Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story

A Year of Weddings 2 #10

by Betsy St. Amant

Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

She’s known for her delicious cakes, but there’s no recipe for dealing with the new man in her life.

Charlotte owns the best bakery in Louisiana, and clients come from near and far for her renowned wedding cakes. And while the wedding scene is Charlotte’s place to shine, her own love life is more dull than ever. After a string of failed relationships—and men who actually were too good to be true—she has decided to throw herself into her craft and leave love and marriage to her clients.

Will is a successful entrepreneur but devotes much of his spare time to caring for his ill mother. He knows he doesn't have much time left with her, so he has done everything he can to guard his heart from relationships. And what girl would understand that he needs to spend all his time with his mother? But when his best friend calls in his help for his September wedding, Will can’t refuse. He's always been there for those closest to him. And when he finds out they don’t have a wedding cake yet, he knows exactly where to go—the bakery owned by the beautiful, mysterious young woman he buys treats from.

Charlotte assumes Will is just another party boy who flirts with all the bridesmaids. But is Will hiding something that explains his behavior? And despite their reservations, will they be able to deny the chemistry between them?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Audiobook, Christian Romance, Christian

Audible Audio

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of almost thirty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two teenagers, and one furry schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a bachelor of arts in communication and loves teaching and speaking on the craft of writing. When she’s not suffering through a CrossFit workout or baby talking her dog, she can usually be found in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for iBelieve, a devotional site for women, and offers author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.

also published under Betsy Ann St. Amant

Reviews

[*TANYA* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply adorable book. I wish more books were set up like this one. Short. Sweet and to the point.

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey each novella is on goodreads too, why not get the extra reads? :)
First story in To Have and To Hold done!
I liked it. Very sweet and not too cheesy.

[Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte's secret crush on her handsome customer is completely natural, but when he asks her out, she automatically assumes he is a cheater like the man who left her single and pregnant. Will is confused since he thought the attraction was mutual, but because he is ashamed of his past, he has a hard time pursuing her. There is quite a bit of inner turmoil and angst in both characters, which overshadows their brief connection. I felt like things didn't have much chance to develop before the ensuing drama hit. Overall it was an interesting story of second chances and seizing the day.

(Thank you to BookLook Bloggers and Zondervan Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This was so cute and just the right amount of hallmark cheese I wanted this weekend ❤️ This is book 1 inside the To Have and To Hold Novella bind up book. I really enjoyed the story, characters and depth that was in a small short novella. We have Charlotte who has her own bakery and has been eyeing Will over the last 3 months as her weekly customer. She is a single mom to a sweet little 5 year old girl so she hasn’t had any developments or interest in the relationship department until Will comes along. Will keeps buying bakery goods for this girl, Melissa, and Charlotte assumes it’s his girlfriend but it’s really his sister(the reader knows this quickly but Charlotte doesn’t) 🤣 So things go on from here as Charlotte works through her wedding festivities and gets to know Will throughout the process as Will is the best man in the wedding she is working on.

Super cute like I said — I love how we had a layer of depth with Will and his sister’s disability and his past, also with Charlottes past. There was a little faith content that was nice to see too. Overall a cute fall romance 🥰

[Lou Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story enjoyment rating 7/10 Christian faith rating 1/3
Quite good fun but a bit cheesy.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Takes the Cake: A September Wedding Story by Betsy St. Amant
A Year of Weddings 2 #10
85-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Romance > Christian Romance, Contemporary Romance Clean Romance; Christian Fiction, Novella

Featuring: Bakery, Single Mom, Sworn Off A Relationship Trope, Food, Discussion Questions

Rating as a movie: PG

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️👰‍♂

My thoughts: This one was a bit disappointing. I was enjoying it at first but in the end, it ended too soon almost without a conclusion, and there was barely a wedding. 💒 This one had smaller font than the other books.

Recommend to others?: Maybe. It's not a bad story by any means but it seemed incomplete.

[Joy Crain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little story on the redeeming power of love.

Charlotte doesn't think she can trust any man. Will can't stick by one person.

Both come from difficult situations. Charlotte having a baby out of wedlock and Will who blames himself for his sister's accident.

Together, they have to find a way to trust God to allow them to move passed their boundaries and to love again.

I recommend this book for everyone. It's clean and sweet--my favorite kind.

[Noonecansinkmyship (Tissa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Goodread synapsis for this book isn’t accurate. But it’s mostly minor details. I like the book better than what the synapsis says it is, so all’s well that ends well.

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

Another deliciously pastry-filled romance from Betsy St. Amant, “Love Takes the Cake” makes a great addition to A Year of Weddings. In this novella, Charlotte and Will see if they can take their once-a-week friendship and attraction beyond the walls of her bakery. With a fair share of miscommunications and fears to cause problems - and a Bridezilla, to boot - this couple does not have an easy go at romance, but their story is all-around delightful to follow. I really enjoyed it. Cute and quick, “Love Takes the Cake” offers a great afternoon read and will surely please any fans of the Weddings novella collection.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of “Love Takes the Cake” and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet 'meet-cute', followed by some unfortunate (yet somehow humourous) misunderstandings. Add in the fact that both the heroine and the hero are trying to live their lives in a way that makes it impossible to be hurt again, whilst at the same time trying to atone for incidents that weren't completely their fault, and you've got a delightful novella.
I did take it from 4 stars down to 3, because of the tiring 'I loved you the moment I first ever saw you!' trope that was unnecessarily used. (Also, I want more of Melissa . . . she was spunky!)

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm having fun binge reading on these, though this one made me hungry. Both Will and Charlotte have issues that won't let them leave their safe cocoons. They're afraid to take a chance.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mouth was watering in this story! Charlotte bakes up the best desserts and her interest in Will was captivating--especially when a surprise discovery was uncovered. The romance was as light and fluffy sweet as whipped frosting and I especially loved the influence of the secondary characters.

Content: mild romance

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! I actually really liked this one! It was so fun!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about two people who have major hurdles to get over before love: Charlotte, to be able to trust a man; Will, to be able to get past his burden of responsibility for something from the past. I'm quite sure it would have hit five stars if it had been longer...I wanted more! I also want Melissa to get a story sometime! :)

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte is known all over the state for her exception baking skills. But she's not as skilled at dealing with relationships, particularly men relationships. So she's at a bit of a loss when a handsome stranger, named Will, begins buying cookies from her. Enter a distraught bridezilla and a helpless groom and Charlotte finds herself working with Will to help plan a wedding cake. But each of them has their secrets from the past. The two must figure out if they can learn to trust and let go long enough to have a relationship.

I enjoyed this story. The sweet elements of the bakery and romance mixed well together. The plot had the typical drama that the couple must work through, but ended perfectly with a happy ending. I liked the character development, but especially enjoyed the best friend and little girl. I have been enjoying this series and look forward to the next one.

I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for my honest review.

[bookscoffeeandcats77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable story about love, trust and forgiveness. I liked Charlotte and Will. I also love baking so I tend to enjoy stories where a main character owns a bakery.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. This book was light, fun, and sweet. I love that this series is both light, but also has good lessons.

[Lu Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

great short story. The author written it well kept you engaged until the every end of the story!!!

[Staceyj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads book description is no where near right.

Will is taking care of his sister, not his mother, and she isn't dying.

Still a pretty good novella.

[Rachel Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this story. I'm a sucker for stories that take place in bakeries to begin with, and this one was the cutest.

Charlotte is a single mother, just trying to keep her business afloat. She already made a mistake involving a man, and isn't about to repeat that. But she can't help her attraction to the customer who comes in every Tuesday at 5:40. Will, too, gave up the dating scene to take care of his sister (the GR description is wrong), but something about Charlotte is making him rethink that.

I think this story was going for a Mr. Darcy vibe with Will. Although I could kind of see that, I didn't really think it fit. Although the misunderstandings did abound, P&P style. But I loved seeing them get to know each other, and work through their reasons, and learn to trust each other.

All in all, this was a super cute and fun story. I think it's one of my favorites from this series.

I received a copy from the publisher, this did not affect my honest opinion.
This review first appears on The NerdHerd Reads

[Grace Tolman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another cute story/novella from this series. I liked Charlotte and Will's character. It tugged at my heartstrings that both were afraid of the future because of past "sins" or what they thought were decisions that they had made that led to sins. There was not enough time for me to really understand some of their deeper characteristics but for the space of their story within this series, I think it worked out. I wished there was some kind of epilogue though, showing when they tied the knot or when they got engaged or something. I felt the ending kind of abrupt.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had such a "sweet" start. Sorry, forgive the pun, I couldn't help myself. This was a good little read that I really enjoyed. A single mom and a former player come together, their pasts making them afraid of the future. The couple's growing relationship was heartfelt and I loved seeing how they made it along the way.

P.S. I loved the little girl and the mysterious character that he keeps buying cookies for. ;)

[Kimberly Whitaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good quick read. Charlotte has to protect her & her daughters heart.
Will is afraid to abandon his sister for a relationship. They have to learn to trust and take a leap of faith to move forward together.

[Carrie Junot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book on a whim and decided to give it a try. Love that it was pretty much straight to the point without dragging on just to make it longer. Cute little story with lovable characters. Definitely will be looking to read more of Betsy's books.

[Christine Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but sweet

Will and Charlotte were hurt years ago and our frayed to open their hearts to anyone. But when a wedding comes along that brings the two together they start to heal and fall in love.

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Darla Damron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about 2nd chances and forgiveness.

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Year of Weddings Series 2
Book 10
**Audio book

[Charity Tinnin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Reading St. Amant is always like eating the best kind of cupcake.

[Becca Brandner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable. These stories are all so short that they’re entirely unbelievable but enjoyable nonetheless.