Yummy Indulgences

Men of Charlestown #1

by Andi Anderson

To Allen Garner it should have been another day. As a supervisor at a local rendering plant he lives a simple life. He's kept his sexuality hidden from his co-workers; and now after 15 years working in the plant, he's lonely and thinks he's doomed to live his life alone. He'd just finished working the night shift, when his sister called and asked him a favor to meet with a local baker ,Shiloh Ballard, and pick out his parents fortieth wedding anniversary cake. He reluctantly agrees to go for her, and wants nothing but to pick out the cake, go home and get some sleep. What he doesn't expect is that Shiloh is a beautiful man who immediately enchants him from the first moment he lays eyes on him.

The feeling is mutual for the successful baker. Shiloh can't believe a strong sexy man like Allen would ever be interested in a rainbow flying, petite man like himself. Almost immediately, sparks fly between them and both men begin a whirlwind romance which soon develops into an undeniable love. But, problems soon start to arise for the couple. Because Allen isn't out at work; they have to keep their relationship on the down low. The causes both Allen and Shiloh to wonder if their love is strong enough to survive any backlash they might receive from Allen's co-workers and friends.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Ebooks, Erotic Romance, Gay, M M Contemporary

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 7, 2011

About the author

Hi:)
My name is Andi and I write Homoerotic Romance Novels.

I'm a proud author with eXtasy books, Mischief Corner Books and Siren Publishing.

I love hearing from my readers! Please feel free to contact me at:

authorandianderson@gmail.com

https://twitter.com/AndiAnderson_

http://andiandersonauthor.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/andi.anderso...

Reviews

[Hirdesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note--"I'm not gay. Completely straight."

But, It's a Good love story.
Exceptional one.
Emotions fell within their heart.
Happy ending with being together.

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars!

Unfortunately, Yummy Indulgences didn't work out for me; too much insta-love!. I am actually not at all against insta-love if it is well done and credible, but it just wasn't the case in this book. I wasn't able to connect with Allen and Shiloh, but I am definitly willing to give the second installment in the Men of Charlestown series a try.

[BWT · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a predictable, cookie-cutter sweet, fluffy romance. Be warned this is heavy on the insta-love! It's not for the cynics-at-heart.

It's a (mostly) paint by numbers romance with the two main characters, Allen and Shiloh, falling for each other the instant they set eyes on each other. My biggest complaint on that end is for most of their scenes together you could easily interchange Shiloh's pronouns of "he", "his", and "him" with "she" and "her" and change out Shiloh's boy parts with girl parts and it would have made absolutely no difference whatsoever.

I personally felt like the ultimate portrayal of Allen's homophobic workplace and bigoted co-workers was trite and unimaginative. It felt like a lost opportunity for Anderson to have fleshed out Allen's life and character more to really show how and why Allen had stayed closeted for so many years. I mean, he stayed in his position hiding who he really is from his co-workers and boss for fifteen years. I would have liked to have read more about the conflict of keeping his job at the expense of being true to himself.

“One thing you need to know about me is that I hate lying. Nothing is worse than a liar and the ironic thing is...I live a lie and I hate it. The men I work with would never understand my sexuality. They have no tolerance for it and would do everything within their power to make my life miserable enough at work to either quit or sabotage me in some way so I would get fired."

Much of this story just felt like a huge lost opportunity for character development. Instead it just offered up a simplistic love at first sight romance with no real substance.

Copy generously provided by eXtasy Books in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Reviews by Jessewave

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book that I liked a lot. Allen Garner has just got of work when his sister calls him and ask him to go to a local bake shop to pick out a cake for his parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary cake. When he gets there he meets the baker Shiloh Ballard the owner of Yummy Indulgences sparks fly when he lays eyes on Shiloh. Shiloh ask Allen out on a date and he accepts. Everything is going great until Allen tells him that he is not out at work turns out he works in a homophobic environment. This was a pretty good read I really liked both of these character's Shiloh tells Allen that as long as he is honest with himself than things will be fine. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling as this is the first book in a new series too me. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Leaundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwww man I hate that this book had to end. I loved Shiloh and Allen from the beginning to end of the book. Allen was just the sweetest guy and his love for Shiloh was so sweet. I want more of them:-) Great great book.

[Phaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

2012 Review:

So tell me. Is Allen handsome? Is Shiloh gorgeous? Good thing, too, that they use their names to address each other every time they exchange words. I mean otherwise I might not remember them or something. But tell me again, is Allen handsome? Because I am not convinced yet. It’s been over half a page since you last said he was.

Hey, Allen, I am all with you regarding the unable-to-lie thing, but did you really have to pretty much spill “Shiloh’s” contact details while keeping up the impression he’s a girl? Just seems like an ill-advised thing to do, you know, what with your workmates being complete homophobes and all.

And Shiloh, are you really sure that Allen’s handsome?

Truthfully, the name thing only is an issue in the beginning, while the rest of my little list happily keeps up. I was prepared for this, of course, since I glanced at my review of the first book before restarting this series. Oddly enough, the things I complained about did not register much with me this time around during the first volume. They certainly did with number two, however. Strange.

So yeah. Everyone’s beautiful and the story lacks tension despite the fact that this time we actually have Evil Homophobes around to provide Issues. Happy, sappy, lalala. At least it’s not offensive. Well, I think a certain amount of blandness might be considered offensive but luckily we don’t quite reach those levels yet.

So… Are we sure Allen’s handsome?

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, low angst, enjoyable read! I did kinda wish Allen could've found something besides "baby" to call Shiloh all the time! I am afraid this may be a "me" issue not a "you" issue! I also have problems with repeated use of daddy, my lover and many other endearments that are nice when used sparingly! *grin*

Now, before I move onto my next book, I feel the need to go make some strawberry cupcakes! ;D

[D.H. Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yummy Indulgences is a sweet romantic read that explores the love between Allen Garner, rugged, masculine, only out to his family and Shiloh Ballard, a lean, openly gay, bakery chef and owner. Throughout this story, author Andi Anderson maintains a purity to her writing and to her characters. The emotions, their struggles, and the conclusion travel along a pleasant path that keeps you wondering what will happen next, but which also rings true and believable.

What drew me in most while reading was the complexity of the two main characters. Without beating the reader over the head, Ms. Anderson skillfully reveals why each protagonist struggles, what past events have led to their current situations. I felt, by the end of the book, that I knew these two characters and I certainly now why they belong together.

There were a couple of aspects to this story that I would have liked to have seen further developed. Questions which remained unanswered by the end of the book. Such things as why Shiloh holds off on sex, the struggle Allen faces as his relationship progresses with Shiloh and as he runs the very real risk of being outed at work, the impact of Shiloh’s family history and how that has shaped who he is. Each of these things is addressed, but I found myself wanting more from these plot developments and others.

With that being said, the simplicity of the story and it’s development is also the story’s strength. It follows a clean story line, one that does not leave gaping holes and which rolls along with the right balance of tension/conflict and happiness until we reach the ending.

All in all, this was a highly pleasurable read.


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[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This was a cute story. I mean, I liked it but there was just something missing from it that couldn't hold my attention for that long so I put it down and picked it up a few times.

Shiloh and Allen are likable characters. We get a little glimpse of who they are in little details and how they spend their time together. The times that Shiloh didn't realize he had flour or icing or something on his face just made me smile and even though Allen is a recluse, it seemed like he blossomed a little bit from being with Shiloh.

I felt that the issue with Allen's job was 'fixed' way too easily, though. With how much it was talked about and how big of an issue it posed for the story, the resolution to it was over basically before I clicked to the next page on my kindle. I would have liked for it to have been a bit more explained, with maybe more drama to it. As it was, the ending just fell flat to me. :-/

Overall, I enjoyed the story even if it felt a little unfinished. If there is more in the series, I hope we get to see some of the characters from His Christmas Wish and some more of Shiloh and Allen.

[Janeylou · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[CoffeeTimeRomance andMore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where can you get a treat so rich, satisfying, and scrumptiously sexy that it will make you shudder with delight? Right here, of course! Allen and Shiloh make the most amazing couple, allowing their feelings to flow openly, and with no deceit or lies to cloud their story, you are folded right into their lives and their love. It is the outside world that always seems to complicate the issue, and that is seen in all of its ugliness with Allen’s co-workers. I adored this story, and this author is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorites for M/M romance.

Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

Full Review: http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...

[Helen Beattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was sweet but I felt the "conflict" could have been expanded a bit and been a bit more prominent. Resolving the conflict with a couple of quick paragraphs didn't really do it for me. Everything fell into place a bit too easily.

I liked both Shiloh and Allen as the main characters and the supporting characters but I was a little disappointed that Josh, Nick and Daniel from His Christmas Wish didn't make even a cameo appearance.

It would have rated a 3.5 for me but I got annoyed a bit by the editing/proofreading, there were too many wrong words, missing words and mistakes that kept pulling me out of the story.

[Collette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi has done it again with a light story about a shy masculine man and a cute baker who have chemistry and aren't afraid to show it. Between the man's nasty co-workers and the baker's need of help, they find a place to call their own and bring out the best in each other. I finished the story with a smile on my face.

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the second book in the Men in Charlestown series was just as good as the first one. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Tana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This I one of the first books I've read of Andi Anderson, its a good HEA Love Story and I really enjoyed it and liked the Andi writing.

[Lee Brazil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story. It was a simple, sweet tale of falling in love.

[MyzanM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super sweet short story.

I loved calm sweet Allen. He was so thoughtful even if he had to stay in the closet at work. Shiloh, I never really got a grip on. He seemed sweet, but I never connected to him.

I would have loved to see more of the other characters that were briefly introduced.

[Moomba · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Pamela aka Scottieluvr · Rating 4 out of 5]

MM Romance: 2019 Q3 TBR Challenge - Item #2

[Bookbee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simplistic writing, no plot to speak of.

[Holland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me. Ugh.

[Hrtnsoul28 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story, kind of predictable. Never really liked A.J's character

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da bei seiner Schwester Land unter ist, muss Allen Garner als Vertretung zu einer Kuchenverkostung gehen. Grund dafür ist eine große Feier zum 40igsten Hochzeitstag seiner Eltern. Doch der Besuch bei Yummy Indulgences soll Allens Leben völlig auf den Kopf und ihn am Ende vor weitreichenden Entscheidungen stellen. Allen ist ein ganzer Kerl und stellt das auch dar. Dass er sich für Männer interessiert, das wissen nur seine Eltern und seine Schwester. Sich zu outen kommt überhaupt nicht in Frage, denn in seinem Job gibt es viel Homophobie.

Shiloh Ballard hingegen ist out. Und er steht auch dazu. Der Bäcker und Konditor führt mit seiner Schwester ein gut gehendes Geschäft und ist erfolgreich dabei. Schon beim ersten Blickkontakt zwischen Allen und Shiloh knistert es. Allen ist genau der Typ Mann, auf den Shiloh steht und Allen ist unerwartet anziehend und charmant. Das Interesse ist gegenseitig und obwohl Allen nichts mehr fürchtet seine einsame, aber sichere Komfortzone zu verlassen, beginnen sie zu daten. Dabei lockt Allen Shiloh aus seiner Bäckerei heraus und verschleppt ihn in die wilde, dreckige Natur.

Wider Erwarten gefallen Shiloh diese Unternehmungen und rasch kommen er und Allen sich näher. Alles könnte gut sein, aber was wenn Allen beschliesst dass Shiloh es nicht wert ist sich zu outen?

Yummy Indulgences ist eine wahnsinnig romantische und zuckersüsse Geschichte, die mich sehr überrascht hat. Die Autorin ist mir bis dato unbekannt, doch das hat sie ja nun geändert. Shiloh, wie auch Allen sind extrem sympathisch und auch wenn Allen wegen seiner Ängste doch nicht ganz so cool wie erwartet ist, schliesst man ihn schnell ins Herz. Shiloh wie Allen sind eben nicht perfekt, sondern einfach normale Männer die sich Hals über Kopf verlieben. Mir gefiel auch der Aspekt, dass esben nicht alle so tolerant und offen sind. Denn die Gesellschaft ist eben nicht so, wie wir sie gern hätten. Allen kämpft wirklich sehr um seinen Job und seine Zukunft. Doch am Ende muss er sich entscheiden: Liebe oder Job.

Shiloh fürchtet diese Entscheidung und er will nicht, dass Allen am Ende die falsche Entscheidung trifft und ihre Liebe vielleicht daran zerbricht. Alles nachvollziehbare Probleme, die natürlich am Ende gelöst werden. Wer ein bisschen Drama, aber viel Romantik mag, der darf hier guten Gewissens zugreifen.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another sweet love story by Andi Anderson.

This is the second in the "Men of Charleston" series. Shiloh is the co-owner (with his sister) of Yummy Indulgences, a bakery, and was introduced briefly in the first book of the series "His Christmas Wish". He is out and proud and has the rainbow flag outside his shop to prove it. Allen works at a rendering plant and is only out to his family. His co-workers are homophobic bastards so he is careful to keep his sexuality to himself at work. Allen is pushed by his sister (Megan) into going into Yummy Indulgences to pick out and order a cake for their parents upcoming 40th anniversary party. Allen does it grudgingly. The minute he meets Shiloh everything changes. Instant attraction between the two. With the short length of this story, you know going in that everything is going to happen pretty fast. While the relationship progresses nicely, the feelings between Shiloh and Allen happen quickly. While it kind of has the feel of insta-love that rarely works in stories (in my opinion) the relationship is allowed to play out a bit before the words are actually spoken.

There is really no conflict in this at all with the exception of the jerks who work with Allen. That particular part of the story was resolved rather (too) quickly. Shiloh and Allen are simply sweet... sometimes too sweet. I find myself using that word a lot to describe this author's books... sweet (that is not a bad thing). The story was nice. The characters were perfect. I am very happy with the way it ended. This is my third of hers (so far) and in each there are a ton of sweet and "aww!" moments.

I really liked this with the exception of a couple of minor things that were easy to overlook. I can't wait to read the third one in the series. I look forward to seeing what else happens with Josh, Nick and Daniel.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very sweet story set in the same town as His Christmas Wish, Charlestown, Arkansas. The main characters, Allen (AJ) and Shiloh meet by chance because Allen's sister has an emergency and cannot meet with the bakery owner (Shiloh) to select the cake for their parents anniversary party. AJ takes her place and is enchanted when he meets Shiloh. Shiloh is a very attractive, very out man while Allen is closted to most everyone except his family and a few very close friends. More problematic is that his workplace is full of bigots who make no secret of their disapproval/disrespect/disdain for anyone who is not "just like them."

Allen and Shiloh hit it off immediately as Shiloh is extremely attracted to Allen as well and they begin dating. The majority of the story deals with Shiloh and Allen trying to figure out how to make their relationship work with Allen not being out at his job and their desire to be together

Nice touches include Shiloh meeting Allen's family for the first time and real tenderness shown between Allen and Shiloh. Very very cute and sweet story. If you're looking for a lovely romance, you might like this story.

[UnusualChild{beppy} · Rating 1 out of 5]

synopsis:
allen is asked by his sister to go decide on a cake for their parents' 40th anniversary after his night shift is over. the baker, Shiloh, turns out to be male, and allen is immediately attracted to him. the feeling is mutual, and they set up a date for later in the week when allen is done his work week. allen has worked at the rendering plant for fifteen years, and isn't out at work because he knows the guys don't like anyone different. they keep their relationship low key for a couple of weeks, but they want to live together, so allen lets his work know and is asked to leave immediately.

what i liked: the premise.

what i didn't like: everything seemed amateurish, from the editing and grammar to the characters. then, there was the believability. someone who makes fabulous desserts without any training and straight out of high school? not going to happen. someone who only had a grade 12 education doing the accounting for a business and doing it better than the accountant? again, not going to happen.

[Norah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allen works as a supervisor at a local rendering company, and hes in the closet. He is asked to pick out a cake for his parents wedding anniversary,, not that he knows anything about picking out one. In comes Shiloh the owner of the bakery. the attraction is mutual, and so begins a beautiful story of awakening love. But will the fact that allen is hiding his sexuality at work become a problem for the newly found lovers
This really is a sweet tale of finding love and really beliving that it will over come all. I love the commitment allen and shiloh have for one another. Both characters are so loveable truley beautiful people who when blended together paint a really beautiful story. There isnt a whole lot of angst in this little gem. The love they share for one another is enough to make it flow, like a gentle river meandering through the meadow.
Take the time to enjoy love in all its glory . A pleasure to read.

[Heather♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there wasn't a whole lot of conflict (I thought Allen coming out at work, especially at a rendering plant, would be a much bigger issue), this was still a very cute and enjoyable story. Shiloh was an adorable little baker who made Allen realize just how lonely his life had been because of having to hide his sexuality. Shiloh made him want to take a chance on love. And Allen was very tender, generous and supportive of Shiloh when he needed it most. They made a hot, solid couple together. This is a good book for someone looking for a low-angst story with plenty of heart-warming moments and a beautiful happy ending. [The guy on the cover is exactly how I would picture Shiloh too :)]

[Arlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yummy indulgences is the perfect name for this book. There were plenty of guilty pleasures sprinkled throught the book, particularity of the culinary and carnal variety. It was all very sweet, almost too sweet. This was an enjoyable story to sample from, but there was not enough meat on its bones to really sink your teeth into. That said, the sex scenes were deliciously racy, adding some much needed spice to this story.

This book a free download and at just over 100 pages. Unless you crave an ample serving of angst or require a complex plot in your reads, you really can't go wrong.

I recommended this book for the hedonist who would welcome an M/M love story largely devoted to the pleasures of sex and cake.

[m. ✨ On Hiatus ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Allen is tasked with choosing a cake for his parents' fortieth wedding anniversary in place of his sister, he never expected to find the love of his life. Shiloh, a sweet, kindhearted baker immediately feels a connection with Allen as soon as they lay eyes on each other. While Allen and Shiloh have the potential to have a beautiful relationship, the fact that Allen still hades his sexuality in public, particularly at work, could end it before it ever began.

This was a quick, easy breezy story that had little conflict and a wealth of romance. Shiloh was adorable and Allen was the perfect boyfriend. A very sweet read.