Baked with Love

The Boardwalk Bakery Romance #1

by Tina Martin

Ramsey St. Claire can’t understand the pull he has to visit The Boardwalk Bakery - that is until he actually goes inside and meets the quirky, timid bakery owner, Gianna Jacobsen. There’s an instant...‘something’. Not love, though. He doesn’t believe in love at first sight. But there is...‘something’. Since recently taking a sabbatical from work, he has all the time in the world to figure out what that ‘something’ is.When he starts to peel back the layers of Gianna, he quickly becomes addicted to more than just her delicious, mouth-watering cupcakes. He wants to know her in ways he never thought he wanted to know a woman again. And Ramsey St. Claire always gets what he wants.******The Boardwalk Bakery Romance is a three-part continuation series. Book 1 - Baked With LoveBook 2 - Baked With Love 2Book 3 - Baked With Love 3

Genres: Romance, African American Romance

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2017

About the author

TINA MARTIN is a talented, romantic suspense fiction writer and the author of over 95 titles. She enjoys Hallmark movies, running and traveling. (PLEASE NOTE: There are multiple authors with this name on Goodreads. If you're following me, look for my logo!)

Amazon: amazon.com/author/tinamartin
Instagram: instagram.com/tinamartinauthor
Facebook: facebook.com/tinamartinauthor

Her books are listed below:

An Unlikely Love Series
When I Needed You
When You Needed Me
Flicker: An Ahmalee + Cain Update
-
Back to Love Series
Marriage Quarrel in Quarantine
Countdown to You
Offsides: A Superbowl Party Romance
Crushed
-
A St. Claire Novel Series:
Royal
Ramsey
Romulus
Regal
Magnus
Honeymoon With A St. Claire
Major
Zander
Zavier
-
St. Claire Life Series
Honeymoon With A St. Claire
Just Being Us (Prequel to Zander)
Keep That Same Energy (Zander & Alyssa Update
-
St. Claire Women Series
Gemma
-
Season of Love Novelettes:
Hot Chocolate
Spring Break
-
The Marriage Chronicles:
Life's A Beach
Falling Out
War Then Love
-
The Boardwalk Bakery Romance:
Baked With Love
Baked With Love 2
Baked With Love 3
-
A Lennox in Love Series:
Claiming You
Making You My Business
Wishing That I Was Yours
Caught in the Storm with a Lennox
Before You Say I Do
Winter Wonder
Winter Wedding
The Weekend
-
The Love of Elias Series:
Been In Love With You
When Hearts Cry
You Belong To Me
When I Call You Mine
Who Do You Love
Forever Mine
-
The Blackstone Family Series:
Evenings With Bryson
Leaving Barringer
Forever Us
The Things Everson Lost
Candy's Corporate Crush
-
The Champion Brothers Series:
His Paradise Wife
When A Champion Wants You
The Best Thing He Never Knew He Needed
Wives And Champions
The Way Champions Love
His By Spring (A Champion Sister Novel)
A Champion's Proposal
The Convenient Husband
At The Right Time
-
The Alexander Series:
The Millionaire's Arranged Marriage
Watch Me Take Your Girl
Her Premarital Ex
The Object of His Obsession
Dilvan's Redemption
His Charity Challenge
Different Tastes
As Long As We Got Love
-
The Accidental Series:
Accidental Deception
Accidental Heartbreak
Accidental Lovers
Accidental Vows
-
The Dying to Love Her Series:
Dying To Love Her
Dying To Love Her 2
Dying To Love Her 3
-
The Dare and Deja Chronicles
Reception Romance
Long Distance Troubles
Back to the Valley
Into Forever
-
Standalone Titles:
Secrets On Lake Drive
Can't Just Be His Friend
The Baby Daddy Interviews
Just Like New to the Next Man
Falling Again
The Crush
Vacation Interrupted
Wasn't Supposed to Love Her
What Wifey Wants
Man of Her Dreams
Bae Watch
How To Love Me
Weekend Fiance: A Jared and KeShana InstaLove Story
For Ruby: A Micah & Georgiana Short Story
Snowed in at Shenandoah Valley

Reviews

[Kameel · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3.5) Stars

To my surprise, this is actually a cute story…I think what I gravitated towards first is the love and commitment from the older sister Gianna to her younger sister Gemma. I really love how devoted to Gemma Gianna is and I also love how giving she is overall as a person. Ramsey witnesses her devotion and giving spirit and he’s attracted to that. He’s attracted to her heart. That’s exactly what I love about this story. I’m totally invested and I can’t wait to see what happens in the remaining series. I think this narrator did a good job; however, she really needs to work on her male voice and it’s delivery.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/10/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Ramsey St. Claire can’t understand the pull he has to visit The Boardwalk Bakery - that is until he actually goes inside and meets the quirky, timid bakery owner, Gianna Jacobsen. There’s an instant...‘something’. Not love, though. He doesn’t believe in love at first sight. But there is...‘something’. Since recently taking a sabbatical from work, he has all the time in the world to figure out what that ‘something’ is.

When he starts to peel back the layers of Gianna, he quickly becomes addicted to more than just her delicious, mouth-watering cupcakes. He wants to know her in ways he never thought he wanted to know a woman again. And Ramsey St. Claire always gets what he wants.

[HR-ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romance had me reading into the night. The couple
shared 1 hug only. Their story was carried over 3 books.
Normally this would be a turn-off, but not this time.

This featured African-American characters. Gianna &
Gemma were sisters whose mom came & went from their
lives, until she just stayed away. They did not know their
dads. Gianna, 9 yrs her senior, gave up her life for Gemma.
(Neighbors did not report these girls lived alone). Gianna
never dated, never had a boyfriend. Gianna worked 6 days
a week at her bakery, then served as caregiver for 19 yr old
Gemma, who had cancer, & was not expected to live. Gianna
had anxiety attacks & social anxiety. She faced unpaid bills,
& possible foreclosure on their home. And she dearly loved
Gemma.

Tall, gorgeous, wealthy Ramsey & Gianna had an awkward
meet at her bakery. He was an architect who owned a firm
which employed his 3 brothers. He didn't approve of her
poor customer service. Yet he felt drawn to this shy, blunt,
witty woman. But she had underlying sadness : why? Many
women he met had fake: nails, hair, and/or boobs & wanted
him for his money or his looks or both. Gia didn't want to
know him & told him to stop bothering and intimidating her.

Gradually Ram tried to know Gianna. He took Gia out to a
fancy Italian restaurant & she thought the date a fiasco. She
had no time for a man anyway. Ram, normally an aggressive
businessman, was so gentle & respectful of skittish Gia. She
made her unhappiness known when he made decisions for
her. Where did they go from here? Ram took some uncalled
for actions, (the only glitch in the story) & he'll face the
music in book 2? But this was a sweet story.

[🌈⭐️RoseOfRainbows⭐️🌈💕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but not enough to really hold my attention for very long.

[Annette Williams]

DNF 20%

I knew I should've followed my first mind and not buy this book. Baked With Love was ridiculously corny. There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about it and it was boring. Honestly, I'm shocked at all of the 5-star reviews. This is what y'all like?!!! Gianna was horrible. She was just as immature as her sister Gemma was. The narrator was horrible which was surprising because, she wasn't that bad in the author's first two audiobooks. But, her performance in this book was unbearable. Baked With Love is going to be the last book by Tina Martin I buy. Her storylines are entirely too soft and they just aren't on the level of what I like from a black author.

[Tazja Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has the potential to be a good story. So far, I feel like Ramsey is going about getting Gianna the wrong way. He’s too pushy for someone like her and is trying to force his way into her life because he feels he knows what’s best and wants to help her sister because he lost his fiancé to the same type of cancer.

Hopefully, he can get it together.

[MidnightAce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and I fell in love the characters, I enjoy reading books that have a strong family dynamic and I got that with both the hero and heroine.

Ramsey was programmed to think that his heart had been buried along with the person he previously promised it to, but on this one fateful day he found an overwhelming feeling to break his normal routine and visit the Broadway bakery where he meets owner and baker Gianna Jacobsen. He is certain that their meeting was meant to be but, couldn’t understand why all of sudden the suppressed emotions are starting to unleash.

Gianna is becoming dangerously close to a breaking point with all the weight on her shoulders, caring for a terminal ill sister(daughter), bankrupting business and mountain of bills without a way to pay. So, when Ramsey presents his alpha male presence and his iron fist pursue of her, she was not likely to trust that what he was proposing was all real.

As it turns out completely opening up and loving each other proves to be the beginning of healing process for them both.

This is one you will enjoy and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Gemma and Royal.

[K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Surely, I missed something. This book was rated 4+ stars. I would give it 1.5, definitely no more than 2 stars and that would be generous. The storyline is ridiculous. The ending is annoying and there are so many grammatical error and typos that I wonder if it was proofread. Gemma is flaky and Ramsey is so pretentious it's ludicrous. Ramsey, Romulus, Royal and Regal- who would name their children that? It's just ridiculous. After finding out Gemma's story, Ramsey wants to have her sign a marriage contract, not because he loves her or even thinks he ever could (because he's not into love) but just out of the blue because he decides he wants to pay her bills. He threatens her best friend, who just so happens to own a matchmaker service with legal action if she doesn't convince Gemma to marry him in under a week. And, the best friend agrees. What??? Of course, Ramsey is powerful, wealthy, tall, dark and handsome and Gemma is a weak woman who needs a man to save her. Seriously, I am ashamed that I read this and I want my time back. Good thing it was a short read.

[Dj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ramsey St. Claire (St. Claire Architectural Firm) can’t understand the pull he has to visit The Boardwalk Bakery, he doesn’t even like sweets - that is until he actually goes inside and meets the quirky, timid (bakery owner), Gianna Jacobsen. There’s an instant...‘something’. Not love, though. He doesn’t believe in love at first sight especially since he lost his true love 15 years ago. But there is...‘something’. Since recently taking a sabbatical from work, he has all the time in the world to figure out what that ‘something’ is. When he starts to peel back the layers of Gianna, he quickly becomes addicted to more than just her delicious, mouth-watering cupcakes. He wants to know her in ways he never thought he wanted to know a woman again. And Ramsey St. Claire always gets what he wants. So he makes demands from the owner of the service he signed up for Wedded Bliss; he wants Gianna for a wife.

Makes you laugh and cry

[NubianJoí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweets Heart

A brilliant approach to plot & character development😊. Although I’ve read other books by Tina Martin & was somewhat familiar with a few storylines, characters & or their family’s within her catalog it’s a delightful bonus to experience context to appreciate the journey with a series or recurring characters. Nevertheless, I’m captivated by the compassion, sincerity & devotion demonstrated by Gianna & Ramsey as well as the other characters in “Baked With Love (The Boardwalk Bakery Romance - Book 1). What a pleasant read despite the socially awkward presence of Gianna 😬🤭. She had the sweetest heart with blonde streaks. Nonetheless, Ramsey to the rescue!…have scaffolding will climb ..honestly, they both could indulge in a sweets heart😘‼️

[D. Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was fine.
The characters were fine.
No one and nothing was really memorable in this story. I thought it was rather odd that supposedly the male lead Ramsey St. Claire is supposed to be this uber-rich guy but you don't know it until almost the end of the book. The female lead Gianna Jacobsen was simply too good to be true, making the entire story just a little too saccharine for me to be truly enjoyable.
If you like super sweet romances with a Christain flair, then this series is for you.

[Arlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Baked With Love
Author: Tina Martin
Publisher: T.M.
Series: The Boardwalk Bakery Romance Book 1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Baked With Love," by Tina Martin

My Insight:

"Baked With Love" is an engaging romantic read that explores Ramsey and Gianna's relationship. However, bringing these two together is quite challenging, especially since Gianna is unsure of what she truly wants, while Ramsey is clear about his feelings.

Readers must pick up the next two series installments to discover whether Ramsey and Gianna's relationship will develop further.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mutual attraction!

Poor Gianna has been her sister Gemma's world all her life. Life has thrown them a curveball but Ramsey St Clair happens to be drawn by a force he can't explain and he believes it's why he wondered into Gianna's bakery early one morning. This is a very good start to this series and I look forward to completing it. Will this change all of their lives, only time will tell!

[Tarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay

I came into this knowing it was book 1 of 3 (but really 4, because they have a book in the St. Claire series too). I don't like the pacing, just from this one book, there could have been more added to this book without incidence. That being said...
I'm enjoying this storyline. I'm not sold completely on Ramsey but I do love how compassionate he is with Gianna. I'm not so sold on her "inexperienced/ditzyness" either.

[Irie❤Life · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird h

DNF forewarning. I could not get past the writing of this heroine. She’s just weird. Almost like the author was trying to write quirky but failed. I love a quirky heroine, even a quirky, clumsy heroine, but this one was a ghost of one trying too hard. I won’t give any spoilers, but I couldn’t connect with her so couldn’t force myself to keep reading. The premise was there though.

[Venise · Rating 5 out of 5]

All for Love

Gianna runs her own baking business and has sole custody of her younger sister.

She has a conversation with her sister and is so engrossed that she doesn't know there is a customer until he speaks to her. She is startled and nervous-- he is tall and handsome and would just like to order a cupcake and coffee. He realizes she is unpretentiously diifferent, while she thinks she is too weird to know.

He tries to convince her they are worth giving a chance.

[Chefgirlardee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I relate to Gianna on so many levels! Her weirdness cracks me up! I really enjoyed the first part of Gianna and Ramsey's love story. Super cute beginning and I'm so excited about part two. I'm also looking forward to reading about Ramsey's brothers too!

I laughed out loud so many times while reading this cute story!

[Shone · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you have given up your life for a love one how do you grip the fact an angle has come to your rescue. Well written with characters with a touch a humor This was my first read by this author looking forward to reading more of her work. I am excited to read book two and three in this series.

#CillasBookManiacs

[Leigh-Anne Ford Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A connection of the heart

I truly enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Finding a connection with a person that is beyond surface deep is amazing. Ramsey is so in awe of Gianna and she doesn't even know it yet. Tina you have written a great book!

[BeLinda P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opposite Attraction

Gianna and Ramsey were polar opposites in life. He from a loving family, she from absentee parents but their plight of love for someone other than each other brought them together. Sacrifice is one of the purest forms of love and they both showed it. An unusual and unplanned draw brought them together. Will it be enough to keep them together?

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like this author soooo bad, but this is the third book that has disappointed me. The storylines are strong but the characters are alway lacking and seem so unrealistic. It’s unbelievable that Ramsey would have a conversation like that with his love interests best friend. NOT BELIEVABLE!! I get what G is going through but the constant “what do you like about me” is just too irritating. 😤

[Mary Calton Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book❗

I have got to get the two following books in this series! This book has piqued my interest and anticipate reading more from this author I have found another author to relax and be entertained. I have the "Accidental" and "The Champions Brothers" series , I just need to read.

[Jennifer Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book

I enjoyed reading this book so much! I couldn't put my kindle down! This is the first time reading a book by Tina Martin and she didn't disappoint me at all! So looking forward to reading more about Gianna and Ramsey! Such a fantastic book!

[L. Boogie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me laughing and crying.

In royal book, Gemma didn’t know how to drive but in this book she’s driven herself to the hospital. Wonder why that fact was changed.

I liked everything except the part where Ramsey went to felicity and try to demand she hook him up with Gianna

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Sweet

I loved this story I laughed out loud and almost wanted to cry .
I can hardly wait to see how things are going to work out for
“Picky RSC “AND “CUPCAKE “. My only disappointment was the abrupt ending also known as the cliffhanger

[Glenda Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Series!!!
What a wonderful love story. Ramsey was bae. From the moment he saw Gianna, he knew she was it for him. He did not give up on her. Although it took a while for him to admit that he was in love with her, his actions said it all.

[Ava Smith-forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart warming

This for me was one of the very best I've read. I've read other Tina Martin books but this one has made me saying Tina Tina Tina!
I have book 2 and waiting on book 3.

[LaToya Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

This was my 1st book by this author and she definitely didn't disappoint. I liked how dominant Ramsey was and how shy Gianna was. Immediately downloading part 2.

[Donna Scoggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction to Gianna, Ramsey, Gemma, the bakery, and delicious cupcakes. A story of love, loss, compassion, and caregiving that will have you hooked.

[Rosetta Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

.

Excellent! One of the best books I've had the pleasure to read. I own all three books and love them all.