Jake Campbell hates rules. Undercover to stop a drug ring at a posh Cape Cod resort, he can’t resist the fiery head chef, Abbie Duncan. She may be on the suspect list, but he can’t keep his hands to himself. With a rising body count, he must keep Abbie safe…but can he trust her with his jaded heart?
Katie O’Sullivan is an award winning author with more than a dozen books contemporary romance and young adult books to her name, available online and in stores.
A voracious reader, she loves to read and write second chance stories with strong female characters and hot alpha males. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now lives on Cape Cod with her family and big dogs, drinking way too much coffee and finding new uses for all the sea glass she obsessively collects from the beach. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working full time for a high tech company. Which explains all the coffee.
Wow what an amazing story this turned out to be. When I began reading this I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did.
Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An undercover cop, a chef, lethal drugs and dirty cops. This sure makes one hell of a story.
When a cop goes undercover he’s under strict instructions to find the dealers and unravel the drug ring that’s set up in the small town. He must not let anyone get in the way and ALWAYS stick to his undercover story but that’s not quite as easy when his eyes land upon Abbie.
The story is quite enjoyable, I couldn’t put the book down after starting it. This is my first read from this author and a good one at that.
Jake Campbell takes one look at sexy chef Abbie Duncan and is smitten. She's completely hands-off as he's working undercover in a sting operation to bring down a drug ring inside a posh Cape Cod resort. Everyone is a suspect to Jake but he can't stop the attraction he feels for Abbie. The more he gets to know her, the more he wants to confess his real identity. When tragedy strikes, the walls around his heart crumble. He's breaking all of Abbie's rules and he doesn't care. He'll do anything to protect her, even if it means walking away.
Breaking the Rules is such an incredible romance, I have to gush for a moment. First off, kudos to Katie O'Sullivan on her research on the ins and outs of a fine dining restaurant. Her detailed description on chefs. managers and the rampant abuse of drugs in the culinary world is 100% accurate. Well done. The romance between Jake and Abbie is hot stuff and I enjoyed every minute of it. There's plenty of suspense, too, which had me whipping through the pages. There's a bit of angst in this romance but it's really well done. If you're looking for a romance you can't put down and read in one or two sittings, pick up Breaking the Rules. Highly recommend!
Breaking the Rules by Katie O’Sullivan - Police detective and known rule-breaker Jake Campbell takes an undercover assignment that turns out to be more than he expected. At a five star resort he finds himself in a heap of trouble pretending to be something he is not and falling for the prime suspect. The twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. This was a fun read and I hated to see it come to an end. Everyone should break a few rules, check it out. You’ll be glad you did.
What a great story- Jake and Abbie are unforgettable, and the story is so well written it will keep you turning the pages until the very end. I enjoyed the tightly woven plot, which kept me guessing and Abbie is a smart heroine, which I loved reading, perfectly balanced out by strong, yet sensitive Jake. She nailed the feel of a restaurant setting! Looking forward to reading more!
Jake Campbell is an undercover cop who is looking for a drug ring at a Cape Cod resort. The cover? His partner had a job as a pastry chef in the restaurant while he manned everything behind the scenes. The problem? Garcia's mama has to have emergency surgery and now Jake has to be the undercover agent in the restaurant and he doesn't have any experience. Now he has to figure out how he can pass himself off as someone who knows his way around the kitchen. To top it off the woman that he caught the eye of in the bar happens to be the head chef of the restaurant and the person that he will be working under, not to mention that he wouldn't mind getting to know her better.
I happen to be part of the Winter Games Challenge on Facebook. The challenge is a place where authors and readers come together so that the books can be read and reviewed. Katie O'Sullivan happens to be one of the authors involved with her wonderful book. I happen to be able to read this book first and I just fell in love with it. The story on a whole was wonderfully written with well rounded characters. It was easy to read, I was able to read it in a few hours and trust me when I say that I'm a super slow reader. I was pretty impressed with this book and how well the mystery was done, from start to finish it filled and caught my attention. Now it isn't filled with a crazy amount of imagery but that was part of what kept me enraptured in the mystery that was happening. I didn't have to think about anything outside the world of the story itself. It involved other supporting characters (those that will be involved in the next books) that help to move the story forward so that it never stalls or gets boring. I really enjoyed this book, even gave the end of it a big "AWW".
This is the first book in the Cape Cod Rules series. They are each stand alones while still being intertwined. They each offer a close up of different couples starting with Abbie and Jake. The second one deals with Abbie's friend Bella (a local) and her former flame Dylan (a former local). The third in the series deals with Abbie's other friend Caroline (a wash ashore) and the bartender Brian (a local). I haven't read the next two books in the series yet but I am excited about reading them next.
This contemporary romance hit just the right blend of angst, danger, and irresistible attraction.
In the touristy Cape Cod town of Chatham, chef Katie O’Sullivan is working one more year at the posh Atlantic Coastal Inn in order to save up money for her own restaurant. When the Inn’s obnoxious new executive chef fires her friend and pastry chef, she turns to the owner for help. Not only has the position already been filled, but the owner’s hired Jake, a hunky blond playboy hiding out from bad-guy pursuers. Though he lights up her tingly bits, she insists on the rules that keep her kitchen running smoothly: no fooling around with the staff or customers.
Turns out Jake Campbell is indeed hiding out—but not from the mafia. He’s an undercover cop, working with his partner Detective Garcia to root out the source of TKO, a deadly new club drug that’s already killed several people on the Cape. Jake was to remain in the background for this op, but when a family emergency calls his partner away, Jake takes on Garcia’s playboy persona and becomes the Inn’ newest cook. Their investigation suggests the drug’s source works at the Inn. Among their main suspects, the lovely blonde chef de cuisine.
Meanwhile, Katie’s foreign exchange workers from Slovenia are acting funny. She can’t believe they’d resort to dealing drugs, but when one goes missing, and another chef shows up with a bruised face and knuckles, Jake’s focus shifts. Having blown a previous undercover op when he caught his then-girlfriend with her yoga instructor, Jake can’t afford to blow this one. Katie’ Uncle Charlie, a high-ranking Chatham cop, suspects a mole in the Chatham P.D.
It all crashes together with a satisfying “BOOM” as Katie and Jake’s long-simmering attraction ignites, the bad guys’ identity is revealed, and the extent of the drug scheme is unearthed. O’Sullivan creates a satisfying sense of Cape Cod’s charm without lapsing into that cutesy tone you find in many small-town romances. The forces keeping the hero and heroine apart make sense, as do their reasons for coming together. A tasty slow burn romance with yummy love scenes worth waiting for.
Ms. O’Sullivan has a very easy writing style that just draws you in from page one and compels you to continue reading—nonstop—until the end. I finished this story on a flight home from Atlanta and kept praying the flight attendants wouldn’t compel me to put my tablet away just because I didn’t want to stop reading!
Abbie Duncan is the Chef de Cuisine at a five star restaurant on Cape Cod. Burdened with an overbearing Executive chef, and a hodgepodge group of sous and pastry chefs, she runs the restaurant better than she runs her own personal life.
Undercover, Jake Campbell is trying to get a bead on a gang of drug dealers, and his investigation has brought him right to the front door of Abby’s restaurant. Posing as a pastry chef- and an inept one at that – the two are thrown together with Abby as his “boss.”
At first, Jake feels she might be the perfect suspect in his case. The bank turned down a loan for her last year, and she lives with her retired, widowed father. Money is always a good motivator for dealing drugs to make fast cash, Jake thinks. But the more he’s around her, he realizes how wrong he is. And how attracted he is to the pretty little chef.
The attraction is mutual and soon Abby and Jake are breaking more rules than can be counted – and neither cares. She’s his “boss” and she has a strict no fraternization rule with her employees. Unable to resist Jake, though, that rule goes the way of the dinosaur. Jake knows he shouldn’t become involved with a principle person in his undercover investigation, but the pull to make Abby part of his life to too strong to resist.
Through a fast series of drug deaths and betrayals, Abby’s life is on the line, but Jake has her back—and every other part of her!—coming to her rescue when she’s kidnapped by someone she thought was a friend.
As I’ve said, Ms. O’Sullivan’s writing style is as near to perfect as can be. This read was fast paced, the energy high, and the hero swoon-worthy. I highly recommend this story. 5 stars from me.
Undercover cop Jake Campbell needs his latest assignment to work out since he messed up so bad on the one, but after his partner unexpectedly leaves for family troubles, Jake has no other choice but to continue the op without him. Going undercover as a prep chef in a five-star restaurant/hotel, he believes someone at the restaurant is dealing a highly lethal designer drug, and he soon runs afoul with one of the head chefs. Abigail Duncan doesn’t like the cocky new man in her kitchen, but that doesn’t stop her surprising attraction to him. She has a rule, though: no dating co-workers. But after a few of her employees start overdosing on drugs, she’s pulled into a nightmare she never expected, and she begins to realize Jake is much more than he seems. Jake is totally swoothworthy, and Abbie is one smart, tough woman. They’re awesome characters with lots of chemistry. The attraction between them is immediate, but they get to know one another before things heat up. The novella is well written without any typos that I noticed, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style. For a sexy, fast-paced police investigative romance, this is a great book to read. 5 Stars
Disclaimer – I volunteered to read and review this book. Thank you, Katie O’Sullivan, for sending me an ebook copy. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
This is an exciting action packed suspense filled romance story.When Det.Jake Campbell an Det.Anthony Garcia get Sent to Cape Cod to go undercover to track a drug that's killing people.Jake has been in trouble because of his anger issues.He caught his ex girlfriend in bed with her trainer he broke the guys jaw.The judge let him go but when the same guy is about to blow an undercover option that's six months in he breaks his jaw again to keep his mouth shut he got in trouble.This new undercover option is a way to prove himself again.When he partner has to leave because his mom's in the hospital Jake has to take his place but the problem is he isn't a pastry chef.Also he saw the beautiful curvy red head that could be a suspect but he can't stop thinking of her.There are so many twists and turns to this story will keep you riveted until the very last page and leave you begging for more.I love the way this amazing author brings the characters to life before your eyes and you can feel their emotions and their pain.I can hardly wait to see what's next by this multi talented author
I love grabbing a novella to read in a sitting or two (or three...I can be a slower reader). And this sexy, flirty, and fast-paced story did not disappoint! I lean toward sweeter romances, so this was just a bit spicier for me, but very well done (the love scenes tied in perfectly to the story line). The plot was fully layered in there and I like a good action twist (in this case, an undercover cop working on cracking a rising drug ring on Cape Cod). I enjoyed the author's voice (this is the first book I've read of hers), the witty characters, and plot. I've become a picker reader these days but her voice shined perfectly! Her style captured my attention and I was sucked right in. I especially enjoyed that it took place on the Cape, a place near to my own home. I found myself nodding in agreement. :) Well-developed characters, a believable plot, and strong hero and heroine: highly recommend. I look forward to reading other work by this author.
I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this sexy novella and so should you. Both Jake and Abbie leap off the page and you root for them through all the twists and turns. Jake is working in her restaurant at the Inn undercover and Abbie initially thinks he's a player. Despite her stringent rules about not getting involved with employees, she can't resist Jake. He is definitely swoon worthy. I've never been to Cape Cod, but because of the author's talent with description, I felt like I was there. Highly recommend!
Jake Campbell goes undercover in the kitchen of a posh Cape Cod resort to stop the distrubution of a dangerous new drug. He didn't count on the sizzling connection he has with Chef de Cuisine, Abbie Duncan. Abbie has a rule of no fooling around in the kitchen. Everyone in the restaurant kitchen was a suspect inluding Abbie. When two employees turn up dead, Abbie and Jake are thrown together to solve the mystery and the chemistry explodes. The fun of Jake working is a kitchen with little experience and the excitement of the mystery of the drugs and death make this a great read.
If you have an appetite for a story line ripped straight from the headlines check out Breaking the Rules. Ms. O'Sullivan has penned a page turning romantic suspense mixing a cop needing redemption with a striving chef and sprinkled with realistically drawn subsidiary characters. Baked in Bonus: the action takes place in and around a Cape Cod Inn which means you can practically taste the chowder and smell the salty air. Highly recommend.
Katie O’Sullivan delivers a romantic who dunnit well worth the time it takes to read it. Undercover cop, Jake falls for chef Abbie while investigating drug pushers dealing a deadly drug. The surprising ending demonstrates O’Sullivan’s skill at giving you just enough info to lead you only partially in the right direction. Characters are believable and you can’t help pulling for the good guys.
I loved it , Jake an under cover cop and Abbie a chef have an instant attraction but Abbie has her no dating co worker rules . But the attraction can’t be denied and oh my are they hot together.... I love how everything came together in this story it’s so well written . Can’t wait to read more books by this Author .
A page turner story with angst and humor along with romance (lots of chemistry and emotions involved). I loved the smart, strong female main character, Abbie, and Jake, woah, steam worthy and intriguing. Interesting twists & turns kept me totally immersed. The well written plot with amazing characters make this an awesome tale I totally recommend reading.
This was a great, slightly shorter read! It was an interesting and well written story that kept my attention until the very end. Jake and Abbie's interactions were fun and their relationship develops at a good pace. The mystery aspect surrounding the drug ring kept me guessing until the end, and the action kept the book interesting. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read!
first book of yours i read and i loved it! talk about keeping you guessing! he is undercover to catch a drug ring. she is even a suspect too. feelings start but how far will it go? read to find out.
This is a very quick read. It's fun, sexy and dangerous. Well written and easy to follow the action. It would be fun to see Abbie and Jake in more adventures. This is the first time I've read anything from Katie O'Sullivan. I'm definitely going to check out what else she has to offer. This story could make a fun movie.