What do you think?
Rate this book
Starting Over #2
Sweets
Jake Dubois, a divorced dad, runs the I Eat Cake blog. Every week he tastes a bakery-made cake, reviews it and attempts to recreate it. He loves the work almost as much as he loves his six-year-old daughter.
Widower Ben Rummel’s twin girls are still toddlers and he’s grateful to his mother for helping out while he runs his business, the Banana Bear Bakery. He asks the I Eat Cake blog guy to review one of his creations, hoping to increase the visibility of his newly opened bakery.
Jake loves Ben’s cake, but he’s also quite taken with the man himself and the feeling is mutual. They arrange a playdate for their girls, which lets the two men spend more time with each other, too. One get-together leads to another and soon they’re hanging out on a regular basis.
If they’re going to take their relationship deeper, they’ll have to navigate a few bumps in the road, not least of which is Jake’s ex. But if they can, they just might be able to make a life for themselves as sweet as any of Ben’s creations.
Widower Ben Rummel’s twin girls are still toddlers and he’s grateful to his mother for helping out while he runs his business, the Banana Bear Bakery. He asks the I Eat Cake blog guy to review one of his creations, hoping to increase the visibility of his newly opened bakery.
Jake loves Ben’s cake, but he’s also quite taken with the man himself and the feeling is mutual. They arrange a playdate for their girls, which lets the two men spend more time with each other, too. One get-together leads to another and soon they’re hanging out on a regular basis.
If they’re going to take their relationship deeper, they’ll have to navigate a few bumps in the road, not least of which is Jake’s ex. But if they can, they just might be able to make a life for themselves as sweet as any of Ben’s creations.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2022
28 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Sean Michael
652 books1,209 followersOften referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.
Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 31, 2023
This review and more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews.
Jake loves cake. So much so that he’s turned his love of cake – both eating and baking – into a blog business that he can do from home so that he can be there for his 6-year-old Penny. His daughter loves cake too – much to the chagrin of his ex Tomas. Tomas has very rigid ideas of how things should be and sugar isn’t on his list of things his daughter should have. The guy can such the fun out of any room. Hence why they are exes and they trade Penny off every other week.
Jake gets an email from Ben who has opened a baker after the death of his husband. He’s got 3-year-old twin daughters, Pippa and Heidi. His mother helps him with the girls – taking them to daycare from the bakery in the morning after Ben has been baking for hours and generally being there when he’s needed her. Ben would like to get more steady business in at the bakery so he asks Jake to maybe feature one of his cakes. Jake agrees and they meet when he goes to pick up the cake from the shop. Ben and Jake hit it off right away and Jake LOVES the cake. He comes back to the bakery and Ben is happy to see him again. They enjoy each other’s company and decide they can spend more time with adult conversation if they arrange a playdate for their girls.
Jake and Penny come to Ben’s house for the playdate. Ben’s house is perfect for the girls with a backyard with a sandbox and swings and they girl get along like a house on fire. Penny revels in being the “big sister” to the two little girls. And Ben and Jake get along really well too. The girls really enjoy each other and have a great time together. Whether it’s pizza or tacos and games or Disney movies, the girls are really developing a relationship and so are Ben and Jake 😉
Things move along and Jake and Ben would really like to have some alone time. Ben’s mom takes the girls and the guys are able to go on a real date – although they have other ideas 😉 As they spend more time together, it’s clear that these five people are building something. Tomas, however, is not so happy about it. Luckily Ben is so nice, it’s impossible for Tomas to put up too much of a fuss. Even though he backslides a bit, Ben does his best to try to make sure everyone gets what they need and they make the best of the upcoming holidays.
Well this was freaking adorable. I really love Sean Michael’s Mannies Incorporated series and this book shares the same overall feel as those books. The kids are adorable. The single dads need help and some adult companionship and they hit it off right away. The reason for both men being single dads is different but they are definitely both happier once they join forces. Jake is adorable and his relationship with Penny is so cute. His ex is definitely his opposite – Type A, driven personality. Needless to say their parenting styles are not really in synch. Ben is a so lovable. He has a great relationship with his mom and she’s a huge support to him. That she likes Jake and is willing to pitch in with the girls so that the guys can have alone time is really good parenting 🙂 Even Tomas begins to loosen up after Ben sort of overwhelms him with his good intentions and his open approach to them all working together. Tomas definitely had a right to feel like the odd man out, but thankfully he realized that for the good of everyone – especially three adorable little girls – he could sty that way and be upset, or he could embrace this new reality 🙂 Honestly it would be so nice if more people could get to this stage and realize that the more people who love and support their kids, the better off everyone will be if they can just get along and behave like adults. Also I want cake 😉 Such a happy and positive story. I definitely recommend this story for those who enjoy single dads finding happiness and making a new start.
Jake loves cake. So much so that he’s turned his love of cake – both eating and baking – into a blog business that he can do from home so that he can be there for his 6-year-old Penny. His daughter loves cake too – much to the chagrin of his ex Tomas. Tomas has very rigid ideas of how things should be and sugar isn’t on his list of things his daughter should have. The guy can such the fun out of any room. Hence why they are exes and they trade Penny off every other week.
Jake gets an email from Ben who has opened a baker after the death of his husband. He’s got 3-year-old twin daughters, Pippa and Heidi. His mother helps him with the girls – taking them to daycare from the bakery in the morning after Ben has been baking for hours and generally being there when he’s needed her. Ben would like to get more steady business in at the bakery so he asks Jake to maybe feature one of his cakes. Jake agrees and they meet when he goes to pick up the cake from the shop. Ben and Jake hit it off right away and Jake LOVES the cake. He comes back to the bakery and Ben is happy to see him again. They enjoy each other’s company and decide they can spend more time with adult conversation if they arrange a playdate for their girls.
Jake and Penny come to Ben’s house for the playdate. Ben’s house is perfect for the girls with a backyard with a sandbox and swings and they girl get along like a house on fire. Penny revels in being the “big sister” to the two little girls. And Ben and Jake get along really well too. The girls really enjoy each other and have a great time together. Whether it’s pizza or tacos and games or Disney movies, the girls are really developing a relationship and so are Ben and Jake 😉
Things move along and Jake and Ben would really like to have some alone time. Ben’s mom takes the girls and the guys are able to go on a real date – although they have other ideas 😉 As they spend more time together, it’s clear that these five people are building something. Tomas, however, is not so happy about it. Luckily Ben is so nice, it’s impossible for Tomas to put up too much of a fuss. Even though he backslides a bit, Ben does his best to try to make sure everyone gets what they need and they make the best of the upcoming holidays.
Well this was freaking adorable. I really love Sean Michael’s Mannies Incorporated series and this book shares the same overall feel as those books. The kids are adorable. The single dads need help and some adult companionship and they hit it off right away. The reason for both men being single dads is different but they are definitely both happier once they join forces. Jake is adorable and his relationship with Penny is so cute. His ex is definitely his opposite – Type A, driven personality. Needless to say their parenting styles are not really in synch. Ben is a so lovable. He has a great relationship with his mom and she’s a huge support to him. That she likes Jake and is willing to pitch in with the girls so that the guys can have alone time is really good parenting 🙂 Even Tomas begins to loosen up after Ben sort of overwhelms him with his good intentions and his open approach to them all working together. Tomas definitely had a right to feel like the odd man out, but thankfully he realized that for the good of everyone – especially three adorable little girls – he could sty that way and be upset, or he could embrace this new reality 🙂 Honestly it would be so nice if more people could get to this stage and realize that the more people who love and support their kids, the better off everyone will be if they can just get along and behave like adults. Also I want cake 😉 Such a happy and positive story. I definitely recommend this story for those who enjoy single dads finding happiness and making a new start.
June 28, 2024
Jake, a divorced dad of a six-year-old girl, runs a video blog called I Eat Cake. When he gets a cold-call email from a local bakery requesting he sample some of their wares and potentially feature them in his blog his curiosity is aroused. Ben, a widower of three-year-old twin girls, is making his business work but knows he could do with a small boost to his PR and increase the visibility of his bakery. The two men are both taken with each other at their first meeting – professionally and personally – can they find some common ground and make something meaningful together?
I’ve been quite a fan of Sean Michael’s for quite some time and found this to be an enjoyable and emotional read from him. While it’s the second book in a series there isn’t any cross over from the first book so readers should absolutely feel comfortable picking this up as a standalone novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the slightly slower pace to the romance – the two men connected well as friends to begin with, then supported each other with the hard work of being a single parent, then slowly as their relationship bloomed it became more sensual and intimate. Readers who prefer the faster pace of insta-love might find this story a little slow but personally I really enjoyed the deeper emotional connection between the two men, particularly considering they had three young children to consider between them.
I also liked how while there was some conflict in the book it didn’t appear over the top to my mind. I sometimes find with slower paced M/M erotic romance stories like this having a crazy ex or a bigoted family member or something along those lines can be overblown and feel almost a caricature simply to add conflict. I was really impressed how the author added tension and conflict in the book with Jake’s ex but it was realistic, not overblown and – more importantly to my mind – maturely and calmly handled to a satisfying conclusion. I found this deeply refreshing and I found it equally satisfying that some legitimate concerns and questions could be handled without drama or creating conflict merely for the sake of having it. I loved this so much.
I also really enjoyed the characters themselves – while there wasn’t a huge supportive cast of secondary characters, I didn’t feel the book lacked anything for them not being present. Ben and Jake were solidly in the center stage as was their three daughters. There was plenty of variety there and I thought they kept the pace and plot of the story moving along at a good clip. I found their characters realistic, enjoyable and I found myself quite invested in Jake and Ben’s new relationship and their happiness as they blended their two families and sorted out a new life together.
Readers looking for an interesting, refreshingly different take on the M/M family romance story should find this a lovely read. With a slower romantic plot but still plenty of sizzle in the bedroom I feel this should appeal to many readers. Recommended.
I’ve been quite a fan of Sean Michael’s for quite some time and found this to be an enjoyable and emotional read from him. While it’s the second book in a series there isn’t any cross over from the first book so readers should absolutely feel comfortable picking this up as a standalone novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the slightly slower pace to the romance – the two men connected well as friends to begin with, then supported each other with the hard work of being a single parent, then slowly as their relationship bloomed it became more sensual and intimate. Readers who prefer the faster pace of insta-love might find this story a little slow but personally I really enjoyed the deeper emotional connection between the two men, particularly considering they had three young children to consider between them.
I also liked how while there was some conflict in the book it didn’t appear over the top to my mind. I sometimes find with slower paced M/M erotic romance stories like this having a crazy ex or a bigoted family member or something along those lines can be overblown and feel almost a caricature simply to add conflict. I was really impressed how the author added tension and conflict in the book with Jake’s ex but it was realistic, not overblown and – more importantly to my mind – maturely and calmly handled to a satisfying conclusion. I found this deeply refreshing and I found it equally satisfying that some legitimate concerns and questions could be handled without drama or creating conflict merely for the sake of having it. I loved this so much.
I also really enjoyed the characters themselves – while there wasn’t a huge supportive cast of secondary characters, I didn’t feel the book lacked anything for them not being present. Ben and Jake were solidly in the center stage as was their three daughters. There was plenty of variety there and I thought they kept the pace and plot of the story moving along at a good clip. I found their characters realistic, enjoyable and I found myself quite invested in Jake and Ben’s new relationship and their happiness as they blended their two families and sorted out a new life together.
Readers looking for an interesting, refreshingly different take on the M/M family romance story should find this a lovely read. With a slower romantic plot but still plenty of sizzle in the bedroom I feel this should appeal to many readers. Recommended.
December 29, 2022
These girls are too adorable.
This book was good. It was nice to see Jake and his ex Thomas actually trying to be nice to each other for Penny’s sake. And Ben is a big old teddy bear with a heart of gold. Very good story with all the love and sweetness you could possibly want. I love how Ben and Jake fit everything together so naturally.
This book was good. It was nice to see Jake and his ex Thomas actually trying to be nice to each other for Penny’s sake. And Ben is a big old teddy bear with a heart of gold. Very good story with all the love and sweetness you could possibly want. I love how Ben and Jake fit everything together so naturally.
June 27, 2023
This story is as sweet story of two men with a meet cute that just gets cuter. They mesh well together. There are also adorable kids that add to the fun of the story. This is a great feel good love story.
January 2, 2024
This was cute... this was SWEET (cake for everyone)... the girls were adorable... what's not to love?
I always love to read one of these "too sweet for words" stories when I am having a bad day and Sean Michael always gets the job done!
I always love to read one of these "too sweet for words" stories when I am having a bad day and Sean Michael always gets the job done!
January 29, 2024
Book 2 in this series.
I loved Jake and Ben's story. Jake is a blogger and he meets Ben through Ben's shop and thus begins a romance between the two. I am really enjoying this series and highly recommend it.
I loved Jake and Ben's story. Jake is a blogger and he meets Ben through Ben's shop and thus begins a romance between the two. I am really enjoying this series and highly recommend it.
December 27, 2022
Love this author's stories with kids. I confess to being thrown off by the Canadian Thanksgiving date, but I caught on eventually. A sweet, low steam book.
January 8, 2023
Likeable characters and a charming story.
May 10, 2023
Cute!
January 30, 2024
Cute with no drama
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews