt it had me in tears. And the same goes for the ending which was just perfect and uplifting. I do wish we could have seen a bit more into their future but I guess I'll just have to exercise patience until Fisher's book comes out next!
This story was great. Jasper has learned that everyone will eventually leave him and has come to expect it. After his friend and boss passes away he just knows that he is being left behind again and runs before he can be kicked out. He finds a family on the streets and they support and care for each other. He also starts to gain a bigger circle at the Takoda center but keeps them at a distance to not be hurt again but to keep his newfound family safe.
Caleb may have been misguided in his decision to be the cook at the center but he gained so much from it. When he rescues Jasper during a late winter storm he really starts to learn about how others live and how hard it can be for them. He opens his heart and gets so much back in return. And in the end his love and support are the best thing for Jasper as Jasper’s is for him and Jasper learns how much he really meant to Saul.
I received a copy of this book and am giving an honest review.
This is a book that I wished could have been longer because I needed more to connect to Caleb, I felt like he was still a stranger at the end. I needed more of his relationship with his parents, to see them meet them. I was more in tune with Jasper as we join in on his struggles, we got to get in to his head, I liked his stubborn nature and self reliance.
But I was left with so many loose threads. We never met his brother or best friend, we only heard about the two that impacted his life so much. I assume we will meet others in later books but it doesn't excuse how little we got from the main characters. The only thing that would have justified it was if there was a second book for them to tie up all the strings the author left laying around.
Ever since meeting Jasper in Heavenly Melody, I've been dying for his story and his much deserved happily ever after! His back story and the reason he kept declining everyone's offers for assistance was heartbreaking. I had tears in my eyes during his conversations with his little brother and when he spoke about his street family. Then you introduce Caleb into the mix and find that the prominent chef was just what Jasper needed to get his life back on track and to find the love he deserved. I absolutely love this world and these characters and cannot wait to see more stories come out of it!
Found family is some of the best kind of family. It is one of my favorite subject matters. I love this story. Jasper has been homeless since his step father kicked him out, but he has found friends and family at the Takoda Outreach Center. They really do take care of their own. Caleb knew he needed a change, he just didn’t know how badly. Avi’s words about him needing them as much as they needed him could not have been more true!
Jasper has been helping out at the Takoda Outreach Center soup kitchen. The founders want to pay him or help him with lodging, but he refuses. Jasper is living on the streets with Miss Emma, Archie, and PJ.
When a sleet storm blows in, Caleb discovers Jasper is homeless. Caleb desperately searches for Jasper to get him out of the weather and cold. Will Caleb win Jasper over?
Tenía que pasar tarde o temprano. Después de encontrarme relatos y novelas cortas sorprendentemente satisfactorias, tenía que caer en una que me recordara por qué no soy muy fan... Y le tocó a esta.
La historia está bien y tiene potencial. Nos cuenta la historia de un joven sin hogar que trabaja en un comedor social y la de un afamado chef que decide dejar su gran restaurante por el comedor en un intento por escapar del control de sus padres.
El problema es que lo más interesante está al principio. Cuando los personajes aún van tomando forma y el drama está en su máximo apogeo. Luego la cosa decae y es que, siendo tan corto, no hay tiempo para más.
Me sabe a poco el desarrollo de la relación, me sabe a poco la aceptación del uno al otro. Por un lado no me creo lo rápido que Jasper confía en Caleb, lo a gusto que se siente en su casolpón y lo rápido que "deja de lado" a Miss Emma, Archer y PJ; por otro lado, tampoco me creo el rápido aclimatamiento de Caleb a la realidad de Jasper. Por mucho que te atraiga una persona, comprender su situación, empatizar con ella y encajara en tu vida cuando es tan radicalmente diferente... No, no es plausible.
Me da pena que se quede en tan poca cosa porque de veras podríamos haber tenido aquí una bomba de relojería llena de drama y pasión. Lo bueno, por supuesto, es que se lee rápido y que los personajes secundarios son un amor.
This is a wonderful series! A hurt/comfort series with a slow burn romance between two very different men and a story line that can open your eyes to homelessness and the why of it all but also how easy it is to just overlook that group of the population. It's a great revelation that Caleb has once he starts working as the new cook at the Takoda Soup Kitchen after so many years working in a five star restaurant. Mainly down to Jasper and how he makes Caleb look around him but also come to the younger man's rescue when no one can find Jasper on a bitterly cold night. Jasper is independent, only relying on himself and his three friends who stick together to find shelter and food away from the soup kitchen, striving to keep them safe. The night Caleb saves him from freezing, a slow trust starts to build with Jasper allowing someone in for the first time in years, building a friendship that has a lot of possibility. I liked how the story unfolded, allowing the natural progression of their relationship, giving each other the chance to develop individually before coming together. The group of people at the Takoda Outreach Centre are amazing and it has a real family feel to it. You can easily tell how much everyone means to each other and we're left with big possibilities for the future, for the MC's and for others at the Centre. Definitely a series I have fallen in love with and I look forward to whoever's HEA comes next. I received a ARC and am happily giving a review.
This is my first book by author Sammi Cee and it was good, but to me it felt a bit unfinished. I enjoyed watching Jasper open up to his friends and Caleb and how much he treasured Miss Emma, Archie and PJ. I enjoyed watching Caleb realize how small his problems seemed after seeing first hand how the other half lives and hearing Jasper's story. I liked them together and felt their relationship developed at a decent place. What I struggled with was that Jasper gets news of an inheritance but it's never mentioned again and I thought maybe in the next book it would be mentioned but I just finished that one and there was nothing, I have an issue with storylines that are left unfinished. Also we never really fully get all of Caleb's story and I realize this was more about Jasper's journey, but Caleb being a part of it I felt like there was more to his story and I would have liked a bit more resolution between him and his parents. This was a good start to a series, I'm fascinated by all the characters at the Takoda Outreach Center and I'm looking forward to more stories, but this one was a tad too short and unfinished for me to love it.
Dreams do come true and this book is living proof. “I met you and things I didn’t even know weren’t in focus suddenly were.” How much can I gush about Jasper and Caleb? These two have so much heart and they hit me in all the feels. They’re sweet, funny and an all-out dose of never-ending happiness.
Caleb may be clueless but it doesn’t take him long to understand what matters. Jasper is brave, kind and I admire him so much. “I feel it, every time you look at me, smile at me, touch me.” Watching these two dance around each other, learn to trust and finally become each other’s home and security was heartwarming and amazing. I’m craving more and I think the only cure is more Takoda in my life.
Even though this was short and sweet, two of my favorite things, was this one too short and sweet? I think, yes! I loved how this story came together and it was great seeing all of our old friends at the soup kitchen, but the whole "romance" aspect of it was totally underdeveloped, and boy, did I want more closure on the step-dad issue. Hoping to see him get his in Kamari's! *fingers crossed* Yeah, I want the boys to get their revenge... so, sue me! *grin*
I am assuming we will see more of Jasper and Caleb in the stories that follow...
This is the book to read when you are down or think things are too tough - life could be tougher!
Caleb and adult working so hard to be the perfect son that he was "existing" and missing out on the best life has to offer. Master is the ray of sunshine. The storm clouds and hurricane have blown through his life but he ready and grabbing that first ray of sunshine. He has ever reason to be mad at the world but he is humble, no greedy and thankful to kindness. This is a story of hope, reflection, seeing yourself as others do and making yourself happy. You happiest does affect others. MM romance or two love story. More book reviews or sharing the love of books stop over @my2centsbookslover thanks
Jasper volunteers at the Takoda Outreach Center but when he is not there he sleeps in a motorhome with his friends. Caleb is the new cook at the soup kitchen and always makes sure that there is warm food for everyone who is there. When a bad storm hits and the snow starts falling Caleb offers him a warm, safe and secure place to stay. Can Jasper keep his heart safe?
I enjoyed this story which was at times very dramatic and was also emotional as we discovered more about Jasper, Caleb and Jasper's family who he was fiercely protecting. It was great to see some more happiness and it was wonderful for Jasper to find a warm home as well as a secure relationship. Easy to read, feel and understand. This MM story contains some mature content.
Jasper volunteers at the Takoda Outreach Center but when he is not there he sleeps in a motorhome with his friends. Caleb is the new cook at the soup kitchen and always makes sure that there is warm food for everyone who is there. When a bad storm hits and the snow starts falling Caleb offers him a warm, safe and secure place to stay. Can Jasper keep his heart safe?
I enjoyed this story which was at times very dramatic and was also emotional as we discovered more about Jasper, Caleb and Jasper's family who he was fiercely protecting. It was great to see some more happiness and it was wonderful for Jasper to find a warm home as well as a secure relationship. Easy to read, feel and understand. This MM story contains some mature content.
Oh my goodness I loved this so much! The guys from the soup kitchen have a special place in my heart! When I first started reading Jaspers story I didn't quite connect the dots but when I realized it I was even more excited to read this story. Zach and Avi's book was the perfect start to this series and now Jasper and Caleb. Even though these men were from two different backgrounds they were absolutely perfect for each other. Thier love was so beautiful and refreshing. Was such a priviledge to watch it unfold. Sammie did it again, I'm still somewhat new to her work but I've loved absolutely everything so far. I'm so excited and looking forward to Fisher's story. ❤
I read these out of order. I’m kind of glad I did because I might not have kept reading this series otherwise. I mean Jasper & Caleb were cute but it took them a while to finally get together (considering how short the story is). I mean, I might have liked it more if their relationship grew more. It just seemed like they got to know each other for 80% of the book, got together, then BAM, the end.
Don’t get me wrong, it was well written, I just think it should have had more after they finally got together.
Caleb's fame and fortune may have benefitted his career as a chef, but when he leaves it all behind to become a chef at the soup kitchen he's humbled by Jasper's hastising that his fancy recipes won't mean anything to the many hungry patrons who just need to fill their bellies before heading back out into the freezing nights. When Jasper is the one stuck out in the cold Caleb won't rest until he knows the young man is safe and warm. It doesn't hurt that they seem to be drawn to each other, but they'll have to be open and honest if there's any chance beyond their companionship in the kitchen.
This is a sweet rags to riches story with romance, but it isn't really a cinderella story, some Prince doesn't swoop in and save the princess by making him his queen. It is about good people doing good things and building a community. The Prince himself in the story is in need of saving.
Family of choice/found family, the second book in the series, this could be read as a stand alone, but the warm fuzzies come from the overarching world building and therefore reading book one first will make Jasper's story make more sense and be more meaningful, plus its a good story too.
As a huge fan of Sammi Cee's books, I couldn't wait to read this first book in a new series. The story was intense and emotional, with some pretty tough angst situations that made me cry, but nothing than a lot of love couldn't solve. I especially enjoy all the banter and interactions between Jasper and Caleb and how in spite of all the bad things happening Jasper always got his heart open and full of hope for a better future. A perfect book to lighten up your day.
Writing: Maybe a bit too wordy in some places, but overall a style that I like (have read another book by this author previously) Plot & pacing: plot and pacing were good. It wasn't so much choosing to do things but building a trusting relationship and what was happening in the story didn't matter so much. Characters: Thumbs up from me Overall: I really liked the premise and the perspective here. I hope this series continues. Would recommend: Yes
Omg this book was a complete tear jearker. I used so many tissues reading this book. Some of the things mentioned in this book make you realise what people go through in real life. Jasper finally realise he had people around him that actually do care and want to help him and as for Caleb I was not sure if I was going to like him as I thought he may be a snob but he actually was not. Looks can be deceiving
Aww yay I'm so happy for jasper he definitely deserves happiness. I was wondering about his story and I'm glad he finally opened up and actually started talking about it. I can't wait to keep reading and find out about the other guys. I'm really hoping that his brother gets his own book. Him being built "like a tank" is right up my ally of weaknesses. I am flying through this series its is so good. I would definitely recommend.