Sweet Beginnings Bakery by Anne-Marie Meyer: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

There are two things in this life I’m sure of: One, Emery Torres is all that matters Two, what I want and what I need does not

Emery

I wanted to crawl into a hole and never emerge after I asked Noah to fake a marriage with me and he never responded. I thought I would die of embarrassment, until Noah agrees. He’ll marry me for three years so I don’t lose my job and Carson’s company. “Whatever you need,” he says.

This plan seems perfect. With Noah, it’s familiar. With Noah, it’s safe.

Then we’re forced to kiss and everything changes.

I’m incapable of having an intimate relationship with a man so Abigail comes up with a grand plan: ask Noah to desensitize me. After all, our relationship is fake. It was founded on rules and has a built in end date. Feelings are not involved…

Until they are.

I’m falling for my fake fiancé but I don’t know what that means. I want to think it’s possible that he could have feelings for me too, but how do I ask him without unraveling the plan that I’d worked so hard to construct. Especially when my son seems to want this to be real as well.

Eloise

There are two things I’m absolutely sure of. One is the love I have for my brother, Gaines. He’s the last living person in my life who I truly care about. And two, I hate Hudson Maxwell. My brother’s best friend since high school and a class-a schmuck.

So when my bother asks me to fly to Harmony Island to finish preparations for his wedding because his wedding planner got sick, I agree despite the fact that his best man is my number one enemy. I’m a big girl. I can lay down my weapons of war and keep the peace for one week.

If only Hudson would get the hint. Instead, he seems determined to rekindle the friendship we once had. My snarky attitude and death stares don’t seem to deter him and I’m desperate. Hating Hudson when he’s a jerk is easy. But when he’s nice?

It just might be impossible.

Told through three points of view — Emery, Noah, and Eloise — Sweet Beginnings Bakery is a story of widows who learn to love again, of best friends who become more, and of the enemy you can't quite manage to keep hating.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Sweet, closed-door small-town romance

• The Netflix show Sweet Magnolias

• Fake marriage and the widow's second chance at love

• Bodyguard romance and husband's-best-friend tropes

• Military widow stories and the heroes who waited

• Enemies to lovers and brother's-best-friend wedding-week chaos

• Forced proximity, surfer-baker heroes, and impromptu food fights

• Hallmark-style comfort reads you can share across generations

The Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman series delivers Anne-Marie Meyer's signature HEA Guaranteed — every romance finds its happy ending. No explicit content, no graphic language, just the kind of love story you can share with your mother, your daughter, and your best friend.

Please note: This is Book 9 of a connected series and ends on a cliffhanger. Eloise and Hudson's story continues in Book 10, Gelato Grove.

The Author

Anne-Marie Meyer is a USA Today Bestselling author who lives south of the Twin Cities in MN. She spends her days with her knight in shining armor, four princes, and a baby princess.

When she's not running after her kids, she's dreaming up romantic stories. She loves to take her favorite moments in the books and movies she loves and tries to figure out a way to make them new and fresh.

Join her newsletter at anne-mariemeyer.com

Book Review

Nine books in and my love of the Sweet Tea and Southern Gentleman series only continues to grow with each new book... I simply cannot get enough. If this is your first introduction, you're going to want to go all the way back and start at book one. This series is unique in that each book features two different couples, with one story finishing in the current book (Emery and Noah) with the other just starting and continuing in the next (Eloise and Hudson), so you really do need to read in order to fully appreciate the whole story. And if you're a reader who doesn't want to wait for the happily ever after, you may want to wait to read until the series is finished so you can binge them all at once... and trust me, you're absolutely going to want to binge them! From their introduction in the last book, I was already hooked on Emery and Noah's story. I love a good bodyguard romance, and throw in a fake marriage? Count me in. The remainder of their story absolutely didn't disappoint. I loved his protectiveness and patience with her as she found healing after the loss of her husband. The chemistry between them was so good, with a perfect slow burn that was so worth the wait. Truly, I couldn't help but love these two. And then we have Eloise and Hudson. Their story may only be starting, but already I find myself needing to know what's going to happen... and what has already happened. We're given just enough to pique my interest, and I cannot wait to get their full story... I just know it's going to be a good one! If you love small town romance with just the right amount of drama, this is a book and series that you won't want to miss! 

Sweet Beginnings Bakery is a closed-door romance with kisses only and minor language. While the actual book is kisses only, there is an optional open door bonus scene as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4uQWl9l