Spiced Kisses

Kiss Me #3

by Charlie Novak

One broken collarbone, two stubborn men, three interfering chefs, four weeks to go, five chewed garlands, and The Pear Tree covered in snow…

Ben’s Christmas Plans:

1. Finish the staff schedules, get the orders done, and make sure the next month runs smoothly because December is hell.
2. Break collarbone at rugby.
3. Scrap all plans. Drag Ianto in to help.
4. Avoid staring at the gorgeous Welshman, even if he does look surprisingly hot in a Christmas jumper…
5. Remember how much of a pain Christmas is.

Ianto’s Christmas Plans:

1. Take Ben to hospital after accidentally injuring him, even though it wasn’t my fault.
2. Feel very guilty and offer to help Ben with his epic to-do list since he refuses to take time off.
3. Eat my body weight in Patrick’s mince pies.
4. Learn how to tie ribbon bows that don’t look squashed.
5. Try not to fall for the very grumpy Yorkshireman who hates Christmas.

Spiced Kisses is a 78,000-word contemporary MM Christmas romance featuring a lengthy to-do list, holiday hot chocolate, a workaholic who hates December, a Welsh personal trainer who loves it, some very interfering staff, and a little Christmas magic.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Holiday, LGBT, Audiobook

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 2, 2021

About the author

Charlie lives in England with her husband and a dachshund named Biscuit. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.

She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters – because the world needs more of them. Charlie also believes that love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with cooking, pole-dancing, reading and ice-hockey. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fun & sweet Christmas book. I really liked all the employee group text chats. A good ending of the series!

[.Lili. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dare I say Spiced Kisses is the best of the series? Yes, I think I will. What's not to love, honestly?

Grumpy/Sunshine ✔

Chemistry ✔

Catching up with old friends ✔

The text threads made me smile ✔

Hurt/Comfort/Healing

Character growth ✔

Low angst ✔

This is how you end a series.

♥

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas kisses!

This was a lovely way to round out this series from Charlie.

Relatively low angst, grumpy Ben finding his perfect partner and lovely Welsh twin Ianto giving him everything he didn't know he wanted.

Plus plenty of snark from Aaron and Josh, Pads on hand to keep them all in check and the introduction of Rhys, who'll be getting his own HEA in Charlie's new Drag Queen series.

Couldn't have wrapped things up better!

[Szidi ☼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5☆

Can I tell you how much I love this series?! Because I really do. I love how Charlie writes kitchen romances, they are so realistic and so romantic, just aww!

Ben and Ianto's story was lovely and so magical. I love Christmas romances and it was so sweet. It got me really in the mood for the holiday and I might have put up all my Christmas decor after reading it? Sorry? LOL

Ben is super sweet, but workaholic (not a surprise, who isn't in the restarurant business hahaha). I loved him in the previous book too and was really excited to finally read his HEA. Ianto was a new addition to the Pear Tree group but I liked him to. These two were just perfect for each other.

Oh and my favorite, the start of every chapter, those little text echanges between the other guys, how to make Ben&Ianto to fall in love, adorable.

I really enjoyed reading this book and this series. I already told it, but Charlie writes realistic kitchen scenes, and I love her for it.

[Rin (indefinite hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

We’ve met Ben in the previous two books and us readers were anxiously awaiting his book! We meet sweet Ianto right off the bat and thus ensues a lovely friendship born a bit out of close proximity. It was so sweet to read how Ianto thawed Ben’s thoroughly grouchy constitution. And the side characters and Ben’s relationship with Aaron is prevalent and so fun to watch.

My only wish was a little more time getting to know Ianto and a little less internal dialogue. I had a tough time staying engaged at times when the internal musings weren’t broken up.

Overall this was a sweet ending to the Kiss Me trilogy and a satisfying HEA for Ben and Ianto.

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spiced Kisses (Kiss Me Book 3) MM

Ben and Ianto are members of the local Rugby team in Nottingham, it’s an all gay members Club. Ianto is very different from Ben in so far as he has studs and rings in his eyebrows and lips and each finger. Ben is the part owner of The Pear Tree Pub and Restaurant. This doesn’t stop them from sneaking admiring glances at each other during training sessions.

On a rainy Saturday morning in October, while training Ben slips in the mud, smashes into Ianto’s Knee breaks his collarbone. Despite pain Ben says he’s OK. Ianto, feeling guilty, insists on taking him to the ER. He takes great care of Ben while waiting and took him home when he’d been seen to by the doctors.

This incident helped them get to know each other outside of Rugby.

Bit disappointed with this one. Just didn’t see the spark from Ben and Ianto had to do a lot of the work on this relationship. Enjoyed the inclusion of Aaron and Josh and their efforts in planning to get Ben and Ianto together before Christmas.

Most of this story is based around the build up to busy time at The Pear Tree over Christmas and the stress on everyone involved, especially when some staff get food poisoning just beforehand.

Patrick and Connor are also mentioned and still going strong. I wonder if Rhys or Levi will get their own individual stories.

3 stars only for this one.

[The Word Nerd Reviews Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiced Kisses is the third book in Charlie Novak’s Kiss Me series. It is a lovely ending to this series. Ben is one of those characters that I was so happy to get his HEA. The entire series has been an enjoyable journey.

Ben is the co-owner of The Pear Tree and manages the business side of things. Even though he doesn't see himself that way, he is a pretty selfless character, putting everyone's needs before his own. Ben is adored by his 'work family', which is more of a found family. In several hilarious group chats, the team sets out to #GetBenLaidAndLoved. What was lovely, though, is that once Ianto entered the picture, the nature of these chats soon changed to simply #GetBenLoved. Ianto recognised pretty much straight away that Ben prioritises everyone but himself. Ben is there for everyone, but who is there for Ben?

Ben and Ianto just worked. Both are truly soft men who will defend mightily those they love. I absolutely adored Ben's almost instant acceptance of what was termed Ianto and Rhys’ “unhealthily co-dependent relationship, even if his first real experience with it was *ahem* up close and personal! Ianto, too understood Ben's commitment to The Pear Tree. When a miscommunication/thoughtless action cropped up, it was handled through communication, you know, like the mature adults they are!

All the characters we’ve come to know and love were well and truly present in Spiced Kisses; even Connor made a re-appearance. There was plenty of snark from Aaron, with his and Josh's relationship always in the background and the source of much humour. Patrick, too made his presence felt. The rest of the quirky cast often popped in and out, giving a feeling of familiarity to the story. Charlie Novak has created a beautiful cast of interesting characters, and it was lovely to touch base again with them all.

Spiced Kisses was a low angst, delightful story. The romance between Ianto and Ben was beautiful to watch unfold. These are two mature men who easily communicate between each other. Yes, there was quite a bit of emotional/personal growth, especially for Ben, but it was the kind of realising that you could love and be loved, rather than immaturity. It was very refreshing.
I absolutely adored Spiced Kisses. It could technically be read as a standalone, but I’d recommend at least reading Summer Kisses to understand Aaron and Josh’s backstory to fully appreciate Spiced Kisses.

If you are looking for a Christmas story that is overflowing with romance, a good dose of steam, and heapings of humour, you can’t go wrong with Spiced Kisses.

This book is featured on The Word Nerd Reviews Top 10 Christmas Books 2021. See what else is in the list here



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[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I loved going back to the Pear Tree. This may sound odd, but my favourite parts of this book were the ones that involved Aaron, Josh and Patrick!! I also loved Rhys, Ianto’s twin brother, and I kept thinking he’d be getting his own story - at least I think the author left enough clues around the book to make you interested in knowing more about him - but I saw Charlie saying at the end that this was the last book in the series so no book for Rhys I suppose 😞

Now, in relation to Ben and Ianto’s love story.. it was cute but it wasn’t anything I was crazy about. They already fancy each other from rugby practice so them getting together wasn’t unexpected or mind blowing. Instead the focus is more about how Ben realises that he is indeed a workaholic and needs to start managing his time better in order to allow space for an extra person.

I have really loved the Christmas aspect of this story too. From the decorating of the pub with handmade decorations to the tradition of Christmas brunch and gift giving with the Pear Tree family.

[Jacquie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally it's Ben's turn for a shot at love. Overworked and lonely, Ben's seen his two best friends find love but doesn't think he has time for it for himself.
Thankfully Aaron disagrees and ropes everyone at The Pear Tree into setting Ben up with his friend Ianto.
I loved the text chats to start every chapter, giving us a hint of what the others were up to without too much information, it kept the pacing steady.
Ben and Ianto were gorgeous together, communicating when things got hard (not without a bit of prompting) and there was a lot of sweetness there.
Although it's set at Christmas it doesn't feel like a traditional holiday book as the theme works any time of year.
I really enjoyed the themes of found family, putting love before work, having balance.

[Ζωή Παππά · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful and festive story! Just what I needed to put me in the mood for the holidays.
This is the third book in the series and it can be read as a standalone but I really think that it's best if you read the books in order because this group of friends is like family and their lives and backstories are connected.
I liked Ben since book one. I loved his dedication to his friends and the Pub. He's honestly the best boss ever. Everyone should have a boss like Ben. He deserved a happily ever after and Ianto was just the perfect guy for him. I loved their chemistry and I loved that they had to put effort and communicate to make their relationship work.
It's a beautiful love story and I had the best time reading it.
I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I picked it up because it had a Christmas theme, and I adore reading these around the end of the year. First off - the setting - small-ish town England, which is like a foreign, fascinating land for me. The two main characters, opposites attract, for sure. I loved Ben’s grumpiness and Ianto’s light. The story is longer than I expected and I enjoyed every bit of it.

KU

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay it's another grumpy sunshine Christmas book! I really love this series already and was thrilled when I received an arc of spiced kisses. This series follows the staff at this pub called The Pear Tree and this book in particular features the co-owner and front of house manager. Ben is kind of a grumpy gus and doesn't love the holidays. He is overworked and stressed and Christmas time at the pub is a incredibly busy time for them and the last thing he needs is a broken collarbone.

Well guess what he gets? During a rugby practice he ends up with a broken collarbone right at the beginning of December that puts him out of commission and he starts to rely on his friend Ianto who just also happens to be very attractive and the subject of Ben's crush.

Ianto is a super sunshiney loving Christmas holiday wonderland full of joy. He adores every part of Christmas and the winter holidays and is all for matching pajamas and making garland and Christmas dinners etc. The two of them together have a little bit of angst but this book is very fluffy.

As Ianto helps Ben get The Pear Tree ready for Christmas he and Ben grow closer and realize that they both have been harboring some romantic and sexual feelings for the other. I really appreciated that this was a dual POV because I'm a sucker for dual POVs.

I also just really adore Ben and his commitment to The Pear Tree. Working in hospitality is hard as it is and working in hospitality during the holidays is grueling. I love this series because it's set in the restaurant business but I really liked this one because it showcased how important the food is to some of us and that even though it is taxing and exhausting and extremely difficult work, working in hospitality can be a privilege and extremely fulfilling. I know that so many people have jobs in the restaurant industry as carry over work or just to make a little extra money, but there are some of us in the industry who genuinely love what we do even though there are days we hate it. So many of us get so much a joy and pleasure out of seeing a person satisfied with their food or their drink or their overall experience that we were able to provide them and this is one of the first foodie books I've read where that is really captured. The dichotomy between knowing you're overworked and stressed and exhausted but still loving what you do is a hard line to walk but it is done exceptionally well in this whole series but especially in this book.

Now that I have droned on about something that probably none of you care about, you should know that Ben and Ianto are stupidly cute and will give you lots of joy. You probably could read this as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the other two books first. You could probably get away with just reading the first book and then reading some reviews for the second book but why would you do that when both book one and two are really freaking good? Just read them and then dive into this cute and steamy Christmas book and feel your heart fill up with joy.

Reread December 2022
Ah this is a reread via audio and I honestly liked it better when I read it. I think that I need to stop requesting ALC where Dan Calley is the narrator. I just don't think that he brings anything to the table. He doesn't change any sort of tone between the characters even though it's multi POV he doesn't add any inflection or excitement into the book. It's just kind of boring to listen to him and I'm really sad because I love this book when I read it and I feel kind of ambivalent about my reread.

[Meagan (FranticVampireReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiced Kisses was so sweet! I loved getting to be back in this cozy restaurant setting and getting to see workaholic Ben find his person! I loved Ianto, he was just the sweetest and absolutely smitten with Ben, even when he was an absolute grump. These two just fit together so well and I could read about them (and this little restaurant family) endlessly. Also, the little group chats/message threads at the beginning of each chapter were hilarious! I love that this little restaurant family were trying their hardest to get Ben and Ianto together. This is getting five stars!

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful Charlie Novak book with the Pear Tree crew! Ben has spent most of his life taking care of everyone but himself. When an accident forces him to take support from someone else, his sweet friend Ianto is glad to step in. Ianto is so stunning and kind, happy to help Ben however he can (and he has SNAKEBITES!!! 🔥🔥🔥). Ben is not a fan of Christmas, but Ianto’s joy is infectious, and this might just be the year Ben’s attitude turns around. We get to see our old friends from The Pear Tree, and meet some new ones (Charlie I am hardcore shipping Rhys & Levi 🤣) this was lovely, sweet and sexy…the perfect holiday book! ❤️

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an electronic ARC of this novel from the author.

People who have found love frequently want the same for their closest friends, and while Patrick (of Strawberry Kisses) is too polite, Aaron (of Summer Kisses) has absolutely zero chill where his best friend is concerned. Luckily, Aaron’s heart is in the right place concerning Ben’s workaholic tendencies, and Ben has already done half the work of befriending Ianto outside of their insular restaurant world. This book would have been significantly different had Aaron started from scratch by orchestrating a brand-new connection. Instead, this book is a lovely friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance with a dash of forced proximity. All the elements that make for a perfect holiday love story.

Seriously, this book contains a lot of tropes, but Novak balances them with a deft storytelling ability so that they never feel contrived or forced. Instead, the friendship between Ianto and Ben flows naturally into something so much more, even if both men undergo a certain amount of angst about potentially ruining their solid friendship. I could have done with slightly less internal monologuing, but overall, these moments are significantly outweighed by all the fun scenes filled with new and familiar secondary characters who fill out the rest of the cast. Everyone has our heroes’ best interests at heart, especially during the dark moment – which is less of an overt conflict and more a stumbling block that shows Ben how much better his life could be if he doesn’t fall back on bad habits.

The events of this book could have taken place during any time of year. However, the Christmas season excellently highlights the differences between Ben and Ianto that ultimately make them perfect for each other. Since we don’t have enough representation in seasonal films, I offer this novel as a delightful alternative. I’m sad to see the end of this series, but this installment is definitely the icing on the cake – or perhaps the star atop the tree.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun and sweet holiday story. I read the first two books in the Kiss Me series just to get to this one and doing so really paid off. It made the found family dynamic of The Pear Tree that much stronger and the interactions between all of the characters a ton of fun. So if you haven't read the first two books, reading them first will definitely amplify your enjoyment of this one. I have to say, though, I firmly believe that Connor was robbed of page time. I think he had one whole line in this book and it was "oh my god". He was missing from the second book too, so I don't know what the deal is there.

Ben and Ianto were so cute. Their matching "should I, shouldn't I" inner monologues should have driven me nuts, but instead came across as kind of adorable. It wasn't angsty, it was just a natural hesitance and fear of rejection that made a lot of sense for both of them. There was something missing for me, though. A lack of emotion, maybe? Not enough spark? I'm not sure. For some reason I had a hard time feeling fully invested in their relationship. It was believable, but kind of dull I guess. And the steam was just meh for me. The steam in Summer Kisses was by far the best in this series.

The rest of the cast and the story in general more than made up for my disappointment in the relationship between Ben and Ianto, though. I absolutely loved Aaron in this book. His meddling was hilarious and I loved the text group chats at the beginning of each chapter. Patrick was also a star. It was fun to see how much everyone respected and feared the soft spoken, cherub faced pastry chef. He was the perfect voice of reason.

Now I'd love to see Rhys and Levi get their HEA's. I know this author is great about stealing characters from one series and featuring them in another, so my fingers are crossed that we'll get to see them again in the future.

[Beaumont · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet holiday story with less manufactured drama than I expected and I loved that! It has found family, bio family, chosen family, and MC who ostensibly loves Christmas and an MC who is not a fan of Christmas. It was just a fun time without a lot of obstacles and I enjoyed that.

Ben is a 34 year old cis white gay Englishman. He’s tall with a broad and stockier build, and a beard. He’s serious and extremely responsible and capable, a workaholic, loves his friends, is very loyal and puts everyone else’s needs first. He’s never dated anyone seriously because his best friend (who for years struggled hard with alcohol abuse) and career have always been his focus.

Ianto is a 28 year old cis white gay Welshman. He is a bit shorter than Ben if I recall, with a lean and muscular build. He’s easygoing and sweet, but can be a bit mischievous at times but not as bad as his identical twin Reece (also gay). He’s also extremely loyal to his loved ones, sweet, and likes to cook casually. He was raised by his grandfather and is still very close to him. He lives with his twin brother and they’re both very into exercise and athletics.

Contains:
—friends to lovers
—gay MCs
—Christmas
—bah humbug, sort of (Ben)
—Christmas enthusiast, sort of (Ianto)
—workaholic character who realizes he needs to strike a healthier balance
—mention of past parental deaths
—size difference (not very emphasized)
—smaller top, larger bottom
—restaurant manager x personal trainer
—mild grumpy/sunshine vibes

Other:
—first person dual POV
—cheating: no
—romantic rival: no
—break up:
—kids: no
—sex: yes. There are a couple moderately explicit open door sex scenes. Ianto is versatile but only rarely likes to bottom. Ben is also versatile but mostly because he’s a big guy and other men expect him to be a strict top, though Ben’s strong preference is to bottom. Strict roles on page with Ianto topping and Ben bottoming, with the implication that if the mood strikes they may switch it up.
—HEA: yes

[Boreas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly not a *bad* romance, the main characters are very pleasant and the story being told is nice- but that's kinda it. It's a sweet Christmas time romance and if that's what you're looking for, this book is serviceable. I have two main concerns with this book: first off, the author can't seem to decide whether the main love interest's characters are long-term-friends-to-lovers or what's effectively a love-at-first-sight story, and, second off, the side characters, specifically the characters closes to Ben and Ianto specifically, are truly atrocious.

These characters are Aaron and Rhys respectively, the former being a self-proclaiming and proud asshole, which I have no problem with in it's goal to forming a specific dynamic, and he never takes it too far in the story, but he just doesn't feel real. No one is constantly calling themselves an asshole, playing it up, and subsequently never doing anything to change or better themselves; it felt like a Pokemon that was only able to say it's own name like- oh there's Aaron, oh what was his only character trait again? Oh right. And then the latter, while I understand wanting to represent a close sibling relationship, veers much to close to twincest and the codependency that both him and Ianto are apparently aware of is not the quirky thing the author seems to want to make it out to be; just genuinely uncomfortable interactions all around.

And as a final note, there are just so many instances of telling instead of showing, and I try to ignore it because generally, it is a boon of the first-person-pov format to being able to know what the characters is thinking and feeling, but I never felt surprised or tense reading this book. The main drawing premise of romance novels, at least in my opinion, is the "will they won't they" and this book does not for a second make you feel like they won't, even in its best attempts to. If you want something easy and have the patience of a saint, then I'd say go for it.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lovely End to a Brilliant Series

It was so good to catch up with the guys from The Pear Tree and see the lovely Ben finally get the love and support he deserved. Seeing how he put his life on hold to support his best friend Aaron through his alcohol addiction and then dedicated his whole life to running their pub and looking after their staff, their chosen family, he had forgotten to look after himself. If he worked all the hours then he had no time to be lonely.

Ianto was his friend and they played rugby together. They were both attracted to each other but kept it to themselves as they didn’t want to risk losing their friendship until the day Ben had an accident on the rugby pitch and Ianto took him to the hospital. Ben was devastated to be told that he couldn’t work for weeks, had to wear a sling and needed day to day help as he couldn’t lift, carry or drive. Ianto volunteered and spending so much time together and with the interference from Aaron who with the help of the staff set up a group chat #GETBENLOVED found they were perfect for each other. Ben did suspect eventually that Aaron had been involved but he was happy so didn’t call him on it and knew he had Ben’s best interests at heart.

The chemistry between Ben and Ianto was off the charts, the characters were lovely and it was so good to catch up with all the previous characters. Aaron still has the pottiest mouth and argues with Josh non stop until they rush home for sex and then there is the wonderful, calm, patient Patrick, the pastry chef. I also thoroughly enjoyed Ianto’s twin brother Rhys who was like a hyperactive Duracell bunny, funny with no boundaries and I have to say reminded me of Aaron! I have enjoyed everything about this series and I’m so glad they all got their HEA.

[Alexus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a perfect holiday romance to read around Christmas time. I read the previous two books in this series earlier on in the year and wanted to wait until the perfect time to finally get around to this book and I’m so glad to say it was exactly what I wanted and needed. It was an absolute blast reading about Ben and Ianto.

We met Ben in the previous two books as a co owner of The Pear Tree along side Aaron, who we met in book two. Ben is a workaholic and doesn’t know how to slow down and take time off. Always spending his time at the pub and doesn’t get out much. Aaron sees how much he is stress and just not overall happy and decides to help him get laid or get a boyfriend. Thanks to Aaron pushing him to get out and do something he joins the local LGBTQIA+ rugby team and this is where he meets Ianto.

If you read The Court series by this author then you would have seen glimpses of Ianto in Scene Queen as Rhys twin brother. He works at the same gym as his brother and was always a romantic and looking for a relationship. When he meets Ben you can tell right away how much both of them were smitten with each other and wanted to get to know each other better but never spending any time outside of rugby.

One day during a team practice Ben ends up getting hurt and breaking his collarbone and needing to go to the hospital. Ianto feels terrible for the accident and helps him there and then afterwards declares that he will help out whenever he can for the next few weeks while he heals, especially because it’s during their busy season. Through all this we really get to see them actually hang out and get to know more of each other. I loved seeing them completely smitten with one another but not knowing rather to proceed with their feelings. It was honestly so cute.

I really loved how complete opposites they were but at the same time exactly what the other person needed. It’s no secret that Ben doesn’t enjoy the holiday season and is always a grumpy bastard during this time of year and then here comes Ianto who absolutely loves it. He slowly chips away at Bens harder shell and makes he realize how wonderful the season can be with the family he has and made through The Pear Tree. Also helps him slowly realize that he needs to take breaks and that it’s okay to step away from the restaurant and let others help out.

Their relationship was the absolute sweetest. I love seeing all the little moments between them. Helping each other out and being a support system during this difficult time of year. And when they finally took things to the next level and finally confess their feelings and realize that they wasn’t anything to be scared of was so simple but so beautiful at the same time.

I loved that we got to see them get together as a couple and build their relationship. It was fast but also went just right for them and what they needed. I loved that when Ben realize he fucked up at something and thanks to Patrick realize how badly he went automatically to Ianto and apologized and made things right. Promising to always try and be there for him whenever he needed. That they was more important things that mattered to him outside of the restaurant and he needs to make them a priority as well.

I really enjoyed seeing the friendship between Ben, Aaron and Patrick. They were there for him whenever needed and always pushing for him to take time off and rest. Seeing that he was stress and pushing himself too far but all the while still being a helping hand and encouraging him to see where things go with Ianto. Also I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between Ianto and his brother Rhys. He can so annoying but the bond between them can never be broken and I loved seeing Rhys embrace Ben into their little family.

The ending was so sweet and I loved seeing them come into their own and their relationship and build a future together. The Christmas scenes were also so nice and lovely. The spicy scenes were also so good I love the trope of a bigger bottom and smaller top and you wouldn’t expect it with these two but it was so hot and the way Ianto takes care of Ben was so caring and heartfelt. It was nice seeing these two take care of one another and their Christmas presents to each other was so spot on! I loved every moment of this book and I’m so glad I waited until around Christmas time to give it a read. It gave me all the feelings and vibes and I would highly recommend giving this series a go.

[Bookish Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
🌶️🌶️
Vibes - Good Time

One of the most hectic industries in December (that's not retail)
Ben is the overworked owner of The Pear Tree pub who accidentally breaks his collarbone playing rugby. His friend and secret crush Ianto is the one that takes him to the hospital to get checked out since it's his knee Ben cracked his collar bone on so he kind of feels responsible. Since it's the holiday's Ben has far too much to do to be out of commission for 6-8 weeks over December (as anyone that has worked in the food service industry will tell you Christmas season is a special kind of hectic, after underpaid retail workers and anyone working in the ER) So Ianto Offers to help him out since his work as a personal trainer is quieter at this time of year. I love that Ben accepts the help that is offered and doesn't protest about it. If you don't like swearing then maybe skip this one, the word "fuck" or some variation of it was mentioned 325 times, mostly by Aaron. The saying shouldn't be "swears like a sailor" the saying should be "swears like a chef". Most chefs I know would make a sailor blush and Gordon Ramsey tones it down for TV. I enjoyed the Christmas vibes of this one and it reminded me is my time working in a place like this at Christmas. I loved it. Ben was a big grump who's not really a Christmas fan but does it for his work family. Ianto loves Christmas and all the cheesy crap that goes with it. I adored them together but the meddling work family didn't actually do that much meddling. I want to go to The Pear Tree this Christmas, in theory it's not all that far from me either. Let's go.

Tropes
-Holiday
-Friends To Lovers
-Grumpy/Sunshine

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, loyal, grumpy Ben. I can't tell you how happy I was that he was getting his HEA. After watching this workaholic make time for everyone else but himself throughout the rest of this series, no one deserved to find love more than he did. Ianto was sexy and sweet and caring and I adored him for Ben.

I think holiday books are sometimes a challenging beast to write, since they can feel kitschy and over-the-top so easily. That's why this one felt like *more* than just a holiday book to me. Maybe it was because I'd been waiting for Ben's book and I already knew the cast of characters so well. Or maybe it was because my Anglophile-heart thinks there's nothing cozier than an English pub during the holidays. But this was a perfect balance of a hurt/comfort and grinch/sunshine story, with the holiday 'hygge' that I always crave around this time of year.

While this was a lot lighter and sweeter than Summer Kisses (Aaron and Josh's book,) it was no less substantial. But that's what made it such a beautiful ending to the whole Pear Tree experience, (the local pub Ben and Aaron owned.) I like to think that Spiced Kisses was the rich dessert that left my taste-buds satisfied after a delicious, savory meal.

Speaking of food, Charlie's books always make me so hungry! This one was possibly the worst/best for that. By the end, I was craving one of Patrick's mince pies and hot chocolates as much as everyone else at The Pear Tree. And if Charlie thinks she's getting away without writing an HEA for Ianto's twin Rhys now that we've met him, she's got another think coming. Plus, this reader isn't ready to say goodbye to The Pear Tree yet!

[Capreacula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story.

Well, Ben is a pub manager (but this pub seems more like an upscale restaurant) and Iantro is his rugby buddy. An attraction is there from before the story starts but since they both play on the same queer rugby team, they are both hesitant to react on their attraction. But then, while training in abysmal weather conditions, Ben's collarbone connects painfully with Iantro's knee - not a good time to have a broken collar bone just before the xmas rush. Also, xmas is not Ben's favourite time of the year, he doesn't join in in the crazy happy christmas idea (with his late police officer father and nurse mom who both didn't create a fairy tale xmas atmosphere).

Iantro has a guilty conscience though he didn't do anything wrong, the incident was just bad luck. However, helping Ben is the perfect chance to also spend some more time with the guy.
Ben is kind of married to his job. He also cared so much and so long for his best buddy Aaron (chef at the pub and MC of an earlier book in the series) that he somehow missed out on getting his own HEA.
Iantro otoh hasn't found his HEA yet because he's not willing to leave his twin brother behind when being in a relationship. His man must accept that having a twin is something special. Which noone so far did.
For Ben, that's not really a problem, as his relationship to Aaron is or used to be similar.

There's not much conflict - work issues, twin issues, not much is holding those two apart really. Also, Ben's co-workers are actively working towards getting those together.
So, it's a nice story and I will most likely follow up this book with either the previous ones in the Kiss Me series or read the book about Iantro's twin eventually.

What was nice about the audiobook: Ben is from Yorkshire, Iantro from Wales and I guess the narrator did a good job - I love accents and dialects and it didn't distract from understanding the audiobook at all. The narration itself was a bit flat, but I'm always rather picky about narrators, so that's a me thing.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars – This is the third and final book in Novak’s Kiss Me series. We were introduced to Ben in the previous two books. He is the grumpy, workaholic, front manager of The Pear Tree. During rugby practice, Ben breaks his collarbone and his friend Ianto takes him to the hospital and ends up helping him while he’s recovering. The men have already been crushing on each other, and this gives them a perfect excuse to spend time together.
The grumpy/sunshine aspect of this book is amazing. I really liked the fact that by the end of the book Ben had relaxed some, but still had his workaholic tendencies. It was nice to not have his personality completely change, and even better that Ianto didn’t expect it to. I loved all the bantering back and forth between the characters, and it was great to see the characters and relationships from previous books in the series. One thing that bugged me was Ben’s injury. It was a big part of the first half of the book, but then it just kind of went away. No real mention of it or the limitations Ben had because of it. But it was implied earlier that Ben had been doing too much and wouldn’t be completely healed until January. Since that was one of the big things that pushed Ben and Ianto together, I wanted more of a conclusion I guess.
Overall, this was a cute holiday book. It had loveable characters and was a nice quick read with some great banter and laughs along the way.
(I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.)

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Business and family

While this story does revolve around Christmas time and is part of a series, it is both a story that can be read standalone and that is a good read any time of the year.

Ben runs a pub and has always focused on that and his friendships rather than his love life. But with the pub being in good working shape and his friends in solid romantic relationships themselves, his bachelorship is being more noticed and his friends are trying to nudge him (strongly) into romantic endeavors.

Ianto runs his own business with his twin brother, as well as lives with his brother, which his previous romantic partners have often called co-dependent and too overwhelming to have a relationship. Ianto wants that romantic connection but doesn't know if it will ever happen.

Ben gets injured at rugby, partly by fault of Ianto, and the two find themselves being together more. There was already an attraction there but neither man had made a move. With Ben being forced to step away from work a bit because of his injury and Ianto finally feeling that he could ask for private time with him the two get the chance to really work out if they can be together. There is still the problem of their work, just how much they work and how to make time for each other, as well as working out family with each other. But having the time to do so makes all the difference. It was a great story, very romantic and sweet, but still working through some tough emotional issues. A really enjoyable read!

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a perfectly sweet friends to lovers holiday read. I enjoyed getting to know Ben, the co owner of the Pear Tree. The man is most definitely a workaholic. I don't know if he even knows the meaning of a day off. Even with a broken collar bone and doctors orders to rest, Ben's coworkers and his friend Ianto basically have to pry him away from his desk. I don't think the man has taken a vacation since opening the pubs doors.

Ianto was just a love bug. He felt responsible for Ben getting hurt at Rugby so he offers to help Ben out until his arm is better. That equates to all these cute little snippets of time where Ben and Ianto get to spend time together. On top of that, the little devils who work at the Pear Tree are also conspiring against the two men in order for them to spend even more time together. Operation #GetBenLoved is in full effect. If you've read the previous books in the series, I bet you can guess who came up with that name!

The side characters are really what makes the story in my opinion. I love all the workers of the Pear Tree. They are a family, and as such they stick their nose in each others business and offer unsolicited advice whenever possible. The group text chats at the start of each chapter were my absolute favorite. It made you start every chapter with a chuckle. Spiced Kisses is the last book in the Kiss Me series and I look forward to Novak's next works.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic finale for Charlie Novak’s Kiss Me series, Spiced Kisses brings us the story of The Pear Tree’s Manager, Ben. Ben has been indifferent to Christmas for years, but after injuring himself on the rugby field, his friend Ianto tries to help him get through a holiday season one-handed. Ianto has been attracted to Ben for as long as he’s known him, but is afraid to take that scary first step that could either pull it all together or blow it apart. Ianto comes across as so sweet in this story and both of them think they are not good enough for the other. Ben comes to realize that found family can be just as important as your birth family and you can make some wonderful memories with them. I love the emotional maturity that the author writes into her characters. It’s not that they never made bad decisions, but when they do, they own them. Then they work through them as adults should. There is just so much heart in these stories that you can’t help but fall in love with them. Charlie Novak has turned into one of my favorite authors of MM romance and I can’t wait to see what the next series she brings us is. I hope to see some of our favorites show up in the future.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this sweet Christmas Story!

This is the third book in the series. I haven’t read the first two yet but I’ll be going back and reading them for sure. Not having read them did not interfere with my enjoyment of this one at all.

First of all, as a holiday story let me say that I was super happy it was no angst. This is a sweet grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, forced proximity story. I enjoyed the restaurant setting and the way it played in to propelling the narrative. Ianto is the sunshine half of the MCs and Ben is the grumpy, all work no play one who dislikes the whole Christmas season. As Ianto ends up spending lots of time with Ben due to Ben’s injury (plus both of them wanting to spend time together unbeknownst to the other) Ianto’s Christmas spirit begins to rub some of the grumpiness off Ben’s attitude towards the season and gets him to see that perhaps his friends are right and he needs more than work.

I enjoyed the roles of the secondary characters and look forward to reading their stories in the first two books. This was a great read and perfect for this time of year.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends to lovers story: Workaholic grumpy restaurant /pub owner and Christmas-phobic Ben meets Ianto, Welsh fitness trainer and all around Christmas lover.

They've both been lusting after each other since Ben joined the local gay rugby club.

Small annoyance, this story is based in England, not small-town USA. So please use English terms / usage i.e. arse instead of ass or the myriad of other English words that could be used instead!

It seems social media is slowly but surely undermining the English language with this crossover of American words and phrases that are now regularly cropping up in UK-based stories these days. All authors should be mindful of falling into this trap to make their book more commercial...

As Ben's from Yorkshire, I'm sure he'd be using words and phrases he'd heard growing up there. It would be the same for Ianto coming from coastal South Wales. It's only in the throes of passion that we hear Ben's Yorkshire accent mentioned. On the other hand, there are plenty of references to Ianto's Welsh accent and language.

BTW loved the book and can't wait for Rhys' story...!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved every book in this series and this friends to lovers book is no different. Low Angst and no communication issues or pointless drama. Just 2 guys falling in love in a mature, awesome, and steamy way. One of the things I really love about Charlie Novak books is how unapologetically British they are. A lot of authors I see tend to alter their writing for American audiences and I love that Novak doesn't, even if sometimes I get confused (trolley!), I love it because it's true to the story and the characters. Great steam level with a story to match.

Dan Calley continues to grow on me but I noticed something weird. I actually enjoy his narration when listening on my headphones, but when listening in the car on my commute or on my Google speakerits hard to hear his voice clearly and not as good a listening experience. Idk why, maybe I focus better when it's a headset.

*I listen to audio at 2x speed
* I received a free copy for an unbiased review