Over Easy

by Casey Wyatt

What’s that saying? Never say never? I never thought I'd return to my hometown Somerset, Vermont. I left twelve years earlier without a backward glance. Too many bad memories, not enough good. Now, I'm a celebrity chef in between gigs ready to pay back a karmic debt by becoming co-owner of the town's fading diner, Over Easy. I also never planned to find my former high school flame, Audra Harper, still in town and still working at her uncle's diner. She's sexier and more desirable than a decade earlier. Too bad I left her behind without saying goodbye. All I can hope is she's forgotten me and never learns the truth behind my abrupt exit. Only, she hasn't forgotten me. And the more time we spend together, the harder it is for me to resist her. The harder it is to want to leave. I don't intend to hurt Audra again, but if the mistakes from my past come to light the decision will be made for me and our second chance will vanish.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2020

About the author

Casey Wyatt grew up in a mid-size Connecticut town where nothing exciting ever happened. To stem the boredom, she read fantasy and sci-fi novels, imagining her own adventures in her head. Not much has changed since she’s grown up, only now she's a multi-published author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. In her spare time, she loves all things geeky, hangs out in museums, and collects stray cats.

Visit Casey on the web: www.caseywyatt.com. You can also find Casey on Facebook, Twitter (@CaseyWyatt1) and Instagram (@caseywyattbooks).

To receive advance notice about new releases and special sales, subscribe to Casey's Newsletter.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Over Easy” is a charming second-chance story that will have readers hooked from the first chapter.

Read full review in the 2020 Summer issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[R Huiszoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Casey Wyatt, ‘Over Easy’.
The Common Elements Romance Project.

As a Hidden Gems ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.

Rating: 3,5 stars (of 5).

In general: Difficult second chance love.

Main characters:
- Audra Harper.
She’s divorced from a cheating, lying husband. After her break up, Audra worked hard to buy from her uncle the slightly outdated ‘Over Easy Diner’ in Somerset near NY city. She got half of the diner and was promised the rest when she had enough money.

- Dash Grant.
During high school Audra was his girlfriend. But many years ago he suddenly and without an explanation left town, hurting Audra very bad. He went to a top culinary school and became a wealthy, famous TV chef. Now he’s back in town and bought half of the ‘Over Easy’ shares from Audra’s uncle. She has no idea about his co-ownership and his wish to renovate the diner.

After all those years of separation Audra and Dash meet again during a meeting in which the transfer of the diner is arranged. It appears that hey have to cooperate during the renovation of ‘Over Easy’. And step by step both feel that their old attraction still exists.
The author, Casey Wyatt, describes how they overcome old complications and insecurities from their youth. The plot isn’t very original and - for me - the actions of their bitchy moms a bit overdone, but she creates some wonderful extra characters and gives interesting information about a small town and managing a restaurant in such a place. So the book was a pleasure to read.

R. Huiszoon.

[Kristy Halseth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an advanced reading copy.

This story is less than satisfying. Dash and Audra were going to run away together when they were 18 only Dash leaves on his own. The author makes part of the reason he leaves pretty obvious. He don't find out the rest of it until later. As a second chance romance it could have been pretty good but they skill keep pushing each other away. Both of them have emotional issues they need to deal with.

But in the end, I'm annoyed with how forgiving everyone is. There are too many platitudes. "You need closure." "Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself." I don't believe in closure. I think it is a meaningless term psychologists use for an invented concept. It is just people trying to get the last word on a situation. People going though things will say that there is no such thing as closure. What you really want to do is put a period on things. This is it. Now it is done.

Both Dash and Audra have horrible mothers. The story is upfront on that so there is no spoiler there. One is abusive and the other abandons her child. Why should the adult children of parents like that be required to forgive them for a story to have a happy romance ending? I have an innate desire for bad people to have to suffer for the bad things they have done. It is the way they end up forgiving all their family members that makes this book very unsatisfying to me.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audra thinks she's going to buy the other half of her uncle's diner when she can. Little does she know that the other half is already gone - to her ex, the one who ghosted her and broke her heart many years ago. Can they work together (without screaming at each other) to renovate this small town diner?

As second chance romances go, this one is rather predictable and boring. I didn't particularly like Dash, and his reasons for leaving were lame. Audra was OK, but nothing spectacular. And their mothers? Let's just say that they're candidates for worst mother of the year and leave it at that. All in all, not one of my favorite second chance love stories, but certainly not the worst I've ever read.

ARC via Hidden Gems Books for an honest review.

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[Tandalaya Stitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dash Grant, a celebrity chef, left Somerset, Vermont without looking back. His upbringing wasn't the best. He wanted to escape all the bad memories. There was only one problem, he left behind the one person who helped give him good memories, Audra Harper. Audra was the one that got away. Well, more like he let her go.

Twelve years after running away, Dash returns to Somerset to repay a long-overdue debt. He's back to help the town's struggling restaurant, Over Easy. The restaurant that has been in Audra's family for 70 years.

Dash wasn't expecting to see Audra, especially not working at her uncle's restaurant. Can they overcome the obstacles of their past and find the future they always planned?

I chose to write a review after receiving a free copy of the book. I didn't hate the story, but some of the dialogue, and thoughts, seemed more fitting of teenagers than 30-year-olds. The flow of time within the story didn't make a lot of sense either. It was hard to tell when days or weeks had gone by. Other than that, the story has potential.

[Carra · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know when you're reading a story and you get that impending feeling of "uh oh" creeping up? You know that there's something about to go down, and you have your guesses, but you still say "uh oh" with each turn of the page? That's how I felt at the start of this book. I knew without even reading the summary that Dash was going to have something to do with Audra's acquisition of her uncle's restaurant, but just how surprised me and I can't say I'd blame her for the look she gave him when she found out.
If you're expecting a new take on the second-chance romance trope, you're probably going to be disappointed. I would say this is a nice addition to the options available under the theme, and as someone who takes delight in reading a ton with the same theme, there's nothing wrong with that.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a second chance is all you need, but does Dash deserve one? Well, his current character is endearing however the younger version of himself didn't seem to be. Throughout the book the couple reminisces on their past and their lost love yet it doesn't really sound all that loving which was rather confusing. The present tense of their relationship was interesting and I enjoyed the story overall despite some moments that had me wondering why/how Audra viewed their (teen) relationship so adoringly. Also, the push to make things right with toxic people in their lives? While Dash's was understandable I felt like Audra's was not. She shouldn't have been made to feel as if she were wrong for not forgiving her mother. Her feelings and experiences were valid and her own.

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book began in a funny and whimsical narrative with strong attraction between the couple, but after the sex scene, it turns dark. The couple struggle with their past history with each other and their families. I felt this lasted too long, then the ending was again bright and humorous. I felt the book should have kept to the theme, even though it was a bit over dramatized. I also had difficulty with the sudden changes in POVs and got lost at times. The sex (which I could have done without) seemed out of place in the book- it didn't really help the couple's relationship. But overall, I did enjoy the book

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia Baxes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I thought was going to be a delightful and whimsical second chance romance with a diner as one of the “stars” of the story...wasn’t like that at all. This book was just really way too heavy. The storyline turned into a really somewhat depressing tale; the characters were too full of themselves by far; the plot twists and turns were really not all that scary; and the best part of all...the HEA! I think the story had great potential, but the chapter count just dragged the story out so long that the reader just sort of lost interest in the middle chapters. You should give it a read and decide for yourself. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and found it a somewhat disappointing.)

[Floraljoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A second chance to cook up love:
I liked the premise of two old friends/lovers working together to turn the diner around and there were a good number of twists along the way. Even after all the years, the attraction Dash and Audra feel for another is still strong however they are each convinced that they could never have a future together. Dash especially has demons from his past and is afraid of opening himself up. It is a slow burn romance and at times I wanted to shake Dash but he has to deal with his issues from his past before he can see a way to commit and love in the present. Overall this novel felt rather immature to me and may be better suited to younger readers.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Audra and Dash get their second chance at love or will Dash run away again. Audra and Dash were inseparable in high school. They planned on a life together after school. Audra with her art and Dash with his culinary career. But on the eve of them leaving town for their future, Dash left without saying good-bye. He became a well-known TV chef and Audra married the wrong man. A husband who never supported her dreams and cheated on her. After ten years apart, she is divorced and Dash is back in the town he said he would never come back to. Why? I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Mindy Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read by this author, and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. The storyline, the characters, and the author's writing style are quite good. It is a second chance romance between former high school sweethearts, Audra and Dash. Once they re-connect, it is a journey of self-discovery as these two likeable characters figure out a renewed relationship between them with love and intimacy while overcoming life's challenges. It is a love story dealing with redemption and maturing love. Overall, it is a heartwarming read with heart, heat, and a happy ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I devoured! My only regret is that I was not able to give the full 5 star rating.

The main characters get a second chance at love when they are forced to work together to renovate the Over Easy Diner. The broken promises from years ago will have to be mended and the bond between them redefined. Their relationship was genuine. Maturity and other events in their loves have clearly defined them, which is something I did appreciate.

The only aspects that took one star away were the family moments (they seem to be too forced) and the ending, where everything seems to be solved too quickly. Otherwise, this was a great read.

[Margery Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it love again or war?
High school sweethearts, Dash left town the night before he and Audra were supposed to leave together. She married the wrong man and fortunately divorced the louse. She bought half of the diner from her uncle and was working hard to purchase the remainder after her divorce from a cheating husband. After ten years Dash is back in town with no explanation. Now he owns the other half of the restaurant. What will happen next, and will they have a happy or tumultuous ending? You’ll enjoy finding out.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over Easy is a diner that has been Audra Harper's Uncles for the last seventy years she now owns half of it. But unknown to her, Dash Grant a celebrity chef now owns the other half. They where together twelve years ago but he left without saying Goodbye, this is their second chance. This is a new Author to me I will be looking for more by her. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new author to me. I had high hopes when I first read but I felt a bit underwhelmed as I read on. This story is about Dash, a celebrity chef. He has lived a tumultuous childhood, so when he left Somerset, Vermont he never gave it a thought accept for the one woman he wanted, Audra. Audra was the one that got away. Dash returns 12 years later to repay a long-overdue debt to help the town's struggling restaurant, Over Easy. The restaurant that has been in Audra's family for 70 years.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Audra is looking forward to taking over the restaurant that she has been working at for years but there is a bump in the road named Dash and he is going to turn her world upside down all over again. It was a good book, easy read, sweet romance. I think the cover of the book actually makes the book seem like its going to be hotter than what the book actually was or what I was expecting so I was a little leary reading it but it was better than the cover led me to believe.

[Rochelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second chance romance for Dash and Audra. Storyline was ok. Dash left town and become a success and after 12 years he came back and wasn’t expecting to see Audra. Now they have to work together at her uncle’s restaurant. Ok read for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spend a day mostly in Somerset, Vermont with this NC17 laugh-out-loud second-chance romance between two almost-thirty-year-olds.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a great time with this book from page one to the last. This is a second chance romance for childhood sweetheart Dash and Audra. Will they let themselves let the past go and build on a new future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Corrina Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent second-chance lovers romance. Dash was too immature and needed to get out of the small town. Not a bad guy, just bad timing with the girl he loved.

Loved the small town, the characters, and the heroine, who moves past hurt others have done to her to grab happiness.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God. I loved this book. Audra was such a funny character. I loved her, her little pep talks and how she explained things. This is a must read, I read this one in one sitting. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.