Jump to ratings and reviews

Must Love Diamonds #1

Must Love Frosting

A wedding cake baker and a photographer walk into a bar—

No, that’s just silly. They meet at a wedding, of course. And since Asher Diamond only does weddings for the frosting on the cakes, it’s a match made in hea—

Nope, scratch that, too.

Because Honor Hartman knows Happily Ever After isn’t the fairy tale it’s cracked up to be, no matter how much the sexy photographer makes her wish otherwise.

Asher thinks she could be The One, and the fact she’s the woman behind the butter cream frosting is icing on the cake. When his psychic best friend warns him Honor doesn’t believe in forever, he’s willing to risk his heart to prove to her true love exists—until a shocking family secret shakes the foundation of everything he believes in and reveals how wrong it can go if Honor is right.

New series. New family. New drama.Must Love Frosting is the first book in Stacey Joy Netzel's brand new Must Love Diamonds series. The Diamonds are the First Family of Colorado. They have money, looks, and charisma galore, but they don't all have love...Yet.  

Coming in 2019 & 2020:

Love Loyal and True, book 2

Love You, Baby, book 3

To Love and Protect, book 4

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2019

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Stacey Joy Netzel

81 books264 followers
Wisconsin native Stacey Joy Netzel fell in love with books at a young age, so for her the graduation to writing them was natural. A member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA), she credits her parents for encouraging her dreams of becoming a published author, as well as the very talented friends she’s made in WisRWA since joining in 2004. Her Christmas anthology, MISTLETOE RULES, took 1st place in WisRWA's 2010 Write Touch Readers' Award. Check out her romantic suspense Colorado Trust Series, Trust in the Lawe, Shattered trust, and Shadowed Trust. Other titles include: Lost In Italy, Ditched Again, Welcome to Redemption Series, Chasin’ Mason, Dragonfly Dreams, If Tombstones Could Talk.

An avid reader and big fan of movies with happy endings, Stacey lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. She works part-time as a travel agent, and in her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at their cabin on the lake.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
33 (57%)
4 stars
20 (35%)
3 stars
2 (3%)
2 stars
2 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
242 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2019
This book is a funny, sexy, hot romance that you won’t want to put down.
Honor Harman doesn’t believe in love and never lets man get to close to her. When the relationship gets too close for her comfort, Honor breaks things off before her heart can get involved and broken. Her whole family comes from line of divorcees. It’s not in her DNA to fall in love and have a fairy tale ending.
Asher Diamond wish he could find the one to settle down with, even though he has been burned before by his ex-girlfriend that he was ready to spend the rest of his life with her. He would love to have a chance with his new neighbor, however if she wasn’t already spoken for. It from misunderstanding and Asher not sticking around to learn that Honor get proposal to a lot by her clients. It is part of her business. She makes cakes, cupcakes, and helps men pop the big question to their significant other.
Asher will do everything he can to try and convince Honor that she’s the one for him. He may change his mind when he finds out a family secret that will rock and test his family. Will Asher succeed with Honor believe they can have a happy ending? Will Honor trust Asher enough even though his family secret may change everything. You will not be disappointed with this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.
2,131 reviews46 followers
May 10, 2019
Asher Diamond believes in true love and HEA. His family has always said that you married for life. When he meets wedding cake baker, Honor Hartman, he finds a woman who believes love never lasts. She lives across the street from him and proves to be a constant distraction. However, sparks fly whenever they meet. Asher is the perfect hero. He's honorable, thoughtful and caring. Honor has grown up with the results of divorce. She knows there are no winners. I admired her determination to be successful in life. I just wish that her fear of love and happiness didn't scare her so. Asher's friend, Roxanna, caused so much havoc in Honor's life that it took me a while to warm up to her. Stacey Joy Netzel wrote a story that I couldn't put down. The characters were interesting and the story had unexpected twists. The dialogue was sharp and filled with humor. I can't wait to learn more about the other Diamond siblings. I know that there will be plenty of drama and romance.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
3,562 reviews15 followers
May 9, 2019
Must Love Frosting is a fabulous contemporary romance by Stacey Joy Netzel. Ms. Netzel has delivered a well-written book loaded with a stellar cast of characters. The dialog is snappy, snarky and makes this book so much fun to read. Asher is a photographer and cake lover. I mean he REALLY loves cake. Honor is in the cake business and as a sideline, she has a proposal consulting business. Did I mention Honor and Asher are now neighbors? Honor and Asher's story is packed with drama, humor and sizzle. I loved every page of Must Love Frosting and look forward to my next book by Stacey Joy Netzel. Must Love Frosting is book 1 of the Must Love Diamonds Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger. Read it!! Where else can you have cake and not gain an ounce.
1,774 reviews9 followers
November 5, 2019
This is such a fun story to read. Honor and Asher are wonderfully endearing characters and their story is full of quid pro quos and seems to be thwarted at every turn. This is a light hearted, uplifting read. A real page turner.
722 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2019
Fun series

I did start this series out of order and now I’m back to the beginning. I am loving this family!

Asher believes in “The One.” He falls for Honor who doesn’t even believe in love. It’s a fun read as Asher tries to get Honor to believe in happily ever after.
Profile Image for Adria's Musings.
843 reviews41 followers
May 22, 2019
Originally posted on Adria's Musings and Reviews

* A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. All conclusions are my own responsibility and I was not compensated for this review.

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: A wedding cake baker and a photographer sounds like an easy happy ending right? Well, not so much because Honor Hartman doesn’t believe in happy endings but Asher Diamond thinks she might be “The One” for him which makes things a tad more complicated. Asher’s willing to put his heart on the line to show Honor that it can work between them until a family secret comes out and causes Asher to have doubts about his beliefs in happy endings.






Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Not gonna lie, I was leery about Must Love Frosting for two reasons: The wedding theme with Honor being a wedding cake baker, and the psychic best friend angle. Two things I’ve never particularly liked. But I have placed my trust in this author before and she’s delivered some pretty emotional reads and that’s why I gave this one a go.

Despite the sweet sounding title, Must Love Frosting isn’t smooth sailing. Asher and Honor get off to a rough start because of a misunderstanding and it seemed like they were destined to spend the rest of the story with that misunderstanding over their heads. Thankfully it didn’t happen that way and the story took off on a steady pace that I enjoyed.

I don’t know why but it struck me as funny that Asher, this good looking guy from a stinking rich family had a weakness for cake, especially frosting but it did. I mean, think about it, he’s not a cliched rich guy, he’s a working photographer with a serious sweet tooth. Asher is more than just a sweet tooth though, he’s thoughtful, caring, fun, and definitely worth adding to a book boyfriend list.

Honor was a little harder for me to bond with. She’s a lovely character, and talented but because she closed a part of herself off to Asher, she closed that part off to readers too. Not that it was a bad thing, I loved seeing Honor slowly open up and let go of her unbendable belief that romance wasn’t in the cards for her. It was hard not to want her to be happy. She was just one of those characters that you want as a best friend.

Asher's romantic side paired with Honor's skepticism made them an ideal duo. They had a push/pull attraction and solid chemistry. I loved Asher's patience with Honor and of course their verbal sparring. To me the relationship was equal parts sweetness and sexiness. I was onboard with them as a couple from the start.

Asher’s family is a complicated one, and after this introduction, I can’t wait to jump in and get to know them even better. The Diamonds have only begun to bring the surprises I’m sure.

Click It or Skip It? Click It. If Asher is any indication, this series should be full of unpredictable characters.
1,492 reviews
May 16, 2019
Honor Hartmann is a wedding cake baker and Asher Diamond is a photographer who sometimes does wedding photos. They never meet because she's usually gone by the time he gets to the wedding to photograph it. He loves the cakes and knows she's baked them because she puts HH on the back of the cakes. He thinks Honor should be this grandmotherly type of baker but he's really surprised when he sees Honor the first time and is attracted to her. Then he finds out she's his neighbor from across the street who was just proposed to. Unknown to him, Honor also has business that helps men make the perfect proposal and she was just letting the guy practice. Asher believes in marriage forever and Honor doesn't since her parents have been married and divorced multiple times. Can Asher convince Honor to follow her heart? This was a great beginning to a new series and I can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,602 reviews147 followers
October 21, 2019
Must love Frosting by Stacey joy Netzal.
A wedding cake baker and a photographer walk into a bar—

No, that’s just silly. They meet at a wedding, of course. And since Asher Diamond only does weddings for the frosting on the cakes, it’s a match made in hea—

Nope, scratch that, too.

Because Honor Hartman knows Happily Ever After isn’t the fairy tale it’s cracked up to be, no matter how much the sexy photographer makes her wish otherwise.

Asher thinks she could be The One, and the fact she’s the woman behind the butter cream frosting is icing on the cake. When his psychic best friend warns him Honor doesn’t believe in forever, he’s willing to risk his heart to prove to her true love exists—until a shocking family secret shakes the foundation of everything he believes in and reveals how wrong it can go if Honor is right.
An absolutely fantastic read with some great characters. Loved Asher and Honor and how they were with each other. Brilliant. 5*. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Jennifer Craig.
293 reviews
May 8, 2019
I got a kick out of Must Love Frosting. From the first time that Asher spots Honor on her front lawn to the end, this is a rolicking fun romp. Asher and Honor have been barely missing meeting each other for a couple of years while working the same weddings, him as the photographer and her as the cake baker. When they finally do meet, sparks fly, but a misunderstanding keeps them apart at the beginning.

When they finally do get together, watch out for the heat in the kitchen. Asher absolutely loves cake, especially the frosting, and somehow Honor's cakes are even better once she and Asher become an item. But no road to a happy ending comes without some speed bumps. The characters are wonderful and the story is engaging and well-written. I can't wait to read the upcoming books in the series. Bravo!

I received a free copy of this book and am choosing to share my review.
Profile Image for Leslie Ooten.
1,020 reviews7 followers
October 17, 2019
I thought this was a good read! The writing flowed well from start to finish, and I loved Asher and Honor together. They had great chemistry, and I thought they complimented each other well. Asher was a great guy, and I loved that he wasn't running from a relationship even though he had been burned in the past. I liked Honor most of the time, but to judge every relationship on the fact that your parents couldn't stay married was crazy, in my opinion. I wish that she wouldn't have told herself the relationship was going to end before it even started, but she eventually came around. I loved the scene between Honor, her mom and Asher's mom. It was sweet, and helped Honor see some things more clearly. The ending was super sweet, and I can't wait to find out what happens in Loyal's book!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.
77 reviews
July 15, 2019
Not for me

This book had quite a different feel to others I've read by the same author. Many of the characters were not particularly likeable, and some were superfluous to the story. It seemed like their cameo appearances were to introduce them with a view to a future book. The End-it-now-so-he-doesn't-end-it-later plot was somewhat unoriginal and uninspiring, and it felt just a bit too contrived. There was too much introspection and angst, and I found I was skimming rather than reading every word, rather than looking forward to what was in the next chapter. Some readers might enjoy this type of fairly predictable romance, but it wasn't for me. Other books by this author have been much better.
Profile Image for Schellie.
931 reviews
September 7, 2019
Bring Me All The Cake!

This was a smart, funny, sexy contemporary romance and I loved every word! Asher is looking for forever, after being burned by his last girlfriend, he is a bit leery. That is, until he lays his eyes on Honor, his new neighbor. However Honor doesn’t believe in happy ever after. Her parents have seven divorces between them, how could she possibly believe in love. This story was filled with fun banter between all characters and Asher and Honor have ridiculous chemistry! I haven’t found a book from Ms Netzel that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed! She is a romantic literary genius!! Read this series and every other one she’s written!
Profile Image for Mina_rrat.
512 reviews22 followers
May 9, 2019
I cant resist books about successful bakers, just like the main character cannot resist frosting and cake ;)

I thought this book was adoreable, the big family who gets a dream is always a plus for me especially if you know each of them will get a book in the future. Win-win for my to-be-read list.

I was a bit stumped with the ending, I had wished for more information on Grayson and Honor's Clientele. Other than that, I cant wait to read Roxanne's story the prologue I read has me itching for more. This can only be gooood.
Profile Image for Dalice Peterson.
53 reviews
May 11, 2019
Oh, Buttercream!

Charming story, mix-ups galore, but I loved how both protagonists developed and grew. Asher thinks his family’s marriages are rock solid and forever. Honor is sure her family’s are destined to be on the rocks. They’re both wrong. Mix in Asher’s psychic friend who says Honor the wedding cake baker doesn’t believe in love, and therefore dooms the love of all who eat her cakes. There is bonding over tequila shots and a finally willingness to take a chance and believe; stir the batter and you have a terrific story.
33 reviews1 follower
October 12, 2019
I’m a big fan of novel written by Stacey and this one did not disappoint me. It the beginning of a series with the Diamond family as main characters. I enjoyed it because the characters were totally believable and I actually LIKED them! The story line kept me reading to see what would happen next. It also wasn’t overloaded with bedroom scenes and the storyline had substance. I’m hooked and have already purchased the next in this series!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes and all opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for MK.
1,724 reviews22 followers
October 14, 2019
What a great book. Funny, romantic, and so much more.
I fell in love with the characters. Honor and Asher meet at a wedding.
He’s taken by her and her cakes. Frosting to be exact...
But soon there’s more. The only thing is Honor doesn’t believe in Happily Ever After.
Asher wants to show her it can be. Before that can happen she’s putting the brakes on.
I truly felt bad now.
When Ashers mom and her mom talk to her things start her to sink in. She needs to take a leap.
That’s when Honor knows what she has to do..

Must read.
6,366 reviews30 followers
October 24, 2021
Diamonds do t do divorce.

Asher Diamond is a wedding photographer who wants to get married but has been burned and that colors his view on women, especially his hot new next door neighbor who happens to be his fantasy baker (he likes cake).

Honor is no naive virgin but she can’t get a read on hot and cold Asher, who is a jerk to her more than once.

Misunderstandings, cake with frosting and attraction.

Recommend.
Profile Image for Bev Sten.
277 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2019
This new series from Stacey Joy Netzel is going to be really good. It has all the feels. You have the Diamond (billionaire) Family and a host of side stars all looking for their HEA. Ms. Netzel writes a compelling story that keeps you interested and entertained. I highly recommend you read Book 1 of the Diamond series. Asher and Honor are so much fun.
1,868 reviews11 followers
October 15, 2019
This is a great story with a whole cast of wonderful characters. Asher and Honor are so perfect for each other and I love the way they sass each other. The story is well written and thoroughly enjoyable and once I started I didn't want to put it down. I just wanted them all to get their HEA (guess I will have to read the rest of the series to find out what happens to all the siblings).
1,382 reviews10 followers
October 15, 2019
I really enjoyed reading it!
Must Love Frosting, is a feel-good
sexy & moving story.
Delightful characters & romance
make it the perfect read.
Asher ❤ Honor, steal your heart
from the very first pages to the last.
Look forward to more books in series!
I loved everything about this Must
Read Story!!
Profile Image for Susa.
603 reviews
October 15, 2019
I had such a great time with the characters of this book.
This story has a lot of depth and the characters are exquisitely developing through the pages - with ups and downs - till their happy ending.
I loved that this time the guy is the one believing in true love and the girl has to be convinced this concept does really exist.
I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series!
Profile Image for Elaine Swinney.
2,273 reviews7 followers
October 27, 2019
I was able to get a free copy of this book and I loved it. I chose to voluntarily review it. I loved this book. It was well written and the characters are awesome. I encourage everyone to get this book. It is worth your time and effort. This is the first Stacey Joy Netzel that I have read but it will not be my last. Give this one a chance I think you will like it.
Profile Image for J Stryker.
265 reviews5 followers
October 21, 2021
What a great start to a new series. “Must Love Frosting” is a wonderful story about Honor, a cake baker and her new neighbor, Asher. Great plot, characters you will wish were your neighbors, and a twist in the middle. I really liked this book and am only bummed because I don’t have the recipes for those delicious cakes mentioned all through the book. Cant wait for the next book in this seri
4,752 reviews21 followers
November 21, 2021
I really enjoyed this story about a wedding cake baker and the hot photographer. I loved how they meet, interacted, and got together. Add some drama and got a fun light entertaining story to start a series. Asher and Honor were a hoot together. Plus many of the side characters were added fun and interesting.
Profile Image for Amy Burkhart.
108 reviews2 followers
November 22, 2021
Absolutely loved it!!

This was an absolutely awesome first in series read!! Between Asher calling Honor the nickname of Butter cream and Asher’s bestie who is a psychic having definite impressions on Honor’s cakes and cupcakes this story has some very laugh out loud moments. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!!
32 reviews
October 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was a book that once I started reading it i couldn't put it down. The characters are well written and engaging, you want for them to have their happily ever after. A book that can do that is the most enjoyable. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
151 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2019
I loved and really enjoyed this first book in the "Must Love Diamonds" series! I am not going to tell you the story (you'll just have to read the book! 😉). It will keep you reading from beginning to end. I highly recommend it! I can't wait for the second book!
1,353 reviews
October 25, 2019
Must Love Frosting is book one in the Must Love Diamonds series.I loved Honor and Asher's story. It was a fun book to read, and I don't say fun often when referring to reading. It's definitely worth picking up!
910 reviews3 followers
October 10, 2019
A great start to a new series from a must read author for me. Loved the quirky characters, and the banter. It is a sink into enjoyable read I would definitely recommend reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews