Caffeinated Bliss

by Ashley Zakrzewski

Red-haired beauty Laura Gann inherits a bookstore, but it needs a lot of work to make it a viable business. She hires handyman Derrick to help, but his foul mouth and brooding ways are instant turn-offs. Derrick is trying to find reliable work, but with his dad’s reputation known around the county, his last name is ruining his chances until she comes along. The ambitious and control freak nature of Laura sends him into a fury, but not for long. Will they regret judging a book by its cover? There seems to be more to both than they originally thought. Could Derrick be the hero Laura’s story needs to achieve its happily ever after?

226 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2020

About the author

Ashley Zakrzewski is a Romance Author known for her captivating storytelling, sultry plots, and dynamic protagonists. Hailing from Arkansas, her affinity for the written word began early on, and she has been relentlessly chasing after her dreams ever since.

When she isn't crafting stories, Ashley is either pursuing her business degree, blogging, or being a bookworm. Above all else, she loves spending quality time with her amazing husband and beautiful daughter.

You can find more at www.ashleyzakrzewski.com

Reviews

[Jess Spain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book. No spice. I wanted to give it 5 stars but it felt a little rushed and needed a bit more detail. The book made it seem like it would be enemies to lovers but it was more insta love and the banter wasn't as fleshed out as it could be. It was still a great read though if you pushed all that aside.

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Zakrzewski has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Laura and Derrick. Laura and her grandmother go to their favorite bookstore to see their friend Al. Laura has helped him out part-time and has known him since she was a child. A few days later, she saw on the news where he had passed away. She is worried about his cats, so she goes to the bookstore to check on them. When she gets to the bookstore, she finds a man there. She asks "Who are you?" He replies that he is Al's lawyer, Edward. She tells him that she is Laura and he said that he needed to talk to her because Al had left the bookstore to her. She is shocked that Al would do that. Edward tells her all that needs to be done is the paperwork and the bookstore would be hers. She signs the papers and now she needs a handyman. She puts an ad in the paper for the handyman and Derrick sees it and calls about the job. He doesn't get a callback, so he goes by the bookstore. At first things between Laura and Derrick don't go well. She thinks he is a jerk and decides to wait for someone else to call about the job. It's been a week and no one else has called about the job. Laura's grandmother is at the bookstore and helping Laura when Derrick comes by. When Laura's grandmother sees him, she wants to know why he is there. Derrick ends up getting the job. After Derrick stops acting cocky, things between them are fine and they work together. Laura and Derrick are talking about the downstairs area when someone comes into the store. Laura goes upstairs and all Derrick hears is "What are you doing here?" It is Stanley, a man who wants the bookstore. Stanley tells her that he is not there for her but wants to talk to his son. She turns to Derrick and lets him have it because he did not tell her that he was Stanley's son when she hired him. She lets them both know that the bookstore is not for sale. She tells them both to leave. A little later, Derrick returns to the bookstore and as he is getting out of his truck, he hears a scream coming from the store. What he sees when he gets inside makes him mad. Laura is being robbed. She sees Derrick and he puts his finger up to stop her from letting the man know Derrick is there. Derrick goes and gets the gun that he knew Al kept in the store. The man is standing over Laura demanding money with a knife pointed at her. Derrick goes up to the man and said: "I'm not sure about you, but a gun trumps a knife don't you?" As he pointed the gun at the man's forehead. "Oh, and I don't miss." The man runs out the back door. Derrick picks Laura up and said "Oh, Laura. I'm so sorry. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't left. "He wanted money and I tried to tell him we weren't opened yet but he wouldn't listen. He threw me against the counter and ripped my dress. Derrick called the police. After the police take their statements, the police tell Laura that it looked like the man knew she was going to be alone. After the police leave, Derrick says "Let me take you home, I think you have done enough for today." After this, things change between Laura and Derrick. They start seeing each other but take it slow since both were hurt in the past. Laura had nothing to do that day at the bookstore, so she decided to go and see Derrick. When she gets to his house, she sees him with a woman going into his house. She cuts all ties with him at that time. She sends him a text message telling him that they are over. He doesn't know what he did to cause her to do that. He tries to call and text her but she doesn't answer. It is opening day for the bookstore and it has gone better than she could have hoped. She is getting ready to close when Derrick comes in and asked: "How did the opening go?" She doesn't want to look at him but tells him fine. He wants to know what he did to her that caused them to break up. She tells him about the day she saw him with another woman. He tells her that the woman was his ex-wife and she was there to tell him about his four-year-old son that he didn't know about
Will Derrick having a son, change how she feels about him?
This was a wonderful book and I would recommend it to anyone.

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

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romance story with the two main characters that were Laura Gann and Derrick Halls. And also the rest of the characters to.

Laura Gann has inherited a bookstore and is in need for a handyman to help with renovations. She is hoping that by fixing up the bookstore it will help with bring in more customers. But the person that answer the ad for the handyman job is quite not what she expected.

Derrick Halls is a handyman that has been having a hard time with find a job because of his father. His father is making bad decisions. So when a ad for a job come available he decides to not reveal his last name for fear that they will not hire him.

This was a fun story to read. It had me laughing and gigging quite a lot. A little sad at the beginning but quite a bit of surprising at the end.

I received a complimentary copy via author. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Laura and Derrick's story. Laura and Derrick have completely different backgrounds but the connection and chemistry between them was so strong and instant that you could feel it sizzling of the pages of the book and they had both had bad experiences in there past but would they be able to overcome that and give themselves a real chance of being together and getting a happy ending or will they both deny themselves and miss out on something special. The characters and storyline pulled you in right from the first page and along with the twists and turns it made this book a real page turner and a must read.

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

[Jurae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura had just inherited a book store and was looking for a handyman to help with renovations. Derrick had been avoiding having to work with his crooked father and answered her add. Both had been hurt in previous relationships and weren't looking for anything serious but an an unexpected event brings them together.

Great charcters, very relatable. The story was also good but I didn't care for the writing style. It was more like a bunch of ideas put together. The scenes and chapters didn't transition smoothly. And at one point Derrick's former best friend's name was Jake but later it was Kevin.

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

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. I thought that there were some great characters in this book. The story was well written with just enough drama in a small town romance. Laura and Derrick meet when he does some work at her bookstore. They do not get off to a very good start together. Personalities clash and that makes her try to avoid him. Perception is a funny thing. It is a long standing rule of life that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

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

[Kayla Pocernich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caffeinated Bliss is the story of good girl meets bad boy. The connection, attraction and the chemistry between Derrick and Laura is hot, intense, smoldering and very forbidden. Derrick and Laura are two very different people with very different backgrounds but they can't seem to deny the attraction between them. Derrick will do anything for Laura when her safety is put in jeopardy. I loved this book and another great book by Ashley.

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

[lf · Rating 5 out of 5]

He may not look like a knight but he does come to her rescue and then some

Caffeinated Bliss is the story of Derrick and Laura. These are two fantastic characters who end up in a well crafted story-line. it is a slow burn good girl and bad boy with a lot of underlying sexual chemistry. The banter back and forth is really well written and had me laughing and thinking some "no he didn't" at times. This is another very enjoyable and engaging stories by Ashley Zakrzewski.

I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had a lot of good moments, a lot of sweet moments; BUT it also had lot of just okay moments and just a sliver of the romance that the title implied. However, even though there were times when it would lull, I never pondered choosing another novel for immediately something would grab my attention again. There was always something slightly spicy or mysterious which would  reel me back in to stick by the side of this author. In the end, though, I'm glad I finished reading this novel.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's well written, entertaining, enjoyable and captivating. The story flows smoothly through the pages and captures your attention. The characters are relatable, easy to love, fun to get to know and well developed. A good read for those early fall evenings sitting on your deck enjoying the sunset.

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

[Jenny Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. An element of sentiment and surprise. An ode to the old fashioned, small book stores. Ms. Zakrzewski has a way of introducing you to the characters and their predicaments immediately. This story is relatable. The characters are real. It's fast paced and well written. I'd highly recommend this book! Great contemporary romance!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written story that held my interest until the end. I enjoyed reading Laura Gann and Derrick's story of their ups and downs and Derrick finding out he has a son he did not know about. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Kotsios · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hooked me from the get go I just couldn’t put it down I fell in love with these characters and omg what a story just a perfect read.

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

[Helena Mendes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a cute HEA story, it equals well spent leisure time reading it. I recommend it because I enjoyed reading it very much.

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

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing that I didn’t enjoy from this read starting with the well developed and smooth flowing storyline. The characters are engaging and well developed with plenty of chemistry throughout the pages.

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

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. It is the kind that you can identify with the characters and immerse yourself in the story. Very well written and characters to win the heart make this book a must read.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Derrick & Laura's book. It was a fun, entertaining read. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.