Four couples, four different stories -- and one spicy Recipe for Romance from author Ari McKay!
Welcome to Montgomery House, Charleston’s finest restaurant. When you walk in the front doors of the stately former mansion, you’ll be surrounded by true Southern charm. Owner Rhys Montgomery will personally welcome you, while the tantalizing scents of Executive Chef Stephen Pierce’s latest culinary masterpiece linger in the air. Enjoy a walk in the gardens or an elegant meal in the dining room, as you watch the love stories play out around you...
Bay Leaves and Bachelors -- Clay Turner’s heart was broken by a wealthy man who said he was boring. When rich, outgoing restaurateur Rhys Montgomery sets his sights on the quiet academic, drawn in by Clay’s intelligence and sex appeal, he finds he has an uphill battle to win Clay’s trust. Can Rhys burrow his way into Clay’s heart, or will Clay’s insecurity become a wall between them that not even true love can break down?
Fennel and Forgiveness -- Seven years ago, Max Boyd broke Darius Cooper’s heart. Darius wanted a commitment, and Max wanted to focus on his career in Georgia’s television industry. Their ten year difference in age and experience tore them apart, but fate throws them back together when Max arrives at the Montgomery House, where Darius now works. Will Southern Wedding Belles bring them a second chance for love or is Darius’s trust too shattered for Max to heal?
Ginger and Gentlemen -- Ian Pierce has lived in his older brother Stephen’s shadow his entire life, always feeling second best. His best friend, Matt Davis, is the only person he trusts to be on his side. Despite being in dire financial straits, Ian wants to refuse Stephen’s request to film an episode of Mouth of the South at Ian’s restaurant, but the bonus money offered in the contract is too much to resist. He accepts without knowing the hefty bonus comes from Matt, not the production company. Will Ian feel betrayed by the one person he trusts above all others when he finds out, or will Matt’s desire to help Ian succeed even at his own financial risk take them from friends to lovers at last?
Cinnamon and Seduction -- Chef Stephen Pierce has talent and a determination to succeed that is matched only by his fierce temper and prickly personality. Yet his long-suffering personal assistant, Robert Logan, has carried a torch for Stephen since the day they met. Everyone around Montgomery House knows Robert is in love with Stephen -- everyone, that is, except Stephen himself. Can Rhys, Clay, Darius, Max, Ian, and Matt find a way to make Stephen see that Robert is the perfect man for him, or will even Robert’s legendary talent for matchmaking fail to win him the man he loves?
All the stories are set around Montgomery House, Charleston, and we start with the owner of Montgomery House - Rhys, who is trying to woo Clay. Clay has had a relationship turn bad, with his ex-boyrfriend telling Clay he was boring, Clay seems to believe all this and more, and now has no confidence in himself now, he believes everything his ex had told him. Rhys has his work cut out for him, to show Clay that he is not the same as his ex-boyfriend, and that he does have feelings for him - but can Rhys get through the wall that Clay has around his heart.
Then we move onto Darius and Max. They were a couple seven years prevously, but at that time, it seemed to Darius that Max was more interested in his career than a relationship. They meet again when the comany that Max works for, is filming in Montgomery House. When they first meet, the sparks do fly, but not in a good way. Both men still have feelings for the other, but what will it take for them to talk things through, and will Max be able to convince Darius that they do indeed have the chance of of being a couple, and that this time around love will come first and not work.
The next couple is Ian and Matt. Ian is actually the chef's brother in the restaurant at Montgomery House. The brothers do not get on though, but it soon becomes obvious that neither brother really knows what the other feels, and that not everything is as they both remember. Matt is Ian's best friend, but Matt is actually in love with Ian but he doesn't tell him, instead deciding to add a bonus clause into the contract that Ian has just signed, and put his own money into Ian's failing business - but without him knowing. What will happen if and when Matts secret comes out?....
Lastly, we have Stephen and Robert - Stephen is the Chef at Montgomery House, and Robert is his personal assistant, and the person who has been in love with Stephen since he started worked for him. It seems that Stephen is totally oblivious to this though, I think part of it being, he doesn't see himself as being handsome, and can't believe that anyone will fall in love with him. Rhys, Clay, Darius, Max, Ian and Matt all seem determined for Stephen to see what is in front of him, but will they help matters, or make things worse?.......
This is a wonderful collection of short stories, and I really enjoyed meeting each couple and read a story that was different to the next.
Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.
Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.
McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.
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